Change, Trust, Regret, and JoyChange, Trust, Regret, and Joy
Ronni and Jennie: Breaking the Cycles of Trauma and Abuse, Silence and Shame
Ronni and Jennie talk candidly about making big life changes after a traumatic upbringing, from job shifts and loyalty struggles to regret and relief. They share how viewing life as an experiment, rather than a test with one right answer, helps them hold both fear and joy at the same time.
34:12•28 Mar 2026
Change, Bad Recipes, and Big Choices: Ronni and Jennie on Trusting Yourself
Episode Overview
- You can only make choices based on the information you have now, so beating yourself up later with new information is unfair.
- A history of trauma and instability can fuel over‑planning, people‑pleasing, and extreme loyalty that make change feel dangerous.
- Treating life as an experiment—try, observe, adjust—reduces the pressure to find a single perfect path.
- Not all hard outcomes mean a decision was wrong; struggle and disappointment still bring learning and growth.
- Choosing rest, time, and joy (like fewer work hours and more creative projects) can be a valid and important priority, especially later in life.
“"Regret is not fair to you. Because we are all making decisions based on the best information that we have in the moment."”
What can we learn from those who have battled addiction and family chaos and are still figuring life out one messy decision at a time? Ronni and Jennie offer exactly that kind of honest conversation as they unpack change, trust, regret, and unexpected joy through the lens of their shared history of addiction, abuse, and untreated mental illness at home.
This time, the focus is on big life decisions and the stomach‑churning anxiety that comes with them, especially for adults with adverse childhood experiences. Jennie talks candidly about leaving an in‑person medical practice for full‑time telehealth, wrestling with deep loyalty, fear of “the bottom falling out,” and the relief of finally choosing more time, rest, and creativity. She admits, "I don't know exactly where it's going...
but I know that this is the right path," capturing that uneasy mix of faith and uncertainty. Ronni brings a more analytical angle, challenging the idea that there’s ever a single “right move.” She shares how she used to treat decisions like life‑or‑death events and explains how she’s shifted to viewing life as an experiment: you try something, see how it fits, then adjust.
Her reminder that "regret is not fair to you" hits hard, especially for anyone who beats themselves up for past jobs, partners, or moves that didn’t pan out. There’s humour too, including a disastrously bad shoofly pie recipe that becomes the perfect metaphor for choices that flop. The sisters weave in talk of control, inner critics, economic realities, ageing bodies, and the quiet freedom of accepting that change never stops.
If you grew up bracing for the worst, this conversation might make you ask: what if the next change really could bring "something wonderful"—and are you willing to give yourself that chance?
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