Next Brave Thing Podcast

Today I am exploring the guidepost Cultivating Intuition and Trusting Faith; Letting go of the need for certainty.

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Have you ever been on the receiving end of a guilt trip, or had someone unload all their drama onto you, leaving you unsure how to respond? If so, this episode is for you. Today’s conversation is inspired by a simple yet powerful quote: “Observe, don’t absorb.” It’s a real skill to witness someone else’s energy or negativity without taking it on as your own—and learning how not to internalize other people’s stuff takes awareness and practice.

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Are you aware of when you’re triggered? Most of us aren’t—at least not until we begin paying closer attention to our emotional world. In this episode, I break down the signs of being triggered and share how I process, make sense of my emotions, and reframe my experiences to support healing.

Join my 6 week emotional health course for woman starting Tuesday Oct 14!

https://www.ella-hooper.com/group-coaching

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Book a free discovery coaching call: www.ella-hooper.com

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Shame tells us we’re unworthy of love and belonging—but what if learning to face it could set us free? In this episode of The Next Brave Thing, I invited a returning guest Courtney Lancaster, a trauma-informed life coach, to unpack the complexities of shame, creativity, and the courage to be seen. Together, we explore how shame shows up in our lives, the self-protection strategies we use, and what it takes to move from hiding to wholehearted expression. Tune in for real stories, practical insights, and an honest conversation about what it means to own your story and step into visibility with courage.

Learn more about Courtney Lancaster: https://www.courtneylancaster.co/

Follow Courtney on instagram: https://www.instagram.com/courtneylan/

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(Guidepost 4)

Gratitude and joy aren’t just feel-good emotions—they are spiritual practices and nervous system tools for living a wholehearted life. In this episode, we explore what it means to let go of scarcity and fear of the dark and instead lean into the beauty and presence of joy, even when it feels risky.

Ella shares personal reflections, including how “glimmers”—small moments of safety and delight—helped retrain her nervous system to receive joy after years of powerlessness. We talk about how joy softens hard days, why we often resist feeling good, and how to notice what’s good on purpose.

You’ll hear:

• What glimmers are and why they matter for trauma healing
• Why we resist joy (hello, foreboding joy and upper limits)
• The science of gratitude and how it rewires your brain
• How to begin scheduling joy as a deliberate act of self-connection
• How to make space for emotional safety, even when life is hard

This episode is your invitation to stop waiting for joy to arrive and start making room for it—to let gratitude pull you back to the present and remind you: you are safe enough to feel good, even here.

Get your free Wholehearted Living journal prompts. https://calm-sun-843.myflodesk.com/x5yo2oyoyu

Book a free discovery coaching call: www.ella-hooper.com

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“There are some very universal pieces of armor that we all wear: foreboding joy, perfectionism, and numbing.” — Brené Brown

In this episode of The Wholehearted Series, we explore what it means to cultivate a resilient spirit—a key guidepost in living a wholehearted life. At the heart of this guidepost is a liberating invitation: let go of numbing and powerlessness.

Many of us have learned to disconnect from pain through busyness, perfectionism, or emotional shutdown. But numbing doesn’t just protect us from discomfort—it dulls our capacity for joy, creativity, love, and connection. In this episode, we unpack how to shift from powerlessness to purpose, and how resilience is less about pushing through, and more about recovering well, choosing hope, and staying connected to what makes us feel alive.

You’ll hear:

• The five traits resilient people have in common
• Why hope is not an emotion but a way of thinking (thanks to Dr. C.R. Snyder’s research)
• The role of spirituality, storytelling, and recovery seasons in building inner strength
• What it means to reclaim power when trauma has shaped your nervous system’s default
• How I personally wrestled with powerlessness, and how nervous system awareness became a turning point
• The truth about numbing: why it’s not neutral, and how it slowly distances us from our fullest selves

Whether you’re healing from burnout, living through a hard season, or learning how to show up for yourself with more compassion, this episode will meet you where you are—with insight, encouragement, and the reminder that you’re not alone.

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In this transformative conversation, I’m joined by Dr. Margaret Nagib — clinical psychologist and spiritual development coach — to explore the vital role of the nervous system in both our emotional and spiritual health. Dr. Margaret unpacks how the nervous system forms the foundation for every area of life and why tending to it is essential for true balance and wholeness.

We dive into how psychology and faith intersect, the dangers of spiritual bypassing, and why clarity is so important in your spiritual journey. You’ll learn practical tools for regulating your nervous system, building capacity for emotional experiences, and aligning your desires with your deeper purpose. This episode is an invitation to move beyond survival mode into a life marked by peace, presence, and authentic growth.

Find out more about Margaret Nagib's programs: https://www.thedunamisproject.org/

Follow Margaret Nagib: https://www.instagram.com/margaretnagib/

In this episode, I talk with Donna Winship about identity, belonging, and what it really means to hear God’s voice. Donna shares her journey from growing up in a Jewish community, to wrestling with big questions about God, to ultimately discovering a new identity through Jesus.

We dive into her life with Jamie Winship—from his career in law enforcement to their years in high-conflict zones—and the surprising ways God showed up, even drawing the attention of the CIA. Donna unpacks how God speaks (always with love, never with condemnation), and how encountering Him transforms the way we see ourselves and others.

This is a conversation about identity, connection, and the freedom of living fully as who God says we are.

Donna Winship is a speaker, teacher, and co-founder of Identity Exchange. Alongside her husband, Jamie Winship, she has dedicated her life to helping others discover their true identity and live fearlessly. https://www.identityexchange.com/

In this episode of The Wholehearted Series, we explore the powerful shift from perfectionism to self-compassion. Perfectionism ties our worth to performance, fueling fear, shame, and disconnection. But self-compassion offers a new way—one rooted in kindness, common humanity, and mindful awareness.

We unpack:

• The difference between self-esteem and self-compassion
• How perfectionism mirrors a fixed mindset
• Why many of us resist self-compassion (hello, Backdraft)
• And how learning to meet ourselves with tenderness can transform how we live, relate, and grow

Letting go of perfectionism isn’t about lowering the bar—it’s about reclaiming your worth, exactly as you are.

Get your free Wholehearted Living journal prompts. https://calm-sun-843.myflodesk.com/x5yo2oyoyu

Book a free discovery coaching call: www.ella-hooper.com

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"Vulnerability is the birthplace of love, belonging, joy, courage, empathy, and creativity." – Brené Brown

As part of The Wholehearted Series, I knew we had to talk about a key ingredient of wholehearted living—and that is vulnerability. Honestly, I don't think you can live a truly wholehearted life without it. So I invited my friend and returning guest, Jon Toms, back on the podcast to explore this important topic.

In this heartfelt and honest conversation, Jon and I unpack what it really means to be vulnerable—and why we so often resist it. We dive into the difference between vulnerability and transparency, the hidden fears that keep us from opening up, and the subtle ways we armor up through humor, perfectionism, anger, and numbing.

We also share personal stories—moments where vulnerability opened something sacred… and moments where it fell flat or wasn’t received well. Along the way, we talk about self-protection patterns, the trap of oversharing, and how to practice discernment in knowing when and with whom to share our deeper stories.

Finally, we explore how vulnerability can shift the way we do conflict, build safer spaces, and help us show up more compassionately—for ourselves and others.

Whether you’re new to vulnerability or learning to live with an open heart in deeper ways, this episode offers gentle insight and practical tools for moving toward greater courage, connection, and freedom.

Follow Jon Toms on instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jontoms

Get your free Wholehearted Living journal prompts. https://calm-sun-843.myflodesk.com/x5yo2oyoyu

Book a free discovery coaching call: www.ella-hooper.com

Follow me on Instagram:@ella.hooper__