We Can Do Hard Things - podcast cover

We Can Do Hard Things

Glennon Doyle and Audacywecandohardthingspodcast.com
Life is freaking hard. We are all doing hard things every single day – things like loving and losing; caring for children and parents; forging and ending friendships; battling addiction, illness, and loneliness; struggling in our jobs, our marriages, and our divorces; setting boundaries; and fighting for equality, purpose, freedom, joy, and peace. On We Can Do Hard Things, Glennon Doyle, author of UNTAMED; her wife Abby Wambach; and her sister Amanda Doyle do the only thing they’ve found that has ever made life easier: Drop the fake and talk honestly about the hard things including sex, gender, parenting, blended families, bodies, anxiety, addiction, justice, boundaries, fun, quitting, overwhelm . . . all of it. We laugh and cry and help each other carry the hard so we can all live a little bit lighter and braver, free-er, less alone.

Episodes

142. Codependence: How to Stop Controlling Others with Melody Beattie

1. The Mother of Codependence shares the difference between healthy and unhealthy helping. 2. The daily practice that helps Melody stop controlling others and “Let Life Happen.” 3. Why no one is able to gaslight you more than you. 4. The one area of life where Codependence is necessary. 5. All four of us surrender to the truth that we will never be Codependent No More. About Melody: A pioneering voice in self-help literature, Melody Beattie is the author of many bestselling books, including Code...

Oct 25, 20221 hr 4 minSeason 1Ep. 142

141. Sara Bareilles: How to Remember Yourself

1. Abby shares with Sara the great personal impact Sara’s music has made on her life. 2. Sara and Glennon bond over the joy of solitude, the underrated gifts of being heavy-hearted, and the fact that “there are too many things to be worried about at all times” to be lighthearted. 3. When you are in deep stress, do you try to sabotage your job, relationship, etc.? (Before this conversation, Amanda thought it was just her.) 4. How playfulness and joy – connecting to the little kid who grew up into...

Oct 20, 202258 minSeason 1Ep. 141

140. Alex Morgan: Believe in Your Own Greatness

1. How the Abby+Alex sisterhood began, how hard it was for Alex to watch Abby suffer at the end of her career, and how friends can build each other up. 2. How to get back on the field – in life and in sport – after crushing defeat. 3. The way Alex’s mom helped Alex fulfill her dream, and what Alex is teaching her own daughter, Charlie. 4. How Alex finally stopped comparing herself to others and started resting in her own confidence. 5. Alex’s relationship with soccer – and does she still love it...

Oct 18, 20221 hr 4 minSeason 1Ep. 140

139. No More Grind: How to Finally Rest with Tricia Hersey

1. The Nap Ministry’s Nap Bishop shares small, concrete ways to bring rest into our own lives – especially when rest seems impossible. 2. Why so many of us feel like machines instead of humans – and the power of imagination as a spiritual practice to reconnect with our humanity and divinity. 3. Why grind culture – a collaboration of capitalism and white supremacy – wants to keep us exhausted, and how we can resist a culture of overwhelming busy-ness. 4. Why everything changes when we embrace eas...

Oct 13, 20221 hr 7 minSeason 1Ep. 139

138. Melissa McCarthy: Sex, Nuns & Ghosts

1. What Melissa’s parents said when she told them about her dream – and how those magic words set the course of Melissa’s life. 2. The green and red flags Melissa tells her kids to look for in a relationship. 3. Why Melissa is a shark, and her brilliant strategy to “Run Around the Block” in almost any difficult situation. 4. Melissa’s and Abby’s experiences with ghosts. 5. How Melissa learned about sex – and the way she talks to her kids about it. About Melissa: Melissa McCarthy is an award-winn...

Oct 11, 20221 hr 6 minSeason 1Ep. 138

137. Celeste Ng: Why You Feel Stuck

1. What to do when you’ve done everything you were supposed to do and ended up in a place you don’t want to be. 2. Why the question “What do you want?” is terrifying – and how to start answering it authentically for yourself. 3. The power of imagining what does not yet exist in order to make space for new possibilities. 4. The gift of a “midlife crisis” 5. What a mother’s job really is. About Celeste: Celeste Ng is the number one New York Times bestselling author of Everything I Never Told You a...

Oct 06, 20221 hr 2 minSeason 1Ep. 137

136. CARE-FRONTATIONS: Three Keys for Giving & Receiving Criticism

1. What happens inside us when we receive criticism–and how our brains ensure we’re always in the right (even when we’re not). 2. The three-ingredient recipe for a positive, productive “care-frontation” exchange. 3. The single biggest relationship killer (it’s not conflict) – and how conflict can bring you closer. 4. Amanda navigates a “care-frontation” with her son’s friend’s family – and Abby reevaluates her past relationship with criticism. To learn more about listener data and our privacy pr...

Oct 04, 20221 hr 2 minSeason 1Ep. 136

Introducing: It Was Said Season 2

It Was Said, the 2021 Webby Award winner for Best Podcast Series, returns with a new season to look back on some of the most powerful, impactful, and timeless speeches in history. Written and narrated by Pulitzer Prize winner and bestselling author-historian Jon Meacham, this documentary podcast series takes you through another season of ten generation-defining speeches. Meacham, along with top historians, authors and journalists, offers expert insight and analysis into the origins, the orator, ...

Oct 03, 20224 min

135. Letting Go of How It’s “Supposed to Be”

1. The twinge of loneliness that comes with searching for what it *seems* like everyone else has. 2. A Varsity-level question from Christie that challenges everything we said about Help on Tuesday’s episode. 3. How to make “your thing” more of an “our thing” in relationships–and how Abby got Glennon into the sports. 4. If there is anything worse than vacationing with your own kids, it’s vacationing with other people’s kids–and the time Glennon staged a sketchy early exit from a group trip. 5. Ab...

Sep 29, 202253 minSeason 1Ep. 135

134. HELP: How to Ask for the Help You Need

1. Why sharing your messy middle with someone is a gift and connection builder, not a burden. 2. The reasons why we don’t ask for the help we desperately need. 3. “Vague favs” and why are they a hard No for Amanda. 4. Abby, Glennon, and Amanda each share something they need help with right now. 5. The science behind Help as one of the most effective relationship-enhancing tools, and the best ways to finally ask for it. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://ww...

Sep 27, 20221 hr 6 minSeason 1Ep. 134

133. Indigo Girls: Sexuality, Sobriety, Faith & Freedom

1. Why Emily couldn’t stop crying (and it wasn’t because she was emotional). 2. The intervention that got Emily sober – and why Amy wasn’t there. 3. Glennon admits something that she’s never told anyone before. 4. Amy and Abby agree on the shared cost of internalized homophobia and misogyny. About Indigo Girls: One of the most successful folk duos in history – Amy Ray and Emily Sailers aka THE INDIGO GIRLS – has recorded 16 albums and sold over 15 million records. Committed and uncompromising ac...

Sep 22, 20221 hr 7 minSeason 1Ep. 133

132. Christen Press: How to Get Your Bliss Back

1. The moment Abby – as Christen’s USWNT roommate – walked into their hotel room and knew Christen was very different than any soccer player she’d ever known. 2. The boundary that helps Christen love her people while protecting herself. 3. Christen’s take on death and how to keep the people we’ve lost alive in our lives. 4. How to show our people (including our little athletes) that we love them for who they are, not what they achieve. 5. The day Christen knew she was ready to fight for – and wi...

Sep 20, 20221 hr 11 minSeason 1Ep. 132

131. How to Raise Untamed Kids with Dr. Becky Kennedy

1. How to embody your authority while also validating your kid’s experience. 2. The #1 strategy for building resilience. 3. Why consequences and punishments backfire and don’t work. 4. How to sit with your child on the “benches” of their emotions. 5. One thing you can say to your kids to build connection in any circumstance. About Dr. Becky: Dr. Becky Kennedy is a clinical psychologist and mom of three, named “The Millennial Parenting Whisperer” by TIME Magazine. She’s rethinking the way we rais...

Sep 15, 20221 hr 2 minSeason 1Ep. 131

130. Breaking Cycles & Reparenting Yourself with Dr. Becky Kennedy

1. The 3 most important things to say to your kids and partners every day. 2. Why our kids trigger us – and a fail-proof strategy to use when you’re triggered. 3. Why “poorly-behaved kids” can be a sign of good parenting. 4. How to break family cycles by rewiring the way we were raised. 5. How to use Internal Family Systems to heal ourselves. About Dr. Becky: Dr. Becky Kennedy is a clinical psychologist and mom of three, named “The Millennial Parenting Whisperer” by TIME Magazine. She’s rethinki...

Sep 13, 20221 hr 11 minSeason 1Ep. 130

129. What Your Sign Says About How You Love: Chani Nicholas

1. How to recognize when you’re dysregulated – so you can slow down and help yourself. 2. The beauty and wisdom in being judgmental, and how that saved Chani’s life. 3. The liberating idea that “The things that happened to me weren’t about me.” 4. How to set and trust boundaries in order to finally rest. About Chani: Chani Nicholas is a Los Angeles-based New York Times bestselling author of You Were Born For This: Astrology for Radical Self-Acceptance. She has been a counseling astrologer for mo...

Sep 08, 20221 hr 1 minSeason 1Ep. 129

128. HOW GLENNON LOST HER MIND

1. “Weird Glennon” comes back to the pod and shares her #1 sanity strategy. 2. The rule Glennon and Abby set for their wedding week that made everything OK. 3. How Amanda stopped accepting assignments from strangers. 4. How Glennon discovered she couldn’t trust her thoughts – and found the part of herself she could trust. 5. How to know if your thinking is disordered, and how to reorient it to be more effective in your life, relationships, and world. To learn more about listener data and our pri...

Sep 06, 202259 minSeason 1Ep. 128

127. Are you a Feeler or a Thinker? Either Way, Genius!

1. An Advocate, Commander, and Entertainer walk into a podcast – and each share how they feel about their labels. 2. Do personality types make you feel boxed in, or give you permission to be you? 3. How to decide when it’s important to work first and play later, or jump on a moment of joy and work later. 4. How Glennon as a strong F (Feeler) and Amanda as a strong T (Thinker) make business decisions together. 5. Can a personality be changed? To learn more about listener data and our privacy prac...

Sep 01, 202254 minSeason 1Ep. 127

126. WHAT’S YOUR TYPE? How Personality Shapes Your Life

1. Our desperate desire to figure out: Why are we the way we are? 2. Why Abby once believed she was 100% extroverted, and the fear she uncovered that makes her think she’s not. 3. How what you think about when you see a cactus tells you a lot about your personality. 4. Why some of the best-known personality binaries are just silly – and corporately manufactured. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad ch...

Aug 30, 202251 minSeason 1Ep. 126

125. WHY ARE THERE NO PICTURES OF US?!?

1. Deep dive into how it feels to not be in any of your family photos, why it happens, and how to change it. 2. A call-in question from a husband that made Amanda cry. 3. Reimagining “acts of service” and how to know whether actions belong in the “Adulting Bucket” or the “Love Bucket.” 4. Getting the kids to read over the summer went terribly, thanks for asking. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad ch...

Aug 25, 202256 minSeason 1Ep. 125

124. How to Say No: Boundaries with Nedra Glover Tawwab

1. Five signs that you might have a boundary problem. 2. Why each of us should stop pretending we’re not a needy person. 3. How to stop arguing like a lawyer – and start communicating like a kindergartener – to get what you need. 4. How to know when to end an argument, how to exit a friendship, and how to respond to passive aggressiveness. About Nedra: Nedra Glover Tawwab, MSW, LCSW, is a New York Times best-selling author, licensed therapist, and sought-after relationship expert. She has practi...

Aug 23, 20221 hr 12 minSeason 1Ep. 124

123. Find Your Towanda with Tig Notaro & Stephanie Allynne

1. Tig and Stephanie’s highly effective and hilarious ways to diffuse their marital feuds. 2. Stephanie’s experience figuring out her sexuality (years after she married Tig)–and how Tig knew Stephanie was the one. 3. Why Tig’s deep in “Towanda-ing” right now–and how that affects their marriage. 4. The power of knowing what you DON’T want in your life. 5. Tig, Stephanie, Abby, and Glennon each share something they’ve discovered they don’t want. About Stephanie: Stephanie Allynne is a writer, acto...

Aug 18, 20221 hr 7 minSeason 1Ep. 123

122. Why We Should Stop Doing Our Best

1. Abby’s new nightly ritual of 80’s parties and Amanda’s wild adventure at a crawfish boil. 2. Glennon’s transition out of depression, and how she’s moving off “The Landing.” 3. Why our parents are so triggering – and how we can see them differently. 4. Glennon, Abby, and Amanda answer pressing Pod Squad questions. 5. Amanda pays tribute to a particular Pod Squader, Lexi – and to all women of her generation. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyin...

Aug 16, 202251 minSeason 1Ep. 122

121. Martha Beck & Rowan Mangan: Polyamory & Throuple Life

1. What is Polyamory – and how Martha, Rowan, and Karen make their relationship work. 2. How Martha felt – after years of marriage to Karen – when Karen told her she was in love with Rowan, too. 3. The hilarious moment Martha, Karen, and Rowan told their friends they were now a throuple. 4. A huge lesson for couples based on the revolutionary ways they deal with conflict, jealousy, and daily rituals to stay close. About Martha: Dr. Martha Beck is a New York Times bestselling author, life coach, ...

Aug 11, 202258 minSeason 1Ep. 121

120. Jen Hatmaker’s Back! Forgiveness & the Audacity to Rebuild

1. Why Jen believes none of us is safe from betrayal – but how she knows with certainty it will never happen to her again. 2. The useful part of unforgiveness, the worst thing about forgiveness, and how to know when it’s time to forgive. 3. Brené Brown’s advice to Jen for how to begin rebuilding brick by brick after the life you built implodes. 4. The steps Jen took to learn to trust her body for the first time – and what she calls her body now. 5. What Jen would go back and tell her kids about ...

Aug 09, 20221 hr 12 minSeason 1Ep. 120

119. It’s OK to Want What You Want: Cheryl Strayed as Dear Sugar

1. Pod Squad Qs about co-parenting after infidelity, setting boundaries with friends, and reconciling an estranged parent relationship. 2. How to know when it’s time to leave, and whether your partner deserves to be free of you. 3. Why every problem Cheryl’s ever had has been solved by a list–and how to use her strategy. 4. Ways to be a better advice-giver, and how to keep “floating in the direction of your own life.” 5. How to gather the courage to know a truth thing–and to live by it. About Ch...

Aug 04, 20221 hr 1 minSeason 1Ep. 119

118. Cheryl Strayed: Don’t Let Your Dreams Ruin Your Life

1. Why Cheryl chose Strayed as her last name – the only one not given to her by a man. 2. How she ruined her life when her mom died, and how we can bear the unbearable. 3. Cheryl’s greatest lesson from her 3-month hike of the PCT, and her mom’s advice she uses everyday. 4. How to make peace with our ITS – “inner terrible someone” – who lives in each of us. 5. Why and how Cheryl is now exploring: “Can I be happy if my kids aren’t?” About Cheryl: Cheryl Strayed is the author of the #1 New York Tim...

Aug 02, 20221 hr 3 minSeason 1Ep. 118

117. How to Love Your Body Now with Carson Tueller

1. The question Carson’s sister asked that made him radically reimagine his life. 2. Why Carson is having the best sex of his life. 3. How Carson received sign-off from his Mormon Bishop for his first queer date. 4. The accident that left Carson paralyzed from the chest down at 23. 5. How ableism hurts us all. About Carson: Carson Tueller is a coach, speaker and activist whose work provides people with the tools they need to live authentic, fulfilling, and powerful lives. He identifies as queer ...

Jul 28, 20221 hr 3 minSeason 1Ep. 117

116. Our Most Embarrassing Stories

1. Glennon, Abby, and Amanda share the most mortifying moments of their lives. 2. Pod Squaders’ hilarious voicemail confessions, which had Glennon, Abby, and Amanda cry-laughing in solidarity. 3. Our new go-to strategy when humiliated (it involves prosthetic penises). 4. We test our hypothesis that sharing our most embarrassing experiences makes us feel less alone. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad...

Jul 26, 20221 hr 5 minSeason 1Ep. 116

115. Chelsea Handler: On Breaking Up & Being Unbreakable

Chelsea Handler comes to We Can Do Hard Things to talk for the first time about her breakup with Jo Koy, her definition of real love, and her commitment to never abandon herself. About Chelsea: Chelsea Handler is a comedian, television host, best-selling author and advocate whose humor and candor have established her as one of the most celebrated voices in entertainment and pop culture. She was the host of E!’s top-rated “Chelsea Lately”, a tenure in which Handler was the only female late-night ...

Jul 21, 20221 hr 6 minSeason 1Ep. 115

114. Reese Witherspoon on Friendship: What, Like It’s Hard?

1. How to make the first friendship move – and how to move on from a friendship with kindness and clarity. 2. The advice Reese passes down to her kids about the three types of people you meet in life. 3. Reese’s Hollywood experience as a young woman – and the solidarity she found in the Time’s Up movement. 4. How Elle Woods – in all her iconic glory – hilariously showed up while Reese was on real-life jury duty. 5. Where Reese, Abby, and Glennon come down on Glennon’s take that most women feel t...

Jul 19, 202256 minSeason 1Ep. 114