Bewildered
Martha Beck and Rowan Mangan
What if we stopped listening to the controlling voice of the culture around us, and instead learned to reconnect with our own true nature?
Sometimes we aren’t even sure why we feel so bewildered… and discontented… and even downright miserable. Often it’s because we have let the forces of society replace our own instinctive knowledge of what is right for us.
Now, it’s time for us to find that voice again—before it’s too late.
For Martha and Rowan, Job One is to live according to our deepest truths, making the commitment to feeling good even when it means looking weird. We believe that this is how we will reinvent our world—from the inside out— to create a society that’s kinder, more equitable, and more ecologically sustainable than the one we see around us right now.
This is the vision that we laugh and stumble and chat and feel our way towards here on this podcast. Did we mention LAUGH? We want no part of personal and global transformation if it isn’t fun!
So if you struggle to find a place where people who are as idealistic and brokenhearted, as silly and deeply sincere, as bewildered as you are—you might have just arrived.
Welcome!
Sometimes we aren’t even sure why we feel so bewildered… and discontented… and even downright miserable. Often it’s because we have let the forces of society replace our own instinctive knowledge of what is right for us.
Now, it’s time for us to find that voice again—before it’s too late.
For Martha and Rowan, Job One is to live according to our deepest truths, making the commitment to feeling good even when it means looking weird. We believe that this is how we will reinvent our world—from the inside out— to create a society that’s kinder, more equitable, and more ecologically sustainable than the one we see around us right now.
This is the vision that we laugh and stumble and chat and feel our way towards here on this podcast. Did we mention LAUGH? We want no part of personal and global transformation if it isn’t fun!
So if you struggle to find a place where people who are as idealistic and brokenhearted, as silly and deeply sincere, as bewildered as you are—you might have just arrived.
Welcome!
Episodes
Mentioned books
Apr 25, 2023 • 1h
Living Without a Script (Special episode!)
Martha and Ro are doing something completely different for this episode of Bewildered, teaming up with their friends Eric Zimmer and Ginny Gay from The One You Feed podcast. Tune in as they talk about what drags you into the path of least resistance versus what pulls you toward becoming your best self, how to reject negative cultural influences to find your true nature, and how to navigate a constantly changing world when there are no scripts to follow. It's a special episode that's not to be missed!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Apr 19, 2023 • 42min
Nice Work If You Can Get It
When it comes to the topic of jobs, the culture has a lot to say—and all of it is scary. There's a strict path we're expected to follow, which we've been led to believe is the only logical way. In this episode of Bewildered, Martha and Ro talk about different ways to earn a living, and how what we often think of as "logic" is just cultural messaging in disguise. If the traditional job path doesn't feel right for you, and you're struggling to find your own way, don't miss this inspiring conversation!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Apr 5, 2023 • 47min
How to Get Started
In this episode of Bewildered, Martha and Ro answer a question from listener Josephine, who's trying to understand and overcome her resistance to doing things that are good for her. The culture tells us that if something is good for us, we should just do it! Otherwise, we need to punish ourselves. There's only one problem with that: Punishments don't work. To learn how Martha and Ro use kindness and creativity to get past inertia and move through transitions, be sure to listen to the full conversation!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Mar 22, 2023 • 48min
Drift Patterns
In this episode of Bewildered, Martha and Ro talk about drift patterns, the cultural currents we can get stuck in that could be carrying us far away from our true nature. One function of cultural patterns is to "save" us from having to make choices. If you do what the culture says, you might feel safe for a while—but at what cost to your soul? To find out if you're drifting in a current that's wrong for you—and what you can do about it—be sure to catch this very practical (and entertaining) conversation!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Mar 8, 2023 • 34min
The Upside of Necessary Evils
It’s another BeWild Files episode of Bewildered, and Martha and Ro are answering a question from listener Gazit, who's trying to co-parent with a difficult ex, and the experience does not feel joyful or authentic. Martha says when trying to navigate any painful situation, the first step is to stop pretending it's going to be easy. By staying in your integrity, you can observe a difficult situation and work through your feelings to get to a place of peace. Listen to the full conversation to learn how!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Feb 22, 2023 • 46min
Getting Through the Tough Stuff
There will always be hard things we have to do in life. That's just a given. So how do we go about doing them without suffering? Martha and Rowan say the key is freedom, and in this episode of Bewildered they explore ways you can do difficult things while still feeling like you have a choice. While the culture encourages us to push beyond our limits into genuine suffering, Martha and Ro look to Nature for ways we can do what needs to be done—with kindness instead of force. Don't miss this one!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Feb 8, 2023 • 49min
Wild Energy
In this episode of Bewildered, Martha and Rowan are talking all about emotional energy—the moods, feelings, or intentions that come across without any words or physical action. This kind of energy can be a powerful teacher and director of the decisions we make, but our culture doesn't teach us how to understand what we're sensing. (In fact, it rejects the whole idea.) To find out more about emotional energy and how to interpret it impeccably, be sure to join Martha and Ro for the full conversation!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Jan 25, 2023 • 54min
Vulnerability Hangovers
Have you ever bravely shared your authentic self, only to agonize over it later thinking you shared too much? We've all been there. It's what Brené Brown calls a ‘vulnerability hangover,” and Martha and Ro are taking a deep dive into the subject in this episode of Bewildered. With insightfulness and humor, Martha and Ro share their experiences with vulnerability hangovers and reveal the "culture work" that’s brought them massive liberation. Feeling hungover from vulnerability? Don't miss the full episode!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Jan 11, 2023 • 53min
The Problem With Productivity
Our culture teaches us that we should jam as many things as possible into our days, and many of us learn to equate success with how many things we've checked off our to-do lists or how much stuff we've acquired. In this episode of Bewildered, Martha and Ro discuss our culture’s fixation on counting and hoarding—and how this cuts us off from experiencing true abundance and joy. To hear Martha and Ro's reframe of how to measure your life through the experiences you value, don't miss the full conversation!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Dec 13, 2022 • 44min
The Secret to Perseverance
Do you enjoy setting goals but have a harder time reaching them? In this episode of Bewildered, Martha and Ro talk about how to travel from where we are in life to where we want to be—and how our cultural conditioning often trips us up. Instead of the relentless pace of work we're taught is necessary to achieve our goals, Martha and Ro offer a sustainable approach rooted in joy. For their insights on setting goals and moving toward them in a way that nourishes your soul, don't miss the full conversation!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
