Getting Old Quickly

In Episode 29, Billy Donnelly talks about the incredible relief he's experienced the past several days as a result of the 2020 Presidential Election results. He details the feelings he's had about everything that's transpired over the last 4 years and discusses his emotions now that Americans chose a new path for the country moving forward. However, he also talks about the idea of considering the...

In Episode 28, Billy Donnelly looks back at a fateful weekend in June 2007 that involved a trip to Washington, D.C., to meet his future wife's best friends to discuss guilt and carrying the burden of your sins from the past. He discusses his role in the crumbling of their friendship and the blame he placed on himself over the years for being at the heart of it... or so he thought. After a recent c...

In Episode 27, Billy Donnelly wants to talk about the importance of learning to accept your blame. As he points out, it is very easy for us to constantly point the finger at others for our imperfect lives or things not going our way. However, he stresses the need to reflect on our roles in things panning out that way in the choices that we have made along that path. In addition, he also talks abou...

In Episode 26, Billy Donnelly takes a trip down memory lane to talk about Jerry, his best friend from college. During this episode, Billy shares stories of their friendship in school and the good times they shared with one another, but he also discusses where the cracks in their friendship began to show and ultimately how their friendship fell apart. By reflecting on those memories, he shares regr...

In Episode 25, Billy Donnelly is very clear that the struggle is real. It never goes away; it's a constant battle for us on a daily basis to cope and manage. However, he offers some positivity and reassurance that we are not in this alone, and there are resources available to us to aid us in our fight. He emphasizes that this is not the area in your life where you need to go it alone or try provin...

In Episode 24, Billy Donnelly explores the ideas of Karma and "what goes around comes around." He discusses the premise that we are taught throughout our lives that we need to be rewarded for our good behavior and deeds, be it organized religion or Santa Claus, rather than just because it's the right thing to do. However, as a firm believer in justice, he also believes we need to hold people accou...

In Episode 23, Billy Donnelly gets into his feelings of being overwhelmed by the events and state of the world right now. With 2020 showing no mercy whatsoever, he discusses his struggles with anxiety as things seemingly get worse and worse, and we're left with no time at all to process our experiences as yet another bad new thing gets thrown at us. He talks about the feelings of isolation and lon...

In Episode 22, Billy Donnelly discusses the normalcy of feeling sadness and explores the importance of allowing yourself to process these emotions rather than ignoring them and/or pretending they are not present. Often people try to unsuccessfully force happiness within themselves when they feel down or depressed, and Billy stresses the need to be in the moment with these feelings in order to try...

In Episode 21, Billy Donnelly veers a little off-course in order to talk about cults and their recent spread, namely how they operate and why people are consistently lured into them. He uses examples such as NXIVM, QAnon and even the 9/11 and Sandy Hook truthers, factoring in how conspiracy theories are also moved through these cult-like mindsets, to show how otherwise intelligent people abandon l...

In Episode 20, Billy Donnelly addresses the need for self-care. He explains why it's so important and the benefits you'll find in practicing it. He lays out the difficulties you may run into some times in trying to make this common practice in yourself - both self-inflicted and from the resistance of others. However, he stresses the reasons for you being able to have time and space for yourself -...

In Episode 19, Billy Donnelly discusses the very real idea that silence is complicity. After being challenged about speaking up about his prior work environment in a previous episode, he started thinking about why others would rather silence themselves and not get involved, even if that means improvement to their situations or greater change beyond that. As a result, he talks this week about stand...

In Episode 18, Billy Donnelly details his experience dealing with a narcissist from one of his most recent work environments. He lays out the history of their working relationship, how they eventually became friends (or so he thought) and how she eventually turned on him. He explains how he came to learn more about narcissism and narcissistic behavior in order to better understand stand what had h...

In Episode 17, Billy Donnelly talks about his time working at the Alamo Drafthouse, following the release of an investigative report of further toxicity within the company's venue and corporate culture. He discusses a bit about his experience there and some of the ridiculousness he witnessed as staff at one of their theaters. In addition, he hits on the expectations one should have to not work wit...

In Episode 16, Billy Donnelly discusses others' outward perceptions that everything with you is fine, when, in reality, it is a product of "fake it till you make it." This leads him to examine the various reasons why people portray things as being okay publicly while they struggle with issues of depression, anxiety, etc. internally. He talks about his own dealings with "fake it till you make it" -...

In Episode #15, Billy Donnelly revisits his time in high school - four years of his life that he absolutely hated and was miserable in living through. He details his struggles with fitting in and being accepted by an ecosystem where everyone's ambition is to be cool and/or popular. He talks about his reluctance to just do what everyone else was doing in order to fit in. He discusses his toxic roma...

In Episode #14, Billy Donnelly tackles the idea of gatekeepers - those who determine who is included or not included as a part of a club, social circle, etc. He tells of his own experiences dealing with gatekeepers, and how much it has negatively stuck with him over the years as he tried his damnedest to be a part of various film groups during his writing days and was rejected. He explains why it...

In Episode #13, Billy Donnelly struggles with the identity he feels he's used most over the years in the hopes of fitting in and being liked - the clown. He discusses the easiness of being the person who makes everyone laugh and provides a good time in the company of others, but also details the taxing struggles of having to be that guy all the time and not being taken seriously when it comes time...

In Episode #12, Billy Donnelly struggles with his own crisis of self-identity, which is a direct result from his natural desire to want to be liked. After putting himself out there so long as this persona he believed made it easier for him to be accepted and embraced by others, he is having a hard time answering the question "Who am I really?" He ponders where one's true self ends and the person w...

In Episode #11, Billy Donnelly examines his need for validation and the problems this addiction of sorts has created in his life over the years. After discovering his Love Language - Words of Affirmation - it seemingly explained so much of his behavior as it relates to what he needs back from his relationships with other people. However, over time, validation becomes like a drug of sorts where wha...

In Episode #10, Billy Donnelly lays the groundwork for future conversations by introducing the concept of Gary Chapman's Love Languages: Quality Time, Physical Touch, Receiving Gifts, Acts of Service and Words of Affirmation. Throughout the show, Billy explores what each language entails and how each may fulfill the needs of those who fit into each category. He explains the importance of understan...

In Episode 9, Billy Donnelly decides to answer a question he was asked about anxiety, depression and, in general, mental health being so taboo amongst men. That leads to a deeper discussion about toxic masculinity: what it is, how it affects those issues and how we begin to address it. He talks about the misconceptions of toughness, strength, weakness and vulnerability that become problematic for...

In Episode 8, Billy Donnelly tells of a recent bout with PTSD. Throughout the show, he dives into the story of his dismissal from a prior workplace (Ain't It Cool News) and the mistreatment he experienced on the way out. He explores all the feelings he went through as a result and thought that he'd been able to move on. That is until a name from the past resurfaced in the last few weeks, bringing...

In Episode 7, Billy Donnelly has to deal with the fallout of a longtime friend dropping "All Lives Matter" on him. He examines the disappointment of being hit with such a revelation from someone he thought he knew. He also looks at the idea of being colorblind to race, namely where the idea came from and why it's proven to be quite problematic over time. In addition, he talks about challengin...

For Episode #6, Billy Donnelly decides to postpone the originally-planned show in order to discuss his feelings surrounding the murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis and the resulting protests/riots in Minnesota and across the country. He talks about his support for the Black Lives Matter and the skin he has in the game in fighting for racial equality and against racial injustice. He gets into our...

In Episode #5 of Getting Old Quickly, Billy Donnelly talks about his fondness for those younger days when he felt accepted by his peers. However, that doesn't mean he was an angel as a kid and carries with him some guilt over all this time for actions and behaviors towards others from his childhood. Here, he details how he has tried to make amends over time to those he may have wronged, how those...