Episode 10: About problems

We got 99 problems, and a lack of something to say about problems ain't one. In this episode, we ponder about what problems are, where they come from, where they go - and dare I say if they could be enjoyable.

More about Mer: https://www.mermonson.com/

Episode Notes:

  • When we stop trying to solve a problem, is it still there?  

  • Does life see anything as a problem?

  • The game of conjuring up problems

  • What if it’s inevitable that we’ll figure it out or life will care of it?

  • The magic of wondering vs trying to solve

  • We don’t NEED to wind ourselves up about anything, but it’s okay that we do

  • What if the secret to solving a problem is to first fall into the space where it isn’t one?

  • What if we could enjoy changing the world?

  • Metaphor of the two minds from “Slowing Down To The Speed of Life” by Richard Carlson and Joseph Bailey

Episode 9: About overwhelm (and God and stuff)

What is overwhelm, really? What's it made of? Why does it feel so heavy and gripping sometimes, and not a thing at all in other times? These are just some of the things we explore in this week's episode (with a fun detour into God talk) :)

More about Mer: https://www.mermonson.com/

Episode Notes:

  • What if overwhelm describes the state of our mind not the state of our life?

  • How can a list of things to do have weight?

  • Humans create drama about what’s happening and how much there is to do

  • What if life doesn’t need to be handled, and just gives us what we need to do the thing in front of us?

  • What if how we think life is going is irrelevant?

  • When you see something truer than the voice in your head, it takes care of itself

  • What’s always there beneath and beyond the chaos?

  • Why we don’t want you to listen to our words

  • What if we’re all just waking up to something we already know?

Episode 8: About loneliness

What is that feeling of loneliness, of disconnect? Mer and Brianne explore what loneliness might or might not be. They discuss what it used to look like them, and what it looks like now.

More about Mer: https://www.mermonson.com/

Episode Notes:

  • A closer look at what loneliness is and isn’t 

  • Why trying harder doesn’t help

  • What if we’re always already connected?

  • What if we can hate a feeling without thinking it’s a problem?

  • What if our own opinions about how we’re doing aren’t relevant to being ok?

  • Life is built on truths that don’t disappear; we just lose sight of them

  • Waking up to the ground we’re standing on

  • A whole new lens on the saying “It doesn’t matter”

Episode 7: About creativity

We’re creatively exploring creativity in this episode. If you’re someone who wants to create more, more freely - then take a listen. We talk about creative output, what “kinks the hose”, and that darn self critic.

More about Mer: https://www.mermonson.com/

Episode Notes:

  • What lets us create more, and what gets in the way of letting it out?

  • What if creation is designed to be easy? 

  • What if creation works best when we don’t plan it all out?

  • How the gap between our taste and our talent shrinks

  • Ira Glass video: https://vimeo.com/24715531

  • What if we don’t have to get it “right”?

  • Taking ourselves way too seriously

  • What if what comes out of you isn’t about you?

  • A new take on impacting the world

  • What about the self critic?

  • Looking at all of life as art (p.s. you too :)

Episode 6: About depression and anxiety

Mer wants to talk about depression because she’s currently “in it” - so we explore it, and it’s flip side anxiety. We think these feelings are really relatable, and being talked about more than ever before - so we look at them through our lens to see what we see.

More about Mer: https://www.mermonson.com/

Episode Notes:

Episode 5: About transitions

Transitions and "in-betweens" are often challenging for people. But what if those times in our lives were ripe for discovery? Mer and Brianne explore just that in this episode.

More about Mer: https://www.mermonson.com/

Episode Notes:

  • What if we are always in transition and we just notice it sometimes? 

  • “Change is the only constant in life” - Heraclitus, a Greek philosopher

  • The humanness of getting attached to impermanent things

  • The gift of seeing that nothing in this world is consistent, steady or reliable

  • How humans make meaning of things and circumstances in the first place

  • What if hanging out in the unknown is a sweet spot?

  • What if we don’t have to take our made up worlds so seriously?

  • The beauty of fully experiencing life, knowing it’s all okay

  • What if we’re a leaf on the tree of life?

Episode 4: About death

A warm invitation to come explore the beauty of waking up to what doesn’t die, the paradox of finding something more through loss, and the fun of hanging out in the mystery of life. 

More about Mer: https://www.mermonson.com/

Episode notes:

  • The gift of looking our fear of death in the face

  • Can exploring death bring us back to life?

  • What doesn’t die?

  • What helps us see it’s safe to grieve?

  • The paradox of finding something more through loss

  • Finding beauty in the mystery of life

  • The difference between believing something and touching truth

  • Freedom beyond planting flags and marking the territory of our own beliefs 

Episode 3: About illness (and our name)

We are celebrating our name - and telling you why it makes sense. Then we dive deep and talk about illness from a place of space and freedom.

More about Mer: https://www.mermonson.com/

Episode notes:

  • Why we picked our podcast name 

  • Being a recovering know it all

  • Waking up to what’s behind everything

  • Albert Einstein book - The World As I See It

  • The stories we make up about illness

  • What if safety doesn’t lie in what’s happening to our body?

  • What isn’t our job?

  • What if illness is part of the whole?

  • Illness from inside and outside the intellect

  • Seeing beyond the need to make sense of it

Episode 2: About emotions and feelings

Brianne and Mer look at emotions through a different lens. We explore our obsession with feelings, and the freedom that could be beyond that obsession.

More about Mer: https://www.mermonson.com/

Episode notes:

  • Can feelings ever permanently hurt us?

  • Giving emotions the benefit of the doubt

  • What if emotions aren’t what we think they are? 

  • Feeling with curiosity rather than obsession

  • Life comes with a moment by moment feeling

  • Life beyond the full-time job of feelings

  • Do we have to work at feeling good?

  • Seeing beyond the recipes and formulas

Episode 1: About self help (and the show)

Mer and Brianne explore what they're up to with this podcast, and talk about how we think the self help industry misses the mark. Let’s dive off the deep end together!

More about Mer: https://www.mermonson.com/

Episode notes:

  • What we’re up to & what we hope you’ll be up to as you listen

  • The gift of looking fresh - at anything

  • Self help and the game of trying to outwit ourselves

  • What if wholeness is our default?

  • Who is the self we think needs fixing?

  • Playing with change without having so much on it