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Can you feel it coming?

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Something’s waking up inside.

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Hearts ablaze we’re standing tall
breaking chains of yesterday.

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Dead America finds it’s voice,
in the darkness, we make choice.

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Truth and healing lead

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the way, hearts ablaze,
we’re here to stay.

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Rise from ashes come what may,
we’re finding hope in disarray.

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Today, we’re speaking with Todd Smith.

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He’s a podcaster, a top podcaster,
his podcast is Stress Management

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for Highly Sensitive People.

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Todd, could you please introduce yourself?

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Let people know a little
more about you, please.

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Thanks, Ed.

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It’s great to be here.

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And, uh, I do teach stress management
for highly sensitive people.

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And what that means is that,
first of all, highly sensitive

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people need a little more stress
management, it tends to be that way.

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Um, but the most important thing I
teach is that high sensitivity is

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not a flaw, it’s not something wrong.

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And this is especially tough for men,
uh, because in our society, sensitivity

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is, is not looked at as a, as a good
thing, uh, can be put down or thought of

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as, as feminine or something like that.

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But it’s a well-researched trait.

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Uh, it was first looked at in the
nineties, uh, or more deeply looked at

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by a lady named Elaine Aron, and she’s
written books on high sensitivity.

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It’s short version is HSP, and
it just means that you’re more,

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you process things more deeply.

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And, uh, you, as a result, can end up with
a little more overwhelm than other people.

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You also are a little more emotional
or more empathetic with our other

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people and a little more sensitive
to noise and lots of things going on.

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So I specialize in working with
these kinds of people, I’m a

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highly sensitive person myself.

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And, uh, it is a pleasure to work with
people like this because we like depth,

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we like to go in deep, we
like to explore things.

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And we have special needs that are
a little more risk than other people

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and need to be able to process things.

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So I teach a method of self-inquiry
that allows you to fully digest any

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stressful experience and grow from it.

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And I’ve been doing that for probably
twenty years, and, uh, and love it.

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I’m in British Columbia, Canada, I’m
originally from the United States,

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I’ve lived all over the place.

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Married a Canadian, so
that’s where I ended up.

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Um, but I’m a dual citizen.

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Yeah.

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That’s wonderful, Todd.

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The, the thing that I caught
from your research was, a lady,

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Byron Katie, now this is where
you take your inspiration from.

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And it’s, it’s kind of interesting what
she laid out there about you have to go

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deep inside of yourself and really open
up to yourself and be true to yourself

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to actually be okay with the world.

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Is that correct?

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Yeah, exactly.

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The world doesn’t cooperate with
what we want, not very often anyway.

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It, we can do things, we can get, we
can accomplish things, we have a lot of

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control in some ways, but there’s a lot
of things we don’t have control over.

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And one of those is how other people
think and feel and react and all of that.

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And so if you go into yourself and
find out where, where you stand, what

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your truth is in a situation, even
if it’s not what you were originally

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thinking, you can experience the
same situation in a much freer way.

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And so this process is
about inner freedom.

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My website’s called Inner
Freedom, uh, True Inner Freedom.

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And it’s, it’s about, um, finding your
truth, not the truth of someone else.

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And it’s about questioning
anything in your own mind that

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is not feeling true to you.

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Like, you know, we believe a lot of
stories, we get caught up in a lot of

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stories, but we end up just believing
them without actually looking at it.

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And what I mean by looking at
it is looking inward and seeing,

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does that really resonate with me?

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Is that really feel right?

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Is that true?

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And then seeing if there’s
another way of looking at it.

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So yes, a very powerful way of,
of reexperiencing or reframing,

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uh, stressful experiences.

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So in essence, this is kind of what we’re
dealing with in our society right now.

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Uh, we, we have this highly
sensitive culture and we’re highly

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sensitive about a lot of things.

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But we’re not really digesting
the inside of the story.

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So this is causing a lot of,
not only personal turmoils,

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but social turmoils also.

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Is that correct?

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Yeah, I would say so.

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Exactly.

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When you don’t digest your experiences,
then you’re left with this kind of

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nasty feeling because you, you’ve
got this lingering feeling of stress.

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And as a society, we’re all
kind of doing that, right?

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And maybe we have some big stressors to
face, and that is challenging, right?

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So in all fairness, it’s not
easy to digest these things.

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But there is always a way to
be peaceful in any situation.

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You do have a choice whether you’re
super stressed out by something,

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or you’re just, you know, it got to
me, but I kind of got through it,

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I kind of see my way now and
I’m actually a little clearer.

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So it’s a, it’s a funny thing where
it’s easy to go into the victim

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mentality where I feel like I can’t,
uh, can’t control myself, I can’t,

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I can’t control the environment, and
therefore I am stuck and powerless.

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Um, and what this does is when you
start asking yourself what’s going

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on inside, what do you really see?

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What do you really feel?

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And is there another
way of looking at this?

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You start detaching from that.

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You start seeing like, okay,
there’s some crazy stuff going on.

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But it doesn’t have to drag me down and
when I’m not being dragged down, I’m

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more empowered to help out in society.

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So yeah, it works both ways.

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Yeah, I, I find that interesting because
I used to get worked up over, let’s

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say, Facebook posts and I would lash out
because I wasn’t really thinking deep

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enough about, first off, where I was.

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You’re, you’re on a social site that
you don’t know who you’re dealing with.

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All of these factors are dealing into
what we are feeling about the situation.

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So instead of really digesting that
and thinking about my response,

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I would just respond with those
angers, those fears, those unknowns.

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So how do we step out of that and into a
more structured approach to identifying

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what we want to approach and comment
on, or just leave it alone altogether?

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Yeah, it’s a great question.

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Um, really what we’re talking
about here is reaction.

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We, what you described there, that
anger when we see something injust

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or we see something that just is
wrong, we, the first reaction a lot

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of times is anger or is some kind
of other, uh, internal reaction.

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And then we tend to just ride that, you
know, we just express it and let it out.

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And sure maybe that’s good and better
than keeping it in a certain way, but

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in a way it’s not really that effective.

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Um, and you see that with
social activists in life.

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You’ll see that, you know, the
typical angry social activist that

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is just so pissed off that you
can’t even hear the message ’cause

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there’s just so much anger going on.

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And so that’s an extreme
version of it, but that gets

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in our way of being effective.

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If we wanna really be effective in
making changes in the world, then we

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have to take a step in between and work
through the reaction part that happened.

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And so what you described there is exactly
what I would use as a beginning point.

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So I see something on social media,
it pisses me off, and then I’m like,

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Okay, why is that pissing me off?

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What is my thought?

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What am I thinking and believing
about this post or about this

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person that is riling me up?

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What is it?

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And I want to get verbatim
what those thoughts are.

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I’ll just type them onto a little,
you know, a little note and see

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if I can identify the thought
that’s connected to the emotion.

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This is a really powerful step because
we tend to think emotions just happen,

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you know, just like a, like a, you
know, earthquake just happens and

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we don’t have any, we don’t have
any control or understanding of it.

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But emotions, although they
do just happen, they always

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are connected to some thought.

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Thought, you know, mind
and body are connected.

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So the emotion is the body side of
it, the mind side of it is whatever

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thought you happen to be thinking.

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If you look at any emotional
situation, like when you’re reacting,

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you will find a, a, a thought or
several thoughts connected to it.

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And now you’ve got a
handle on that emotion.

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Now there’s like an actual connecting
there between that ephemeral emotional

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experience and something we can work with.

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And so once you have a statement
in a specific situation, you

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can systematically question it.

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And that’s what I learned from
Byron Katie, is that there, she,

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she gives four simple questions.

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Is it true?

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You know, really powerful right there.

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You can spend quite a few
minutes sitting in that.

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And if that isn’t enough, you ask again,
Can you absolutely know it’s true.

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Just to see, you know?

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And, and that just gets you thinking
like, Okay, you know, this person,

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let’s say the thought was, let’s think
of like that social media situation,

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This person, uh, you know, I don’t know,
we’d have to get into a specific, but it

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would be like, This person doesn’t care
about so and so or whatever like that, you

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know, it’s some kind of um, or they just,
they’re just crazy or, yeah, I don’t know.

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And we would take the thought, whatever
it is, the judgment that you have,

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and then just, is that really true?

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Are you sure?

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And it starts opening your mind
to, maybe there’s another side to

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that, or maybe there’s something I’m
missing, or it just slows you down a

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little bit and already you can feel
the emotions starting to come down.

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Then you look, two other
questions are, How do you react?

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What happens when you
believe this thought?

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And you start seeing
what actually happens.

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It’s like you’re on drugs.

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Like suddenly, you know, your heart
starts pumping and you’re, you’re, you’re

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getting sweaty, and you’re like, you
wanna, you know, hurt the other person.

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You’re like, Where did these
violent things come from?

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And all kinds of reactions come out, you
see images from the past, or it reminds

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me of some other thing that happened.

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This is all reaction.

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So just seeing that gives you a
little distance on what’s going on.

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And then one of my favorite questions
is, Who would you be in that same

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situation without the thought that,
you know, whatever it is, They’re

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crazy or whatever it is that you,
you’re believing in that moment.

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And it can blow your mind.

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It can open your space, like your
mind to a broader space where you’re

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now, you’re now like, Wow, okay.

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I’m seeing what they’re doing more
objectively and I’m actually seeing

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how I could address that or just decide
not to address, whatever’s appropriate.

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But the reaction isn’t there, you know?

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So this is like, there’s
several steps in this.

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One is writing your stressful thoughts
down, gives you a little distance

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on ’em already, and then start
questioning like this and it starts

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giving you more and more perspective.

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And then the final part is try turning the
thought around and like seeing like where

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there, there, maybe they’re not crazy,
or maybe they have some valid point,

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or maybe, uh, maybe I’ve gotten crazy.

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You know, like just start flipping
it in different ways and seeing

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if there’s any truth in that.

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And it can just, if you do it gently
and, and connected with your heart

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and with your experience, it can
be very, very transformational.

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So that’s, to answer your question,
how you can take the emotional reaction

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out of it is like just slow it down.

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That’s really what this process is.

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Yeah.

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You know, and it sounds really simple
now that I’ve figured it out and

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you’ve obviously figured it out.

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Sometimes when we’re in those situations,
before we start really considering

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what we are doing in those situations,
that’s, that’s really the trick because

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nobody else is reacting but ourself.

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So, and you’ve really got to
understand that you control all of

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those emotions and that reaction
phase is, it’s hard at times.

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And my wife and I, we, we really go
through this a lot because all of

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the trauma that she went through.

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We had to really get deep into
those trauma issues for her to

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recognize the trigger points.

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And it, it was really hard until
somebody started pointing it out,

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Hey, look, you’ve got to look at this.

220
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I can’t tell you how to fix it,
but I can tell you what I’m seeing.

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So I, I really think that that’s
really a first part in healing, is

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understanding ourself and what we despise,
what makes us tick inside and out.

223
00:14:49,020 –> 00:14:49,140
Yeah.

224
00:14:49,140 –> 00:14:52,980
Well, a lot of times we judge ourselves
for, for being triggered, or being

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00:14:52,980 –> 00:14:56,430
judgmental, or, you know, we can
go into a loop on, on ourselves.

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But giving yourself the space to be
honest and just really be like, you

227
00:15:00,600 –> 00:15:05,160
know, I just hate this and I just, and
then, you know, letting that really be

228
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heard or seen or in, in a, in like what
I was describing before, writing it down.

229
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Like just see, like, it’s almost like
there’s a part inside of us that’s

230
00:15:15,080 –> 00:15:18,950
been complaining for a long time,
and it’s probably trauma related,

231
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probably hurt by something in the past,
it’s been, it’s sitting in there and

232
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it’s stuck and it needs to be heard.

233
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It needs to be met with
understanding, it needs to be held

234
00:15:30,855 –> 00:15:32,295
a little bit, maybe listened to.

235
00:15:32,565 –> 00:15:36,855
Um, and so if you can do that, you
know, that alone is therapeutic.

236
00:15:36,855 –> 00:15:40,815
Like, like they’ve done studies on that,
just journaling and really getting it out

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00:15:40,815 –> 00:15:43,935
or talking to somebody, super therapeutic.

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00:15:44,465 –> 00:15:48,135
And so this just takes it one step
further and be like, okay, so now is

239
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that even true what you were thinking?

240
00:15:49,545 –> 00:15:51,285
You know, sometimes it
is, sometimes it isn’t.

241
00:15:51,285 –> 00:15:54,155
But it’s amazing to, to explore that way.

242
00:15:54,155 –> 00:15:54,215
Yeah.

243
00:15:54,485 –> 00:15:57,690
Because it gives you choice,
it gives you a feeling.

244
00:15:58,110 –> 00:15:58,290
Yeah.

245
00:15:58,290 –> 00:15:58,860
Sorry, go ahead.

246
00:16:00,165 –> 00:16:01,110
I’m, I’m sorry.

247
00:16:01,290 –> 00:16:06,750
Uh, so, so these work sessions,
these inner work sessions that you

248
00:16:06,750 –> 00:16:09,930
do on your podcast, very unique.

249
00:16:09,930 –> 00:16:15,780
And this is what you are actually doing
in these work sessions, is allowing

250
00:16:15,780 –> 00:16:22,140
them to find out who they are instead
of their thought of who they are.

251
00:16:22,680 –> 00:16:24,090
Is that correct?

252
00:16:24,824 –> 00:16:25,215
That’s right.

253
00:16:25,525 –> 00:16:26,635
That’s exactly right.

254
00:16:26,635 –> 00:16:32,175
We, we tend to identify with what we
think we are and what we are thinking

255
00:16:32,385 –> 00:16:35,595
and it’s not actually necessarily true.

256
00:16:35,834 –> 00:16:37,995
And what I love about
it is it’s open-ended.

257
00:16:38,055 –> 00:16:41,235
It doesn’t mean that if you question
some thought that now you’re just

258
00:16:41,235 –> 00:16:45,765
gonna flip that around and now
that’s not, you know, it’s just

259
00:16:45,770 –> 00:16:47,760
gonna be kind of without thinking.

260
00:16:47,760 –> 00:16:51,750
No, you’re, we’re exploring, we’re doing
like science on our own thoughts and

261
00:16:51,750 –> 00:16:53,250
we’re saying, you know, Let’s take a look.

262
00:16:53,250 –> 00:16:56,370
Let’s just put all the cards on
the table and see what adds up.

263
00:16:56,370 –> 00:17:00,120
And maybe there’s another explanation
that is better, or maybe there’s

264
00:17:00,120 –> 00:17:02,970
just a more balanced way, or
one that’s less painful for me.

265
00:17:03,540 –> 00:17:04,410
So yes, that’s it.

266
00:17:04,440 –> 00:17:10,200
We’re just, we’re just taking one
situation at a time and looking

267
00:17:10,200 –> 00:17:11,700
at what is contained in it.

268
00:17:11,760 –> 00:17:15,060
And I can guarantee you your whole
life is contained in one situation.

269
00:17:15,060 –> 00:17:19,350
So you work some minute argument
with the, your wife or something,

270
00:17:19,350 –> 00:17:22,650
and it’s like boom, the whole,
the whole thing is in there.

271
00:17:23,130 –> 00:17:24,910
So it can be very satisfying.

272
00:17:25,060 –> 00:17:28,524
Um, you know, and I love it because
it’s like you’re working in miniature.

273
00:17:28,585 –> 00:17:32,845
Sometimes the most minute stressful
situations can be the most powerful

274
00:17:32,845 –> 00:17:35,935
to question because it’s like
working on a little miniature model

275
00:17:35,935 –> 00:17:39,955
or something, and all the parts are
there and you’re working it, but,

276
00:17:40,075 –> 00:17:42,445
uh, it’s actually, it’s like, Whoa.

277
00:17:42,445 –> 00:17:45,535
That’s the same big stuff that
I have in, in other situations.

278
00:17:45,535 –> 00:17:47,754
And so, yeah, it’s very, very cool.

279
00:17:49,435 –> 00:17:49,825
Yeah.

280
00:17:49,945 –> 00:17:57,615
So when, when we do these work
sessions with ourself, is it

281
00:17:57,615 –> 00:17:59,564
good to do it with a partner?

282
00:18:01,304 –> 00:18:04,034
You know, it’s, I, there
are two ways to do the work.

283
00:18:04,034 –> 00:18:08,504
One is with a partner and one
is by yourself and in writing.

284
00:18:08,564 –> 00:18:11,294
I, I find that if you don’t do it in
writing, if you’re doing it by yourself,

285
00:18:11,564 –> 00:18:14,895
your mind just kind of starts, you
know, it’s hard to hold all of it

286
00:18:14,895 –> 00:18:17,835
and it kind of, you end up kind of
getting loose and, and distracted.

287
00:18:17,835 –> 00:18:23,764
But, um, either way, with a partner
or in writing, can be super powerful.

288
00:18:23,805 –> 00:18:28,215
The advantage of doing it with a partner
is that you feel heard by another human

289
00:18:28,215 –> 00:18:30,915
being, which is also very helpful.

290
00:18:31,485 –> 00:18:36,645
Uh, and they can hold you in answering
the questions because the mind

291
00:18:36,645 –> 00:18:39,320
will try to slip out of it and try
to be like, well, you know, like

292
00:18:39,915 –> 00:18:43,335
I’m just gonna go into why
I think I’m still a victim.

293
00:18:43,335 –> 00:18:45,285
You know, you just kind of miss the point.

294
00:18:45,285 –> 00:18:47,745
So having someone there is really helpful.

295
00:18:47,745 –> 00:18:50,385
That’s, you know, that’s the
service I provide to my clients,

296
00:18:50,385 –> 00:18:53,145
and you can do it with a friend,
you can do it with, with anyone.

297
00:18:53,895 –> 00:18:57,795
Um, and also, you know, when
you’re working with someone who’s

298
00:18:57,795 –> 00:19:01,035
done a lot of this work, you,
they have a lot of experience.

299
00:19:01,035 –> 00:19:05,805
So you may knock on a door of like,
I’m kind of looking for, to see if a

300
00:19:05,805 –> 00:19:09,765
turnaround might be true, for example,
and you’re like, I’m not finding anything.

301
00:19:09,945 –> 00:19:13,395
But then you’re sitting with
someone who’s also been down this

302
00:19:13,395 –> 00:19:14,925
road and they’re like, Well, yeah.

303
00:19:14,925 –> 00:19:15,645
Have you tried this?

304
00:19:15,825 –> 00:19:17,775
You know, try this and
then look over here.

305
00:19:17,805 –> 00:19:22,274
And it’s not like telling someone
what their answers are, but it’s

306
00:19:22,274 –> 00:19:25,185
saying have you looked over this
side or have you checked over here?

307
00:19:25,245 –> 00:19:27,675
And often you can find
little hidden gems like that.

308
00:19:28,425 –> 00:19:30,915
The advantage on the other hand of
doing written work is you can do

309
00:19:30,915 –> 00:19:34,455
it anytime by yourself, you don’t
have to tell anybody, you can throw

310
00:19:34,455 –> 00:19:35,565
the thing out when you’re done.

311
00:19:35,985 –> 00:19:41,175
Uh, it’s very private and, uh, it also
allows you to do it slowly so you can

312
00:19:41,175 –> 00:19:42,495
just take as much time as you want.

313
00:19:42,495 –> 00:19:46,095
Some people, like I like to do
things, uh, kind of methodically,

314
00:19:46,514 –> 00:19:48,915
and so it has that advantage as well.

315
00:19:50,580 –> 00:19:52,470
Well, and reflection.

316
00:19:52,740 –> 00:19:59,610
You can always reflect back to your words
because I, I really think that can, uh,

317
00:20:00,270 –> 00:20:05,550
propel you to your next stage in life
because you’ve seen how far you’ve come.

318
00:20:06,210 –> 00:20:12,120
So I, I like to log it and make sure
it’s, I, I like podcasting, it’s

319
00:20:12,120 –> 00:20:17,885
one of those things that, it’s a
collaboration of individuals that have

320
00:20:18,215 –> 00:20:23,975
suffered and overcame and it helps you
progress a little here, little there.

321
00:20:24,035 –> 00:20:30,965
And you, you can actually
ultimately decide and pinpoint

322
00:20:31,385 –> 00:20:34,565
the places you want to explore.

323
00:20:35,264 –> 00:20:40,844
So it, it’s a tailor made
fit for everyone that way.

324
00:20:41,330 –> 00:20:45,465
I, I really think that that’s key.

325
00:20:45,465 –> 00:20:47,770
It’s, it’s a form of expression.

326
00:20:49,590 –> 00:20:50,160
I agree.

327
00:20:50,160 –> 00:20:50,670
Yeah.

328
00:20:50,670 –> 00:20:55,230
I, I love podcasting and I love, um, you
know, the word you bring up, explore.

329
00:20:55,260 –> 00:20:56,730
I think that’s one of my favorite words.

330
00:20:56,730 –> 00:20:59,700
I love exploring and that’s what I think.

331
00:20:59,700 –> 00:21:04,680
If you really embark on any kind of
journey of inner work, it feels like

332
00:21:04,680 –> 00:21:06,720
you’re like, What am I gonna discover?

333
00:21:06,720 –> 00:21:08,220
You know, there’s so much unknown.

334
00:21:08,220 –> 00:21:09,960
Like, what am I gonna learn about myself?

335
00:21:09,990 –> 00:21:11,400
And, and that’s fun.

336
00:21:11,430 –> 00:21:16,635
I, I, I find that’s, uh, that is
as interesting to me as going out

337
00:21:16,635 –> 00:21:19,575
and exploring the outer world,
which of course is fun as well.

338
00:21:19,575 –> 00:21:23,385
So yeah, exploring is, is
where it’s at, definitely.

339
00:21:24,495 –> 00:21:24,735
Yep.

340
00:21:25,304 –> 00:21:25,754
Yeah.

341
00:21:25,845 –> 00:21:30,675
Uh, and that’s one of our
taglines is, educate yourself.

342
00:21:30,705 –> 00:21:34,125
Lifelong learning, it’s
the key to everything.

343
00:21:34,485 –> 00:21:38,205
And to do that, you
gotta be a curious mind.

344
00:21:38,715 –> 00:21:45,389
And it will, it will take you to
places that you never would dream of.

345
00:21:46,260 –> 00:21:54,179
So how do we get, uh, people to actually
look inside beyond their feelings and

346
00:21:54,270 –> 00:21:59,399
start bringing some of those issues
to the forefront without a big fight?

347
00:22:01,635 –> 00:22:02,175
Yeah.

348
00:22:02,264 –> 00:22:03,555
Yeah, that’s a great question.

349
00:22:04,155 –> 00:22:09,495
So normally we are not gonna take
the time when we’re busy to do

350
00:22:09,495 –> 00:22:12,465
something like some kind of inner
work or some kind of questioning.

351
00:22:12,465 –> 00:22:15,165
It seems like, yeah,
I’ve got a lot going on.

352
00:22:15,165 –> 00:22:19,845
I’m under the gun and there’s
a lot of, uh, just pressures to

353
00:22:20,175 –> 00:22:21,555
just to stay balanced in life.

354
00:22:21,555 –> 00:22:22,635
So, yeah.

355
00:22:22,635 –> 00:22:25,485
Why I’m gonna add one more
thing, like, you know, all those,

356
00:22:25,725 –> 00:22:27,195
all that comes up for sure.

357
00:22:28,044 –> 00:22:33,525
But what I find is that stress
is what brings me to inner work.

358
00:22:33,555 –> 00:22:38,235
Because when I get stressed enough,
when something gets dire enough or

359
00:22:38,235 –> 00:22:45,975
just becomes too much, um, then at that
point, my openness, I start to be open.

360
00:22:46,035 –> 00:22:50,895
I start to be receptive to taking some
time, spending some time to go inward a

361
00:22:50,895 –> 00:22:53,685
little bit, doing some, some harder work,

362
00:22:53,685 –> 00:22:57,254
you know, taking a look at things,
questioning what I’m believing.

363
00:22:57,725 –> 00:23:02,795
That starts to be on the table when
the stress level kind of amps up.

364
00:23:03,035 –> 00:23:06,875
Um, and over time, I’ve been
doing this work a long time

365
00:23:06,875 –> 00:23:08,165
and I actually do it every day.

366
00:23:08,165 –> 00:23:11,735
It’s like become a habit of mine,
but it doesn’t have to be that way.

367
00:23:11,735 –> 00:23:14,855
I, I know many clients that just come
in waves, they’ll be like, Yeah, you

368
00:23:14,855 –> 00:23:19,865
know, I’m really needing some, some extra
support ’cause I’m dealing with this.

369
00:23:19,865 –> 00:23:22,475
And then, and then they’ll go
away for a while and then they’ll

370
00:23:22,475 –> 00:23:24,544
come back, and, and that’s fine.

371
00:23:24,635 –> 00:23:29,524
Um, what I find for myself is
that when I’m doing it regularly,

372
00:23:29,584 –> 00:23:33,365
it’s like I’m peeling layers
and layers off of my stress.

373
00:23:33,365 –> 00:23:36,725
And I’m starting to catch it
earlier and earlier and earlier.

374
00:23:37,324 –> 00:23:40,834
And so for me, there’s a kind of
excitement that happens like, oh, okay.

375
00:23:41,465 –> 00:23:42,784
What am I gonna learn from this one?

376
00:23:42,815 –> 00:23:44,105
You know, oh, I just got triggered again.

377
00:23:44,195 –> 00:23:47,195
It wasn’t a hundred percent trigger,
but it was still, it got me.

378
00:23:47,555 –> 00:23:48,875
So what am I gonna learn?

379
00:23:48,935 –> 00:23:50,645
Let’s put it on the
table, let’s take a look.

380
00:23:50,645 –> 00:23:55,355
And that curiosity starts to develop,
uh, as you begin to trust yourself

381
00:23:55,355 –> 00:23:57,425
and trust, uh, a process like this.

382
00:23:58,085 –> 00:24:02,225
But I would say the motivator
that gets people started is

383
00:24:02,225 –> 00:24:04,205
just, you know, stress, pain.

384
00:24:04,385 –> 00:24:04,655
Yeah.

385
00:24:06,105 –> 00:24:06,435
Yeah.

386
00:24:06,735 –> 00:24:10,304
You know, it was interesting, I
watched one of your inner work

387
00:24:10,304 –> 00:24:20,054
sessions with a gal. And, you
know, it was like discovering your

388
00:24:20,054 –> 00:24:24,705
true intention of your existence.

389
00:24:25,125 –> 00:24:29,205
And that’s when she realized, oh.

390
00:24:31,814 –> 00:24:36,044
And then she could open up
and identify more easily.

391
00:24:36,435 –> 00:24:43,695
So sometimes those intentions
that we fight, they’re,

392
00:24:43,784 –> 00:24:46,544
they’re natural, are they not?

393
00:24:47,580 –> 00:24:48,780
Yes, absolutely.

394
00:24:48,840 –> 00:24:53,940
We’re fighting, a lot of times, instinct
and, you know, real strong desire

395
00:24:54,000 –> 00:24:56,460
and, and these are natural things.

396
00:24:56,520 –> 00:25:00,600
Um, there’s, there’s kind of
different parts of us inside and

397
00:25:00,660 –> 00:25:04,770
there’s a part of us that, that wants
what we want and that’s, there’s

398
00:25:04,770 –> 00:25:06,015
nothing wrong with that, nothing.

399
00:25:06,015 –> 00:25:07,560
We don’t have to change that.

400
00:25:08,190 –> 00:25:12,810
The only problem is when we,
we’re not able to get what we want

401
00:25:12,900 –> 00:25:14,700
because of some, whatever reason.

402
00:25:15,300 –> 00:25:18,870
And if we’re still attached to
getting what we want, that’s

403
00:25:18,870 –> 00:25:20,640
when the stress begins to amp up.

404
00:25:21,060 –> 00:25:25,680
Otherwise, um, why not
follow your heart’s desire?

405
00:25:25,770 –> 00:25:28,200
Why not do what inspires you?

406
00:25:28,230 –> 00:25:28,770
Why not?

407
00:25:29,310 –> 00:25:30,330
That is not the problem.

408
00:25:30,330 –> 00:25:34,680
The problem is when life doesn’t cooperate
exactly the way, according to our

409
00:25:34,680 –> 00:25:38,670
plan, and then we get, we get stressed.

410
00:25:38,670 –> 00:25:44,160
So this work is for when that shows up
and what it reveals is some attachment

411
00:25:44,160 –> 00:25:48,240
there that has gotten like out of
balance with the, with the reality.

412
00:25:48,570 –> 00:25:53,295
Basically, it’s like reality does
its thing and we can be in sync

413
00:25:53,295 –> 00:25:54,855
with it or out of sync with it.

414
00:25:54,885 –> 00:25:57,585
And when we’re outta sync with
it, in other words, arguing with

415
00:25:57,585 –> 00:25:59,685
reality, it’s super stressful.

416
00:25:59,805 –> 00:26:03,165
If we’re in sync with it, like,
okay, yeah, I want that, still want

417
00:26:03,165 –> 00:26:07,005
that, but life’s not cooperating
with that right now, so I’m good.

418
00:26:07,215 –> 00:26:11,835
Let me see what, how I can go with that
and maybe down the line I’ll be able to

419
00:26:11,895 –> 00:26:13,815
still be working on, towards something.

420
00:26:14,205 –> 00:26:19,020
But it’s not like, I didn’t get what
I want, I’m a failure, or life is

421
00:26:19,020 –> 00:26:21,150
not fair, or something like that.

422
00:26:21,150 –> 00:26:29,235
So yeah, it’s, it’s, um, yeah, it’s
just being, as much as possible,

423
00:26:29,475 –> 00:26:31,415
easygoing about our desires.

424
00:26:31,415 –> 00:26:32,665
It’s not that the desires are wrong.

425
00:26:32,685 –> 00:26:35,865
I, I, like, take for example, the desire
to make money or something, right?

426
00:26:35,865 –> 00:26:37,785
Everybody has that, we need it.

427
00:26:37,815 –> 00:26:40,635
It’s, if you don’t make money,
you’re, it’s, uh, out of balance.

428
00:26:40,635 –> 00:26:43,845
You’re gonna end up, uh, you’re
gonna be starving if it comes to that.

429
00:26:44,745 –> 00:26:46,965
Um, so there’s nothing wrong with that.

430
00:26:47,295 –> 00:26:51,465
It’s how attached am I to it
and how attached I am, am I to a

431
00:26:51,465 –> 00:26:55,230
particular way I’m getting it or
having to happen in a certain way.

432
00:26:55,740 –> 00:26:57,390
Those are the things that can hang us up.

433
00:26:57,480 –> 00:27:00,240
And when it doesn’t happen the way
we want, we can get super stressed

434
00:27:00,240 –> 00:27:03,150
about it and a lot of survival
instincts can come in and we can

435
00:27:03,150 –> 00:27:05,310
start feeling really overwhelmed.

436
00:27:05,820 –> 00:27:09,860
You question some of those thoughts,
not to get rid of them, not to get rid

437
00:27:09,860 –> 00:27:12,320
of the desire, but to find balance.

438
00:27:12,530 –> 00:27:18,409
And this is a really key, uh, a key point,
a key principle in the work that I do

439
00:27:19,010 –> 00:27:23,840
is that these, these opposites that we
play with are about balancing each other.

440
00:27:23,899 –> 00:27:26,720
Like let’s say it’s that statement, I
want money and you’re questioning it.

441
00:27:26,720 –> 00:27:27,980
I need more money, right?

442
00:27:28,280 –> 00:27:28,790
You’re questioning it.

443
00:27:28,790 –> 00:27:32,010
It’s like when you’re thinking
that, all the energy’s on that

444
00:27:32,010 –> 00:27:35,130
side and you’re stressed about it
’cause you can’t figure it out.

445
00:27:35,130 –> 00:27:36,900
You’re not getting
there and, and all that.

446
00:27:37,470 –> 00:27:40,260
You question it and you’re
like, Is it, is it true?

447
00:27:40,350 –> 00:27:40,590
You know?

448
00:27:40,590 –> 00:27:43,950
And who would I be without the thought
that I need more money right now?

449
00:27:43,950 –> 00:27:48,150
And, and, uh, and then you
flip, flip it around and say,

450
00:27:48,450 –> 00:27:49,710
Okay, I don’t need more money.

451
00:27:49,710 –> 00:27:51,180
How could that be also true?

452
00:27:51,390 –> 00:27:55,800
And when you start finding examples of how
not having more money right now would also

453
00:27:55,800 –> 00:27:58,590
be fine, it starts balancing things out.

454
00:27:58,850 –> 00:28:02,139
And that’s the peace, that’s
where the peace is found.

455
00:28:02,709 –> 00:28:05,320
It’s not like you’re just getting
rid of the desire, you’re just

456
00:28:05,469 –> 00:28:06,850
balancing those two things.

457
00:28:08,709 –> 00:28:17,469
So, so you’re actually training
your brain to fire less of one

458
00:28:17,469 –> 00:28:20,230
chemical and more of the other.

459
00:28:20,860 –> 00:28:25,410
And that, that can actually, it, it works.

460
00:28:25,410 –> 00:28:29,520
And baby stepping that
in, it, it does work.

461
00:28:30,000 –> 00:28:32,430
Uh, addiction is a big one.

462
00:28:32,490 –> 00:28:37,530
You know, what you’re talking about
there, you know, a lot of addicts can

463
00:28:37,590 –> 00:28:42,570
relate with that because, well, they
understand the disappointment and

464
00:28:42,570 –> 00:28:46,800
then needing to recover from that.

465
00:28:47,250 –> 00:28:51,780
So it’s, it’s interesting
what our brain will do to us.

466
00:28:52,140 –> 00:29:00,450
And if we’re not aware that we can control
that by just identifying what’s, what

467
00:29:00,450 –> 00:29:09,060
are we surrounding ourself with and what
relationship do I have to this situation

468
00:29:09,930 –> 00:29:13,200
and bringing that balance into our brain.

469
00:29:13,740 –> 00:29:18,840
It’s, it’s very interesting to
me and I love to study people.

470
00:29:22,620 –> 00:29:24,389
Yeah, I’m, I’m with you.

471
00:29:24,450 –> 00:29:24,960
Yes.

472
00:29:25,530 –> 00:29:29,159
Um, but it, it means that we
have more control than we think.

473
00:29:29,250 –> 00:29:34,200
We tend to think that these,
these reactions happen and we

474
00:29:34,200 –> 00:29:35,220
don’t know what to do about it.

475
00:29:35,220 –> 00:29:40,950
But really there’s, there’s some
steps in between, between that thing

476
00:29:40,950 –> 00:29:43,350
happening to us and our reaction.

477
00:29:43,770 –> 00:29:45,360
And that’s a step of thinking.

478
00:29:45,365 –> 00:29:50,190
And, and when I really look at that and
really explore that, I have a lot of

479
00:29:50,190 –> 00:29:51,899
control on whether that makes sense to me.

480
00:29:51,899 –> 00:29:55,169
And, and I’ve, that’s the cool
thing about this work, uh, and why

481
00:29:55,169 –> 00:29:59,639
I do it so much for myself, is that
situations that used to trigger me

482
00:29:59,639 –> 00:30:03,719
just don’t even trigger me anymore
because I now see how to sidestep that.

483
00:30:03,719 –> 00:30:06,279
I’m like, you know, No big deal.

484
00:30:06,310 –> 00:30:07,755
Okay, you’re criticizing me.

485
00:30:08,145 –> 00:30:14,415
That’s a tough one but the more I do the
work on it, I’m like, Oh, you’re giving me

486
00:30:14,415 –> 00:30:18,675
some feedback and it has, if there’s any
charge on it from your side, that’s you.

487
00:30:18,705 –> 00:30:19,815
It’s not really even me.

488
00:30:20,145 –> 00:30:22,740
And I’m sort of like, Okay, I’m fine.

489
00:30:22,740 –> 00:30:25,245
You know, like you can actually, I
remember it’s like feeling like a bullet

490
00:30:25,245 –> 00:30:29,295
went past me and I just dodged it and it
went, uh, went and hit the wall somewhere.

491
00:30:29,295 –> 00:30:32,565
So that’s what happens as you
bring in awareness, and this

492
00:30:32,565 –> 00:30:33,795
is just one way of doing that.

493
00:30:35,945 –> 00:30:42,855
Well, now you’re also balancing
your IQ with EQ at the same time.

494
00:30:43,095 –> 00:30:49,455
Because if, if you’re bringing up the
emotional equation there, then the

495
00:30:49,785 –> 00:30:52,695
intellectual equation comes up also.

496
00:30:52,695 –> 00:30:59,175
So we’re dealing with two parts of
the brain and everything that we do

497
00:30:59,175 –> 00:31:01,274
takes that balance that we talk about.

498
00:31:02,024 –> 00:31:10,695
So we’re dealing with a world full of
sensitivity and a lot of people don’t

499
00:31:10,695 –> 00:31:20,115
know how to tap into help and ask for
help because of that being sensitive.

500
00:31:21,435 –> 00:31:28,410
How can we help those people understand
it’s okay to reach out and ask for help.

501
00:31:29,730 –> 00:31:34,860
Yeah, it takes, it takes courage, it
takes humility, uh, to be able to do that.

502
00:31:34,950 –> 00:31:40,230
And, you know, I don’t have a
quick fix for that, but I think

503
00:31:40,620 –> 00:31:43,950
one of the things that helped me
is knowing that I’m not alone.

504
00:31:44,130 –> 00:31:48,450
You know, that, that we all
go through different emotional

505
00:31:48,450 –> 00:31:51,420
challenges and are affected by things.

506
00:31:51,810 –> 00:31:55,470
This is not, uh, something
that’s just happening to you.

507
00:31:55,890 –> 00:32:00,300
And I, I think in our society
for so many decades or maybe

508
00:32:00,300 –> 00:32:03,240
centuries, it’s been put aside.

509
00:32:03,240 –> 00:32:08,130
Like mental health just put to the side,
emotions put to the side, and it’s,

510
00:32:08,400 –> 00:32:10,320
there’s a little taboo around that.

511
00:32:10,500 –> 00:32:13,330
So, luckily that seems to be changing.

512
00:32:13,510 –> 00:32:15,610
Um, but it still takes courage.

513
00:32:15,669 –> 00:32:22,060
And so I just encourage anyone to, to
explore any resources, whether they’re

514
00:32:22,060 –> 00:32:27,129
books, or podcasts, or anywhere where
people are starting to do their work

515
00:32:27,129 –> 00:32:29,530
and starting to share, um, with others.

516
00:32:29,530 –> 00:32:31,415
And there are many
groups as well, you know?

517
00:32:31,570 –> 00:32:35,580
And just where you can begin
to see that you’re not alone.

518
00:32:35,580 –> 00:32:40,500
Even twelve step programs are amazing, uh,
where you can see, be with other people

519
00:32:40,530 –> 00:32:42,300
that are sharing the same struggles.

520
00:32:42,899 –> 00:32:48,179
If you can be in a community with other
people, it starts to normalize your,

521
00:32:48,810 –> 00:32:52,830
uh, what you think is an experience
that is, you need to get rid of.

522
00:32:52,919 –> 00:32:55,590
It’s probably not need to get rid
of, you just need to get listened to

523
00:32:56,340 –> 00:33:01,350
and then dealt with in a way that,
uh, can, can be more balancing.

524
00:33:04,020 –> 00:33:05,700
You know, it’s interesting.

525
00:33:06,360 –> 00:33:12,180
A good way to handle that is,
there’s a bunch of like Facebook

526
00:33:12,180 –> 00:33:15,060
groups that deal with these topics.

527
00:33:15,450 –> 00:33:24,510
And even if you’re at the point, you’re
not ready to open up, just joining

528
00:33:24,510 –> 00:33:31,290
the group and be a fly on the wall
and witnessing how many people are

529
00:33:31,830 –> 00:33:37,890
dealing with these different things,
it, it really can help you open up

530
00:33:38,100 –> 00:33:42,330
and develop a way to express yourself.

531
00:33:42,750 –> 00:33:44,790
Because I really think that’s the key.

532
00:33:44,790 –> 00:33:49,890
If, if we can’t express ourselves,
we’re bottled up and we feel

533
00:33:49,890 –> 00:33:52,710
left out, alone, isolated.

534
00:33:54,000 –> 00:33:54,060
Yeah.

535
00:33:55,260 –> 00:33:59,190
Yeah, like there, we think that
because we’re experiencing something

536
00:33:59,190 –> 00:34:02,550
negative, then there’s something
wrong with us so we should hide it

537
00:34:02,850 –> 00:34:04,770
and try to work it out on our own.

538
00:34:04,770 –> 00:34:07,200
And then when we’re feeling
good, then maybe we’ll come back

539
00:34:07,200 –> 00:34:09,030
out and be in the world again.

540
00:34:09,030 –> 00:34:12,360
But, you know, you’re not alone.

541
00:34:12,360 –> 00:34:14,699
If you’re dealing with
negativity, welcome to the world.

542
00:34:15,000 –> 00:34:16,679
That’s what all human beings deal with.

543
00:34:17,310 –> 00:34:21,305
And so, you know, like
just seeing that is okay.

544
00:34:21,425 –> 00:34:26,855
Uh, and, and I love how you said balancing
IQ with EQ because there’s a certain,

545
00:34:27,885 –> 00:34:31,665
a lot of us, I think the EQ is like a
little bit immature in some ways or a

546
00:34:31,665 –> 00:34:35,085
little bit, I don’t know if immature
is the right word, but stuck sometimes

547
00:34:35,534 –> 00:34:37,034
because it’s not seeing the light of day.

548
00:34:37,034 –> 00:34:43,125
It’s getting squashed and overridden by so
much IQ and so much, so much of that side.

549
00:34:43,485 –> 00:34:47,929
So giving that, it’s almost like talking
to a little baby or something and saying,

550
00:34:48,069 –> 00:34:50,440
Hey, let’s, let’s hear what you think.

551
00:34:50,529 –> 00:34:51,549
Let’s hear your thoughts.

552
00:34:51,549 –> 00:34:56,440
And it’s gonna go, Ahh, you know,
and it’s gonna start being, uh, if

553
00:34:56,440 –> 00:34:59,230
you really allow it, it’s gonna cry.

554
00:34:59,230 –> 00:35:03,669
It’s gonna, it’s gonna rant, it’s gonna,
it’s, it’s gonna sound like pure ego.

555
00:35:04,390 –> 00:35:06,790
Fantastic, that is wonderful.

556
00:35:06,790 –> 00:35:08,620
Like, welcome that in.

557
00:35:08,620 –> 00:35:11,279
Because this is the part that’s
been squelched for so long.

558
00:35:11,759 –> 00:35:15,720
It’s not that it’s, that it should be
hidden away, it should be listened to

559
00:35:16,020 –> 00:35:20,520
and then questioned a little bit because
it’s, it’s got something true going on.

560
00:35:20,520 –> 00:35:23,670
But it’s, it might have, the idea
might be on the wrong, you know,

561
00:35:23,670 –> 00:35:26,585
but it just might be, need a
little adjustment as it comes out.

562
00:35:28,575 –> 00:35:33,854
Yeah, that, that’s the illustration I
was looking for right there because, you

563
00:35:33,854 –> 00:35:41,325
know, there’s a lot of intelligent people
out there that lack some EQ and really

564
00:35:43,484 –> 00:35:47,325
just putting them on the spot
is never going to help it.

565
00:35:47,770 –> 00:35:53,205
It, it’s, it’s a balance thing that we
have to figure out and hopefully the

566
00:35:53,205 –> 00:35:58,845
world keeps shoving this positivity
out instead of the negativity.

567
00:35:59,175 –> 00:36:03,735
And I’ve, I’ve been seeing a
lot of people do that, uh, turn

568
00:36:03,735 –> 00:36:09,345
theirselves and their attention to
positivity instead of negativity.

569
00:36:09,585 –> 00:36:15,075
And that’s when we can move
mountains with whatever we do.

570
00:36:15,924 –> 00:36:21,525
So is there anything, Todd,
that we haven’t covered that we

571
00:36:21,525 –> 00:36:24,075
need to cover for your episode?

572
00:36:25,245 –> 00:36:29,325
Well, just, um, building on what you were
saying there, I think is an, an important

573
00:36:29,325 –> 00:36:36,645
point is that, um, two things, one is
that, that with a process like this, you

574
00:36:36,645 –> 00:36:39,884
can transform negativity into positivity.

575
00:36:40,035 –> 00:36:43,904
And so you can transform, not the
situation, that you don’t necessarily,

576
00:36:43,904 –> 00:36:48,015
you can’t always change, but you can
change your view of it from something

577
00:36:48,435 –> 00:36:50,174
negative to something positive.

578
00:36:50,745 –> 00:36:55,035
And then allowing, like even if you
do have something negative, if you

579
00:36:55,035 –> 00:37:00,600
have a way of listening to that, being
honest about it, and then challenging

580
00:37:00,600 –> 00:37:05,310
yourself on it, you can end up,
uh, in a different place about it.

581
00:37:05,460 –> 00:37:09,000
And then what you thought was negative
is not so, is not really negative.

582
00:37:09,000 –> 00:37:11,970
It doesn’t feel negative, even
though everyone would agree that

583
00:37:11,970 –> 00:37:14,160
it’s, you know, not so positive.

584
00:37:14,160 –> 00:37:16,680
So it’s all about how you see things.

585
00:37:16,740 –> 00:37:18,509
Uh, I think that’s the
first thing I wanted to say.

586
00:37:18,600 –> 00:37:23,730
Um, and then the other is, I
think the key is feeling safe.

587
00:37:23,879 –> 00:37:30,899
Uh, if you don’t feel safe to do, to look
at something, uh, negative or something in

588
00:37:30,899 –> 00:37:36,450
yourself, some reaction, if you don’t feel
safe, then you’re just gonna block it.

589
00:37:36,450 –> 00:37:37,410
You’ll be like, You know what?

590
00:37:37,410 –> 00:37:38,759
I, I don’t need this.

591
00:37:39,390 –> 00:37:44,790
And what, what I find, why I love
this particular process is that

592
00:37:45,419 –> 00:37:47,430
it’s like saying, You know what?

593
00:37:47,610 –> 00:37:53,580
You’ve been waiting, you, Mr. Ego or
Mr. Pushed down emotions, you’ve been

594
00:37:53,580 –> 00:37:58,830
waiting for a long time to be heard
and I’ve been putting you off, and I

595
00:37:58,830 –> 00:38:00,480
just want to hear what you have to say.

596
00:38:00,690 –> 00:38:02,700
You know, and we don’t even
have to turn all this around.

597
00:38:02,760 –> 00:38:06,510
Let’s just, I just want to hear what
you have to say and I wanna listen.

598
00:38:06,780 –> 00:38:09,705
And that starts to say,
okay, you know what?

599
00:38:09,765 –> 00:38:12,345
I feel a little safer, I’ll,
I’ll share a little bit.

600
00:38:12,945 –> 00:38:17,205
And then if we do the process, like
questioning and turning around,

601
00:38:17,715 –> 00:38:22,155
then I’m, I’m almost telling the
little stuck part inside of me, I

602
00:38:22,155 –> 00:38:23,565
want you to answer the questions.

603
00:38:23,565 –> 00:38:26,985
I want you to be in control of this
process and I want you to be able to

604
00:38:26,985 –> 00:38:31,485
say, you know, no, that isn’t really,
uh, true, you know, for me anyway.

605
00:38:31,485 –> 00:38:35,785
Or I, I want you to be the one
going through this process.

606
00:38:36,145 –> 00:38:40,675
And for me, just on a, just on
a feeling level, it feels like,

607
00:38:41,245 –> 00:38:45,295
okay, I am allowed to be what I am.

608
00:38:45,355 –> 00:38:50,310
Which is not amazing and
looking good in the world.

609
00:38:50,670 –> 00:38:54,420
I’m allowed to be where I am on an
internal level, and I’m gonna be met

610
00:38:54,420 –> 00:38:58,470
with understanding, and I’m gonna be
able to work through it if I want to.

611
00:38:58,529 –> 00:39:02,279
And I’m also able to say, Shut the
door, and I need a break from this too.

612
00:39:02,339 –> 00:39:05,370
So safety, I think, is really
important when you’re ever

613
00:39:05,370 –> 00:39:06,930
doing, uh, this kind of work.

614
00:39:08,560 –> 00:39:08,960
Yeah.

615
00:39:09,350 –> 00:39:15,309
Well, you’re, you’re doing a lot of
great work out there and people need

616
00:39:15,509 –> 00:39:19,020
that safe space to present themselves.

617
00:39:19,410 –> 00:39:25,379
So could you tell people some of the
services that you do offer and how

618
00:39:25,410 –> 00:39:26,640
they can actually reach out to you?

619
00:39:29,550 –> 00:39:30,090
Sure.

620
00:39:30,090 –> 00:39:30,540
Yeah.

621
00:39:30,600 –> 00:39:37,260
So, um, you can reach out to me
@trueinnerfreedom.com and, uh, I have

622
00:39:37,260 –> 00:39:42,270
a, a podcast at, uh, which is Stress
Management for Highly Sensitive People.

623
00:39:42,900 –> 00:39:48,570
And, um, you know, I offer an online
course and I offer private sessions,

624
00:39:48,630 –> 00:39:53,520
and those are the two main ways that I
support people, uh, in doing this process.

625
00:39:53,520 –> 00:39:55,170
Really, that’s, that’s what I do.

626
00:39:55,170 –> 00:39:59,430
And I, I, people often ask
me, Do you get tired of, like,

627
00:39:59,730 –> 00:40:01,620
dealing with people’s negativity?

628
00:40:01,620 –> 00:40:06,600
And I’m like, No, it’s actually, feels
amazing because I’m watching it fall away.

629
00:40:06,660 –> 00:40:14,160
I’m watching the, the, um, you know,
the stress get uncoiled and unraveled

630
00:40:14,160 –> 00:40:16,290
in a way and it’s, it’s, it’s very fun.

631
00:40:16,319 –> 00:40:21,230
So yeah, if you wanna learn more about
me, come on over to trueinnerfreedom.com.

632
00:40:22,305 –> 00:40:28,395
And, and that’s what you do, you’re
a facilitator to just keep, keep

633
00:40:28,484 –> 00:40:34,694
the session on track where it’s
achieving some inner work instead of

634
00:40:34,694 –> 00:40:37,065
floating off to Never- Never Land.

635
00:40:37,665 –> 00:40:46,875
And that spin that we do to avoid ourself,
it’s important to have somebody there and

636
00:40:46,905 –> 00:40:50,115
say, Okay, let’s bring it back to center.

637
00:40:50,565 –> 00:40:53,955
So I, I really appreciate what
you’re doing out there, Todd.

638
00:40:54,285 –> 00:40:59,025
I appreciate you being here today
and sharing what you do and some

639
00:40:59,025 –> 00:41:00,675
of your great ideas with us.

640
00:41:01,635 –> 00:41:02,685
Thank you for having me.

641
00:41:02,685 –> 00:41:05,955
It’s just been a pleasure talking
with you and I’ve enjoyed every

642
00:41:05,955 –> 00:41:07,155
minute of the conversation.

643
00:41:07,245 –> 00:41:07,995
So thanks a lot.

644
00:41:20,685 –> 00:41:24,884
I spent my whole life
feeding every little thing.

645
00:41:27,645 –> 00:41:31,060
The world came rushing at me like a flood.

646
00:41:33,400 –> 00:41:39,340
Folks said I was too tender,
told me to grow thick skin.

647
00:41:39,340 –> 00:41:44,090
But I was drowning trying
to be what I wasn’t.

648
00:41:45,545 –> 00:41:49,670
And somebody showed me there’s
no shame in stepping back

649
00:41:52,580 –> 00:41:55,640
and knowing when to
rest ain’t running away.

650
00:41:58,430 –> 00:42:03,860
My heart beats different, always
has, and that’s all right.

651
00:42:04,700 –> 00:42:10,100
There’s power in the quiet
strength in needing space.

652
00:42:10,210 –> 00:42:15,440
I’m finding sacred ground
where I can breathe again.

653
00:42:15,890 –> 00:42:20,190
Learning how to honor what I need.

654
00:42:20,190 –> 00:42:28,880
The questions lead me closer
than the answers ever did.

655
00:42:29,600 –> 00:42:33,549
I’m claiming back the
soul they said was weak.

656
00:42:34,789 –> 00:42:39,669
Through the gentle way, I’m finally free.

657
00:42:41,079 –> 00:42:48,799
The morning light don’t have
to burn to prove it’s real.

658
00:42:51,825 –> 00:42:55,130
The voice don’t have to
shout to speak the truth.

659
00:42:57,860 –> 00:43:02,960
I’m done apologizing for
the depth I carry here.

660
00:43:03,920 –> 00:43:07,600
My tender heart’s the
strongest part of me.

661
00:43:07,630 –> 00:43:15,209
I’m finding sacred ground
where I can breathe again.

662
00:43:15,240 –> 00:43:20,089
Learning how to honor what I need.

663
00:43:20,089 –> 00:43:28,280
Questions lead me closer
than the answers ever did.

664
00:43:28,840 –> 00:43:32,590
I’m claiming back the
soul they said was weak.

665
00:43:32,920 –> 00:43:43,975
Through the gentle way, I’m finally free.

666
00:43:43,975 –> 00:43:51,630
What overwhelms can turn to grace,
when I stop fighting who I am

667
00:43:53,930 –> 00:43:58,160
ever since this soul deserves a place.

668
00:43:58,790 –> 00:44:05,100
Stand and say, This is where I belong.

669
00:44:05,769 –> 00:44:11,910
I’m finding sacred ground
where I can breathe again.

670
00:44:12,180 –> 00:44:16,210
Learning how to honor what I need.

671
00:44:17,450 –> 00:44:24,405
Questions lead me closer
than the answers ever did.

672
00:44:24,975 –> 00:44:29,265
I’m claiming back the
soul they said was weak.

673
00:44:30,165 –> 00:44:30,735
Through the

674
00:44:37,515 –> 00:44:37,895
gentle

675
00:44:41,335 –> 00:44:42,515
way, I’m finally free.

676
00:44:42,865 –> 00:44:44,404
Through the gentle way,

677
00:44:46,524 –> 00:44:48,015
I found my peace.