Episode 129: Stuck in the Weeds? The Reset You Need When Things Go Sideways
Wed Feb 04 2026
This episode is for you: if life is pretty great… until one thing goes sideways and suddenly everything feels like a mess.
You know the version of you we’re talking about. You’re competent. You handle your world. And then something happens - a comment, a conflict, bad news, a plan falling apart and you’re in your human suit. You’re angry. Or crushed. Or defensive. Or out of control. And you can’t see past it.
This episode is a reset.
Because “finding the advantage” doesn’t mean pretending it’s fine. It means you can feel what you feel (anger, disappointment, happiness… all of it) and still see the situation from more than one angle, so you can choose your next step from a grounded place.
Natasha and Ginny walk through what this looks like in real life - not as a concept, but in the messy moments where you’d normally react, shut down, or stay stuck in the weeds.
You’ll hear stories that make this tangible and we have some good ones!
This is about learning to hold two things at once:
* what you feel in the moment
* and the wider reality that life can still be working for you
When you can do that, you stop getting hijacked. You stop wasting days replaying it. And you start taking your next step from clarity instead of reaction.
You will learn how to:
* Stay with big emotions without letting them run the show
* Look at any event from multiple sides (without bypassing what’s real)
* Find the advantage and choose your next action step from that wider view
* Get out of the “stuck in the weeds” loop and back into your life
If you’ve been thinking: “Why is this bothering me so much?” “Why can’t I let it go?” or “I know I’m making it worse but I can’t stop”… this episode will help.
Because when you can find the advantage in real time, you don’t just feel better — you make better choices.
References mentioned in the episode (with links)
* PMBIA (Professional Mountain Bike Instructor Association):
https://pmbia.org
* NPC (Non-Player Character) (the metaphor mentioned in the episode): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Non-player_character
How to find the hosts
Natasha Lockey
* Instagram: @BettyGoHard
* Facebook / Substack: Natasha Lockey
Ginny Branden
* Website: SoulPetConnections.com
* Instagram / Facebook / Substack / YouTube: SoulPetConnections
Get full access to Riding in the Weeds Podcast at ridingintheweeds.substack.com/subscribe
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This episode is for you: if life is pretty great… until one thing goes sideways and suddenly everything feels like a mess. You know the version of you we’re talking about. You’re competent. You handle your world. And then something happens - a comment, a conflict, bad news, a plan falling apart and you’re in your human suit. You’re angry. Or crushed. Or defensive. Or out of control. And you can’t see past it. This episode is a reset. Because “finding the advantage” doesn’t mean pretending it’s fine. It means you can feel what you feel (anger, disappointment, happiness… all of it) and still see the situation from more than one angle, so you can choose your next step from a grounded place. Natasha and Ginny walk through what this looks like in real life - not as a concept, but in the messy moments where you’d normally react, shut down, or stay stuck in the weeds. You’ll hear stories that make this tangible and we have some good ones! This is about learning to hold two things at once: * what you feel in the moment * and the wider reality that life can still be working for you When you can do that, you stop getting hijacked. You stop wasting days replaying it. And you start taking your next step from clarity instead of reaction. You will learn how to: * Stay with big emotions without letting them run the show * Look at any event from multiple sides (without bypassing what’s real) * Find the advantage and choose your next action step from that wider view * Get out of the “stuck in the weeds” loop and back into your life If you’ve been thinking: “Why is this bothering me so much?” “Why can’t I let it go?” or “I know I’m making it worse but I can’t stop”… this episode will help. Because when you can find the advantage in real time, you don’t just feel better — you make better choices. References mentioned in the episode (with links) * PMBIA (Professional Mountain Bike Instructor Association): https://pmbia.org * NPC (Non-Player Character) (the metaphor mentioned in the episode): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Non-player_character How to find the hosts Natasha Lockey * Instagram: @BettyGoHard * Facebook / Substack: Natasha Lockey Ginny Branden * Website: SoulPetConnections.com * Instagram / Facebook / Substack / YouTube: SoulPetConnections Get full access to Riding in the Weeds Podcast at ridingintheweeds.substack.com/subscribe