Riyan's POV

A brain dump episode

A catch up episode —I moved again, started school, and somehow made friends in a town where I knew no one. But the heart of this episode is about being hyper-independent, dealing with friendship trauma, and learning how to actually let people in.Because making friends means giving people access—it means opening the gate a little. And that’s something I’ve really been learning lately. At some point, doing it all alone starts to feel like isolation. And maybe—just maybe—it’s okay to let people show up for you.

not to toot my own horn but the art of being unbothered? mastered it. there’s so much freedom in not caring. life gets lighter when you stop performing.

A long overdue sit-down with my sister, Bahja Abdi.We talked about everything; moving out, sisterhood, adulting, med school, growing up, and just figuring life out as we go. It’s a Q&A, an advice session, and a little bit of a rant all in one.

I got this question during a Q&A and realized it deserved a whole episode. The fear of being perceived is something we all struggle with, but once you learn to let go of it — everything changes. In this episode, I’m talking about what it really means to be seen, why it’s so scary, the science behind it, and how I rewired my mindset to show up as my full self.

Transition periods aren’t always easy — in fact, they’re usually exhausting. I’m learning to trust myself to make the right decisions, and as someone who’s not quite an extrovert or an introvert, I’ve realized I need to stop overexerting myself because it takes me at least three days to recharge my social battery.

How I stopped trying to fit into an aesthetic and started becoming it — one outfit, one photo, one small moment at a time.

A lot of people think you can’t be confident and humble at the same time — but I completely disagree.In this episode, I talk about my own journey of rediscovering confidence by reconnecting with my self-worth and beliefs. Not the performative kind of confidence, but the kind that’s quiet, real, and rooted.I also get into how I’ve learned to actually like myself — without losing humility — and why it’s possible to be grounded, grateful, and still know your value.

Finding yourself is a messy journey — but it’s one of the most important journeys you’ll ever take. In today’s episode, I’m talking about identity, feeling lost, chasing curiosity, and why it’s okay to not have it all figured out yet. You’re not behind. You’re just becoming.

I used perfection as an excuse and waited for permission so I wouldn’t have to take responsibility. It made me a shell of who I was — scared to mess up, scared to start. In this episode, I talk about how that mindset kept me stuck, and what happens when you finally let go of being perfect. Let life be messy. Forget perfect. Just be.