A year into living in New York City and heading into year six of podcasting, Krysta reflects on what happens when you stop trying to reinvent yourself and start living in alignment with who you've always been. This isn't a story about transformation—it's about confirmation. About finding environments that support rather than suppress, about choosing pace over pressure, and about refusing to mistake someone else's limitations for your own reality.
In this episode we dive into:
• Why the right environment doesn't change you—it reveals you
• The actual tropes about ambition, pace, and city living that everyone gets wrong
• How to distinguish between what drains you and what genuinely energizes you
• The critical difference between building your life versus tolerating someone else's blueprint
The "I Could Never" Trap
• The constant chorus of opinions from people who've never actually lived your choice
• How other people's limitations become invisible barriers to your own potential
• The phrase that reveals more about the speaker than the situation: "I could never do that"
• Why you're blocking your possibilities by imprinting someone else's "never" onto your life
When Simplicity Looks Like Hustle to Everyone Else
• The assumption that ambition equals exhaustion (and why New York proved otherwise)
• How the right pace actually creates focus instead of overwhelm
• The revelation that walking to three grocery stores beats driving to one
• Why being surrounded by builders normalizes effort instead of creating pressure
The Environment That Finally Fits
• What it feels like when you stop adjusting yourself and just exist
• The energy you waste trying to operate in spaces that don't support how you're wired
• Why The Spread evolved into hands-on content creation instead of distant consulting
• How the grind that stressed you out six months ago becomes the foundation that empowers you now
This conversation reminds us that growth isn't always about becoming someone new—sometimes it's about finding the conditions where who you've always been can finally thrive. Whether you're tolerating a pace that drains you or wondering if your ambition is "too much," this episode offers permission to trust that your version of too much might be someone else's just right.
Looking for more on building life on your terms? Check out Episode 1 of No Such Thing where we explore why there's no such thing as starting over.
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