📺 Watch & Subscribe on YouTube

In this episode of I’ll Meet You There, our host Paige Nolan sits down with Amy Wilson, author of Happy to Help, to explore the complexities of being a helper and overachiever, especially for women. Amy dives into the cultural expectations and personal struggles tied to constantly taking on responsibilities and fixing problems, offering thought-provoking insights from her book.

Their conversation touches on the challenges of worry, perfectionism, and the importance of self-compassion. Amy emphasizes the need to create space, embrace uncertainty, and accept imperfection as part of life. Her reflections provide a thoughtful examination of how to balance the desire to help with maintaining personal boundaries and well-being.

What We Explored This Episode

05:07 Juggling life's responsibilities: When does it start?

11:14 Childhood experiences shaping helper mentality

18:29 Worry's role in over-helping and motherhood

24:32 Changing family dynamics through writing process

30:26 Relationship challenges and perfectionism tendencies

36:09 Worry as a badge of good motherhood

42:16 College admissions process complexities for parents

48:36 Learning to let conflicts exist without explanation

54:05 Conclusion: Creating space for change and uncertainty

Memorable Quotes

"It's a neat trick that we do both take on the work of caring so much for everybody around us and buy into the idea that it's because we're just better at it. And then when we say, wait a minute, I don't think I can handle this, to be told back that it's our fault for making it this way."

“We take on so much of this. If only I was a better person, if only I could work on this part of myself. We just so readily accept that there is some failing in us that's causing our lives to be unsatisfying. You need help, a redistribution of the situation.”

"Leave more space for things. I'm going to pause and wait and see what happens. That's the path to change.”

Resources Mentioned

Happy to Help:  Adventures of a People Pleaser by Amy Wilson - https://www.amywilson.com/

Natalia Imperatori-Lee - https://manhattan.edu/campus-directory/natalia.lee

Connect with Amy

Website: https://amywilson.com 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amywlsn/ 

Instagram: https://instagram.com/amywlsn 

Listen to Amy’s Podcast: https://www.whatfreshhellpodcast.com/ 

Connect with Paige

Website - https://paigenolan.com/

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/paigenolanwrite

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/paigenolanwriter

LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/paige-nolan-0932751/

🎙️

Music by Boyd McDonnell

Cover art photography by Innis Casey

Podcast production & marketing by North Node Podcast Network