IS POLITICS DESTROYING YOUR RELATIONSHIPS? Navigating ideological differences, setting boundaries with love, and staying connected without betraying your values.

The table went silent. The air got thick. One comment about a politician, and suddenly, connection fractured. If you're losing relationships over beliefs right now, you're not alone. And this episode is for you.

Inspired by Brené Brown's work on belonging, this conversation explores how to stay in relationship with people you fundamentally disagree with, without compromising who you are or what you believe in.

What you'll discover:

• The crucial difference between protecting your dignity vs protecting your comfort
• How to set boundaries that protect the relationship AND yourself within it
• Why belonging to yourself first changes everything about navigating disagreement
• The hard line: when ideological differences become harm, not just discomfort
• How to hold both love and conviction at the same time
• Why echo chambers create their own kind of loneliness
• How personal relationships are the microcosm for larger societal divisions

Powerful Quotes:

"We're losing relationships over beliefs. Not because we don't love each other, but because we don't know how to hold both conviction and connection at the same time."

"If someone denies my humanity -or the humanity of people I love -that's not a difference of opinion. That's harm. And I don't negotiate that boundary."

"There's a difference between 'I can't be around someone who doesn't believe I deserve rights' and 'I can't be around someone who voted differently than me.' One is about safety. The other is about comfort."

"True belonging doesn't require you to change who you are; it requires you to BE who you are." - Brené Brown, Braving the Wilderness

Timestamps:
00:00 - Introduction: When beliefs tear us apart
02:15 - The dinner table moment: navigating political division in real time
04:01 - When ideologies become more important than people
05:36 - My personal story: loving family I disagree with
06:27 - Setting boundaries without cutting people out
08:11 - Self-reflection: Hard boundary or closed-mindedness?
09:32 - Belonging to yourself first (Brené Brown's wisdom)
11:11 - The question: Do I need them to agree with me or love me?
12:09 - From dinner tables to nations: the microcosm of division
13:12 - The inside job of staying grounded in your values
14:35 - Holding love and conviction simultaneously

This episode is for you if:

• You're losing relationships over political or ideological differences
• You're struggling to navigate family dinners or friendships across belief divides
• You need permission to protect your peace without cutting everyone out

Join the Conversation:
Share this episode with people in your life who are navigating these tensions right now.
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Resources Mentioned:
📖 Braving the Wilderness by Brené Brown

This is an inside job. Share this episode with those you love. 💛

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Thank you for being here. You are enough. ✨