What if the movies and books that shaped your life actually broke your brain? 💭 And what if being rejected at the lunch table was actually a gift?

This week on the What a Gift podcast, we’re diving into the foundational “texts” and underdogs who shaped our stories. We get honest, we get real, and we unwrap the gifts hiding in our most awkward pasts.


🎁 WHAT’S INSIDE 🎁

The Gift of Foundational Texts
We define the crucial books, films, and media that informed our personalities and shaped our paths. Jule shares how watching The Truman Show "literally rewired" her brain, leading her to constantly see her life as a movie and develop what is now called main character energy. We discuss the profound impact of the five-hour BBC adaptation of Pride and Prejudice and Anne of Green Gables, which instilled a "romantic streak" in Jule. Plus, Sarra shares how films like A Little Princess helped shape her imagination.

The Gift of Being an Underdog
We explore the inherent feeling of being an outsider. Sarra recounts her intense experience of moving from England to a massive American high school for her senior year, where she quit her sport and was forced to rely solely on her personality to survive. Then, Jule shares the terrifying reality of going from being homeschooled (K-8) to a high school with 400 kids per class. Hear the infamous story of her first day involving a cheerleader, a room-temp tuna fish sandwich, and a bathroom stall.

The Gift of Perspective (Closing Segment)
We dive into the archives to gain perspective on these chaotic early years. Jule shares a haunting 2004 journal entry about meeting her future bus driver who warned her she would be riding "Bus 36, the worst bus in the district". Sarra provides philosophical depth with a short and sweet 2011 Facebook status: "pretty is what you are, beauty is what you do with it".

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What a Gift is a production of FOCUS