February 10, 2025 • 8 mins
Have you ever wondered how naming your fears could be the first step toward healing? This episode promises to unlock the power of acknowledgment, as we discuss the universal experience of trauma and its impact on our lives. Through Clara's inspiring story, we explore how mindfulness—through practices like meditation and yoga—can transform overwhelming emotions into moments of clarity and calm. Our journey doesn't stop there; we demonstrate how sharing vulnerabilities can forge trust and empathy, turning individual struggles into collective strength.
Join me, Lola Brooks, as we uncover the path of turning pain into power, celebrating each small victory along the way. Together, we'll explore how to build resilient communities where everyone's story matters, creating an unbreakable tapestry of hope, courage, and unity. This isn't just a personal journey; it's a collective one, fueled by mutual support and shared experiences. Prepare to feel inspired, connected, and part of a community that lifts each other to new heights of resilience.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Trauma.
It's a word that carries somuch weight, doesn't it?
For some, it surfaces as asharp fracture in their story,
while for others, it's more likea lingering shadow that follows
them through the years.
I think what's remarkable,though, is how universal trauma
really is.
It touches all of us indifferent ways, sure, but no
(00:24):
one's completely untouched by it.
Think about it Trauma canresult from a life-changing
event, a sudden loss, anaccident, or even the quiet
erosion of safety over time.
And yet, even as we eachexperience it in such deeply
personal ways, there's thisconnective thread that runs
(00:45):
between us, uniting us in ourshared struggle to navigate its
aftermath.
Now, here's the thingAcknowledging that trauma exists
, that we're feeling it, isoften the hardest and most
essential step.
It's almost like naming themonster under the bed so you can
finally deal with it.
It's almost like naming themonster under the bed so you can
(01:05):
finally deal with it.
It takes courage, vulnerabilityand, let's be honest, some
patience too.
But here's what I've learned noone heals by pretending things
are fine when inside they're not.
One of the greatest tools inthat healing journey is
(01:27):
something called collectiveresilience.
You might think.
What does that even mean?
Well, it starts with connectionwith reaching out to others and
finding support.
It might be a close friend wholistens, a community that shares
your experiences, or justknowing that someone else gets
what you're going through.
I mean, just think of all thosemoments in history when
(01:48):
communities faced adversitytogether, lending strength to
one another.
It's in our nature as humans tofind resilience, not just
individually, but together, andit's through that collective
bond that we find a way to moveforward, even when the path
seems impossible to navigate.
And that's where it begins, youknow, acknowledging what we've
(02:11):
been through, leaning on eachother and discovering that even
in our darkest days, we are notalone.
Resilience isn't about ignoringthe pain.
It's about drawing on it and oneach other to rebuild and find
hope again.
Imagine this You're sitting inabsolute silence, your mind
(02:34):
racing at first, and then slowly, bit by bit, the noise fades
away.
That's the beauty ofmindfulness.
It helps us come back toourselves when life feels
overwhelming.
Trauma has this way of pullingus into a storm of emotions, but
mindfulness, it's like findinga calm eye in that storm.
(02:56):
Practices like meditation oryoga aren't just trendy ideas.
They're tools.
Tools that allow us toreconnect with the present
moment.
Meditation might be as simpleas closing your eyes, focusing
on your breath and lettingeverything else fall away even
just for a few moments.
Yoga, on the other hand, mergesmovement with mindfulness,
(03:19):
grounding not only your body butyour mind too.
I want to share this story abouta woman named Clara.
After experiencing significanttrauma, she found it nearly
impossible to get through herdays.
Everything felt dark andinsurmountable until, on a whim,
she joined a mindfulnessworkshop.
There, for the first time, shediscovered the healing that
(03:42):
comes from simply being still.
She started meditating everymorning, just 10 minutes a day
to begin with, and, you know,over time she noticed a shift.
She could navigate her emotionswith more clarity and life
didn't feel quite sooverwhelming anymore.
Clara's journey wasn't a quickfix, but it was a turning point,
(04:03):
proof of the gentle power ofmindfulness.
But here's another layer toresilience Vulnerability.
Now, I know it's not easy toopen up, to share the raw,
unpolished parts of your story.
It's scary, right, butvulnerability creates space for
connection.
(04:23):
It's like, okay, you know, whensomeone shares something real
and heartfelt with you andsuddenly you feel less alone.
That's the magic of being open.
It invites others to be opentoo.
There's actually science behindthis.
Be open too.
There's actually science behindthis.
Studies show that vulnerabilityfosters trust, empathy and
(04:45):
deeper relationships.
It's in those human connectionsthat we find solace and support
.
When we let others truly see us, we create bonds that not only
bring comfort but also helpbuild resilience.
It's sort of like strengtheninga bridge the more you connect,
(05:06):
the more unshakable that bridgebecomes.
Mindfulness and vulnerabilitythey go hand in hand.
While mindfulness helps us meetourselves with honesty,
vulnerability allows us to sharethat honesty with others.
Together, they form thisbeautiful foundation for healing
and growth.
When we think about healing, itcan feel like this massive,
(05:26):
overwhelming task.
Right, but here's the thingHealing doesn't have to look
like one giant leap forward.
Sometimes it's about taking itone small, manageable step at a
time and honestly, those smallsteps, they really add up.
This is where settingachievable goals becomes so
important.
(05:46):
Maybe it's as simple as sayingI'm going to take a five-minute
walk today or I'm going to tryjournaling tonight.
These might seem small, butthey're not.
They're milestones, momentswhere you're saying I'm choosing
to move forward today.
And that's huge.
And here's the best part whenyou hit those small goals, you
(06:10):
give yourself something powerful, a sense of accomplishment.
It's like building a ladderrung by rung out of that space
of pain.
Every step is progress, and youdeserve to celebrate that
progress, no matter how small itmight feel in the moment.
I think a big part of resilience, too, lies in sharing these
(06:31):
victories, sharing these stories.
That's where community comes in.
When we open up about whatwe've been through, when we say
this is where I was and this ishow far I've come, we invite
others to find hope in ourjourney.
It's like sending out a signalthat says you're not alone.
(06:52):
If I can do this, so can you,and I've heard so many stories
like that where people, just bysharing, sparked something in
someone else's thoughts.
There's this one story about aman who started setting tiny
goals after hearing about howsomeone in his support group
managed to rebuild after trauma.
(07:13):
For him, it was less aboutclimbing mountains and more
about taking micro-actions likemaking time to talk to his kids
or simply getting out of bed onthe hard days.
Before he knew it, those littlevictories became his foundation
for a new kind of strength.
So, as we think about turningour pain into power, I want to
(07:36):
leave you with this it's okay ifyour journey feels messy, it's
okay if it's slow.
Every step forward.
Every story shared, everyconnection built, it all matters
.
Together, we're building acommunity of resilience, a
tapestry woven from hope,courage and unity.
(07:58):
And, on that note, I just wantto say how grateful I am that
you've joined me for thisconversation.
Healing is a journey and it'sone we don't have to take alone.
So keep setting those goals,celebrating your victories and
leaning on the people around you, because together we're so much
(08:20):
stronger than we realize.
I'm your host, lola Brooks, forthe Living in Technicolor
podcast brought to you by Art ofLiving Well Academy.
Until next time, take care ofyourselves and each other.
Trauma.
It's a word that carries somuch weight, doesn't it?
For some, it surfaces as asharp fracture in their story,
while for others, it's more likea lingering shadow that follows
them through the years.
I think what's remarkable,though, is how universal trauma
really is.
It touches all of us indifferent ways, sure, but no
(00:24):
one's completely untouched by it.
Think about it Trauma canresult from a life-changing
event, a sudden loss, anaccident, or even the quiet
erosion of safety over time.
And yet, even as we eachexperience it in such deeply
personal ways, there's thisconnective thread that runs
(00:45):
between us, uniting us in ourshared struggle to navigate its
aftermath.
Now, here's the thingAcknowledging that trauma exists
, that we're feeling it, isoften the hardest and most
essential step.
It's almost like naming themonster under the bed so you can
finally deal with it.
It's almost like naming themonster under the bed so you can
(01:05):
finally deal with it.
It takes courage, vulnerabilityand, let's be honest, some
patience too.
But here's what I've learned noone heals by pretending things
are fine when inside they're not.
One of the greatest tools inthat healing journey is
(01:27):
something called collectiveresilience.
You might think.
What does that even mean?
Well, it starts with connectionwith reaching out to others and
finding support.
It might be a close friend wholistens, a community that shares
your experiences, or justknowing that someone else gets
what you're going through.
I mean, just think of all thosemoments in history when
(01:48):
communities faced adversitytogether, lending strength to
one another.
It's in our nature as humans tofind resilience, not just
individually, but together, andit's through that collective
bond that we find a way to moveforward, even when the path
seems impossible to navigate.
And that's where it begins, youknow, acknowledging what we've
(02:11):
been through, leaning on eachother and discovering that even
in our darkest days, we are notalone.
Resilience isn't about ignoringthe pain.
It's about drawing on it and oneach other to rebuild and find
hope again.
Imagine this You're sitting inabsolute silence, your mind
(02:34):
racing at first, and then slowly, bit by bit, the noise fades
away.
That's the beauty ofmindfulness.
It helps us come back toourselves when life feels
overwhelming.
Trauma has this way of pullingus into a storm of emotions, but
mindfulness, it's like findinga calm eye in that storm.
(02:56):
Practices like meditation oryoga aren't just trendy ideas.
They're tools.
Tools that allow us toreconnect with the present
moment.
Meditation might be as simpleas closing your eyes, focusing
on your breath and lettingeverything else fall away even
just for a few moments.
Yoga, on the other hand, mergesmovement with mindfulness,
(03:19):
grounding not only your body butyour mind too.
I want to share this story abouta woman named Clara.
After experiencing significanttrauma, she found it nearly
impossible to get through herdays.
Everything felt dark andinsurmountable until, on a whim,
she joined a mindfulnessworkshop.
There, for the first time, shediscovered the healing that
(03:42):
comes from simply being still.
She started meditating everymorning, just 10 minutes a day
to begin with, and, you know,over time she noticed a shift.
She could navigate her emotionswith more clarity and life
didn't feel quite sooverwhelming anymore.
Clara's journey wasn't a quickfix, but it was a turning point,
(04:03):
proof of the gentle power ofmindfulness.
But here's another layer toresilience Vulnerability.
Now, I know it's not easy toopen up, to share the raw,
unpolished parts of your story.
It's scary, right, butvulnerability creates space for
connection.
(04:23):
It's like, okay, you know, whensomeone shares something real
and heartfelt with you andsuddenly you feel less alone.
That's the magic of being open.
It invites others to be opentoo.
There's actually science behindthis.
Be open too.
There's actually science behindthis.
Studies show that vulnerabilityfosters trust, empathy and
(04:45):
deeper relationships.
It's in those human connectionsthat we find solace and support
.
When we let others truly see us, we create bonds that not only
bring comfort but also helpbuild resilience.
It's sort of like strengtheninga bridge the more you connect,
(05:06):
the more unshakable that bridgebecomes.
Mindfulness and vulnerabilitythey go hand in hand.
While mindfulness helps us meetourselves with honesty,
vulnerability allows us to sharethat honesty with others.
Together, they form thisbeautiful foundation for healing
and growth.
When we think about healing, itcan feel like this massive,
(05:26):
overwhelming task.
Right, but here's the thingHealing doesn't have to look
like one giant leap forward.
Sometimes it's about taking itone small, manageable step at a
time and honestly, those smallsteps, they really add up.
This is where settingachievable goals becomes so
important.
(05:46):
Maybe it's as simple as sayingI'm going to take a five-minute
walk today or I'm going to tryjournaling tonight.
These might seem small, butthey're not.
They're milestones, momentswhere you're saying I'm choosing
to move forward today.
And that's huge.
And here's the best part whenyou hit those small goals, you
(06:10):
give yourself something powerful, a sense of accomplishment.
It's like building a ladderrung by rung out of that space
of pain.
Every step is progress, and youdeserve to celebrate that
progress, no matter how small itmight feel in the moment.
I think a big part of resilience, too, lies in sharing these
(06:31):
victories, sharing these stories.
That's where community comes in.
When we open up about whatwe've been through, when we say
this is where I was and this ishow far I've come, we invite
others to find hope in ourjourney.
It's like sending out a signalthat says you're not alone.
(06:52):
If I can do this, so can you,and I've heard so many stories
like that where people, just bysharing, sparked something in
someone else's thoughts.
There's this one story about aman who started setting tiny
goals after hearing about howsomeone in his support group
managed to rebuild after trauma.
(07:13):
For him, it was less aboutclimbing mountains and more
about taking micro-actions likemaking time to talk to his kids
or simply getting out of bed onthe hard days.
Before he knew it, those littlevictories became his foundation
for a new kind of strength.
So, as we think about turningour pain into power, I want to
(07:36):
leave you with this it's okay ifyour journey feels messy, it's
okay if it's slow.
Every step forward.
Every story shared, everyconnection built, it all matters
.
Together, we're building acommunity of resilience, a
tapestry woven from hope,courage and unity.
(07:58):
And, on that note, I just wantto say how grateful I am that
you've joined me for thisconversation.
Healing is a journey and it'sone we don't have to take alone.
So keep setting those goals,celebrating your victories and
leaning on the people around you, because together we're so much
(08:20):
stronger than we realize.
I'm your host, lola Brooks, forthe Living in Technicolor
podcast brought to you by Art ofLiving Well Academy.
Until next time, take care ofyourselves and each other.
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