The Unspoken Cycle with Leah Vaughn

I recently had a difficult conversation with a friend about a decision that she made…and quickly came to regret.  And she said to me, “I wish I hadn’t acted on my feelings”.  I understood exactly what she meant.  We’ve all been there done that…questionable actions or choices fueled by intense emotions.  Why is this even a struggle?  Because we are emotional beings by nature. AND as women, we also have intricately woven webs of hormones flowing through our bodies that influence our emotional state…this can be a tricky recipe for less than favorable emotional decisions. Join me on today’s episode of The Unspoken Cycle podcast as I explore the complexity of acting on our emotions and talk about healthy and effective ways that we can validate our feelings while avoiding impulsive emotional reactions that often lead to regret.

After 3 long years of trying to grow our family to no avail, my wife and I were at what we thought was going to be the end of that grueling road.  Embryo transfer day arrived and our hope quickly blossomed into excitement and anticipation for our little ones who we just knew were nestling snuggly into my womb…until we got the call, “Your pregnancy test is negative, I’m sorry but your transfer wasn’t successful.”  Those words still sting, and our hearts still long for what we thought was…and what we desire so much to be.  IVF brings so much hope and happiness to couples like us all the time, but this wasn’t OUR time.  And the grief that it brought into our lives wasn’t what we were prepared for.  Join me on today’s episode of The Unspoken Cycle Podcast as I talk about my journey with IVF, the irony of the hope it restores AND diminishes, and how we can nurture our hearts back to a place of hopefulness again.

Wear your courage, believe in your strength…what does that even mean? It means that today you’re in need of a reminder that you ARE a badass woman!  It means that your courage is greater than you acknowledge it to be, and it means that your strength is profound.  It means that I understand what it’s like to feel weak, defeated and consumed by life’s hurts, challenges and monotonous days and that we MUST give ourself credit, and grace, where it’s due.  Join me on today’s episode of The Unspoken Cycle Podcast as we are reminded of the incredibly strong, courageous women we are and as we celebrate every bit of badass we are intended to be.

As a mother I want to nurture my daughters, teach them, guide them, love them and send them off into the world as strong, independent women who build their own tribes filled with close friends that they can turn to when life gets tough.  And I believe that it is my responsibility as their mother to be their parent, NOT their friend.  Unpopular opinion?  Probably!  Can these two roles be intertwined? Absolutely!  Yet, there’s a disturbing trend that I see today that blurs the line between what our children need in a parent and what our children need in a friend.  And today, I’m here to put my two cents in!  Join me on today’s episode of The Unspoken Cycle podcast, as I explore the bond of the bestie child. 

For many people,  COVID opened the door to a major shift in the ability to work from home.  I'm one of those people.  I quickly realized that I had all of the tools and equipment needed to create a cozy space in my home to get my work done, rather than have to trek into the office every day.  Then I relocated far away from my flagship office...and here I am today with the work from home woes.  It takes a great deal of discipline, consistency and routine to "enjoy" working from home...in my opinion.  And it's seriously just not that enjoyable. Join me on today's episode as I share my common struggle, and love-hate relationship, with having the ability to work from home...and as I also share what's working for me now (spoiler alert: it involves getting OUT of the house!).

A wise woman (my wife), recently said to me “if your passion feels like an obligation, then it’s just another unfulfilling job”…her words rang so true to my ears.  2023 was adventurous, joyous, disappointing, painful and everything in between…and rather than feel excitement and passion for The Unspoken Cycle podcast and online platform that I've created, it felt consuming, demanding and underwhelming.  Needless to say, I’ve learned some precious lessons about myself AND my passion over the last few months and things are-a-changin!  Join me on today’s episode of The Unspoken Cycle podcast as I loosen up my ridged edges and introduce to you a platform that’s all about being our real, vulnerable, messy selves with a dash of fun, laughter and a little chaos along the way.

My year was breezing along, having created amazing memories and also celebrating a ton of successes both personally and professionally along the way...until a failed IVF cycle and sudden loss of our furry loved one right before Thanksgiving catapulted me into a cocoon of grief that I wasn't expecting, at a time of year that I look forward to the most.  Join me on today's episode as I get vulnerable and honest with y'all about life's recent disappointments, and how I'm surviving...and restoring my joy...during an extremely difficult holiday season.

Approximately 30-60% of children who live in homes where domestic violence occurs, are abused by the abuser and/or a parent in the home.

Over the last few weeks, I’ve shared my testimony of domestic violence survival…but today I’d like to talk about the silent victims of domestic violence…the children.

Join me as we learn how to identify the red flags of child abuse, explore valuable resources that can help, and most importantly as we give a voice to the voiceless.

I was on top of the world, having done the necessary work on myself to heal from past relationships.  I had just finished my degree program, had a great career and had just returned from taking my kids on a Disneyland vacation…when a high-functioning meth addict charmed her way into my world…and threw it for a complete tailspin.

Join me as I share my story of abuse at the hands of a drug addict, how it turned my world upside down and how I literally had to flee in the middle of the night to save my life.

…but it didn’t stop there.

Tune in.

Over 15% of abusers have a history of mental illness. But, does this excuse their abusive behavior?  Absolutely not! On today’s episode of The Unspoken Cycle Podcast, I bring you Part 2 of My Unspoken Story: Paranoia Made Him Do It…a personal recollection of abuse at the hands of a diagnosed schizophrenic.  Join me, as I talk about the prevalence of mental illness among abusers, how to spot the red flags, and share my testimony of survival from a very horrifying relationship.