410 Holding Space For Grief
What can one say when faced with tragedy? Do you reach for a simple “I’m sorry” to let another know you sympathize with their pain? Do you offer an anecdote to show you empathize with what they are going through? Regardless, it is important that whatever you do you also hold space for your grief as well as those who need to know they are not alone in their grief.
410 Holding Space For Grief
What can one say when faced with tragedy? Do you reach for a simple “I’m sorry” to let another know you sympathize with their pain? Do you offer an anecdote to show you empathize with what they are going through? Regardless, it is important that whatever you do you also hold space for your grief as well as those who need to know they are not alone in their grief.
Highlights
The importance of holding space for grief in the face of tragedy.
Using healthy coping mechanisms to combat pain.
You can sit in your grief and melancholy, just remember you must continue to move on.
Quotes
“I can’t fathom how this is okay in the year 2025. Why haven’t we evolved further than to allow the murder of innocents?”
“It brought me a sense of peace and comfort, knowing we are resilient people. That we will come through this. That we will find love and community as we make the efforts to do so.”
Dear Listeners it is now your turn,
Find a place outside where you can stand on grass or dirt in bare feet, even if it’s cold, and sense the awe around you. Whatever the weather, we’re alive. Whatever the actions taken by others, we’re alive, to keep the legacy of our loved ones alive in our hearts. And to play a small role in changing this dynamic of hate, loneliness, and disconnect.
And, as always, thank you for listening.
Mentioned in this episode
About Sarah
"Uncovering the right stories for the right audiences so executives, leaders, public speakers, and job seekers can clearly and actively demonstrate their character, values, and vision."
In my work with coaching clients, I guide people to improve their communication using storytelling as the foundation of our work together. What I’ve realized over years of coaching and podcasting is that the majority of people don’t realize the impact of the stories they share - on their internal messages, and on the people they’re sharing them with.
My work with leaders and people who aspire to be leaders follows a similar path to the interviews on my podcast, uncovering pivotal moments in their lives and learning how to share them to connect more authentically with others, to make their presentations and speaking more engaging, to reveal patterns that have kept them stuck or moved them forward, and to improve their relationships at work and at home.
The audiobook, Your Stories Don’t Define You, How You Tell Them Will is now available!
Included with your purchase are two bonus tracks, songs recorded by Sarah's band, Spare Change, in her living room in Montana.
Be sure to check out the Storytelling For Professionals Course as well to make sure you nail that next interview!
408 Changing For Good
In this episode Sarah Elkins and Judit Piros discuss the importance of change in one's self, how healing often needs to be sought out and made active strides to achieve. From the highs and lows of being a parent, to the life of an artist, as well as the deep intrinsic self learning that comes from our unique walks of life that we must share with those around us. In doing so, we find we aren’t that different after all.
408 Changing For Good
In this episode Sarah Elkins and Judit Piros discuss the importance of change in one's self, how healing often needs to be sought out and made active strides to achieve. From the highs and lows of being a parent, to the life of an artist, as well as the deep intrinsic self learning that comes from our unique walks of life that we must share with those around us. In doing so, we find we aren’t that different after all.
Handmade Raku Clay Whale Light Sculpture – Unique Ceramic Art, One piece only, available on Etsy.
Highlights
Shifting perspective to see scenarios differently, especially if it is a scenario you didn’t expect to not work out.
Taking time for yourself to heal, find your counterweight, take whatever is thrown at you and still stand up. Especially for yourself and those you love.
Proportional responses and how necessary they are to healing.
Try to be gentle with yourself.
“The way you were born has very very much defined how you lived and how you experience life.”
“All life begins in darkness.”
“You need suffering in order to transform, and this is when you learn your own strength and your own capabilities.”
Handmade Raku Clay Whale Light Sculpture – Unique Ceramic Art, One piece only
Dear Listeners it is now your turn,
I have two things that I would like for you to consider over the next few weeks after listening to this episode.
1 - If you are a person who has given birth to a living child or living young adult, what is the birth story you share in front of them? What is the birth story you tell people? Is it traumatic? Have you figured out a way to share the story in a way that feels beautiful and meaningful, regardless of what actually happened that day, regardless of the pain you experienced and the fear. How can you tell this story so that when your child hears it, they hear the joy and gratitude that they are there with you now. That’s my first question.
2 - What is it that is your tell? What is the signal your body gives you when something isn’t right? I encourage you over the next few weeks to try to identify what that is. In Judit, she said that its a twitch in her hip, in the muscles around her hip. For me, it’s usually some sort of effect from my essential tremors, starting to shake badly enough that it’s very noticeable. So when you feel uncomfortable or something is making you anxious or angry, take inventory of your body, figure out where you’re feeling it. And make a choice, a conscious choice, to notice whenever that is the warning you need to change something.
And, as always, thank you for listening.
Mentioned in this episode
Download Judit’s free guide: Imferpect Design.
Do you remember the Weebles collectibles of the 1970s?
About Judit
I am an Atlanta based Hungarian artist... right now artist, because my life was full of twists and turns before I reached to this point, calling myself this way. Economist by degree, designer by interest, mother of three by love, bellydance teacher, phorographer and doula by femininity and the deepest connection is about mental help, coaching and exploring the fields of Birth and Death.
I have a never fading excitement toward the pre- and perinatal traumas and more importantly: how to heal from this traumas. It took me ten years to get more or less over my own and opening that Pandora's box turned my whole life upside down, but worth it. Even the losses, because on this journey I found myself and this new self is a much more relaxed company for... well... for me :)
Be sure to check out Judit’s LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram! As well as Imferpect Design for a free guide!
About Sarah
"Uncovering the right stories for the right audiences so executives, leaders, public speakers, and job seekers can clearly and actively demonstrate their character, values, and vision."
In my work with coaching clients, I guide people to improve their communication using storytelling as the foundation of our work together. What I’ve realized over years of coaching and podcasting is that the majority of people don’t realize the impact of the stories they share - on their internal messages, and on the people they’re sharing them with.
My work with leaders and people who aspire to be leaders follows a similar path to the interviews on my podcast, uncovering pivotal moments in their lives and learning how to share them to connect more authentically with others, to make their presentations and speaking more engaging, to reveal patterns that have kept them stuck or moved them forward, and to improve their relationships at work and at home.
The audiobook, Your Stories Don’t Define You, How You Tell Them Will is now available!
Included with your purchase are two bonus tracks, songs recorded by Sarah's band, Spare Change, in her living room in Montana.
Be sure to check out the Storytelling For Professionals Course as well to make sure you nail that next interview!
404 The Unpredictable Nature of Our Stories
Like the humble ant, we go about our lives caring for those in our home, seeking new horizons, and using our natural talents to build monuments to our success. However, just like the ant, we are subject to things out of our control; be it a rainstorm that floods known pathways or a cruel child with a magnifying glass. These things can break us, they often do, but just like the ant we must settle again, rebuild, and make our home safe again.
In this episode Sarah Elkins and Anne Plaisance discuss the many trials and tribulations they had faced and how they channeled it into something beautiful and powerful.
Like the humble ant, we go about our lives caring for those in our home, seeking new horizons, and using our natural talents to build monuments to our success. However, just like the ant, we are subject to things out of our control; be it a rainstorm that floods known pathways or a cruel child with a magnifying glass. These things can break us, they often do, but just like the ant we must settle again, rebuild, and make our home safe again.
In this episode Sarah Elkins and Anne Plaisance discuss the many trials and tribulations they had faced and how they channeled it into something beautiful and powerful.
Highlights
How have you surprised others? With your choices, strengths, and/or stories?
How have you turned the hard parts of your story into something inspiring? How have you transformed?
When was the moment your relief finally turned to joy?
Quotes
“What you don’t transform, you transmit.”
“I’d say it’s a little bit like kintsugi, the japanese art where you fill all the cracks with gold, but here you fill your soul with love.”
Dear Listeners it is now your turn,
My question isn’t necessarily what you’ll do with this information, my question for you today is will you take five minutes after listening to this podcast to take inventory of where you are right now in your feelings, in how you are taking action in something that you want to do, take five minutes and take inventory. What do you need now? What will put you in a better place now? And what tiny ant sized step can you take in that direction?
And, as always, thank you for listening.
About Anne
Internationally renowned painter Anne Plaisance has established herself as a key figure on the contemporary art scene, with over 100 exhibitions worldwide. She has been awarded numerous times, receiving major distinctions as well as grants from the prestigious Cambridge Arts Council and Massachusetts Cultural Council. Her work, marked by profound artistic and social engagement, has been featured in influential media outlets such as The Boston Globe, Harper’s Bazaar, Elle Decoration, and Artscope, and she has been regularly invited on television and radio programs.
Her creations are part of prestigious private collections in London, Milan, Paris, Warsaw, Dubai, Kyoto, and Boston, establishing her as a widely collected and internationally recognized artist.
Founder of the transformative art exhibition Wonder Women Now, she stands out for her commitment to women’s empowerment and her bold approach to the global issue of domestic violence, making her work a true force for social and cultural change.
Be sure to check out Anne’s Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn! As well as her website Anne Plaisance!
About Sarah
"Uncovering the right stories for the right audiences so executives, leaders, public speakers, and job seekers can clearly and actively demonstrate their character, values, and vision."
In my work with coaching clients, I guide people to improve their communication using storytelling as the foundation of our work together. What I’ve realized over years of coaching and podcasting is that the majority of people don’t realize the impact of the stories they share - on their internal messages, and on the people they’re sharing them with.
My work with leaders and people who aspire to be leaders follows a similar path to the interviews on my podcast, uncovering pivotal moments in their lives and learning how to share them to connect more authentically with others, to make their presentations and speaking more engaging, to reveal patterns that have kept them stuck or moved them forward, and to improve their relationships at work and at home.
The audiobook, Your Stories Don’t Define You, How You Tell Them Will is now available!
Included with your purchase are two bonus tracks, songs recorded by Sarah's band, Spare Change, in her living room in Montana.
Be sure to check out the Storytelling For Professionals Course as well to make sure you nail that next interview!
343 Incremental Improvements
Our environments influence how we function and how we are able to deal with the things in our life mentally and emotionally so that we can choose to rearrange or shed the stories or things that no longer serve us.
In today’s episode Sarah Elkins and Mark Ainley discuss the importance of giving everything our own style, facing the parts of ourselves we hold onto that need to be reframed or allowed to rest, and finally how we all collect little trophies of our adventures and that these “imperfections” should be treasured.
343 Incremental Improvements
Our environments influence how we function and how we are able to deal with the things in our life mentally and emotionally so that we can choose to rearrange or shed the stories or things that no longer serve us.
In today’s episode Sarah Elkins and Mark Ainley discuss the importance of giving everything our own style, facing the parts of ourselves we hold onto that need to be reframed or allowed to rest, and finally how we all collect little trophies of our adventures and that these “imperfections” should be treasured.
Highlights
Give your own style to whatever you do. Make it unique, make it You.
What part of your story that you aren’t dealing with needs to be reframed so that you can move on?
How your environment shifts your roles.
What are your adventure dimples?
Quotes
“When we have that resistant, usually there’s something behind that resistance. There’s a reason for that, And if we cannot push but follow through with shall we say gentle persistence, we can get to the root and that expression can change.”
“We’re so busy trying to change behavior, trying to change the face of things, rather than the root.”
“Clutter is the sign of a nonintegrated relationship of how something expresses.”
Dear Listeners it is now your turn,
What will you do, which room will you start in, where you stand there for 60 seconds. Close your eyes for a moment, sense what you’re feeling or hearing in that room. Are there any noises? Is there a hum, do you have wind chimes outside? What are you hearing? Are these sounds that are agreeable, do they light you up, do they inspire? Then open your eyes, look around you, does that room make you feel good or does it make you feel dizzy and heavy? What can you change today, in that room, something small, that will inspire you to make more changes. Incremental improvements.
And, as always, thank you for listening.
About Mark
A professional Feng Shui consultant since 2001, Mark Ainley of Sense of Space has consulted and taught all over the world, particularly in Japan, where since 2003 he has had an active practice both in person and on Zoom. Well-known and respected for his practical, easy-to-grasp approach to Feng Shui principles (which he refers to as Contemporary Feng Shui), he writes, teaches, and consults internationally, bridging the ancient wisdom of Feng Shui with common sense and aligned insights from the latest environmental psychology research.
Be sure to check out Sense of Space! As well as Mark’s Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn!
About Sarah
"Uncovering the right stories for the right audiences so executives, leaders, public speakers, and job seekers can clearly and actively demonstrate their character, values, and vision."
In my work with coaching clients, I guide people to improve their communication using storytelling as the foundation of our work together. What I’ve realized over years of coaching and podcasting is that the majority of people don’t realize the impact of the stories they share - on their internal messages, and on the people they’re sharing them with.
My work with leaders and people who aspire to be leaders follows a similar path to the interviews on my podcast, uncovering pivotal moments in their lives and learning how to share them to connect more authentically with others, to make their presentations and speaking more engaging, to reveal patterns that have kept them stuck or moved them forward, and to improve their relationships at work and at home.
The audiobook, Your Stories Don’t Define You, How You Tell Them Will is now available!
Included with your purchase are two bonus tracks, songs recorded by Sarah's band, Spare Change, in her living room in Montana.
Be sure to check out the Storytelling For Professionals Course as well to make sure you nail that next interview!
323 Authentic Connections
Authentic connections can be difficult to find, whether it be from not being taught the skills to form these connections or simply losing touch with former acquaintances, it can be difficult but not impossible and with the proper tools and a heartfelt message, authentic connections can be found anywhere.
In today’s episode Sarah Elkins and Amy Daughters discuss the importance of authentic connections and how having meaningful conversations with individuals can lead to long term relationships.
323 Authentic Connections
Authentic connections can be difficult to find, whether it be from not being taught the skills to form these connections or simply losing touch with former acquaintances, it can be difficult but not impossible and with the proper tools and a heartfelt message, authentic connections can be found anywhere.
In today’s episode Sarah Elkins and Amy Daughters discuss the importance of authentic connections and how having meaningful conversations with individuals can lead to long term relationships.
Highlights
You’ll never know how profound a connection can be unless you reach out.
It only takes a thoughtful act to change not just the person receiving, but the person giving.
In the age of social media it’s more important than ever to treat people like individuals with their own stories and burdens they carry.
Act with love in your heart, and encourage others to do the same.
Quotes
“It’s generally accepted that if you write me and tell me that you care about me and value me, that I’m the one that walks away the person most changed. But the reality, and I learned this 580 times, You’re the person who’s the most changed. The person who is releasing that thank you, that congratulations. Because I went from saying “What am I going to even say in these letters?” to once I looked at their profile and once I realized who they were to me, all of a sudden I had so much stuff to say; Thank you, I’m sorry, Congratulations, I support you. And I started to see all these things that were going on in people’s lives that I couldn’t see in the news feed that I had to treat people one person at a time.”
“The handwriting is somebody’s personality but it’s also the physical manifestation of how somebody feels about you and how it made you feel.”
“I think what we try do is we try to put everyone else in our own little box, you know whatever it is that you feel like you’re inspired to do. I was inspired to do that, but everyone is inspired to do something, they have a moment in their heart where they’re like, “Oh that’s what I want to do.” We got to encourage each other to do that.”
Dear Listeners it is now your turn,
Remember that title; Your Stories Don’t Define You But How You Tell Them Will. What are the stories that people can tell about you based on what you take from this conversation? Think about the stories people are telling about Dana and Parker, and about Amy, that they’ll never know and yet continue to create this ripple effect of connecting beyond the keyboard. Connecting authentically in a way that makes people feel seen and heard. What will you do? What is your next step?
And, as always, thank you for listening.
About Amy
Amy Weinland Daughters, Award-Winning Author and Keynote Speaker, believes in a world where what makes us different is the very thing that connects us, instead of separates us. She brings that world to life by helping people reconnect to each other through the power of hand-written letters. She brings her wit, humor, and having written 580 handwritten letters to every single one of her Facebook friends, to show you how you can find deep connections in some of the most unexpected places.
Be sure to check out Amy’s LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram!
About Sarah
"Uncovering the right stories for the right audiences so executives, leaders, public speakers, and job seekers can clearly and actively demonstrate their character, values, and vision."
In my work with coaching clients, I guide people to improve their communication using storytelling as the foundation of our work together. What I’ve realized over years of coaching and podcasting is that the majority of people don’t realize the impact of the stories they share - on their internal messages, and on the people they’re sharing them with.
My work with leaders and people who aspire to be leaders follows a similar path to the interviews on my podcast, uncovering pivotal moments in their lives and learning how to share them to connect more authentically with others, to make their presentations and speaking more engaging, to reveal patterns that have kept them stuck or moved them forward, and to improve their relationships at work and at home.
The audiobook, Your Stories Don’t Define You, How You Tell Them Will is now available!
Included with your purchase are two bonus tracks, songs recorded by Sarah's band, Spare Change, in her living room in Montana.
Be sure to check out the Storytelling For Professionals Course as well to make sure you nail that next interview!
Episode 167: Keen Observation is the Key to Finding Humor Almost Anywhere
Kat’s mom was a therapist and her dad a writer. They self-analyzed themselves into a mess, and she struggled to find ways to address her inner emotions. She craved something completely different, and worked hard to avoid a career in any field related to her mom’s.
What's the perfect contradiction & complement to therapy? Comedy, of course!
After finishing her degree, she moved to Chicago to try her skills at improvisation, and landed a career with Second City.
A Skeptic and a Believer: There Are So Many Things We Experience That Cannot Be Explained
Another great introduction from Shelley Brown, Kat Barker was a fabulous guest on this episode of Your Stories Don't Define You.
Kat Barker Quote, podcast cover art
Kat’s mom was a therapist and her dad a writer. They self-analyzed themselves into a mess, and she struggled to find ways to address her inner emotions. She craved something completely different, and worked hard to avoid a career in any field related to her mom’s.
What's the perfect contradiction & complement to therapy? Comedy, of course!
After finishing her degree, she moved to Chicago to try her skills at improvisation, and landed a career with Second City.
It was her exploration into her own healing that changed her path. As much as she loves the work of improvisation as a business tool and strategy, she found herself continually drawn toward not only the observation of humanity necessary to be great at improvisation, but the part of humanity that needs serious attention - our internal dialogs, the way we hold trauma and stress in our bodies and neural pathways, our thoughts about who we are and how we show up.
Her first foray into something that wasn't traditional therapy, but did lean in that direction, was cranialsacral therapy. It appealed to the comedian part of her, which might seem strange. It's a process of using light touch and attention to address trauma and unexpressed emotion caught in the body, to stabilize the central nervous system. It's what people call "energy work." Her first story in the episode explains why humor plays a big role in her work.
If you loved this episode, please give it 5 stars and maybe write a review? And be sure to get in touch with Kat to learn more about her, visiting her website: Sheholdsthelight.com
Here are references for topics from our conversation:
Somatic Therapy: https://www.goodtherapy.org/learn-about-therapy/types/somatic-psychotherapy
Akashic Records: https://www.edgarcayce.org/the-readings/akashic-records/
Sarah walking on Mt. Helena, Helena, Montana, Fall 2020
ABOUT SARAH:
In my work with coaching clients, I guide people to improve their communication using storytelling as the foundation of our work together. What I’ve realized over years of coaching and podcasting is that the majority of people don’t realize the impact of the stories they share - on their internal messages, and on the people they’re sharing them with.
My work with leaders and people who aspire to be leaders follows a similar path to the interviews on my podcast, uncovering pivotal moments in their lives and learning how to share them to connect more authentically with others, to make their presentations and speaking more engaging, to reveal patterns that have kept them stuck or moved them forward, and to improve their relationships at work and at home.
The audiobook, Your Stories Don’t Define You, How You Tell Them Will is now available!
Included with your purchase are two bonus tracks, songs recorded by Sarah's band, Spare Change, in her living room in Montana.
Audiobook cover art