Embracing Intensity

Do you know kids living on the fringes? Kids living on the fringes are the passion of today’s guest, Heather Boorman. Heather is a writer, public speaker, podcaster and  Licensed Clinical Social Worker. Heather is the founding member and therapist at Boorman Counseling, LLC in Western Wisconsin. Additionally, Heather serves on the Board of Directors for the Wisconsin Association for the Gifted and Talented. Heather will be speaking with Aurora at the San Diego Emotional Needs of the Gifted  (SENG) Conference in July.

Heather is the co-host of the Fringy Bit Podcast and has a book, The Gifted Needs Workbook, coming out August 1. I hope to have some copies available for pre-release at the SENG Conference. Heather is a homeschool mom to three fringy kids which further fuels her advocacy for kids living on the fringes.

More in this episode: 

• Being real is freeing!

• Chances are that you contributed to the giftedness of your children.

• Claim your own giftedness.

• Until we can model our giftedness, misperceptions by others will continue to exist.

• Confidence comes from really knowing yourself; faults and positive traits.

• Intensity for adults may mean going “full in”. 

• Gifted children may process themselves inwardly.

• Internal intensity may make deep connections with others difficult.

• Children need the security to be/express themselves.

• Culture may inhibit one’s ability to express himself. 

• Mindfulness helps me have peace and calm.

• Introverts need personal time to be able to focus on themselves.

• The Fringy Bit Podcast helps you to you understand your own/ kids’ fire.

• Everyone struggles with doubts and fears.

Resources:

How to donate to help keep the podcast going via Patreon: 

The Fringy Bit Podcast 

The Fringy Bit Episode with Aurora

SENG Conference 

Boorman Counseling 

Wherever You Go, There You Are, by Jon Kabat-Zinn

Living With Intensity, by Susan Daniels and Michael M. Piechowski

Self Reg, by Dr. Stuart Shanker

Connect with Heather:

Facebook

Do you often find yourself questioning your own gifts? This week on Embracing Intensity, I talk about how many of the most gifted are often the ones most full of doubts. 

In this episode:

• I share different ways imposter syndrome manifests itself. 
• How many of the most unhappy people I know are gifted people who did not have their needs met. 
• Why it's important to talk about giftedness so that others can connect and learn about themselves. 

Resources:

The Fringy Bit Podcast with Me

Find Your Superpower Course

Retreat Planner

Do you worry that if you say what you really think, you wouldn't be being nice? This week on Embracing Intensity, I talk about why instead of worrying about being nice, what we should really focus on is being kind.

In this episode, I talk about: 

• The definitions of nice and kind. 
• Why we should stop trying to be nice. 
• How to shift to being kind instead. 

Resources:

Find Your Superpower Course

Retreat Planner

To support you in your journey of self-exploration, I put together this free retreat planner to help you create your own self-guided retreat. 

Visit my Embracing Intensity Patreon Page to join in the conversation and receive more tools for self-exploration!

You have a gift that the world needs, and by embracing your intensity, you are on your way to transforming lives. Sometimes, all it takes for us to fully embrace our intensity is simply to act. My guest today took that step both figuratively and literally.

I am so excited to bring today’s guest, Shannon Milliman, to your ears. Shannon has fully embraced the power of her intensity, and she is on a mission to inspire through her larger-than-life personality and the power of theater. Shannon’s one-woman show, “Not So Supernova,” is on its way to Portland, and Shannon knows that this bit of theater is more than just a creative project. Shannon’s show is the full expression of her own intensity, faith, and memories, and it is designed to inspire the audience to act on their dreams.

In today’s episode, Shannon and I will discuss why helping passionate people is such a worthy cause. Shannon believe that we find our purpose when we embrace our gifts, and she is modeling that through her show. This opens us up to discuss how theatre showcases diverse perspectives while also bringing people together. Shannon has found that being both a practicing Mormon and an intense individual is a powerful combination, and she wants to open up her life to the rest of the world.

I am so glad I took the time to get to know someone new. Shannon is teaching me to say “Yes!” to the improvisation that life brings. What is your gift you are bringing to the world? How can you say “Yes!” today?

More in this episode:

• I share all about how Shannon and I were meant to be on the podcast together.
• Shannon tells us why she feels like she has so much to share right now.
• Why theater was the perfect place for Shannon to express her creativity.
• Intensity to Shannon feels like momentum and drive.
• How Shannon was dealing with her intensity as a child and teenager.
• What being a practicing Mormon means for Shannon’s intensity.
• You can’t take out your cultural fibers.
• Shannon shares why having spiritual bandwidth is essential for creativity.
• Never forget the power that you have.
• Shannon roots her confidence in her connection to the Divine.
• The best advice anyone gave Shannon was all about adaptability and finding the humor in life.
• Reading good literature helps Shannon channel her new ideas.
• Shannon’s personality loves connection.
• Shannon helps others use their fire by inspiring them to be big and bold.

Shannon Recommends

East of Eden by John Steinbeck

Resources:

Shannon Online

Not So Supernova - Get tickets here!

Patreon

Marco Polo

Do you ever go to great lengths to avoid discomfort? On this week's episode of Embracing Intensity, Aurora talks about why in order to heal, both personally and as a world, we need to learn to sit with discomfort. 

In this episode, Aurora shares:

• What happens when we avoid discomfort.
• Why we have to fall apart to come together to form a more integrated whole.
• Moving from the conflict of what is and what ought to be to the challenge of what could be.

Resources:

Find Your Superpower Course

Retreat Planner

As a part of getting out of our comfort zones, I have been putting together tools for self-exploration on my Patreon page, and put together this free retreat planner to help you create your own self-exploration retreat. 

You can own your gifts and use them in a positive way to change the world. The best way to start is to be inspired, and that is why Jaya Rose is here today. I really appreciate Jaya’s energy and online presence. She is very clearly Gifted and Intense, and her recent rebranding to focus on multi-passionate entrepreneurs is a great example of someone who has fully embraced her talents.

Jaya and I had the chance to sit down and share so many great nuggets about owning your intensity and sharing it with the world. It is clear that when you hold back your gifts, you are not just doing yourself a disservice but everyone else who might benefit from it as well. Jaya is shaping the world by offering up her services to anyone who identifies as multipassionate. Jaya is a transformational speaker and business coach with a heart of service. She is on a mission to help creative entrepreneurs identify what they only can offer the world and how they can get that message to as many people as possible.

My hope is that Jaya inspires you to keep pursuing your passion! When you do, you might just change the world.

More in this episode:

• Jaya tells us all about her exciting rebrand!
• Why highly intuitive is such a huge part of high sensitivity.
• To enhance the positive, we need to acknowledge the negative.
• What happens when you combine sensitivity with drive.
• Jaya’s mom really nurtured her sensitivity, and her experiences growing up are incredibly enlightening.
• We need to communicate what we are needing.
• The after-effects of toning yourself down on your relationships.
• Mediocrity is not suffering!
• How Jaya learned to fully own her High Sensitivity.
• The impact of high sensitivity on parenting.
• Jaya uses her intensity to help others express their passions.
• Jaya needed a lot of mindset work to build up the next level of her business.
• Learn how Jaya modeled the behaviors of alignment.
• How Jaya conducts a coaching session.
• The habits that help Jaya stay aligned.
• More about how Jaya helps people use her fire in a positive way.

Jaya Recommends

The Big Leap by Gay Hendricks

Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert

Resources:

Patreon

Jaya Online

Do you like to start fires, but not really to tend them? A lot of gifted and creative people enjoy the spark of starting new things, but not so much maintaining them. How do you keep the fire burning without burning out?

In this episode:

• Aurora shares what helps her tend her own flame.
• Not all activities are equal when it comes to what drains or energizes you. 
• Systematize so you can spend more time creating and less time maintaining. 

Links:

Ignite Your Power Course

Free Retreat Planner

Find Your Super Power Course

What does it mean to be mindful in the modern era? Mindfulness is a tool that many Intense Women use to harness their inner fire, and my guest Danielle Savory is no exception. Danielle is a local Portland friend who I’ve been running into for years. The more I followed her work, the more I knew I had to have her on the show. Danielle epitomizes what it means to be Gifted and to embrace multiple potentials. I cannot wait for you to hear all about the work she is doing to bring mindfulness into a modern context.

Danielle is a Master Certified Life Coach who helps busy women reduce stress in their lives. Her approach to “Modern Mindfulness” cleverly blends both a skeptic’s healthy analysis with a spiritual acceptance of the unknown. She is bringing ancient wisdom to the masses that is also backed by neuroscience. The results speak for themselves: women who work with Danielle experience so much personal growth! Today, Danielle is going to tell us how her mindfulness practice has been an essential part of how she harnesses her inner fire. She will remind us to accept all parts of ourselves, even the “bad” ones! Danielle’s intense feelings are a gateway to her true self, and I am so thankful she is here to share that message with you today!

More in this episode:

• Danielle shares why she is so passionate about mindfully raising her daughters and teaching mindfulness to the world at large.
• Women need a space to be safe among other women. Danielle is creating that by working with the “Mean Girls.”
• When we let go of self-judgment, we let go of our tendency to compare ourselves to other people.
• Danielle shares her childhood experiences and how perceptions from her family have shaped her view of the world.
• Bullying experiences really influence our adult decisions.
• What happens when we get wrapped up in our victim of circumstance story.
• Danielle learned how to enjoy her “bad” emotions.
• Danielle uses her inner fire to help others process their big emotions through mindfulness.
• Meditation practice has been essential for Danielle lately.
• Use the power of “Of Course.”
• Danielle helps us with our inner critic.

Danielle Recommends

Self Compassion by Kristin Neff

Women’s Anatomy by Sherri Winston

Resources:

Danielle Online

Instagram @DSavory_ModernMindfulness

Free Retreat Planne

Are you fully immersed in the moment or do you let thoughts of what you SHOULD be doing get in your head when you should be enjoying yourself? Contaminated time is when different parts of your life bleed in to each other so you can't focus your energy on what you are doing in the moment. 

In this episode:

• 4 Things that have led me to have contaminated time. 
• How to counter those contributing factors. 
• The importance of connection. 

In this episode:

Free Retreat Planner

Essential Oil Information

Find Your Superpower

No one shares your unique history, lineage, and experience, so it makes sense that no one experiences intensity in quite the same way as you do! Nevertheless, we all have common ground on which we stand: we all hurt, we all experience prejudice, we all want to be known. Words have a powerful way of connecting us together while also celebrating what makes us unique. This is why I am so excited to share an interview with Leesa Renee Hall today. Her palpable energy and compassionate heart are two of the many gifts Leesa brings to the table. Most of all, Leesa celebrates the diverse ways we express and embrace our intensity.

Leesa Renee Hall is a writer, a storyteller, and an ancestry advocate. She is intensely passionate about curious inquiry, especially when we start to take some of societies biggest barriers and turn them into vehicles for self-exploration. Leesa is breaking down cultural and racial barriers by writing beautiful and provocative articles, many of which reflect her own raw thoughts and feelings as a black woman. By harnessing the power of her intensity into words, Leesa encourages us to disrupt the stories we have always told ourselves about diversity and identity. Instead, she wants us to be a little curious to discover our true identity and purpose.

Today, she is going to share some of the formative experiences that shaped Leesa into the writer and advocate she is today.  Along the way, Leesa will share incredible wisdom about breaking through our own inner oppression, and how we can find our unique voice. If you are interested in spiritual bypassing, diverse modes of activism, white fragility, and breaking through cultures of silence, Leesa has so much to offer you. Leesa is speaking up about some of the most difficult topics, but she does it in a way that invites discourse, rather than shutting down differing perspectives. We need more Leesas in the world, and that is why I feel lucky to have her on the show today!

More in this episode:

• Leesa shares all about her intense passion for curious inquiry, raw writing, and ancestry.
• A story about being passionate about values.
• Our needs have to be expressed! Sometimes, we over-give.
• Leesa explains what it is like to be a 1st generation Canadian of Jamaican descent.
• The Jamaican culture of silence has encouraged Leesa to use her voice to express darkness as well as light.
• We are craving something real.
• Breaking down white fragility and Leesa’s experiences of it.
• Leesa gives her perspective on the “non-whiteness” of intensity.
• What it means to be a woman of color in the technology industry.
• Stories at funerals influenced Leesa to start sharing her own journey.
• Leesa holds communion with herself and God by writing early in every morning.
• We need to learn to see the humanity in others.
• It is a privilege to be heard for what we are actually trying to say.
• You have to find your own thing to help manage the intensity.

Leesa Recommends

Quiet 

Dr. Robin DiAngelo teaching white fragility (a term she's coined)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ktVaZVVgJyc

The White Fragility Script (5 Part Act)
http://www.leesareneehall.com/thescript

The Sovereignty of Quiet: Beyond Resistance in Black Culture by Kevin Quashie (he explores quiet as a form of intensity)
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13229270-the-sovereignty-of-quiet

The Art of Gentle Protest by Sarah Corbett (TEDTalk)
https://www.ted.com/talks/sarah_corbett_activism_needs_introverts

The Power of a Positive No by William Ury
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/99401.The_Power_of_a_Positive_No

Boundaries: When to Say Yes, How to Say No to Take Control of Your Life by Dr. Henry Cloud & Dr. John Townsend
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/944267.Boundaries

The Becky Code: How to Deal White Woman Violence While Amplifying Your Joy by Catrice M. Jackson
http://www.thebeckycode.com

Antagonists, Advocates & Allies: The Wake Up Call Guide for White Women Who Want to Become Allies With Black Women by Catrice M. Jackson
White Spaces, Missing Faces: Why Women of Color Don't Trust White Women by Catrice M. Jackson
http://www.shetalkswetalk.com/books

11 Lessons I Learned Writing Half a Million Words Over 365 Consecutive Days
http://www.leesareneehall.com/writinglessons

Expressive Writing Prompts to Use to Overcome White Fragility, Spiritual Bypassing, or White Privilege
http://www.leesareneehall.com/writingprompts

Get new expressive writing prompts to question your internal programming by joining Leesa's exclusive community
http://www.leesareneehall.com/patron

Resources:

Leesa Renee Hall

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