In this episode of CherryPop, Meg spoke with actor and author Sarah Shahi about her new book, Life Is Lifey: The A to Z's of Navigating Life's Messy Middle. Life is Lifey is a deeply personal work that resists being labeled as traditional self-help. Instead, the book reads like a companion you can return to at any point, offering reflection, humor, and reassurance in the moments we feel most untethered. "Advice is not a one-size-fits-all model. Everybody comes to their trauma based on the last chapter they were in, and that looks different for everyone. I was acutely aware for it not to sound like I was telling the reader what to do. At the end of each chapter, I take the reader through a series of questions that will be able to help them find where their true north lies. In an age where we have so many algorithms now to tell us what to eat, what to watch, what to order next, and who to speak to, we've lost the ability to check in with ourselves. And I feel like once you have the discipline to silence the noise, you will connect with the wisest person in the room, which is you." - Sarah Shahi Together, Meg and Sarah talk about the power of honesty in art and life. For Sarah, writing from the heart and in her authentic voice was non-negotiable. The book was never meant to prescribe answers but to create space for self-inquiry, intuition, and trust in our own inner wisdom. In addition, they touch on people-pleasing, performance, and the pressure to be "good" at the expense of our own needs. The conversation also explores desire as a form of self-knowledge and how often women are taught to silence it. Drawing from her experience on the Netflix series Sex/Life, Sarah speaks about the generational shame surrounding female pleasure and the importance of reclaiming desire not just in relationships, but in our relationship with ourselves. "I'm one of those people who believe that my pain should never be in vain. We're all here for such a short amount of time, and I feel like it's part of our responsibility to walk each other home. So for me, the more real I can be about the things I've learned, the messes I've made, the ways in which I've picked myself up and put myself back together- if that can help someone else or inspire something positive within them, then it's my obligation as a person on this planet to do so. Those were my goals and the things that I had in mind as I was writing this book." - Sarah Shahi At its core, Life Is Lifey is a reminder that growth is messy, but necessary, vulnerability is a strength, and trusting yourself is often the bravest choice you can make—a must read!! Life is Lifey is available now! CherryPicks is the best place to see what women think about movies, tv, and more. CherryPicks highlights reviews and original stories exclusively from female and non-binary writers. www.TheCherryPicks.com Follow CherryPicks on social @thecherrypicks Follow your host Meg McCarthy on Instagram @megjomccarthy Music composed by Honor Nezzo. CherryPop is executive produced by Miranda Bailey and Rebecca Odes, produced and hosted by Meg McCarthy, and edited by In Haus Media Photo Credit: Jonny Marlow.
