Golden Goddess Affirmations

Igorota-ness w/ Kirin Macapugay

On the Golden Goddess Affirmation Podcast, we invite Asian women to focus on our mental health. In this transformative episode, Trixi hosts mother, professor, and community organizer Kirin Macapugay.
Kirin chose "No one can take away my heritage or history. At the same time, it is up to me to discover and embrace that knowledge." from the Golden Goddess Affirmations deck. She explores the significance of “Igorota” heritage, its profound impact on identity, and how it informs so much of what she does.
[00:03:45] “I didn’t realize how Igorota I am.” - Kirin
[00:04:58] Episode Affirmation and sense of self
[00:05:30] SENSEI - Student Empowerment through Narrative Storytelling Engagement and Identity
[00:13:18] Cultural genocide and restricting languages
[00:17:54] The need for reclamation and rejecting forced cultural norms
[00:22:49] Every Filipina “has ripped out her own heart, loving everybody else.”
[00:27:00] Introducing mental health to family.
[00:37:22] Communal care and APICA forums
[00:41:40] Losing Filipinos to mental illness
[00:47:55] Advice for communicating to older generations
[00:49:25] Q: What does being Igorota mean to you? Like, what does it smell like?”
In 2015, Kirin started Asian Pacific Islander Community Actions (APICA). Now, she leads the Human Services and Social Work program at San Diego City College.
They talk about the need for culture reclamation and when people realized, “Trying to act American isn’t working.”
Some advice Kirin has for getting through to older generations, “Model the behavior you wish you had.”
Kirin is in the book Closer to Liberation: Pin[a/x]y Activism in Theory and Practice Edited by Amanda Solomon Amorao, DJ Kuttin Kandi, and Jen Soriano, which discusses what it means to be Pinay.
Follow Kirin on Instagram at [https://www.instagram.com/professorkirinmac] and learn more about her projects on her website [https://www.kirinmac.com/].
Find out more about Golden Goddess Affirmations at [https://thethoughtfulbeast.com/] and follow Trixi here [https://www.instagram.com/thethoughtfulbeast].
 
Music created by WINLOVE
https://www.instagram.com/winlovethethird
https://www.winlovemusic.com/
...
This podcast is being produced by the Far South Border North grant [https://www.sandiego.gov/far-south-border-north]. Trixi received this grant with 59 other individual artists and a number of non-profits in the San Diego and Imperial Counties.
 

Finding Your Voice with Alicia DeLeon Torres

On this week’s Golden Goddess Affirmation Podcast, we invite Alicia DeLeon-Torres to focus on our mental health. Alicia has over 25 years in working with and advocating for the AANHPI community.
She chose, “My voice is my own. When I am quiet, it is because I want to be. When I am loud, it is not out of rebellion. My voice is not a reaction to you. It's an expression of me.”
 
Alicia’s activism in the 90s and early 2000s taught Asians to use their voices together. “As an Asian woman -a Filipina woman - the stereotype is for us to be quiet and submissive.” She has since learned that silence can be a strength.
 
Timestamps
[00:02:29] Episode Affirmation
[00:04:35] “Not louder as in yelling…”
[00:07:00] Explaining the homogenization of our populations in previous generations
[00:11:27] How being one of the only Asian woman activists affected her voice
[00:18:00] How to properly reach out to your community
[00:23:00] Advice for people who find it really hard to speak up
 
Alicia is old enough to know when to shut up and let somebody else speak.  She gives us insight on communicating with journalists and giving voices to the community.
 
She currently serves on the Honorary Philippine Consul Advisory Board and the San Diego Union-Tribune’s Community Advisory Board.
 
Alicia is the Deputy Director of The Nemeth Foundation. Find out more about this philanthropic organization here [https://thenemethfoundation.org/].
 
Learn more about Golden Goddess Affirmations at [https://thethoughtfulbeast.com/] and follow Trixi here [https://www.instagram.com/thethoughtfulbeast].
 
Music created by WINLOVE
https://www.instagram.com/winlovethethird
https://www.winlovemusic.com/
...
This podcast is being produced by the Far South Border North grant [https://www.sandiego.gov/far-south-border-north]. Trixi received this grant with 59 other individual artists and a number of non-profits in the San Diego and Imperial Counties.

Healing My Mother Wound w/ Babay L. Angles

On the Golden Goddess Affirmation Podcast, we invite Asian women to focus on our mental health. In this transformative episode, Trixi hosts Babay L. Angles, also known as Bomba Brown. Baby is known for her dancing and community work.  She describes herself as a woman, artist, and educator whose work centers on intergenerational healing, joy, and rest.
Babay chose "I love myself to honor the women who came before me." from the Golden Goddess Affirmations deck. She explains her personal Mother Wound and the journey out of self-hate.
[00:02:15] Episode Affirmation and Babay’s life’s work
[00:05:56] What is a Mother Wound?
[00:08:26] Babay’s journey being hard, and long, and funny, and joyous, and painful
[00:09:48] Growing up and reckoning with her pain
[00:12:00] Finding the love that she deserved in a healthy way
[00:18:00] Trixi on getting out of those patterns: “Familiarity isn’t always a good thing.”
[00:23:40] Breaking the cycle on burning out, getting mentally messed up, then resting
[00:25:43] On creating spaciousness so there’s time to listen
[00:33:50] Capitalism, self-care, and hetero-patriarchal systems
[00:44:55] Baby on setting boundaries with her mother
[00:54:25] Showing up with compassion and encouraging self-exploration
[01:01:06] Closing and knowing healing is possible
Babay tells us who Haggard Girl is, and how she is learning how to listen to her body when it’s about to repeat old patterns.
Connect with Babay L. Angles on Instagram at [https://www.instagram.com/babaylangles] and [https://www.instagram.com/bombabrownlovesyou], and keep an eye out for Olongapo Disco.
Find out more about Golden Goddess Affirmations at [https://thethoughtfulbeast.com/] and follow Trixi here [https://www.instagram.com/thethoughtfulbeast].
 
Music created by WINLOVE
https://www.instagram.com/winlovethethird
https://www.winlovemusic.com/
...This podcast is being produced by the Far South Border North grant [https://www.sandiego.gov/far-south-border-north]. Trixi received this grant with 59 other individual artists and a number of non-profits in the San Diego and Imperial Counties.
 

Priorities Shift Like Tectonic Plates w/ Kathleen Dang

Welcome back to the Golden Goddess Affirmation Podcast, where Asian women focus on our mental health. Kathleen Dang serves the Asian American community through her culture-centric, education-centric community work. She relates it to her affirmation, "I define my roles as a woman, whether that means a mother at home, a CEO, both, neither or more."
Kathleen recognizes that these labels add a lot of pressure to our lives and shares a personal story about a transition in her life. She has advice for things that are challenging to habit form: attach it to something you enjoy doing.
Trixi and Kathleen discuss the barrier of being the overachieving Asian American girl and being misdiagnosed.
Timestamps
[00:02:04] Episode Affirmation
[00:04:20] “I get to choose what my labels are.”
[00:09:10] “Am I just being wishy-washy?... But also, that’s okay.” - Trixi
[00:12:01] The Pandemic “soup of people realizing things about themselves and the world.” - Kathleen
[00:16:51] Mental health coaches
[00:29:00] On our mental health system being so behind
[00:39:30] Q&A: "How can women outwardly support each other (in non-cringey ways)?"
[00:51:35] Her final advice: “Start at the beginning.”

 
Learn more about the Urban Restoration Counseling Center Trixi shouts out here [https://urbanrestorationcounseling.org/].
 
Kathleen invites you to connect with her professionally on her LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/kathleen-sy-dang/], and all of her recent activities can be found through her Linktree [https://linktr.ee/kathleendang].
 
Find out more about Golden Goddess Affirmations at [https://thethoughtfulbeast.com/] and follow Trixi here [https://www.instagram.com/thethoughtfulbeast].
 
Music created by WINLOVE
https://www.instagram.com/winlovethethird
https://www.winlovemusic.com/
...

This podcast is being produced by the Far South Border North grant [https://www.sandiego.gov/far-south-border-north]. Trixi received this grant with 59 other individual artists and a number of non-profits in the San Diego and Imperial Counties.
 

Embracing Change & Cultivating Personal Growth w/ Cathlyn Choi

On this episode of the Golden Goddess Affirmation Podcast, we invite Korean filmmaker Cathlyn Choi to focus on our mental health. Cathlyn, “media activist” and founder of the Asian Cultural Media Alliance, considers herself a “perpetual student of life.”
Cathlyn chose, “The world keeps changing, creating new possibilities. Therefore I can keep changing and become more than I even thought possible.” 
 
Timestamps
[00:02:11] Episode Affirmation
[00:04:22] Cathlyn’s personal transformation at 9 y.o.
[00:12:00] On wanting to be better without being hard on yourself
[00:18:13] Evolving the relationship with her parents
[00:25:16] Making sure your mental health stays in tact
[00:35:50] “Is it better or is it different?”
[00:50:48] Cooking and Cathlyn’s entry into video production
 
Trixi says, “Cathlyn is a great study in getting out of your own way.”
 
Find out more about Cathlyn on her website [https://cathlynchoi.com/] and watch episodes of Asian Pacific Voices & Radio on YouTube here [https://www.youtube.com/@asianpacificvoices].
 
Learn more about Golden Goddess Affirmations at [https://thethoughtfulbeast.com/] and follow Trixi here [https://www.instagram.com/thethoughtfulbeast].
 
Music created by WINLOVE
https://www.instagram.com/winlovethethird
https://www.winlovemusic.com/
...
This podcast is being produced by the Far South Border North grant [https://www.sandiego.gov/far-south-border-north]. Trixi received this grant with 59 other individual artists and a number of non-profits in the San Diego and Imperial Counties.

Coping with Traumatic Stress After a Loved One Self-Harms w/ Dr. Khudejha Ashgar

On the Golden Goddess Affirmation Podcast, we invite Asian women to focus on our mental health. Dr. Khudejha Ashgar, a researcher and practitioner, works with gender-based violence and violence against children.
Khudejha chose to focus on the affirmation "I only preserve traditions that bring joy, not traditions that keep people from it." She acknowledges the shame and silence that often surround South Asian cultural views on mental health, and the Asian way of toughing it out and moving along.
Dr. Khudejha shares a story about her family and the difficulties of adolescence. She admits, “By lying, I was contributing to the way my sister was being gaslighted.”
Timestamps
[00:02:58] Episode Affirmation
[00:04:10] On the tradition of Silence
[00:05:15] Teenagers and suicidal ideation
[00:11:40] “Adolescents are kids. We often adultify them.” - Khudejha
[00:22:07] Getting unstuck and coming back to the present.
[00:29:19] Parent-child interaction therapy
[00:34:28] Q&A: Advice for friends and family
[00:46:20] Survivor mode and the scarcity mentality
Khudeja delivers some not-so-simple advice: “Lead with love. You are a teenager and you’re figuring it out.”
[Resource links for those struggling with self-harm, as per Khudeja.]
Learn more about Golden Goddess Affirmations at [https://thethoughtfulbeast.com/] and follow Trixi here [https://www.instagram.com/thethoughtfulbeast].
 
Music created by WINLOVE
https://www.instagram.com/winlovethethird
https://www.winlovemusic.com/
...
This podcast is being produced by the Far South Border North grant [https://www.sandiego.gov/far-south-border-north]. Trixi received this grant with 59 other individual artists and a number of non-profits in the San Diego and Imperial Counties.

Speaking Up Even When Your Voice Shakes with Dr. Madeline

Welcome to the Golden Goddess Affirmation Podcast, where we invite Asian women to focus on our mental health. Dr. Madeline Ofina, also known as Dr. Maddie, talks with us about Speaking Up Even When Your Voice Shakes and the affirmation, “I am loud because my voice deserves to be heard.”
Dr. Maddie is a speaker, community educator, complex trauma survivor, also a clinical psychologist, and consultant. She has found that she’s in her power when she speaks up and sets boundaries. Call her “Doctor.”
Timestamps
[00:02:08] Episode Affirmation
[00:03:20] On being “bossy”
[00:05:51] Advocating for yourself vs. getting what you want[00:13:23] Women of color in toxic work environments
[00:20:50] On family members who don’t get you or see you
[00:25:36] Fulfilling relationships vs. transactional ones
[00:37:00] “10% is still better than Zero” - Trixi
[00:46:50] Takeaways and preparing for hard talks
Dr. Maddie is starting her “Feeling Seen and Being Heard” podcast. Find out more on her website [https://mofina.net/], and connect with her on Instagram at [https://www.instagram.com/mofina.wellness/].  
Learn more about Golden Goddess Affirmations at [https://thethoughtfulbeast.com/] and follow Trixi here [https://www.instagram.com/thethoughtfulbeast].
 
Music created by WINLOVE
https://www.instagram.com/winlovethethird
https://www.winlovemusic.com/
...
This podcast is being produced by the Far South Border North grant [https://www.sandiego.gov/far-south-border-north]. Trixi received this grant with 59 other individual artists and a number of non-profits in the San Diego and Imperial Counties.

Authenticity Sometimes Calls for Rebellion with Lilly

Welcome to the Golden Goddess Affirmation Podcast, where we invite Asian women to focus on our mental health. San Diego product designer Lillian joins us this episode to talk about “juicing life” and the affirmation, "I do not need to find happiness, I can create happiness all on my own."
 
Timestamps
[00:02:12] Episode Affirmation
[00:04:20] On "...tthe American dream life for a female" vs. the Asian expectations
[00:18:10] Why Rest is Resistance
[00:22:03] Knowing “You’re fucking whole!” - Lillian on what makes you you.
[00:24:01] Q&A: How do you learn to like yourself?
[00:55:35] Final Advice

 
The book Trixi and Lillian chat about  is Rest is Resistance: Free Yourself from Grind Culture and Reclaim Your Life by Tricia Hersey - Lillian recommends the audiobook version.
Find Lillian on Instagram at [https://www.instagram.com/zenbitch_actual/] “like a battleship.”
 
Learn more about Golden Goddess Affirmations at [https://thethoughtfulbeast.com/] and follow Trixi here [https://www.instagram.com/thethoughtfulbeast].
 
Music created by WINLOVE
https://www.instagram.com/winlovethethird
https://www.winlovemusic.com/
...
This podcast is being produced by the Far South Border North grant [https://www.sandiego.gov/far-south-border-north]. Trixi received this grant with 59 other individual artists and a number of non-profits in the San Diego and Imperial Counties.
 

Eldest Daughter with Rachelle Martinez

2: Eldest Daughter with Rachelle Martinez
 
Welcome to the 2nd episode of the Golden Goddess AFfirmation Podcast, where we invite Asian women to focus on our mental health. We’re joined by Rachelle Martinez, a higher ed scholar-practitioner and a doctoral student in Leadership Studies.
 
With her we talk about what it means to embrace the eldest daughter role and center it around the affirmation, “There are consequences to every action I take, but that does not keep me from acting. It motivates me to choose wisely, to be responsible, and understand the power that I have within me.”
 
Timestamps
[00:03:01] Episode Affirmation
[00:08:00] On being the Ate
[00:22:18] Savior complex and Captain Save-A-Ho
[00:23:31] Q&A: Taking care of yourself
[00:36:53] Whose Line and the secret to life
[00:39:13] Takeaways, thank-yous,and what we can control
 
You can find Rachelle on Instagram at [https://www.instagram.com/ragm].
 
Learn more about Golden Goddess Affirmations at [https://thethoughtfulbeast.com/] and follow Trixi here [https://www.instagram.com/thethoughtfulbeast].
 
Music created by WINLOVE
https://www.instagram.com/winlovethethird
https://www.winlovemusic.com/
...This podcast is being produced by the Far South Border North grant [https://www.sandiego.gov/far-south-border-north]. Trixi received this grant with 59 other individual artists and a number of non-profits in the San Diego and Imperial Counties.
 

Generational Healing vs Generational Trauma with Thao

 Intergenerational Healing vs Intergenerational Trauma w/ Thao
 
Welcome to the Golden Goddess Affirmation Podcast, where we invite Asian women to focus on our mental health. San Diego muralist Thao French joins us this episode to talk about the affirmation, “I am worth love that heals and rejuvenates me, not love that stunts and threatens me.”
 
Thao Huynh French is a Vietnamese artist, muralist, and photographer living in San Diego with her husband. Together they create public space designs through Mindful Murals [https://www.instagram.com/mindfulmurals/].
 
Timestamps
[00:02:40] Episode Affirmation
[00:14:35] Survival Mode
[00:22:55] Older Generations and Healing
[00:55:35] Final Advice
 
The book Thao recommends is Mango and Peppercorns: A Memoir of Food, an Unlikely Family, and the American Dream by Tung Nguyen, Katherine Manning, Lyn Nguyen, Elisa Ung, and Michelle Bernstein.
You can find Thao at [https://www.instagram.com/thaofrenchart/], [https://www.instagram.com/thaofrenchphotography/], and [https://www.instagram.com/mindfulmurals/].
*And she likes to hold business meetings at her favorite restaurant, [https://mongolianhotpot.com/] Mongolian Hot Pot on Clairemont Mesa.
 
Learn more about Golden Goddess Affirmations at [https://thethoughtfulbeast.com/] and follow Trixi here [https://www.instagram.com/thethoughtfulbeast].
 
Music created by WINLOVE
https://www.instagram.com/winlovethethird
https://www.winlovemusic.com/
...This podcast is being produced by the Far South Border North grant [https://www.sandiego.gov/far-south-border-north]. Trixi received this grant with 59 other individual artists and a number of non-profits in the San Diego and Imperial Counties.