S2E10 – The Thousands of Versions of You: Perception, Authenticity & Self-Reflection

In this episode of Catching the Octopus Podcast, Niomi Hurley explores a powerful concept that many of us overlook… there are thousands of versions of you existing in other people's minds.

Every person you meet forms their own perception of you based on their experiences, beliefs, biases, and emotional filters. That means the way someone sees you is often less about who you truly are and more about the lens they are viewing you through.

Niomi shares personal stories from her journey in corporate leadership, psychology, and hypnotherapy, revealing how fear of judgement once shaped how she introduced herself professionally. For years she avoided calling herself a hypnotherapist, leaning instead on more "logical" titles like human behaviour specialist or business psychologist because she worried about how others might perceive her work.

Over time, through personal growth, self-reflection, and healing, she realised something profound:

You cannot control how other people perceive you, but you can control how authentically you show up.

This episode dives into:

• The psychology of perception and identity
• Why self-criticism can distort how we see ourselves
• How childhood conditioning and people-pleasing affect authenticity
• The role of self-reflection in personal growth
• Why some people will see your strengths while others may see your flaws
• How to develop self-love without ego or narcissism
• Why authentic self-expression matters more than external approval

Niomi also discusses how negative self-talk can create real physiological responses in the body, highlighting the deep connection between mind, emotion, and physical wellbeing.

Through honest storytelling and practical insight, this episode encourages listeners to release the pressure of trying to control how others see them and instead focus on one simple question:

Am I proud of how I showed up today?

Hosted by Niomi Hurley, a human behaviour researcher and clinical hypnotherapist who integrates psychology with energy-informed healing approaches. With experience in corporate environments and individual practice, and through her work at Get Up and Grow Consulting, Niomi works with organisations and individuals to build capacity by addressing the behavioural, emotional, and subconscious factors that influence wellbeing and performance.

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