Where is the line between empathy and self-erasure?In this episode, I sit down with my friend Alys Crocker - actress, yoga teacher, and one of the most emotionally resilient humans I know - to talk about something we both know too well: being the person who holds everyone’s feelings in the room.Alys has this rare gift - she can read energy, mediate chaos, and even find compassion for the villain. But like me, she’s learned the hard way that you can’t control your way to safety.We dive into the emotional cost of being that person - the fixer, the feeler, the one who absorbs it all. From how childhood teaches us to anticipate other people’s moods, to the toxic side of caretaking, to the single question that changed how Alys shows up for people in crisis.🎙️ In this episode, you’ll hear about:🩷 Why being indecisive might actually be your superpower🩷 The sun and moon dynamic in relationships🩷 How childhood survival mechanisms shape the way we navigate our careers🩷 The difference between controlling people’s emotions and being emotionally available🩷 Rejection, competition, and everyone thinking they can do it🩷 What it takes to play a villain with compassion (and how that skill translates to real life)🩷 How you can actually help your loved ones in a crisis⏱️ Timestamps00:00:00 – Why I interview my friends00:05:26 – Podcasting is the new acting00:14:03 – The sun and moon dynamic00:26:13 – Why Alys won’t date actors00:38:45 – How childhood made us mediators00:52:17 – The toxic side of “holding space”01:06:33 – Black and white thinkers01:09:10 – Playing villains with compassion01:12:23 – Helped, heard, or hugged?🌸 If this episode made you question how you show up for the people you love (or how tightly you're gripping the reins), hit SUBSCRIBE and drop your favorite moment in the comments below.🔗 Get in touch with me:🎬 YouTube: On The Same Paige with Paige Leaceyhttps://www.youtube.com/@PaigeLeacey🎧 Spotify: On The Same Paige with Paige Leacey https://open.spotify.com/show/4sVFkvFcj3DW1wuVZuGd4U?si=af98abe607fb4c1a🍎 Apple: On The Same Paige with Paige Leacey https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/on-the-same-paige-with-paige-leacey/id1573526370💌 Want tips on intimacy, connection & the human experience?https://paigeleacey.substack.com📸 Instagram: @samepaige__ ✨ TikTok: @samepaige__🔗 Get in touch with Alys Crocker:@alyscrocker
