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[Stop Losing Yourself: Navigating Valentine's Day and Relationships]-["Do They Like Me?" DO YOU LIKE THEM?]

Trying Not to Care · B2 · 2025-02-10

RelationshipsHealthCareers
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📋 Summary

The Trap of External Validation

In this episode of Try Not to Care, host Ashley reflects on the emotional weight of Valentine’s Day, noting that for many, it functions as a "checkpoint" for self-worth. She candidly discusses her past experiences, admitting that she used to "ruminate" over partners who treated her poorly. Instead of recognizing that these individuals were not a good match, she found herself "crashing out"—constantly questioning, "What am I doing wrong?" and "What can I do to make this person treat me better?" She explains that this behavior "fries our brain" and makes us "feral," driving us to seek validation from those who are fundamentally incapable of providing it.

Challenging the "Challenge" Mentality

Ashley highlights a common pitfall in modern dating: viewing a partner’s lack of interest as a personal challenge to be overcome. She recalls her own "situationships," where she believed that if she were simply "hotter" or "more persistent," she could change the outcome. She warns listeners against this delusion, noting that "you can't change how someone treats you or how they feel about you." She encourages listeners to ask themselves: "Do I even like this person?" rather than obsessing over whether the other person likes them. She emphasizes that we often "romanticize the situation," ignoring red flags because we are desperate for the affirmation that we are "deserving of love."

Reclaiming Your Identity

A major theme of the episode is the danger of losing oneself in a relationship. Ashley shares how she once sacrificed her hobbies, social media presence, and friendships just to "smooth over" conflicts with an ex-boyfriend. She urges her audience to "hang on to everything that makes you you," noting that a healthy partner should celebrate your passions rather than demand you "shut those parts of you off." She reminds listeners that your value is not determined by a partner: "You didn't give me my light; I am the light."

The Power of Boundaries and Self-Love

Ashley stresses that "your time and energy is valuable," and if a partner does not respect those boundaries, they should not have access to you. She advocates for "standing on business," meaning that when someone crosses a line, you must be willing to remove yourself from the situation. By staying and accepting mistreatment, we inadvertently teach others that our boundaries are flexible. She concludes with a powerful reminder to treat yourself with the same loyalty you would offer a "ride or die best friend." Whether you are in a relationship or single this Valentine's Day, the most important commitment is the one you have to yourself. "Don't try to overcompensate by giving someone everything that's giving you nothing," she advises, encouraging listeners to pour that love back into themselves instead.

🎯Key Sentences

1
I have been bored out of my mind.
2
I got hit with the love bug.
3
I struggle a lot on my birthday.
4
I was so focused on them rather than on myself.
5
I need to kiss up to them.
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📝Key Phrases

1
down bad
2
bored out of my mind
3
write it off
4
get in their heads
5
give me the bare minimum
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📖 Transcript

The following podcast is a Dear Media production.
Hello, welcome to or welcome back to Try Not to Care.
If you're new here, my name is Ashley.
I usually upload every single Monday when I'm not on my deathbed.
And unfortunately, you caught me at a bad time because I am on my deathbed, which is why I skipped last week's episode.
episode I have been down bad for the past week with what I think is the flu I didn't go to the doctor I don't have health insurance right now and my friends are nurses and they're like listen babes you probably have the flu if you go to urgent care they're gonna say take some Tylenol or some Motrin and drink some

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