January 21, 2025

#138: There's A Lot Of Shame In Admitting, "This Is Really Hard": A Conversation On Motherhood With NYT Bestselling Author & Kidnap Survivor Jessica Buchanan

56 minutes

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In this monumental episode, we sit down with Jessica Buchanan—kidnapping survivor, New York Times bestselling author, and advocate for women’s empowerment—to delve into her extraordinary journey of navigating motherhood in the wake of unimaginable trauma.

Jessica shares her motherhood journey as chronicled in the 3rd book of her anthology series, Deserts to Mountaintops. Despite surviving 93 days as a hostage in Somalia before being rescued by a U.S. Navy SEAL team ordered by President Obama, Jessica reveals that motherhood was the experience that truly shook her to her core.

"It wasn't actually the kidnapping and rescue that had rocked my world so much: it was motherhood."

Jessica’s vulnerability in addressing the complexities of motherhood resonates deeply. She sheds light on the shame many women feel about their struggles in motherhood and how society conditions us to “shame ourselves into gratitude." Through her story, Jessica gives permission to mothers everywhere to acknowledge their hardships without guilt.

We also explore:

The Consequences of Ignoring Intuition: Jessica reveals how ignoring her intuition led to life-altering consequences and explains why trusting our inner voice is vital for reclaiming our power.
Distinguishing Intuition from Anxiety: Together, we unpack the fragile line between intuition and intrusive thoughts, offering strategies to discern one from the other.
Reclaiming Our Voices: Jessica explains why solitude and stillness are essential to reconnecting with our inner wisdom and building a life aligned with our true selves.
Motherhood Without Self-Abandonment: Jessica introduces us to the revolutionary concept of the “good enough mother,” inspired by Winnicott, and emphasizes the importance of living a life that’s yours too.

About Jessica:
Jessica has been named one of the ‘150 Women Who will Shake the World’ by Newsweek, and her story was the most highly viewed 60 Minutes episode to air, to date. Jessica is a highly sought after inspirational speaker and her TEDx Pearl Street talk, ‘Change is Your Proof of Life’ has been the foundation for which she travels the world, inspiring audiences to access their resilience by identifying their own autonomy and chance in the middle of their own life-changing event

As the founder of Soul Speak Press, she empowers women to reclaim their narratives through writing. Her upcoming anthology, Deserts to Mountaintops: The Pilgrimage of Motherhood, launching January 25th, 2025, is a testament to the strength of women’s voices and the healing power of shared stories.

If you’re in Colorado, don’t miss the chance to join Stace and Steph live for Reclamation: The Fempi

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By Stacey Hutson & Stephanie Sprenger

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