12 Sparks of Wisdom to Ignite Your Inner Heroine: A Podcast Recap

Here’s an end-of-the-year gift from me to you.

I am so pleased and grateful that you take the time to check in on what I offer up every month in this blog. I know you’ll find something useful and inspiring in this particular blog post, which has some special tidbits from twelve amazing people.

One of the most fun things that I do here in weHeroines is I speak to so many fantastic podcast guests. I swear some benevolent spirit whispers in their ear and in mine to bring us together because I find a goldmine of people every season. We just ended Season 5 which is hard to believe. If you’ve listened (and I hope you have!) you’ll know I always ask my guests a “grand finale” question. I ask them to sum things up at the end:

“If you had to boil down all that you shared to one thing - one thing you wanted to be sure our listeners remembered, what would you say?”

It’s not an easy question but they answer with such grace and eloquence. Enjoy their responses. I know you will! (And yes, sometimes they give me more than one thing! Jackpot!!)

Episode 1: Interview with Debra LaCoppola

“I would say most of all, there's two. It's really twofold. One is the self-love part. And that's the hardest part, just in life in general. But if you, if you can manage that even just a little bit, then it's going to make things a lot easier. And the other thing I would say is just be present. I don't know what it sounds like, but sometimes I think people, you know, throw these words around. Oh, self-care, self-love, be present. You know, do your mantra and all this. But there is something to it, and there is something to these small acts that adds up. And they sound big, but they really can be small. If you just do a little bit. You know, it's like I talk about, you know, caring for yourself, like, walking every day. Well, if you can't walk for an hour, walk for five minutes, ten minutes, open the window, and step outside. It's okay. You know? It doesn't. And again, back to forgiveness. You know, it's Oh, I didn't do this. I didn't do that. No, it's okay. Little, tiny, little acts become huge, you know. And I'm thinking, Susanna, we have to wind down. But it's very hard for me to let these good things go. Because it's so great what you say here. And what that makes me think of is the rhythm of the day. You talk about reestablishing the heartbeat of the day. That is when people get thrown way off their compass by illness. And that it is important to reestablish a new rhythm. And you talk about, like, making your bed. That's something you can do in the morning. That gives you a little sense of control. And so that rhythm sounds like it's an important thing for you in your life.”

Episode 2: Interview with Kyung-sun Baek

“I can just say from my experience that I was always talking to myself. There was always dialogue, not always pleasant, but I learned a lot through that dialogue and then I made a decision, and then went, moving forward. So of course we can have a lot of advice from others, but in the end, the deep down how you feel when you're talking to yourself and then from that answer and then you take action and move forward. For me, that's how we empower ourselves. That's how I want to teach. I'm teaching my client to listen and be aware of what your body is feeling. And then from there, you are ready to move or whatever big movement and jump. But if you don't listen to yourself then it's really hard to jump. You can jump, but you get injured. You will get injured for sure. So that's what I want to share with the people.”

Episode 3: Interview with Rebecca Goff

“Listen to the small voice. Mmmhmm. There you go. It will teach you everything you need to know. Right. And trust it. Believe in it.”

Episode 4: Interview with Stephen Gerringer

“That you can trust your story, the story unfolding in your life, you can find the thread. And that's really what all mythology is about, finding that thread. These are the wisdom stories of humanity. We are humanity, you know, so they come out of us. Myth is not something out there.

Trust your story. Move forward into it. Follow your journey. Whether you call it a heroine's journey, a hero's journey, or whatever, find the thread and know that you'll be alright.”

Episode 5: Interview with Kimberly Becker

“Don't forget that you can do anything if you really set your mind to it. I never would have thought I could do this, but something clicked, and. And I believed in myself, and I trusted. And other people around me said, why would you think you could do that?

Literally, they said that to me, and I just looked at them and smiled and walked away and believed in myself. You have to trust yourself. You have to trust your gut.”

Episode 6: Interview with Dr. Gerry Ollila

“Well, I've said it so many times, and again, I don't want to be redundant, but show love and kindness and service to one another. It will change your life forever. Our world is filled with many people like us. Unfortunately, the news doesn't show that our world is not as broken as people think it is.

Because our world is filled with us. And the power of the people is great. Most people show love and kindness. Not all, but most. So we need to believe that humanity is good. It is not broken. We need to be part of a world that gives love and kindness without judgment and without criticism.

And, every morning, wake up and ask for the power and the strength to serve one another. And that's really what it's all it's about.”

Episode 7: Interview with Dawna Markova

“What would I want them to know? Inside of them, as long as they are alive, there are seeds of the possible.

And those seeds are wanting to be watered with their tears. Not their cold tears, but their warm tears. Those tears are meant to water those seeds that are possibilities that they go, oh, if only I could.

And those possibilities need one thing. They need to be fed with wonder. So that instead of if only I could become if only I could, I wonder. And just the wonder enables that little seed to break through the shell. The shell to crack. And the wonder alone will cause the seed to sprout and reach.

And it's all around us. That law of possibility is all around us. It's also within us, and saying those words cracks the door open for that to come in.

And a divorce can crack the shell. Um, a death can crack the shell. I mean, life brings all. That by itself, we don't have to help things crack open. Um, an election can crack that open. There are all kinds of things. Rape can crack it open, all kinds of things.

But the choices we make when those things happen, right? That's the difference whether we reach or whether we close up is up to us.”

Episode 8: Interview with Barbara Babkirk 

“As trite as it may sound, I think it is -  give room in your process for what your head says, but also for what your heart and your gut say. Notice that. Notice. And so that means you need to slow down a bit to listen and to hear what's going on and trust your timing.”

Episode 9: Interview with Gail Larsen

"Know your medicine and express it fully."

Episode 10: Interview with Cig Harvey

“So I think instinctively this is just coming up, to remember that everyone has a creative impulse that you are born with. It's your birthright. You probably know, everyone knows what I'm talking about, each person. And how can you nurture that? And it often gets pushed to the bottom of the to-do list before the dishes and laundry and the kids and, but to just move it up a few notches, because I believe if you have that creative channel, that outlet in your life, then everything else gets better.

Your, you know, your connections to people... gets better. So to have that fulfillment - I think it's so important that we connect to that creative side of us. And to start slowly, sometimes it's sort of overwhelming or you don't know how to and I think there are lots of things like resources for just starting, you know, community classes.

If you've always wanted to watercolor or you've always wanted to cook, just starting. Because the thing is, we're all getting older anyway, so why not be doing the thing that you love? Because we're all going to get to that age anyway, so start now, it's never too late.

And to keep living with that sort of curiosity, I think it keeps the brain young and the mind interested.”

Episode 11: Interview with Libby Margolis-Pineo

“You can do it. Yeah, you can do it. Just don't be dumb. And don't wait either, you know? Oh, maybe we should wait till. No.

Just go at it. Do it slowly. And if you make a mistake, so what? That's cheaper than graduate school. That's what I say.”

Episode 12: Interview with Sheila Humphreys

“One thing, because of what I've learned, I would say one thing is to try to bring out and affirm the best in people.”