Episode Overview

Podcast: Something Positive for Positive People
Host: Courtney W. Brame
Episode: 394 – “Preaching What I Practice”
Date: November 16, 2025

In this deeply personal solo episode, Courtney W. Brame reflects on embracing happiness and gratitude amid a life centered around the support and advocacy for people living with herpes. He shares insights from his own emotional journey, the freedom that comes with letting go of old attachments (including seeking grants), and the reality of holding space for others navigating stigma. The theme centers on the transformative power of practicing what he preaches—living authentically, aligning actions with values, and finding peace in joy, even when it feels uncomfortable.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Acknowledging Uncomfortable Happiness

• Prompted by a Question on Shame (01:30):
  • At a recent intentional dating event, Courtney was asked what he was ashamed of and realized he felt some shame about how happy he is.
  • He explores how society often conditions people to downplay their joy, especially during widespread hardship:
    • Quote: “It’s hard to express that joy, express gratitude and to be someone who is just having a good time. I’m at a stage of my life where I’m doing some of the hardest things I’ve ever done voluntarily.” (02:20)

2. Release Through Joy and High Vibration

• Letting Go from a Place of Peace (05:15):
  • Courtney discusses his new nightly exercise: visualizing a conversation with his subconscious to uncover hidden attachments.
  • He finds that letting go of emotional baggage, when already in a high-vibrational (joyful) state, is easier:
    • Quote: “It’s so much easier to release attachments from this place of joy…like I’m in this rhythm of life I’ve never been in before.” (06:05)

3. Identity, Sadness, and Letting Go of Attachments

• From Sadness to Abundance (08:05):
  • A friend questioned why he was still posting “sad boy shit,” prompting reflection on an identity once tied to suffering.
  • Courtney connects his recent happiness to having released old emotional attachments, describing it as “an abundance of joy.”
  • He shares a concrete example: feeling liberation after being rejected for a grant he worked hard to obtain.

4. Shifting Focus from Grants to Direct Community Impact

• Letting Go of Grant Applications (12:45):
  • After multiple rejections and much invested energy, Courtney decides to stop applying for grants and redirects focus:
    • Quote: “I’m not applying for grants anymore…releasing that, it’s funny, because even just a couple of days after I made the decision, a new opportunity presented itself, and I’m really looking forward to it.” (15:41)
  • Increased website traffic and visibility, not through social media but by optimizing the SPFPP site, leads to more direct connection:
    • “There’s been times I’ve had up to seven support calls a day. It’s really informing the direction of Something Positive for Positive People.” (17:50)

5. Confidential Support & The Value of Sharing Stories

• Balancing Privacy and Advocacy (18:30):
  • Courtney emphasizes respect for confidentiality in support calls, noting many stories are relatable and useful:
    • “I wish more people would be down to talk on the podcast about what y’all come to me about…” (18:54)
  • Despite challenges, he feels “an overwhelming sense of gratitude” for being trusted by the community.

6. Universal Lessons from Herpes, Dating, and Stigma

• The Blueprint of Experience (22:05):

  • Courtney draws parallels between working through herpes stigma and handling other life obstacles, stressing that the most helpful resolutions often have little to do with the actual topic (herpes, relationships, stigma).
  • He encourages listeners to recognize their own patterns and use those blueprints for healing.
    • Quote: “A lot of things that really help with relationships don’t have anything to do with relationships. A lot of the things that help for herpes don’t have anything to do with herpes.” (22:30)

• Support Call Insights: Recurring Patterns (24:00):

  • Many disclose that a relationship tied to their diagnosis wasn’t right for them; often, people went against their values at that time.
  • Courtney discusses the importance of aligning with one’s true identity and values.

7. The Nervous System Analogy & Herpes

• Stress and Physical Manifestations (26:10):
  • Using a “spider web” analogy, Courtney explains how various stressors can trigger herpes outbreaks by agitating the nervous system.
  • Shares his own experience: only three outbreaks over 12 years, correlating each outbreak with notable life stress or a health issue.
    • Quote: “It just wants to live in a calm nervous system… It’s not a good place for me to live. It’s telling you in a soft, gentle whisper, ‘Hey, take care of this.’” (27:30)

8. Embracing Rhythm, Seasons, and Self-Acceptance

• Finding Life Rhythm (32:10):
  • Courtney divides the year into “work, play, and rest” seasons, mapping his own balance accordingly.
• Letting Himself Shine & Anime Inspiration (36:20):
  • Drawing inspiration from the anime One Piece, he speaks about letting go of repression and embracing joy:
    • “I’m ashamed of how f***ing happy I am… I dumb that down. I’ve been letting myself smile more, start conversations with people… as buoyant as…” (36:25)
  • Acknowledges distancing from relationships and communities that are uncomfortable with his happiness.

9. Honoring Diversity and Inclusion in Support Work

• Making Space for All Experiences (40:50):
  • Reiterates the inclusive nature of SPFPP: it welcomes all backgrounds, perspectives, and sexual identities.
  • Reflects on his own role, especially how sharing his story as a man may help more men engage:
    • “I think the more I just talk about me and my experiences, the more men gravitate towards that.” (44:15)
  • Emphasizes that herpes "does not discriminate,” so the support environment shouldn’t either.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Joy as a Release:
  “It’s so much easier to release attachments from this place of joy…like I’m in this rhythm of life I’ve never been in before.” (06:05)

• On Moving Past Sadness:
  “I identified as being a person that is suffering and struggling… didn’t realize these were attachments that were being released.” (09:00)

• On Stopping Grant Applications:
  “I’m not applying for grants anymore…releasing that, it’s funny, because even just a couple of days after I made the decision, a new opportunity presented itself.” (15:41)

• On the Universal Lessons Hidden in Stigma:
  “A lot of things that really help with relationships don’t have anything to do with relationships. A lot of the things that help for herpes don’t have anything to do with herpes.” (22:30)

• On the Nature of Herpes and Stress:
  “It just wants to live in a calm nervous system.” (27:30)

• On Joy and Repressing Himself:
  “I’m ashamed of how f***ing happy I am… I dumb that down. I’ve been letting myself smile more…” (36:25)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Expressing Happiness as a Source of Shame – 01:30 to 05:00
• Practicing Release from a Place of Joy – 05:15 to 09:00
• Letting Go of Grant Pursuits, New Opportunities – 12:45 to 17:50
• Insights from Support Calls, Stigma, and Blueprint Analogy – 22:05 to 26:10
• Herpes, Nervous System, and Stress Triggers – 26:10 to 32:10
• Work, Play, Rest – Life Rhythm & Embracing Joy – 32:10 to 40:50
• Diversity, Inclusion, and Male Engagement – 40:50 to End

Tone and Language

The episode is raw, conversational, and full of self-reflection. Courtney uses casual, relatable language, shares stories and analogies, and maintains a tone that is both vulnerable and encouraging. His openness about discomfort with happiness, grief at letting go, and gratitude for community creates a warm, welcoming atmosphere.

Summary

In “Preaching What I Practice,” Courtney W. Brame invites listeners into his intimate process of self-discovery, moving from attachment to suffering toward embodied joy. He details the liberation of ceasing grant-seeking, the evolving direction of SPFPP, and the importance of aligning actions with authentic values. Through metaphors and honest storytelling, Courtney encourages others to embrace happiness, release attachments, and recognize the broader lessons embedded in the experience of herpes stigma. The episode ends as an affirmation that people from every background and life circumstance can find healing, connection, and empowerment in their journeys.