Markieta explores why hurtful words, rejection, and verbal abuse can cause real pain, explaining how the brain processes social and emotional pain similarly to physical distress.
She discusses how leaving unsafe environments can reveal healing, why re-exposure can trigger strong reactions, and how sensitivity can be protected—not erased—through boundaries and self-care.
 
Connect with Markieta to learn about her work at https://www.itsmarkieta.com and listen to more episodes at https://www.livingdeeplypodcast.com. 

That was my second time more powerful which is crazyepisode Markieta explores why crying can provoke anger in others, explaining how an observer's past, fears, and coping mechanisms shape their reaction.
 
She emphasizes that tears are information—not a diagnosis—encourages compassionate curiosity without excusing mistreatment, and offers guidance on boundaries, self-protection, and seeking support.
 
Listen to more episodes at https://www.livingdeeplypodcast.com and connect with Markieta at www.itsmarkieta.com. 

Hey, It’s Markieta. In this personal episode I share how more than 15 years of repeated betrayal affected my marriage, mental health, and sense of self, and why I sought professional help to keep functioning and heal.
I also talk about recent grief after my sister’s death, being humiliated and called names, and how one painful moment doesn’t erase years of growth.
This episode is about reclaiming identity: your mental health history is part of your past, not your definition, and it’s okay to get help, protect your peace, and keep living deeply.
 
Listen to more episodes at https://www.livingdeeplypodcast.com and connect with Markieta at www.itsmarkieta.com. 

What if the forgiveness you said you gave wasn't actually forgiveness?
In this episode of the Living Deeply Podcast, I explore what forgiveness really means—and what happens when we claim to forgive because we feel pressured to please others, keep the peace, follow religious expectations, or prove that we've healed.
Sometimes saying “I forgive you” isn't an authentic release. Sometimes it's people-pleasing, fear, conditioning, or simply saying what everyone expects us to say.
I also talk about why forgiveness doesn't have to be part of everyone's healing story. You can accept what happened, release the need for revenge, establish boundaries, choose no contact, find peace, and move forward without deciding that you forgive the person who hurt you.
And if you once said you forgave someone but now realize it wasn't true, you're allowed to acknowledge that. Healing can involve becoming more honest about what you actually feel—not performing forgiveness to make other people comfortable.
Forgiveness may be part of your healing.
Acceptance may be part of your healing.
Indifference may be part of your healing.
But whatever your path looks like, it should belong to you.
Connect with me: https://www.itsmarkieta.com
Listen to more episodes: https://www.livingdeeplypodcast.com

Grief is complicated. And when someone dies while your relationship with them is unresolved, grief can carry even more layers.
In this deeply personal episode of the Living Deeply Podcast, I share what it has been like grieving the loss of my sister, knowing that we were not on the best of terms when she passed.
I’m processing love, regret, anger, guilt, fear, sadness, and the painful realization that there are conversations we will never get to have. At the same time, I’m still showing up for my family and trying to figure out how to make space for my own grief.
I was taught to pray about pain, give it to God, and trust that everything would eventually be okay. But I’m discovering that my healing requires something different.
I have to feel it.
I have to process it.
I have to shed it.
I have to release it.
Through crying, music, nature, writing, reflection, spiritual connection, and simply allowing myself to feel what I actually feel, I’m learning how to let these emotions move through me instead of allowing them to overtake me.
This episode isn’t about having grief figured out. I don’t.
It’s about learning that I can miss my sister and still acknowledge our complicated relationship. I can regret things without punishing myself forever. I can be angry and still love her. And I can release some of what I’m carrying without releasing my love for her.
If you’re grieving someone you loved but had a complicated or unresolved relationship with, this episode is for you.
Listen to more of the Living Deeply Podcast:https://www.livingdeeplypodcast.com
Connect with me:https://www.itsmarkieta.com

What happens when someone who once knew your most vulnerable places starts using them against you?
In this episode of the Living Deeply Podcast, I talk about what it feels like when an ex uses your emotional sensitivity to label you as “crazy,” unstable, dramatic, or irrational—especially when they know exactly what triggers you.
We explore the difference between emotional sensitivity and mental instability, why your reaction should not be separated from what happened before it, and how someone can focus on your emotional response while ignoring the behavior that contributed to it.
I also talk about accountability: being emotionally sensitive doesn’t excuse harmful behavior, but taking responsibility for your reaction doesn’t mean accepting someone else’s distorted definition of who you are.
You can cry and still be clear. You can feel deeply and still be strong. You can regulate your emotions without becoming emotionally numb. And you can decide that someone who repeatedly weaponizes your vulnerability no longer deserves access to your emotional world.
Your sensitivity is not evidence against your sanity.
Connect with me:
https://itsmarkieta.com
Listen to more episodes:
https://livingdeeplypodcast.com

You don’t have to forgive someone to heal from what they did to you.
In this episode of the Living Deeply Podcast, I challenge the idea that forgiveness is a mandatory part of healing. Sometimes healing means forgiveness, but sometimes it means acceptance, boundaries, distance, indifference, and choosing to move forward without giving someone absolution.
We’ll talk about the difference between forgiveness and release, why anger doesn’t automatically mean you haven’t healed, and why you can accept what happened without approving of it. Most importantly, healing belongs to you—and you get to decide what it looks like.
Listen to more episodes at https://livingdeeplypodcast.com and connect with me at https://itsmarkieta.com.

Is your child “too sensitive,” or do they simply feel deeply? 💜 This Living Deeply episode explores emotional sensitivity in children, its strengths, what it isn’t, and how parents can provide the understanding, boundaries, and emotional tools sensitive children need to thrive.
Listen to more episodes at https://livingdeeplypodcast.com and connect with me at https://itsmarkieta.com.

Verbal abuse doesn’t always leave visible scars, but the words can stay with us long after the conversation—or even the relationship—has ended.In this episode of the Living Deeply Podcast, Markieta explores what recovering from verbal abuse can look like when someone else’s criticism, insults, manipulation, or constant negative words have slowly become part of your own inner dialogue.This episode focuses on recognizing the difference between their voice and your voice, rebuilding trust in yourself, establishing healthy boundaries, and learning to speak to yourself with compassion again.Markieta also guides listeners through powerful affirmations for healing, including:✨ I am worthy of respect.✨ I trust my own voice.✨ I am allowed to protect my peace.✨ My sensitivity is not weakness.✨ I release the words that were never mine to carry.✨ I can protect myself without losing myself.✨ My voice belongs to me again.Healing doesn’t mean pretending the words never hurt. It means deciding those words no longer get the final say about who you are.🎙️ Listen, breathe, repeat the affirmations, and begin replacing the voice that hurt you with one that honors you.Connect with Markieta at itsmarkieta.com and discover more episodes at livingdeeplypodcast.com.Join the Thriven Humans community at www.thrivenhumans.org.

Can you appreciate Jesus without worshiping him? Can you learn from his teachings while choosing to honor and explore your own ancestral lineage?In this episode of Living Deeply, Markieta explores why she considers herself a fan of the Jesus Christ portrayed in biblical stories while no longer identifying as a Christian. She reflects on Jesus as a first-century Jewish man with his own ancestry, culture, and history—and asks why so many Black Americans were taught to develop a spiritual relationship with Jesus while often knowing very little about their own ancestors.Markieta also explores a question at the center of her evolving spirituality: Why was talking to Jesus considered normal, while connecting with our own ancestors was often portrayed as something to fear?This episode isn't about attacking Jesus or telling anyone what they should believe. It's about questioning inherited beliefs, examining the complicated relationship between Christianity and Black American history, and making room for ancestral connection, curiosity, and spiritual exploration.Markieta shares why she can admire teachings attributed to Jesus about love, compassion, justice, and caring for marginalized people without believing that admiration requires worship.For her, Jesus can have a seat in the library without owning the entire library.🎙️ Listen to more episodes of Living Deeply:www.livingdeeplypodcast.com💜 Connect with Markieta:www.itsmarkieta.com🌿 Join the Thriven Humans community:www.thrivenhumans.org

How to Co-Parent With an Ex You Don’t LikeYou can love your children deeply and still not like the person you have to co-parent with.In this episode of Living Deeply Podcast, Markieta gets real about what healthy co-parenting can look like when friendship with your ex simply isn't part of the equation.From setting boundaries and communicating without getting pulled into unnecessary conflict to accepting that you can't control what happens in the other parent's household, this conversation is about choosing peace without pretending everything is perfect.Markieta also challenges the idea that protecting children means hiding difficult realities from them. Instead, she shares her belief in honest, age-appropriate conversations that allow children to understand what's happening in their family without making them responsible for fixing it, choosing sides, or carrying their parents' emotional burdens.Because successful co-parenting doesn't have to mean vacations together, shared holidays, or becoming best friends after the breakup.Sometimes it simply means respecting each other's roles, showing up for your children, maintaining healthy boundaries, telling the truth with love, and refusing to let your feelings toward each other become your children's burden.The goal isn't friendship. The goal is peace.🎙️ Listen to more episodes of Living Deeply Podcast at livingdeeplypodcast.com.💜 Want to connect with Markieta beyond the podcast? Visit itsmarkieta.com.Living Deeply Podcast — real life, real conversations, and what it means to live deeply.

This week, Markieta is switching hats. 🎙️⚖️ Drawing from her professional career in Human Resources, employee relations, HR credentials, and advanced education in labor and employment law, she breaks down what women should know about protecting themselves at work.From discrimination and retaliation to documenting concerns, approaching HR, navigating the EEOC, finding an employment attorney, and understanding retainers versus contingency agreements, this episode is about becoming a more informed advocate for yourself.💜 Know your rights. Know your worth. Protect your career and your peace.Resources:Know Your Rights Webinar Registration: https://itsmarkieta.com/knowyourrightswebinarHow Well Do You Know Your Rights Quiz: https://itsmarkieta.com/knowyourrightsquizSchedule a Free Consultation with Markieta: https://itsmarkieta.com/bookacallEducational information only. This episode is not legal advice. Markieta Carter is not an attorney and does not work for or represent the EEOC.

Sundays as a Humanist in the SouthWhat does Sunday feel like when you’ve deconstructed the religion you once believed—but still miss the community that came with it?In this episode, Markieta shares what it feels like to be a humanist in the South, where churches are everywhere but finding meaningful non-religious community can feel much harder. She reflects on feeling pulled toward progressive and LGBTQ+-affirming churches while simultaneously struggling with hearing scriptures she no longer believes and teachings that have historically been used to oppress others.Instead of remaining stuck in anger or forcing herself back into spaces she has outgrown, Markieta is choosing to create something different: community centered on compassion, critical thinking, connection, purpose, and simply being good humans.It can be lonely to think for yourself—especially when doing so means walking away from beliefs and traditions that once gave you belonging. But there is also tremendous freedom in being able to question, learn, evolve, and decide for yourself what you believe.🌱 Connect with Markieta:www.itmarkieta.com🤝 Join the Thriven Humans Community & virtual meetups:www.thrivenhumans.org🎙️ Listen to Living Deeply:www.livingdeeplypodcast.comYou don't have to return to a space you've outgrown just because you miss community. Sometimes, you can build the community you wish existed.

In Part Two of “Why I Don’t Date Transphobic Women,” Markieta shares how a dating boundary rooted in her values unexpectedly came full circle.After previously walking away from a potential relationship because of a woman’s transphobic beliefs, Markieta was recently contacted by an incarcerated trans woman who founded an LGBTQ+ organization within her prison. The connection caused Markieta to reflect on why choosing partners who respect the humanity of others matters far beyond romantic compatibility.As this new connection develops, supporting the organization may require Markieta to travel to the prison to encourage its founder and LGBTQ+ members in person. She considers how different that experience might be if she were partnered with someone who questioned her involvement simply because the community leader is transgender.This episode explores dating boundaries, LGBTQ+ solidarity, allyship, human dignity, and the importance of choosing relationships that don’t require you to compromise your values.Sometimes the people we choose not to make room for create space for connections we never expected.Listen to Part Two to hear how one dating boundary came full circle.Connect with me at www.itsmarkieta.com www.thrivenhumans.org www.livingdeeplypodcast.com.

My ex-husband used to tell me, "You deserve to be treated like a queen." Those words always left me confused because I couldn't understand why he believed that, yet I didn't feel that way in our marriage. Years later, I realized he was right—I did deserve that kind of love. Neither of us just knew that, for me, it would eventually be a woman who made me feel truly seen, heard, appreciated, and emotionally safe.In this deeply personal episode, I share my journey as a later-in-life lesbian, how growing up with religious expectations shaped my early choices, why I married quickly to avoid "living in sin," and how self-discovery led me to a life that finally feels authentic. This episode is about choosing yourself, embracing your truth, and recognizing that sometimes two good people simply aren't the right partners for each other.Whether you're questioning your identity, navigating a major life transition, or simply learning to love yourself more deeply, I hope this conversation reminds you that it's never too late to build a life that truly fits who you are.Connect with me at www.itsmarkieta.com.