I didn’t plan to talk about George Carlin.

Or mascara.

Or why I apparently cannot send a calendar invite without causing structural damage.

But here we are.

Hi, I’m Lauren Howard. You can call me L2. Like other people do.

In this episode of Different, Not Broken, I talk about why I can speak into a microphone for 100,000 strangers… and feel deeply uncomfortable when someone I actually know tells me they listened.

I unpack the idea of the “little extra hug” you can only get from strangers. Why performing publicly can feel easier than being known privately. Why validation from the internet feels different than validation from your neighbour.

We also take a very sharp turn into hyperfixation. Makeup hyperfixation, specifically. What it feels like when your brain latches onto something and turns it into a full-blown research project. How dopamine gets mined in drawers full of blush and setting spray. And why sometimes that joy is less frivolous than it looks.

Then we talk about the contradiction that lives underneath all of it.

Being wildly capable in a crisis.

Building businesses in your head in seconds.

And being absolutely useless at routine admin.

This episode is about uneven capability. The shame that can creep in when you’re brilliant in one arena and chaotic in another. And the possibility that maybe nothing is wrong with you. Maybe you’re just built for different things.

For Small Talk, I respond to a listener question about being great in emergencies but struggling with everyday adulting.

Once you’ve been inspired to brag, here’s where you can do it!

https://differentnotbrokenpodcast.com/voicemail

Useful stuff

Stuff that helps you become awesome even if you’re different: https://stan.store/elletwo

My grown up job: https://lbeehealth.com/

Chapters / Timestamps

00:00 – Doomscrolling and documentary spirals

01:29 – George Carlin and the “little extra hug”

04:20 – Why strangers feel easier than real life

07:23 – Makeup hyperfixation and dopamine mining

13:30 – The Sephora return that proved my point

17:29 – Listener question: crisis queen, admin disaster

19:00 – Why I pay people to manage my calendar

20:50 – Maybe you’re just built differently

Mentioned in this episode:

Sponsor the show

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We had a hell of a week last week. But let me tell you this one story....

I didn’t plan to talk about sandwiches this much.

Or water.

Or Sudoku.

But here we are.

Hi, I’m Lauren Howard. You can call me L2. Like other people do.

In this episode of Different, Not Broken, I talk about the strange, often ridiculous ways our brains create shame out of absolutely nothing. Eating the “wrong” food. Convincing yourself you hate water even though you love it. Feeling mortified because you’re slow at a logic puzzle no one else can see.

I unpack why our brains invent rules that don’t exist, why invisible judgement feels so real, and why being seen trying can feel worse than actually failing.

This episode is about shame that doesn’t make sense, fear of looking ridiculous, and the quiet pressure to only be visible once you’re already good at something.

Later in the episode, for "Small Talk", I respond to a listener question about the fear of being seen trying, and why vulnerability feels so exposing even when no one is actually paying attention.

You’ll hear:

Why your brain makes up rules it then punishes you for

How harmless things turn into sources of shame

Why being slow doesn’t mean being broken

Why feeling ridiculous is often a sign you’re doing something new

How to stop letting imagined judgement run your life

Once you’ve been inspired to brag, here’s where you can do it!

https://differentnotbrokenpodcast.com/voicemail

Useful stuff

Stuff that helps you become awesome even if you’re different: https://stan.store/elletwo

My grown up job: https://lbeehealth.com/

Chapters / Timestamps

00:00 – Sudoku shame and the nonsense our brains create

01:12 – Sandwich logic and internalised rules

03:32 – Why I pretend I hate water

06:08 – Invisible judgement and made-up leaderboards

09:14 – Listener question: fear of being seen trying

12:32 – Getting comfortable feeling ridiculous

15:40 – Why most people are not paying attention

18:05 – What I actually want you to hear before you go

Mentioned in this episode:

Build Your Better course

Build your better course - https://stan.store/elletwo/p/build-your-better

Wanna sponsor this podcast

http://differentnotbrokenpodcast.com/sponsors

Sponsor Different Not Broken

Join Quirky