Embracing Intensity

This week I get to share the talk from our March guest call is on Honoring Your Sensitivity with Leah Walsh. You can find the full discussion and video in the Embracing Intensity Community!

In Sanskrit there are 96 words for love. I seriously wish we had that many words in English for the word sensitivity! A word whose origins mean "capable of feeling and sensation," what does being sensitive mean in today's culture?

Join us for this creative exploration of sensitivity, how sensitivity is a shared trait across neurodivergent experiences, and how curiosity and community can help in honoring your own sensitivity.

About Leah:

Leah Walsh (she/her) is motivated by one desire: to support conscious and creative people to uncover their unique potential and bring that light into the world. Leah sees every human as a beautiful and unique flower in life's garden, but being your own flower can be hard work! It means cultivating a strong mind, deep roots, and a clear heart to allow your flower to grow, adapt, & bloom. Leah's work as a Life Coach supports people to do just this. Her signature coaching programs support highly sensitive, neurodivergent, and introverted leaders to ground their confidence, cultivate deep-rooted belonging and awaken their unique impact. To learn more about Leah's work, visit leahkwalsh.com

Links:

Embracing Intensity Community

Free Workbook on Harnessing the Power of Your Intensity

Leah's Website

Future Embracing Intensity Events

Today's show focuses on support for highly sensitive and introverted leaders. Join us to learn more!

Leah Walsh is a speaker and life coach who is motivated by the desire to support conscious and creative people in uncovering their potential and bringing their light into the world. Leah sees every human as a beautiful and unique flower in life's garden, but she knows that being your own flower can be hard work. It means cultivating a strong mind, deep roots, and a clear heart to allow your flower to grow, adapt, and bloom. Leah's work as a life coach supports people in these ways. Her signature coaching programs support highly sensitive, neuro-divergent, and introverted leaders to ground their confidence, cultivate deep-rooted belonging, and awaken their unique impact.

Show Highlights:

• Why Leah is intensely passionate about staying grounded, exploring belonging, and speaking truth with honesty and love
• How Leah grew up in a very neurodivergent family where her parents were supportive of the differences in the way their kids were wired
• How the culture of service in Leah's family gave her a profound capacity to feel empathy for others and have a strong bond and connection to the land where she lives
• How Leah feels and connects through relationships
• How Leah had to tone herself down when she didn't have the language to describe what she was going through
• Why she found ways to give herself permission to be real and authentic
• How journaling helps Leah identify what she is feeling
• Why it's important to tune into your body
• How Leah uses her fire for good in her life coaching practice
• Why self-compassion is essential in Leah's practice as a life coach
• How Leah works as a "shame extractor"
• How Leah helps others use their own fire by using the acronym DOES
• How COVID has cracked open new possibilities
• How Leah resonates with neurodiversity and how we embrace our beauty and intensity

Resources:

Leah K. Walsh

Visit Leah's website for more information on her seasonal meetup, The Brave Intender Club.

This week's episode is a fairly quick one as I got inspired for a new project this week and went down a hyper focus rabbit hole for days!

In this episode:

• Update on my latest project & upcoming course.
• Do it yourself mentality.
• Being a maker, not a marketer.

Links:

Free Harness Your Power Workbook

Adult Learning Assessment

Embracing Intensity Community

Community Events Calendar

Today's guest launched into the world of twice-exceptionality because of the unique strengths and challenges that came with parenting her two sons, now teenagers. Her work now meets the needs of kids like her sons, along with helping other parents and educators through her therapy practice, support groups, and parenting programs. Join us to learn more!

Debbie Steinberg Kuntz is the founder of the Bright & Quirky Summit, which features fantastic guest speakers and leading experts on "everything twice-exceptional" for parents and educators. Debbie is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist who specializes in twice-exceptional (2E) kids and families. Her annual Bright & Quirky Child Online Summit attracts over 15,000 people from 95 countries, and the 2021 version is coming up in just a few days. It's a free resource, and you can sign up now by using the link in our Resources section below.

Show Highlights:

• Why Debbie is intensely passionate about unlocking the world of twice-exceptionality
• Why Debbie's relationship with intensity borders on workaholism and being "tenacious to the point of imbalance"
• How intensity affected her family as she grew up, and why she readily recognizes the strengths and challenges of twice-exceptionality in parenting her two children
• As a parent, Debbie looks for teachers who have raised boys before
• How Debbie wants to empower parents in the way they view their child against our cookie-cutter educational system
• How Debbie learned to embrace uniquely wired people as a Jew growing up in America
• How parents can talk to their kids about being 2E
• What Debbie has discovered about the line between asynchronous development and twice-exceptionality
• Why Debbie is a huge fan of neuropsychological assessments
• Her advice for parents about finding professional help
• How Debbie harnesses the power of her intensity through the polyvagal theory and asks, "Why?" and "Why now?"
• Debbie's best advice about parenting comes from Kristin Neff, who says, "Talk to yourself like you would talk to a best friend."
• How Debbie helps others use their fire by teaching them to pursue the intersection of what they are good at and what they enjoy
• The Bright & Quirky Summit 2021, coming in a few days; it features 29 experts tackling the timely theme of "Taming the Overwhelm"

Resources:

Debbie's website: Bright And Quirky

Sign up for the March 8-12, 2021 summit

Find out about last year's summit: Bright And Quirky

I'm excited to share our first guest call for the 2021 season in the Embracing Intensity Community with Brendan Mahan, of ADHD Essentials, on the Wall of Awful!

From Brendan's website:

"Everyone fails. Some, like those with executive function challenges, fail more than others.

Each failure brings negative emotions – guilt, disappointment. These smaller emotions become stronger feelings of anxiety, shame and even loneliness if one is repeatedly rejected because of their errors. Each time these negative emotions are experienced, another brick is placed into that person's Wall of Awful.

The Wall of Awful is the emotional barrier that prevents us from initiating tasks and taking the risks necessary to make reach our goals. It is the emotional consequence of having ADHD and it must be understood to be overcome.

Let me help you climb your Wall of Awful™.

Get the free e-book "5 Ways to Overcome The Wall of Awful" here!"

In this episode:

• Who is Brendan?
• What is the Wall of Awful?
• How do we get past the Wall of Awful?
• Brendan's perspective on ADHD
• Being a leader and creating your own narratives around neurodiversity.

Links:

Brendan's Website

Embracing Intensity Community

Free Harnessing the Power of Your Intensity Workbook

I found today's guest in a most unusual place! It was on TikTok that I first noticed her work with gifted and twice-exceptional people, and I knew I had to get her on the show.

Dr. Kimberly Douglass is president and CEO of Remote Learning Solutions. She coaches neurodivergent PhDs/EdDs on the personal, social, and technical aspects of career and entrepreneurship. In addition to moving clients from deficit-based to strengths-based thinking, she helps PhDs/EdDs develop content across a range of subjects. She helps clients deliver content in the form of ebooks, online courses, workbooks, journals, workshops, and more. Dr. Douglass bases her coaching practice on five values: empathy, justice, love, neurodiversity, and purpose. She worked in higher education for over 17 years in various roles and earned a PhD in political science in 2009 and tenured in Information Sciences in 2016 at the University of Tennessee Knoxville. Her teaching and scholarship have developed at the intersection of information science and political behavior.

Show Highlights:

• Why Kimberly is intensely passionate about coaching and mentoring neurodivergent adults
• How the same issues in our schools with kids are showing up for adults in the workplace
• Why people are taught to believe in a fake meritocracy
• How giftedness means different things for different people
• How Kimberly's personal brand of intensity is thinking about things in different ways, deep thoughts and issues that can turn into depression, and loving information and data
• Growing up, Kimberly felt her intensity through acting goofy and humorous and always being presentable to white culture
• The distinction between management and leadership
• Cultural factors that affected Kimberly as she grew up in a black Baptist church, being told that she "shouldn't speak up for herself," and seeing Christianity as a tool of enslavement
• How Kimberly had to tune herself out and tone herself down when she worked at a university with mean, accusatory people
• Why she feels her intensity getting out of control when she feels dismissed or undervalued
• What made Kimberly take a different look at herself and her son regarding giftedness
• How she uses her fire for good in believing people
• Habits that help Kimberly harness the power of her intensity are tools that organize her thoughts and life
• How she helps others use their fire for good by trying to be neutral and helping people look for affirmation, values, principles, mission, and goals
• Kimberly's advice: "Take the risk. Find someone who will help you take the risk. Realize that not moving and standing still is also risky; it's just risky in a different way."

Resources:

Website: Dr. Kimberly Douglass

Facebook: Kimberly Douglass

TikTok: Dr. Kimberly Douglass

I've been hearing a lot more comments lately along the lines of "I relate to your work, but I'm not really gifted." In this episode of Embracing Intensity, I discuss why gifted folks might not recognize their own gifts and some resources to explore if you suspect you might be gifted.

In this episode:

• 5 Reasons gifted folks might not think they are really gifted.
• My own experience and why I actually believed it despite underachievement.
• 3 of my favorite books & resources to explore potential giftedness.

Links:

Your Rainforest Mind, Paula Prober

The Gifted Adult, Mary-Elaine Jacobsen PsyD

Searching For Meaning, James Webb

Embracing Intensity Community

Free Workbook on Harnessing the Power of Your Intensity

I'm excited to share today's show with you. My guest has an interesting perspective as an obviously gifted person who has dyslexia. Her experience is fascinating, but there is so much more to her story and work. Join us!

Brenda Bryan is a kickass inspirational speaker and The Diviner of Human Potential. As a transformational coach and Mastermind facilitator, she supports women to unmask and nurture their genius, empowering them to live in the strength of their passion. Teaching through the Raise Your Voice Speaker's Club, one-on-one workshops, and stages around the country, Brenda demonstrates authentic, warm-hearted humor with a deep wealth of knowledge of the importance of communication in feminine power. Brenda began working in her passion of building community and supporting women in the early 70s. Graduating with a degree in communications, she became active in the women's movement. Through her activism, she acquired lasting skills in group processing, facilitation, and leadership. She facilitates ritual and teaches sacred art through drum-making and other creative works. For the past 45 years, Brenda has continued to build her toolkit to support women's empowerment. Most recently, she was inspired to be the founder and CEO of It Must Be Said Productions, which is a platform for stories that need telling, a venue for social change. She believes the weaving together of creativity, innovation, and invention invites future visioning.

Show Highlights:

• Why Brenda is intensely passionate about feminism, helping women claim their place at the table, communication, ritual, and loving and nurturing ourselves
• Why Brenda's personal brand of intensity involves anger over injustices and inequalities in our social order and environment, along with radical self-care and a questioning of authority
• Why Brenda wasn't well-liked as she grew up because she would speak up and call people out
• Her learning challenges included trouble with reading, spelling, and writing due to dyslexia and being told she wasn't "smart enough"
• How Brenda has seen positive outcomes from her journey with new possibilities as a creative thinking problem solver
• How bigotry and prejudice against gay relationships set a tone for how and where she expressed herself
• How Brenda had to reinvent how she shows up and expresses herself in a "conscious becoming"
• How her intensity gets out of control when it's heightened in relationships when boundaries are violated, but she has learned to manage and direct her passion and anger
• How Brenda uses her fire to help other women who are looking to become more
• How Brenda harnesses the power of her intensity with consistency of thought as she evolves as a human who adventures and takes risks in becoming
• How the personal habits of meditation, drumming, ritual, and spending time in nature help Brenda
• The best advice she ever received is two-part: "Stand up when you fall down," and "There are no mistakes, only opportunities to learn."
• Books that have influenced Brenda: Learning to Heal Yourself by Louise Hay, The Artist's Way by Julia Cameron, and Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill
• How Brenda helps others by loving people where they are and helping them go where they want to go
• Parting words from Brenda: "Embrace your intensity. There is an infinite purpose in who you are and what you bring to the table."

Resources:

Connect with Brenda:

www.brendarbryan.com

Email: [email protected]

Phone: 503-728-8700

A couple of weeks ago I participated in an event called Camp ADHD, where folks around the world shared talks and discussion on topics related to ADHD. I spoke about twice-exceptionality, specifically as it relates to ADHD, and the topic seemed to resonate with a lot of folks, so I decided ot share it on the podcast as well!

In this episode:

• Why the topic of twice exceptionality is important to me.
• Why it's important to talk about twice exceptionality.
• Why it often goes overlooked.
• How to recognize when you might be both gifted and ADHD.
• Common themes from assessing 2E ADHD students.
• Strategies that might help if you fit this profile.

Links:

Camp ADHD on YouTube

Embracing Intensity Community

Free Workbook on Harnessing the Power of Your Intensity

My guest today is twice exceptional and was recently diagnosed with ADHD. She's super vocal about many things, including social justice, dressing up as Elsa for storytime, and showcasing her great style. Fortunately for me, she lives in my area, so I hope to meet her in person very soon!

Dusti Arab is an entrepreneur and writer who leads the reinvention co., a boutique marketing agency specializing in building platforms and courses for mission-driven women. Dusti is currently writing a book, Braver Than Before: A Roadmap for Investigating Big Life Changes.

Show Highlights:

• How Dusti is intensely passionate about--everything she believes in! She loves to make sure people have access to what they need, including music and art
• Her personal brand of intensity includes being opinionated, drawing the right people closer, and setting boundaries
• How Dusti's late ADHD diagnosis and twice-exceptionality manifested themselves in her drive to be an overachiever
• Why Dusti's company is called the reinvention co.
• How Dusti grew up in Oregon, in a very white, very backwoods family in which race issues weren't acceptable to talk about
• How Dusti loved to escape into another person through musical theater
• How she looked for other role models other than her mother and even tried a conservative Baptist church that resulted in her atheistic views
• How her intensity was out of control in her erratic job history and string of unfinished business projects
• How she went through postpartum depression, which resulted in the most intensity in her life
• How Dusti uses her fire for good in working with people and firms who help women and minorities get elected, along with bridging gaps caused by systematic injustice
• How Dusti learned to manage herself through a productivity system
• How Dusti is busy finishing the first draft of her book
• Personal habits that help with her intensity are getting enough exercise and time-blocking
• Regarding advice, Dusti admits that she was told a lot of things over the years that weren't true--and she realizes it now
• Books that were helpful for Dusti: The Awakening by Kate Chopin and Everything in its Place by Dan Charnas
• How Dusti works as an amplifier and connector to build a platform to help women spread their big ideas
• Dusti's upcoming event on January 22

Resources:

Find out more about Dusti and her work: The Reinvention

Course Mentioned on this Friday: Course Created Live