Who's like to read this poem? Ginger.

I would like to open my heart to you and keep it open.

But the truth is, sometimes all it takes is a glance, or the lack of a glance, or a certain tone, or a serrated word, and instantly the heart puts on its armor, which is something like a coat of porcupine quills.

Only the quills go inward, too.

And the instant I wear it, I'm aware of how much it hurts to wear it.

How in that moment when I seek to protect myself, I wound myself.

What if I believed you are doing the best you can, considering the forces that have shaped you? What if I listened past your words, look through your actions to see how you, too, feel threatened? The Buddha said we are always moving toward or away from freedom.

Tell them to bring a body bag.

[music playing] I hope the storm passes soon.

Security guys are easier marks than the lot of you.

The guys disappearing, Avery running around with no insides, the weird black fungus garden out there, and the storm that doesn't seem to wanna end, they sure as shit aren't equipment failures.

No storm can go on forever.

So once it stops, and whether or not they can get the ship up and running again, we either sail out of here or we call for a lift.

Either way, we'll be gone.

In the meantime, we stick together and stay frosty.

Yeah.

But what he says that's so interesting and I think fruitful for our discussion is he says, you know, probably we can all get on board with, like, yeah, there are these rather distinct selves, and what's important is not to just acknowledge that but to think about the relationship between those selves.

So how can we cultivate a useful, warm relationship with that older version of ourselves? And he actually kind of goes through some different things that you can try, right? With the idea that I'm way more likely to make sacrifices that might be beneficial for that other person, right, if I have a relationship with them, just like I would do that for a real person-

You just keep going.

"Dear Future Ginger, congratulations, you finished your book.

You didn't always trust you could follow through, but this time you stuck to your writing schedule, and you didn't let your perfectionism or fear drive the bus.

You made appointments to write, and you kept them.

This was hard to do when you were younger because you didn't know yourself as well as you do now.

[gentle music] Well, rejection is something that we've all faced in our lives.

And no matter where it comes from, the real pain that it causes does not have to define us.

That's why Ginger and I have teamed up on this book, Healing the Wounds of Rejection.

We want to share truths from God's Word that have helped us find strength and wholeness.

Can you-

Oh, yeah

May said they'll come and hang out with you while I'm busy.

Okay.

[upbeat electronic music] This is a HeadGum podcast.

Allstate North American Insurance Company and Affiliates, Northbrook, Illinois.

Handsome Pod.

Chatting with friends on the Handsome Pod.

Chatting with friends on the Handsome Pod.

(crowd cheering)

Nobody is coming to save you.

(crowd cheering) You're gonna save yourselves and you're gonna keep bringing people with you every time you stand up.

Don't let off Congress.

Keep the pressure on, make your calls, show the fuck up in the streets.

(crowd cheering) If you don't show up now, we are not gonna get those 89 million people that didn't vote to show up at the polls.

(crowd cheering) Bring them with you.

They're not gonna fine him.