Would you like to make a difference? And help in transforming the world and making it a better place for everyone? Today we are really happy to have Andréa Ranae with us on the show and she's intensely passionate about social justice and liberation. Andrea is a vision led facilitator and coach, who firmly believes that together we rise. She has a program called Coaching As Activism, which she offers to people at a variety of different levels, in order to make it fully accessible to anyone who really needs it. Listen in today to find out what Andrea has to share about emotions, personal growth, and social transformation.
Andréa is deeply devoted to doing whatever she can to cultivate a world that works for everyone! To achieve this, she places her work at the intersections of personal growth, social justice, and conscious business. Andréa supports people through her Coaching As Activism program, and also by doing transformative work with them, to deepen their impact by looking critically at the way that their lives and work are connected to social change. Andrea is the co-founder of Whole Self Liberation and she offers practical tools, resources, and wisdom to people who are really committed to making change happen in their lives and communities. As a coach and consultant, Andréa works with entrepreneurs, businesses and organizations that want to be more inclusive and impactful through their approach to leadership, marketing, and company culture. Listen in today to find out more.
More in this episode:
Andréa explains what she is intensely passionate about and she describes her own, personal brand of intensity.
The effect that Andrea's intensity had on her while growing up.
Andréa learned ways to hold herself back, in order to make other people feel more comfortable with her and not worry about her, when she was growing up.
The cultural factors that affected the way that Andrea could express herself while growing up.
Andréa found it really difficult to deal with her anger.
Andréa felt that she had to tone herself down for most of her teenage years.
A time in college when Andréa's emotional intensity got out of control.
The way that Andréa uses her fire for good.
When the pain of being black in America really sank in for Andrea and caused her to deeply examine grief.
The collective pain that we all share as humans.
The disservice that we pay ourselves by avoiding our feelings.
Why Andréa is so passionate about the work she does.
Overwhelming feelings and powerlessness about what's going on in the world.
Figuring out what you have to contribute.
Harnessing the power of her intensity has allowed Andrea to show up more sustainably.
Being okay with being yourself.
About Andréa's Coaching As Activism program.
Resources:
Books mentioned on the show:
The Alchemist, by Paolo Coelho
Links:
Andréa's website: Andrea Ranae
Look out for our 100th episode next week where we will be sharing some recordings from our past guests and audience, answering the question "What does embracing intensity mean to you?". If you'd like to be on the podcast, please send a recording of your response to Aurora before Friday, October 5th. You can email Aurora at aurora@auroraremember.com.
How would you like to see the world becoming a more loving, caring, and sensitive place? Today we are very happy to have Dr. Dan Peters, a really warm-hearted humanitarian, with us on the show. Dr. Dan has a rich history of achievements throughout his life and he is driven to help others achieve as much as possible in their lives too! He is a co-founder of Parent Footprints, an online, interactive, parent training community, with their goal to make the world a more loving and compassionate place- one parent and one child at a time. Aurora first met Dr. Dan at a SENG (Supporting the Emotional Needs of the Gifted) conference a few years ago. She later started following his Summit Center newsletter, and then more recently, his Parent Footprint podcast. Listen in to find out what he has to share on the show today.
Dr. Dan is a licensed psychologist and the co-founder and executive director of The Summit Centre, which specializes in the assessment and treatment of children, adolescents, and families, with a special emphasis on gifted and twice-exceptional individuals. He has authored the Make Your Worrier A Warrior series and has also co-authored Raising Creative Kids. He is a frequent contributor to both the Huffington Post and Psychology Today. Dr. Dan won an award at the SENG conference this past summer. Listen in today, to find out more!
More in this episode:
Resources:
Books mentioned in the show:
Make Your Worrier A Warrior series by Dr. Dan Peters
Raising Creative Kids by Daniel Peters and Susan Daniels
The Road Less Traveled by M. Scott Peck
The Celestine Prophecy by James Redfield
The Way of the Peaceful Warrior by Dan Millman
The Power of Now by Eckhardt Tolle
I Can See Clearly Now by Wayne Dwyer
Links:
Dr. Dan's website: Dr. Dan Peters
Parent Footprint website: Parent Footprint
Summit Center website: Summit Center
Have you ever heard the term twice-exceptional? In this episode of Embracing Intensity, I share what it means and why it's important.
Including:
Kimberly Berry is originally from California and is the host of the Being Unnormal Podcast which focuses on mental health, especially children’s mental health. She is also very passionate about child hunger and poverty and Kimberly wants to educate and help people seek the help they need. Kimberly believes that there currently remains such a stigma that it prevents people from seeking help from a professional. Kimberly is responsible for the “Summer Lunch Program,” she founded “Holiday Hope,” and is the director of the “Adolescent Mental Health Summit” which will target parents and educate them on issues that are affecting our youth.
Show Highlights:
Resources Mentioned in the Show:
Podcast on iTunes
@Beingunnormal on Facebook
@Beingunnormal on Instagram
Scream Free Parenting, by Hal Edward Runkel
The Four Agreements, by Don Miguel Ruiz
The Gifts of Imperfection, by Brené Brown
The Power of Habit, by Charles Duhigg
The Tony Robbins Podcast
On this week's episode of Embracing Intensity, I'm sharing my talk from the SENG (Supporting the Emotional Needs of the Gifted) conference in San Diego on The Embracing Intensity Journey
I share insights gained from interviewing gifted and outside the box thinkers on my Embracing Intensity Podcast including overarching themes and what tools and habits have helped them to use their fire in a positive way. The participants will then have the opportunity to share their practices that have helped embrace their own intensity.
Get access to the full talk with discussion on Patreon!
In this episode:
Links:
Aurora met today’s special guest, Kate Arms, at the SENG conference recently and was so inspired by her talk entitled "Thriving with Intensity: Mining The Magic From Your Overexcitabilities” that she knew Kate would be the perfect fit for the podcast. Kate’s professional background includes working in a myriad of careers including being a lawyer, administrator, artist, writer, and coach. Kate describes her Signal Fire Coaching Program as a vehicle for her to do her life’s work: helping people thrive as the fullest version of themselves and creating effective systems that support the people working within them.
More in this episode:
Resources Mentioned in the Show:
How to donate to help keep the podcast going via Patreon
website: Thrive With Intensity
website: Parents of Twice Exceptional Kids
website: Signal Fire Coaching
Signal Fire Coaching on Facebook
Signal Fire Coaching on Twitter
Undoing Depression, by Richard O’Connor
Making It All Work, David Allen
If you are a multipotentialite, do you prefer to cycle through interests or do a whole bunch of different things at once? In this week's episode of Embracing Intensity, I discuss my own tendencies when it comes to pursuing multiple passions and why I'm moving from a lot of varied activities at once to focusing on just a small few.
In this episode, I discuss:
Related Links:
Are you struggling with a difficult relationship? Would you like to find out how to use this hardship as a means to transform your life and discover yourself spiritually? Sunny Joy McMillan joins us on the show today and she is a happy divorcee. After a high-conflict marriage, she learned how to have a really awesome post-divorce friendship with her ex-husband, until he passed away in 2018. Sunny is passionate about empowering adults to make soul-based relationship choices and using divorce as a catalyst for personal transformation and spiritual awakening. Listen in today to find out what she has to share about how she guides people towards making their relationship choices based on heart and soul, rather than culture, family, or social concerns.
Sunny describes herself as a recovering attorney and she is also a practicing master life coach, having done her coach-training and certification through Dr. Martha Beck's program. She has recently written a book, called Unhitched, which will be coming out in December. Sunny also hosts a weekly radio show, Sunny In Seattle, where she interviews inspiring guests like Gay Hendricks, Neil Donald Walsch, Mark Nepo, and many others. Listen in today to find out more.
Show highlights:
Links:
Book mentioned on the show: Steering By Starlight by Martha Beck.
For your free, electronic copy of Sunny's book, go to Unhitched Book
For my Patreon Pledge Drive go to Patreon to get great bonuses for signing up. This is where you can join us for the group call.
Have you ever felt yourself changing in order to fit in? This week on Embracing Intensity, I talk about experiences of past guests and myself of being social chameleons and examine when it becomes a problem and when it can be a positive thing.
In this episode:
Resources:
Do you suffer from ADHD and feel that it holds you back from reaching your full potential? Today we have Clinton Fetters on the show and he, as a husband and father, really understands how hard it is to feel that everyone else wants you to be linear, in a zig-zag world. Clinton would really love to live in a world where adults with ADHD can come out from the shadows and share their greatness with everyone around them. Listen in today to find out what he has to share.
Clinton works in a lumberyard by day, as a supervisor. He also aims to help adults with ADHD reach their potential through his personal brand, Distractonaut. In his free time, you will find him watching horror movies with his wife, playing board games with his daughter, or over-analyzing something in the corner! Recently, Clinton threw caution to the wind and began challenging himself daily, by creating talking videos on Instagram. Listen in to find out more.
More in this episode:
Links:
Aurora's website: Embracing Intensity
Clinton's website: www.distractonaut.com
Resources:
Book mentioned on the show: The One Thing by Gary W. Keller and Jay Papasan
This week on Embracing Intensity, I head to the SENG (Supporting the Emotional Needs of the Gifted) conference in San Diego! I also discuss what's coming up in the next couple of months.
In this episode, I share:
Do you have a message to share with the world? Rukshana was once unable to share her message, but she now not only sharing her message but is paving the way for others to do so, as well. Rukshana shares what it is like to be a former refugee and immigrant from Mozambique. Tune in to this week’s episode to hear Rukshana’s story.
Rukshana is CEO of her women’s coaching business where she is able to help women overcome their rough pasts and create their desired, beautiful lives through nature retreats and various online coaching programs and communities. This week’s Embracing Intensity show is one you will not want to miss!
More in this episode:
Links:
The Miracle Morning, by Hal Elrod, was a helpful book for Rukshana.
Rukshana’s Facebook Page
A Women’s Lifestyle Community, Rukshana’s group on Facebook
Rukshana’s Website
Instagram Page
Twitter Page
Do you have so many things you want to do that you don't know how to decide what to focus on? You are definitely not alone! This has been a theme this week for me both in coaching and my League of Excitable Women Facebook Group. This week, I touch on the three main things I consider when I decide what to focus on and share a few resources I've created in the past.
In this episode:
Resources:
First solo episode On Paralyzing Abundance
Are you reclaiming your life now that your babies have grown into young children? Nisha is doing that, and so she's intensely passionate about finding herself in everything that she does these days! She's also passionate about her children, her family and their religion and she really like to be sure that whatever that she does feeds her because her youngest child is four now, and so Nisha is re-possessing herself and getting back into being human! Listen in to find out more!
Nisha is a member of the Karuk Tribe, from California. She helps her husband run his tattoo shop, she's busy building a business with her sister and her husband and she takes care of her live-in grandmother too. Additionally, she manages her children, who all model, and she's one of the dance-leaders for their tribal ceremony in northern California. Listen in today to find out what Nisha has to share!
More in this episode:
Links:
Nisha's husband's tattoo website: Tattoo 34 P.D.X
Or find Nisha at BaDundle
Have you ever had to switch gears to keep doing what you love? This week, I share my plans for the next year and moving forward.
In this episode:
Resources:
Do you know kids living on the fringes? Kids living on the fringes are the passion of today’s guest, Heather Boorman. Heather is a writer, public speaker, podcaster and Licensed Clinical Social Worker. Heather is the founding member and therapist at Boorman Counseling, LLC in Western Wisconsin. Additionally, Heather serves on the Board of Directors for the Wisconsin Association for the Gifted and Talented. Heather will be speaking with Aurora at the San Diego Emotional Needs of the Gifted (SENG) Conference in July.
Heather is the co-host of the Fringy Bit Podcast and has a book, The Gifted Needs Workbook, coming out August 1. I hope to have some copies available for pre-release at the SENG Conference. Heather is a homeschool mom to three fringy kids which further fuels her advocacy for kids living on the fringes.
More in this episode:
• Being real is freeing!
• Chances are that you contributed to the giftedness of your children.
• Claim your own giftedness.
• Until we can model our giftedness, misperceptions by others will continue to exist.
• Confidence comes from really knowing yourself; faults and positive traits.
• Intensity for adults may mean going “full in”.
• Gifted children may process themselves inwardly.
• Internal intensity may make deep connections with others difficult.
• Children need the security to be/express themselves.
• Culture may inhibit one’s ability to express himself.
• Mindfulness helps me have peace and calm.
• Introverts need personal time to be able to focus on themselves.
• The Fringy Bit Podcast helps you to you understand your own/ kids’ fire.
• Everyone struggles with doubts and fears.
Resources:
How to donate to help keep the podcast going via Patreon:
The Fringy Bit Episode with Aurora
Wherever You Go, There You Are, by Jon Kabat-Zinn
Living With Intensity, by Susan Daniels and Michael M. Piechowski
Self Reg, by Dr. Stuart Shanker
Connect with Heather:
Do you often find yourself questioning your own gifts? This week on Embracing Intensity, I talk about how many of the most gifted are often the ones most full of doubts.
In this episode:
Resources:
Do you worry that if you say what you really think, you wouldn't be being nice? This week on Embracing Intensity, I talk about why instead of worrying about being nice, what we should really focus on is being kind.
In this episode, I talk about:
Resources:
To support you in your journey of self-exploration, I put together this free retreat planner to help you create your own self-guided retreat.
Visit my Embracing Intensity Patreon Page to join in the conversation and receive more tools for self-exploration!
You have a gift that the world needs, and by embracing your intensity, you are on your way to transforming lives. Sometimes, all it takes for us to fully embrace our intensity is simply to act. My guest today took that step both figuratively and literally.
I am so excited to bring today’s guest, Shannon Milliman, to your ears. Shannon has fully embraced the power of her intensity, and she is on a mission to inspire through her larger-than-life personality and the power of theater. Shannon’s one-woman show, “Not So Supernova,” is on its way to Portland, and Shannon knows that this bit of theater is more than just a creative project. Shannon’s show is the full expression of her own intensity, faith, and memories, and it is designed to inspire the audience to act on their dreams.
In today’s episode, Shannon and I will discuss why helping passionate people is such a worthy cause. Shannon believe that we find our purpose when we embrace our gifts, and she is modeling that through her show. This opens us up to discuss how theatre showcases diverse perspectives while also bringing people together. Shannon has found that being both a practicing Mormon and an intense individual is a powerful combination, and she wants to open up her life to the rest of the world.
I am so glad I took the time to get to know someone new. Shannon is teaching me to say “Yes!” to the improvisation that life brings. What is your gift you are bringing to the world? How can you say “Yes!” today?
More in this episode:
Shannon Recommends
East of Eden by John Steinbeck
Resources:
Do you ever go to great lengths to avoid discomfort? On this week's episode of Embracing Intensity, Aurora talks about why in order to heal, both personally and as a world, we need to learn to sit with discomfort.
In this episode, Aurora shares:
Resources:
As a part of getting out of our comfort zones, I have been putting together tools for self-exploration on my Patreon page, and put together this free retreat planner to help you create your own self-exploration retreat.
You can own your gifts and use them in a positive way to change the world. The best way to start is to be inspired, and that is why Jaya Rose is here today. I really appreciate Jaya’s energy and online presence. She is very clearly Gifted and Intense, and her recent rebranding to focus on multi-passionate entrepreneurs is a great example of someone who has fully embraced her talents.
Jaya and I had the chance to sit down and share so many great nuggets about owning your intensity and sharing it with the world. It is clear that when you hold back your gifts, you are not just doing yourself a disservice but everyone else who might benefit from it as well. Jaya is shaping the world by offering up her services to anyone who identifies as multipassionate. Jaya is a transformational speaker and business coach with a heart of service. She is on a mission to help creative entrepreneurs identify what they only can offer the world and how they can get that message to as many people as possible.
My hope is that Jaya inspires you to keep pursuing your passion! When you do, you might just change the world.
More in this episode:
Jaya Recommends
Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert
Resources:
Do you like to start fires, but not really to tend them? A lot of gifted and creative people enjoy the spark of starting new things, but not so much maintaining them. How do you keep the fire burning without burning out?
In this episode:
Links:
What does it mean to be mindful in the modern era? Mindfulness is a tool that many Intense Women use to harness their inner fire, and my guest Danielle Savory is no exception. Danielle is a local Portland friend who I’ve been running into for years. The more I followed her work, the more I knew I had to have her on the show. Danielle epitomizes what it means to be Gifted and to embrace multiple potentials. I cannot wait for you to hear all about the work she is doing to bring mindfulness into a modern context.
Danielle is a Master Certified Life Coach who helps busy women reduce stress in their lives. Her approach to “Modern Mindfulness” cleverly blends both a skeptic’s healthy analysis with a spiritual acceptance of the unknown. She is bringing ancient wisdom to the masses that is also backed by neuroscience. The results speak for themselves: women who work with Danielle experience so much personal growth! Today, Danielle is going to tell us how her mindfulness practice has been an essential part of how she harnesses her inner fire. She will remind us to accept all parts of ourselves, even the “bad” ones! Danielle’s intense feelings are a gateway to her true self, and I am so thankful she is here to share that message with you today!
More in this episode:
Danielle Recommends
Self Compassion by Kristin Neff
Women’s Anatomy by Sherri Winston
Resources:
Instagram @DSavory_ModernMindfulness
Free Retreat Planne
Are you fully immersed in the moment or do you let thoughts of what you SHOULD be doing get in your head when you should be enjoying yourself? Contaminated time is when different parts of your life bleed in to each other so you can't focus your energy on what you are doing in the moment.
In this episode:
In this episode:
No one shares your unique history, lineage, and experience, so it makes sense that no one experiences intensity in quite the same way as you do! Nevertheless, we all have common ground on which we stand: we all hurt, we all experience prejudice, we all want to be known. Words have a powerful way of connecting us together while also celebrating what makes us unique. This is why I am so excited to share an interview with Leesa Renee Hall today. Her palpable energy and compassionate heart are two of the many gifts Leesa brings to the table. Most of all, Leesa celebrates the diverse ways we express and embrace our intensity.
Leesa Renee Hall is a writer, a storyteller, and an ancestry advocate. She is intensely passionate about curious inquiry, especially when we start to take some of societies biggest barriers and turn them into vehicles for self-exploration. Leesa is breaking down cultural and racial barriers by writing beautiful and provocative articles, many of which reflect her own raw thoughts and feelings as a black woman. By harnessing the power of her intensity into words, Leesa encourages us to disrupt the stories we have always told ourselves about diversity and identity. Instead, she wants us to be a little curious to discover our true identity and purpose.
Today, she is going to share some of the formative experiences that shaped Leesa into the writer and advocate she is today. Along the way, Leesa will share incredible wisdom about breaking through our own inner oppression, and how we can find our unique voice. If you are interested in spiritual bypassing, diverse modes of activism, white fragility, and breaking through cultures of silence, Leesa has so much to offer you. Leesa is speaking up about some of the most difficult topics, but she does it in a way that invites discourse, rather than shutting down differing perspectives. We need more Leesas in the world, and that is why I feel lucky to have her on the show today!
More in this episode:
Leesa Recommends
Dr. Robin DiAngelo teaching white fragility (a term she's coined)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?
The White Fragility Script (5 Part Act)
http://www.leesareneehall.com/
The Sovereignty of Quiet: Beyond Resistance in Black Culture by Kevin Quashie (he explores quiet as a form of intensity)
https://www.goodreads.com/book
The Art of Gentle Protest by Sarah Corbett (TEDTalk)
https://www.ted.com/talks/sara
The Power of a Positive No by William Ury
https://www.goodreads.com/book
Boundaries: When to Say Yes, How to Say No to Take Control of Your Life by Dr. Henry Cloud & Dr. John Townsend
https://www.goodreads.com/book
The Becky Code: How to Deal White Woman Violence While Amplifying Your Joy by Catrice M. Jackson
http://www.thebeckycode.com
Antagonists, Advocates & Allies: The Wake Up Call Guide for White Women Who Want to Become Allies With Black Women by Catrice M. Jackson
White Spaces, Missing Faces: Why Women of Color Don't Trust White Women by Catrice M. Jackson
http://www.shetalkswetalk.com/
11 Lessons I Learned Writing Half a Million Words Over 365 Consecutive Days
http://www.leesareneehall.com/
Expressive Writing Prompts to Use to Overcome White Fragility, Spiritual Bypassing, or White Privilege
http://www.leesareneehall.com/
Get new expressive writing prompts to question your internal programming by joining Leesa's exclusive community
http://www.leesareneehall.com/
Resources: