Not Spiraling!

In this episode I ask John to play/learn some of my favorite hymns in real time, and of course I had to add some Adele in there. We also share some highlights from an eventful afternoon at a tree lighting event.

Arguments and fights are part of life. They can also be learning opportunities. Opportunities to communicate, understand, and love each other, more.

The beauty of life..is that as long as one is alive, there is always a chance to start all over again. Meanwhile John is busy practicing 🎹 and 🎻, and is unaware that I’m recording this..pardon the background 🎶.

Technology makes our lives easier. Social media ‘connects’ us…but does it really?! Do we do things we LOVE or things we think others love? I miss the good old Nokia days…when all we did was play ‘snake’ . 🤣

This episode is a little all over the place. Please don’t judge me. 😒😎. I read from some of Adam Grant’s recent posts on prestige, class, and how we can reframe the age old question, ‘what do you want to be when you grow up?’. Also, listen to his podcast ‘WorkLife with Adam Grant’ on Apple Podcasts (not on ‘ITunes ‘, like I say in this episode!) 😒 smh.

John had an audition today. In this episode we discuss nerves and preparation as they relate to performance or situations that require presenting to an audience.

John walks me through the complexities of drawing hands. It is not as easy as I thought.

In this week’s Thursday Reflections, I explore the idea of ‘mental shackles’, and what to do about them.

John turned a big 16 years old Friday 10/22. Of course I sang happy birthday for him bright and early that morning! 😅. This episode is made up of short conversations I recorded throughout the day Friday, and today.

John discusses anatomy (as it relates to drawing), his research so far, and how teams bring works of art to life, e.g. animated movies etc.

We go down memory lane discussing the joys of those childhood Saturday mornings…including a fruit roll up hanging from the mouth!!! Lol

John talks about another one of his favorite composers, Koji Konda— specifically music from the game Ocarina of Time, and how music enhances the gaming experience. We also chat about Squid Game, briefly.

In this episode, John introduces me to one of his favorite composers, Jean-Jacques Perrey, and how underrated his work is today.

In this second episode of the Thursday Reflections segment, I share about how I felt when I turned 40, and getting older in general. If you have any thoughts about this or any other episode on this podcast, I would love to know that you’re listening…so please send me an email with your thoughts, feedback, question, or topic suggestions for future episodes via ..podafterwork@gmail.com (Thursday Ref...

We discuss the value of respecting others’ opinions even when we disagree, and how to best deal with the ups/downs or relationships.

This is the first ‘Thursday Reflections’ episode. I just wanted to talk about breaking up….because breaking up is a good thing. It’s freeing. It is good for you.

John is passionate about animation and music composition. He shares what he knows about this career path (so far), and shares two snippets of some music he is working on.

John is serious about his drawing and animation. iPad or Drawing Tablet? We debate. He is for Drawing Tablet..I am for iPad. 54 minutes later…he says I’m confused. 🤨

John talks about how horrible the new Sonic Colors Ultimate game is, an update on what he’s doing at school..specifically the misconceptions people have about Africa.

We talk about one of John’s favorite videos games of all time.. how it inspired his love for music composition, and how music impacts the gaming experience overall.

We discuss some of our favorite ‘rules for life from the stoics’, and John reflects upon the first few weeks of 10th grade.

A brief conversation about the value of feedback, money, saving, and how character drives behavior when it comes to money, and other aspects that of life. (Just noticed that I said ‘you know’, a lot..in this episode. Ugh. You know..sorry. Don’t judge me😩).

John walks me through his mini production/cover of ‘Course World Theme’ from Super Mario 2 via Garage Band.

In this episode John relives one of his favorite Nitendo games and gaming device. Max Verstappen wins the Styrian Grand Prix....has Hamilton and Mercedes on edge..again.

This episode is so random and unplanned. We start with Cinnamon Toast Crunch vs. Trader Joe’s Crunchy Cinnamon Squares ...then on to powerful habits that lead to financial health/freedom. Whatever you want to do, or have been wanting to do.. START ANYWAY!