UnRambling Podcast – Episode: The Super Power of Saying Things Out Loud
Have you ever been out by yourself when you have this amazing idea—but by the time you get home, most of the details are gone?
It’s like waking from a dream, knowing you had something important you HAVE to write down, but you just can’t remember what it was.
That’s why I started UnRambling—not just to capture fleeting ideas, but because something powerful happens when you slowly force your thoughts into words. The act of speaking them out loud unrambles what’s in your head and reveals insights you never knew were there.
Hi! My name is Sean Openshaw, and welcome to UnRambling—where I record myself while [running, biking, hiking, walking, driving]... or swimming—well, maybe not swimming.
I then transcribe and reflect on the recording to preserve the insights often left out on the trail.
Through this process, I’ve learned that saying thoughts out loud can be even more powerful than just thinking about them—or even writing them down.
And I hope that by doing this, I inspire you to try it, as well.
Today's Episode:➡ The Super Power of Saying Things Out Loud
Because:➡ Sometimes, the best ideas come when you don’t think you have anything to say.
Beyond that, this podcast is about more than just capturing and unrambling my random thoughts.
It’s about the rambling way we interact with the important moments in our life—and being able to unramble them in a way that’s sustainable, meaningful, and unforgettable.
It’s about recognizing that there’s more to a moment than meets the eye—because life is more than just what it looks like.
I want to help people live, capture, and catalog important moments—so they can create stories, preserve memories, and stay connected to the moments that bring meaning and purpose to their lives.
I really hope you stick around so we can figure this out together.
This episode is for you if:
➡ You’ve ever hesitated to put your voice out into the world—whether through speaking, writing, or just sharing an idea.
What I learned from today’s episode is that:
➡ The hardest part is starting. Resistance is ugly, but it’s SO beautiful on the other side.
And as we start this episode, I'd like you to think about this question:
➡ What are you resisting to start?
Let’s get into it.
Today is Wednesday, February 19, 2025, and I’m recording myself while walking my three dogs—Minnie, Daisy, and Luna—in the forest behind my house.
I often start these UnRambling sessions with a question: What am I trying to unramble?
Sometimes, I have a topic in mind. Sometimes, I don’t.
But I usually try to pinpoint where I'm stuck or a feeling I want to explore. I try to stay on that topic as long as possible, but I also let my thoughts take me where they will.
Today’s question is this:➡ Why is it so hard to START?
It’s on my mind because I’ve always struggled with my voice—my inability to get words to come out of my mouth without tripping over my tongue on the way out. Thoughts get traffic-jammed in my head and they just can’t get past this speaking barrier.
I know this is a learnable skill. I just need to get past the terror of talking to an audience. I need to get comfortable with my voice.
I want to be able to step out of my head and onto the stage, but the resistance is palpable.
This is the Therapy of UnRambling
I often wonder if these UnRambling sessions aren’t that different from sitting on a therapist’s couch.
A good therapist doesn’t give you the answers—they sit there quietly, listening as you spill your guts. They might ask you a question here or there, but mostly, they leave you to your rambling.
With UnRambling, no therapist is needed. Simply putting my brain in the position where it knows it’s being recorded forces it to start spitting out details like a guilty witness on cross-examination.
And once those thoughts make their way onto the page through transcription, something magical always appears.
To Battle Against Resistance, You Have to Trick Your Brain
For me, starting an UnRambling session is not unlike starting to exercise.
There have been so many times when I didn’t want to go for a run or a bike ride. So I made a deal with myself: just get dressed, step outside, and give it five minutes. If I still don’t feel like it, I can turn around and go home.
Most of the time, though, I don’t turn back. The hardest part is always getting out the door.
And the same goes for these UnRambling sessions. When I’m about to head out for a long drive or a walk, deciding whether to hit record often feels exhausting because talking through my feelings can be hard work - much harder than listening to music or someone else’s podcast.
But just like I trick myself into working out, I do the same thing here.
I say, "Fine, you don’t have to UnRambling today. Just give me five minutes talking about your day, and if you hate it, we’ll stop and hit delete."
Nine times out of ten, I find myself slowing down at the end of a run, trying to wrap up my thoughts, often surprised by what's come up.
It’s in these End Moments of an UnRambling where I’ve Learned the Power of Summarizing
One of the most valuable parts of this process is closing the loop—giving yourself enough time to step back to look for the bigger picture.
It’s easy to ramble on for 30 minutes or an hour, but without summarizing, you might miss the real insight buried beneath the words.
So many times, I’ve thought an UnRambling was about one thing, only to realize—by the end—it was about something else entirely.
And sometimes, those connections hit hard.
Those are the gut-punch moments—when rambling thoughts suddenly click into something meaningful.
And in those moments, I’m always grateful that I pushed through the resistance and hit record.
Let Me Step Back for a Moment
If you’re listening to this, that means I transcribed the Unrambling out with my dogs, cleaned up the text, re-wrote a few things for clarity—and, most importantly, I’m here, re-recroding the unrambled Unrambling.
And I’m so glad I did.
Reflecting on this UnRambling session, I realize just how much resistance plays a role in my creative process.
I love the saying that motivation starts with action.
That’s true for recording these UnRamblings, for exercise, for writing—for anything.
Every time I push past that initial resistance—whether it’s hitting record, stepping out the door, or just letting the first thought tumble out—I almost always find something worthwhile on the other side.
Speaking in front of an audience has always terrified me, but these UnRambling sessions have shown me that my best ideas come out in my OUTSIDE voice.
I know I started this Unrambling, rambling about resistance, but as I ended my walk, I realized I’d been circling something deeper all along. It’s not the resistance that I’m fighting against, it’s trying to find my voice that I’m fighting for.
➡ That’s the real magic of this process. Being able to put your finger on the missing pieces. And those pieces fall into place when you figure out how to say the words out loud.
Final Takeaway:
So, if there’s one thing I hope you take away from this session, it’s this:
Go out and push through the resistance. You’ll be so glad you did!
Wait—no. That’s not it. We’ve all heard that before.
I think we all have so many thoughts and ideas echoing in our heads. They can be deafening. Paralyzing.
But I’ve found that you need to find a space where you can be alone, a place where there’s no chance anyone will hear you—even better if it’s an activity where your body is doing one thing so your mind can do another.
And when you’re alone, with no one to interact with or to perform for, something magical happens.
Because when you force your brain and emotions to put into words what they’re dwelling on—not just on paper, not just in more thoughts, but spoken, out loud—that’s when things start to make sense.
There’s something about the transformation from inside your head to outside your mouth. Maybe it’s hearing the words that makes them real. Maybe it’s something deeper.
I don’t know. I’m not a clinical psychologist. I’m not a linguist.
I just know how powerful this process has been for me.
You don’t have to record it. But you should definitely try it.
I started this episode by asking: What are you resisting to start?
But actually, that’s not the question I want to leave you with.
Instead, I want to ask you this:
If you were to go out by yourself—on a hike, a bike, a run, a walk, or a drive—and if you were to start talking out loud about something…
➡ What would you Unramble?
I dare you to try.
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