Who do you become when you're backed into a shame corner? This powerful question sets the stage for today's episode of Unleash Your Inner Radiance. I'm your host, Lisa, and together we'll unpack the heavy, often debilitating emotion of shame that leaves many feeling flawed and unworthy. Understand the three common reactions—withdrawal, people-pleasing, and defensiveness—and how these can affect your mental health and relationships. Through personal anecdotes, we'll explore how shame impacts our lives and give you practical strategies to transform it into a constructive force.
We'll delve into actionable steps like recognizing and acknowledging shame, practicing self-compassion, challenging negative narratives, seeking connection, and embracing mindfulness. These tools will help you navigate through shame more effectively and foster a healthier, more empowering mindset. So, whether you're curled up with a cup of coffee on this rainy Minnesota morning or looking for some inspiration to start your week, join us on this journey of self-discovery and empowerment. Let's transform shame together and unlock the radiant soul within.
Affirmation: "I acknowledge my feelings of shame and recognize that they do not define me. In moments of vulnerability, I choose to embrace my imperfections with compassion and courage. I am worthy of love and acceptance, just as I am. Each experience, no matter how difficult, is an opportunity for growth and self-discovery. I release the power of shame over my life and step forward with resilience and grace. I am enough, exactly as I am."
Who do you become when you're backed into a shame corner? This powerful question sets the stage for today's episode of Unleash Your Inner Radiance. I'm your host, Lisa, and together we'll unpack the heavy, often debilitating emotion of shame that leaves many feeling flawed and unworthy. Understand the three common reactions—withdrawal, people-pleasing, and defensiveness—and how these can affect your mental health and relationships. Through personal anecdotes, we'll explore how shame impacts our lives and give you practical strategies to transform it into a constructive force.
We'll delve into actionable steps like recognizing and acknowledging shame, practicing self-compassion, challenging negative narratives, seeking connection, and embracing mindfulness. These tools will help you navigate through shame more effectively and foster a healthier, more empowering mindset. So, whether you're curled up with a cup of coffee on this rainy Minnesota morning or looking for some inspiration to start your week, join us on this journey of self-discovery and empowerment. Let's transform shame together and unlock the radiant soul within.
Affirmation: "I acknowledge my feelings of shame and recognize that they do not define me. In moments of vulnerability, I choose to embrace my imperfections with compassion and courage. I am worthy of love and acceptance, just as I am. Each experience, no matter how difficult, is an opportunity for growth and self-discovery. I release the power of shame over my life and step forward with resilience and grace. I am enough, exactly as I am."
Good morning Radiant Souls. Welcome back to another episode of Unleash your Inner Radiance. I'm your host, lisa, and today is Monday, the start of a fresh week and a perfect time to set your mindset for success. It's a rainy day here in Minnesota, so grab a cup of coffee, settle into your comfy chair and let's dive in. First off, I want to wish all the amazing dads out there a very happy Father's Day. I hope you all had a fabulous day yesterday. It was a little warm, but I hope you were able to spend some quality time with your friends and family. I got to spend some time with my amazing dad, celebrating and really cherishing him. He has got the start of Alzheimer's and so he's struggling a bit, but you know he's getting up there in age, so I absolutely love and cherish the days that I get to spend time with him. Fathers truly are the unsung heroes of our lives and they deserve all the love and appreciation.
Speaker 1:
Now on to today's topic. Who do you become when you are backed into a shame corner? This is really kind of a deep one one. It's a question that really challenges us to look inward and examine our reactions and behaviors when we are faced with shame and guilt. First of all, let's kind of dive into understanding what shame actually is. Shame is a powerful emotion. It is a feeling of being fundamentally flawed, not good enough or unworthy of love and belonging. You know, when we are backed into that shame corner, it is easy to feel trapped, powerless, overwhelmed. But hey, the key here is to recognize that shame is not a reaction of our true selves. It's a response to the external pressures and our internalized beliefs. What are our reactions to shame?
Speaker 1:
When confronted with shame, people try to react in one of three ways they withdraw, they people-please or they get defensive. So when we withdraw, this is when we shut down, we retreat to ourselves and avoid interaction. It's like a protective mechanism that often leads to isolation and like a deeper sense of loneliness. I've done this. I am one of these people that I like to just withdraw, but it leads to depression and seclusion. And then people are like, well, what's wrong with you, right? Or some people do people pleasing. Some of us try to cope by becoming overly accommodating, trying to please everyone around us in an attempt to regain our sense of worthiness. This, trust me, is exhausting and unsustainable. You cannot live like that, or I'm guilty of this defensiveness. So I'm kind of all of these things. Others sometimes, like me, react with anger or aggression. I wouldn't say aggression. I guess I could say that More with anger, because I try to deflect the shame onto others and this can really strain relationships and create even more conflict.
Speaker 1:
So let's talk a little bit how we can transform shame, because transforming shame is powerful and it's often a debilitating emotion and we need to transform it into something constructive. So here's some strategies that I have. One let's recognize and acknowledge it, because the first step is to acknowledge that feeling of shame, give it a name and understand that it's a normal human emotion. You're not alone in feeling this way at all. Two self-compassion. Oh my God, please be kind to yourself. Remember that everyone makes mistakes, everyone has moments of vulnerability. Treat yourself to the same kindness and understanding that you would offer a friend.
Speaker 1:
Three challenge the narrative. Often shame is tied to a story, something that we've been telling ourselves. So I want you to challenge these narratives. Ask yourself is this really true? Because more often than not it's a distorted view of your reality. Four seek connection. Talk to somebody. Talk to somebody that you trust about what you're feeling, because shame thrives in secrecy. So sharing your experience can help you gain perspective and feel less alone. Five and feel less alone. Five this whole mindfulness thing. I love it. Stay present and grounded, stay in your mind, stay in that zone, because a mindfulness practice can help you observe your thoughts and your feelings without getting swept away by them.
Speaker 1:
One of my favorite things is personal reflection. I remember a time not so long ago, when I felt backed into a shame corner. You see, when you work on your own, sometimes you get stuck right and sometimes you make mistakes or you're a perfectionist and you just can't move forward and you get stuck and maybe you don't get stuff done like you should. So you get backed into the shame corner because it's like, well, I should have done this and I didn't get this done, I didn't get this done, and then it's just this big thing where you feel like a failure. But you need to learn that, through self-compassion and support from people who will love you and support you and just help you push forward, you're able to navigate through it and I can realize, when I have support, that my worth isn't defined by the mistakes that I make, but by my ability to learn and grow from them. So in my case, where I'm growing businesses and really need to be diligent about what I'm doing every day, if I have one of those days where I'm not as productive as I should have been, then I kind of get this shame thing right. And you need to. I need to grow from that right. If I'm not doing these things on my list to move myself forward and make these steps in my businesses, that's on me, but I need to own it. I need to not be shamed by it. I need to own it. I need to put a name on it. I need to dig deep into why I feel that way. Remember that you need to grow from that. So if you're feeling shame, so if you're feeling shame, find somebody to confide in and own it, put a name to it, talk it through, because once you talk it through, it kind of goes away right Because you understand it.
Speaker 1:
So before we go today because I wanted to keep this short I do have a special affirmation for you. So here it goes. I acknowledge my feelings of shame and recognize that they do not define me. In moments of vulnerability, I choose to embrace my imperfections with compassion and courage. I am worthy of love and acceptance, just as I am. Each experience, no matter how difficult, is an opportunity for growth and self-discovery discovery. I release the power of shame over my life and step forward with resilience and grace. I am enough, exactly as I am. That one is a powerful one. Write it down, it'll be in the show notes. Is a powerful one. Write it down, it will be in the show notes. Write it out. Journal on it.
Speaker 1:
As we come to a closing, I just want to thank All you radiant souls For Joining in today. I want to leave you with this thought, though who you become when backed into a corner is up to you. Let me repeat that who you become when you are backed into that shame corner is up to you. You have the power to choose self-compassion over self-criticism, connection over isolation, and growth over stagnation. Embrace your imperfections, learn from them and continue to shine. Thank you so incredibly much for joining me on this very rainy Monday. If you found this episode helpful, please share it with someone who might need to hear it, and don't forget to subscribe to Unleash your Inner Radiance for more episodes on mindset, personal growth and living a life of balance and purpose. Until next time, stay radiant.
