I didn’t plan to talk about sandwiches this much.Or water.Or Sudoku.But here we are.Hi, I’m Lauren Howard. You can call me L2. Like other people do.In this episode of Different, Not Broken, I talk about the strange, often ridiculous ways our brains create shame out of absolutely nothing. Eating the “wrong” food. Convincing yourself you hate water even though you love it. Feeling mortified because you’re slow at a logic puzzle no one else can see.I unpack why our brains invent rules that don’t exist, why invisible judgement feels so real, and why being seen trying can feel worse than actually failing.This episode is about shame that doesn’t make sense, fear of looking ridiculous, and the quiet pressure to only be visible once you’re already good at something.Later in the episode, for "Small Talk", I respond to a listener question about the fear of being seen trying, and why vulnerability feels so exposing even when no one is actually paying attention.You’ll hear:Why your brain makes up rules it then punishes you forHow harmless things turn into sources of shameWhy being slow doesn’t mean being brokenWhy feeling ridiculous is often a sign you’re doing something newHow to stop letting imagined judgement run your lifeOnce you’ve been inspired to brag, here’s where you can do it!https://differentnotbrokenpodcast.com/voicemailUseful stuffStuff that helps you become awesome even if you’re different: https://stan.store/elletwoMy grown up job: https://lbeehealth.com/Chapters / Timestamps00:00 – Sudoku shame and the nonsense our brains create01:12 – Sandwich logic and internalised rules03:32 – Why I pretend I hate water06:08 – Invisible judgement and made-up leaderboards09:14 – Listener question: fear of being seen trying12:32 – Getting comfortable feeling ridiculous15:40 – Why most people are not paying attention18:05 – What I actually want you to hear before you goMentioned in this episode:Build Your Better courseBuild your better course - https://stan.store/elletwo/p/build-your-betterWanna sponsor this podcasthttp://differentnotbrokenpodcast.com/sponsorsSponsor Different Not BrokenJoin Quirky