My Innermission

When we are in transition, we may think that we are merely changing jobs, or changing responsibilities, but we may not always stop to really consider how the roles we play shape how we see ourselves. We also might not examine how a change in one role may impact another role in our lives. In this podcast, I recap the strategies we have learned from interviews in the first part of Season 2, and then look ahead to examining the roles we play as part of our transition. I give examples of how leaving my job led me to ask hard questions about my role as wife, mother, daughter, and even about my responsibility in my role as an individual. In this podcast I discuss:

• How do we define success in the roles we play? 
• What causes stress in the roles that we play?
• What are the connections between our definitions of success, our stress, and our roles?

If we pause to consider our roles and how the choices we make in  those roles impact us, we can either reframe our definitions of success to be more sustainable and more fulfilling, or we can identify what is working or not working in those roles to redefine our roles and how we fill them.

If you want to do your own roles analysis, download a reflection guide here

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When change happens it can feel challenging, complex, and overwhelming. But what happens if we can recognize the opportunity to just be in the moment of transition and explore our somatic reactions, our approaches to self-regulation, and really listen to ourselves for what comes next. In this interview with Dr. Felicia Lee, from Campana Leadership Group, we talk about her own change story, how just "getting through" doesn't always help you see the opportunity of change, and how to better appreciate the journey of your self. 
We discuss: 

• How can transitions, even hard ones, can be opportunities?
• How can we use our somatic awareness and breath to let our bodies lead us through transition?
• How can we think about safety and belonging help us see our connections to ourselves and others more clearly?

If you want to learn more about Felicia's work check out Campana Leadership Group or see her work on LinkedIn.

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Professional change can be as extreme as leaving a job or retiring from a career, but it also can be seemingly subtle like transitioning back from vacation, or transitioning between communicating with different people at work.
This week I get to interview author Cheryl Benedict to discuss the phases of transition in our professional lives and how we can take time to really understand those changes, how they impact us, and how we can move through the in-between zone to arrive at transformation on the other side. Cheryl's new book The Wisdom of Transition outlines 8 different types of transition we may face in our professional lives, and provides strategies to help us navigate the change process. We discuss:

• What are the 8 types of transition that we may face in our professional lives?
• Why is having a "safe space" so important in navigating the transition process?
• How can we embrace, not reject, our emotions and recognize the lessons they are meant to teach us?

Cheryl also offers Gems of Wisdom and a Change and Transition Model downloadable handout on her site.

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How can we peel back the layers of who we are to get real and get vulnerable about ourselves, our needs, each other, and what we want out of life. Kate Greer, a Vulnerability Doula and Creatrix helps others cultivate their own vulnerability and find deeper connection with themselves, each other and the natural world. In our conversation we discuss:

• What is contagious vulnerability and why is it more important than ever in our world?
• How does a vulnerability doula support deeper vulnerability?
• How can we sit in vulnerable discomfort and still embrace joy?

If you want to learn more about Kate's work, or to schedule a curious conversation with her, check out her website at https://www.contagiousvulnerability.com/

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Welcome to 2021! As we kick off the new year, learning from last year, looking ahead to changes we seek to make, we often set resolutions or intentions for ourselves. But along with setting our goals, we have to honor the change process and start with our identity. What do we know about ourselves and our beliefs? If we use inquiry to lead us into self-reflection, we can start meeting our resolutions with greater clarity and self-awareness. 
Consider:

• How does your core identity (e.g. race, religion, language, ability, gender, age, class, sexual orientation) shape how you approach changing yourself and your habits?
• How does your family and cultural background shape how you approach changing yourself and your habits?
• How does your identity that you have grown through life experience shape how you approach changing yourself and your habits?

Doing the work of unpacking our identity is an essential part of the change process. If we understand ourselves better, we are more likely to unearth faulty assumptions and limiting beliefs that can keep us creating lasting, deeper change.

See the  Loden-Rosener graphic here.

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What has 2020 taught us about the complexities of our relationships and what have we learned about what self-care looks like? In this conversation with therapist Ben Lotstein, we discuss how we can approach change in our relationships and how we can make change in our individual lives that promotes greater balance, self-awareness, and intention in our lives. In our interview, we discuss:

• How can distance and self-care strengthen our relationships?
• What questions can we ask ourselves and how can we use our somatic sense to elevate our awareness to make change?
• What are the first steps we can take to create lasting and intentional change?

Learn more about Ben's work here: https://www.northstartherapy.xyz/

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Making a professional change is a common transition, but when Dinah Becton-Consuegra made her professional shift it was to center racial social activism to an even greater extent in her life. In this interview, Dinah explains why she felt compelled to take up racial social justice as her profession, not just a personal endeavor. She currently serves as the Chief of Staff and Learning at the Kapor Center. She also explains why all of us and how all of us can step into greater racial social activism.  We talk about the importance of bringing greater social justice to the BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color) community, the changes that white people can make in their daily lives to support greater social justice, and why this is the foundational issue for social change.
We discuss:

•  What does it mean to align your values with your activism?
•  How can daily actions reflect our social justice activism?
• What are some ways that white people can support racial social justice while still ensuring that BIPOC people have their voices and leadership heard?

Follow Dinah at  https://twitter.com/dinahconpbl or learn more about the Kapor Center at https://www.kaporcenter.org/

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Addressing addiction is a difficult but essential change for a healthier life, but what if you are a witness to a loved one's addiction? In this interview with Laura Cook Boldt, author of  Unraveled: A Mother and Son Story of Addiction and Redemption, we discuss her own journey to sobriety and her experience as a mother witnessing her son's addiction and path to sobriety. Laura provides an honest, vulnerable, and at times, humorous look at what it means to come to terms with addiction and how we can help ourselves and others' in productive ways. We discuss:

•  How can you take care of yourself and keep healthy boundaries when someone you know is facing addiction?
•  What are essential questions to ask if you are wondering about your own tendencies towards addiction?
• What are some of the first steps that those facing addiction or living with an addict can take to step towards sobriety?

You can read more about the book and order it here: https://unraveledthebook.com/

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Sometimes we identify a need for change for our mental wellness, or to promote a healthier, happier life. But how do we take the first steps towards greater mental wellness? In this conversation with Dr. Nicole Marcione, who is a Gerontologist, Biokinesiologist, Body-Brain Longevity Advisor, and Pilates Instructor, she helps people reach greater mental wellness through her Four Pillars. 
We discuss:

• What are the Four Pillars of Mental Wellness and Longevity?
• What are high leverage practices to begin making change for greater health?
• Why, even in 2020, is it essential that we find ways to tend to our mental wellness.

If you want to learn more about Dr. Nicole's work you can check out her website:
 integrativeaging.com

To get Dr. Nicole's offer of 30 tips for longevity in 30 days, go to this link and enter the code INNERMISSION.

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We all have been aware or experienced disruptive life events--and 2020 has been a collective disruptive life event for many of us.  How can we better meet the grief and trauma of disruptive life events? How can we support each other as others experience them? This week I got the chance to speak with Workplace Empathy Advocate, Liesel Mertes about her own experience with loss and how she supports organizations in considering their own practices around empathy. In our conversation we'll discuss:

• What defines a disruptive life event and what is helpful in supporting someone through a disruptive life event?
• What are our emotional avatars and how can we use them to understand how we support, or do not support, people going through grief or traumatic change?
• What can we offer each other in this collective moment of disruptive life events?

If you want to learn more about Liesel's work visit:
lieselmertes.com
Handle with Care podcast

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