Episode #131: Betsy By Herself on How To Write Blasphemy (When It Serves)

In this solo episode of The Discomfort Practice, Betsy explores a slightly amusing and powerful idea: What if blasphemy is exactly what we need right now? Drawing from the line "Every great idea starts out as a blasphemy," Betsy looks at the beliefs, systems, and assumptions we treat as sacred… and asks a simple but disruptive question: Does this actually serve? From workplace norms to wellness culture, politics to personal identity, many of the stories we defend most fiercely are simply habits we stopped questioning. When something becomes sacred, curiosity disappears… and systems can get stuck. This episode is an invitation to bring curiosity back. Not through rage or rebellion, but through a small, playful practice Betsy calls "writing blasphemy": noticing the things everyone treats as untouchable and daring to question them. Blasphemy, in this sense, isn't about disrespect. It's about interrupting the spell of stories that no longer serve - whether that looks like questioning a belief, leaving a job, redefining a relationship, or simply pausing long enough to reconsider something you once took for granted. In this episode, Betsy explores: Why sacred beliefs can quietly become barriers to change How certainty replaces curiosity in cultures, organisations, and identities The surprising power of writing "the sentence you're not supposed to write" Why questioning the sacred is often the first step in systemic or personal transformation A simple practice for spotting your own sacred cows The experiment for this week is simple: Notice something you treat as sacred - a belief, habit, identity, or system - and pause long enough to ask: Does this serve… or is it just sacred? If the answer surprises you, you may have just written your first line of blasphemy. And every great idea starts there. The Discomfort Practice explores the uncomfortable edges where personal growth, leadership, culture, and systems change intersect. If this episode landed for you, follow Betsy for more reflections on integrity, discomfort, and the quiet courage it takes to question what everyone else takes for granted: Follow Betsy on Instagram @thebetsyreed Subscribe to The Discomfort Practice wherever you listen to podcasts and leave a five-star review (it truly helps) Join her on Substack at The Betsy Reed for (Voice) Notes from the Edge - some public, some subscriber-only: substack.com/thebetsyreed Work with Betsy: coaching, consulting, speaking, embodied leadership sessions, upcoming community circles, and People Like Us dinners across Europe: www.betsy-reed.com