Ever feel like you've wasted any of your potential? Think about different timelines in which you'd be in a different place than right now?

Same.

Reading The Midnight Library by Matt Haig totally changed my perspective on this though-- Listen to me as I dish out a good mix of humor and genuine curiosity about things I never explored, "regrets" I have. In my 26 years there's been plenty.

But of course I also have to show the other side, which I'm totally happy being in this timeline for. And who's to say knowing our regrets (as long as we don't dwell on them) doesn't actually make for better potential?

Be prepared for two lists of 26 items each to be thrown at you!!

P.S. Sorry about some minor continuing sound issues. They weren't as frequent as the last episode, but they're still there and my editing isn't great either!! Just so happy to have you here.

If you're on Spotify, feel free to reach out through the Q&A platform. Alternatively, email can be sent to thepositivepessimistpod@gmail.com :))

The thing about doing important things is they’re often not “urgent” so we put them off and lose ourselves along the way. Easier to keep them as daydreams than take responsibility for them, right?

Come listen to Jordan (your only host now?) as she faces her last daunting task of the year just barely in time to finish this amazing past year strong. More than likely you'll be hearing it in 2024, but this episode was truly one of her biggest 2023 accomplishments. Let this be your sign to make time for that thing you've been putting off.

You'll find this all here:

- What this podcast was intended to be and what it actually ended up being

- Why we stopped posting and why that is essential to me to disclose

- Future plans, in general and with bringing the pod back

- My recap of this year (I quit my job and have never felt better)

- My biggest lessons learned this year

- Me embarrassing myself as per usual <3

I'm so happy to have you here. How to reach out since our Insta got deactivated??: Email at thepositivepessimistpod@gmail.com :))

Let me know especially where you'd like to see this podcast go in the future, as I'm looking to continue to ease myself back into it in 2024!

P.S. I think I got impatient with editing towards the end and didn't leave enough space in between sentences lol/I got more excited recording my personal updates as they were more positive than addressing the hard things, soo my apologies for the really fast talking and transitions in that part!!

Happy New Year.

What’s something that Gabby has done but isn’t even on Jordan’s radar? Get married. Join us as we scratch the surface on one of the most hyped up types of relationship in society and culture (in the style of blind reaction by Jordan). Because, after all, you can’t have good mental health without good, positive relationships.

But is this one really that different from a normal romantic relationship? Does it change anything? A ring won’t make them stay, and a piece of paper certainly won’t keep them from cheating. So what’s the point really? Explore what marriage means to us— why Kareem ultimately chose to put the ring on Gabby’s finger, what led to that decision. And where Jordan’s head is at in terms of now vs. where she thinks it needs to be before heading down the aisle.

Marriage is something different for everyone. For you, is it a deadline? Is it insurance? Is it for love, for the kids you’ll gain from it? Or maybe God told you to? What’s your reasoning? We want to know! So please do let us know by DMing us on Instagram @thepositivepessimistpod, or reaching out to thepositivepessimistpod@gmail.com. And feel free to leave us a review on your favorite streaming platform!!

P.S. Also let us know how you like our new segment, our Paradoxical Check-In! I, Jordan, am advising you also to listen to the podcast I talk about in my check-in this week, The Mel Robbins Podcast. If you like our podcast, you'll like hers 100x more. I strive to be on her level, lols. But in all actuality, if you resonated with my solo episode a couple weeks ago, this specific episode I'm linking is responsible in large part for getting me out of my funk!!

https://www.melrobbins.com/podcasts/episode-3

A huge part of struggling in life involves embarrassing moments we hope nobody notices, or at least remembers-- right?? We know we're right. It happens pretty much on the daily. And a huge part of growing in life we think also involves reflecting on those experiences, having a good laugh, and letting them go. So, even if you're not ready to do so yourself, listen to our "horror" stories to make yourself feel a little better!! Happy Halloween!

If you would like to follow along on IG, you can find us @thepositivepessimistpod. Send us a DM there or reach out at thepositivepessimistpod@gmail.com. We're ~~dying~~ (get it?) to hear your thoughts and feedback! And we'd love if you left a review on your favorite streaming platform!!

Hey it's Gabrielle! Here it is, my first solo episode. I was just as scared as Jordan, but for different reasons. Opening myself to everyone to share, good or bad is very scary and I still don't know that I'm fully ready to let people into my world. It's short, confusing, funny, serious, and to be honest it barely explains the work I put in and continue to everyday. I didn't even mention that my patience is not there, my 0 tolerance for bullshit, and that being outside really does fucking help. Another podcast for another time. Thanks for tuning in and I hope you come back after listening to my nervous wreck of an episode!

In honor of World Mental Health Day, we sat down and let the conversation flow. Lots of important topics came out: medication, the elephant in the room with Jordan's therapy, including the very serious aspects of mental health struggles in this podcast, how our mental health struggles present, and more. We wanted to be as real as possible with you guys, so there was very minimal editing done (mostly Jordan insisting on taking out "likes")-- no intro, no planning, no nothing.

Your mental health matters! And you are never alone.

If you would like to follow along on IG, you can find us @thepositivepessimistpod. Send us a DM there or reach out at thepositivepessimistpod@gmail.com. We’d love to hear your thoughts and feedback! And we would love if you left us a review!!

It’s no secret that in many ways, Jordan’s Grandma Liz resented her mother. But in this Part 2 of her interview, hear the good that came from their relationship: Liz’s career thrived from her mother’s example not to have an ego. No need to bad mouth anybody, just sell yourself in whatever it is that you do. With this mindset she went from a working community college student, forced to halt her education after just two years, to supervising supervisors in a position of only one in five in the country. She now also knows that no matter what job you have, you don’t know how to do it at first. Even if your previous performance or experience helped you land it. So don’t get into the trap of thinking you can’t advance because you’re not as smart as your superiors. Along the way, she kept part time jobs, had a child and started running (marathons!) to manage stress, went back to school at night, and kept working her way up the ladder as people noticed her hard work. Yet she admits she never thought she was doing well— she was too busy getting the job done and competing with herself. And she compares all of her hardships with those of her parents’ (hear more in Part 1), causing her not to think twice of moving around, traveling constantly and being away from her family, even getting sued multiple times. Listen to the end to hear how Grandma Liz’s story has caused us to reflect on our own careers— not putting pressure on ourselves because we’re not currently “growing,” because that doesn’t mean we don’t still have goals. Plus, not comparing or needing to prove ourselves to others. If you would like to follow along on IG (where you will also see proof of some of G Liz’s running medals!), you can find us @thepositivepessimistpod. Send us a DM there or reach out at thepositivepessimistpod@gmail.com. We’d love to hear your thoughts and feedback! And we would love if you left us a review!!