On episode 8 of A Chat with Uma, I share my first "Honesty Hour": a space where I share my raw, unfiltered, uncensored thoughts as I process the reality of life in real time. Honesty Hour episodes serve to create a space for us to allow the messy, confusing, and complex nature of experiencing life to live, rather than just sharing the insights and hindsight that come from sharing at the "other side" of experiencing; Instead, I hope to instead create an equally valuable & supportive space for moving through experiences. I share details about my current experiences around recovery, making crucial future decisions, crippling fear, the uncertainty of my values, the struggles of my bicultural identity, the declining health of my elderly parents, fear about not being able to recover my health, and more. This episode serves to normalize & unite us in accepting the nuance, complexity, and duality of the human condition that we all experience.

Topics Covered + Timestamps:

(00:00:00 ): Introduction to Honesty Hour, why I'm doing this episode

(00:06:26 ): The duality of recovery, the fear of making "right" or "wrong" choices

(00:09:50 ) Toxic gratitude + positivity, how I got to the point of the current life choices I face

(00:32:40 ): Processing my upcoming life decisions

• Uncertainty about if I'm choosing from my values


• Confusion about the future


• The new struggles from recovery


• Logic vs. embodiment of values


• Where my choices are coming from

(00:45:00 ): Familial obligations & biculturality

• Struggles with elderly parental responsibilities


• One parent's cancer diagnosis


• Other parent's health declining and recent major accident


• Boundaries vs. responsibilities


• Tension between values with my bicultural identity


• Shame, guilt, & resentment from obligation vs. self-betrayal


• Misogynistic responsibilities enforced as a daughter


• Honest and raw reflections across the full spectrum

(01:01:35 ): Contending with the state of my mental health

• The value of community through processing experiences


• The complexity of the state of my mental health


• Navigating the current medical system & lack of access to proper care


• Coexisting with the objective burden of chronic illnesses AND gratitude for recovery + life


• Fears of seeking new providers after decades of medical trauma + mistrust


• Fear of not reaching a functional level of recovery + liberation

(01:23:00 ) Glass vs. plastic balls of responsibility

• Overwhelm from all the roles I've taken on


• Full description of "glass vs. plastic balls"


• Learning how to prioritize


• Choosing well-being and boundaries over even value-driven projects


• Dissociation from life through busyness

(01:25:54 ) Final reflections, self-compassion, accepting duality, allowing complexity, embracing uncertainty, and safe space for all of us to process

I cannot wait to connect with you, answer all of your questions, and co-create this with you. Welcome to a Chat with Uma!

Connect with me!

• My website⁠: umarchatterjee.com


• ⁠Instagram:⁠ @UmaRChatterjee


• Twitter:⁠ @UmaRChatterjee


• TikTok:⁠ @UmaRChatterjee


• Email: hello@umarchatterjee.com