What if laughter is one of the best tools we have for getting through life? For me, humor has always been a faithful companion, a way to clear the air, soften difficult moments, and find a little breathing room when things feel overwhelming.

In this episode, I reflect on the role humor has played in my life, from helping me navigate awkward moments when I was younger to giving me perspective on the unexpected challenges of getting older. I've learned that laughter doesn't make the hard things disappear, but it can break them into smaller pieces, make room for connection, and remind us not to take ourselves quite so seriously. Sometimes, the most healing thing we can do is find something to laugh about, even when life gives us very little reason to smile.

Akasha’s Book

A spirited memoir of bold adventures, unexpected detours, and one woman’s journey to create a life on her own terms, “Unbecoming Behavior, A Southern Memoir of Adventurous Choices by Akasha Halsey.” is now available! Learn more and purchase here: https://nowthatyouaskpodcast.com/unbecoming-behavior/

About the Show

Now That You Ask is a podcast that looks at topics that range from death to desire, and from wondrous to downright whacky. Join host, Akasha Halsey as she takes listeners on a journey through her writing and experience with life’s most persistent questions.

Thank you for listening!

Listen to more episodes like this and subscribe to updates at https://nowthatyouaskpodcast.com

Sometimes, a beautiful experience can open a part of us we didn’t even realize had closed. After an unexpected trip to the beach left me overwhelmed with joy and feeling deeply cared for, I began reflecting on the words of Julia Alvarez, Ram Dass, Audre Lorde, Rumi, and Henry David Thoreau. Their insights led me to a surprising realization: life’s unexpected moments, whether challenging or wonderful, can reveal strengths we didn’t know we had and beauty we may have forgotten how to see.

In this episode, I explore the connections between gratitude, vulnerability, love, and the barriers we build around our hearts. I’m discovering that being open to life means allowing ourselves to receive as much as we give, to say “I love you” more freely, and to welcome joy without needing to explain it away. Perhaps the secret isn’t changing what life brings us, but learning to see it differently. As Thoreau reminds us, it’s not what we look at, but what we see that matters.

Akasha’s Book

A spirited memoir of bold adventures, unexpected detours, and one woman’s journey to create a life on her own terms, “Unbecoming Behavior, A Southern Memoir of Adventurous Choices by Akasha Halsey.” is now available! Learn more and purchase here: https://nowthatyouaskpodcast.com/unbecoming-behavior/

About the Show

Now That You Ask is a podcast that looks at topics that range from death to desire, and from wondrous to downright whacky. Join host, Akasha Halsey as she takes listeners on a journey through her writing and experience with life’s most persistent questions.

Thank you for listening!

Listen to more episodes like this and subscribe to updates at https://nowthatyouaskpodcast.com

At 80, I’ve been thinking more about death and realizing that talking about aging has sometimes been my way of avoiding the subject altogether. I’ve planned my memorial and organized my affairs, but there’s one thing I can’t plan for: the experience of dying itself. How do we face the unknown, and can we ever truly prepare for a journey none of us understands?

In this episode, I share my personal, sometimes uncomfortable thoughts about death, from my fears of pain and losing control to the unexpected moments of calm that remind me I may not need all the answers. Perhaps the path will reveal itself when the time comes. I don’t know, but I suspect I’m not alone in wondering.

Akasha’s Book

A spirited memoir of bold adventures, unexpected detours, and one woman’s journey to create a life on her own terms, “Unbecoming Behavior, A Southern Memoir of Adventurous Choices by Akasha Halsey.” is now available! Learn more and purchase here: https://nowthatyouaskpodcast.com/unbecoming-behavior/

About the Show

Now That You Ask is a podcast that looks at topics that range from death to desire, and from wondrous to downright whacky. Join host, Akasha Halsey as she takes listeners on a journey through her writing and experience with life’s most persistent questions.

Thank you for listening!

Listen to more episodes like this and subscribe to updates at https://nowthatyouaskpodcast.com