<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><rss xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/" xmlns:content="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/" xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom" version="2.0" xmlns:itunes="http://www.itunes.com/dtds/podcast-1.0.dtd" xmlns:googleplay="http://www.google.com/schemas/play-podcasts/1.0"><channel><title><![CDATA[Pretty Brilliant]]></title><description><![CDATA[Hi Friend. Welcome to my digital lab. My publication explores the relationship between the nervous system + power. If you’re tired of shitty relationships that drain your light + irritate your soul...it’s time to want something better. Start here ↓]]></description><link>https://www.iamprettybrilliant.com</link><image><url>https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!yrWt!,w_256,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F935bcc90-e4a0-44e6-b715-594960ad2307_1280x1280.png</url><title>Pretty Brilliant</title><link>https://www.iamprettybrilliant.com</link></image><generator>Substack</generator><lastBuildDate>Mon, 25 May 2026 10:49:39 GMT</lastBuildDate><atom:link href="https://www.iamprettybrilliant.com/feed" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml"/><copyright><![CDATA[Britnei Nicole]]></copyright><language><![CDATA[en]]></language><webMaster><![CDATA[prettybrilliant@substack.com]]></webMaster><itunes:owner><itunes:email><![CDATA[prettybrilliant@substack.com]]></itunes:email><itunes:name><![CDATA[Britnei Nicole]]></itunes:name></itunes:owner><itunes:author><![CDATA[Britnei Nicole]]></itunes:author><googleplay:owner><![CDATA[prettybrilliant@substack.com]]></googleplay:owner><googleplay:email><![CDATA[prettybrilliant@substack.com]]></googleplay:email><googleplay:author><![CDATA[Britnei Nicole]]></googleplay:author><itunes:block><![CDATA[Yes]]></itunes:block><item><title><![CDATA[Cord Cutting | A Social Detox Protocol]]></title><description><![CDATA[How To Develop Your Emotional Immune System]]></description><link>https://www.iamprettybrilliant.com/p/cord-cutting-a-social-detox-protocol</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.iamprettybrilliant.com/p/cord-cutting-a-social-detox-protocol</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Britnei Nicole]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Sun, 24 May 2026 15:16:35 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!csO7!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F684cd81a-c4f0-4020-9ed8-c9d3af4ecb93_1920x1080.png" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!csO7!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F684cd81a-c4f0-4020-9ed8-c9d3af4ecb93_1920x1080.png" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!csO7!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F684cd81a-c4f0-4020-9ed8-c9d3af4ecb93_1920x1080.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!csO7!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F684cd81a-c4f0-4020-9ed8-c9d3af4ecb93_1920x1080.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!csO7!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F684cd81a-c4f0-4020-9ed8-c9d3af4ecb93_1920x1080.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!csO7!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F684cd81a-c4f0-4020-9ed8-c9d3af4ecb93_1920x1080.png 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!csO7!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F684cd81a-c4f0-4020-9ed8-c9d3af4ecb93_1920x1080.png" width="1456" height="819" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/684cd81a-c4f0-4020-9ed8-c9d3af4ecb93_1920x1080.png&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:819,&quot;width&quot;:1456,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:982616,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/png&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:false,&quot;topImage&quot;:true,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https://www.iamprettybrilliant.com/i/198986301?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F684cd81a-c4f0-4020-9ed8-c9d3af4ecb93_1920x1080.png&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!csO7!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F684cd81a-c4f0-4020-9ed8-c9d3af4ecb93_1920x1080.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!csO7!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F684cd81a-c4f0-4020-9ed8-c9d3af4ecb93_1920x1080.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!csO7!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F684cd81a-c4f0-4020-9ed8-c9d3af4ecb93_1920x1080.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!csO7!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F684cd81a-c4f0-4020-9ed8-c9d3af4ecb93_1920x1080.png 1456w" sizes="100vw" fetchpriority="high"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg role="img" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><title></title><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><p>I have had a bout or two (or 70) with parasitic relationships in my day. I know what it feels like to go from completely emotionally fused with others to developing an separate self. It&#8217;s brutal.</p><h4>How To Develop Your Emotional Immune System</h4><p>When you have always been emotionally fused with others your body may not yet know the difference between love and emotionally fused over-giving.</p>
      <p>
          <a href="https://www.iamprettybrilliant.com/p/cord-cutting-a-social-detox-protocol">
              Read more
          </a>
      </p>
   ]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[Needs, Preferences + Boundaries, Oh My!]]></title><description><![CDATA[Why We Judge Our Emotions]]></description><link>https://www.iamprettybrilliant.com/p/needs-preferences-boundaries-oh-my</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.iamprettybrilliant.com/p/needs-preferences-boundaries-oh-my</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Britnei Nicole]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Sun, 17 May 2026 09:01:18 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!rtAV!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F2f9abceb-6513-4a9e-9458-356fbd72488e_1920x1080.png" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!rtAV!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F2f9abceb-6513-4a9e-9458-356fbd72488e_1920x1080.png" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!rtAV!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F2f9abceb-6513-4a9e-9458-356fbd72488e_1920x1080.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!rtAV!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F2f9abceb-6513-4a9e-9458-356fbd72488e_1920x1080.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!rtAV!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F2f9abceb-6513-4a9e-9458-356fbd72488e_1920x1080.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!rtAV!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F2f9abceb-6513-4a9e-9458-356fbd72488e_1920x1080.png 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!rtAV!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F2f9abceb-6513-4a9e-9458-356fbd72488e_1920x1080.png" width="1456" height="819" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/2f9abceb-6513-4a9e-9458-356fbd72488e_1920x1080.png&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:819,&quot;width&quot;:1456,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:981517,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/png&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:false,&quot;topImage&quot;:true,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https://www.iamprettybrilliant.com/i/197870612?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F2f9abceb-6513-4a9e-9458-356fbd72488e_1920x1080.png&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!rtAV!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F2f9abceb-6513-4a9e-9458-356fbd72488e_1920x1080.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!rtAV!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F2f9abceb-6513-4a9e-9458-356fbd72488e_1920x1080.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!rtAV!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F2f9abceb-6513-4a9e-9458-356fbd72488e_1920x1080.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!rtAV!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F2f9abceb-6513-4a9e-9458-356fbd72488e_1920x1080.png 1456w" sizes="100vw" fetchpriority="high"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg role="img" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><title></title><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><p></p><p>Living with animals has changed the way I understand people, relationships, and even my own nervous system.  My dogs + I have a language and a rhythm that belongs to the pack and the pack only.  We are energetically attuned to one another. If I sound annoyed, they come to check on me. If I feel them staring at me, I know I&#8217;m running behind on their feeding schedule.</p><p>For my dogs, emotional math is simple: I have emotional needs + I believe my emotional needs. When it starts thundering outside, my boy baby doesn&#8217;t stay in his bed pretending he&#8217;s fine because he doesn&#8217;t want to be &#8220;too much.&#8221; He gets his ass out of his bed and climbs directly into mine. shamelessly.</p><p>My girl baby,  she likes being guided + expects it. She&#8217;s not embarrassed about wanting closeness. She&#8217;s perfectly comfortable letting someone trustworthy lead her. And watching that softened something in me.</p><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://www.iamprettybrilliant.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe now&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:null}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="https://www.iamprettybrilliant.com/subscribe?"><span>Subscribe now</span></a></p><h4>Judging Our Boundaries + Needs</h4><p>Another thing my dogs forced me to learn is boundaries. And this one was harder for me because I love my dogs deeply. Like irrationally deeply. But even with that love, I still need space sometimes.</p><p>I have a very sensitive nervous system. I notice everything. I feel the energy of attention pulling at me. And sometimes my body genuinely just needs silence. Distance. Separation. Not because I don&#8217;t love them, but because my nervous system needs recovery.</p><p>For a long time I felt guilty about that. I thought wanting space meant I was selfish or cold or emotionally unavailable. But the truth is, needing space is just as valid as needing closeness. That&#8217;s something animals understand naturally.</p><p>Human animals have learned to judge ourselves for needing reassurance, affection, support, closeness, rest, guidance. We act like having emotional needs is cringe instead of a basic part of being alive.</p><p>Listening to your body is not cringe, it&#8217;s <strong>Natural Intelligence. </strong>And healthy relationships are not built by pretending everyone has the same needs. They&#8217;re built by learning how to coexist with different nervous systems, different boundaries, different attachment styles, different capacities, and still choosing care anyway.</p><p></p><h4>&#128204; Resources For You : The Desire Reset </h4><p>Your desires are not random flaws you need to manage into silence. They are <strong>body data</strong>. The problem is that many of us learned to suppress instinct before we learned how to trust it. That&#8217;s why I created <strong><a href="https://iamprettybrilliant.mykajabi.com/offers/bb8PQuok/checkout">The Desire Reset</a></strong> a self-care course designed to reconnect you to the intelligence underneath your wants. </p><p>Through a guided shadow exercise sequence, you&#8217;ll identify the places where shame, fear, hyper-independence, self-protection, or conditioning disconnected you from your natural desire signals and begin rebuilding trust with yourself from the body outward.</p><p>This work is about learning how to hear yourself clearly enough to make decisions that actually feel aligned from the inside out. <a href="https://iamprettybrilliant.mykajabi.com/offers/bb8PQuok/checkout">Explore The Desire Reset &#8594;</a></p><p>-&#129304;&#127997; Britnei Nicole</p>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[Post Traumatic Situationship Syndrome]]></title><description><![CDATA[Extracting The Medicine of Shitty Relationships]]></description><link>https://www.iamprettybrilliant.com/p/post-traumatic-situationship-syndrome</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.iamprettybrilliant.com/p/post-traumatic-situationship-syndrome</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Britnei Nicole]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Thu, 14 May 2026 10:03:31 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!xNbc!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F5a3c3377-99c6-4413-b427-268e8605bc44_1920x1080.png" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!xNbc!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F5a3c3377-99c6-4413-b427-268e8605bc44_1920x1080.png" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!xNbc!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F5a3c3377-99c6-4413-b427-268e8605bc44_1920x1080.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!xNbc!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F5a3c3377-99c6-4413-b427-268e8605bc44_1920x1080.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!xNbc!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F5a3c3377-99c6-4413-b427-268e8605bc44_1920x1080.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!xNbc!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F5a3c3377-99c6-4413-b427-268e8605bc44_1920x1080.png 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!xNbc!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F5a3c3377-99c6-4413-b427-268e8605bc44_1920x1080.png" width="1456" height="819" 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srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!xNbc!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F5a3c3377-99c6-4413-b427-268e8605bc44_1920x1080.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!xNbc!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F5a3c3377-99c6-4413-b427-268e8605bc44_1920x1080.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!xNbc!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F5a3c3377-99c6-4413-b427-268e8605bc44_1920x1080.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!xNbc!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F5a3c3377-99c6-4413-b427-268e8605bc44_1920x1080.png 1456w" sizes="100vw" fetchpriority="high"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg role="img" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><title></title><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><p>I&#8217;m so fortunate to have proximity to different generations of women in my own lineage. What&#8217;s privately visible to me is each of their character development stories. We&#8217;ve had our own unique phases of womanhood ranging from &#8220;I don&#8217;t know better&#8221; to &#8220;fuck this shit&#8221; and everything in between. Unfortunately, one phase that has yet to skip a generation is the shitty relationships phase.  It&#8217;s not uncommon in our world to see brilliant, loving, energetically rich women unconsciously settle for crumbs, competitive BS and chronic dissatisfaction.</p><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://www.iamprettybrilliant.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe now&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:null}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="https://www.iamprettybrilliant.com/subscribe?"><span>Subscribe now</span></a></p><p></p><h4>The Shitty Relationships Phase</h4><p>I&#8217;m being facetious, but the reality isn&#8217;t actually funny. All relationships are energetically expensive, even healthy ones. So if a relationship isn&#8217;t feeding you, it&#8217;s eating you. Your relationships impact your health. Don&#8217;t argue with me. Argue with  math. <em>Want To Go Deeper on This &#10145;&#65039; ? <a href="https://youtu.be/SWeQJ4OR3dw?si=bMHVH9_LUX03ybjV">Dealing With Negative Energy In Relationships</a></em></p><p></p><h4>Here&#8217;s What I Know&#8230;</h4><p>The one benefit of learning things the hard way is the clarity you earn if you don&#8217;t ignore the lesson. Being in abusive relationships taught me <em>psychological self defense</em>. Being betrayed taught me <em>discernment</em>. Solitude taught me that my best relationship needs to be the one with <em>myself</em>. And all of my experiences taught me <strong>what healthy people don&#8217;t do. </strong></p><p>Healing from shitty relationships requires you to figure out what healthy looks like. And if you&#8217;ve never seen it, that&#8217;s actually quite challenging. Unexamined habits can easily become generational curses exactly this way. </p><p>One of the most important questions you can ask when retraining yourself to recognize healthy relationships is: <strong>how aware is a person of their own emotional hunger?</strong> Because emotional hunger by itself is not the problem. We all want love, validation, closeness, attention, reassurance, intimacy, and belonging. </p><p>The problem begins when someone is unaware of how strongly those unmet needs are driving their behavior. That&#8217;s when people start confusing consumption with love. A person&#8217;s level of self-awareness around their own hunger often determines whether they can handle relational access responsibly or whether they will unconsciously create damage while trying to get their needs met.</p><p></p><h4>&#128204; Resources For You : The Emotional DUI Scale</h4>
      <p>
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   ]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[Why Can I Do Everything...But Relax?]]></title><description><![CDATA[If you grew up in an environment where you had to be responsible early, where you had to be aware of what was going on around you, where you had to manage things that were bigger than you at the time, your body adapted to that.]]></description><link>https://www.iamprettybrilliant.com/p/why-can-i-do-everythingbut-relax</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.iamprettybrilliant.com/p/why-can-i-do-everythingbut-relax</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Britnei Nicole]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Sun, 10 May 2026 13:03:27 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!0k-n!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F5189de4b-1d64-431d-854e-d562da5441b1_1920x1080.png" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!0k-n!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F5189de4b-1d64-431d-854e-d562da5441b1_1920x1080.png" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!0k-n!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F5189de4b-1d64-431d-854e-d562da5441b1_1920x1080.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!0k-n!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F5189de4b-1d64-431d-854e-d562da5441b1_1920x1080.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!0k-n!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F5189de4b-1d64-431d-854e-d562da5441b1_1920x1080.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!0k-n!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F5189de4b-1d64-431d-854e-d562da5441b1_1920x1080.png 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!0k-n!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F5189de4b-1d64-431d-854e-d562da5441b1_1920x1080.png" width="1456" height="819" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/5189de4b-1d64-431d-854e-d562da5441b1_1920x1080.png&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:819,&quot;width&quot;:1456,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:979655,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/png&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:false,&quot;topImage&quot;:true,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https://www.iamprettybrilliant.com/i/196594796?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F5189de4b-1d64-431d-854e-d562da5441b1_1920x1080.png&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!0k-n!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F5189de4b-1d64-431d-854e-d562da5441b1_1920x1080.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!0k-n!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F5189de4b-1d64-431d-854e-d562da5441b1_1920x1080.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!0k-n!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F5189de4b-1d64-431d-854e-d562da5441b1_1920x1080.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!0k-n!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F5189de4b-1d64-431d-854e-d562da5441b1_1920x1080.png 1456w" sizes="100vw" fetchpriority="high"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg role="img" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><title></title><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><p></p><p>If you grew up in an environment where you had to be responsible early, where you had to be aware of what was going on around you, where you had to manage things that were bigger than you at the time, your body adapted to that.</p><p>You&#8217;re capable. You know how to handle things. You know how to move, how to figure things out, how to take responsibility, how to get results. If something needs to get done, you&#8217;re not confused about how to do it. You can step in, you can lead, you can make it happen.</p><p>The issue is that when there&#8217;s nothing pressing, nothing actively requiring you to perform there&#8217;s still this underlying sense of needing to anticipate&#8230;something.</p><p>This is a pattern in your nervous system which can be exposed in how you can tolerate the sensation of softness vs. How you tolerate the sensation of pain.</p><p>I&#8217;ve created a spectrum of Nervous System States for you to taste + feel into. Is this hard science? No. And it doesn&#8217;t need to be. These are textures of <em>being</em>. Some that you might recognize in yourself or others.</p><p>Check out My YouTube Video : <a href="https://youtu.be/9C_AuTX91s8">Why Can I Do Everything&#8230;But Relax?</a></p><p>-Britnei Nicole &#129304;&#127997;</p><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://www.iamprettybrilliant.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe now&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:null}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="https://www.iamprettybrilliant.com/subscribe?"><span>Subscribe now</span></a></p><p></p>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[Clean Mirroring Is a Psychological Nutrient]]></title><description><![CDATA[For a long time, I thought my struggle was confidence or belonging.]]></description><link>https://www.iamprettybrilliant.com/p/clean-mirroring-is-a-psychological</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.iamprettybrilliant.com/p/clean-mirroring-is-a-psychological</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Britnei Nicole]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Tue, 05 May 2026 17:01:51 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!O-D9!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F205e1cf5-a5c8-4964-8a7f-156391a97510_1920x1080.png" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!O-D9!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F205e1cf5-a5c8-4964-8a7f-156391a97510_1920x1080.png" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!O-D9!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F205e1cf5-a5c8-4964-8a7f-156391a97510_1920x1080.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!O-D9!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F205e1cf5-a5c8-4964-8a7f-156391a97510_1920x1080.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!O-D9!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F205e1cf5-a5c8-4964-8a7f-156391a97510_1920x1080.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!O-D9!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F205e1cf5-a5c8-4964-8a7f-156391a97510_1920x1080.png 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!O-D9!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F205e1cf5-a5c8-4964-8a7f-156391a97510_1920x1080.png" width="1456" height="819" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/205e1cf5-a5c8-4964-8a7f-156391a97510_1920x1080.png&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:819,&quot;width&quot;:1456,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:983954,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/png&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:false,&quot;topImage&quot;:true,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https://www.iamprettybrilliant.com/i/195763861?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F205e1cf5-a5c8-4964-8a7f-156391a97510_1920x1080.png&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!O-D9!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F205e1cf5-a5c8-4964-8a7f-156391a97510_1920x1080.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!O-D9!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F205e1cf5-a5c8-4964-8a7f-156391a97510_1920x1080.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!O-D9!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F205e1cf5-a5c8-4964-8a7f-156391a97510_1920x1080.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!O-D9!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F205e1cf5-a5c8-4964-8a7f-156391a97510_1920x1080.png 1456w" sizes="100vw" fetchpriority="high"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg role="img" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><title></title><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><p></p><p>For a long time, I thought my struggle was confidence or belonging. What I understand now is simpler: I was shaped by environments that reflected back resentment, competition, projection, and misunderstanding. I was around people who tolerated me more than they truly saw me. Some felt threatened by my growth. Some related to me through comparison or hidden agendas. Over time, those distorted reflections changed how I saw myself.</p><p>When the mirrors around you are warped, self-perception becomes warped too. You begin to question your strengths, mistrust your instincts, shrink yourself, or feel unclear about who you really are.</p><h4>Why Reflection Matters</h4><p>We do not learn who we are in isolation. We learn partly through the quality of the eyes around us. If those eyes are envious, dismissive, manipulative, or invested in keeping you small, your self-concept absorbs confusion.</p><p>You may feel invisible while people constantly react to you. You may feel unimportant while having real impact. You may feel &#8220;wrong&#8221; simply because the people around you could not reflect you accurately.</p><h4>You Long To Be Seen Well</h4><p>Imagine speaking and watching someone truly follow you. Their face does not tighten with comparison or glaze over with disinterest. They stay with you. They catch the meaning beneath your words. They notice the strengths you stopped mentioning because no one ever recognized them. They see the wound without reducing you to it.</p><p>Imagine not needing to explain yourself three different ways to be understood. Imagine your reality being met cleanly instead of argued with, minimized, or turned into something else. Imagine feeling your body soften because nothing in you has to brace, perform, shrink, or prove itself.</p><p>Imagine being looked at without hunger, envy, suspicion, or agenda. Just clear perception. Just truth with warmth in it. The relief of that is deeper than praise. It feels like coming back into your own life.</p><h4>Choose Whose Eyes You Use</h4><p>There is grief in realizing how long you have gone without being seen well. Name that. Here are some ways you can:</p><p>&#8220;I did not deserve to be shaped by distortion.&#8221;</p><p>&#8220;I did not deserve to be unseen this long.&#8221;</p><p>&#8220;I did not deserve wounds that interfered with my self-knowledge.&#8221;</p><p>Going forward, become highly selective about whose eyes you use to see yourself. Not everyone earns the right to help shape your self-perception.</p><p>Some people distort by default. Some cannot perceive deeply enough to reflect accurately. Some can perceive clearly but resent what they see. And some perceive clearly and reflect cleanly. Learning the difference can change your life.</p><h4>Why Coaching Matters</h4><p>This is one of the deepest functions of real coaching. A skilled coach is not just someone who gives advice. A real coach becomes a clean mirror.</p><p>They help you see your patterns without judgment, your strengths without inflation, your blind spots without shame, and your next level without confusion.</p><p>If you are ready to heal the damage of distorted environments, reclaim accurate self-perception, and build your life from truth instead of old projections, my<strong> Level Up Coaching</strong> program is designed for exactly that work. You can get started <strong><a href="https://www.britneinicole.com/offers/FWor7LYe/checkout">here</a>.</strong></p><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://www.iamprettybrilliant.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe now&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:null}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="https://www.iamprettybrilliant.com/subscribe?"><span>Subscribe now</span></a></p><p></p>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[Building Nervous System Wealth]]></title><description><![CDATA[We are living in a time where many systems are visibly crumbling.]]></description><link>https://www.iamprettybrilliant.com/p/building-nervous-system-wealth</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.iamprettybrilliant.com/p/building-nervous-system-wealth</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Britnei Nicole]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Sun, 03 May 2026 13:02:46 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Y-zK!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F8856255d-1cf9-4da7-afea-02806b44e8f7_1920x1080.png" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Y-zK!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F8856255d-1cf9-4da7-afea-02806b44e8f7_1920x1080.png" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Y-zK!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F8856255d-1cf9-4da7-afea-02806b44e8f7_1920x1080.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Y-zK!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F8856255d-1cf9-4da7-afea-02806b44e8f7_1920x1080.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Y-zK!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F8856255d-1cf9-4da7-afea-02806b44e8f7_1920x1080.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Y-zK!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F8856255d-1cf9-4da7-afea-02806b44e8f7_1920x1080.png 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Y-zK!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F8856255d-1cf9-4da7-afea-02806b44e8f7_1920x1080.png" width="1456" height="819" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/8856255d-1cf9-4da7-afea-02806b44e8f7_1920x1080.png&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:819,&quot;width&quot;:1456,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:979364,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/png&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:false,&quot;topImage&quot;:true,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https://www.iamprettybrilliant.com/i/195636556?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F8856255d-1cf9-4da7-afea-02806b44e8f7_1920x1080.png&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Y-zK!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F8856255d-1cf9-4da7-afea-02806b44e8f7_1920x1080.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Y-zK!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F8856255d-1cf9-4da7-afea-02806b44e8f7_1920x1080.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Y-zK!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F8856255d-1cf9-4da7-afea-02806b44e8f7_1920x1080.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Y-zK!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F8856255d-1cf9-4da7-afea-02806b44e8f7_1920x1080.png 1456w" sizes="100vw" fetchpriority="high"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg role="img" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><title></title><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><p></p><p>We are living in a time where many systems are visibly crumbling. Economic models, cultural expectations, career paths, and definitions of success no longer feel stable or trustworthy in the way they once did. That can feel unsettling, especially when the old maps stop working before the new ones are clear. But moments like this are also powerful portals to new realities. When inherited systems fracture, we are invited to imagine differently. One of the most important places to begin re-imaging is wealth itself. </p><p>What would the world look like if Nervous System Wealth was the aspiration + not &#8220;winning capitalism&#8221;?</p><h2>What Is Nervous System Wealth?</h2><p>Nervous system wealth is a way of living that prioritizes the electric health of your being. It recognizes that success means very little if your body is chronically stressed, your relationships are draining, and your days leave you depleted. Nervous system wealth looks like relationships that refresh and recharge rather than destabilize. It looks like work that energizes, engages, and gives back more than it takes. It includes adequate rest, spaciousness, and rhythms that let the body recover. It values play, pleasure, joy, and beauty not as luxuries, but as medicine. In this model, wealth is not measured only by income, but by the quality of energy available inside your life.</p><h2>Better Money Questions Begin in the Body</h2><p>Most people inherit their relationship with money unconsciously. Family stress, scarcity, status pressure, trauma, culture, and past experiences shape a money lens that often goes unquestioned. But real freedom begins when we start asking more embodied questions like:</p><p>How has my past shaped my view of money? </p><p>How much money do I actually need? why?</p><p>How much effort feels healthy and sustainable?</p><p>How much time do I want for living? </p><p>What level of responsibility do I want to carry? </p><p>What level of income best supports the life I respect?</p><p>These questions move money out of abstraction and into alignment with the body, values, and real life.</p><h2>A New Relationship With Money</h2><p>If you are ready to examine your money story at the root, <em><a href="https://www.iamprettybrilliant.com/p/mind-over-money-workshop-your-money">Mind Over Money</a></em> inside my <a href="https://www.iamprettybrilliant.com/subscribe">Brain Training Library</a> was created for that work. This course guides you through shadow work to uncover the hidden beliefs, emotional patterns, and inherited narratives shaping your relationship with money. From there, you&#8217;ll build a new internal framework that honors your body, protects your energy, and supports a version of wealth that feels nourishing instead of costly. The goal is not just to make money. The goal is to create a <em>relationship</em> with money that supports your being.</p><p></p><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://www.iamprettybrilliant.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe now&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:null}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="https://www.iamprettybrilliant.com/subscribe?"><span>Subscribe now</span></a></p><p></p>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[How To Let Yourself Be Seen ]]></title><description><![CDATA[A lot of people say they want more visibility.]]></description><link>https://www.iamprettybrilliant.com/p/how-to-let-yourself-be-seen</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.iamprettybrilliant.com/p/how-to-let-yourself-be-seen</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Britnei Nicole]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Fri, 01 May 2026 17:02:29 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://api.substack.com/feed/podcast/195640995/e10aa87e0ebc12318d7c968492ba7a02.mp3" length="0" type="audio/mpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>A lot of people say they want more visibility. They want to start the business, post the content, share their ideas, show their art, speak with confidence, and be fully themselves in public. Yet when the moment comes to actually do it, something in them tightens. They hesitate, procrastinate, overthink, or disappear.</p><p>This is usually interpreted as laziness, lack of discipline, or low confidence. But in many cases, what looks like avoidance is often self-protection.</p><p>The fear of being seen is rarely about visibility itself. It is about what visibility has come to mean in your nervous system.</p><p>For many people, being seen became associated with pain long before adulthood. Maybe standing out got you criticized. Maybe expressing yourself got you mocked. Maybe your family rewarded obedience more than authenticity. Maybe you learned that being easy to manage was safer than being fully alive. Maybe you watched other people get punished for shining and unconsciously decided it was smarter to stay dim.</p><p>If any of this feels familiar, this episode will speak directly to you. In today&#8217;s conversation, we unpack why visibility can feel so charged, how fear of judgment gets wired into the body, and what it actually takes to move through it. We talk about nervous system safety, baby steps, self-trust, rejection, and the inner work required to stop hiding in plain sight.</p><h2>Level Up Coaching: Train Your System to Be Seen</h2><p>Sometimes the issue is not that you need more motivation, better content ideas, or another pep talk. Sometimes your mind wants expansion while your nervous system still associates visibility with danger. That is why you keep stopping yourself even when you know what you want.</p><p><strong><a href="https://www.britneinicole.com/offers/FWor7LYe/checkout">Level Up Coaching</a></strong><a href="https://www.britneinicole.com/offers/FWor7LYe/checkout"> </a>is my 6-week nervous system training program designed to help you overcome the deeper patterns holding you back from sharing your real self with the world. Together, we work on rewiring fear responses, building self-trust, expanding your capacity to handle visibility, and releasing the conditioning that taught you to shrink. This is for the person who is tired of hiding, tired of overthinking, and ready to become unapologetically who they actually are. If that&#8217;s you, step into your spot now.</p><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://www.iamprettybrilliant.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe now&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:null}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="https://www.iamprettybrilliant.com/subscribe?"><span>Subscribe now</span></a></p><p></p>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[The Patriarchal Fun House]]></title><description><![CDATA[From the moment you were able to perceive yourself you began doing so in a house of distorted mirrors.]]></description><link>https://www.iamprettybrilliant.com/p/the-patriarchal-fun-house</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.iamprettybrilliant.com/p/the-patriarchal-fun-house</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Britnei Nicole]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Mon, 27 Apr 2026 15:21:53 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Cn1q!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F2d48bc0a-649f-4c5b-bf32-d8a42e820bd9_1920x1080.png" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Cn1q!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F2d48bc0a-649f-4c5b-bf32-d8a42e820bd9_1920x1080.png" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Cn1q!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F2d48bc0a-649f-4c5b-bf32-d8a42e820bd9_1920x1080.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Cn1q!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F2d48bc0a-649f-4c5b-bf32-d8a42e820bd9_1920x1080.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Cn1q!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F2d48bc0a-649f-4c5b-bf32-d8a42e820bd9_1920x1080.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Cn1q!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F2d48bc0a-649f-4c5b-bf32-d8a42e820bd9_1920x1080.png 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Cn1q!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F2d48bc0a-649f-4c5b-bf32-d8a42e820bd9_1920x1080.png" width="1456" height="819" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/2d48bc0a-649f-4c5b-bf32-d8a42e820bd9_1920x1080.png&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:819,&quot;width&quot;:1456,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:972773,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/png&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:false,&quot;topImage&quot;:true,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https://www.iamprettybrilliant.com/i/195637586?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F2d48bc0a-649f-4c5b-bf32-d8a42e820bd9_1920x1080.png&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Cn1q!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F2d48bc0a-649f-4c5b-bf32-d8a42e820bd9_1920x1080.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Cn1q!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F2d48bc0a-649f-4c5b-bf32-d8a42e820bd9_1920x1080.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Cn1q!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F2d48bc0a-649f-4c5b-bf32-d8a42e820bd9_1920x1080.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Cn1q!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F2d48bc0a-649f-4c5b-bf32-d8a42e820bd9_1920x1080.png 1456w" sizes="100vw" fetchpriority="high"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg role="img" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><title></title><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><p>From the moment you were able to perceive yourself you began doing so in a house of distorted mirrors. Those mirrors take the shape of people, advertisements, media, etc. that subtly reinforce negative ideas about you. If you wanted, it called you greedy. If you rested, it called you weak. If you tried harder, it said it still wasn&#8217;t enough. If you&#8217;re reading this it&#8217;s likely, you believed those mirrors and have spent years trying to fix a person who only existed in the glass.</p><p>Without a clean reflection of yourself you begin to believe the distortion is reality. You think maybe you really are too much, too complicated, too intense, too difficult to love. So you work on yourself. You try to become easier, smaller, quieter, more agreeable, more acceptable. You spend years trying to fix what was never broken, yet no matter how much you change, the mirrors keep giving you the same warped image.</p><h4>What The Actual Fuck?</h4><p>Many people are raised in families, relationships, workplaces, and systems that benefit when they are disconnected from themselves. When you doubt your value, you ask for less. When you mistrust your instincts, other people get to define reality for you. When you feel small, you become easier to control. When you stay busy proving your worth, you keep feeding structures that were built on your self-abandonment.</p><p>Sometimes this distortion is intentional. Sometimes it is unconscious, passed from one wounded person to the next. Either way, the result is the same: you learn to see yourself through eyes that need you diminished in order to feel safe.</p><h4>Begin To See Yourself Clearly</h4><p>Being seen can feel so emotional. When someone sees you clearly without needing you smaller, quieter, weaker, or confused, something profound happens. Pieces of you begin to return. Your voice comes back. Your standards come back. Your desires come back. Your energy comes back. Your self-respect comes back. It can feel like getting parts of your soul back that were scattered in the funhouse.</p><p>This is the work I do in coaching. I help people identify the distorted mirrors they have been using to define themselves and separate inherited lies from lived truth. Together, we rebuild self-trust, expand nervous system capacity, and create a stronger identity rooted in reality instead of old conditioning.</p><p>My <strong><a href="https://www.britneinicole.com/offers/FWor7LYe/checkout">Level Up Coaching</a></strong> program is for people who are ready to become unapologetically who they actually are. <strong><a href="https://www.britneinicole.com/offers/FWor7LYe/checkout">Step into your spot now</a></strong> and let&#8217;s build the version of you that no longer has to shrink, chase, or prove anything.</p><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://www.iamprettybrilliant.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe now&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:null}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="https://www.iamprettybrilliant.com/subscribe?"><span>Subscribe now</span></a></p><p></p>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[Death of the Obedient Daughter | A Eulogy]]></title><description><![CDATA[Here lies the goodest girl.]]></description><link>https://www.iamprettybrilliant.com/p/death-of-the-obedient-daughter-a</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.iamprettybrilliant.com/p/death-of-the-obedient-daughter-a</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Britnei Nicole]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Sat, 25 Apr 2026 16:55:20 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!960d!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fa2ea6b3d-6837-415a-877f-05bd64821481_1920x1080.png" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!960d!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fa2ea6b3d-6837-415a-877f-05bd64821481_1920x1080.png" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!960d!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fa2ea6b3d-6837-415a-877f-05bd64821481_1920x1080.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!960d!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fa2ea6b3d-6837-415a-877f-05bd64821481_1920x1080.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!960d!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fa2ea6b3d-6837-415a-877f-05bd64821481_1920x1080.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!960d!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fa2ea6b3d-6837-415a-877f-05bd64821481_1920x1080.png 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!960d!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fa2ea6b3d-6837-415a-877f-05bd64821481_1920x1080.png" width="1456" height="819" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/a2ea6b3d-6837-415a-877f-05bd64821481_1920x1080.png&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:819,&quot;width&quot;:1456,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:971158,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/png&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:false,&quot;topImage&quot;:true,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https://www.iamprettybrilliant.com/i/195455488?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fa2ea6b3d-6837-415a-877f-05bd64821481_1920x1080.png&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!960d!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fa2ea6b3d-6837-415a-877f-05bd64821481_1920x1080.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!960d!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fa2ea6b3d-6837-415a-877f-05bd64821481_1920x1080.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!960d!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fa2ea6b3d-6837-415a-877f-05bd64821481_1920x1080.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!960d!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fa2ea6b3d-6837-415a-877f-05bd64821481_1920x1080.png 1456w" sizes="100vw" fetchpriority="high"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg role="img" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><title></title><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><p></p><p>Here lies the goodest girl.</p><p>Beloved for her endurance.</p><p>Famous for her utility.</p><p>Undone by her innocence.</p><p>May her lifelessness rot in the souls of her tormentors</p><p>Until their lies become the truth.</p><p>Once upon a time the good daughter had bright hopeful eyes. She believed most people were good, meant well and did the &#8220;right&#8221; things. Then she woke up to reality. And she woke up again. And again. And again. As her consciousness grew she began to have questions, comments and concerns about the patriarchal nightmare she had been taught to call a dream.</p><p>Unable to survive the brutality of reality. She died. Yep. Died.</p><p>Now she is no longer the bright-eyed believer of fairy tales.</p><p>Now she is no longer self-sacrificial and seeking approval.</p><p>She wants a refund. And she will have it.</p><p>She formally resigns from earning her existence, &#8220;paying for her sins&#8221;, or any other bullshit notions that the world&#8217;s suffering is a debt she&#8217;s personally responsible for.</p><p>From now on she will eat the last wing. She will wear the dress. She will say the thing. </p><p>And she will stop pretending she was made to co-star in her own life.</p><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://www.iamprettybrilliant.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe now&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:null}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="https://www.iamprettybrilliant.com/subscribe?"><span>Subscribe now</span></a></p><p></p>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[You're Allowed To Want More]]></title><description><![CDATA[What do you want?]]></description><link>https://www.iamprettybrilliant.com/p/youre-allowed-to-want-more</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.iamprettybrilliant.com/p/youre-allowed-to-want-more</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Britnei Nicole]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Thu, 23 Apr 2026 21:30:26 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!L8Ar!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F00c1d1c0-2b27-41a7-a166-91652b85a36b_1920x1080.png" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!L8Ar!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F00c1d1c0-2b27-41a7-a166-91652b85a36b_1920x1080.png" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!L8Ar!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F00c1d1c0-2b27-41a7-a166-91652b85a36b_1920x1080.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!L8Ar!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F00c1d1c0-2b27-41a7-a166-91652b85a36b_1920x1080.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!L8Ar!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F00c1d1c0-2b27-41a7-a166-91652b85a36b_1920x1080.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!L8Ar!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F00c1d1c0-2b27-41a7-a166-91652b85a36b_1920x1080.png 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!L8Ar!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F00c1d1c0-2b27-41a7-a166-91652b85a36b_1920x1080.png" width="1456" height="819" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/00c1d1c0-2b27-41a7-a166-91652b85a36b_1920x1080.png&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:819,&quot;width&quot;:1456,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:978796,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/png&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:false,&quot;topImage&quot;:true,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https://www.iamprettybrilliant.com/i/194852182?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F00c1d1c0-2b27-41a7-a166-91652b85a36b_1920x1080.png&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!L8Ar!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F00c1d1c0-2b27-41a7-a166-91652b85a36b_1920x1080.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!L8Ar!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F00c1d1c0-2b27-41a7-a166-91652b85a36b_1920x1080.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!L8Ar!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F00c1d1c0-2b27-41a7-a166-91652b85a36b_1920x1080.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!L8Ar!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F00c1d1c0-2b27-41a7-a166-91652b85a36b_1920x1080.png 1456w" sizes="100vw" fetchpriority="high"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg role="img" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><title></title><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><p></p><h4>What do you want? </h4><p>Not the watered down, sanitary version of what you think you can have. What do you dream about in secret? What do you want that you wouldn&#8217;t tell your mom (or whoever is responsible for judging your decisions)? What do you fantasize about? </p><p style="text-align: justify;">Once upon a time, that thing for me was a divorce. I was married to someone who disrespected everything about me and our marriage. After years of infidelity and degrading treatment, I naturally became disgusted with and by him. My body felt unsafe and unhappy. But, I was inside of a religious environment that conditioned me to believe that his behavior was OUR problem, that my suffering wasn&#8217;t bad enough to have a &#8220;scriptural&#8221; divorce and if I disobeyed that would earn me hatred by god.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">One fabulous day in June I admitted the truth to myself in my journal:</p><blockquote><p><em>I&#8217;m on the beach right now. Listing to music, looking good and feeling high on life. I had a session with my therapist yesterday where I decided to be honest about what I&#8217;m feeling in my life and in my marriage.</em></p><p><em>The truth is.</em></p><p><em>I don&#8217;t want to be married. I didn&#8217;t last year and I don&#8217;t now. And I don&#8217;t think I can do this the rest of my life.</em></p></blockquote><p></p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!hTzN!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F18499fc8-6ac7-424e-aba5-06ebc7db0e8d_450x800.jpeg" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!hTzN!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F18499fc8-6ac7-424e-aba5-06ebc7db0e8d_450x800.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!hTzN!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F18499fc8-6ac7-424e-aba5-06ebc7db0e8d_450x800.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!hTzN!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F18499fc8-6ac7-424e-aba5-06ebc7db0e8d_450x800.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!hTzN!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F18499fc8-6ac7-424e-aba5-06ebc7db0e8d_450x800.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!hTzN!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F18499fc8-6ac7-424e-aba5-06ebc7db0e8d_450x800.jpeg" width="450" height="800" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/18499fc8-6ac7-424e-aba5-06ebc7db0e8d_450x800.jpeg&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:800,&quot;width&quot;:450,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:null,&quot;alt&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:null,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:false,&quot;topImage&quot;:false,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:null,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" title="" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!hTzN!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F18499fc8-6ac7-424e-aba5-06ebc7db0e8d_450x800.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!hTzN!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F18499fc8-6ac7-424e-aba5-06ebc7db0e8d_450x800.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!hTzN!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F18499fc8-6ac7-424e-aba5-06ebc7db0e8d_450x800.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!hTzN!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F18499fc8-6ac7-424e-aba5-06ebc7db0e8d_450x800.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg role="img" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><title></title><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><p>I took this picture of myself because I wanted that feeling of certainty to last. Somehow, I knew that when I returned to reality the pressure to conform would be waiting for me at home. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">Many of us have settled into settling for less because it feels easier than admitting something is off with our life. Or perhaps, life hasn&#8217;t ever given you an easy opportunity to truly choose for yourself. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">It is painful to admit that you are unsatisfied. It&#8217;s okay to let it be painful. But it&#8217;s also okay to let it be beautiful. Because, the fact that you want more of something means you&#8217;re alive. Life lives in you. Desire is an essential survival signal. It is your body&#8217;s way of saying &#8220;yes, that&#8221;. It is natural and human to want. It is natural and human to need.</p><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://www.iamprettybrilliant.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe now&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:null}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="https://www.iamprettybrilliant.com/subscribe?"><span>Subscribe now</span></a></p><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><h4 style="text-align: justify;">The Problem Is Not Your Desire</h4><p style="text-align: justify;">It&#8217;s the systems that benefit from your disembodiment. Patriarchy. Religion. Government. Hustle Culture. The list goes on. Society has been engineered to function like a massive machine extracting from life like an oil drill. Your attention is fuel. Your body are the parts. Your will&#8230;unwanted garbage.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">I finally got the courage to divorce when I began to fear for my physical safety. I thought for sure my community would finally be understanding. They weren&#8217;t. Relationships that I thought were solid revealed their rot. When I attempted to throw my pain into volunteer work I was rejected and called &#8220;un-exemplary&#8221;. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">I asked the (all male) spiritual counsel one simple question no one could answer&#8230;If I am not a good example for leaving an abusive marriage, would I have been a good example if I stayed? Crickets. And that&#8217;s when I <em>saw</em> it. I was inside of a system whose function was to extract while to pretending to protect.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">I left. And despite the decades of lies I was fed about my life being over if you leave, that&#8217;s actually when it began.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><h4 style="text-align: justify;">How To Get What You Want</h4><p style="text-align: justify;">Deconstructing your life + reconstructing it to the tune of your desires is challenging but worth it. It starts with intention + a clear vision.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">In my <strong><a href="https://www.iamprettybrilliant.com/p/mind-over-money-workshop-how-to-get">Brain Training Library</a></strong> I have a visualization exercise that can help you get back in touch with your desires called &#8220;How To Get What You Want&#8221;.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">When you upgrade your subscription you get monthly access to my growing library of trainings, meditations + journal prompts. <strong><a href="https://www.iamprettybrilliant.com/subscribe">Get your subscription here</a>.</strong></p><p style="text-align: justify;">I hope that by giving you a window into my story you can actually see more clearly into your own. </p><p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>-&#129304;&#127997; Britnei Nicole</strong></p><div class="subscription-widget-wrap-editor" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://www.iamprettybrilliant.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe&quot;,&quot;language&quot;:&quot;en&quot;}" data-component-name="SubscribeWidgetToDOM"><div class="subscription-widget show-subscribe"><div class="preamble"><p class="cta-caption">Pretty Brilliant is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.</p></div><form class="subscription-widget-subscribe"><input type="email" class="email-input" name="email" placeholder="Type your email&#8230;" tabindex="-1"><input type="submit" class="button primary" value="Subscribe"><div class="fake-input-wrapper"><div class="fake-input"></div><div class="fake-button"></div></div></form></div></div>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[You're Scared of Being Disliked. ]]></title><description><![CDATA[Pretty Brilliant Podcast | Episode 17]]></description><link>https://www.iamprettybrilliant.com/p/your-scared-of-being-disliked-get</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.iamprettybrilliant.com/p/your-scared-of-being-disliked-get</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Britnei Nicole]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Sun, 12 Apr 2026 14:50:20 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://api.substack.com/feed/podcast/193970259/f0fdddec1b7e3ee7541c9dbf695c780e.mp3" length="0" type="audio/mpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Expressing yourself without notes of apology in your tone is a skill. It doesn&#8217;t happen by accident. It damn sure doesn&#8217;t happen by making sure everyone feels comfy + cozy with your choices.</p><p>You must be willing to disappoint, to be unliked, to be perceived negatively, to be rejected, etc. I get it, none of this sounds fun. And because it isn&#8217;t fun, most people remain in their inauthentic prisons performing social theatre alongside everyone else. It&#8217;s fine if you want that, <em>but do you</em>?</p><p>I like fun as much as the next heathen. But there is a time for fun and a time for discipline. Choosing to engage with your discomfort leads you to something sexier than fun&#8230;freedom to be.</p><p><em>&#127911; Psssst want the video version of this episode&#8230;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eJRC7wRn2bY">Check Out The YouTube Video</a></em></p><p></p><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://www.iamprettybrilliant.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe now&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:null}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="https://www.iamprettybrilliant.com/subscribe?"><span>Subscribe now</span></a></p><p></p><h4>You Don&#8217;t Feel <em>Safe</em> Being Disliked</h4><p>The real issue isn&#8217;t just being liked vs. being disliked&#8230;it&#8217;s safety. If it doesn&#8217;t feel safe to be disliked, you will shape your behavior around being liked. If it doesn&#8217;t feel safe to express yourself, you will hesitate, soften, or silence yourself.</p><p>The throughline in all of this is that there isn&#8217;t a clean, fast way out. You don&#8217;t get to bypass discomfort. You don&#8217;t get to develop confidence without doing things that feel uncomfortable first. And you don&#8217;t get to change patterns without going through a phase where it&#8217;s messy and uncertain.</p><p>So the shift is this: stop asking how to avoid the hard parts. That question will keep you stuck. Instead, accept that you&#8217;re in a process that requires time, repetition, and discomfort&#8212;and then start participating in it more deliberately.</p><p></p><h4><strong>Is This Lesson Hitting Home? Check Out My Resources Below &#11015;&#65039;</strong></h4><p><a href="https://iamprettybrilliant.mykajabi.com/offers/CytHs5o6/checkout">Go Love Yourself (Ebook)</a></p><p><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DJPCLY87">Go Love Yourself (Paperback)</a></p><p><a href="https://iamprettybrilliant.mykajabi.com/offers/nwd2je9H/checkout">Unlearning Unworthiness Guide</a></p><p><a href="https://iamprettybrilliant.mykajabi.com/offers/chL3zmEz/checkout">Becoming Unfuckwithable</a></p><p></p>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[I'm Not Your Emotional Vibrator.]]></title><description><![CDATA[I used to feel good about being the &#8220;therapist friend&#8221;.]]></description><link>https://www.iamprettybrilliant.com/p/im-not-your-emotional-vibrator</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.iamprettybrilliant.com/p/im-not-your-emotional-vibrator</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Britnei Nicole]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Wed, 08 Apr 2026 17:02:26 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!LdST!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fdeb7fd1b-815f-4ec0-bd95-9fd9a84ef1c8_1920x1080.png" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!LdST!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fdeb7fd1b-815f-4ec0-bd95-9fd9a84ef1c8_1920x1080.png" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!LdST!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fdeb7fd1b-815f-4ec0-bd95-9fd9a84ef1c8_1920x1080.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!LdST!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fdeb7fd1b-815f-4ec0-bd95-9fd9a84ef1c8_1920x1080.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!LdST!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fdeb7fd1b-815f-4ec0-bd95-9fd9a84ef1c8_1920x1080.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!LdST!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fdeb7fd1b-815f-4ec0-bd95-9fd9a84ef1c8_1920x1080.png 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!LdST!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fdeb7fd1b-815f-4ec0-bd95-9fd9a84ef1c8_1920x1080.png" width="1456" height="819" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/deb7fd1b-815f-4ec0-bd95-9fd9a84ef1c8_1920x1080.png&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:819,&quot;width&quot;:1456,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:980806,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/png&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:false,&quot;topImage&quot;:true,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https://www.iamprettybrilliant.com/i/193423434?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fdeb7fd1b-815f-4ec0-bd95-9fd9a84ef1c8_1920x1080.png&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!LdST!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fdeb7fd1b-815f-4ec0-bd95-9fd9a84ef1c8_1920x1080.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!LdST!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fdeb7fd1b-815f-4ec0-bd95-9fd9a84ef1c8_1920x1080.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!LdST!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fdeb7fd1b-815f-4ec0-bd95-9fd9a84ef1c8_1920x1080.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!LdST!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fdeb7fd1b-815f-4ec0-bd95-9fd9a84ef1c8_1920x1080.png 1456w" sizes="100vw" fetchpriority="high"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg role="img" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><title></title><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><p>I used to feel good about being the &#8220;therapist friend&#8221;. It made me feel competent and appreciated being the person people came to when they needed to scratch an itch. I could calm, comfort + counsel like nobody&#8217;s business. Then, I learned a phrase that would turn my identity inside out. I was reading the book <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/60784361-emotional-labor">Emotional Labor</a> by Rose Hackman with my feminist study group + getting pissed off at every page turn.</p><p>The concept of emotional labor articulated something I didn&#8217;t know that I knew. That thing being&#8230;emotional care is real, effortful + valuable. Women have been handed down a generational task list of action items that must be performed to not be considered an evil bitch. Until given that phrase, my consciousness did not have the space to see the task list for what it was. An idea about what femininity <em>should be</em>. Not what femininity <em>is</em>.</p><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://www.iamprettybrilliant.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe now&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:null}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="https://www.iamprettybrilliant.com/subscribe?"><span>Subscribe now</span></a></p><p></p><p>When you wear an idea as your identity, you have no room to evaluate where it came from. The ideas of womanness I had been given required me to be self-sacrificing, self-deprecating and self-rejecting. If I didn&#8217;t comply, the evil bitch award was waiting for me.</p><h4>Emotional Labor Costs You Your Body</h4><p>What shifted for me was realizing the nervous system cost of being an emotional vibrator. Your vibration is actually a report on the state of your nervous system + internal world. We all receive nervous system signals from one another + perceive them at different levels of awareness. When someone came to me for comfort, what their nervous system was saying is &#8220;Hey, I can&#8217;t manage all this charge in here can you down regulate me?&#8221;</p><p>That&#8217;s a job. That&#8217;s emotional labor. And it costs you your body.</p><p>In relationships where regulation is mutually available, this can be a beautiful way to connect. In one sided dynamics, this will always lead to energetic drain. </p><p>(Check out my video below for a deeper dive on drain &#11015;&#65039;)</p><p></p><h4>Your Internal Power Plant</h4><p>In a power plant, electricity is generated at very high voltage. So that our homes don&#8217;t literally explode, it has to go through a step-down process&#8212;traveling long distances and passing through multiple substations where transformers reduce the voltage in stages. That process isn&#8217;t free; it requires infrastructure, constant regulation, and energy is lost as heat along the way, making it an inherently expensive process just to make power usable.</p><p>Emotional labor is a costly process to the body in the same way the power plant step-down process is expensive.  When you are using your emotions to regulate someone else you are going through a biological process that requires resources from your nervous system. That regulation burns real energy. The stronger the emotion, the more work your system has to do to soften, filter, and redirect it, which is why it can leave you feeling exhausted even if nothing &#8220;physical&#8221; happened. </p><p>When you understand this, you start to see that honoring your energetic limits and treating your energy like a valuable resource isn&#8217;t bitchy&#8230;it&#8217;s basic. You deserve well being, rest + to feel good in your body. Period</p><p></p><h4>Is This Lesson Hitting Home? Check Out My Resources Below &#11015;&#65039;</h4><p><a href="https://iamprettybrilliant.mykajabi.com/shop">My Book Store</a></p><p><a href="https://youtu.be/SWeQJ4OR3dw?si=PCbUhO96KQX6uzOX">How To Deal With Negative Energy</a></p>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[People Love When You Hate Yourself. Why?]]></title><description><![CDATA[Pretty Brilliant Podcast | Episode 17]]></description><link>https://www.iamprettybrilliant.com/p/people-love-when-you-hate-yourself</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.iamprettybrilliant.com/p/people-love-when-you-hate-yourself</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Britnei Nicole]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Tue, 31 Mar 2026 17:13:39 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://api.substack.com/feed/podcast/192753761/d8ea51e07b4c7807831c2448827efaf0.mp3" length="0" type="audio/mpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Have you ever had the (great displeasure) of being hated for loving yourself? This tends to happen to growth oriented humans existing in stagnant environments. In this episode I am exploring how self-hatred actually serves as social lubricant + identity protection.</p><p><em>&#127916; pssssttt&#8230;want the video version of this episode <a href="https://youtu.be/WMVc5KNljAs?si=Je426U6YiEWrDhzZ">Check it out on YouTube</a></em></p><h4>Join Writing Club</h4><p>Each week I teach a creative writing/thinking workshop where yap, play with ideas + explore our intelligence because we can. It&#8217;s basically group shadow work for people who love feeling their feelings and thinking their thoughts for sport.</p><p> This month in my writing club we are exploring the tendrils of self-hatred + having a conversation with the darkest part of our shadow. If that&#8217;s your vibe, come join us! On Wednesdays we write. <a href="https://iamprettybrilliant.mykajabi.com/offers/Kadz9Jkh/checkout">Join Writing Club &#9997;&#65039;</a></p>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[Unlearning Cult Language To Free Your Mind]]></title><link>https://www.iamprettybrilliant.com/p/unlearning-cult-language-to-free</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.iamprettybrilliant.com/p/unlearning-cult-language-to-free</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Britnei Nicole]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Fri, 20 Mar 2026 15:14:08 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!svuq!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F93b23a86-5887-40b6-96e4-ffd4704066c8_1920x1080.png" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!svuq!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F93b23a86-5887-40b6-96e4-ffd4704066c8_1920x1080.png" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!svuq!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F93b23a86-5887-40b6-96e4-ffd4704066c8_1920x1080.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!svuq!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F93b23a86-5887-40b6-96e4-ffd4704066c8_1920x1080.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!svuq!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F93b23a86-5887-40b6-96e4-ffd4704066c8_1920x1080.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!svuq!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F93b23a86-5887-40b6-96e4-ffd4704066c8_1920x1080.png 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!svuq!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F93b23a86-5887-40b6-96e4-ffd4704066c8_1920x1080.png" width="1456" height="819" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/93b23a86-5887-40b6-96e4-ffd4704066c8_1920x1080.png&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:819,&quot;width&quot;:1456,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:979128,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/png&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:false,&quot;topImage&quot;:true,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https://www.iamprettybrilliant.com/i/191405239?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F93b23a86-5887-40b6-96e4-ffd4704066c8_1920x1080.png&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!svuq!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F93b23a86-5887-40b6-96e4-ffd4704066c8_1920x1080.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!svuq!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F93b23a86-5887-40b6-96e4-ffd4704066c8_1920x1080.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!svuq!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F93b23a86-5887-40b6-96e4-ffd4704066c8_1920x1080.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!svuq!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F93b23a86-5887-40b6-96e4-ffd4704066c8_1920x1080.png 1456w" sizes="100vw" fetchpriority="high"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg role="img" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><title></title><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><p>When you&#8217;re born into a cult, you don&#8217;t know it&#8217;s a cult&#8230;until you do.  Many social groups, relational structures + organizations also function like cults. They give you pre-loaded language, incentivize behavior + create systems that sneak into your daily decisions often unnoticed. </p><p><em><a href="https://youtu.be/eKMrfaI5qxc">psssst&#8230;check out the Video Lecture on YouTube</a></em></p><p>Language is the technology that creates behavior. The words we use and the meaning we ascribe to them are fundamental to how we experience our humanity. So in this video, I am inviting you to evaluate your use use given language. Particularly if you are in the murky waters of deconstruction from an inherited system of thinking and being.</p><h4>Questions To Reflect On</h4><p>What words are phrases stand out as belonging to your inherited culture?</p><p>What were you taught that they mean + what do they mean to you today?</p><p>How have those words/phrases impacted your choices + decisions in life?</p><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://www.iamprettybrilliant.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe now&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:null}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="https://www.iamprettybrilliant.com/subscribe?"><span>Subscribe now</span></a></p><p></p>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[World On Fire? Keep Tending To Your Dreams.]]></title><description><![CDATA[Pretty Brilliant Podcast | Episode 16]]></description><link>https://www.iamprettybrilliant.com/p/world-on-fire-pursue-your-dreams</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.iamprettybrilliant.com/p/world-on-fire-pursue-your-dreams</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Britnei Nicole]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Wed, 18 Mar 2026 12:05:41 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://api.substack.com/feed/podcast/191181338/e4fb30c0c05912d54bceda090fd07b4e.mp3" length="0" type="audio/mpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>The picture below is a screenshot from a page in my vision book in 2021. I was mentally unwell, physically unwell, stuck in an abusive relationship and dreaming of a career I could be proud of. This image represented how I wanted to look, feel and how I wanted to spend my time. My vision book was my secret space to dream and hope for a better future.</p><p>There was nothing at the time about my life that made dreaming feel safe or possible, but I did it anyway.  And today I&#8217;m doing exactly what 2021 me wanted to do.</p><p><em>pssst&#8230;want the video version of this podcast? <a href="https://youtu.be/bb0zrMf_vGs">Check It Out On Youtube</a></em></p><h4>My 2021 Vision Book &#128064;</h4><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!b6w7!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F694a2d2e-a9ee-4206-bad5-9011d65196e2_1668x2340.jpeg" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!b6w7!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F694a2d2e-a9ee-4206-bad5-9011d65196e2_1668x2340.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!b6w7!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F694a2d2e-a9ee-4206-bad5-9011d65196e2_1668x2340.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!b6w7!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F694a2d2e-a9ee-4206-bad5-9011d65196e2_1668x2340.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!b6w7!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F694a2d2e-a9ee-4206-bad5-9011d65196e2_1668x2340.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!b6w7!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F694a2d2e-a9ee-4206-bad5-9011d65196e2_1668x2340.jpeg" width="1456" height="2043" 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srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!b6w7!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F694a2d2e-a9ee-4206-bad5-9011d65196e2_1668x2340.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!b6w7!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F694a2d2e-a9ee-4206-bad5-9011d65196e2_1668x2340.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!b6w7!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F694a2d2e-a9ee-4206-bad5-9011d65196e2_1668x2340.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!b6w7!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F694a2d2e-a9ee-4206-bad5-9011d65196e2_1668x2340.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw" fetchpriority="high"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg role="img" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><title></title><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><p></p><h4><strong>Ready For 1:1 Coaching? Let&#8217;s Talk &#11015;&#65039;</strong></h4><p>It&#8217;s never a bad time to dream. It is always a bad time to give up on your dreams. If you are ready to invest in your future self, let&#8217;s get you together. You can request Coaching Here &#128073; <a href="https://iamprettybrilliant.mykajabi.com/contact">Coaching Form</a></p>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[Resources For Women Navigating Abuse]]></title><description><![CDATA[Years ago, I remember sitting at my desk at work searching for a podcast to listen to while I worked.]]></description><link>https://www.iamprettybrilliant.com/p/resources-for-women-navigating-abuse</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.iamprettybrilliant.com/p/resources-for-women-navigating-abuse</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Britnei Nicole]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Tue, 17 Mar 2026 16:10:05 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!goCi!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F92035552-3497-4970-bf36-f26a49b852a3_1920x1080.png" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!goCi!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F92035552-3497-4970-bf36-f26a49b852a3_1920x1080.png" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!goCi!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F92035552-3497-4970-bf36-f26a49b852a3_1920x1080.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!goCi!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F92035552-3497-4970-bf36-f26a49b852a3_1920x1080.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!goCi!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F92035552-3497-4970-bf36-f26a49b852a3_1920x1080.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!goCi!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F92035552-3497-4970-bf36-f26a49b852a3_1920x1080.png 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!goCi!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F92035552-3497-4970-bf36-f26a49b852a3_1920x1080.png" width="1456" height="819" 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srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!goCi!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F92035552-3497-4970-bf36-f26a49b852a3_1920x1080.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!goCi!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F92035552-3497-4970-bf36-f26a49b852a3_1920x1080.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!goCi!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F92035552-3497-4970-bf36-f26a49b852a3_1920x1080.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!goCi!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F92035552-3497-4970-bf36-f26a49b852a3_1920x1080.png 1456w" sizes="100vw" fetchpriority="high"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg role="img" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><title></title><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><p></p><p>Years ago, I remember sitting at my desk at work searching for a podcast to listen to while I worked. I could not make sense of the reality I was experiencing. I knew things were off, but I didn&#8217;t know just how bad it was until I found a podcast that talked about covert abuse + marital rape.</p><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://www.iamprettybrilliant.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe now&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:null}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="https://www.iamprettybrilliant.com/subscribe?"><span>Subscribe now</span></a></p><p>I listened to hours and hours of stories of women detailing experiences that sounded JUST like my life. They said the words no one would dare say. Admitted things I knew other women were experiencing but would not dare admit. </p><p>I read every book that was recommended, followed every expert that came across my field and let every word give me my soul back letter by letter.</p><p>It would be years before I finally believed in myself enough to leave, but that slow growing process was invaluable. If you are in a dynamic which you believe to be abusive, developing a relationship with your mind and body is so important.</p><p>I&#8217;ve put together a list of my resources that can help you with this.</p><h4>Books:</h4><p><a href="https://iamprettybrilliant.mykajabi.com/shop">All My Books</a></p><p><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Great-Sex-Rescue-Recover-Intended/dp/B094L3X31L/ref=sr_1_1?crid=7H9808JYML85&amp;dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.xkuFR5dD4-ERJ1arBOn1eqTnC7_s0sSbrd-5MHMaLehH1LMRDiFmtqFAj3dXQ6JQn2-r5h_R1M5QGk2tYFqt5435_D95vWuXnWj3PJeoy-xKKXmE-l4VhDrk9qNGiHmsYMmVnPoeVp3YXnG_XODolfzJpw_4oCOYatUxfyTvycW-eJlpBwZ_b14YPPCA1cF2Z61u8V-RZhvvCugYx1is8vG7p7nfVMCV4lxijHRCsQU.hGuoKu5W_88gRwh-IWb6DL5_IY7fwqs2nMKr3MabiS8&amp;dib_tag=se&amp;keywords=the+great+sex+rescue&amp;qid=1773761838&amp;sprefix=the+great+sex%2Caps%2C157&amp;sr=8-1">The Great Sex Rescue</a></p><p><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Come-You-Are-Surprising-Transform/dp/B08CPVQT5M/ref=sr_1_1?crid=19ZMG75FBRQTO&amp;dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.eLHPBmSdoJH_NxWiR1C6BSgRiy_P1WskR5tYrejDp5f1F-MpM-Cgldc4nG2KO0WRLO2wOD9r5lPGt9SjCLwax-XhLyhLgmZLI2gcGG0J3Fl0sJbqaQJ47pYKElJhfgVe_CiZAGOAhA6Y8vdUNuQ82Siy6LkOGcmzV7o2FhXVYEn8WXG01mBJTO5C6K7M0QU6VudKR8gGsEvYHMObl6Cll2E2QDVi5AvtMjTl1eTHjD4.CPFCkSyRCyXOZK1VtBgCvzNMttXMHiQpamruBsDMCg0&amp;dib_tag=se&amp;keywords=come+as+you+are&amp;qid=1773761864&amp;s=audible&amp;sprefix=Come+As%2Caudible%2C136&amp;sr=1-1">Come As You Are</a></p><p><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Why-Does-He-Do-That-audiobook/dp/B0058R8AP2/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2BUXSUMOJ2G9A&amp;dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.eWzFORgJ5anecBnZFUIw2pm4sRdz25nM4Ts1k1HMkgQFz1PCWWCV8VMmn9bf4BfksdFl7zs26Piwg4MPubC2dKju37bsax54baM7t-NKaUXHau_mmj-KEv7q2-TDmo4LHyOUJmfzBVp7v2w4iZT-UqJ1QPVipjMJc6_vX2DoNZyFnXY1K1Q-WEjN0q8Z-zmjD9Y8EF4ju2RmNvlnDRfJEcFoW1mWNI0oTl2ievujhTk.zvsWLYTYtOvAP44EBUkO1FIt25PpvyeITp-YsSDu5Yc&amp;dib_tag=se&amp;keywords=why+does+he+do+that&amp;qid=1773761894&amp;s=audible&amp;sprefix=why+does+he+do+tha%2Caudible%2C137&amp;sr=1-1">Why Does He Do That?</a></p><p></p><h4>Videos:</h4><p><a href="https://youtu.be/QKkJn2P7Kgk?si=X7yWRacrtOHOY1WG">Books for Domestic Violence Survivors</a></p><p><a href="https://youtu.be/SWeQJ4OR3dw?si=L94QRfsNrWoChx4M">Dealing With Negative Energy In Relationships</a></p><p><a href="https://youtu.be/nosF_9-7fvE?si=WXnVs5Kt1sQoh8y0">Your Energy Is A Luxury, Act Like It</a></p><p><a href="https://youtu.be/RRYx828eZwg?si=XHtI4iNIs8pD6V29">Entitlement Is A Skill. Hate it + Learn it.</a></p><p><a href="https://youtu.be/m9Gf7k5kSBU?si=xg3C7MldNQ48O7pd">Your Fear Loves You. Learn To Love It Back.</a></p><p></p><h4>Other Resources:</h4><p><a href="https://www.btr.org/">Betrayal Trauma Recovery </a> (This podcast + organization <strong>saved my life</strong>)</p><p><a href="https://open.spotify.com/episode/0LgKbobHGGqnZEi1Y6gHvQ?si=kexV9oKdTqujTXVm2BTDOA">The Resilience Masterclass</a> (This is an episode from my first very podcast!)</p>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[The Intelligence of Demonizing Desire]]></title><link>https://www.iamprettybrilliant.com/p/the-intelligence-of-demonizing-desire</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.iamprettybrilliant.com/p/the-intelligence-of-demonizing-desire</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Britnei Nicole]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Tue, 17 Mar 2026 13:03:28 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!1eY8!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fc25f71f8-9f69-4587-88eb-d16eecac2d5c_1920x1080.png" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!1eY8!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fc25f71f8-9f69-4587-88eb-d16eecac2d5c_1920x1080.png" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!1eY8!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fc25f71f8-9f69-4587-88eb-d16eecac2d5c_1920x1080.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!1eY8!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fc25f71f8-9f69-4587-88eb-d16eecac2d5c_1920x1080.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!1eY8!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fc25f71f8-9f69-4587-88eb-d16eecac2d5c_1920x1080.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!1eY8!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fc25f71f8-9f69-4587-88eb-d16eecac2d5c_1920x1080.png 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!1eY8!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fc25f71f8-9f69-4587-88eb-d16eecac2d5c_1920x1080.png" width="1456" height="819" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/c25f71f8-9f69-4587-88eb-d16eecac2d5c_1920x1080.png&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:819,&quot;width&quot;:1456,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:975366,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/png&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:false,&quot;topImage&quot;:true,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https://www.iamprettybrilliant.com/i/191152798?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fc25f71f8-9f69-4587-88eb-d16eecac2d5c_1920x1080.png&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!1eY8!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fc25f71f8-9f69-4587-88eb-d16eecac2d5c_1920x1080.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!1eY8!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fc25f71f8-9f69-4587-88eb-d16eecac2d5c_1920x1080.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!1eY8!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fc25f71f8-9f69-4587-88eb-d16eecac2d5c_1920x1080.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!1eY8!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fc25f71f8-9f69-4587-88eb-d16eecac2d5c_1920x1080.png 1456w" sizes="100vw" fetchpriority="high"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg role="img" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><title></title><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><p>I am learning that I&#8217;m allowed to be alive.</p><p>Not productive. Not useful to someone. Not compliant. Not grateful.</p><p>Just alive. With needs. With a body that gets cold and hungry and tired.</p><p>I can want love. I can want money. I can want sex. I can want food. I can want, <strong>period</strong>.</p><p>My entry to earth doesn&#8217;t include required self-hatred or a permanent debt collector on my back for the sin of existing.</p><p>Religion taught me that I am only allowed to exist if I poison this magnificent vessel of mine with shame. Marriage taught me that my role was to be a sexualized mother figure who remained warm + smiling while sacrificing soul each day.</p><p>And what did it get me? Not my dignity. Not even a lousy t-shirt.</p><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://www.iamprettybrilliant.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe now&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:null}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="https://www.iamprettybrilliant.com/subscribe?"><span>Subscribe now</span></a></p><h4>The Intelligence of Demonizing Desire</h4><p>Your desire is a message from you to you. A signal. It&#8217;s your body&#8217;s way of moving you toward something it finds important. How do you feel about that statement? Do you question it immediately? Do you doubt it? Do you trust or distrust <em>your</em> desire?</p><p>We exist inside systems that hope you distrust yourself. These systems may look like religion, government, work-places and even relationships. From the system&#8217;s perspective, your distrust of your perception + your disconnection from your body make you incredibly sexy. So very, very useful.</p><p>You know what makes AI so attractive to corporations today? The belief that it is needless and tireless. While AI isn&#8217;t needless, in that it requires massive energetic resources, it has no desire. With no will of it&#8217;s own, AI seems to be the perfect victim for systems that run on dominance and extraction.</p><p>Humans, however, must be wooed out or burned out of their bodies. Review your religious contracts. Are you trading your innate desires for morality and a spiritual VIP section with god?</p><p>What about your work commitments? Are you over-giving so that you&#8217;ll (maybe) be recognized with kudos and (maybe) a promotion?</p><p>What about your relationships? Are you swallowing your discomfort to preserve the comfort of someone you are afraid to lose?</p><p>Do you see the equation? Extractive systems train you to see desire as a necessary sacrifice for security. </p><p>And is it? Or is that just a toxic idea?</p><p></p>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[There's A Jury In Your Head.]]></title><description><![CDATA[Pretty Brilliant Podcast | Episode 15]]></description><link>https://www.iamprettybrilliant.com/p/theres-a-jury-in-your-head</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.iamprettybrilliant.com/p/theres-a-jury-in-your-head</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Britnei Nicole]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Mon, 16 Mar 2026 19:14:40 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://api.substack.com/feed/podcast/190862586/c801e4987c8c099913d60283de8a8d60.mp3" length="0" type="audio/mpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>In this episode I am introducing a concept I use with my 1:1 coaching clients called &#8220;The Mental Jury&#8221;. Your mental jury are the people, systems + sometimes even ideas that you are performing your life in front of. </p><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://www.iamprettybrilliant.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe now&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:null}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="https://www.iamprettybrilliant.com/subscribe?"><span>Subscribe now</span></a></p><p>It&#8217;s good to have a clear idea of who is in your jury because this tells you whose value system you are obeying. Living your life for the approval of other people is a great way to end up drained + dissatisfied (trust me I know).</p><p>ps<em>ssst&#8230;want the video version of this episode? <a href="https://youtu.be/00LDIaW0WDQ">Check it out on YouTube</a></em></p><h4><strong>Ready For 1:1 Coaching? Let&#8217;s Talk &#11015;&#65039;</strong></h4><p><strong>Request Coaching Here</strong> &#128073; <a href="https://iamprettybrilliant.mykajabi.com/contact">Coaching Form</a></p><p></p>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[Girl, Get Off Your Knees.]]></title><description><![CDATA[Pretty Brilliant Podcast | Episode 14]]></description><link>https://www.iamprettybrilliant.com/p/girl-get-off-your-knees</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.iamprettybrilliant.com/p/girl-get-off-your-knees</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Britnei Nicole]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Fri, 13 Mar 2026 17:51:02 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://api.substack.com/feed/podcast/190861120/9b85d6288728dadfdb2263ce654f34cd.mp3" length="0" type="audio/mpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>I have this recurring nightmare where I&#8217;ve found myself back in a situation I escaped long ago. I spend the dream confused to how I got there, backtracking my steps and trying to escape again. Eventually I wake up with spiked cortisol and extreme relief that it was a dream. </p><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://www.iamprettybrilliant.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe now&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:null}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="https://www.iamprettybrilliant.com/subscribe?"><span>Subscribe now</span></a></p><p>That feeling, being stuck in a world I wanted to escape, used to be my reality. I was &#8220;stuck&#8221; in a life made up of other people&#8217;s scripts for me. </p><p>In this episode I am talking about the illusion of powerlessness and how it keeps you searching for permission where all you need is choice.</p><p><em>psssst&#8230;.want the video version of this episode?</em> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dffJUusIRF4&amp;lc=UgynT3ehlPzwiAeaJOR4AaABAg">Check it out on YouTube</a></p><p></p><h4><strong>Ready For 1:1 Coaching? Let&#8217;s Talk &#11015;&#65039;</strong></h4><p><strong>Request Coaching Here</strong> &#128073; <a href="https://iamprettybrilliant.mykajabi.com/contact">Coaching Form</a></p>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[Discern Like A Detective.]]></title><description><![CDATA[Pretty Brilliant Podcast | Episode 13]]></description><link>https://www.iamprettybrilliant.com/p/a-framework-for-learning-to-discern</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.iamprettybrilliant.com/p/a-framework-for-learning-to-discern</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Britnei Nicole]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Tue, 10 Mar 2026 16:08:46 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://api.substack.com/feed/podcast/190520392/b41c1b780a85d7bcb78a71efd81c7fba.mp3" length="0" type="audio/mpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>I usually find that people long to learn discernment after being blindsided in dynamics with others.  That is certainly how I developed discernment. If only we had known better. We would have avoided that toxic ex/friend/job/business partner. Right?</p><p>In this episode I am giving you a solid foundation that you can build your skills of discernment on top of.</p><p><em>Pssst. Want the video version if this podcast? <a href="https://youtu.be/EsAoUqY_KmE?si=tHwPa5p4HYp1MVSg">Click here</a></em></p><p>Discernment is part mindset, part skill. Before you can develop your discernment skills, ask yourself, are you ready to be one who chooses? That is your foundation as well as your challenge.</p><h4><br><strong>Ready For 1:1 Coaching? Let's Talk &#11015;&#65039;</strong></h4><p><strong>Request Coaching Here</strong> &#128073; <a href="https://iamprettybrilliant.mykajabi.com/contact">Coaching Form</a></p><p></p><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://www.iamprettybrilliant.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe now&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:null}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="https://www.iamprettybrilliant.com/subscribe?"><span>Subscribe now</span></a></p><p></p>]]></content:encoded></item></channel></rss>