We Can Do Hard Things

Title: We Can Do Hard Things

What is it? A Podcast (each episode is about an hour)

Creators: Sisters Glennon Doyle and Amanda Doyle, in conjunction with Abby Wambach

Who should listen to it? While this podcast is perhaps directed at women generally, and many of the hard things discussed might be considered “women’s issues” it really speaks to anyone who is trying to live their best life. Glennon and her sister Amanda talk through many common "hard things" that life throws everyone’s way, regardless of gender or life circumstances.

Two minute skinny:  If you are unfamiliar with Glennon Doyle, she is a writer, activist, and now podcaster who has transformed the way many people view the world with her insightful commentary about just what it is that makes life hard. Having been sober for more than 20 years, Glennon learned in a 12 step meeting many years ago that life is not hard because you are doing something wrong, but that life is often hardest when you are working to do it right. And her mantra for staying sober has become both the title of her podcast and a rallying cry for many. “We can do hard things!” It is the inspiration for the podcast, and each week Glennon, her sister Amanda, and often her wife Abby tackle talking about the hard things common to many people’s lives. 

The podcast itself is generally broken up into three sections: first Glennon and Amanda discuss the hard topic of the week and break down why that “hard thing” is often so challenging for so many. They follow this with a Q&A section, answering write-in or voicemail questions from listeners who have particular struggles related to the week’s topic. And finally, they challenge each listener and their ‘pod squad’ (regular listeners of the podcast) to do “the next right thing” for their week.

There are three things about this podcast that put it at the top of our listen list each week, and we hope those three things will help convince you to give it a chance as well.

1. Glennon and her sister are down to earth, and relatable on many different levels. They are each raising kids, but in different age groups, and they understand what it is to be moms, professionals, wives (both in heteronormative relationships and outside of them), and they don’t take themselves too seriously. It makes it feel like you are kicking back with your girlfriends, never being lectured at.

2. They are not afraid to ‘go there.’ From hard things like overwhelm and parenting, life after infidelity, and to creating a fulfilling sex life, no topic is taboo, and no hard thing is too hard to discuss. 

3. They are funny!! They bring a sense of humor to the hard things of life, and it is both insightful and refreshing.

Best Episodes: For this section this time, we are going to highlight two of our favorite episodes for you to check out:

• Episode 2: Boundaries - Depending on the type of person you are, this word can be either inspirational or terrifying. Glennon and her sister spend about an hour discussing what setting boundaries looks like for them and what makes it both challenging and rewarding. Whether you are a person who struggles to set boundaries like Amanda, or a person who sets boundaries left and right like Glennon, the insights in this episode will hit home.

• Episode 16: Quitting - In this episode, all three women track the origins of the word and what it meant in society until just a few generations ago - and why the connotation given to it by the industrial revolution has made it feel like one of the most challenging actions we can take in life. Once again, the women find themselves on opposite sides of the spectrum - Glennon advocates for quitting every day, while Amanda and Abby have a different take, and the conversation is entertaining and enriching.

Rating? Worth the Investment? This podcast gets a five star rating from Third Wheel, and we believe it really is worth the time invested. Because it is a podcast, you can pick and choose which episodes might speak to you more than others, thus it is only an investment of an hour or so at a time. Some episodes are as long and 70 minutes (but are very understandable at 1.5 speed if you insist on rushing through it!). We do recommend starting with the first episode, then skipping around at your pleasure after that.

Listen, I don’t have time for podcasts… What's second best? Check out the website for the podcast for more information and episode summaries.  http://wecandohardthingspodcast.com/

If you want to simply know more about the other work that Glennon Doyle does as an activist and fundraiser: https://togetherrising.org/

If you like music, the song for the podcast was written by Glennon’s daughter Tish Melton and produced in conjunction with Brandi Carlisle. It’s a great listen and only about 4 minutes long. https://open.spotify.com/track/2GhZ6OFTzasUwOrI32zS4P

And in case you wanted to go deeper: You can always read Glennon's amazing and most recent book, Untamed, where you can get more in depth about some of the stories they reference on the podcast, partake in some of Glennon’s incredible wisdom, and simply get to know her and her story better.  

Blog Post by Hallie Moberg Brauer