Adventures with My Forties

Ep. 19 Looking Back At 2020 & Ahead To 2021

Happy Almost New Year! At the end of the year, I like to look back at the year I have had and reflect on the work I did to become a better version of myself. I thought that 2020 was going to be a total dumpster fire but after thinking back on the year, was pleasantly surprised to see how much I have grown as a person over the last twelve months. I would never have chosen a pandemic or distance learning for 2020, but that's what happened, and those experiences pushed me through some incredible growth. I have a lot less mom guilt and better boundaries with my kids. I learned to embrace a slower life, connect more deeply with the people I was able to see, and got really intimate with uncertainty and change. Looking ahead to 2021, I want to build more MOMENTUM. I also want to have more fun. And while having fun, I want to live intentionally and consciously in line with my values. I can't control the trajectory of 2021 but I have created some projects that will hopefully help me live more joyfully than ever. Au revoir, 2020! Salut, 2021! 

 

Show notes are available at CourtneyHenningNovak.com. The music is "Carpe Diem" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License

Ep. 18 Putting the SELF in Self-Help

I love self-help books! But that has not always been the case. When I was younger, I felt drawn to the self-help section at the bookstore but ashamed at the idea of reading those books. After I I got my first Kindle, I started to make up for lost time. I have learned to be an active participant in the self help books I read, embracing only the ideas that work for me. But the past few years, I took Marie Kondo's books about decluttering a bit too seriously. I internalized some subconscious belief that if I did not declutter in exactly the way prescribed by Kondo, then I shouldn't bother doing it at all. Oops! I recently realized that though I find Kondo's work to be inspiring, I do not have to follow all of her advice. I have started decluttering again in the way that works for me and hallelujah, I have remembered to put the SELF back into self-help. 

 

Show notes are available at CourtneyHenningNovak.com. While you are there, sign up for my newsletter! You can also follow me on IG @Courtney.Novak.

The music is "Carpe Diem" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License

Ep. 17 A Very Pandemic Holiday Season

This week, I talk about the upcoming 2020 holidays. Spoiler alert: the holidays will be a bit different this year because hello, #pandemic. I am trying my best to lower/change my expectations so my family can still enjoy this time of year. I talk about the mindset I am trying to embrace so I do not drive myself crazy. (Or at least, crazier than usual.)

 

Show notes are available at CourtneyHenningNovak.com. The music is "Carpe Diem" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License

Ep. 16 Distance Learning Suuuucks Soooo Muuuuch

This week, I revisit the topic of distance learning because hello, it's 2020 and starting to feel like my second grader will never go back to "normal" school. I was in a 2020 rut at the beginning of October and feeling broken by distance learning. It is so time consuming! And aggravating! But then, my muse gave me an idea: I needed to stop working on my fantasy series and work on a new book called The Distance Learning Activity Book For Parents Just Barely Holding On To Their Last Shred Of Sanity. Writing and publishing that book restored my spirits - but damn, distance learning is still tough. Hence, this episode, in which I share about my struggles and the things that are helping me from completely losing my mind. 

Show notes are available at CourtneyHenningNovak.com. Or, they will be available soon! (If you are listening in real time, folks, give me a day or two! It's 2020.) The music is "Carpe Diem" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License

Ep.15 Catholic School Detox

I went to Catholic school for 11.5 years, from about halfway through first grade until the day I graduated from high school in 1997. I have not practiced Catholicism since 1997, but I am starting to realize that I internalized a lot of toxic beliefs during my Catholic school years. I am now working to find those beliefs and reject them. I have felt called to do this work for a long time but have avoided it. But I am ready now to face my Catholic school demons.

 

Show notes are available at CourtneyHenningNovak.com. Or, they will be available! If you are listening in real time, folks, give me a day or two! The music is "Carpe Diem" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License

Ep.14 Reclaiming My Voice

When I was about eighteen and nineteen years old, I had a few experiences that made me feel like my voice, in both speaking and writing, was not good enough. There was the high school frenemy who told me that I was not funny. Then there was the college "friend" who criticized my potty mouth. And lastly, a creative writing professor basically convinced me that my writing was not any good. I took these experiences to heart and abandoned my personal voice in favor of a voice that I thought people would like more. But now, I am 41 and I can't muzzle myself anymore. I have been reclaiming my voice lately and damn, I feel good! I feel so much more like myself. In this episode, I talk about the moments that affected my personal voice and the ways I have been reclaiming my voice in recent years.  

Show notes are available at CourtneyHenningNovak.com. Or, they will be available! If you are listening in real time, folks, give me a day or two! The music is "Carpe Diem" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License

Ep. 13 Bumbling My Way Toward Better Boundaries

This week, I talk about boundaries. Spoiler alert: I am not an expert in having boundaries! Instead, I am an expert in not having healthy boundaries. I share how my boundaries used to be total crap - in some cases, they were too extreme and I shut people out; in other cases, they almost didn't exist; and in still other cases, I would manage to set a boundary but then feel like a horrible being. I have been bumbling my way toward having healthier boundaries and in the past year, I have noticed that I feel much better about saying "No" and setting limits. A lot of this has to do with having a stronger sense of my own self-worth. 

 

Show notes are available at CourtneyHenningNovak.com. The music is "Carpe Diem" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License

Ep. 12 The Dangerous Self-Care Myth

I love self-care. I believe it is necessary and vital to our lives. BUT: I also believe that self-care gets presented to women as the panacea to all their problems. Feeling down? Buy a scented candle. Feeling unfulfilled and dissatisfied with your life? Take a bubble bath! But as awesome as self-care is, it's not a substitute for following your inner divine call. If you are feeling miserable because your authentic self has been crushed by society, then it is going to take more than a mani-pedi to feel like your true radiant self. I think the idea that a little pampering is enough to make a woman feel good is a dangerous myth because it ignores the fact that so many of us are living in ways that seem to shred our very souls. 

Show notes are available at CourtneyHenningNovak.com. The music is "Carpe Diem" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License

Ep. 11 Pandemic Parenting Jedi Mind Tricks, Part Two

Under the best of circumstances, parenting is tough. Add in a pandemic and some distance learning? Holy sh*t. At the beginning of the pandemic, I wished there was a “Guide to Parenting During A Historic Pandemic” that would help me navigate these stormy times. But the more I reflect on it, the more I realize that the parenting principles that helped me stay sane pre-pandemic also help me stay sane in 2020. In this episode, which is Part 2 of 2, I dive into the principles that are guiding my adventures with pandemic parenting. 

 

Show notes are available at CourtneyHenningNovak.com. The music is "Carpe Diem" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License

Ep. 10 Pandemic Parenting Jedi Mind Tricks, Part One

Under the best of circumstances, parenting is tough. Add in a pandemic and some distance learning? Holy sh*t. At the beginning of the pandemic, I wished there was a "Guide to Parenting During A Historic Pandemic" that would help me navigate these stormy times. But the more I reflect on it, the more I realize that the parenting principles that helped me stay sane pre-pandemic also help me stay sane in 2020. In this episode, which is Part 1 of 2, I dive into the principles that are guiding my adventures with pandemic parenting. 

Show notes are available at CourtneyHenningNovak.com. The music is "Carpe Diem" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License