Episode 5 - Kirsten Malinee

Welcome to the 5th episode of the Wise Not Withered Show! This time I interviewed the lovely Kirsten Malinee. We met at a women’s retreat that focused on creativity and connection.

“I’m completely conflict-avoidant. I would rather not speak, which is in its own way is conflict. (laughs) So I’m learning to not give my power away, and have my voice.”

“I do love to take classes. I register for a lot of them. I don’t always finish them. I don’t always get as much out of them as I think I’m going to get out of them. I collect them, in a way, like people collect ceramic bunnies. (laughs) I have everything I need to do everything I want to do in my life. I really do.”

“Do things truthfully, with a purpose. And don’t pretend to pretend.”

“Say what you need to say. Have conversations with people that you need to have, because you may never get the chance.”

“Make choices around your values rather than just ending up somewhere. I moved from existing and getting by into thriving in a different way. Life is good, and dreams have come true.”

“I don’t think it has anything to do with accomplishments. I think it has to do with the way I decided live my life. Deciding to always continue growing, stay curious, and continually learn, and develop myself. A lot of people, I think, my age are thinking about retirement as a way to you know, quit working, and go sit on a beach somewhere, survive to the best they can or whatever. And I’m at a point where I’m thinking okay, I’m gonna retire in a certain amount of years. I want to develop an independent career for myself to have then. So that I am doing work that is truly fulfilling, and comes from a sense of my purpose and passion. … That’s my greatest accomplishment: always having hope to learn, understand, and share more.”

“I think that all of my failures stem from the same thing. And that’s being afraid. Being afraid to put myself out there. Being afraid to brag about myself that promotes what I can do for someone else. Being afraid to take a chance. … Questioning myself because of fear of how other people will perceive me… That is the worst way to write anything, and it’s the worst way to live. That self-consciousness, and fear that the self-consciousness that comes with it.”

“[When it comes to impact on other people], I don’t think we know. … You don’t know what you share may seem so little and so inconsequential in how you show up with other people and what you share with them. And if you’re honest with them about the things that are inspiring you and what you’re learning in that moment, and they pick it up. You may never know, but it could have a profound impact on their life.”