<b>What if your birthday didn’t ask you to celebrate louder… but to listen closer?</b><br /><b></b><br />This solo birthday episode is a quiet reckoning with turning fifty—choosing simplicity without apology, making peace with change, and learning to meet what’s next with curiosity instead of resistance. <br /><i>No fixing required.</i><br /><i>No performance expected.</i><br /><i>Just honesty, with a candle flicker.</i><br /><b></b><br /><b>In this episode:</b><br /><b></b><br />🥩 <b>The birthday plate that doesn’t negotiate</b> — rare steak, obscene butter, no compromises.<br />🤫 <b>Quiet over confetti</b> — why solitude can be a love language.<br />🔄 <b>The reset nobody announces</b> — what birthdays surface whether you’re ready or not.<br />🪞 <b>A truce with the mirror</b> — loving the body that carried the story through.<br />🧠 <b>The moment self-criticism lost its lease</b> — and why it’s not moving back in.<br />🌪️ <b>Change doesn’t knock politely</b> — it shows up whether you RSVP or not.<br />👁️ <b>Trying on the adventure lens</b> — fear gets benched, just for the drive.<br />🚲 <b>The crash that taught surrender</b> — go limp, roll, live to tell it.<br />⚖️ <b>Joy isn’t a reward for responsibility</b> — it’s part of the job.<br />🌌 <b>Asking for more without apology</b> — even when life is already good.<br /><b></b><br /><b>This episode isn’t here to fix you.</b><br />It’s here to sit beside you—in the quiet, in the soft space between who you were and who you’re becoming.<br />Take what resonates. Leave what doesn’t. You’re allowed to arrive exactly as you are. We are really, really glad you’re here💛<br /><br />Become a supporter of this podcast: <a href="https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/radical-joy-with-james-bullard--5644728/support?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rss">https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/radical-joy-with-james-bullard--5644728/support</a>.<br /><br />🌹🧡🟡🌳🔷🟪🤎🖤❔  ❤️🍊🟨💚💙💜🟤🖤❕❕<br />Take care of yourself, take care of each other, and breathe!  <br />❤️🍊🟨💚💙💜🟤🖤❕❕  🌹🧡🟡🌳🔷🟪🤎🖤❔  <br />Got something on your mind? James never runs out of things to say, so tell us what you want to discuss!   <br /><br />Remember there is no shame in joy or for asking for what you need.  <br /><br />Leave a review, send us a screenshot, and we’ll mail you a sticker! See you next FRIDAY for another dose of Radical Joy.  <br /><br />James is not a therapist, but you’re not alone. If you're in crisis, call 988 for professional help.  <br /><br />For non-emergencies,<a href="https://www.psychologytoday.com/us" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><b> Psychology Today</b></a> can connect you with support and therapists who fit your needs.  <br /><br />This podcast and CLW Studios content are not therapy or a substitute for it. Guest opinions are their own.  <br /><br />We're here for insight and encouragement but always seek professional support when needed.  <br /><br />This episode was Produced and edited by Kerri J of CLW Studios