Sensemaking with Wolé and Tobi

S9E17 - Out of Your League?

To leave a comment at any point during your listen, here's a link you can use - https://bit.ly/typs9e17
 
##
 
Have you ever felt like someone was out of your league?
It's a common feeling, but in this podcast episode, we explored the idea that it might not be the best way to think about ourselves and others.
We delved into the scientific theories that have contributed to the concept of being "out of one's league." But we also talked about how complex the subjectivity and objectivity of social desirability, self-value, and self-worth can be especially in the search for a partner.
We chose to explore this topic because as we've gotten older, it’s a wicked problem that tends to sneak up on those who still have to navigate a dating pool.
Overall, this episode reminds us to shift our perspective when we get caught up in comparing ourselves to others. Instead, it's important to focus on our own personal growth and celebrate the things that make us unique when going into conversations about dating.

S9E16 - Cinematherapy: Living to Work or Working to Live

To leave a comment at any point during your listen, here's a link you can use - https://bit.ly/typs9e16
 
###
On this edition of #Cinematherapy, Wole and Tobi discuss the iconic movie "The Devil Wears Prada" (2006), which explores the balance between work and personal life.
The movie follows aspiring journalist Andrea as she becomes the assistant to the demanding Miranda Priestly in the high fashion industry. It depicts Andrea's transformation as she navigates the challenges of a demanding job that threatens to consume her personal life.
Wole and Tobi break down some important scenes and delve into themes of ambition, fulfillment, and the compromises we make for success. They explore questions like: Is it really possible to have everything we want? What are the things we're willing to give up? And how do we stay sane through it all?
Finally, they wrap up with some tips on how to set boundaries, take care of ourselves, and find a happy balance between work and personal life.

S9E15 - What We Get Wrong About Work-Life Balance

To leave a comment at any point during your listen, here's a link you can use - https://bit.ly/typs9e15
 
##
 
Work-Life Balance
Do you have a good understanding of what "work-life balance" means? It's a term we hear a lot, but have you ever stopped to think about what the "balance" part really refers to?
Let's take a moment to consider some more questions together:
Do you think work-life balance is the same for everyone, regardless of age or stage of life? For instance, is the balance needed by a 28-year-old the same as that needed by a 41-year-old? Moreover, do you think it's possible to achieve the ultimate success we all dream of while still maintaining a healthy work-life balance? And finally, how certain are we that our work and personal lives can always be kept separate?
The questions surrounding this topic are endless, making it a "wicked problem."
Many of us are concerned about achieving a good work-life balance. However, it's essential to recognize that everyone's situation is different, and what works for one person may not work for another. In fact, some people online may push their idealized version of work-life balance onto others, which can create feelings of guilt or inadequacy.
Overall, there's a case to be made that the gospel of the pursuit of work-life balance is driven by concerns about our health and well-being, as well as that of our loved ones. However, is there a one-size-fits-all solution, and should the balance look the same for everyone?

S9E14 - Cinematherapy: Self-Love, The Key to The Unconditional

To leave a comment at any point during your listen, here's a link you can use - https://bit.ly/typs9e14
The debate on the conditions of unconditional love continued in this cinematherapy episode. To be honest, we feel this topic was one that was too complex & difficult to arrive at a consensus in 2 hours of conversation.
The movie we chose to potentially break this down further was ‘The Spectacular Now” a coming-of-age story that follows the charming and carefree high school senior, Sutter Keely, as he navigates his last year of high school with no regard for the future, until he unexpectedly falls for the sweet and studious Aimee Finicky, forcing him to confront his inner demons.
Wole wasn’t the biggest fan of our movie choice, but it’s a movie that grows on you as it edges on showing how there can be extraordinary in the everyday things with share with a love interest.
Perhaps the most important realisation we came away with at the end of this is that without self-love and pure tenderness to ourselves, unconditional love is difficult to give and receive.

S9E13 - The Conditions of Unconditional Love

To leave a comment at any point during your listen, here's a link you can use - https://bit.ly/typs9e13
###
A mysterious concept, a romantic ideal, and a taken-for-granted understanding. These are three things that we feel characterize the concept of unconditional love, and in typical Yellow pill fashion, we don't take things for granted.
In the context of emerging and sustaining relationships, unconditional love is often seen as the epitome of the romantic ideal.
From wedding vows to movies to "advice consultants," we all hear people say that to love unconditionally is to declare an intention to love someone come what may.
But what does this mean in a world where conditions are set upon us by default, merely because we exist within certain forms and structures?
Because the truth is, the very moment we consider the type of relationship we desire with another, we will always be in the realm of "conditions" (be it values, likes, dislikes, temperaments, etc.).
So, what then is unconditional love in a default world where conditions cannot be escaped?
This episode was inspired by the desire to learn to love more fully and to bring to light a complex understanding that we take for granted as young adults.
Save, turn on those bells, you don't want to miss this 🔔

S9E12 - Cinematherapy: Finding A Spark

To leave a comment at any point during your listen, here's a link you can use - https://bit.ly/typs9e12
###
On the latest episode of the podcast, Wole and Tobi tried to use the Ikigai framework to figure out a part of their lives connected with purpose. But, honestly, they just ended up with more questions than answers about how practical the framework was.
It was like they were in a constant state of tension - almost like the main character in Soul, a Pixar flick about a middle-school band teacher who's feeling pretty lost. He's a jazz musician at heart, but things haven't quite gone his way. When he travels to another dimension to help someone find their purpose, he starts to understand what it means to have soul.
After breaking down the plot of the movie, Wole and Tobi took some time to reflect on some of the stuff they didn't quite figure out from the last episode. But, this time, they were able to come to a better understanding of what they think is really at the heart of Ikigai - the *reason for being*.
They also talked about some of the scenes from the movie that really stood out, as the main character went on his journey of self-discovery, trying to figure out his purpose, passion, and what it really means to live a fulfilling life.

S9E11 - Ikigai: Myth or Possibility?

To leave a comment at any point during your listen, here's a link you can use - https://bit.ly/typs9e11
###
You've probably stumbled upon a bunch of frameworks and popular guidelines on how to find purpose in life or discover your reason for existence.
One such concept is Ikigai, a Japanese term that translates to "the reason for being". The idea is simple: each person finds their reason for being at the intersection of what they love, what they are good at, what they can be paid for, and what the world needs.
Sounds great, doesn't it? 
In this episode, we tried to apply this concept to our own lives and see if it's a useful framework. To be honest, we're not sure if we nailed it. We tried to make sense of it from a realistic perspective, taking into account cultural and economic realities, but Ikigai proved to be a tough sell 😄
Anyway, we'd love for you to give it a listen and see if it can help you out. Who knows, maybe you'll find some useful insights that we missed!###Resources
A link to the Ikigai graphic - https://bit.ly/40GVGc7

S9E10 - Cinematherapy: Filial Responsibility & Parental Caregiving

To leave a comment 👉🏾  - http://bit.ly/typs9e10
.
.
."Ultimately, people age, and children need to live their lives."
This sad but true reality is beautifully portrayed in our latest cinema therapy episode, where we take a look at The Father (2020). The movie features an outstanding narrative and strong characterizations from the cast.
As we talked about last week, the topic of caring for ageing parents and filial responsibility is something that hits close to home for many of us. What makes this movie so exceptional is how it immerses us in the perspective of an ageing man with dementia, letting us see what he sees and what he doesn't.
At the same time, it gives us a chance to envision ourselves as children taking care of ageing parents, to the point where it can result in significant costs to our own lives.
.
.
.
🚨 - The Yellow Pill Junkies Campaign ENDS this week. Here's your LAST chance to win a £25 Amazon voucher 💳: https://lkh8vm25tg2.typeform.com/to/M1deAAPd

S9E9 - Ageing Parents

✨NEW✨: To leave a comment at any point during your listen, here's a link you can use - http://bit.ly/typs9e9
.
.
.
About this episode:
The way life works is that the people who give us life, raise us, support us, and care for us will eventually reach a point where they need our help and support too.
Watching our parents grow old can sneak up on us, and we may only realize it in moments of epiphany.
In this episode, the Yellow Pill Men explore the reciprocity and filial responsibility involved in supporting ageing parents. They attempt to think about their role in providing support to their elderly parents, although whether they figured it out is still up for debate. One cannot deny the complexity involved in navigating the changing responsibilities adult children face as their parents begin to age.
This episode delves into the various reasons why humans provide support to parents as they age, and how factors such as gender, socioeconomic conditions, and culture might interact with these reasons.
It's a scary conversation to have, but it's also inevitable. The reality is that many of us have already spent more time with our parents than we ever will again.
.
.
.
The Yellow Pill Junkies Campaign ENDS next week! Here's your chance to win a £25 Amazon voucher 💳: https://lkh8vm25tg2.typeform.com/to/M1deAAPd

S9E8 - Cinematherapy: Blue Valentine

✨NEW✨: To leave a comment at any point during your listen, here's a link you can use - https://bit.ly/typs9e8...Picking a movie for this week's cinematherapy episode was a tough call, man 😓Even after giving chatgpt some plot hints, we weren't fully sold on the options it gave us 😒In the end, we went with Blue Valentine. We're betting only a few of you out there have seen it. Wole was already second-guessing our choice just 20 minutes into the movie, but Tobi was more open to it. You be the judge of what that says about the movie itself👩🏾‍⚖️And for those still on the fence, here's what chatGPT had to say:"Blue Valentine is one of those movies that will leave you feeling like you just went through an emotional rollercoaster. It's raw and real, and shows a relationship that's falling apart in a way that feels all too familiar. Ryan Gosling and Michelle Williams are just incredible in this movie. They bring so much depth and authenticity to their roles, and it really shows. The story itself is heartbreaking, but also relatable. It really delves into the complexities of love and the slow decay of a relationship over time. This movie is a must-see for anyone who appreciates great acting and stories that are both genuine and powerful."
.
.
.
The Yellow Pill Junkies Campaign ENDS soon. Here's your chance to win a £25 Amazon voucher 💳: https://lkh8vm25tg2.typeform.com/to/M1deAAPd

S9E7 - Strangers Again

✨NEW✨: To leave a comment at any point during your listen, here's a link you can use - http://bit.ly/typs9e7
.
.
The Yellow Pill Junkies Campaign ENDS soon. Here's your chance to win a £25 Amazon voucher 💳: https://lkh8vm25tg2.typeform.com/to/M1deAAPd
.
.
Do you recognize this relationship cycle? The meeting with a “stranger”, the chase, the honeymoon, the comfort, the tolerance, the downhill, and then the breakup, ultimately ending up as “strangers” again.
Wolé and Tobi have been contemplating the wild nature of the lifecycle for relationships that end in breakups. Like many others, they have experienced this cycle at least once. However, being the life-nerds that they are, they cannot just accept it as part of life. In fact, they find it absurd that one person can be a stranger today, a lover tomorrow, and a stranger the day after.
Naturally, they brought these thoughts to life in a Sunday chill conversation with Faith, a lovely friend. Although her experiences differ from theirs, they are equally rich enough to confirm the craziness of this relationship cycle.
In this episode, follow the three of them as they break down the stranger to lover to stranger again cycle with the aim to experience it less.
Is it fun? Yes.
Is it deep? Yes.
Is it emotional? We'll let you decide.

Stories from Nigeria - The Existential Election

Anxiety, bridges burnt, and an existential tipping point. These are some of the words that best describe the upcoming Nigerian elections and the state of the nation.
Whether we like it or not, the outcomes of this upcoming Nigerian elections matter to the world.
Why? For starters, Nigeria is the most populous black country on earth, and one out of every five persons of African origin is Nigerian. In addition, even though the word ‘elections’ should suggest Nigeria is a democratic state, in reality however, Nigeria is a hybrid regime that is closer to an authoritarian regime than it is to a flawed or full democracy (The Economist, 2023).
So, back to the elections.
We decided to create this ‘out-of-schedule’ episode that contains stories and anecdotes from a dozen Nigerians who share their fears and hopes about the upcoming elections. Some expressed hope for positive change and development, many expressed concern about violence and aftermath, while a few emphasised an unwilling acceptance of whatever outcome. Regardless, it is clear that upcoming elections scheduled for February 25, 2023 (as of the time of writing this) will have both threats and opportunities of an unquantifiable scale for our country and our people. 
We’ll see what happens during the weekend and release another episode after.
Please give this a listen, share, and stay tuned.
God bless 🙏🏾

S9E6 - Cinematherapy: Love & Basketball

We wanted to find a useful cinematherapy resource for the theme of love and Valentine's Day, so that meant we stayed away from the cheesy classics 😄.
We decided to go for nostalgia and revisit the classic movie, Love and Basketball.
We discussed the important love lessons that emerged from the movie, such as friendship, childhood romance, and the balance between career and love.
Aside from the one cheesy line that sent Tobi packing ("Monica: I'll play for your heart"), we enjoyed watching the movie and we were definitely Team Monica on this one as the “hero” of the story.
We hope you enjoy it!
.
.
.
📣 The Yellow Pill Junkies Campaign is still on. Here's your chance to win an Amazon voucher: https://lkh8vm25tg2.typeform.com/to/M1deAAPd

S9E5 - The Dark Side of Valentine’s Day

As February 14th draws near, Wole and Tobi take a different approach to discuss Valentine's Day. Instead of focusing on the good, romantic aspects of the holiday, they delve into the darker side of it, exploring the taken-for-granted expectations and experiences that can lead to negative outcomes for couples and singles.
They ask if and how Valentine's Day can *do more harm than good* for all involved. They question the importance of this love holiday to society, share their own past experiences, and offer some considerations for those looking to make the most of their Valentine's Day plans.
Surprisingly, they make some very interesting points that you might not expect to hear on an episode like this one.
Lots of love ♥️.
.
.
🏆 WIN an Amazon Voucher by participating in the Yellow Pill Junkies campaign: https://lkh8vm25tg2.typeform.com/to/M1deAAPd

S9E4 - Cinematherapy: American Psycho

📣 The Yellow Pill Junkies Campaign is still on. Here's your chance to win an Amazon voucher 💳: https://lkh8vm25tg2.typeform.com/to/M1deAAPd
.
.
.
Watching American Psycho for cinema therapy was more like cinema what the hell!
Despite all the violent/crazy scenes, we dove into this movie again because it has strong themes of materialism we couldn’t ignore.
If you haven’t seen the movie, it revolves around 27-year-old Patrick who desperately wants to fit into the material world (& culture) of the elite and lashes out with his violent fantasies after sunset.
From his morning shower routine to the characters’ obsession with material possessions, we compared themes from the movie to our daily lives. I mean we don’t have Wall Street money but it was still interesting to see some similarities we shared with the world and characters in the movie.
It’s a movie that might be scary/too much for some, so we suggest you listen to the episode before/instead of watching it!
.
.
.
If you love the podcast, here's how you can help us grow!
Please leave us a review on the platform you're listening to us on right now! 💫
Share your favourite episode with your followers anywhere📱
Follow us on Twitter (@yellowpill_pod) 🐦
Follow us on Instagram (@theyellowpillpod) 📷
Send us an email with any feedback you have for us: theyellowpill.pod@gmail.com

S9E3 - Mr and Mrs Materialistic

Link to the TYP Junkies campaign: https://lkh8vm25tg2.typeform.com/to/M1deAAPd
.
.
For a while now, Wolé and Tobi have been reflecting on the importance they attach to material possessions.
Wolé's thoughts on materialism began recently when a life transition made him question the number of clothes he needs.
Tobi's thoughts have been more mature, stemming from his longstanding view that he places little importance on material things that don't serve a functional purpose.
They sit down to discuss the origin of their materialistic tendencies, albeit to varying degrees. They question the reasons behind our consumption habits and why we are likely to own more than we use. They debate whether materialism can be good or bad, and explore how it extends beyond objects.
Of course, much of their conversation also highlights their hypocrisy. After all, they both own material objects that are only "nice to have" and are not essential for their survival.
So, can we truly escape materialism?
We'll let you answer that.

S9E2 - Cinematherapy: Marriage Story

This episode contains explicit language from clips we included from the film.
##
In our first-ever #cinematherapy episode, we dive into “Marriage Story”, an amazing movie starring Adam Driver and Scarlett Johansson.
We dissect scenes and themes in the film that reflect our current topic of discussion about premarital fears and the apprehension of divorce.
We picked and loved this story because it touches on the real-life struggles of managing a marriage that is falling apart and the personal costs associated with it.
Enjoy the listen!
.
.
.
The TYP Junkies Campaign is still on! If you haven't already, please fill out our survey - https://lkh8vm25tg2.typeform.com/to/M1deAAPd
 

S9E1 - Premarital Fears

Link to the TYP Junkies campaign: https://lkh8vm25tg2.typeform.com/to/M1deAAPd
In this episode, Wolé and Tobi sit down to really talk about some premarital fears they have.While they both share the same desire to settle down one day 🤞🏾, their paths towards that destination are quite different 🛣️.Part of what drives this difference is that Wolé has premarital fears that Tobi can’t relate to, and Tobi has premarital fears that Wolé is still trying to understand. This conversation kicks off the 9th season of the podcast 🎉 and Wole and Tobi hope listening to this inspires you to kickstart a similar conversation with your closest and dearest 💛.
.
.
.

S9E0 - Coming up this season

Are you ready for another season of familiar dilemmas and wicked problems? Join us as we try to make sense of the world we find ourselves in through intimate conversations, piercing thoughts, and provocative questions.
We've also got a couple of new experiences lined up this season, including a new campaign we're launching which we talk more about in the episode. Tune in for a preview of what's coming on the Yellow Pill!
 

Happy New Year, Happy New Season

Happy New Year everyone! 🎊
In this first episode of 2023, Wole and Tobi sat down to talk about the year ahead, personal plans for the year and how they both approach each new year, and a bit about what's coming up on the podcast's new season. The episode also features responses from you our listeners to a recent survey we put out.
Stay tuned for the trailer episode for the new season next week, where Wole and Tobi will walk through the themes and topics for the 9th season of the Yellow Pill!