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  <title>Thoughts of a Hermit </title>

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  <copyright>© 2026 Thoughts of a Hermit </copyright>
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  <itunes:author>Jessica Velasquez </itunes:author>
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  <description><![CDATA[<p>Thoughts of a Hermit is an introspective podcast reflecting the inner workings of the spiritual/metaphysical path.&nbsp;</p><p><br></p><p>Based on the personal journey of the host, Jessica Velasquez, a certified NLP practitioner, experience the seach for truth and the lessons along the way.&nbsp;</p><p><br></p><p>Gain access to first hand analysis, stories, and an inside look into the mind of a hermit.&nbsp;</p><p><br></p><p>Positivity.&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp; &nbsp;Love.&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Appreciation.&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;Yes.&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>It’s time.&nbsp;</p><p><br></p><p>(bi-weekly podcast; every other Tuesday)&nbsp;</p><p><br></p><p>** To schedule a 1-on-1 NLP session please contact:&nbsp;</p><p>jvelasquez.nlp@gmail.com&nbsp;</p><p><br></p>]]></description>
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  <itunes:keywords>Personal development, spiritual, metaphysical, self help</itunes:keywords>
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    <itunes:name>Jessica Velasquez </itunes:name>
    <itunes:email>jmvelasquez0100@gmail.com</itunes:email>
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     <title>Thoughts of a Hermit </title>
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    <itunes:title>What If Time Isn&#39;t Real? </itunes:title>
    <title>What If Time Isn&#39;t Real? </title>
    <itunes:summary><![CDATA[Send us Fan Mail Something strange happens when you realize time doesn’t behave the way you were taught. We've all felt it in small ways like when joy that makes hours disappear or discomfort that makes minutes drag. I question what’s real, what’s possible, and what it means to help responsibly.  We get into Neuro Linguistic Programming (NLP), mindfulness, and the difference between fast change techniques and slow training like meditation. I talk about ecological transformation, why intensity...]]></itunes:summary>
    <description><![CDATA[<p><a target="_blank" href="https://www.buzzsprout.com/2619436/fan_mail/new">Send us Fan Mail</a></p><p>Something strange happens when you realize time doesn’t behave the way you were taught. We&apos;ve all felt it in small ways like when joy that makes hours disappear or discomfort that makes minutes drag. I question what’s real, what’s possible, and what it means to help responsibly.<br/><br/>We get into Neuro Linguistic Programming (NLP), mindfulness, and the difference between fast change techniques and slow training like meditation. I talk about ecological transformation, why intensity is not the same as importance, and why I don’t believe you should automatically delete emotions like shame without understanding what they’re trying to teach you. <br/><br/>A story that reframed my whole relationship with nonlinear time. I unpack the idea of time loops, the shock of feeling my awareness outside my body, and the moment I recognized my future self working with me directly. What followed was unconditional self love, a sense of protection, and also a haunting question: what was I being helped through before I even knew to ask?<br/><br/>If you’re drawn to personal growth, NLP, timeline therapy, mindfulness, and the truth of change, you’ll get a lot out of this one. </p><p>**Now offering**</p><p>1-on-1 NLP private appointments:  [1 hour/ session] </p><p>For inquires &amp; scheduling email:      <b>jvelasquez.nlp@gmail.com</b></p><p><br/></p>]]></description>
    <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a target="_blank" href="https://www.buzzsprout.com/2619436/fan_mail/new">Send us Fan Mail</a></p><p>Something strange happens when you realize time doesn’t behave the way you were taught. We&apos;ve all felt it in small ways like when joy that makes hours disappear or discomfort that makes minutes drag. I question what’s real, what’s possible, and what it means to help responsibly.<br/><br/>We get into Neuro Linguistic Programming (NLP), mindfulness, and the difference between fast change techniques and slow training like meditation. I talk about ecological transformation, why intensity is not the same as importance, and why I don’t believe you should automatically delete emotions like shame without understanding what they’re trying to teach you. <br/><br/>A story that reframed my whole relationship with nonlinear time. I unpack the idea of time loops, the shock of feeling my awareness outside my body, and the moment I recognized my future self working with me directly. What followed was unconditional self love, a sense of protection, and also a haunting question: what was I being helped through before I even knew to ask?<br/><br/>If you’re drawn to personal growth, NLP, timeline therapy, mindfulness, and the truth of change, you’ll get a lot out of this one. </p><p>**Now offering**</p><p>1-on-1 NLP private appointments:  [1 hour/ session] </p><p>For inquires &amp; scheduling email:      <b>jvelasquez.nlp@gmail.com</b></p><p><br/></p>]]></content:encoded>
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    <itunes:author>Jessica Velasquez </itunes:author>
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    <pubDate>Tue, 08 Sep 2026 00:00:00 -0500</pubDate>
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  <psc:chapter start="0:00" title="Why This Story Felt Risky" />
  <psc:chapter start="1:30" title="Stillness Inside A Full Life" />
  <psc:chapter start="2:28" title="Time As A Nonlinear Experience" />
  <psc:chapter start="6:08" title="NLP Versus Slow Mind Training" />
  <psc:chapter start="10:44" title="Ecological Change And The Role Of Shame" />
  <psc:chapter start="13:12" title="Paradox And What Might Be Possible" />
  <psc:chapter start="15:35" title="Hawaiian Timeline Technique Explained" />
  <psc:chapter start="19:32" title="Discovering Personal Time Loops" />
  <psc:chapter start="23:43" title="Future Self Contact On The Couch" />
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    <itunes:duration>1437</itunes:duration>
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    <itunes:season>1</itunes:season>
    <itunes:episode>5</itunes:episode>
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    <itunes:title>Season 1 Episode 4: The Integration </itunes:title>
    <title>Season 1 Episode 4: The Integration </title>
    <itunes:summary><![CDATA[Send us Fan Mail You can feel it when the sky gets loud: eclipse season, meteor showers, and the Lionsgate portal. We start there, not to predict your future, but to ask a better question: what are you noticing, and what might it be inviting you to change and/or create? From money symbolism to spirituality and metaphysics, the signs become a doorway into meaning-making, not superstition.   Then we drop into the real heart of the conversation: the transformation of an old identity, the te...]]></itunes:summary>
    <description><![CDATA[<p><a target="_blank" href="https://www.buzzsprout.com/2619436/fan_mail/new">Send us Fan Mail</a></p><p>You can feel it when the sky gets loud: eclipse season, meteor showers, and the Lionsgate portal. We start there, not to predict your future, but to ask a better question: what are you noticing, and what might it be inviting you to change and/or create? From money symbolism to spirituality and metaphysics, the signs become a doorway into meaning-making, not superstition. <br/><br/>Then we drop into the real heart of the conversation: the transformation of an old identity, the temptation to frame every change as “death,” and the relief that comes when you choose a gentler story. Along the way we lean on The Four Agreements and NLP to unpack why “being impeccable with your words” is not a self-help slogan, but a practical tool for shaping your mindset, your nervous system, and your next decisions. Language becomes the structure of magic, and your daily phrases become the spells you live inside. <br/><br/>From there, we explore co-creation and spiritual maturity: owning your power without feeding ego, surrendering without going passive, and learning to live the paradox of both. We widen the lens with a few wild and beautiful ideas, including what nature “sounds like” when you slow it down, and why being human might mean learning our way back to Source. We close with a true story from Hawaii that lands the takeaway in the simplest possible form: stop forcing the magic, notice what’s offered, and let life be lighter sometimes. <br/><br/>If this sparked something in you, subscribe, share this with a friend who’s in a transition, and leave a review telling us what words you’re choosing differently now.</p>]]></description>
    <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a target="_blank" href="https://www.buzzsprout.com/2619436/fan_mail/new">Send us Fan Mail</a></p><p>You can feel it when the sky gets loud: eclipse season, meteor showers, and the Lionsgate portal. We start there, not to predict your future, but to ask a better question: what are you noticing, and what might it be inviting you to change and/or create? From money symbolism to spirituality and metaphysics, the signs become a doorway into meaning-making, not superstition. <br/><br/>Then we drop into the real heart of the conversation: the transformation of an old identity, the temptation to frame every change as “death,” and the relief that comes when you choose a gentler story. Along the way we lean on The Four Agreements and NLP to unpack why “being impeccable with your words” is not a self-help slogan, but a practical tool for shaping your mindset, your nervous system, and your next decisions. Language becomes the structure of magic, and your daily phrases become the spells you live inside. <br/><br/>From there, we explore co-creation and spiritual maturity: owning your power without feeding ego, surrendering without going passive, and learning to live the paradox of both. We widen the lens with a few wild and beautiful ideas, including what nature “sounds like” when you slow it down, and why being human might mean learning our way back to Source. We close with a true story from Hawaii that lands the takeaway in the simplest possible form: stop forcing the magic, notice what’s offered, and let life be lighter sometimes. <br/><br/>If this sparked something in you, subscribe, share this with a friend who’s in a transition, and leave a review telling us what words you’re choosing differently now.</p>]]></content:encoded>
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    <itunes:author>Jessica Velasquez </itunes:author>
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    <pubDate>Tue, 25 Aug 2026 00:00:00 -0500</pubDate>
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  <psc:chapter start="0:00" title="Season 1 Episode 4: The Integration " />
  <psc:chapter start="1:25" title="Astrogological Happenings" />
  <psc:chapter start="3:11" title="Words As The First Agreement" />
  <psc:chapter start="3:37" title="Language As Magic And Spells" />
  <psc:chapter start="5:42" title="Co-Creation And The Paradox" />
  <psc:chapter start="9:01" title="Missing The Train And Grace" />
  <psc:chapter start="9:52" title="Humans Retuning to Source" />
  <psc:chapter start="11:03" title="Crickets Slowed Down Into Hymns" />
  <psc:chapter start="12:39" title="Light And Dark Living Together" />
  <psc:chapter start="13:39" title="Hawaii Magic The Juice Lesson" />
  <psc:chapter start="16:52" title="Gratitude And Farewell" />
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    <itunes:duration>1264</itunes:duration>
    <itunes:keywords></itunes:keywords>
    <itunes:season>1</itunes:season>
    <itunes:episode>4</itunes:episode>
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    <itunes:title>Season 1 Episode 3: The Nothing</itunes:title>
    <title>Season 1 Episode 3: The Nothing</title>
    <itunes:summary><![CDATA[Send us Fan Mail You know that moment when you feel unstoppable, then suddenly you want nothing at all? We start there, from a loud, triumphant mood into a quiet state where no book, music, or screen can hold our attention, and we follow it like a trail, because “doing nothing” sometimes reveals what constant stimulation keeps hidden.  From that still point, we tell a story from Hawaii where belonging, initiation, and direct spiritual experience collide. We talk about learning to listen beyon...]]></itunes:summary>
    <description><![CDATA[<p><a target="_blank" href="https://www.buzzsprout.com/2619436/fan_mail/new">Send us Fan Mail</a></p><p>You know that moment when you feel unstoppable, then suddenly you want nothing at all? We start there, from a loud, triumphant mood into a quiet state where no book, music, or screen can hold our attention, and we follow it like a trail, because “doing nothing” sometimes reveals what constant stimulation keeps hidden.<br/><br/>From that still point, we tell a story from Hawaii where belonging, initiation, and direct spiritual experience collide. We talk about learning to listen beyond words, trusting what your body notices, and what happens when you connect you to something bigger. Then we go deeper into a dream of pure nothingness, the void, a place that isn’t dark or light, visible or invisible, and how fear can snap you out of it before you understand what you touched.</p><p>Vipassana meditation brings the lesson into sharp focus. We connect the Buddhist teaching on craving and attachment to the lived reality of the nervous system, equanimity, and the middle way, and we close with reflections on fear, growth, gratitude, and the courage to stop playing small. If this resonated, subscribe, share the episode with a friend who’s feeling stuck, and leave a review that tells us what “letting go” looks like in your life.</p>]]></description>
    <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a target="_blank" href="https://www.buzzsprout.com/2619436/fan_mail/new">Send us Fan Mail</a></p><p>You know that moment when you feel unstoppable, then suddenly you want nothing at all? We start there, from a loud, triumphant mood into a quiet state where no book, music, or screen can hold our attention, and we follow it like a trail, because “doing nothing” sometimes reveals what constant stimulation keeps hidden.<br/><br/>From that still point, we tell a story from Hawaii where belonging, initiation, and direct spiritual experience collide. We talk about learning to listen beyond words, trusting what your body notices, and what happens when you connect you to something bigger. Then we go deeper into a dream of pure nothingness, the void, a place that isn’t dark or light, visible or invisible, and how fear can snap you out of it before you understand what you touched.</p><p>Vipassana meditation brings the lesson into sharp focus. We connect the Buddhist teaching on craving and attachment to the lived reality of the nervous system, equanimity, and the middle way, and we close with reflections on fear, growth, gratitude, and the courage to stop playing small. If this resonated, subscribe, share the episode with a friend who’s feeling stuck, and leave a review that tells us what “letting go” looks like in your life.</p>]]></content:encoded>
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    <itunes:author>Jessica Velasquez </itunes:author>
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    <pubDate>Tue, 11 Aug 2026 00:00:00 -0500</pubDate>
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    <psc:chapters>
  <psc:chapter start="0:00" title="Alice in Wonderland" />
  <psc:chapter start="0:31" title="A Good Day Into Nothingness" />
  <psc:chapter start="1:51" title="Hawaii Trips &amp; Ohana" />
  <psc:chapter start="5:18" title="I Dream of Nothing" />
  <psc:chapter start="8:55" title="Bliss and the Aftermath" />
  <psc:chapter start="12:40" title="Craving &amp; Attachment" />
  <psc:chapter start="16:55" title="The Only Laws" />
  <psc:chapter start="19:40" title="Reaching Heaven with Roots in Hell " />
  <psc:chapter start="21:50" title="Gratitude Practice And Goodbye" />
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    <itunes:duration>1342</itunes:duration>
    <itunes:keywords></itunes:keywords>
    <itunes:season>1</itunes:season>
    <itunes:episode>3</itunes:episode>
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    <itunes:title>Season 1 Episode 2: Shattering the Ego </itunes:title>
    <title>Season 1 Episode 2: Shattering the Ego </title>
    <itunes:summary><![CDATA[Send us Fan Mail Rejection is supposed to be the thing that breaks you. Instead, we find a way to let it break the ego and hand life back to us. After an intensely vulnerable moment leads to a humiliating no, we sit with the aftermath: the fear, the crack in the armor, and the surprising relief that comes from realizing the worst case happened and we’re still here. That single fact changes everything, because once you survive what you dread, you stop negotiating with approval and start moving...]]></itunes:summary>
    <description><![CDATA[<p><a target="_blank" href="https://www.buzzsprout.com/2619436/fan_mail/new">Send us Fan Mail</a></p><p>Rejection is supposed to be the thing that breaks you. Instead, we find a way to let it break the ego and hand life back to us. After an intensely vulnerable moment leads to a humiliating no, we sit with the aftermath: the fear, the crack in the armor, and the surprising relief that comes from realizing the worst case happened and we’re still here. That single fact changes everything, because once you survive what you dread, you stop negotiating with approval and start moving with real courage. </p><p>We also get honest about a topic people avoid in personal growth and spiritual awakening spaces: vanity. We talk about how pride can sneak into spirituality, how “self-love” can tip into ego, and how the book, The Gene Keys, frames vanity as a shadow that can cling even as awareness grows. From there we move into the middle path, equanimity, and Vipassana meditation principles, including how attention training can reduce suffering and keep us from reacting on autopilot. </p><p>If you’re searching for mindfulness tools, emotional resilience, or a healthier relationship with your ego, this conversation stays grounded while still going deep.  Finally, we reframe identity and protection through the idea of leading with softness, the lion and the lamb, and choosing kindness without losing strength. And look deeper into the practice of receiving support through affirmations like “You are enough.” If any of resonates, subscribe, share this with a friend who needs it, and leave a review so more people can find the show.</p>]]></description>
    <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a target="_blank" href="https://www.buzzsprout.com/2619436/fan_mail/new">Send us Fan Mail</a></p><p>Rejection is supposed to be the thing that breaks you. Instead, we find a way to let it break the ego and hand life back to us. After an intensely vulnerable moment leads to a humiliating no, we sit with the aftermath: the fear, the crack in the armor, and the surprising relief that comes from realizing the worst case happened and we’re still here. That single fact changes everything, because once you survive what you dread, you stop negotiating with approval and start moving with real courage. </p><p>We also get honest about a topic people avoid in personal growth and spiritual awakening spaces: vanity. We talk about how pride can sneak into spirituality, how “self-love” can tip into ego, and how the book, The Gene Keys, frames vanity as a shadow that can cling even as awareness grows. From there we move into the middle path, equanimity, and Vipassana meditation principles, including how attention training can reduce suffering and keep us from reacting on autopilot. </p><p>If you’re searching for mindfulness tools, emotional resilience, or a healthier relationship with your ego, this conversation stays grounded while still going deep.  Finally, we reframe identity and protection through the idea of leading with softness, the lion and the lamb, and choosing kindness without losing strength. And look deeper into the practice of receiving support through affirmations like “You are enough.” If any of resonates, subscribe, share this with a friend who needs it, and leave a review so more people can find the show.</p>]]></content:encoded>
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    <itunes:author>Jessica Velasquez </itunes:author>
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    <pubDate>Tue, 28 Jul 2026 01:00:00 -0500</pubDate>
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    <psc:chapters>
  <psc:chapter start="0:00" title="Season 1 Episode 2: Shattering the Ego " />
  <psc:chapter start="0:01" title="Staying with Rejection" />
  <psc:chapter start="3:05" title="Understanding Trauma or Changing It" />
  <psc:chapter start="5:11" title="New Neuropathways" />
  <psc:chapter start="6:30" title="Vulnerability as Strength" />
  <psc:chapter start="9:00" title="Vanity &amp; Spiritual Pride" />
  <psc:chapter start="10:54" title="The Middle Path " />
  <psc:chapter start="11:26" title="Vipassana &amp; Equanimity" />
  <psc:chapter start="15:30" title="The Lion and The Lamb" />
  <psc:chapter start="19:11" title="You are Enough " />
  <psc:chapter start="21:23" title="Gratitude Practic/Closing" />
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    <itunes:duration>1391</itunes:duration>
    <itunes:keywords></itunes:keywords>
    <itunes:season>1</itunes:season>
    <itunes:episode>2</itunes:episode>
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    <itunes:title>Season 1 Episode 1: Finding the Way </itunes:title>
    <title>Season 1 Episode 1: Finding the Way </title>
    <itunes:summary><![CDATA[Send us Fan Mail You can spend years “working on yourself” and still feel like your life never starts. We sit with that uncomfortable gap between being highly capable and feeling unable to choose a direction, then trace how it turns into a cycle of training, healing, and collecting knowledge while quietly waiting for permission to move.   A Carl Jung inspired insight flips the whole frame: mistaking preparation for arrival. We explore the difference between clearing the ground and actual...]]></itunes:summary>
    <description><![CDATA[<p><a target="_blank" href="https://www.buzzsprout.com/2619436/fan_mail/new">Send us Fan Mail</a></p><p>You can spend years “working on yourself” and still feel like your life never starts. We sit with that uncomfortable gap between being highly capable and feeling unable to choose a direction, then trace how it turns into a cycle of training, healing, and collecting knowledge while quietly waiting for permission to move. <br/><br/>A Carl Jung inspired insight flips the whole frame: mistaking preparation for arrival. We explore the difference between clearing the ground and actually building on it, plus the early childhood programming that can turn abundance into something your nervous system treats as unsafe. If you have a complicated relationship with money mindset, success, or receiving, you’ll recognize how a hidden belief can keep you “doing the work” forever without letting the outcomes in. <br/><br/>From there we get real about ego, visibility, and why genuine goodness can feel like danger when you’re used to struggle. We talk about learning as a spiral, the moment a protective wall becomes a cage, and what surrender looks like when you still have to take action. We also touch on manifestation, frequency, and the idea that life reflects what you are, not only what you want. <br/><br/>If you’re ready to stop waiting and start building, listen through to the end, then subscribe, share with a friend who’s stuck in preparation mode, and leave a review. What’s the one thing you know you’re meant to share, even if it’s imperfect?</p>]]></description>
    <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a target="_blank" href="https://www.buzzsprout.com/2619436/fan_mail/new">Send us Fan Mail</a></p><p>You can spend years “working on yourself” and still feel like your life never starts. We sit with that uncomfortable gap between being highly capable and feeling unable to choose a direction, then trace how it turns into a cycle of training, healing, and collecting knowledge while quietly waiting for permission to move. <br/><br/>A Carl Jung inspired insight flips the whole frame: mistaking preparation for arrival. We explore the difference between clearing the ground and actually building on it, plus the early childhood programming that can turn abundance into something your nervous system treats as unsafe. If you have a complicated relationship with money mindset, success, or receiving, you’ll recognize how a hidden belief can keep you “doing the work” forever without letting the outcomes in. <br/><br/>From there we get real about ego, visibility, and why genuine goodness can feel like danger when you’re used to struggle. We talk about learning as a spiral, the moment a protective wall becomes a cage, and what surrender looks like when you still have to take action. We also touch on manifestation, frequency, and the idea that life reflects what you are, not only what you want. <br/><br/>If you’re ready to stop waiting and start building, listen through to the end, then subscribe, share with a friend who’s stuck in preparation mode, and leave a review. What’s the one thing you know you’re meant to share, even if it’s imperfect?</p>]]></content:encoded>
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    <itunes:author>Alana Mercury </itunes:author>
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    <pubDate>Tue, 14 Jul 2026 03:00:00 -0500</pubDate>
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  <psc:chapter start="0:00" title="Season 1 Episode 1: Finding the Way " />
  <psc:chapter start="0:01" title="Lost Direction And Constant Training" />
  <psc:chapter start="2:09" title="Jung’s Warning About Staying Prepared" />
  <psc:chapter start="5:53" title="Choosing To Share Despite Fear" />
  <psc:chapter start="7:26" title="Why Learning Sounds Like Contradiction" />
  <psc:chapter start="10:45" title="A Reunion That Cracks The Wall" />
  <psc:chapter start="14:36" title="Surrendering Outcomes And Not Knowing" />
  <psc:chapter start="16:46" title="Your Wish Is Your Command" />
  <psc:chapter start="18:17" title="Vibration Frequency And Moving Forward" />
</psc:chapters>
    <itunes:duration>1147</itunes:duration>
    <itunes:keywords></itunes:keywords>
    <itunes:season>1</itunes:season>
    <itunes:episode>1</itunes:episode>
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    <itunes:title>Episode 0: The Invitation</itunes:title>
    <title>Episode 0: The Invitation</title>
    <itunes:summary><![CDATA[Send us Fan Mail A decade of solitude can do two very different things: it can shrink your world, or it can crack you open. We start Thoughts of a Hermit by telling the truth about how this path formed, and why one question keeps pulling us forward: what are human beings really capable of, and how do we become it? If you care about personal development, self-discovery, and spiritual growth that doesn’t dodge the hard parts, this introduction lays the foundation.  We talk about why the deepest...]]></itunes:summary>
    <description><![CDATA[<p><a target="_blank" href="https://www.buzzsprout.com/2619436/fan_mail/new">Send us Fan Mail</a></p><p>A decade of solitude can do two very different things: it can shrink your world, or it can crack you open. We start Thoughts of a Hermit by telling the truth about how this path formed, and why one question keeps pulling us forward: what are human beings really capable of, and how do we become it? If you care about personal development, self-discovery, and spiritual growth that doesn’t dodge the hard parts, this introduction lays the foundation.<br/><br/>We talk about why the deepest progress requires brutal honesty. The rule is simple and not always easy: keep going, even when the truths you see feel harsh. You’ll hear the practice used to make change measurable, turning self-talk into something you can study, refine, and rebuild, blending reflection, discipline, and the kind of inner work that actually sticks.<br/><br/>Then the stakes shift. We reflect on the move from the lone wolf to a shared path, the longing to “walk each other home,” and the boundary-blurring question of where I end and you begin. If this resonates, subscribe, share the show with someone who’s doing their own inner work, and leave a review so more people can find the journey.</p>]]></description>
    <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a target="_blank" href="https://www.buzzsprout.com/2619436/fan_mail/new">Send us Fan Mail</a></p><p>A decade of solitude can do two very different things: it can shrink your world, or it can crack you open. We start Thoughts of a Hermit by telling the truth about how this path formed, and why one question keeps pulling us forward: what are human beings really capable of, and how do we become it? If you care about personal development, self-discovery, and spiritual growth that doesn’t dodge the hard parts, this introduction lays the foundation.<br/><br/>We talk about why the deepest progress requires brutal honesty. The rule is simple and not always easy: keep going, even when the truths you see feel harsh. You’ll hear the practice used to make change measurable, turning self-talk into something you can study, refine, and rebuild, blending reflection, discipline, and the kind of inner work that actually sticks.<br/><br/>Then the stakes shift. We reflect on the move from the lone wolf to a shared path, the longing to “walk each other home,” and the boundary-blurring question of where I end and you begin. If this resonates, subscribe, share the show with someone who’s doing their own inner work, and leave a review so more people can find the journey.</p>]]></content:encoded>
    <enclosure url="https://www.buzzsprout.com/2619436/episodes/19467480-episode-0-the-invitation.mp3" length="3198929" type="audio/mpeg" />
    <itunes:author>Alana Mercury </itunes:author>
    <guid isPermaLink="false">Buzzsprout-19467480</guid>
    <pubDate>Thu, 09 Jul 2026 03:00:00 -0500</pubDate>
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    <psc:chapters>
  <psc:chapter start="0:00" title="Welcome And The Hermit Origin" />
  <psc:chapter start="0:20" title="The Core Question Of Human Potential" />
  <psc:chapter start="0:42" title="Solitude And Brutal Honesty" />
  <psc:chapter start="1:12" title="Recording Thoughts To Rewire Yourself" />
  <psc:chapter start="1:44" title="Many Deaths Of The Old Self" />
  <psc:chapter start="2:07" title="Being Seen And Going Together" />
  <psc:chapter start="2:45" title="The Invitation And Release Schedule" />
  <psc:chapter start="4:09" title="Thanks And Closing Blessing" />
</psc:chapters>
    <itunes:duration>263</itunes:duration>
    <itunes:keywords></itunes:keywords>
    <itunes:season>1</itunes:season>
    <itunes:episode>1</itunes:episode>
    <itunes:episodeType>trailer</itunes:episodeType>
    <itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
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