Mejor Sola

*Please excuse the sound quality* - we recorded a check-in from a car! Catch up with Des and Em in this special mini check-in episode, recorded without all the equipment, but just as much love. About Mejor Sola: Des and Emily are two storytellers who love deeply...and have had their hearts broken by others. Growing up, there are frameworks for love that are heavily shaped by machismo, religion, culture, and tradition. This kind of love is tied to sacrifice and service. Learning love in this way has made it extremely challenging to make space for self-love and platonic love - love that fuels us and brings us joy and not simply for others. Love for ourselves. Most of all, a love that does not require self-sacrifice in order to be celebrated. Intro and outro music is "Little Latin Jazz" by oymaldonado. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mejorsola/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/mejorsola/support

There are so many different types of love to experience in this lifetime. For Des and Em, one of the dearest and most transformative loves is the love shared between friends. What does intimacy look like for a friend group? Are there different levels to it? This episode explores all the ways we fall in love with our friends. About Mejor Sola: Des and Emily are two Latinx female-identifying storytellers who love deeply...and have had their hearts broken by others. Growing up, there are frameworks for love that are heavily shaped by machismo, religion, culture, and tradition. This kind of love is tied to sacrifice and service. Learning love in this way has made it extremely challenging to make space for self-love and platonic love - love that fuels us and brings us joy and not simply for others. Love for ourselves. Most of all, a love that does not require self-sacrifice in order to be celebrated. Intro and outro music is "Little Latin Jazz" by oymaldonado. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mejorsola/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/mejorsola/support

Being alone - do you dread the idea or is it something you can rejoice in? There's a wide spectrum of emotions you can experience when you're by yourself. But how do you know the difference between being alone and being lonely? What signs do you look out for when you need help telling the difference? Also, BRIDGERTON. Let's unpack this, amores. "I have learned to have a productive relationship with loneliness and an intensely juicy relationship with my joyful solitude - I really enjoy my company." - Tracee Ellis Ross --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mejorsola/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/mejorsola/support

PERSONAL STORIES: Des and Em recount Valentine's Day experiences, break down the exclusionary nature of the capitalistic "holiday," and call for more celebrations of womxn outside of heteronormative traditions. About Mejor Sola: Des and Emily are two Latinx female-identifying storytellers who love deeply...and have had their hearts broken by others. Growing up, there are frameworks for love that are heavily shaped by machismo, religion, culture, and tradition. This kind of love is tied to sacrifice and service. Learning love in this way has made it extremely challenging to make space for self-love and platonic love - love that fuels us and brings us joy and not simply for others. Love for ourselves. Most of all, a love that does not require self-sacrifice in order to be celebrated. Intro and outro music is "Little Latin Jazz" by oymaldonado. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mejorsola/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/mejorsola/support

Does your relationship have a contract? Should it? What would the rules and regulations entail? Would your version of this contract match your friends'? Let's unpack that, amores. "Find the friendships that are embodied permission slips for your becoming." - Arielle Estoria (@arielleestoria on Instagram). --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mejorsola/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/mejorsola/support

THINGS THEY DIDN'T TEACH US: Being a good friend. More specifically: navigating the gray space when you're not sure if you should turn back and make amends with someone from your past, or if it's ok to miss what you had when you had it. Inspired by @TheFriendshipExpert on TikTok. Check out Danielle Bayard Jackson's work as a friendship coach, publicist, and educator. About Mejor Sola: Des and Emily are two Latinx female-identifying storytellers who love deeply...and have had their hearts broken by others. Growing up, there are frameworks for love that are heavily shaped by machismo, religion, culture, and tradition. This kind of love is tied to sacrifice and service. Learning love in this way has made it extremely challenging to make space for self-love and platonic love - love that fuels us and brings us joy and not simply for others. Love for ourselves. Most of all, a love that does not require self-sacrifice in order to be celebrated. Intro and outro music is "Little Latin Jazz" by oymaldonado. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mejorsola/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/mejorsola/support

We needed more than 20 minutes for this! Diving into childhood wonder, we explore the mindshift this quote invokes and what it would mean to shed our shame in the process. "What if your healing is not an obsession over fixing what is wrong with you but a self-loving curiosity to excavate - liberate - the buried treasures already embedded deep within you." - Yumi Sakugawa (@yumisakugawa on Instagram). --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mejorsola/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/mejorsola/support

HARD TRUTHS: Why do we self sabotage? The month of January gives us an opportunity to collectively reflect and set goals for the new year. But sometimes, goals turn into guilt and we look at one of those culprits of shame: our own self-betrayal. About Mejor Sola: Des and Emily are two Latinx female-identifying storytellers who love deeply...and have had their hearts broken by others. Growing up, there are frameworks for love that are heavily shaped by machismo, religion, culture, and tradition. This kind of love is tied to sacrifice and service. Learning love in this way has made it extremely challenging to make space for self-love and platonic love - love that fuels us and brings us joy and not simply for others. Love for ourselves. Most of all, a love that does not require self-sacrifice in order to be celebrated. Intro and outro music is "Little Latin Jazz" by oymaldonado. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mejorsola/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/mejorsola/support

We say *Des voice* byeeee to 2020 and talk about the role "hope" may play in 2021. The quote we unpack in this mini episode is from Austin Channing Brown, "This is the shadow of hope - knowing that we may never see the realization of our dreams, and yet still showing up." --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mejorsola/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/mejorsola/support

WHAT. A. YEAR. We are so glad you made it, amor. Comparison is the thief of joy and comparison tends to run rampant on the horizon of a new year - and we just cannot let that happen! Des and Em take time to reflect on their biggest lessons of 2020 and look ahead to 2021. About Mejor Sola: Des and Em are two Latinx female-identifying storytellers who love deeply...and have had their hearts broken by others. Growing up, there are frameworks for love that are heavily shaped by machismo, religion, culture, and tradition. This kind of love is tied to sacrifice and service. Learning love in this way has made it extremely challenging to make space for self-love and platonic love - love that fuels us and brings us joy and not simply for others. Love for ourselves. Most of all, a love that does not require self-sacrifice in order to be celebrated. Intro and outro music is “Little Latin Jazz” by oymaldonado. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mejorsola/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/mejorsola/support

In this mini episode, we chew on the following quote: "Satisfaction is the state of awareness when your happiness is sustainable." (Original quote by @shrimpteeth on Instagram) --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mejorsola/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/mejorsola/support

The "Season of Giving" is upon us. For some of us, the most wonderful time of the year can also be the most stressful. Even if you are an excellent gifter, sometimes, we all give a little too much. Des and Em reflect on how not to let one month undo a whole year of growth. About Mejor Sola: Des and Em are two Latinx female-identifying storytellers who love deeply...and have had their hearts broken by others. Growing up, there are frameworks for love that are heavily shaped by machismo, religion, culture, and tradition. This kind of love is tied to sacrifice and service. Learning love in this way has made it extremely challenging to make space for self-love and platonic love - love that fuels us and brings us joy and not simply for others. Love for ourselves. Most of all, a love that does not require self-sacrifice in order to be celebrated. Intro and outro music is “Little Latin Jazz” by oymaldonado. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mejorsola/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/mejorsola/support

Our mini episode series is back as we tackle the following quote: "You are allowed to grieve the things that you had to release to end the cycles that tried to break you." --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mejorsola/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/mejorsola/support

We're back at it because normal is elusive AF this year. Also, can friendships actually be situationships?? Des and Em go on a roller coaster to figure out if we're doing this friend thing right. Content warning: COVID, hospice care About Mejor Sola: Des and Em are two Latinx female-identifying storytellers who love deeply...and have had their hearts broken by others. Growing up, there are frameworks for love that are heavily shaped by machismo, religion, culture, and tradition. This kind of love is tied to sacrifice and service. Learning love in this way has made it extremely challenging to make space for self-love and platonic love - love that fuels us and brings us joy and not simply for others. Love for ourselves. Most of all, a love that does not require self-sacrifice in order to be celebrated. Intro and outro music is “Little Latin Jazz” by oymaldonado. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mejorsola/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/mejorsola/support

A new mini episode series so you can get your Mejor Sola fix every week. In this first edition, we discuss the quote "You cannot heal in the same environment that made you sick." --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mejorsola/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/mejorsola/support

"Normal" in regular times is a social construct. "Normal" during a pandemic is nonexistent, right? Des and Em kick off the second season of Mejor Sola with a grappling dialogue about what we are willing to normalize and what we're not. About Mejor Sola: Des and Em are two Latinx female-identifying storytellers who love deeply...and have had their hearts broken by others. Growing up, there are frameworks for love that are heavily shaped by machismo, religion, culture, and tradition. This kind of love is tied to sacrifice and service. Learning love in this way has made it extremely challenging to make space for self-love and platonic love - love that fuels us and brings us joy and not simply for others. Love for ourselves. Most of all, a love that does not require self-sacrifice in order to be celebrated. Intro and outro music is “Little Latin Jazz” by oymaldonado. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mejorsola/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/mejorsola/support

Amores, it's the end of season one of Mejor Sola and we are closing it out with some of our faves! Join Des and Em as they invite Seb and Yaz from Café con Chisme to talk about their friendship, what it means to be anti-black, how to be an ally to our black siblings, and what they are doing to practice self-preservation. Watch the video of our conversation on YouTube: bit.ly/mejorsolayoutube Listen to Café con Chisme: https://www.cafeconchisme.com/ About Mejor Sola: Des and Em are two Latinx female-identifying storytellers who love deeply...and have had their hearts broken by others. Growing up, there are frameworks for love that are heavily shaped by machismo, religion, culture, and tradition. This kind of love is tied to sacrifice and service. Learning love in this way has made it extremely challenging to make space for self-love and platonic love - love that fuels us and brings us joy and not simply for others. Love for ourselves. Most of all, a love that does not require self-sacrifice in order to be celebrated. Intro and outro music is “Little Latin Jazz” by oymaldonado. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mejorsola/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/mejorsola/support

We are so excited to be back! Join Des and Em as they talk about the differences between self-preservation and self-care and how they are navigating what's happening in the world. "Caring for myself is not self-indulgence, it is self-preservation, and that is an act of political warfare.” Rooted in the quote from Audre Lorde's book of essays, A Burst of Light, this episode unpacks what it really means to preserve yourself. Liberate mediation app: https://liberatemeditation.com/ About Mejor Sola: Des and Em are two Latinx female-identifying storytellers who love deeply...and have had their hearts broken by others. Growing up, there are frameworks for love that are heavily shaped by machismo, religion, culture, and tradition. This kind of love is tied to sacrifice and service. Learning love in this way has made it extremely challenging to make space for self-love and platonic love - love that fuels us and brings us joy and not simply for others. Love for ourselves. Most of all, a love that does not require self-sacrifice in order to be celebrated. Intro and outro music is “Little Latin Jazz” by oymaldonado. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mejorsola/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/mejorsola/support

Em recruits the spiritual guidance of Des to help her recalibrate her inner compass because social distances has her doubting herself. About Mejor Sola: Des and Em are two Latinx female-identifying storytellers who love deeply...and have had their hearts broken by others. Growing up, there are frameworks for love that are heavily shaped by machismo, religion, culture, and tradition. This kind of love is tied to sacrifice and service. Learning love in this way has made it extremely challenging to make space for self-love and platonic love - love that fuels us and brings us joy and not simply for others. Love for ourselves. Most of all, a love that does not require self-sacrifice in order to be celebrated.  Intro and outro music is "Little Latin Jazz" by oymaldonado. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mejorsola/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/mejorsola/support

Des and Em get frisky during social isolation and dish about what it's like to renegotiate physical boundaries when you are moving on from a breakup. LINKS! Chicanas, Cholas, y Chisme: https://www.instagram.com/chicanascholasychisme/ Chani Nicholas, "You Were Born For This": https://chaninicholas.com/you-were-born-for-this/ adrienne maree brown, "Pleasure Activism": https://www.amazon.com/Pleasure-Activism-Politics-Emergent-Strategy-ebook/dp/B07CBCZSCY About Mejor Sola: Des and Em are two Latinx female-identifying storytellers who love deeply...and have had their hearts broken by others. Growing up, there are frameworks for love that are heavily shaped by machismo, religion, culture, and tradition. This kind of love is tied to sacrifice and service. Learning love in this way has made it extremely challenging to make space for self-love and platonic love - love that fuels us and brings us joy and not simply for others. Love for ourselves. Most of all, a love that does not require self-sacrifice in order to be celebrated. Intro and outro music is "Little Latin Jazz" by oymaldonado. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mejorsola/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/mejorsola/support

BREAKUP EPISODE pt. 2! Em and Des revisit their journeys to finding themselves again after heartache and how they started to step into being their best Mejor Sola selves. About Mejor Sola: Des and Em are two Latinx female-identifying storytellers who love deeply...and have had their hearts broken by others. Growing up, there are frameworks for love that are heavily shaped by machismo, religion, culture, and tradition. This kind of love is tied to sacrifice and service. Learning love in this way has made it extremely challenging to make space for self-love and platonic love - love that fuels us and brings us joy and not simply for others. Love for ourselves. Most of all, a love that does not require self-sacrifice in order to be celebrated. Intro and outro music is "Little Latin Jazz" by oymaldonado. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mejorsola/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/mejorsola/support

BREAKUP EPISODE! You know we'd get here! Em and Des revisit their experiences with heartache and try to make sense of what happens after it's over. About Mejor Sola: Des and Emily are two Latinx female-identifying storytellers who love deeply...and have had their hearts broken by others. Growing up, there are frameworks for love that are heavily shaped by machismo, religion, culture, and tradition. This kind of love is tied to sacrifice and service. Learning love in this way has made it extremely challenging to make space for self-love and platonic love - love that fuels us and brings us joy and not simply for others. Love for ourselves. Most of all, a love that does not require self-sacrifice in order to be celebrated. Intro and outro music is "Little Latin Jazz" by oymaldonado. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mejorsola/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/mejorsola/support

Em and Des recount their "first love" experiences and the habits they are still unlearning from them. About Mejor Sola: Des and Emily are two Latinx female-identifying storytellers who love deeply...and have had their hearts broken by others. Growing up, there are frameworks for love that are heavily shaped by machismo, religion, culture, and tradition. This kind of love is tied to sacrifice and service. Learning love in this way has made it extremely challenging to make space for self-love and platonic love - love that fuels us and brings us joy and not simply for others. Love for ourselves. Most of all, a love that does not require self-sacrifice in order to be celebrated. Intro and outro music is "Little Latin Jazz" by oymaldonado. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mejorsola/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/mejorsola/support

Em and Des explore how the friendships they experienced growing up have shaped their perceptions of love and sense of self. Places to seek support:  RAINN materials https://www.rainn.org/materials Rape Crisis Center: http://rapecrisis.com/ Bilingual support: http://www.ncdsv.org/ncd_linkshotlines.html For men in abusive relationships: https://www.helpguide.org/articles/abuse/help-for-men-who-are-being-abused.htm About Mejor Sola: Des and Emily are two Latinx female-identifying storytellers who love deeply...and have had their hearts broken by others. Growing up, there are frameworks for love that are heavily shaped by machismo, religion, culture, and tradition. This kind of love is tied to sacrifice and service. Learning love in this way has made it extremely challenging to make space for self-love and platonic love - love that fuels us and brings us joy and not simply for others. Love for ourselves. Most of all, a love that does not require self-sacrifice in order to be celebrated. Intro and outro music is "Little Latin Jazz" by oymaldonado. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mejorsola/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/mejorsola/support

Em and Des talk about the strong female figures in their lives and how growing up near them influenced the way they came to know love, as a sacrifice. About Mejor Sola: Des and Emily are two Latinx female-identifying storytellers who love deeply...and have had their hearts broken by others. Growing up, there are frameworks for love that are heavily shaped by machismo, religion, culture, and tradition. This kind of love is tied to sacrifice and service. Learning love in this way has made it extremely challenging to make space for self-love and platonic love - love that fuels us and brings us joy and not simply for others. Love for ourselves. Most of all, a love that does not require self-sacrifice in order to be celebrated. Intro and outro music is "Little Latin Jazz" by oymaldonado. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mejorsola/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/mejorsola/support

What is Mejor Sola? Meet Em and Des as they laugh through and reflect deeply on the experiences of machismo, Latinidad, womanhood, and more that guided their introduction to L-O-V-E...and why they are trying to unlearn it ALL. Mejor Sola is a space for womxn of color and femme-identifying folks of color who want to join two muxeres on their journey to radical self-love. "Be gentle to yourself because your first love should be you." - Em and Des Intro and outro music is "Little Latin Jazz" by oymaldonado. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mejorsola/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/mejorsola/support