How can we balance our heart and mind rather than suppress our authentic selves? In this world, it is important to reconnect to your true essence. You may find this happens when you engage with something you liked as a kid, or when you have an Expansion Experience. By tapping into your authentic self, you fully express who you are and were meant to be. This episode talks about how honoring your weird will empower you to belong and feel appreciated.
Not long ago, I was self-reflecting about what’s my weird. After a conversation with my sister Heather, I realized my weird relates to my love of learning and teaching. For me, life is about nourishing growth and translating that to help others. I’m more inclined to seek those things out than others. That’s unique to me so it’s my “weird.” Today’s guest, Shelley Brown, challenges us to get comfortable and embrace our weird.
Shelley Brown is keynote speaker, artist, author, rock star mindfulness edutainer and creator of the W.E.I.R.D. process. A ball of positive energy, Shelley incorporates her own original pop artwork and speaks about allowing and amplifying your W.E.I.R.D. so audiences embrace individuality and land at a place of inclusion. She believes that the key to engagement is belonging, because when we get to be ourselves, we can bring our best to work, to school, and to the world.
On EP 77’s Wise Walk, Shelley and I exchange ideas on how to allow our weird so we can use it to serve ourselves and others. Shelley Brown is a self-proclaimed “weird girl.” In her eyes, we’re all weird, just different weirds. She speaks about cultivating our authentic selves to experience a sense of belonging internally and externally. Join this conversation to reflect on these Wise Walk questions and more:
-
-
- What is your weird?
- How did you decide it was weird?
- How does it serve you?
- How does it serve others?
-
Like most things, unraveling the tension around your weird can take time. There’s no need to immediately embrace all the things you think are weird about yourself. Shelley says there are steps between resistance and embrace. Getting comfortable with your weird requires grace and experiment.
If you are brave and bold about sharing your weird, you actually attract people that appreciate that. You can Activate Appreciation in a much deeper, more meaningful, connected way, so you can bring about a community that’s going to support you as you pursue your True Stride. Reconnect to your weird, authentic self with these Wise Walk questions:
-
-
- Where are you suppressing your true essence?
- How can you let your true essence shine?
- What are you doing to cultivate authentic presence in your life?
-
Join this inspiring community to uncover a new sense of freedom, and be sure to follow and review the True Stride podcast as we continue to exchange our light and Heart Value with each other.
In this episode:
[00:23] – Welcome to the show!
[02:35] – Shelley Brown says a sense of belonging is her #1 value.
[05:00] – People just want to connect.
[06:32] – Getting comfortable with your weird doesn’t mean you immediately embrace your weird
[08:37] – Shelley talks about separating from a part of who she thought she was to really explore her identity.
[10:44] – Reconnect to your truest essence with experiences that expand your perception of yourself.
[13:07] – Mary Tess gives an example of how Expansion Experiences continue to allow her to reconnect with the Heart Value she shares.
[15:36] – Shelley wants to make mindfulness accessible to those who think the topics are too “Woo-Woo”.
[17:31] – Mindfulness with music.
[20:10] – Shelley says that the nervous system can be reset to some extent.
[22:21] – Mary Tess talks about how, “Thoughts are things.”
[23:58] – How does Shelley use art to express herself and bring people into the world she is expressing?
[25:49] – Being your true, authentic self attracts the fitting people towards you.
[28:09] – Do you know which parts of you that you view as “weird”?
[30:15] – Shelley remembers being made fun of for her artist side, and now it’s such a huge part of her life.
[33:05] – Shelley encourages people to take incremental steps towards getting comfortable with their weird.
[35:12] – Thank you for listening!
Memorable Quotes:
- “Everyone wants to self-express and feel like they fit in with other people.” – Mary Tess
- “I feel like my art is the embodiment of what I value, which is ‘welcoming’. When I do something with art, I’m welcoming others into this world that I expressed through that medium.” – Shelley
Links and Resources:
Facebook | LinkedIn | Twitter | Instagram