Episode 362

full
Published on:

16th Apr 2026

FINDING THE NEW RIGHT DISTANCE

On this episode of The Karen Kenney Show, I talk about what it means to find the new ​"right distance​" in ​our relationships​.

Whether ​t​hat's choosing to be ​w​icked close​ to some people - while having to keep a few other humans a little ​bit at arm’s length​.

The thing is, sometimes being all up close and cozy is where it's at - and ​sometimes what we need to do consider is if it makes more sense to go ​"no contact​" for a while.

I share why communication breakdowns, unacknowledged feelings, and old trauma patterns​ can make us rethink how close we can safely be with certain people, including ​our own family.

I also dive into ​setting boundaries without being reactive, ​how we can give ​ourselves space for clarity​ to come through, and ​the willingness to stay open ​(if ​t​hat’s truly right for you) ​f​or the possibility of reconciliation​ and repair​.

​While we often wish for there to be respectful communication and connection with those we care about - sometimes we have to simply walk away with love​. ❤️

KAREN KENNEY BIO:

Karen Kenney is a writer, speaker, podcaster, certified spiritual mentor, and coach.

She’s known for her dynamic storytelling, her sense of humor, her Boston accent, and her no-bullshit approach to spirituality, self​-development, and transformational work.

Karen helps people to navigate this whole “being human” experience using practical tools, universal principles and stories, and a variety of resources.

KK has been a yoga teacher for 25+ years, has been giving Thai Yoga Massage since 2008, and began teaching it in 2015.

She's also a Gateless Writing Instructor, and host of The Karen Kenney Show podcast.

She coaches clients individually in her 1:1 program THE QUEST and via her HEART-TO-HEART DAYS using Voxer. She also leads a group program and community called THE NEST.

CONNECT WITH KAREN:

Website: http://karenkenney.com/

Podcast: https://www.karenkenney.com/podcast

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/karenkenneylive/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/karenkenneylive/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@KarenKenney

Transcript
Karen Kenney:

It's the Karen Kenney show. Hey you guys,

Karen Kenney:

welcome to the Karen Kenney show. Okay, I'm just gonna give

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it to you straight. Oh, my God, I'm just gonna give it to you

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straight, and I'm gonna give it to you real. So I've been having

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a lot of conversations lately with people about situations in

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their life, about relationships, about communication,

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communication that was given, communication that was received,

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communication that never happened but should have, etc,

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etc, etc. You know, this is just one of the hardest things about

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being human, and that is other humans, right? People be

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peopling. So back in 2020 when I first started this sucker, the

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Karen Kenney show, I did an episode, I think it was episode

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53 and I called it finding the right distance. And this is

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going to be like finding the right distance part too, or

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finding the new right distance or something. I don't know what

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I'm going to call this, but I want to just, and I'm going to

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try to keep this one short. It might not be sweet, though this

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is what I want to say. So there's a time when I used to

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always say, sometimes you just have to love people from a

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distance. And you have probably heard this phrase before, right?

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And it kind of means this idea that sometimes when we're too up

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close and personal with people, and I'm holding up my hands,

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right, and my hands like, maybe there's, like, I don't know, a

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half an inch or so, like, between them, right? My palms

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are facing each other. And sometimes when we're in too

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close of a proximity to people, whether that's physically,

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emotionally, whatever damage is going to be done, because one or

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both of those people do not have interpersonal relationship

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skills, they do not have emotional intelligence, they do

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not have a spiritual toolkit. They do not have a self

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development toolbox. They were never taught whatever the excuse

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is, whatever the reason is, and you've heard me say it 1000

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times, that trauma explains a lot of things, but it doesn't

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excuse them all. There comes a time in our life when each of us

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must be responsible for the way that we are speaking, the way

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that we are talking to ourselves and each other, the way that we

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are acting, the way that we are showing up or not showing up,

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the choices we're making, what we're thinking, saying, doing,

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believing, our behaviors, etc. There comes a point where we can

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look at our lives and we can say, well, I'm only like this

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because they did x, y and z, because my parents were like

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this. Or now, I'm not talking about systemic systems of racism

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or misogyny or, you know, Semitism or abuse. I'm not

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talking about that. I'm just saying like, one to one

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interpersonal relationships, whether that's with the sibling,

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whether that's with a parent, whether that's with a sweetie,

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whether that's with a friend, whatever it is, there will often

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come a time in the relationship when one of the people or both

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have to really look at, are we better together or apart? Are we

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better? Do we bring out the best in each other at this distance?

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And again, I'm holding my hands not like two inches apart or

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this distance, and I've got them pretty far away from each other,

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like a foot and a half. Okay, so nobody can really determine for

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you what the right distance is. And what I find so fascinating

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these days is that there's a whole generation, a younger

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generation of, I say kids, right? They're not really kids,

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like people in their 30s, maybe sometimes even up into that.

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Maybe it's even in their 20s, 30s, early 40s, whatever, who

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are deciding to go what they call no contact, like no

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contact, with their families and people are just horrified by

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this. The older generations are like, oh, you know, family,

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blood is sicker than water,

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and I'm able to kind of see it from both points of view. I

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think there are times when a conversation could be had and

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maybe healing could happen. It's not for me to say when somebody

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should or shouldn't apologize, or should or shouldn't forgive

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or whatever. That's an individual case by case basis,

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and it's a very personal decision, and people have to

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decide for themselves. But I can see why sometimes there is an

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argument to at least attempt to try and have a conversation and

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have reconciliation and allow the possibility that healing can

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happen, but there are just going to be other times people, oh my

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god, where other humans do not have the capacity to own their

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shit. They do not have the capacity to see from a different

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perspective, to see how somebody else might be feeling. Feeling.

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And one of the things that I hear a lot from the younger

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generations is that when I try to talk to my parents or my

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whoever right about what what my childhood felt like, or what I

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felt like or what my experience was, they defend, they refuse.

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They make excuses. They just say, you know, and this is, I

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hear this a lot about, like, Gen X kids, which is me, I'm a Gen X

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kid, right? Is that because we were the original latch key

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kids, right? We were the original ones left home alone

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and highly unsupervised and wildly feral, and we had to

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figure everything out for ourselves, etc, etc, etc. A lot

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of times, our story is we had it way worse than you. You don't

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know what it's like. So a kid will come to a parent and start

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to say, this is how I felt, this is what it was like to be your

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kid. This is what the environment was like at home.

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These are what my feelings were, or how I felt. And the parent

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immediately starts going into storytelling and making excuses

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and saying, Well, you don't know how hot I had it, and you don't

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know what I was trying to do, and I poured my blood, sweat and

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tears and trying to make a home for you, and I didn't even have

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one. Blah, blah. And what's missing there is a compassionate

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witness and an unshaming Witness and a loving witness to just

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acknowledge what the kid is feeling. And there are going to

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be times why I'm saying all this is there are going to be times

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when maybe no contact is not only going to be what they

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choose, but for some people, it might be the safest and best

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result, because it feels like you're beating your head against

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a wall. Because no matter what you say, your feelings don't get

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acknowledged. Your feelings don't get recognized. You are

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not seen, you are not heard, and what you feel doesn't matter.

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And in fact, you're just going to keep getting more excuses,

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and I keep going back to that thing, right? Trauma can explain

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a lot of things. Yes, you went through these things. Yes, these

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things happen. And yes, that was really hard, meaning the Gen X

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kid, yeah, Gen X is, we had it kind of rough, and it doesn't

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excuse us from what we are not doing now as adults or as

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parents or whatever, right? And so when I remember, when I'll

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just kind of point back to this, when I first I used to say, you

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could, you can love, you should. Sometimes you need to love

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people from a distance, because that's what's safest, right? Why

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keep putting yourself in an environment or in a relationship

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with another person where they don't respect you and they have

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nothing but contempt for you and they're not kind to you, and why

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do you think I've been told this many times in my life, right?

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What did you expect you knew who you were dealing with, right?

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And that's something slightly different about me because, and

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I'll get into that in a minute, but here's my whole point. So I

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used to say, sometimes you need to love people from a distance.

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And then my friend Marianne C once said,

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sometimes it's about finding the right distance. It's not just

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loving them from a distance, it's about finding that right

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distance, right whether again and I'm bringing my hands

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together and in twining my fingers, sometimes that's the

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right distance. You're really close, you're really intimate,

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you're really vulnerable with each other. It's a balanced

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relationship. It's a healthy relationship. It feels really

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good. And whether that's you know, a sweetie, a lover, a

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friend, a sibling, family member, whatever, sometimes the

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right distances, you guys are all up in each other's business

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in the best way, right? It's a good thing. Sometimes the best

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distance is there's a little gap between you, right? And maybe

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you just talk on the phone on Sunday nights or whatever it is,

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and then the distance can go out to the to like XFINITY, right,

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which is where you never talk again. You're just out of each

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other's life, or until one of you finally dies, or whatever

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the situation is, and sometimes that distance will be

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negotiable. Sometimes you'll move closer towards one another.

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Sometimes you have to move farther apart. And this can be

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very prevalent when, let's say one of you is, you know, has

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substance abuse disorder, or one of you is an alcoholic, or one

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of you is, you know, you know, stealing money from people to,

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like, get their next fix, or somebody like, whatever, they're

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not safe to be around. So they steal from you. They harm you.

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You're totally codependent together. Whatever it is,

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sometimes it's going to fluctuate, and sometimes those

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distances will be, oh, you know, you got your act together.

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You're making amends, you're trying to get your life

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together. Great. We're really close. And then if somebody

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like, you know, does something and it betrays a trust, or

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breaks a friendship, or whatever happens, you know, whatever lie,

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steals, whatever harms you, right, then that distance might

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go wide again. And I think it's good that we stay flexible. I

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think it's good for us to not just like draw lines in the sand

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and be wicked rigid. But there might be times when that's what

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the appropriate response is, is that you cross a line in a

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boundary with me or my kids or something that I just don't feel

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safe around you. I don't think this is healthy or whatever it

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is. And again, we may not always agree with other people's

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distances. We might not always see it from their perspective.

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Or think it's the right response, especially if you feel

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like you're the one that's being sent to Siberia to never be

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heard from again or whatever. But most people, you know, this

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is the thing. I was doing a team leadership thing today, and I

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was I talked, I talked to a team of people, and I was talking

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about self leadership and communication, and one of the

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ways that, or the reasons why I see so many people having to

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choose new distances, is because there is a breakdown in

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communication. Either they don't know how to say what they say,

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so they just suck it up and stuff it down, and the

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relationship kind of implodes, or just slowly fades away or

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drifts off into the sunset and everybody just lets it go away.

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Or sometimes, you know, the communication style is

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combative, and somebody gets their feelings hurt and they're

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like, fuck you. I'm done. I'm not dealing with this anymore.

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Sometimes they try to speak and communicate their needs or what

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they're feeling, and they are met with defensiveness and they

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don't feel heard. I mean, there's 1000 ways, but a lot of

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times this whole, you know, finding the right distance,

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the reason why people are looking for new distances in the

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first place is because there's been some kind of communication

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breakdown, and they just believe sometimes that there is no point

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in communicating what they feel and what they think, because you

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are not going to be able to handle it or respond, or you're

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going to react in a particular way, or you're just going to

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throw it back in their face, right? So learning how to

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communicate well, you know, I think I recently did a podcast

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about this is so so, so important. But this little

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episode, this quick little episode, I just wanted to come

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back to it, because there's is some hope here. When you're

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trying to navigate a new distance. I mean, you also get

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to determine whether or not you want to communicate to that

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other person that you're setting a new boundary. You're setting

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some new distance between you. Sometimes you'll get the hit

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hint, but other times, I've seen people come to me sad and upset

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and they say, I don't know what I've done, but my this person

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who I thought was my best friend has just disappeared from my

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life. They won't answer my texts. They won't answer my

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phone calls. I don't know what I did, and sometimes they just

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feel like, you know, they won't talk to me. And sometimes, look,

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I'm not saying it doesn't happen, that a person doesn't

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just up and, you know, just decide to break things off and

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try to start a new life or a new thing, it does happen. But from

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the other point of view, I often hear that people like I tried to

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tell you in seven ways till Sunday, and you just could not

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hear it, and you kept crossing my boundary, or you kept doing

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the same thing that I told you that I didn't like, etc, etc. So

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if these things are kind of happening in your life, meaning

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you're on the receiving end of somebody creating a new a new

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distance from you. You know, it's helpful to, kind of like,

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take a little moral inventory, as they say in in recovery

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programs, right? Take a fearless moral inventory and find out,

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you know, and just go through, I would say, don't, you don't have

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to obsess about it. But just go back and say, Hey, was there any

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time that I was unkind? Was there any time that I was not a

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good friend? Was it was there something I could have said or

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done or that I did, or did they ever say to me that they were

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upset with me? Sometimes you're going to have no idea why it's

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happening. Other times you might have a sneaking suspicion.

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Sometimes you might be afraid. You're like, oh shit, I know

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what I did. And at that point, you get to decide if you want to

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apologize or say, Hey, I feel like you've been really distant

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lately. Is there something that I did or that I said? Do you

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want to talk about it?

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But sometimes, look the fast, the best and fastest thing you

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can do is get out of dodge and just put a lot of distance

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between you and them, because whether and that's whether to do

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with, you know, and I don't, I don't use the word, you know,

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mental illness, in a way of like, Oh, if somebody has mental

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illness, you push them aside. But there are times when people

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are in their in their patterns of self destruction, or in their

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patterns of being destructive towards other people, or there's

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something going on where you're like, This is not a good time to

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be, and it doesn't I'm not talking like, abandon your

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people when they're going through a tough time. I'm just

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saying, and some of you, I know, you know what I'm talking about,

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there are just times when you have to say, I'm not going to

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sit around and, like, watch this. I don't want to be a part

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of this. I've been here done that. It's too painful, it's too

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much. And when you're ready to, like, get it together and have a

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real conversation, then we can talk. So there will be times

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when people will just completely cast you out of their hat.

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That's not what I'm saying, that you should or shouldn't do. I

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always say, Leave room. Leave room to reconcile if that's what

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you desire. And that's one of the things when you're setting

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the right distance, is you have to ask yourself, you know, what

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is going to be the consequence of me choosing this distance,

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and am I okay with it? And am I just choosing this for now, or

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am I open to reconciling? Am I open to a conversation where we

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both can try and hear each other so that we may get closer

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together again? And one of the great things about it's not

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always bad. You know, when somebody is setting new

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distances with each other, it's not always bad, because

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sometimes, from a distance, you can get a little bit more

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perspective. After you licked your wounds a little bit, or

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your ego wasn't so hurt anymore, or whatever the thing is, you

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can start to get a little bit different perspective and say,

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Yeah, you know what, I need to own that pot that was on me, or,

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you know what? Sometimes you get more clarity about like, you

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know what? I don't want this to work out. I have no interest in

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continuing this friendship or this relationship or whatever.

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So that distance can really give us clarity, and it can also help

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us to make that decision from a calm place, not when we're

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triggered, not when we're upset. And we can make it from a

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compassionate place, and after we've done some, you know, self

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inquiry with a curiosity and stuff, we can say, okay, yeah,

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this is where I've landed. This is how I feel. And now I just

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have to have the courage to communicate it or not. Some

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people don't feel the need to do it, and I know that I'm not

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really giving any definitive answers today. I'm just wanting

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to talk about this, because it's coming up again and again and

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again and again, with people about relationships falling

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apart, friendships falling apart, you know, like within

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family systems, like parents and children no longer talking

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anymore. Or, you know, this one's like, they won't let me

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see my grandbabies or whatever. Like we see it all over the

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place and and even in my own life, you know, there are times

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when I'm like, Oh, I just need to create some distance, because

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this is not going to end well. Going to end well, if I don't,

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and a lot of times it seems like maybe you're creating distance

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for your own mental sanity. And sometimes I'm like, No, trust

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me, I'm saving them for myself. Because what I would be, what I

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would say to them right now, if I just didn't care about being

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compassionate or loving, I don't think that we would, we would

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rebound from the words that would come out of my mouth. You

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know what I mean, Vicki with 2k from Lawrence, when she wants to

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grab the mic, it is best that I kind of, I always say that I

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just kind of moon walk out of the room a little bit and let

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there be a little bit of space. Because I, you know, if I really

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wanted to, it's not that hard for me to be mean. And I really

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try hard not to be mean, and I really try not to give into

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that. That part of me that wants to, you know, wants to just tell

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it like it is very directly. So I always say honesty without

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compassion is brutality, and I really don't feel like being

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brutal towards people. But sometimes me and my nervous

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system need a break from fucking nonsense. You know what I'm

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saying. So I don't know if this is helpful to you. I don't

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imagine that every single thing that comes out of my mouth is

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helpful all the time, but it is my hope. It is my hope that

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something that I share, you recognize yourself in it, or it

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resonates, or you can relate to it, and that somehow you could

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maybe use it and apply it in a way that makes your life better

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and helps to spread a little bit more love. And it might seem

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like how is finding the distance away from people, you know,

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helping us to find more love? And I said, you know, sometimes,

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you know all those things like oil and water and magnets repel

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and blah, blah, sometimes, even if your blood, even if you're a

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blood relative, it doesn't mean you're supposed to be friends

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your whole life. There are going to be times when morals, you

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know, your morals and your ethics and your beliefs, and you

Karen Kenney:

know whether it's political or whether it's just, you know, you

Karen Kenney:

don't agree on on certain things, certain behaviors,

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things that happen because people, people be peopling, and

Karen Kenney:

people hurt each other and betray each other all the time,

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and sometimes you just need to step back or step away for good.

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So I'm not here to tell you what your distances should be. I'm

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just here to support you in saying, like, I get it. I get it

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how sometimes you need to find that space.

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And I would just encourage you, though, to do it mindfully, to

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not do it reactionally. Like, do it. Like, make your choices when

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you and your nervous system have come back to a more calm and

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clear space, so that you know why you're choosing it, and

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you're not just like freaking out and having a hissy fit or a

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temper tantrum or a tizzy or whatever, a conniption fit, as

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we would say when we were kids, right? Just know that I'm making

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this decision with a clear mind. And you know, and again, you get

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to decide, maybe there's room for reparations. Maybe this is

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going to wash out on the other side after a little bit of time,

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and sometimes it's just not going to happen, because no

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matter how hard you try, it just feels like you are pushing

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something uphill that you are dragging so my friend KT and I

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talk about, it's like dragging dead carrots behind you on a

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dirty string. It's just like, I don't want to do this anymore.

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This this relationship is just, I'm just dragging it behind me,

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and it is so not attractive or fun or soothing, and it's

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exhausting and boring, and I'm over it. I'm over just banging

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my head against the wall, you know what I mean? So hopefully

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look, and I think we feel that way sometimes, just look at our

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government. Sometimes we feel that way, right like, I don't

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want to what is happening, like what is happening right now. So,

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yeah, just, I think I'm just sharing this from my heart to

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yours, so that you don't feel alone out there if you're

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struggling trying to make sense of some things, and you're just

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feeling like, you know, I told you guys I met, I met a guy the

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other day, and I said, Well, what are you gonna do when you

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retire? And he's like, move to the woods away from people and

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grow my hair long? And I thought it was really funny. I'm like,

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dude, dude. I know the feeling right? It's like, Cal gone, as

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we used to say when we were kids. Cal. Go and take me away.

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But here's the other thing, people, people can be so

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beautiful and so inspiring and so wonderful and so kind and

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compassionate, and they can also be infuriating and brutal and

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vicious and ridiculous and flabbergasting and whatever. And

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we are all often those things to each other, all of us. Nobody is

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exempt. I'm sure there are plenty of people that had to

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make some distance from me in my lifetime, and plenty of people

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I've had to, you

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know, create new distance from also, so none of us, none of

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this, get and none of us get out of this squeaky clean, you know

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what I mean, but for your own well being and your own mental

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health. But just Also, know, make sure that, because it can

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be really easy too, for your friends to just say things like,

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you should cut them off. You should tell them this. You

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should that wasn't nice. Blah, blah, look, you have to, at some

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point, be an adult and trust your own in a teacher and your

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own instincts, your own intuition. Yes, you can get the

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guidance and support of people who love you and also question

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like, why am I doing this? Am I withholding and am I doing this

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to be hurtful? Do I have an agenda, or is this what I feel

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like right now, with the information that I have, this is

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the best choice for me and my kids, or me and myself, or me

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and my family or whatever, that we just create a little distance

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here so you're not alone in this. You guys. Humaning is

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fucking hard, and stuff will be happening all the time, and

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you're not alone. And I see you and I hear you and I feel you,

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and I get you, I understand to the best of my capacity that I

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can and sometimes it's not always comfortable making these

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choices. Sometimes we do it and it doesn't feel great, and we

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feel guilty, and you might feel a little like, Oh, I feel like

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I'm judgy. This feels judgy and whatever, and they're not going

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to understand and they're not going to like it. And I'm like,

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Look, sometimes you can communicate your choice to them,

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and sometimes you can say, this is why I'm setting this

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boundary. This is what I'm doing. But sometimes people

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can't hear it. Sometimes people will just, you know, try to drag

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you into more drama and conversations that you don't

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want to have. But sometimes you do deserve you do owe people an

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explanation, and if they're able to hear it and you're able to

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talk to each other like loving and compassionate adults, it

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might be fruitful. You might find out some things and

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reconcile, and that'll be great. And sometimes it is just not

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going to happen. And like I said, I'm holding my hands up

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again, right right now. They're like, about four inches apart.

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Sometimes that's the right distance. And what I mean by

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that is that might stand for, we see each other once a month at

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Ma's house for Sunday dinner, right? It might go out a little

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bit wider, and it's like, yeah, we see each other at the family

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holidays. It might go out a little bit wider. It's like,

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yeah, we send each other a Christmas card, right? I mean,

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whatever it is, whatever the distance is, right? And

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sometimes you negotiate those distances, and sometimes one of

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you just just does it and you talk about it, and sometimes you

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do it and you don't talk about it, and sometimes you both just

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drift away from each other, and it just kind of fades off into

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the sunset. You know what I'm saying. So I hope this has been

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helpful in some way. Thank you so much for listening. Thank you

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so much for being here and wherever you go. Just do your

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darndest. Just do your real deal. Holyfield best, to leave

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the animals and the other people and yourself and the planet, the

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environment better than how you found it. Wherever you go, may

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you and your love and your energy and your presence and the

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distance that you choose be a blessing. Bye. Hey, thanks so

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much for listening to the show. I really love spending some time

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together. Now, if you dig the show or know someone that could

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benefit from this episode, please share it with them and

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help me to spread the good word and the love. And if you want to

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be in the know about all of my upcoming shenanigans, head on

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over to Karen kenney.com/sign up and join my list. It'll be

Karen Kenney:

wicked fun to stay in touch. Bye. You.

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About the Podcast

The Karen Kenney Show
Karen Kenney is a certified Spiritual Mentor, Writer, Podcaster and Coach. She’s known for her dynamic storytelling, her sense of humor, her Boston accent and her no-bullshit approach to spirituality, self development, and transformational work.

She’s been a yoga teacher for 25 years, is a Certified Gateless Writing Instructor, and is also an author, speaker, retreat leader and the host of The Karen Kenney Show podcast.

A curious human being, life-long learner and an entrepreneur for 20+ years, KK brings a down-to-earth perspective to the spiritual principles and practical tools that create powerful shifts in people’s lives, relationships and businesses.

She works with people individually in her 1:1 program THE QUEST - and in her group program THE NEST.

Her approach brings together tools that coach both the conscious and unconscious mind. She combines Brain Science, Subconscious Reprogramming, Integrative Hypnosis, and Spiritual Mentorship to help clients regulate their nervous systems, remove blocks, rewrite stories, rewire beliefs, and reimagine what’s possible!

Karen wants her clients to have their own lived experience with spirituality and to not just “take her word for it”. She encourages them to discover and deepen their own personal connection to Self, Source and Spirit in tangible and actionable ways.

Her “Your Story To Your Glory” process helps people to shift their minds from an old thought system of fear to one of Love - using compassion, empirical evidence and humor, her work is effective, efficient, and wicked fun!

KK’s been a student of A Course in Miracles for 30 years, has been vegan for 20+ years, and believes that a little kindness can make a big difference.

KK WEBSITE: www.karenkenney.com

About your host

Profile picture for Karen Kenney

Karen Kenney

Spiritual Mentor and writer Karen Kenney uses dynamic storytelling and humor to bring a down-to-earth, no-BS perspective to spirituality and self-development.

Bringing together tools that coach both the conscious and unconscious mind, Karen also helps clients deepen their personal connection to Self and Source, in relatable, practical, and actionable ways, so they can discover their unique understanding of spirituality.

Her practice combines neuroscience, subconscious reprogramming, Integrative Hypnosis, somatic work, Spiritual Mentoring, and other holistic modalities to help regulate the nervous system, rewrite old stories, remove blocks, and reimagine what’s possible.

A passionate yoga teacher for 25+ years, a longtime student of A Course in Miracles, and a Gateless Writing instructor, Karen is also a frequent speaker, podcast guest, and retreat leader. She coaches both individuals and groups via her programs The Quest and The Nest.

With The Karen Kenney Podcast, she encourages listeners to shift from a thought system of fear - to one of love, compassion, and personal responsibility.

CONNECT WITH KAREN:
Website: http://karenkenney.com/
Podcast: https://www.karenkenney.com/podcast
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/karenkenneylive/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/karenkenneylive/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@KarenKenney