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In this week’s episode of Living in 3D Power, Emma and I sit down to talk about her Girls on the Run (GOTR) season and our first 5K together—one of the coldest mornings of the year, and somehow one of the most joyful. Through laughter, mental toughness, and a finish-line sprint where Emma absolutely dusted me, we found a kind of healing our bodies had been craving.

Four weeks into grieving the loss of my brother, Avery, this run became something more than a race. It became a reminder that movement and emotion are deeply connected…and that joy often rises right alongside our grief.

Together, we explore leadership, emotional awareness, assertiveness, community support, and the small practices—like our Thankful Tree—that keep us rooted during the holiday season.

Chapters

00:51 — Girls on the Run: An Overview

Emma introduces the GOTR program, sharing how it blends running with lessons on friendship, emotions, and confidence.

01:12 — Emma’s Experience with Girls on the Run

We talk about her “GOTR name,” Excited Emma, and the parts of herself that people don’t always see.

01:57 — The 5K Run: Challenges and Triumphs

We recount Sunday’s 5K: the cold, the mental toughness, Emma’s energy, and how she out-sprinted me at the finish line. We reflect on the impact of moving our bodies while grieving Avery.

04:11 — Reflecting on the Journey

A look at what it meant to run together as mom and daughter, to feel community, and to accomplish something hard during a tender season.

05:39 — Exploring the GOTR Journal

Emma walks us through her GOTR journal pages — her values, her dreams, and the things that make her uniquely her.

11:29 — Lessons in Assertiveness

We explore the “Be Assertive, Be a Tree” lesson and talk about what it means to be rooted, firm, and clear in your voice.

16:20 — Leadership and Empathy

From GOTR to school programs, we reflect on the leadership tools Emma is cultivating and how they connect to listening, empathy, and centering marginalized voices.

20:31 — Gratitude and Family

As the holidays approach, we discuss our “Thankful Tree,” the reality of grief during this season, and Emma’s reminder to think deeply about what we’re thankful for.

Resources Mentioned

Girls on the Run

Connect with Me:

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In this deeply personal episode of Living in 3D Power, Emma and I process grief in real time following the passing of my brother — and Emma’s Uncle Avery — just three weeks earlier. Together, we honor Children’s Grief Awareness Day by opening a tender and courageous conversation about loss, memory, and the ways both children and adults can navigate grief in healthy, connected, and communal ways.

I share about the Highmark Caring Place and how it supports grieving children and families, while Emma offers her own reflections on what it’s like to balance sadness with school, friendship, and everyday life. Through our honest dialogue, laughter, and love, we remind our listeners that grief is not something to “get over” — it’s something we move through, together. 

Chapters

02:00 — Naming the Loss

04:00 — Finding Support

06:00 — Emma’s Experience with Grief

10:00 — Healing in Family and Connection

13:00 — Remembering Avery

19:00 — Children’s Grief Awareness Day

26:00 — Talking About Grief with Children

34:00 — Lessons from the Eulogy

40:00 — Continuing the Legacy

Resources 

Remembering Avery Lamar Noon

Children’s Grief Awareness Day 

Highmark Caring Place

Grief and the Holidays 

Addressing Grief 

Holding on to Hope PDF

Coco: A Story of Legacy and Tradition PDF

Coco: A Story of Identity and. Family PDF

Onward: Wishes, Bonds, & Memories After the Death of a Parent PDF

Connect with Me:

Instagram: @natural_inclination

Youtube: @naturalinclination

TikTok: Amber Sessoms

LinkedIn: Dr. Amber M. Sessoms, NCSP

Bluesky: @ambersessoms.bsky.social

Facebook: Natural Inclination

Website: www.aninclination.com

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If this episode resonated with you, share it with someone who would love these conversations. Engage with the Curiosity Cards and ask the youth in your life about their experiences because you might be surprised by what you learn. Share your thoughts and reflections in the comments or on social media using #LivingIn3DPower. And, don’t forget to subscribe and stay tuned for next week’s conversation!

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In this episode of Living in 3D Power, I sit down with my daughter Emma to discuss the profound significance of names. We reflect on Emma’s name story and the legacy it carries, exploring the power of legacy, identity, and the healing nature of stories. I highlight the impact of my Substack newsletter, which delves into these themes and invites our audience to engage deeply. Our conversation features reflections on family history, the origins of our names, and fun anecdotes related to names and nicknames. Emma also guides a breath prayer focused on honoring one’s name. We emphasize the importance of understanding and reclaiming our names as acts of self-determination and legacy building. 

Chapters

00:46—Sunday Newsletter and Reflections 

01:37—Emma’s Name Story and Legacy 

03:43—Exploring Ancestral Names and Identity 

06:29—Emma and Amber Discuss Names 

13:45—The Meaning Behind Names 

17:00—Fun with Mustard and Colors 

20:41—Activity: Discovering Your Name’s Origin 

24:40—Unique Middle Names and Proud Family Memories 

26:02—Baby Names and Their Origins 

28:11—Funny Nicknames and Name Stories 

33:11—Breath Prayer for Honoring Your Name 

38:55—Legacy and the Meaning of Names 

43:07—Challenge and Chicken Nugget Wisdom 

Resources Mentioned

Alex Elle’s Heal the Way by Sniff

10 Ways to Embrace Wholeness Everyday—Oprah Daily

Black Liturgies by Cole Arthur Riley

University of Michigan Equitable Teachings Name Story Activity

The 1619 Project: Born on the Water

‘Born on the Water’ Puts the ‘1619 Project’ into Kids’ Hands by NPR

Little Troublemaker Defends Her Name by Luvvie Ajayi Jones

Connect with Me:

Instagram: @natural_inclination

Youtube: @naturalinclination

TikTok: Amber Sessoms

LinkedIn: Dr. Amber M. Sessoms, NCSP

Bluesky: @ambersessoms.bsky.social

Facebook: Natural Inclination

Website: www.aninclination.com

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If this episode resonated with you, share it with someone who would love these conversations. Engage with the Curiosity Cards and ask the youth in your life about their experiences because you might be surprised by what you learn. Share your thoughts and reflections in the comments or on social media using #LivingIn3DPower. And, don’t forget to subscribe and stay tuned for next week’s conversation!

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In our family, storytelling is sacred. It’s become a generational tradition — each of us sitting with the matriarchs who shaped our lives. I once interviewed my great-grandmother, Mom Mom. Years later, JoJo did the same with our Mom Mom. And now, the tradition continues.

This time, 10-year-old Emma leads her very first solo interview with her great-grandmother, “Big Emma,” her namesake, on the eve of her 80th birthday. What unfolds is pure joy: humor, tenderness, family wisdom, and a celebration of love that transcends time.

We shared a small portion of this conversation at her “Eighty & Exalted” celebration, ending with her dancing to Boots on the Ground. But this episode holds the full story: a living archive of laughter, legacy, and intergenerational love.

May it inspire you to begin your own joy practice: Sit with your elders. Ask the questions. Record their wisdom because the stories we preserve today become the inheritance of tomorrow.

Chapters

00:45 — Special Episode: Emma’s First Solo Interview

03:31 — Rapid Fire Questions with Great-Grandma

05:26 — Childhood Stories and Memories

10:23 — Family and Mothering Insights

13:08 — Legacy and Name Story

15:40 — Blessings and Advice

16:35 — Faith, Joy, and Legacy

18:10 — Closing and Dance Moves

Joy Practice Invitation

This week, create your own living archive. Sit at the feet of the elders in your family—ask, listen, and record. Their stories are your inheritance.

Connect with Me:

Instagram: @natural_inclination

Youtube: @naturalinclination

TikTok: Amber Sessoms

LinkedIn: Dr. Amber M. Sessoms, NCSP

Bluesky: @ambersessoms.bsky.social

Facebook: Natural Inclination

Website: www.aninclination.com

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If this episode resonated with you, share it with someone who would love these conversations. Engage with the Curiosity Cards and ask the youth in your life about their experiences because you might be surprised by what you learn. Share your thoughts and reflections in the comments or on social media using #LivingIn3DPower. And, don’t forget to subscribe and stay tuned for next week’s conversation!

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This week marks what would’ve been my Great-Great Aunt Jerry’s 98th birthday, and it felt like the perfect time for Emma and me to reflect on what it means to honor those who came before us—and to celebrate those who are still here.

Inspired by the rededication of the Dr. Rita Smith-Wade-El Center for Intercultural Student Engagement at my alma mater, Millersville University, this conversation explores remembrance as an embodied joy practice—a way of holding gratitude, legacy, and enduring love all at once.

As we prepare to celebrate our Gram’s 80th birthday this weekend, Emma and I talk about giving flowers while our loved ones are yet alive, remembering those we’ve lost, and learning how joy and mourning can coexist, especially for children.

We also honor Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month and Remembrance Day (October 15), remembering Emma’s twin and our cousin Harlem. And with the help of The Caring Place, we explore how children process grief differently and what it looks like to give them space to remember through love and ritual.

This episode is an offering for the ancestors we carry, the babies we carried, and the living loved ones we still get to celebrate.

Chapters

03:57 — Emma’s perspective on ancestors
07:46 — Reflecting on family traditions and memories
15:36 — Preparing for Gram’s 80th birthday
23:02 — Reflecting on family memories
24:45 — The influence of Rita
29:36 — Honoring ancestors and grief awareness
38:00 — Childhood memories and favorite candies
40:19 — Keeping ancestors’ memories alive
42:01 — Challenge for the week

Challenge for the Week

Find a photo of one of your relatives—or take a new one with someone you love. Then talk, write, or draw about one joyful memory you share. Honor them now, in love.

Resources Mentioned

• The Caring Place — highmarkcaringplace.com
• Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month & Remembrance Day (October 15)

Connect with Me:

Instagram: @natural_inclination

Youtube: @naturalinclination

TikTok: Amber Sessoms

LinkedIn: Dr. Amber M. Sessoms, NCSP

Bluesky: @ambersessoms.bsky.social

Facebook: Natural Inclination

Website: www.aninclination.com

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If this episode resonated with you, share it with someone who would love these conversations. Engage with the Curiosity Cards and ask the youth in your life about their experiences because you might be surprised by what you learn. Share your thoughts and reflections in the comments or on social media using #LivingIn3DPower. And, don’t forget to subscribe and stay tuned for next week’s conversation!

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This season we’re asking: What would it look like if joy was our strategy, not our reward? In this episode, Emma and I explore that question through Tracey Michae'l Lewis-Giggetts’ Black Joy Playbook, beginning with her invitation to make a joy list.

A joy list is simple: write down ten things that once made you laugh, smile, or feel free during your youth, and then choose two to bring back into your life now. Emma and I share our lists, reflect on what those activities meant to us, and talk about how different it feels to reclaim joy as an adult versus experiencing it naturally as a child.

I hope this episode encourages you to make your own joy list and notice what shifts when you let delight back into your everyday life.

Chapters

• 02:39 – Introducing the Joy List activity (Black Joy Playbook)
• 04:43 – Emma’s Joy List
• 08:51 – Generational differences in joy
• 12:13 – My own Joy List
• 26:43 – Reflecting on joyful activities
• 30:17 – The importance of laughter
• 37:10 – Creating your own joy list
• 43:15 – Final thoughts on joy

Resources & Mentions

• Tracey Michae’l Lewis-Giggetts, The Black Joy Playbook
• Tracey Michae’l Lewis-Giggetts, Black Joy: Stories of Resistance, Resilience, and Restoration
• James Baldwin, The Fire Next Time
• Eddie Glaude, Begin Again: James Baldwin’s America and Its Urgent Lessons for Our Own
• Rooted Workbook
• Voices of Fire, JOY (Unspeakable)

Connect with Me:

Instagram: @natural_inclination

Youtube: @naturalinclination

TikTok: Amber Sessoms

LinkedIn: Dr. Amber M. Sessoms, NCSP

Bluesky: @ambersessoms.bsky.social

Facebook: Natural Inclination

Website: www.aninclination.com

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If this episode resonated with you, share it with someone who would love these conversations. Engage with the Curiosity Cards and ask the youth in your life about their experiences because you might be surprised by what you learn. Share your thoughts and reflections in the comments or on social media using #LivingIn3DPower. And, don’t forget to subscribe and stay tuned for next week’s conversation!

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Season 2 of Living in 3D Power is here! In this opening episode, Emma and I dive into joy—not as something we wait for, but as something we practice. Through laughter, reflection, and a playful Mad Lib activity from Sonya Renee Taylor’s Your Body Is Not an Apology workbook, we explore what it means to rewrite our stories and embody joy as resistance.

I share what I discovered while pulling out old journals and sitting with my unfinished pages, and we talk about why so many of us confuse joy with happiness. Together, Emma and I lean into the guiding question for this season: “What would it look like if joy was our strategy, not our reward?”

Chapters

• 00:59 – What my journals and unfinished pages taught me
• 01:52 – Why we confuse joy with happiness
• 04:20 – What joy looks like as a strategy
• 05:57 – Emma joins me for the conversation
• 06:45 – Mad Libs & body positivity (Your Body Is Not an Apology)
• 14:32 – Historical figures, dreams, and bravery
• 24:14 – Struggles, apologies, and growing through them
• 26:28 – Homework battles & puberty
• 28:01 – The power of facial expressions
• 29:32 – Spiritual habits and serving God
• 32:37 – Centering marginalized groups
• 32:59 – The “brown paper bag test” and colorism
• 36:38 – Rewriting affirming stories through Mad Libs
• 51:01 – Practicing joy as resistance
• 52:59 – Emma’s closing wisdom & farewell

Resources & Mentions

• Sonya Renee Taylor, Your Body Is Not an Apology (Book & Workbook)
• Sonya Renee Taylor, Celebrate Your Body (and Its Changes, Too!)
• Tracy M. Lewis-Giggetts, The Black Joy Playbook

Connect with Me:

Instagram: @natural_inclination

Youtube: @naturalinclination

TikTok: Amber Sessoms

LinkedIn: Dr. Amber M. Sessoms, NCSP

Bluesky: @ambersessoms.bsky.social

Facebook: Natural Inclination

Website: www.aninclination.com

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If this episode resonated with you, share it with someone who would love these conversations. Engage with the Curiosity Cards and ask the youth in your life about their experiences because you might be surprised by what you learn. Share your thoughts and reflections in the comments or on social media using #LivingIn3DPower. And, don’t forget to subscribe and stay tuned for next week’s conversation!

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Thank you to everyone who tuned into our live!

In this powerful LIVE Season 1 Finale of Living in 3D Power, Amber and Emma gather in real time to celebrate the journey so far—through outfit roasts, creative dreams, Aretha singalongs, and the joy of building something together.

But this finale drops on a heavy day.

With the passing of HR 1, the social safety net is being shredded. The expansion of ICE is being funded. Resources are being stripped from working-class families and handed to the already powerful. And for many of us, especially Black and Brown communities, this is not new, but it is devastating.

That’s why this episode is the both/and.

We laugh. We reflect. We hold space for grief and still honor the fullness of our joy.

Emma reminds us that freedom looks like fun, and our stories remind us that reclaiming creativity is a form of resistance. This is what it means to raise children who don’t wait for permission to be free, and what it means to remember our own brilliance in the process.

Join us as we look back, laugh loud, and look ahead to what’s next.

🎧 Subscribe to hear what’s coming for Season 2

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Chapters:

• 03:27 Favorite Episodes and Viewer Q&A
• 06:30 Reflecting on the Podcast Journey
• 09:02 Emma’s Glasses and Family Dynamics
• 12:16 The Power of Creativity and Taking Breaks
• 16:41 Key Moments and Lessons Learned
• 25:16 Live Viewer Interaction and Standout Moments
• 29:28 The Struggles of Wash Day
• 32:26 What’s Next for the Podcast
• 34:49 The Wisdom of Youth
• 39:10 Emma’s Dream Guest List
• 41:41 Creating a Safe Environment
• 51:07 Designing the Future: Emma’s Fashion Aspirations
• 57:35 Final Thoughts + Chicken Nugget Wisdom

Connect with Me

Instagram: @natural_inclination

Youtube: @naturalinclination

TikTok: Amber Sessoms

LinkedIn: Dr. Amber M. Sessoms, NCSP

Bluesky: @ambersessoms.bsky.social

Facebook:

Connect with Me:

Instagram: @natural_inclination

Youtube: @naturalinclination

TikTok: Amber Sessoms

LinkedIn: Dr. Amber M. Sessoms, NCSP

Bluesky: @ambersessoms.bsky.social

Facebook: Natural Inclination

Website: www.aninclination.com

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If this episode resonated with you, share it with someone who would love these conversations. Engage with the Curiosity Cards and ask the youth in your life about their experiences because you might be surprised by what you learn. Share your thoughts and reflections in the comments or on social media using #LivingIn3DPower. And, don’t forget to subscribe and stay tuned for next week’s conversation!

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In this special announcement, Emma takes the mic with candlelight creativity, a splash of 90s R&B, and big news:

 🎉 We’re celebrating our 25th episode with our first interactive livestream!

Tomorrow, we’re going LIVE on YouTube, Facebook, LinkedIn, and TikTok to close out Season 1 of Living in 3D Power — and we want you with us.

This short teaser includes:

• A shoutout to all of YOU for your support
• A preview of what’s to come during the live episode
• A Toni Morrison candle moment (because of course)
• A surprise singalong Emma didn’t know was still recording 😄

🗓️ Live Season Finale Details
Thursday, July 3
6PM EST
Streaming on YouTube, Facebook, LinkedIn, and TikTok
Join us for real-time reflections, favorite moments, and audience Q&A!

Chapters:

00:00 – Introduction and Special Announcements
 01:29 – Details of the Live Podcast
 02:22 – Engagement and Interaction Plans
 02:48 – Candle Talk and Creativity (feat. Toni Morrison)
 03:36 – Final Reminders and Surprise Singalong

Watch the Live Episode Here:
YouTube → www.youtube.com/@naturalinclination
Facebook → www.facebook.com/amber.sessoms.37
LinkedIn → www.linkedin.com/in/aninclination/ 

Connect with Me:

Instagram: @natural_inclination

Youtube: @naturalinclination

TikTok: Amber Sessoms

LinkedIn: Dr. Amber M. Sessoms, NCSP

Bluesky: @ambersessoms.bsky.social

Facebook: Natural Inclination

Website: www.aninclination.com

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If this episode resonated with you, share it with someone who would love these conversations. Engage with the Curiosity Cards and ask the youth in your life about their experiences because you might be surprised by what you learn. Share your thoughts and reflections in the comments or on social media using #LivingIn3DPower. And, don’t forget to subscribe and stay tuned for next week’s conversation!

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This week’s episode is a radiant reflection on creativity, belonging, and legacy. Emma and I share what it meant to witness and hold space for the incredible King Prolifik during his BECAUSE… I’M BLVCK art exhibit. Together, we explore what it means to be seen, to create without permission, and to live as if our very existence is abundant.

Featuring powerful quotes from King Prolifik:

• “You are abundance. Not because of what you produce, but because you exist.”
• “A lesser version of me doesn’t have a price tag.”

Emma brings her own “chicken nugget wisdom” to the mic:

“All of us are creative. We just don’t know it yet.”

In this episode, we talk about:

• Why reclaiming your creativity is a radical act
• Raising creative Black daughters in a world that tries to shrink them
• The sacredness of being seen as art
• Childhood artistry, digital expression, and the power of spontaneity
• The emotional resonance of King Prolifik’s gallery and live painting

Chapters

Text within this block will maintain its original spacing when published

01:10 Reflecting on King Prolifik's Art Exhibit
03:17 Emma and Art: A Personal Journey
06:39 Creative Conversations and Inspirations
13:36 Art Classes and Creative Growth
17:25 Digital Art and Family Creativity
24:33 King Prolifik's Wisdom and Impact
28:19 Reflecting on Childhood Creativity
31:20 Exploring Artistic Expression
37:15 The Power of Art to Change the World
41:24 Creating Through Adversity
47:51 Encouraging Spontaneity and Creativity
50:37 Final Thoughts and Invitations

Curiosity Cards

• What stories have you been told (or believed) about who gets to be an artist?
• How does art connect to your values and your voice?
• How do you know when you’re creating from truth?
• How will you keep making space for creative freedom, especially when the world tries to box you in?

Suggest Podcast Questions

References

• New Sunday Rhythm: Treating Ourselves Like Art: Bryan "King Prolifik" Hickman II on Liberation, Black Love & Teaching Through Art
• Procreate
• Free resources to help you lead and live authentically

Connect with Me:

Instagram: @natural_inclination

Youtube: @naturalinclination

TikTok: Amber Sessoms

LinkedIn: Dr. Amber M. Sessoms, NCSP

Bluesky: @ambersessoms.bsky.social

Facebook: Natural Inclination

Website: www.aninclination.com

Like, Comment, Share, Engage
If this episode resonated with you, share it with someone who would love these conversations. Engage with the Curiosity Cards and ask the youth in your life about their experiences because you might be surprised by what you learn. Share your thoughts and reflections in the comments or on social media using #LivingIn3DPower. And, don’t forget to subscribe and stay tuned for next week’s conversation!