Learning Their Names

This transmission is about awareness turning into understanding.

Last week, Brad and Monnica set a simple intention: notice more. This week, they take the next step—recognizing patterns as they show up in real time, in conversations, relationships, work, and internal reactions we usually run on autopilot.

They explore how patterns form as protective strategies, why they once served us, and what happens when they quietly start running the show. Through reflections on listening, editing, family dynamics, leadership habits, and emotional self-regulation, they unpack the difference between what actually happens and the meaning we assign to it.

This episode weaves together:

• how slowing down changes conversations
• why assumptions create unnecessary inner conflict
• the power of separating fact from interpretation
• and what it looks like to stay curious instead of defensive

They also connect these ideas to music, attention, and the brain’s default mode, drawing inspiration from How to Be a Human Being by Glass Animals and setting up a deeper dive into focus and awareness in the weeks ahead.

This isn’t about fixing patterns or stopping them. It’s about naming them.

Because when you learn their names, you gain just enough space to choose differently.

And sometimes, that space changes everything.