A Sassy Little Podcast with Sandra Ann Miller a.k.a. The Happyist

So, there’s an elephant in the room. There has been for a while. I both want to talk about it and don’t, because there are other people more qualified, who do that much better than me, but I figure I might as well share a few thoughts. We are in a very scary, sad and infuriating time. Very. And I am scared, and sad, and frustrated and enraged and feel overwhelmed…and I’m also happy.  I’m sure that...

An artist doesn’t beg a canvas or his brushes to get the painting he envisions. No. He goes to work, utilizing the canvas and the brushes to bring that vision to life. A farmer doesn’t scream at her crops to grow. No. She works with the seeds and the soil, the sun and water to bring it all to harvest. Why do we think that we can just frustrate ourselves into growth instead of partnering with what...

Today we’re going to talk about family estrangement, and the impact it undoubtedly has.  Our guest, Maggie Frank-Hsu, is a poet, essayist and editor from San Diego who runs Estranged , a Substack newsletter devoted to exploring parent, child and sibling estrangement with a focus on understanding, not blame. Her poetry has appeared in  Whale Road Review, Pidgeonholes,  and  Beaver Magazine . She re...

Like I do on A Sassy Little Substack, I'll be taking April, August and December off the podcast. This gives you the chance to catch up on past episodes, or revisit a favorite. Enjoy my favorite month of the year. Until next time, take care. xo The podcast is written, produced and edited by Sandra Ann Miller. Join the conversation at thehappyist.substack.com Music: Shower Beer by GG Riggs

For a full transcript, please visit https://asassylittle.substack.com The podcast is written, produced and edited by Sandra Ann Miller. Join the conversation at thehappyist.substack.com Music: Shower Beer by GG Riggs

Probably one of the best documentaries on cults is the recent Max, four-part docu-series, "Breath of Fire". The series (which waves plenty of red flags throughout) follows both the high-control organizations of Yogi Bhajan (his face used to grace the box of Yogi Tea) and Guru Jagat, founder of RA MA Institute. How did good people get from doing Kundalini yoga and wanting to make the world a better...

You can find Rebecca at: The Hot Desk   on Substack @the_hotdesk on Instagram http://www.rebeccalow.co   The podcast is written, produced and edited by Sandra Ann Miller. Join the conversation at thehappyist.substack.com Music: Shower Beer by GG Riggs

In all fairness, when I came up with the 'Just Us' concept to close out Q4 of 2024, I was coming from a place of deep optimism. Well, F me completely, right? LOL. (Insert crying emoji here.) But we can't let ourselves lose our place, our grace or our happiness because of things outside of our control. So, along with everything is easy and being so lucky (because, in so many ways, we are), let's ge...

In this “Just Us” episode, I talk about appreciating what we have, even if we may feel like we don’t have anything to appreciate. Just like “Everything is easy,” (check out October’s ep) saying or thinking, “I’m so lucky,” (and meaning it) will help our perspective shift, and let those seeds of happiness take deeper root. Why not give it a try? xo The podcast is written, produced and edited by San...

No guest this month so it's just us. Let's talk about how our perspectives might need a little shifting. What if we start to see that everything is easy? No, really. Hear me out! xo The podcast is written, produced and edited by Sandra Ann Miller. Join the conversation at thehappyist.substack.com Music: Shower Beer by GG Riggs

Sanyu Estelle is a Claircognizant ("clear knowing") Soothsayer ("truth teller") that is also known as "The Word Witch" because of her deep love for word origins (etymology) and word culture (philology). These natural inclinations are bolstered by a 15+ year practice of Daoism, as well as a 10+ year relationship with Ifa, the indigenous tradition of the Yoruba people of now-Nigeria. As a Soothsayer...

Our guest this month is the creator of the wildly popular Substack, How Not to F*ck Up Your Face, where she give wonderful advice for the choices we believe we must face for our faces, necks and other visible parts, and delighting us with stories of her adorably precocious granddaughter, M. If you need more convincing this lady knows what she’s talking about, for 16 years she was the Beauty Editor...

Amanda Lee McCarty is the host of the Clotheshorse podcast, which recently celebrated its 200th episode (that’s no small feat)! After going to art school, they ended up with a career in fashion. With nearly 20 years’ experience in buying, product development, visual merchandising, and merchandise planning, they honed their skills at iconic lifestyle brands such as Urban Outfitters, Modcloth, Nasty...

The past few years have been difficult for Amy. Within a year, both her parents and her beloved cat, Colonel Puff Puff, passed away. And, while it wasn't easy, Amy has stayed sober throughout. Listen in as we talk about her travails, how she's coping, and staying strong. The episode is honest, raw, and funny. Just like Amy. Amy's incredible memoir is MY FAIR JUNKIE: A Memoir About Getting Dirty an...

A Sassy Little Podcast with Sandra Ann Miller a.k.a. The Happyist will be back on June 7, 2024, and the first Friday of the month after that.  The podcast is written, produced and edited by Sandra Ann Miller. Join the conversation at thehappyist.substack.com Music: Shower Beer by GG Riggs

What's going on and what's new! The podcast is written, produced and edited by Sandra Ann Miller. Join the conversation at thehappyist.substack.com Music: Shower Beer by GG Riggs

Elena Rossini calls social media a "honey pot" for data mining and targeted advertising. In her upcoming documentary, THE REALISTS, the followup to her first feature length doc, THE ILLUSIONISTS, Elena shines a light on the dark side of social media. We talk about how our devises are listening, why we should act like a spy, getting a signal-blocking pouch, bluetooth and grocery shopping, how Zucke...

Explaining where I've been and what (good stuff) set me back. The podcast will return to full episodes on March 9th, with new eps the second Wednesday of each month. The podcast is written, produced and edited by Sandra Ann Miller. Join the conversation at thehappyist.substack.com Music: Shower Beer by GG Riggs

Sayra Player created Guided By Glow during the pandemic as a guided meditation to connect with our bodies. The app and website launched in May 2021 and has over 80 sessions to get you going and is GOOP approved. While we might be comfortable  talking about sex or our sexuality, we aren't so comfy talking about "alone time" (AKA masturbation). Erotica has always been around (hello, Anaïs Nin) and 5...

Nathaniel Hodder-Shipp found breathwork while in treatment, then went on to study with a mentor for 11 years. He's the founder of Breathwork for Recovery and we talk about the transformative nature of breathwork, the explosion of it, how we are all recovering from something, trauma is something we all share, exploitation in the wellness community, ethics, breathwork training, Nathaniel's certifica...

Super Lawyer Sandy Roxas is back to talk about divorce and her advice on getting out quickly (or quick-er) so you can get on with moving forward. Preplanning is key. Think about all the issues that need to be addressed. The spouse who makes more likely pays more (support). A lazy spouse. What the courts will consider. Minimizing consequences. Dealing with a litigious attorney. (Sandy Pro-Tip: If t...

Meghan Breen, LCSW, talks with us about the courage and character it takes to admit when you're wrong, the core belief that being wrong is the most human thing we can experience, normalize owning it, the value on being right, shame, competition/winning, room for redemption, the human experience of fucking up, gratitude for growing up before the internet, practicing repair, dialectics, discernment,...

What is microdosing and why do people do it? Studies have shown that shrooms (psilocybin), MDMA and ketamine help relieve or treat depression and PTSD, quieting the mind or reframing traumatic events. Noel Teubner has gone on her own microdosing journey and helps others on their path. The co-host of The Bliss Project podcast talks with us about how microdosing delivers a "mini" effect, it's not a...

We all can find ourselves in a dead-end relationship. An unhappy coupling. One-way friendships. A thankless job or jerk of a boss. It's said that people will choose unhappiness over uncertainty, keeping us stuck. While there is no crystal ball as to how things will work out, Dr. Cynthia Pizzulli has over 30 years' experience and she can tell you that, if you leave a dead-end relationship, you'll b...

Dr. Janja Lalich (NXIVM documentaries, "Heaven's Gate: The Cult of Cults" on HBOMax, and author of TAKE BACK YOUR LIFE) joins us to talk about coercion and how it's a type of social control. Manipulation and gaslighting are a part of it as is "Us vs. Them" thinking that's happening politically, the effect of the pandemic and spending too much time on the internet, rabbit holes and algorithms, not...