Better Said Than Written

Rev. Jesse Jackson spent decades fighting for civil rights and economic justice. As a child watching him on television, I didn't understand policy. I understood his voice. After news of his death on February 17, 2026, I found myself revisiting what his work meant, not just the speeches or the presidential campaigns, but the deeper question at the center of it all: who gets access, who gets dignity...

This episode is for anyone navigating visibility, relevance, and self-worth in the workplace as time moves forward. Maybe you’ve noticed the subtle shifts. The comments that land differently. The unspoken expectations about how you should look, sound, or show up. Maybe you’ve questioned whether experience still counts the way it used to, or whether aging has quietly become something you’re expecte...

This episode is for anyone feeling overwhelmed by wellness culture, conflicting health advice, or the constant pressure to optimize their body. Maybe you’ve tried the supplements. Maybe you’ve followed the trends. Maybe you’re doing everything “right” and still not feeling well. In this episode of Better Said Than Written, I share a Social Media Essay written by Dr. Pamela Buchanan, whose words cu...

In this episode of Better Said Than Written, host Tamika Cody reflects on a single line that stopped her in her tracks: “There are two sources of goals: goals created out of inspiration and goals created out of desperation.” The quote comes from chapter nine of Don't Believe Everything You Think by Joseph Nguyen, a book that gained widespread attention in 2024. What begins as a quiet reflection tu...

This episode is for anyone sitting in the middle of their journey, not at the beginning, not at the finish line, but somewhere in between. Maybe you’ve taken breaks you didn’t plan. Maybe your progress hasn’t looked linear. Maybe you’ve been carrying quiet doubt while still showing up when you can. In this episode of Better Said Than Written, I reflect on a Social Media Essay inspired by Doechii a...

In the previous episode; Not Grieving, Just Noticing, Tamika shared the complicated story of her father, SD, and what it means to hold space for someone who was never really there. But two weeks later, while watching his funeral streamed from Dominica, something shifted. As she studied the faces of family in the front pews, Tamika couldn’t see herself in them, and an instinct told her to search de...

What would you do if someone from your past, someone you never really knew, landed in the hospital, and you suddenly found yourself feeling... something? In this deeply personal solo episode, I unpack a message from my sister that stirred up more than just a laugh. It’s a short story about complicated family ties, unexpected emotions, and the weight of what’s left unsaid. Guided by a quote from Hu...

This episode is for those who are struggling with life. Maybe you’re feeling lost. Maybe your soul is weighed down and it feels like an elephant is sitting on your chest. Maybe you’ve been battling depression, feeling like the darkness is just too much. Desmond Tutu once said: “Hope is being able to see that there is light despite all of the darkness.” You might be saying to yourself, “I don’t see...

How do you feel about second chances? How do you feel about starting over? Maybe you had a dream to become a veterinarian. Or a goal to start a nonprofit. Maybe you have always wanted to travel outside of the country. I’m sure there’s something that once made your heart race just thinking about it. But just like everyone else, life happened. Doubt crept in. And that dream was placed on the back bu...

January 31, 2025 It’s hard to believe we are only one month into 2025. With all of the “current events, and non-stop breaking news” it feels like we’re in the month of June, despite frigid temperatures sweeping through the U.S. this winter. Remember that life changing goal you set for yourself at the start of the new year? It’s not happening is it? You told yourself this year would be different, b...

Every once in a while, I come across a speech that inspires me to take action. The other day, while scrolling on TikTok, I stumbled on a speech by Rolonda Watts. For those of you who don’t know, Rolonda had her own talk show back in the mid 1990s. The syndicated show ran from 1994 until 1997. Now I must admit, at first glance I didn’t recognize the face but the voice, I definitely knew. After cons...

For this episode, I’d like to share an excerpt from a sermon. The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines sermon as a “religious discourse delivered in public usually by a member of the clergy as a part of a worship service.” Usually, sermons are paired with a life lesson and a passage from religious scriptures from books like the Holy Bible, the Quran, the Torah, etc. Now depending on where you are in...

This episode I’m doing something a little different. There is no excerpt from a book, poem, essay or quote. Instead, I just want to talk about TikTok and its coming and going. The on again off again situationship of TikTok between the U.S. government and China, gave me enough time to flip the switch to pursue my goals before I downloaded the app and got sucked into the doom scroll portal club. I h...

In this episode, I’m opening up the window to my one of the hardest things I ever had to do in life, and I bet some of you listening also had or have a tough time with: letting go. I want to start with a line from the poet Rumi. He wrote, “Let yourself be silently drawn by the strange pull of what you really love. It will not lead you astray.” The question I have for you is, how do we let ourselve...

This episode is for those who’ve stopped pursuing a dream. Or maybe you never had the courage or support to dream. Or maybe fear is holding you back from imagining what’s possible. Langston Hughes once said, “Hold fast to dreams, for if dreams die, life is a broken-winged bird that cannot fly.” A broken-winged bird that cannot fly. They are stuck. Grounded. Wishing they could soar. That’s a pretty...

Welcome to "Better Said Than Written," the podcast that shares inspirational excerpts from books, essays, poems, and quotes that, when read aloud, just sound better said than written. For this episode I would like to touch on one of life’s most profound truths: “Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.” That timeless quote comes from Confucius, and it’s a remin...

Welcome to "Better Said Than Written," the podcast that shares inspirational excerpts from books, essays, poems, and quotes that, when read aloud, just sound better said than written. Today’s excerpt comes from Paulo Coelho’s The Alchemist: “The secret of life, though, is to fall seven times and to get up eight times.” This episode is all about starting fresh. We made it to another year. And with...

Welcome to "Better Said Than Written," the podcast that shares inspirational excerpts from books, essays, poems, and quotes that, when read aloud, just sound better said than written. This episode is all about new beginnings—that first step on the journey toward a better future. I’d like to start with a quote, well, a Chinese proverb some of you might recognize. “A journey of a thousand miles begi...

In the last episode of Better Said Than Written, I introduced you to the series, Stories of Survival - S.O.S. - where I share stories from or about people who overcame difficult challenges in their lives. This next S.O.S. is an anonymous entry. Melanie shares her story of the time when she too was forced to create a plan. For her and her daughter’s sake, Melanie needed to figure out a way to leave...

Welcome to "Better Said Than Written," the podcast that shares inspirational excerpts from books, essays, poems, and quotes that, when read aloud, just sound better said than written. For the revamp, and return of Better Said Than Written, I plan to share stories from or about people who overcame difficult challenges in their lives … Stories of Survival. The goal… to help others who may be going t...

Today's reading comes from a LinkedIn post that I wrote. It’s been quite some time since my last recording. Truth is, I just wasn’t motivated to create, produce, or write a single word. Life took a lot of energy out of me. here’s the thing…I’ve come too far in this life just to be average. one of my goals is to be an inspiration to others and to help others who are on the verge of losing hope. the...

The following reading comes from the book ‘Steal Like an Artist - 10 things nobody told you about being creative’ - by Austin Kleon.

Welcome to another episode of "Better Said Than Written," the podcast that shares inspirational excerpts from books, essays, poems, and quotes that, when read aloud, just sound better said than written.

When the coronavirus pandemic forced nearly everyone to isolate, shelter in place, limit social gathering, work from home, the extra downtime gave a lot of people time to think. To think of what’s next for their lives. To think about that next opportunity. That next idea. And people were definitely putting their thoughts into action. The Census Bureau reported that in 2020, more than 4 million new...

Social media has caused many of us to compare our outer beauty. The truth is, humans have been comparing themselves to others for centuries. The difference between the Raven and humans is the raven didn't have access to plastic surgery or beauty enhancers.