An Unscripted Woman Podcast: Recent Episodes
Lael Couper Jepson
A podcast for women wanting to live a more luminous life at the edge. I'm a feisty instigator of change, author of Unscripted: A Woman's Living Prayer, and the powerhouse behind SheChanges. I'm all about change powered by women. This is the place I let it rip, keep it real and riff aloud on all things change + women, starting with my own story, and hoping it ultimately intersects with and inspires your own.
Lael Couper Jepson as she dives into another conversation this season that centers on this one central question: What's on her mind?Episode 4 features a conversation between Lael and Jen Dean and it's rollicking good ride covering loads of topics that rarely reach the light of day between women—so you're welcome to overhear it. In the spirit of braiding three strands together to create some creative tension and play at the intersections of things, Jen brings in these three topics that are on her mind these days: SEEING (ourselves and each other) FREEDOM (breaking from convention, unschooling ourselves)COLLECTIVE WISDOM (tapping into the vegas nerve of humanity) —We talk about moving into the crone phase of our lives and how that has sharpened and deepened our vision. —We talk about those moments we have a foot in this world and a foot out of it—as we access our wisdom, play with our power, hone our intuition, and honor our instincts.—We talk about time—bending it, moving through it, our old/new stories about it, the experiences we've had, what we've been playing with recently and how to use it more powerfully.—We talk about religion and spirituality—from cults and conventional training to being a witch and reclaiming our divinity on our own terms. —We talk about how words have power and imagine what might be possible for the world if we talk about these things more openly—and why we don't.-We talk about the need to "unschool" ourselves—our children and our world—as a means to remember what we have forgotten and the call for leaders (women in particular) to "do power differently"—We talk about how storytelling, art and communities are the tools that will support us most because they are where we can be most free and feel safe to express our truth.—We talk about change being an "inside job" and the need to be true to ourselves, in integrity and aligned with our beliefs——because the way we treat ourselves is the way we treat others.It's thoughtful, emotional, insightful, and inspiring. Welcome to our conversation. We're happy to have you overhear it. Learn more about Lael at SheChanges https://shechanges.com/Learn more about Jen Dean at https://jendeanphoto.com/ or her Instagram at @jendeanportraitShow Notes: resources referencedWitch: Unleashed, Untamed, Unapologetic by Lisa ListerCassandra Speaks: When Women are the Storytellers, The Human Story Changes by Elizabeth LesserRaising Free People: Unschooling as Liberation and Healing Word by Akilah RichardsYour Elusive Creative Genius—TED talk by Elizabeth GilbertThe Artist Way by Julia CameronMother Night and Dangerous Old Woman by Clarissa Pinkola Estes
Lael Couper Jepson as she dives into another conversation this season that centers on this one central question: What's on her mind?More than an interview, this offers listeners the chance to "overhear" a conversation between two women as we look at the world through our eyes. Each episode features a different woman who brings three "threads" (or topics) her brain keeps braiding over and over again to make meaning in our world. We look at intersections, contradictions, and the frictions between them.Episode 3 features a conversation between Lael and Michelle (who elected to reveal that she is a 1:1 coaching client of Lael's). Michelle's 3 threads she brings are Education, Money, and Energy, and we weave these in conversation.—We talk about these three threads as the main tracks that run across our entire country right now, and how everything we're experiencing can be connected to them in some way.—We talk about the need to expand the definition of "education" to include how kids feel about themselves and how we show them they matter and are worthy.—We call out the incongruence between what we SAY we value (children) and what we ACTUALLY value (guns) in the United States and reflect on the money-making that keeps that a reality and gets in the way of change.—We give voice to what others are saying about living and traveling to the United States that we don't like to admit or acknowledge in this country. —We talk about what leadership from the place of love might look like in the corporate world, and what gets in the way of something so central to our humanity entering the workplace.-We talk about the power we hold as consumers and how to use it to affect change by choosing how and where to invest our time and money.—We talk about the need to invest more time, dollars and energy in future—which means investing in our children...their safety, their mental and physical well-being, their teachers and their education.—We reflect on change happening at the grassroots level as well as top down, especially as it relates to organizations.It's thoughtful, emotional, insightful, and inspiring. Welcome to our conversation. We're happy to have you overhear it. Learn more about Lael at SheChanges https://shechanges.com/Show Notes: resources referencedThe Nordic Theory of Everything by Anu PartanenWomen + Power article in O Magazine
Here's your chance to hear what's on her mind.Join Lael Couper Jepson on this season on An Unscripted Woman as she dives into thirteen intimate conversations with fascinating women centered on the one question: What's on her mind?More than an interview, this offers listeners the chance to "overhear" a conversation between two women as we look at the world through our eyes. Each episode features a different woman who brings three "threads" (or topics) her brain keeps braiding over and over again to make meaning in our world. We look at intersections, contradictions, and the frictions between them.Episode 2 features a conversation between Lael and May (who elected to maintain her privacy for this, using a different name). May’s 3 threads she brings are Loneliness, Service, and Mattering, and we weave these in conversation.—We talk about the raw capacity we have as humans to take what feels broken, disconnected, and fractured, and make something beautiful and strong from it—like that Japanese art form, Kintsugi. —This conversation was recorded right after Mother’s Day, and we reflect on the emotion (rage, grief, despair) of being “celebrated” in this moment in our history when women have lost our reproductive rights this past year. —We explore that fine line between feeling deeply of service and feeling consumed—how to know when you're there and what the difference is. —We talk a lot about community—why it matters, what it looks like, and how to get it—and also play with ideas we have to harness the power of it that we've not yet tried as a society. —We talk about what gives us hope and what keeps us sane in these weird and wild times we find ourselves in. It's thoughtful, emotional, insightful, and inspiring. Welcome to our conversation. We're happy to have you overhear it. Learn more about Lael at SheChanges shechanges.com/Show Notes: resources referencedValarie Kaur's book See No Stranger and TED talkDalia Lithwick's book: Lady JusticeThe Japanese art form: KintugiOn Being Podcast with Vivek MurthyTricia Hersey's book Rest as Resistance
Here's your chance to hear what's on her mind.Join Lael Couper Jepson on this season on An Unscripted Woman as she dives into thirteen intimate conversations with fascinating women centered on that one question: What's on her mind? More than an interview, this offers listeners the chance to "overhear" a conversation between two women as we look at the world through our eyes. Each episode features a different woman who brings three "threads" (or topics) her brain keeps braiding over and over again to make meaning in our world. We look at intersections, contradictions, and the frictions between them.Episode 1 features Megan Hellstedt, and she brings the threads of Economy, Nature, and Community to weave in conversation. —We talk about the lead story that's being buried among these three, the "externalities" to our economy that are anything but, how to stay sane when inertia is all around us—We discuss the ways in which leadership is happening at the margins, and the indigenous wisdom we can learn from—We explore the need to increase our capacity to be with complexity —We call out the reframe that "less is more", the conversations we're not having (by design), how our fear is misplaced, and how being a woman makes a difference in these conversations.Welcome to the inside of our heads—we’re happy to have you overhear this and hope it serves you in some way.Learn more about Lael at SheChanges https://shechanges.com/Learn more about Megan at NewEcoConsulting https://newecoconsulting.com/Show Notes: resources referencedKate Raworth's book Donut Economics and TED talkEarth Overshoot DayDavid Attenborough: A Life on Our PlanetJohann Hari and his book Stolen FocusIsabel Wilkerson's book Caste: The Origins of Our DiscontentsWabanaki Reach
Lael Couper Jepson shares a story on stage at SheSpeaks in December 2019 at One Longfellow Square, Portland, Maine. This live storytelling evening, hosted annually by Lael of SheChanges, features the stories of five women. The theme for this year is "Wellspring". In this story, Lael explores the question of how you get somewhere when you don't know where you're going. She shines a light on the power of getting lost, going rogue, and getting off the beaten path as a means to find and follow our own inner GPS system. "Proceed to the route", indeed.www.SheChanges.comPhoto Credit: Kelley Drew Photography
Kayla Lewis shares a story on stage at SheSpeaks in December 2019 at One Longfellow Square, Portland, Maine. In this live storytelling evening, hosted by Lael Couper Jepson of SheChanges, the stories of five women were featured speaking to the theme of "Wellspring". Kayla's deeply personal story considers the greater levels of power that can be found in the most unlikely of places. She explores how we might find our way forward by digging down into the depths of who we are. Kayla's story will reveal how serendipity and the world around us ask us to look deeper down inside ourselves for clues and answers—connecting us with not only ourselves, but with each other as a result. Her story is entitled: Dropping the Bucketwww.SheChanges.comPhoto Credit: Kelley Drew Photography
Lael Couper Jepson shares a story on stage at SheSpeaks in December 2019 at One Longfellow Square, Portland, Maine. The theme of this live annual storytelling evening, hosted by Lael of SheChanges and featuring the stories of women, is "Wellspring". This story of Lael's explores what it means to be naked—literally and figuratively—and how we can usher ourselves into the unknown, even as we're deeply uncomfortable. www.SheChanges.comPhoto Credit: Kelley Drew Photography
Gemma shares a story on stage at SheSpeaks in December 2019 at One Longfellow Square, Portland, Maine. In this live storytelling evening hosted by Lael Couper Jepson of SheChanges and featuring the stories of women, Gemma's deeply personal story on stage explores what it looks like to call on the Motherline and tap into the ancient, sacred lineage of the feminine. She imagines what would happen if women had the ability to awaken to our divinity and bring forth a magical power that could be used for the highest good. Gemma's story unearths what has been buried for too long—in ourselves and in our world—but is now undeniably here. Her story is entitled: The Red Thread.www.SheChanges.comPhoto Credit: Kelley Drew Photography
Lael Couper Jepson shares a story on stage at SheSpeaks in December 2019 at One Longfellow Square, Portland, Maine. This live storytelling evening featuring the stories of five women is hosted by Lael who is the emcee of the event. The theme for this SheSpeaks is "Wellspring" and in this story, Lael talks about the wisdom that lives deep down inside us that we often forget about—and can tap into to access and ignite our power. www.SheChanges.comPhoto Credit: Kelley Drew Photography
Benedita Zalabantu shares a story on stage at SheSpeaks in December 2019 at One Longfellow Square, Portland, Maine. In this live storytelling evening featuring the stories of women, Benedita's deeply personal story explores what it means to love yourself—truly and fully. She shines a light on the possibility of feeling comfortable in our own skin when we live in a world so filled with noise, judgement and hatred when it comes to women's bodies. Benedita's story shows how our inner struggles can help to shape our outer compassion, connecting us to ourselves and to others, even as we stand out, look different, and feel alone. Her story is entitled: And Then There Was Me.www.SheChanges.comPhoto Credit: Kelley Drew Photography
Lael Couper Jepson shares a story on stage at SheSpeaks in December 2019 at One Longfellow Square, Portland, Maine. In this live storytelling evening featuring the stories of women, Lael further weaves the theme of "Wellspring" throughout the five speakers, offering this story about how we are taught to "bury the girl"—an everything she represents—in ourselves as we age into woman. And then she talks about how we women eventually get out a shovel—and go dig her up, as a means to reclaim what we have most forgotten about ourselves.www.SheChanges.comPhoto Credit: Kelley Drew Photography
Joanna Horton McPherson takes the stage at SheSpeaks 2019, a two-day women's storytelling event in Portland, Maine hosted by Lael Couper Jepson of SheChanges.Joanna's story, entitled Going into the Layers, explores what it looks like to make space for truth to emerge when we can't plan what will happen next. This deeply personal story mines beneath the topic of vulnerability and illuminates what it's like to give voice to those things that live below the places we cannot touch, but can only sense—in the unknown. FMI www.SheChanges.comPhoto Credit: Kelley Drew Photography
Lael Couper Jepson sets the stage at One Longfellow Square in Portland, Maine for SheSpeaks 2019—two nights of women's storytelling centered on the theme of "Wellspring". In this first story of the evening, Lael shines a light on what she's learned about how to get in to the arena of what you don't know you don't know—and why that's important.FMI www.SheChanges.comPhoto Credit: Kelley Drew Photography
Kat Joyce shares a story on stage at SheSpeaks in December 2019 at One Longfellow Square, Portland, Maine. In this live storytelling evening featuring the stories of women, Kat's deeply personal story on stage explores what it would be like if we were to take off all the costumes and the armor we've been wearing. She considers what is left when we strip ourselves naked to reveal the full wattage of who we are. Kat's story will explore what happens when we call ourselves home, put our own skin back on, and align who we truly are on the inside with how we show up on with others on the outside. Her story is entitled: Getting Naked.[Listener note: this story contains references to sexual assault and rape, so it might hit close to the bone for those who have had similar traumatic experiences.]www.SheChanges.comPhoto Credit: Kelley Drew Photography
Season 5 of the Unscripted Woman podcast will be released in Summer 2023, and I'm really excited about it. It's called On Her Mind: Conversations with Thinking Women Feeling Our Way ForwardMy aim is to have these be like those conversations you love overhearing in airport lounges or plane terminals...the ones you move a little closer to because they're fascinating. We'll be playing at the intersections of some of the most complex conversations of our times—touching on topics like the environment, economy, education, white culture and racism, aging, death and dying, spirituality and religion, creativity, food systems, and government and politics. We'll be reflecting on what we've read, what keeps us up at night, and the places we go in our heads when we think about this world we're living in.But unlike the news, the aim of these conversations is to illuminate a larger web of understanding that connects all these distinct conversations. These conversations feel generous in that they are intimate and deeply personal—but also somehow universal. I hope this series offers a space—and a springboard—to inspire deeper levels of thought, conversation starters for the people in your world, and ultimately some fuel courageous action. At the very least, I hope listening to these helps you to not feel so alone.Here's a taste of why I'm doing it, what you can expect, and how I hope it serves. Learn more about Lael Couper Jepson and the work I do with women leaders at SheChanges at https://shechanges.com/
Originally aired in 2016, this podcast features Lael Couper Jepson reading an excerpt from her book: Unscripted: A Woman's Living Prayer and riffing more specifically on what she's learned about doing the dance of masculine and feminine energy in a woman's body. It's about assuming responsibility for all of who we are and inhabiting ourselves more wholly—our internal geography we roam, our contradictions, our too muchness, and our not enoughness. At its core, this is a story—and an invitation—to move more fluidly and color outside the lines of who we're told we should be. You can learn more about Lael Couper Jepson and the work she does over at https://shechanges.com/
Lael Couper Jepson's latest book, Ignite: Lighting the Leader Fire, was released on November 13, 2019. Part heat-seeking memoir and part fiery missive, Ignite is what it looks like when a woman taps into her power with her whole heart and unapologetically leads with all of who she is—without asking for permission or pausing to to explain why. Come and sample the opening chapter read by Lael—and bring your match. Because now is the time and this is your moment, which is also our moment.
Lael Couper Jepson's latest book, Ignite: Lighting the Leader Fire, was released on November 13, 2019. Part heat-seeking memoir and part fiery missive, Ignite is what it looks like when a woman taps into her power with her whole heart and unapologetically leads with all of who she is—without asking for permission or pausing to to explain why. Come and sample the opening chapter read by Lael—and bring your match. Because now is the time and this is your moment, which is also our moment.
Nadine Farag shares a story on stage at SheSpeaks in December 2018 at One Longfellow Square, Portland, Maine. As the final speaker of the first night of this annual women's storytelling evening hosted by SheChanges, Nadine's story is about her own personal revolution—one that had her examine the contractions that lie within herself, understand who she is on the inside, and who she is on the surface, and how to best to adorn that woman. Her story is entitled: The Vessel Of Self.
"After a lifetime of rule following...I walked into my advisor's at my doctoral program at Harvard, and I dropped out. I dropped out because I wanted to be wearing completely different clothes... I wanted to whole shebang of sartorial dressing to be at my disposal...this began a complicated and fraught process for me of unpacking what the word 'fashion' meant to me...and also other women." - Nadine Farag
http://www.shechanges.com/experiences-for-women/shespeaks-womens-speaking-series/upcoming-shespeaks/ Photo Credit: Melissa Mullen Photography
Lael Couper Jepson tells a story on stage at her annual women's storytelling series, SheSpeaks, in December 2018 at One Longfellow Square in Portland, Maine.
In this story, Lael shares a story about how sometimes the real value of something is hidden inside a crusty layer of shit. She speaks about her experiment to see if she could value and appreciate both the shit AND the gold in a surprising way.
"...It brought me to this place of appreciating the need for outfitting as well as adorning...When I outfit myself, I'm ready for a street fight—that's my amour. But when I adorn myself..feel the regal nature of that word? That's me assuming the throne of my life..." - Lael Couper Jepson
FMI: www.shechanges.com/experiences-for…ming-shespeaks/ Photo credit: Melissa Mullen Photography
Lyn Carter shares a story on stage at SheSpeaks in December 2018 at One Longfellow Square, Portland, Maine. Building off an ancient story of the Fox and The Star, Lyn's story at this this annual women's storytelling evening, hosted by SheChanges, is about knowing who we are, and where we came from so that we might re-member all the pieces of ourselves—to learn how to put all of our pieces together when it's hard. Her story is entitled: Women's Ways of Knowing.
"That rootedness has helped me in times of my life that were hard—and set me on a journey. ...and while I don't have any magic wand, I know that my next steps are to work to empower women as the best that we can, and go back and reach those stories...bring them forward into modern day, and start to create a picture. I want stories that I can tell my grandchildren that are ours, and all of yours as well." - Lyn Carter, SheSpeaks 2018
http://www.shechanges.com/experiences-for-women/shespeaks-womens-speaking-series/upcoming-shespeaks/ Photo Credit: Melissa Mullen Photography
Lael Couper Jepson tells a story on stage at her annual women's storytelling series, SheSpeaks, in December 2018 at One Longfellow Square in Portland, Maine.
Using the Game Of Life board game as a metaphor, Lael talks about the rules we are taught about life—the ones that are generally not ours, nor were they designed with us in mind—only benefit those who are set up to "win." She offers up some new rules she's crafted for herself, borrowing this one from Monica Lewinsky: "No one can tell me I am not a reliable narrator of my own life."
"My relationship with rules has been rather loud, and I've had lots of consequences for that. But I find with every year I live my life...I'm getting louder, which is saying something, because I was loud before..." - Lael Couper Jepson
FMI: www.shechanges.com/experiences-for…ming-shespeaks/ Photo credit: Melissa Mullen Photography
Corinne shares a story on stage at SheSpeaks in December 2018 at One Longfellow Square, Portland, Maine. The story Corinne tells at this this annual women's storytelling evening, hosted by SheChanges, plays at the intersections of motherhood, identity, and creativity. Her story is entitled: Water Witching.
"For all I gained by becoming a mother, there is plenty that I've lost. ...like a big 'ole dump truck full of expectations and anxiety and overwhelm, just fucking unloaded all over who I was...all over my creative source, my creative practice...it just poured it on, packed it tight, and smoothed it over until I no longer recognized the landscape." - Corinne Mockler, SheSpeaks 2018
Please note: the audio on Corinne's is a bit lower, so you might need to adjust accordingly...
http://www.shechanges.com/experiences-for-women/shespeaks-womens-speaking-series/upcoming-shespeaks/ Photo Credit: Melissa Mullen Photography
Lael Couper Jepson tells a story on stage at her annual women's storytelling series, SheSpeaks, in December 2018 at One Longfellow Square in Portland, Maine.
In this story, Lael talks about the "red light moments" of life when the dashboard alerts you something is amiss, and how these are the moments of the unknown where women start to get really resourceful...and busy.
"When the red lights go on on our dash, we reach for the answer as if there is an answer....Intellectually we know there's no owner's manual for living a human life...but there are just so many unknowns...The holy grail is inside us, but so often we reach outside ourselves for the answer..." - Lael Couper Jepson
FMI: http://www.shechanges.com/experiences-for-women/shespeaks-womens-speaking-series/upcoming-shespeaks/ Photo credit: Melissa Mullen Photography
Louisa Irele shares her story on stage at SheSpeaks in December 2018 at One Longfellow Square, Portland, Maine. Louisa's story at this annual women's storytelling evening, hosted by SheChanges, is about learning to love yourself and tell yourself that you belong—you deserve to be here—as a means of decide how to be in the world. Especially when you're emotionally busy. Her story is : My Queendom.
"We can't truly see anybody else's story—we have to have them tell it to us, and we have to be able to hear it and listen to it. My story is important because it says a lot about how I move through space...I spend a lot of time in spaces where it's really, really visually obvious that I'm different...which means that I spend a lot of time in spaces that I exist in thinking that everybody around me is wondering..do I belong..." - Louisa Irele, SheSpeaks 2018
http://www.shechanges.com/experiences-for-women/shespeaks-womens-speaking-series/upcoming-shespeaks/ Photo Credit: Melissa Mullen Photography
Lael Couper Jepson tells a story on stage at her annual women's storytelling series, SheSpeaks, in December 2018 at One Longfellow Square in Portland, Maine.
In this story, Lael speaks to the power of making art as a means to figure herself out:
"I just keep making shit as I go—sometimes it's good shit, and sometimes it's bad shit—but that's how I figure out everything. It's my go-to interface and how I make meaning in my world...and there's no roof on me anymore...I'm just constantly conjuring..." - Lael Couper Jepson
FMI: http://www.shechanges.com/experiences-for-women/shespeaks-womens-speaking-series/upcoming-shespeaks/ Photo credit: Melissa Mullen Photography
Anne Morin shares a story on stage at SheSpeaks in December 2018 at One Longfellow Square, Portland, Maine. As the first speaker of this annual women's storytelling evening, hosted by SheChanges, Anne brought the full house to its feet with her story: Whispers Under The Words.
"After years and years of listening to other people's subtext, and hearing and trying to tease out their truth, and their opinions...I suddenly looked around and realized that I had kind of gone mute to my own opinions, and a little deaf to my own subtext..." - Anne Morin, SheSpeaks 2018
http://www.shechanges.com/experiences-for-women/shespeaks-womens-speaking-series/upcoming-shespeaks/ Photo Credit: Melissa Mullen Photography
An excerpt from Lael Couper Jepson at SheSpeaks 2018, sharing a story at her women's storytelling series at One Longfellow Square in Portland, Maine. This story bit frames the overall theme for the storytelling series: Sovereign.
"Being sovereign for me, now, isn't about being possessed...it's about being in FULL possession of everything I am, everything I see, everything I feel, everything I know to be true for me." - Lael Couper Jepson
FMI: http://www.shechanges.com/experiences-for-women/shespeaks-womens-speaking-series/upcoming-shespeaks/ Photo credit: Melissa Mullen Photography
In this episode of An Unscripted Woman, I weave together some stories and riff on the themes of the urgency of our times, and how it is calling many of us to speak more clearly (plainly) and get naked with our truth —even if it makes us uncomfortable, is inconvenient, or unpopular. Even if you feel vulnerable and not ready. Even if you're wondering if you're the "right" person for the job. And with all that, I'll also speak to the things women are doing to stay rooted amidst the gale-force winds of these times—so we can stay whole and sane as we are deeply of service.
Links referenced in this episode:
In Her Words w/SheChanges http://www.shechanges.com/experiences-for-women/in-her-words-5-week-writing-experience/ (please note: this experience is now full for 2019)
Witch Ways: You're Not Crazy, You're a Woman https://www.gofundme.com/shechanges-book-2-powered-by-women
Layla Saad https://www.meandwhitesupremacybook.com/
Greta Thunberg at Davos https://www.theguardian.com/science/video/2019/jan/25/i-want-you-to-panic-16-year-old-greta-thunberg-issues-climate-warning-at-davos-video
A tasty morsel of an advance chapter from Lael Couper Jepson's upcoming book, Witch Ways, due to be released this summer. Go ahead, give it a listen...
FMI: check out the story behind how this book is super-powered by women and the SheChanges community https://www.gofundme.com/shechanges-book-2-powered-by-women
A sneak peak, advance sampling of a chapter from Lael Couper Jepson's upcoming second book, Witch Ways, due to be released this summer.
FMI: check out the story behind how this book is super-powered by women and the SheChanges community https://www.gofundme.com/shechanges-book-2-powered-by-women
An early release, sneaky sampling of a chapter from Lael Couper Jepson's upcoming book, Witch Ways, due to be released this summer. Go ahead...try it on for size...
FMI: check out the story behind how this book is super-powered by women and the SheChanges community https://www.gofundme.com/shechanges-book-2-powered-by-women
Another bite-sized, early taste of Lael Couper Jepson's soon to be released second book...go ahead, give it a listen.
FMI: check out the story behind how this book is super-powered by women and the SheChanges community https://www.gofundme.com/shechanges-book-2-powered-by-women
A sneak-peak, advance taste of Lael Couper Jepson's second book, due to be released in July 2019.
FMI: check out the story behind how this book is super-powered by women and the SheChanges community https://www.gofundme.com/shechanges-book-2-powered-by-women
In this episode, I shine a light on the very thing we are trained not to look at in ourselves as women: Anger. And in doing so, my invitation is a call to let it out more, to listen to it, and to actually leverage it as rocket fuel to create change, rather than have it stew and sour inside us creating shame and ultimately disconnection and dis-ease. I explore the difference between anger (which is natural energy) and violence (which is harmful action), and play with my own desire to actually practice anger rather than doing what I'm told to do as a woman: "manage" it, hide it, or pretend it doesn't exist. The riff at the end of this episode shares my most recent reflections on this in light of the Women's Marches that happened all over the world on Inauguration Day this past January 20th.
This episode explores what lives inside each of — our essence — and is an invitation to live from that place with more intention. You'll hear about many of my stories that finally had me grab onto, own, and ultimately embody the part of me I had feared most. The part people could see and sense the minute they met me, but the part I felt compelled to hide or tightly manage. At its core, this chapter is a call to action — to come out from behind ourselves and live life as we are, not as we think (of have been told)we should be.
This episode examines how often many of us feel alone when we're surrounded by a crowd of people — like you're the only one that thinks and feels a certain way, and everyone else has it "together" and "figured out". It also examines the shame that can bubble up inside ourselves in those situations("what's wrong with you!?") that can have us withdraw even further — from others and from our own truth. At the core of this episode is a personal look at my own relationship to anger — then and now — and how I have sought to shuck the shame, while also leveraging it as fuel for my fire. For anyone who thinks your alone in this or who feels like people might not be able to "handle you" if you let that energy out/show more...this one's for you.
This episode explores the default so many of us have around "bearing down" on something we want to make happen — which means reckoning with our love affair of control, being busy, moving fast, and being "productive". At the core of it, there is an invitation to become more efficient with how we move through life — balancing periods of pushing with periods of yielding — and trusting in ourselves enough to honor both instincts and guidance to propel us forward.
This episode is about my long-overdue reclamation of a part of myself that was both my greatest strength and secret shame: my competitive spirit. In this chapter, I unpack all the rules that had me moving carefully — as if by a script — and holding myself full self back. But more than that, this is a story about alchemy — and how choosing to consciously burn off shame can offer access to even deeper reservoirs of personal power.
This episode unpacks my own story of competition, and explores how it tends to get a bad rap among women. It also looks at how our competitive spirit (ambition, drive, intensity, desire) can be a thin and tricky line to walk as women — triggering us to dampen, dumb down, or diminish ("play small" or "shrink") what is sometimes our greatest strength. This is my story of discovering how I was participating in my own shrinkage in this regard...and in how healing that shame and more fully owning the entirety of who I am is helping me to not only be more compassionate with myself — but also is greatly diminishing my experiences of judgement and disconnect from others.
This is the first chapter that I really dig into the stories of masculine energy and my experience of it as a woman. In doing so, I also explore how I wasn't able to even get to that conversation with myself until I really started to sit with my identity as a woman and how I had essentially dissociated from from that until my first pregnancy "outted me" and forced my hand. This is the story about how I actively participated in my own shame, and how once I could face it - with compassion - I was able to more fully access and leverage some of my favorite parts of myself.
This episode gets at the heart of what I mean when I say "luminous living" — it's about allowing ourselves to live the fullest RANGE of who we are, and in doing so amping up our wattage so that we are able to shine more brightly in the world. I also spend time exploring the value of "mustering" as a means to both honor and ready ourselves for making a courageous or bold move and talk about the tools I use (for myself and my clients) that help me grease the skids when I am most resistant or scared to move out of my comfort zone.
In this episode, I do my damnedest to drill down to the nitty gritty details of defining the masculine and the feminine for myself. In the process, I highlight why that process/conversation is so hard to have — with ourselves AND with others — and how easy it is to avoid it all together. I also shine a light on why I see it as one of the most central conversations of our time, and make a case (if for no one else than myself) for why differentiating and defining masculine and feminine energies within ourselves is at the heart of living and leading a more luminous life.
This episode looks at the ways we can SEE ourselves more clearly as women — and how the missing pieces of our self perception can inadvertently contribute to dimming our own lights and not showing up fully as we are. Embedded in this episode is an invitation to actively contribute our own visibility — first to ourselves, and then to each other — as a means to embody the fullest expression of our worth and more freely share our gifts (which adds value to how we live/lead).
This episode explores the hidden gems that lurk in the messy detritus of a life - and invites readers to put on some mud boots and dig in to the discomfort that can so easily be stepped over. At the heart of this topic is a call to examine all the data points inside ourselves — the good, the bad, and the often the ugly — as a means to shine a light on and validate our desire so that we can ultimately muster the courage to intentionally disrupt the status quo to get where we want to go.
This is Episode #2 of kickoff season for my podcast, An Unscripted Woman. After setting the stage for this latest creative endeavor of mine (hint: it's my response to the request I hear so often: When will the audio version of your book be released?), I jump right in by reading the first chapter (Unscripted) of my book Unscripted: A Woman's Living Prayer. I conclude by riffing a bit on what I've noticed, learned, experienced since writing that chapter.
Note: Weekly episodes will begin starting in September 2016, with each episode corresponding to the next subsequent chapter of my book. If you'd like to follow along, follow me on Soundcloud, subscribe to the feed via iTunes, or look for each episode posted on my blog or the SheChanges page on Facebook. FMI: www.shechanges.com/ To order my book and read along: amzn.to/2a6tTdk
This is the kickoff episode for my podcast, An Unscripted Woman. After setting the stage for this latest creative endeavor of mine (hint: it's my response to the request I hear so often: When will the audio version of your book be released?), I jump right in by reading the beginning chapter (An Invocation) of my book Unscripted: A Woman's Living Prayer. I conclude by riffing a bit on what I've noticed, learned, experienced since writing that chapter.
Note: Weekly episodes will begin starting in September 2016, with each episode corresponding to the next subsequent chapter of my book. If you'd like to follow along, follow me on Soundcloud, subscribe to the feed via iTunes, or look for each episode posted on my blog or the SheChanges page on Facebook. FMI: http://www.shechanges.com/ To order my book and read along: http://amzn.to/2a6tTdk
