Have you ever reached a destination everyone told you to aim for, only to look around and realize you were completely absent from your own life?

This week on The Living Loss Podcast, we are pulling a thread from our recent sit-down with Amy Kelly to unpack the heavy weight of the "checklist life." Cassandra and I dive into what developmental psychologists call identity foreclosure—the act of taking on roles handed down by culture or family without ever questioning if they actually fit us.

We play a revealing game of "Keep, Toss, or Repack," exploring why constant availability shouldn't equal productivity, how to repackage perfectionism into discernment, and why being an adult with a screen-free hobby is the ultimate grounder. Finally, we explore the ambiguous loss that accompanies major career pivots and how to untangle your self-worth from your resume.

What We Explore in This Episode:

What "identity foreclosure" means and why so many of us fall into it during our 20s.

The "Keep, Toss, or Repack" Game: Shedding the expectation of constant availability and the pressure to say "yes" to everything.

Understanding the ambiguous loss of leaving a career or changing roles.

Living Loss Lesson: An actionable challenge to answer "How have you been?" without mentioning your job title, credentials, or productivity.

If this conversation reminded you of someone navigating a major life transition, please share it with them. And don't forget to hit subscribe so we can reach our goal of 500 subscribers on YouTube and get these conversations to the people who need them most!

Connect & Resources

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Work With Us

Daiana Bernard, LMHC: MeaningfulTherapyFL.com healing@meaningfultherapyfl.com (In-person Riverview, FL & FL Telehealth)

Cassandra Harris-Towner: Cassandra@firststridezcounseling.com (In-person Ocala, FL & FL Telehealth)

Disclaimer: This podcast is for educational and entertainment purposes only and is not a substitute for clinical care. Guest opinions are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of the hosts or The Living Loss Podcast.