101: The Talk of Shame

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Well, here we are at Episode 101, and as we begin the journey through our next 100 episodes, I want to start with a topic that is a part of all our lives, and which we really need to address. The concept of shame, how it shows up for us, and what we can do about it represent critical components in our mental, physical, and emotional health as well as our ability to achieve the success we deserve. Today, I want to share some important research regarding the storm we know as shame, illustrated with some examples from my own life as well.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">First off, I have a crucial question I need you all to ask yourselves, and then we’ll look at the definition of shame, the importance of making healthy connections, the concepts of shame and guilt, and we’ll delve into some of Brene Brown’s work in this area. We’ll also examine the difference in shame for men and women, what happens when we experience shame, how to respond deliberately to it, and the theory of shame resilience. To finish up, I’ll walk you through the 4 steps that allow you to acknowledge and move through it all. Shame is an aspect of life which we all face, as the many examples from my own life clearly demonstrate, so it is an area that needs our deliberate attention, and that is exactly what we’ll achieve here today.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">I also want to bring to your attention the fact that I've been helping teams create healthy cultures and communication since long before COVID, and I can see just how much the need for this work has grown exponentially as we enter this current stage of the pandemic. I know how to navigate crisis, change, and uncertainty, and I want to help, so I'm offering workshops or going in and speaking at specific places or events as needed. If you know of, or if you are in need of that yourself, we can help each other out. Are you planning an event? Do you know of an event that I could be a part of? Do you know of an organization that co