On this episode we explore the dynamics of online spiritual communities. The rules, structures, and process for finding quality teachers, asking for help, and dealing with conflict. The online spiritual communities of social media host a variety of practitioners as well as people in various states of deconstruction. Knowing who to listen to is hard and how to navigate trolls, virtue signaling, egotism, and straight up grifters all require learning discernment.

The heavy subject matter takes a breather when the conversation takes a momentary side quest towards nostalgia. Cool beans, on Fleek, NOT!

Since Heather isn't on social media Whitney attempts to relate the issue to real life communities, but Heather isn't giving them much awareness. With 4 under 10, even in those communities Heather is focused on her kids over social dynamics. Whitney reshapes the scenario towards Heather's family as an example of community and the result is nothing short or genius! How do you handle a disrupter when everyone has the right to belong and no one has authority....wake up the Momster! A technique that creates a spectacle or absurdity to break the tension rather than using shame to lecture.

The conversation takes a slight curve. Tell us, if you have sisters, did you all get physical?

Back to the online communities, Whitney asks, what do you do when there is no source of authority in the community. Heather's answer: let them be wrong. But what if they are still influential? That's where personal accountability comes in around fact checking, boundaries, and knowing when to walk away from a creator. We're all human being's having a human experience, but when a creator's journey starts to negatively impact your mental health, you still have a responsibility to protect your own peace.

The conversation then goes towards self regulation of emotions and Whitney explains embracing her spicy energy in therapy. Then, she gets candid about conspiracy thinking and grounding thought patterns in reality.

Heather is there once again to serve some humble pie as Whitney gets tongue tied, confused, and reminded that perfection is boring. "Don't consume content creators— That's cannibalism!"

The episode winds down as we discuss acknowledging qualifications and how the em-dash isn't a sign of ChatGPT, but an expression of the ADHD train of thought. Heather adds, "by the way, that's also a trauma response" to kick off Whitney's favorite game: Is it ADHD or Trauma???

Another fun episode! Tell us your thoughts in the comments.

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