In episode 8 of cosmic cheer squad, we welcomed Sheldon Gay, host of the I Must Be BUG’N podcast and entrepreneur. We cover a lot of ground in this conversation, but it keeps circling back to this: what it means to be a mirror for others, and how reflecting people’s truths—especially when they’re not ready to see them—can be both sacred and heavy.
Here are a few threads we follow:
* The Power of Being a MirrorSheldon talks about what it’s like to simply show up as yourself and watch how that activates other people. Not always in ways they’re grateful for. We get into the emotional labor of being “too much” in rooms that want you to shrink.
* Healing in CommunityWe talk about how healing rarely happens in isolation, and how the messy, beautiful work of connection can be its own medicine. Chris shares how their own growth has been shaped through relationships, not just insight.
* Vulnerability as StrengthThis is a thread that runs through everything. The way love requires risk. The way being open makes you tender and strong at the same time. And how truth doesn’t have to be hard-edged to be powerful. It just has to be real.
This episode is for anyone who’s ever been told they’re too intense, too sensitive, too honest, and for anyone who’s still learning how to love with both compassion and discernment.
🎧 Listen in for deep resonance and reminders of what it means to belong.
Mentioned in this episode:
* bell hooks, All About Love
* Mooji
* Dr. Ruha Benjamin, Imagination: A Manifesto
* The disco ball metaphor [from Bee]
* Silly straws and other sacred objects
* John Welwood
🌍 Visit Sheldon Gay’s website
🔥 Check out Sheldon’s merch
🅾 Find Sheldon on Instagram
More about Sheldon:
Sheldon Gay, host of the “I Must Be BUG’N” podcast, is an entrepreneur who has worked in various fields, including healthcare and education-technology. As a late-identified gifted, and therefore neurodivergent, Black man, he sees the world from a different angle than most. Due to his unique perspective, he knows all too well how it feels to be “the only one” in a room. He uses his experiences to help others embrace their true selves, free themselves from shame and thrive in a world not built for them. Sheldon’s audiences become curious about their minds, identify and embrace community as well as experience peace and joy through authenticity.
💌 Connect with us:
* Instagram → @cosmiccheersquad
* Substack → cosmiccheersquad.substack.com
* Find bee on pragmagination
* Find Chris on Positive Disintegration and PDA: Resistance and Resilience
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