When "Fine" Keeps Us Stuck: A Reflection on My Dad, Masking, and Adapting ep 558

About this episode

Eric reflects on his father's life and the lessons learned about adaptation and accepting help.

"I'm Fine": What My Dad Taught Me About Resisting Help On August 14th, my dad passed away. In the weeks since, I've been reflecting on his life, his humor, his resilience — and his signature phrase: "I'm fine." He said it when he was hooked up to machines in the hospital. He said it when he was on the roof cleaning gutters, even though his balance was shot. And most of the time, he wasn't fine at all. In this episode, I share some of the lessons I learned from my dad about adapting — and about the cost of resisting it. From the adult trike he never would have bought for himself, to the senior living community he resisted but came to love, my dad's story is a mirror for the ways we all struggle with change, masking, and accepting support. I also talk about my own journey: being diagnosed with ADHD at 19, and more recently, with autism — a diagnosis that really came into focus during a season of burnout. Like my dad, I've had to learn that determination isn't enough. Saying "I'm fine" isn't enough. What matters is adapting — and allowing ourselves to receive help when we need it. If you've ever caught yourself saying "I'm fine" when you're not, this one's for you. In This Episode…

People in this episode

Host: Eric Tivers

Topics covered

• ADHD
• grief
• autism
• masking
• adaptation
• support
• resilience

Keywords

• I'm fine
• resisting help
• masking
• adaptation
• grief
• ADHD
• autism
• support

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