WEBVTT

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You are operating based on the world's definition

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of success, not your own. So how do you change

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your identity? It's very easy to say, right,

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from I'm going to change my identity. If you

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don't really believe it, the me self. is when

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you are looking at yourself through the lens

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of how others would view you. So how is the world

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looking at me? What are they thinking of me?

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It just gets so hard to operate in a world where

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all you're thinking about is what others might

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be perceiving. It's not just being fearless,

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it's walking with your fear. What if your entire

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life, the pivots, the setbacks, the lucky breaks,

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wasn't fate or personality? but the result of

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tiny, conscious choices you didn't even know

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you were making. Today, we're unpacking a way

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of thinking that flips the story we tell ourselves,

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that feeling stuck is permanent, that I am is

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destiny, and that obstacles are signs to turn

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back instead of invitations to walk through a

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new door. We're diving into the identity statements

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that quietly shape our lives, the metaphor of

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the mighty tree trapped in a tiny pot, and why

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midlife is actually the perfect moment to rewrite

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the script if we're willing to choose differently.

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If you've been craving a shift, a spark, or a

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sign that you can pivot into something truer

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and more expansive, this conversation is going

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to feel like someone just handed you the keys

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to your own life. And if this is your first time

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listening or watching The 40s Formula, please

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hit the subscribe button and review the episode

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so we can keep holding space for women who want

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to feel strong, clear, and supported through

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midlife. And if you want more from The 40s Formula,

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check out our free ebook, link in the show notes.

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Welcome, Bhavna. We are so happy to have you

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with us. I'm so happy to be here. Thank you for

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having me. And I love when you say we are only

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one conscious choice away from a new direction.

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I really love that. What was one conscious choice

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that you made that changed everything? The one

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conscious choice that I made and continue to

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make is to lean into fear. You know, fear is

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one of those things that we are wired, we're

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almost conditioned to turn away from. But what

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I've found time and again is when we lean into

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our fear. Amazing things can happen because fear

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actually is the strongest guidepost or signal

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for our growth. I remember when, now this was

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over 15 years ago, when I first left my corporate

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career behind, which felt so safe and comfortable

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and secure at the time, I was so afraid of doing

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anything else. And at the time, I'd made the

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decision of just pausing for a while to reflect

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more deeply. into the kinds of choices I was

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making so I decided I was going to move to India

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I was living in New York at the time and I remember

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I was having a conversation with a friend of

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mine at the time and I told him I literally feel

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like I'm jumping off a cliff he said something

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to me so profound that has still stuck with me

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to this day he said yes Pavna you are jumping

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off a cliff but go ahead and jump knowing that

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the universe is going to be there with open arms

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to catch you when you fall because the universe

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always rewards courage. Wow. And that has just

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stuck with me and has become a mantra almost

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for my life. And I have found time and again,

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when I befriend my fears is what allows me to

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unlock that next level of growth and evolution

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for myself. So it's not just being fearless,

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it's walking with your fear. I think that's an

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interesting distinction, right? Because I think...

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The reason that a lot of us do feel held back

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from fear and don't feel like we can embrace

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courage is because it's like, well, I'm not a

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fearless person. You know, I feel that intimidation

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and that and that that scaredness about the next

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step. So I think that's really cool to think,

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no, I walk with my fear. There it is. That's

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something that we say to our children as well.

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We say being brave isn't not being scared. That's

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right. It's feeling it. And then. Just getting

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on with it. And, you know, it's like the book,

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feel the fear and do it anyway, which I think

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is such a profound thing, not just for kids,

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but also for adults, because you do think you

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think, oh, my God, this is scary. I'm not going

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to do it. But actually, if you want to be brave

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and you want to make a choice, then you have

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to. You are going to feel scared. Like, I don't

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think anything easy will come to you. If you're

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not afraid. No, definitely not. And nothing good.

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Yes. I'm going to say good. I'm going to say

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good. Correct. That's right. That's right. Yeah,

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absolutely. I think it's about befriending our

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fears rather than overcoming anything. Whenever

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we talk about overcoming our fears or overcoming

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the imposter syndrome, we always... almost make

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it sound like there's something wrong with us

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or there's something, you know, there's something

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we need to overcome or fix. And it's not about

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that. Like you said, it's about turning towards

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it and walking alongside it, even though it feels

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scary and unnatural. But that's what really makes

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you feel alive and come alive when you embrace

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those fears and and just keep taking those next

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steps forward. And we've heard from a lot of

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women who are unfortunately in that place of

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fear still. And they're saying things like, I'm

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stuck or this is, you know, I'll always be like

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this. You know, in our line of work with nutrition,

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I'll always be overweight. Right. I'll always

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be out of shape. You know, this always happens

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to me. How does conscious choosing or conscious

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choice help women take more control of their

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lives and kind of drop these ways of thinking?

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Yeah, that's such a great question. You know,

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it's so true, especially I think when we hit

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our 40s and beyond, we start to feel like this

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is it. Who I am today is who I'm always going

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to be. And what's fascinating is, especially

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there was this research that Daniel Gilbert,

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who is a psychologist out of Harvard, had done

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where he asked a group of people all ages, how

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different do you think you would be 10 years

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from now? And then 10 years later, he actually

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asked those people, well, how different do you

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think you are compared to who you thought you

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would be? And it turned out every single person.

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We grossly underestimated how much change was

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possible for them. So yes, we're conditioned

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to feel like, okay, this is it. This is it. This

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is the end of the story for me. But just knowing

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that we tend to underestimate the possibility

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of change, I think is a good place to begin.

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And knowing that, then you can make certain conscious

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choices. to bring about that change. And I think

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for me, it's always been about getting clear

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around what that future vision or that future

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self really look like for you. Because to put

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yourself in the driver's seat, Where that clarity

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comes is knowing where you're going, knowing

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where you're headed. And even if you don't know

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what you're going to do, what I always like to

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say is don't focus on the doing so much. Focus

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on who you would like to be, because that's a

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question any of us can answer. even right now

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with whatever confusion or whatever uncertainties

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we have in our life to just ask yourself, how

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would I like to show up as a woman, as a human,

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as a leader that makes me feel good, that makes

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me feel proud? And to then make the kinds of

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choices that allow you to become more and more

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of that with every action, every choice, every

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step that you take. That's amazing because I

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feel like, again, even to bring it back to our...

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clients you know they always talk about I want

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to lose x amount of weight I want to look a certain

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way but it's never I'm going to go to the gym

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five times a week or three times a week or whatever

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commitment they can make and so then it becomes

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it's not about what you what you sort of want

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as an end goal it's more about how you're going

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to get there Yes, yes. And in fact, if you look

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at the science of behavior change, it all points

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to how the most sustainable change comes when

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you bring about that shift at the level of your

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identity. So not just at the level of action

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saying, okay, I'm going to go to the gym three

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times a week, but to say, I am the kind of person.

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who practices discipline, is always going to

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follow through on her word. When you start making

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more of those I am statements that are rooted

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in your identity or the kind of identity you

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would even like to shape, that's what creates

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the strongest foundation for change. So how do

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you change your identity? Because I think it's

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very easy to say, right, I'm going to change

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my identity. I'm going to become this person.

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But if you don't really believe it, like how

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can you make those changes? That's true. It's

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not easy by any means. I think it does begin

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with first bringing clarity to, okay, who would

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you like to be? For example, for me, I know when

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I made the switch that I made, I knew I wanted

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to be the kind of person who is driven more by...

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my inner alignment rather than external validation

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or who someone who always was could choose courage

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over over comfort I think it's about once you've

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given yourself that vision with each choice asking

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yourself is this however small this choice is

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is it leading me towards that north star that

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I've defined for myself or is it keeping me stuck

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or is it even moving me in a different direction.

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And every time you take that step forward and

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you see yourself, even in a small way, becoming

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more of who you wish to become, in that moment,

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I think what's really powerful is to actually

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pause and acknowledge that. So self -affirmation

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theory really tells us that the more we actually

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consciously affirm who we are becoming, whether

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by journaling or even something as simple or

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as silly as every time you see yourself showing

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up in a certain way to mentally just say to yourself

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it's just like me to do that it's just like me

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to say that it's just like me to uh to say no

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is whatever it is to actually either journal

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or in your head you say that you're rewiring

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that narrative in your head about who you are

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and what you're capable of and who you can become.

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And that, I have a client who embodies that so

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well. This is a client who is getting fit using

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my strength training programs and her whole life,

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when she travels, when she goes on holiday, she

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just lets it loose, meaning she doesn't do her

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exercises, she doesn't eat very well, she has

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too much alcohol, all those things, right? She

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recently went on a holiday. and two things happened

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differently number one she found a gym so that

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she could get her workout in she looked for one

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at her holiday destination and she found it so

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she went to it and second thing is she posted

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that information on her social media tagged me

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as her coach so i could see it meaning she chose

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the behaviors of a fit person yes and then she

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affirmed that she is in fact the fit person by

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showing the world that she made that choice and

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i think Women don't do that for two reasons.

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One is that they don't believe it yet. They don't

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believe that just because I went to the gym,

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I'm not a fit person. But that is what a fit

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person would do. So you did the thing. And secondly,

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they don't want to put themselves out there.

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They're like, I'm an imposter. Like you said,

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they'll know that I'm just like an unfit person

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going to the gym. I'm not actually a fit person.

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How does adopting a new identity help us overcome

00:12:23.580 --> 00:12:26.460
that feeling that we aren't there yet? Can we

00:12:26.460 --> 00:12:28.720
talk about how no one prepares you for how your

00:12:28.720 --> 00:12:31.539
skin changes in your 40s? Honestly, one day it's

00:12:31.539 --> 00:12:35.039
fine. The next it's dull, dry and showing every

00:12:35.039 --> 00:12:37.320
single emotion you've ever felt. That's why I've

00:12:37.320 --> 00:12:39.879
actually been loving Love Indus. Their skincare

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actually feels like it's doing something. It's

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not just sitting on your face and looking sticky.

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It blends South Asian ingredients like ashwagandha

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and vegan ghee with proper New York dermatology

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tech. It's luxurious, but also very results driven.

00:12:53.470 --> 00:12:55.730
Their line limiter is especially good if you're

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starting, like me, to notice lip or laugh lines.

00:12:58.470 --> 00:13:01.289
People compare it to Botox, which I would happily

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when you use our code, so don't forget to support

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the show by using code TFF. I think with every

00:13:24.570 --> 00:13:27.950
choice, with every action, if you are focusing

00:13:27.950 --> 00:13:33.990
on who you are becoming, then you think more

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and more about who you are not. So it's also

00:13:37.250 --> 00:13:40.269
about bringing our sense of awareness, our sense

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of attention more to the choices or the micro

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steps that we're taking versus always looking

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at, okay, where would I like to be and where

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am I right now? And constantly looking at the

00:13:52.909 --> 00:13:55.789
gap. Because that can be overwhelming. That can

00:13:55.789 --> 00:13:58.669
be overwhelming and that can feed into that sense

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of, okay, I'm not enough and this is not enough.

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But if we can keep our awareness to what is within

00:14:06.129 --> 00:14:09.590
our control right now in this moment, how am

00:14:09.590 --> 00:14:13.289
I showing up? I think that is what allows us

00:14:13.289 --> 00:14:16.090
to then really celebrate how we're showing up

00:14:16.090 --> 00:14:20.039
right now. focus less on the sense of lack or

00:14:20.039 --> 00:14:22.700
not enoughness so you're you're talking about

00:14:22.700 --> 00:14:25.039
micro steps now if we were to sort of look at

00:14:25.039 --> 00:14:27.259
it like um your goal is at the top of the stairs

00:14:27.259 --> 00:14:29.779
and then obviously each micro step is this is

00:14:29.779 --> 00:14:31.700
the step so rather than looking oh i need to

00:14:31.700 --> 00:14:33.399
get to the top you just look at what's right

00:14:33.399 --> 00:14:35.879
in front of you that's right how long would it

00:14:36.200 --> 00:14:38.700
Like how long would you stay at one micro step

00:14:38.700 --> 00:14:40.419
before you kind of move to the next one? Or can

00:14:40.419 --> 00:14:42.440
you say, I'll take two or three now and then

00:14:42.440 --> 00:14:44.820
maybe I'll pause a bit and then maybe I'll take

00:14:44.820 --> 00:14:48.000
one. You know, like how do you think the rhythm

00:14:48.000 --> 00:14:50.879
works best for somebody who does want to get

00:14:50.879 --> 00:14:53.659
to the top of the stairs? You know, that's such

00:14:53.659 --> 00:14:56.539
a personal question. I think for each of us,

00:14:56.559 --> 00:15:01.669
we would need to really. really dive deeper into

00:15:01.669 --> 00:15:06.309
our own sense of what feels right for us. Because

00:15:06.309 --> 00:15:10.330
each day looks different. You know, some days

00:15:10.330 --> 00:15:15.210
you can show up with your 100 % and you're ready

00:15:15.210 --> 00:15:19.179
to take five steps. Other days, you just need

00:15:19.179 --> 00:15:23.200
to rest maybe or pause and maybe you're not even

00:15:23.200 --> 00:15:26.720
going to take a single step. So it varies so

00:15:26.720 --> 00:15:29.860
much. But I think in my own journey, what I've

00:15:29.860 --> 00:15:34.919
found is as long as I keep trusting my own sense

00:15:34.919 --> 00:15:39.980
of what feels good, what feels right, I'm okay

00:15:39.980 --> 00:15:44.419
with setting my own pace rather than constantly...

00:15:45.149 --> 00:15:47.490
either comparing myself to somebody else or even

00:15:47.490 --> 00:15:50.110
constantly looking at where I would where I should

00:15:50.110 --> 00:15:54.169
be or and where I am right now so I think I think

00:15:54.169 --> 00:15:58.090
it is about yeah being comfortable with and and

00:15:58.090 --> 00:16:00.389
determining your own pace and I think as women

00:16:00.389 --> 00:16:02.370
we do do that don't we look at other women and

00:16:02.370 --> 00:16:04.230
we're like oh you know she's got x number of

00:16:04.230 --> 00:16:06.690
kids or her kids go to this school or her kids

00:16:06.690 --> 00:16:09.169
are excelling at this sport and oh you know she's

00:16:09.169 --> 00:16:11.840
managing a business and running a family And

00:16:11.840 --> 00:16:14.720
we're constantly comparing. Yes. And looking

00:16:14.720 --> 00:16:16.840
at timelines that are not even relevant to ours.

00:16:17.000 --> 00:16:18.919
You know, I think of like the Marvel, the multiverse,

00:16:19.039 --> 00:16:20.940
right? It's like she's operating in a different

00:16:20.940 --> 00:16:23.860
universe from me. So why would I even get on

00:16:23.860 --> 00:16:26.320
that staircase with her? You know, her step is

00:16:26.320 --> 00:16:28.620
a different step from mine. But I know myself,

00:16:28.679 --> 00:16:30.919
I am definitely the person who's like, if it's

00:16:30.919 --> 00:16:32.440
three steps, I'm going to get a leg cramp and

00:16:32.440 --> 00:16:34.100
be out of the game for four weeks. So like I'm

00:16:34.100 --> 00:16:37.059
a half step a day type of gal. That's like where

00:16:37.059 --> 00:16:39.299
I'm at, you know? Every day gets a half step,

00:16:39.320 --> 00:16:40.840
but like I ain't going for three to five steps.

00:16:41.039 --> 00:16:43.940
No, that's never that's never my way. You have

00:16:43.940 --> 00:16:45.879
a bunch of amazing metaphors in your book. You

00:16:45.879 --> 00:16:48.159
know, I love Jasmine's of the Staircase. I love

00:16:48.159 --> 00:16:52.419
yours of the mighty tree in the small pot. Can

00:16:52.419 --> 00:16:54.220
you tell us? I love this story. Can you tell

00:16:54.220 --> 00:16:58.700
it to our listeners? Yes. So, you know, in Japan,

00:16:58.879 --> 00:17:03.080
they have this beautiful art called the bonsai

00:17:03.080 --> 00:17:06.750
where, you know, they. prune and nurture and

00:17:06.750 --> 00:17:11.130
create these beautiful plants, which are essentially

00:17:11.130 --> 00:17:14.569
these trees that look so beautiful. And what's

00:17:14.569 --> 00:17:18.630
fascinating is when the same tree, if you put

00:17:18.630 --> 00:17:21.589
it into a pot, it will grow maybe just a few

00:17:21.589 --> 00:17:25.829
inches. And if you take that same plant, same

00:17:25.829 --> 00:17:28.829
seed, and you plant it in open ground, it could

00:17:28.829 --> 00:17:32.269
grow several feet. What? I did not know this.

00:17:32.329 --> 00:17:35.470
Yes, yes. Really? I guess I read the book. Wow.

00:17:36.049 --> 00:17:39.809
Yes, yes. And, you know, and then you just ask,

00:17:39.869 --> 00:17:42.829
well, what's the difference? And I think metaphorically

00:17:42.829 --> 00:17:47.890
the difference is that when it comes to our potential.

00:17:50.440 --> 00:17:53.619
Question is, you know, what really contains our

00:17:53.619 --> 00:17:57.319
potential and what allows our potential to flourish?

00:17:57.400 --> 00:18:00.920
What is that container? And what really allows

00:18:00.920 --> 00:18:04.339
us to tap into our fullest potential? And for

00:18:04.339 --> 00:18:07.359
me, I think one thing that definitely plays a

00:18:07.359 --> 00:18:12.619
huge role is the nature and the size of the goals

00:18:12.619 --> 00:18:15.339
or challenges we're setting for ourselves in

00:18:15.339 --> 00:18:19.779
our life. If we're only setting... comfortable

00:18:19.779 --> 00:18:24.200
goals then we will only grow or stretch as much

00:18:24.200 --> 00:18:27.819
as is needed to meet that goal but if when we

00:18:27.819 --> 00:18:32.119
set inspiring goals for ourselves that almost

00:18:32.119 --> 00:18:36.599
feels scary that that that that cause you or

00:18:36.599 --> 00:18:39.380
or propel you to actually befriend those fears

00:18:39.380 --> 00:18:44.619
in the process of going after those goals even

00:18:44.619 --> 00:18:50.579
if you fail even if you fail the kind of growth

00:18:50.579 --> 00:18:54.119
that becomes possible for you is just immense.

00:18:54.519 --> 00:18:57.240
And that's what I experienced when I made the

00:18:57.240 --> 00:19:02.119
leap. The first few years, there were quite a

00:19:02.119 --> 00:19:06.079
few failures. At first, when I moved to India,

00:19:06.319 --> 00:19:12.950
I thought of starting this investment fund. But

00:19:12.950 --> 00:19:15.569
couldn't raise enough funding to get that off

00:19:15.569 --> 00:19:18.349
the ground. Then I led a nonprofit for a while.

00:19:18.849 --> 00:19:21.930
But as I like to joke, the nonprofit was so non

00:19:21.930 --> 00:19:26.809
in its non -profiting that that folded eventually

00:19:26.809 --> 00:19:34.279
as well. Even with every failure, the learning

00:19:34.279 --> 00:19:37.680
and the growth that came from that is something

00:19:37.680 --> 00:19:40.599
I'm so grateful for. And every failure prepared

00:19:40.599 --> 00:19:44.539
me for the next step. See, because I think using

00:19:44.539 --> 00:19:47.200
the term failure means that's it, it's the end.

00:19:47.319 --> 00:19:49.740
But I don't actually think it's the end. I feel

00:19:49.740 --> 00:19:52.359
like there should be another word for it because

00:19:52.359 --> 00:19:54.900
failure is like more like a blip. Because it

00:19:54.900 --> 00:19:57.079
didn't stop you. I think failure would have been

00:19:57.079 --> 00:19:59.619
if it stopped you and then you said, right, you

00:19:59.619 --> 00:20:01.240
know what? I'm throwing my hands up. I'm just

00:20:01.240 --> 00:20:03.980
going to go and get a steady job because this

00:20:03.980 --> 00:20:07.240
is not for me. I think that could have been failure

00:20:07.240 --> 00:20:10.799
for you. Yes. But this felt like a little blip,

00:20:10.819 --> 00:20:13.099
maybe a learning curve, which propels you to

00:20:13.099 --> 00:20:15.440
the next thing. And then, you know, maybe that

00:20:15.440 --> 00:20:17.259
wasn't quite right. And then it propels you to

00:20:17.259 --> 00:20:21.019
the next thing. And then, you know, it's the

00:20:21.019 --> 00:20:24.079
success you saw from that rather than the failure.

00:20:24.539 --> 00:20:27.259
From the other stuff. Yeah. And I think that

00:20:27.259 --> 00:20:29.680
kind of leads into another question I've got

00:20:29.680 --> 00:20:31.920
for you is what's your thought on manifestation?

00:20:32.180 --> 00:20:34.880
And the reason I bring this up is because yesterday

00:20:34.880 --> 00:20:38.799
my husband was talking about football match that

00:20:38.799 --> 00:20:42.019
the boys were all sort of going on about. And

00:20:42.019 --> 00:20:46.160
he said the player prayed to God to score a hat

00:20:46.160 --> 00:20:49.440
trick the night before the game. He scored a

00:20:49.440 --> 00:20:51.779
hat trick. And then my response to that was,

00:20:51.779 --> 00:20:54.710
do you know what he did? he put himself out there

00:20:54.710 --> 00:21:00.609
the fact that he made that that um vision out

00:21:00.609 --> 00:21:03.109
into the universe meant that he then went for

00:21:03.109 --> 00:21:06.349
it so during the game he was like i need to score

00:21:06.349 --> 00:21:09.309
a hat trick so it wasn't just about the sort

00:21:09.309 --> 00:21:11.730
of you know manifesting and it happened it was

00:21:11.730 --> 00:21:14.069
because he put himself in that place so what's

00:21:14.069 --> 00:21:16.150
your sort of opinion on it and do you think that

00:21:16.150 --> 00:21:19.230
that's something that we can all try to use to

00:21:19.230 --> 00:21:21.640
you know get to where we want to be I think,

00:21:21.640 --> 00:21:23.220
you know, to a great extent, the neuroscience

00:21:23.220 --> 00:21:27.279
definitely supports that manifestation does work

00:21:27.279 --> 00:21:30.200
because even at its simplest level, if you think

00:21:30.200 --> 00:21:33.299
about manifestation as being able to clearly

00:21:33.299 --> 00:21:40.599
visualize a goal as step one, even that step.

00:21:41.109 --> 00:21:43.369
Definitely, there's so much power in that because

00:21:43.369 --> 00:21:46.269
when you visualize something, what you're doing

00:21:46.269 --> 00:21:49.809
for your brain is you're making the unknown known

00:21:49.809 --> 00:21:52.950
or you're making what is unfamiliar familiar.

00:21:53.230 --> 00:21:57.670
So now your brain knows what to go after. And

00:21:57.670 --> 00:21:59.930
the brain doesn't always differentiate between

00:21:59.930 --> 00:22:02.390
what we're just imagining and what's actually

00:22:02.390 --> 00:22:06.890
there. So I think even that first step is so

00:22:06.890 --> 00:22:09.470
powerful. And then when you combine it with the

00:22:09.470 --> 00:22:13.400
second step, of actually taking action toward

00:22:13.400 --> 00:22:16.460
the goal. And I'm a big believer in taking action

00:22:16.460 --> 00:22:20.529
because if we just stop at step one. I wouldn't

00:22:20.529 --> 00:22:23.430
say I'm a big believer in just, you know, sitting

00:22:23.430 --> 00:22:25.650
and visualizing something and waiting for it

00:22:25.650 --> 00:22:28.089
to happen. I don't think that's ever worked for

00:22:28.089 --> 00:22:31.349
me. But the combination of visualizing and then

00:22:31.349 --> 00:22:34.829
taking those concerted steps towards that vision,

00:22:34.910 --> 00:22:36.970
which I think even in your example, it sounds

00:22:36.970 --> 00:22:40.670
like this individual. Yeah. You know, he put

00:22:40.670 --> 00:22:43.069
himself out there and he was there, you know,

00:22:43.069 --> 00:22:45.869
making it happen. I think that combination can

00:22:45.869 --> 00:22:49.160
be a powerful one. And the result of that. could

00:22:49.160 --> 00:22:53.160
be manifesting manifesting what you originally

00:22:53.160 --> 00:22:56.619
imagined so yes i i would say from that perspective

00:22:56.619 --> 00:22:58.859
i i believe in it yeah that reminds me of an

00:22:58.859 --> 00:23:00.319
old that you guys have probably all heard this

00:23:00.319 --> 00:23:02.019
before but it's like you know this man prays

00:23:02.019 --> 00:23:03.759
to god every night please let me win the lottery

00:23:03.759 --> 00:23:05.380
please let me win the lottery please let me win

00:23:05.380 --> 00:23:07.380
the lottery and after like you know 300 days

00:23:07.380 --> 00:23:09.460
of this man sending up that prayer god finally

00:23:09.460 --> 00:23:13.240
comes down and says can you buy a ticket It's

00:23:13.240 --> 00:23:16.380
like you have to take the step. You can't just

00:23:16.380 --> 00:23:18.980
ask for something with no action. And I think

00:23:18.980 --> 00:23:21.799
that's such a powerful and obvious but not so

00:23:21.799 --> 00:23:25.119
obvious thing sometimes. I think that also speaks

00:23:25.119 --> 00:23:28.599
back to the fear aspect and about how women are

00:23:28.599 --> 00:23:31.039
not putting themselves out there. They're afraid

00:23:31.039 --> 00:23:32.980
to ask for what they want. They're afraid to

00:23:32.980 --> 00:23:36.460
say it in public. And I think this kind of speaks

00:23:36.460 --> 00:23:38.359
to the part in your book where you distinguish

00:23:38.359 --> 00:23:42.819
between the I self and the me self. the I self

00:23:42.819 --> 00:23:46.019
is me seeing. And the me self is who is seen,

00:23:46.099 --> 00:23:48.599
right? Can you talk to us about that distinction

00:23:48.599 --> 00:23:52.740
and how that can help women reframe this fear

00:23:52.740 --> 00:23:56.299
of judgment? Yes, yes. So this distinction is

00:23:56.299 --> 00:23:58.259
such an important one. And I was finally able

00:23:58.259 --> 00:24:01.720
to put words to this distinction when I came

00:24:01.720 --> 00:24:04.759
across the work of William James, who's this

00:24:04.759 --> 00:24:08.160
American, famed American psychologist. And he

00:24:08.160 --> 00:24:11.319
talks about how there are two selves, the I self

00:24:11.319 --> 00:24:14.299
and the me self, exactly as you said. Me -self

00:24:14.299 --> 00:24:19.420
is when you are looking at yourself through the

00:24:19.420 --> 00:24:22.940
lens of how others would view you. So how is

00:24:22.940 --> 00:24:25.519
the world looking at me? What are they thinking

00:24:25.519 --> 00:24:30.799
of me? And how do I appear or seem when I look

00:24:30.799 --> 00:24:34.019
at myself? That sounds like an Asian concept,

00:24:34.140 --> 00:24:37.299
doesn't it? They're like how Asians sort of face.

00:24:37.420 --> 00:24:41.819
Yes, exactly. Yes. Yes. As opposed to the I self,

00:24:42.039 --> 00:24:46.470
which is inside out, which is. where you are

00:24:46.470 --> 00:24:51.369
asking yourself, okay, how do I look at the world?

00:24:51.630 --> 00:24:56.329
What are my perspectives? What is my view? What

00:24:56.329 --> 00:25:03.450
do I value? And the more and more we... really

00:25:03.450 --> 00:25:06.950
anchor our identity in the I self instead of

00:25:06.950 --> 00:25:11.309
the me self, the more secure we feel. And I definitely

00:25:11.309 --> 00:25:13.509
experienced this in my life because for the longest

00:25:13.509 --> 00:25:18.009
time, I was anchored more in the me, thinking

00:25:18.009 --> 00:25:19.869
about, okay, how is the world looking at me?

00:25:19.950 --> 00:25:23.490
Do I look good? And do I, you know, am I really

00:25:23.490 --> 00:25:26.450
checking the box in terms of what would make

00:25:26.450 --> 00:25:31.069
me appear successful and valuable and all of

00:25:31.069 --> 00:25:33.829
those things? And you always feel insecure when

00:25:33.829 --> 00:25:36.569
you're looking at yourself this way because you

00:25:36.569 --> 00:25:38.769
are operating based on the world's definition

00:25:38.769 --> 00:25:42.710
of success, not your own. And what people think

00:25:42.710 --> 00:25:45.170
of you is not within your control. It can shift

00:25:45.170 --> 00:25:48.269
from day to day. So it just leaves you feeling

00:25:48.269 --> 00:25:54.140
so, yeah, so unanchored and insecure. Over time,

00:25:54.240 --> 00:25:56.880
especially for me, this happened as I deepened

00:25:56.880 --> 00:26:00.619
my practice of mindfulness and I realized that

00:26:00.619 --> 00:26:04.220
the only thing I can control is how I show up

00:26:04.220 --> 00:26:06.880
and how I look at the world. And when I started

00:26:06.880 --> 00:26:11.200
doing that more and more and focusing on my choices

00:26:11.200 --> 00:26:15.480
and my actions, just by shifting your focus,

00:26:16.190 --> 00:26:18.849
all those concerns about, well, what are other

00:26:18.849 --> 00:26:21.430
people thinking and how are they viewing me?

00:26:21.509 --> 00:26:25.450
They naturally start to fall into the background

00:26:25.450 --> 00:26:28.890
because now you have given yourself a different

00:26:28.890 --> 00:26:32.670
anchor, a different focus. And going back to

00:26:32.670 --> 00:26:34.769
what we were talking about earlier and with each

00:26:34.769 --> 00:26:37.369
choice, when you also keep affirming yourself

00:26:37.369 --> 00:26:41.230
because you're self -validating and you're building

00:26:41.230 --> 00:26:44.630
yourself up, there's less need for external.

00:26:45.500 --> 00:26:48.500
validation that sounds like the 40s no shit's

00:26:48.500 --> 00:26:51.640
given it's almost like that's right and it reminded

00:26:51.640 --> 00:26:53.380
me of another discussion i have with a client

00:26:53.380 --> 00:26:56.380
earlier this week so she was talking about how

00:26:56.380 --> 00:26:59.700
she's struggling to not drink alcohol at work

00:26:59.700 --> 00:27:02.200
-related events and it's basically exactly what

00:27:02.200 --> 00:27:05.759
you said what will the client think of me right

00:27:05.759 --> 00:27:08.779
what will the others think of me if i'm not drinking

00:27:08.779 --> 00:27:12.680
but if she had reframed that into I am someone

00:27:12.680 --> 00:27:15.220
who chooses when to have alcohol. That's right.

00:27:15.319 --> 00:27:17.579
Or even, if we want to get real extreme, I am

00:27:17.579 --> 00:27:20.279
someone who doesn't drink. Yes. When you are

00:27:20.279 --> 00:27:23.000
confident in the identity that you have formed

00:27:23.000 --> 00:27:25.000
for yourself, these questions of what do people

00:27:25.000 --> 00:27:26.619
think about me not drinking don't even enter

00:27:26.619 --> 00:27:28.740
your mind. That's right. Because I am someone.

00:27:29.259 --> 00:27:31.200
Who controls myself around alcohol or, you know,

00:27:31.200 --> 00:27:33.279
doesn't drink or whatever it might be. So, you

00:27:33.279 --> 00:27:35.460
know, when you get stuck in the me's, I think

00:27:35.460 --> 00:27:38.019
everything is a struggle, man. It just gets so

00:27:38.019 --> 00:27:40.460
hard to operate in a world where all you're thinking

00:27:40.460 --> 00:27:42.680
about is what others might be perceiving of you.

00:27:42.720 --> 00:27:44.220
Because, again, you're going to be interacting

00:27:44.220 --> 00:27:45.720
with other people for the rest of your life.

00:27:45.799 --> 00:27:48.819
And if everyone's opinion matters, it's going

00:27:48.819 --> 00:27:51.660
to be a long one. So our amazing sponsors, The

00:27:51.660 --> 00:27:53.859
Meat Club, have asked a question for you today.

00:27:53.920 --> 00:27:55.539
And you might know The Meat Club as the home

00:27:55.539 --> 00:27:57.240
of The Conscious Carnivore, which I feel like

00:27:57.240 --> 00:27:59.140
plays beautifully into The Conscious Choice.

00:27:59.299 --> 00:28:02.680
How do you practice conscious choice around diet?

00:28:02.980 --> 00:28:05.099
Are there tips that you can offer our listeners

00:28:05.099 --> 00:28:07.779
for how to choose meals that align with their

00:28:07.779 --> 00:28:12.599
bigger values? That's a great question. So definitely,

00:28:12.720 --> 00:28:16.140
I think... conscious choices lend themselves

00:28:16.140 --> 00:28:20.619
to also to your diet, because I think how we

00:28:20.619 --> 00:28:23.380
make choices in one sphere of life definitely

00:28:23.380 --> 00:28:26.019
carry over to other spheres as well. And how

00:28:26.019 --> 00:28:29.099
you do one thing is how you do everything. So

00:28:29.099 --> 00:28:35.839
I think I think absolutely what we put into our

00:28:35.839 --> 00:28:38.160
bodies is something we absolutely need to be

00:28:38.160 --> 00:28:42.160
very conscious of. For me, I like to call myself

00:28:42.160 --> 00:28:46.680
plant. So I'm not 100 percent plant based, but

00:28:46.680 --> 00:28:49.519
I like to say I'm plant. I follow a plant forward

00:28:49.519 --> 00:28:52.660
diet. So I like to have lots of plant based foods

00:28:52.660 --> 00:28:55.660
in my diet, but also because I'm very, very,

00:28:55.660 --> 00:29:00.420
very big on my fitness as well. And I and and

00:29:00.420 --> 00:29:06.039
I'm very mindful of my protein needs. So I think

00:29:06.039 --> 00:29:08.400
to that extent, definitely I'm making conscious

00:29:08.400 --> 00:29:12.220
choices about what are the healthy animal sources.

00:29:12.460 --> 00:29:15.619
of protein as well that are grass fed, that are

00:29:15.619 --> 00:29:21.799
cage free, for example, and organic. And I like

00:29:21.799 --> 00:29:24.339
to stock my fridge with things I feel good about.

00:29:24.519 --> 00:29:26.400
Yeah, I love that because mindfulness in our

00:29:26.400 --> 00:29:28.660
meals is just as important as mindfulness in

00:29:28.660 --> 00:29:31.599
our choices, our careers, our lives. I love that.

00:29:31.740 --> 00:29:33.960
Yes. I would like to know a little bit more about

00:29:33.960 --> 00:29:36.140
the work that you're doing with Sheenomics. It's

00:29:36.140 --> 00:29:39.019
so interesting. You model conscious choices for

00:29:39.019 --> 00:29:41.559
women on a global scale. Yes. Can you talk about

00:29:41.680 --> 00:29:45.880
how Shinomics specifically disrupts these traditional

00:29:45.880 --> 00:29:48.680
systems of leadership and how you can introduce

00:29:48.680 --> 00:29:52.289
a more mindful model. Yeah, so when I first founded

00:29:52.289 --> 00:29:54.529
Chinomics, and now it's been 10 years, we celebrated

00:29:54.529 --> 00:29:57.630
our 10 year anniversary. Congratulations. Thank

00:29:57.630 --> 00:30:02.970
you. When I first founded Chinomics, it was with

00:30:02.970 --> 00:30:07.970
this idea that we definitely need more leaders

00:30:07.970 --> 00:30:13.130
in the world who are living and leading with

00:30:13.130 --> 00:30:17.849
compassion and consciously. And it just felt

00:30:17.849 --> 00:30:20.980
inherently wrong and unfair. fair when women

00:30:20.980 --> 00:30:25.880
take up half the sky? Why are we not encouraging

00:30:25.880 --> 00:30:31.119
and creating a more inclusive space for women

00:30:31.119 --> 00:30:34.380
to rise as authentic leaders as well? So that

00:30:34.380 --> 00:30:36.500
was the aim with which we founded Chinomics.

00:30:36.839 --> 00:30:39.859
And over the years, it's been very much about

00:30:39.859 --> 00:30:43.259
not just moving the dial in terms of numbers.

00:30:43.359 --> 00:30:46.240
It's not just about creating more women leaders

00:30:46.240 --> 00:30:48.339
for the sake of creating more women leaders,

00:30:48.420 --> 00:30:52.339
but really supporting women to rise and lead

00:30:52.339 --> 00:30:55.279
in a way that feels authentic for them so that

00:30:55.279 --> 00:31:02.119
in the process of growing in their careers, they

00:31:02.119 --> 00:31:06.680
get to also both embody and role model a form

00:31:06.680 --> 00:31:10.299
of leadership, a new form of leadership that

00:31:10.299 --> 00:31:15.240
is more inclusive, that is more supportive of

00:31:15.240 --> 00:31:19.460
everybody showing up as their. best. And I found

00:31:19.460 --> 00:31:23.039
when we begin from a place of mindfulness and

00:31:23.039 --> 00:31:26.039
self -awareness, which is essentially really

00:31:26.039 --> 00:31:28.319
what mindful leadership is about, is beginning

00:31:28.319 --> 00:31:32.779
with that strong foundation, that becomes the

00:31:32.779 --> 00:31:38.420
most impactful way to really build that confidence

00:31:38.420 --> 00:31:42.079
from within. because it's not just about changing

00:31:42.079 --> 00:31:45.059
yourself on the outside or just learning you

00:31:45.059 --> 00:31:47.720
know five different skills that that make you

00:31:47.720 --> 00:31:50.720
a better leader but it's about really going deep

00:31:50.720 --> 00:31:53.920
within to ask yourself what are the internal

00:31:53.920 --> 00:31:57.460
shifts that will that you can make such as the

00:31:57.460 --> 00:31:59.900
distinction between the I self and the me self

00:31:59.900 --> 00:32:05.240
that really allow you to trust yourself more

00:32:05.240 --> 00:32:09.269
because if you look at confidence The word confidence

00:32:09.269 --> 00:32:12.730
comes from the Latin word confidere, which means

00:32:12.730 --> 00:32:17.869
to trust. So confidence in the truest sense is

00:32:17.869 --> 00:32:22.410
about trusting yourself. And that trust can only

00:32:22.410 --> 00:32:25.730
be built within when you bring clarity to who

00:32:25.730 --> 00:32:29.630
you truly are. are and you start to make choices

00:32:29.630 --> 00:32:32.890
with your actions and even with your leadership

00:32:32.890 --> 00:32:35.829
style that really aligns with what you value

00:32:35.829 --> 00:32:38.750
and what you believe in and when you create that

00:32:38.750 --> 00:32:41.789
alignment is when is when you show up authentically

00:32:41.789 --> 00:32:46.089
and yeah with with a set of values that redefine

00:32:46.089 --> 00:32:49.829
leadership It's funny because recently we've

00:32:49.829 --> 00:32:52.650
watched two shows on TV, one on Amazon and one

00:32:52.650 --> 00:32:55.809
on Netflix, with two strong female characters.

00:32:55.970 --> 00:32:59.349
They're like, you know, high position. But I'm

00:32:59.349 --> 00:33:00.930
going to be honest, I didn't like the characters

00:33:00.930 --> 00:33:04.250
of both of them. I felt like they are portraying

00:33:04.250 --> 00:33:06.829
that women who are in leadership roles need to

00:33:06.829 --> 00:33:09.109
be cutthroat. They need to be bitches. They need

00:33:09.109 --> 00:33:12.450
to basically not give a shit about anyone because

00:33:12.450 --> 00:33:14.170
otherwise no one's going to take you seriously.

00:33:14.390 --> 00:33:19.940
Do you think that's the right? um view of women

00:33:19.940 --> 00:33:22.619
in leadership roles or do you think that there

00:33:22.619 --> 00:33:25.619
might be a genuine like a different way or a

00:33:25.619 --> 00:33:27.779
genuine way that you can still be authentic still

00:33:27.779 --> 00:33:30.079
be yourself but not have to be a complete bitch

00:33:30.079 --> 00:33:33.839
to get to the top you know a lot of this happens

00:33:33.839 --> 00:33:38.980
unconsciously um whenever i hear things like

00:33:38.980 --> 00:33:43.029
and and i do often hear that For example, there

00:33:43.029 --> 00:33:45.049
aren't enough women helping other women. And

00:33:45.049 --> 00:33:47.430
why is it that when some women get to the top,

00:33:47.490 --> 00:33:49.950
they're not extending that helping hand forward

00:33:49.950 --> 00:33:54.839
to pull other women up? And same is true with

00:33:54.839 --> 00:33:56.859
their leadership style as well. I think what

00:33:56.859 --> 00:34:01.019
happens in both of those instances is there is

00:34:01.019 --> 00:34:05.440
this preset model of leadership and what a leader

00:34:05.440 --> 00:34:07.900
looks like and behaves like. And historically,

00:34:08.199 --> 00:34:13.659
it has been defined very narrowly and often.

00:34:14.139 --> 00:34:17.400
according to the masculine definition of leadership

00:34:17.400 --> 00:34:21.760
and so unconsciously many of us sometimes feel

00:34:21.760 --> 00:34:25.119
like okay in order to prove myself in order to

00:34:25.119 --> 00:34:29.500
be accepted as a leader I need to adopt certain

00:34:29.500 --> 00:34:35.190
forms of showing up And when that goes against

00:34:35.190 --> 00:34:40.030
the notion of how women should be, then, you

00:34:40.030 --> 00:34:43.070
know, that style appears very aggressive for

00:34:43.070 --> 00:34:46.750
women. I think it happens unconsciously, but

00:34:46.750 --> 00:34:51.570
consciously we can choose. to define our own

00:34:51.570 --> 00:34:55.610
way of showing up. And it need not be any of,

00:34:55.730 --> 00:34:59.230
it need not be whatever is the prevailing model

00:34:59.230 --> 00:35:02.170
of leadership or something that doesn't fit right

00:35:02.170 --> 00:35:05.190
with you. I've seen leaders who are incredibly

00:35:05.190 --> 00:35:08.250
compassionate, who are incredibly kind, who are

00:35:08.250 --> 00:35:13.599
so, you know. collaborative and inclusive and

00:35:13.599 --> 00:35:18.280
loved by everyone and are equally effective still.

00:35:18.559 --> 00:35:22.059
So this is not about either or. So you can still

00:35:22.059 --> 00:35:25.349
be a good leader. Oh, absolutely. Yes. I think

00:35:25.349 --> 00:35:27.170
that's the big thing, isn't it? This is the thesis

00:35:27.170 --> 00:35:29.829
of my friend, Dr. Kate Mason's book, Powerfully

00:35:29.829 --> 00:35:32.230
Likeable. Yes. Oh, I love that. That power and

00:35:32.230 --> 00:35:34.869
likability are not ends of a continuum. Yes.

00:35:34.929 --> 00:35:38.269
And in fact, if you are likable, it is very much

00:35:38.269 --> 00:35:41.949
more possible to be powerful because people like.

00:35:43.250 --> 00:35:45.730
People respond to people that are positive and

00:35:45.730 --> 00:35:47.650
likable. It's not that you have to turn that

00:35:47.650 --> 00:35:51.050
part of you off to seize power. And I think that,

00:35:51.090 --> 00:35:53.630
like you said, it's an outdated masculinist view

00:35:53.630 --> 00:35:57.630
of power that we are above by this point in 2025.

00:35:57.929 --> 00:36:00.889
We are beyond that. So it's almost like regressing

00:36:00.889 --> 00:36:03.869
yourself to play into these tropes from TV, which

00:36:03.869 --> 00:36:06.269
are like, I have to be like a man to be powerful.

00:36:06.429 --> 00:36:09.389
It's like, ugh, like writers, get with it. Exactly,

00:36:09.510 --> 00:36:12.079
you're becoming so woke on everything else. Can

00:36:12.079 --> 00:36:16.340
we not have like a female president represented

00:36:16.340 --> 00:36:18.559
on TV with like, you know, a big boxy shoulder

00:36:18.559 --> 00:36:21.059
thing and a short haircut? And again, nothing

00:36:21.059 --> 00:36:22.880
wrong with those choices. What I'm saying is

00:36:22.880 --> 00:36:25.840
they're not the only choice to represent power.

00:36:26.119 --> 00:36:29.300
Oh, I'm over it. As you can hear in my voice.

00:36:30.090 --> 00:36:33.050
You have so many good parables and stories and

00:36:33.050 --> 00:36:35.789
metaphors in your book, connecting these messages

00:36:35.789 --> 00:36:38.570
about mindfulness and conscious living. Can you

00:36:38.570 --> 00:36:41.150
share a real life story, right? So I love me

00:36:41.150 --> 00:36:43.969
a good metaphor and a good symbolism, but can

00:36:43.969 --> 00:36:45.789
you share with me a real life story of a client

00:36:45.789 --> 00:36:48.550
you've worked with that has really made these

00:36:48.550 --> 00:36:50.829
shifts you're talking about, adopted a new identity,

00:36:51.030 --> 00:36:54.449
become more confident, has more I am affirming

00:36:54.449 --> 00:36:56.369
statements. Like talk to me about a real person.

00:36:56.550 --> 00:36:58.789
Oh, absolutely. There's so many examples, but

00:36:58.789 --> 00:37:00.690
one in particular. really stands out is because

00:37:00.690 --> 00:37:02.650
I just had a conversation with her a few days

00:37:02.650 --> 00:37:05.429
ago. So I started coaching her two years ago,

00:37:05.510 --> 00:37:09.389
and she's a senior leader in a corporate organization.

00:37:09.789 --> 00:37:13.090
And at the time, I remember she was very, very

00:37:13.090 --> 00:37:15.409
nervous about making any kinds of changes in

00:37:15.409 --> 00:37:17.570
her life, even though even at the time she was

00:37:17.570 --> 00:37:19.289
telling me, Pavna, there's this voice inside

00:37:19.289 --> 00:37:23.329
me that keeps saying, I need to find my own path.

00:37:23.449 --> 00:37:28.989
I need to find my own unique voice. Given the

00:37:28.989 --> 00:37:31.150
level of fear she was experiencing at that time,

00:37:31.190 --> 00:37:34.710
she wasn't ready to take any big leaps per se.

00:37:35.130 --> 00:37:38.469
But because she was so committed, so persistent,

00:37:38.650 --> 00:37:42.809
she kept taking those baby steps, those micro

00:37:42.809 --> 00:37:45.210
steps, those micro choices that we've been talking

00:37:45.210 --> 00:37:49.750
about today. And here we are now, like almost

00:37:49.750 --> 00:37:55.880
two years later, she told me she is... Now starting

00:37:55.880 --> 00:37:59.920
her startup. So she's finally chosen the entrepreneur

00:37:59.920 --> 00:38:06.179
path. And her exact words to me were, Pavna,

00:38:06.239 --> 00:38:09.360
thank you for helping me listen to that small

00:38:09.360 --> 00:38:14.320
voice inside that always believed I could do

00:38:14.320 --> 00:38:19.699
this. So I was just a catalyst in her journey

00:38:19.699 --> 00:38:24.610
because it's always... I think for so many of

00:38:24.610 --> 00:38:28.889
us as women, our sense of intuition is... there

00:38:28.889 --> 00:38:33.610
is strong it's just about pausing and tuning

00:38:33.610 --> 00:38:36.409
out that external voice so that you can really

00:38:36.409 --> 00:38:39.309
listen to that small voice inside because it

00:38:39.309 --> 00:38:42.070
does have so much wisdom so much guidance for

00:38:42.070 --> 00:38:45.230
you and if you follow it which what which is

00:38:45.230 --> 00:38:47.409
where we began our conversation with if you follow

00:38:47.409 --> 00:38:50.630
that voice even if it feels scary you can be

00:38:50.630 --> 00:38:52.849
sure it's going to lead you to someplace really

00:38:52.849 --> 00:38:56.780
beautiful in terms of your growth even if things

00:38:56.780 --> 00:39:00.239
don't work out exactly as you had imagined. So

00:39:00.239 --> 00:39:02.780
here she is. And I couldn't be more proud with

00:39:02.780 --> 00:39:05.519
the kind of leaps that she's taken. And there's

00:39:05.519 --> 00:39:08.980
so many other stories like that. But each time,

00:39:08.980 --> 00:39:11.199
I think what I've seen, the pattern I've seen

00:39:11.199 --> 00:39:15.280
is finally learning to, yes, that trust yourself

00:39:15.280 --> 00:39:20.239
and take those steps forward. Is there a situation

00:39:20.239 --> 00:39:24.340
where you would say maybe that voice? isn't in

00:39:24.340 --> 00:39:27.300
line with your beliefs or in line with your values.

00:39:27.480 --> 00:39:31.760
And maybe that voice doesn't need to be louder

00:39:31.760 --> 00:39:33.559
and you should quiet it. Like, is there a situation

00:39:33.559 --> 00:39:38.019
where that has ever come about? So the voice

00:39:38.019 --> 00:39:44.500
I've noticed is usually starts off as the quieter

00:39:44.500 --> 00:39:48.949
voice. Typically, what I like to say is I think

00:39:48.949 --> 00:39:52.170
we all have these two voices. On one hand, you

00:39:52.170 --> 00:39:55.070
have your inner critic, which tends to be very

00:39:55.070 --> 00:39:58.110
loud. And that's the voice in us that normally

00:39:58.110 --> 00:40:01.409
stops us and will make you question what you're

00:40:01.409 --> 00:40:05.030
doing or what you're saying. But then we also

00:40:05.030 --> 00:40:07.769
have this voice that I like to call your inner

00:40:07.769 --> 00:40:10.329
coach or your inner mentor or your inner guide.

00:40:10.929 --> 00:40:18.329
That tends to be a softer voice. And if we don't

00:40:18.329 --> 00:40:22.650
pause long enough to recognize what it's saying

00:40:22.650 --> 00:40:26.530
to us, there could be this danger of mistaking

00:40:26.530 --> 00:40:31.550
the inner critic's voice as our own voice. So

00:40:31.550 --> 00:40:34.699
yes, that can happen. What I'm imagining here

00:40:34.699 --> 00:40:36.559
is that I'm visualising a devil on your shoulder

00:40:36.559 --> 00:40:37.760
and an angel on your shoulder and, you know,

00:40:37.780 --> 00:40:39.539
both of them are talking to you. And it's almost

00:40:39.539 --> 00:40:42.760
like the Pinocchio story where, you know, I think,

00:40:42.780 --> 00:40:45.519
isn't the cricket called a conscious? Yeah, he's

00:40:45.519 --> 00:40:48.239
a conscious. Yes, he is. So it's almost like

00:40:48.239 --> 00:40:52.269
the quieter voice is your truth. True self, your

00:40:52.269 --> 00:40:54.269
true voice. Yeah, but sometimes you flick them

00:40:54.269 --> 00:40:58.789
off your shoulder. Get off me, Jiminy. But you're

00:40:58.789 --> 00:41:01.210
right. And I do think, you know, you mentioned

00:41:01.210 --> 00:41:04.190
that inner voice, that inner coach. But I love

00:41:04.190 --> 00:41:05.710
the example that you gave with your client previously

00:41:05.710 --> 00:41:08.869
because I do think there's a lot of power in

00:41:08.869 --> 00:41:11.449
an outer coach. I mean, obviously, making coaching

00:41:11.449 --> 00:41:13.869
my career, I have to say that. But also because

00:41:13.869 --> 00:41:16.349
I read a lot of parenting literature, right?

00:41:16.409 --> 00:41:18.789
I'm a very conscious parent, try to be, you know,

00:41:18.789 --> 00:41:21.460
don't always succeed. And they say that for kids.

00:41:21.800 --> 00:41:25.719
Kids need, obviously, a parent. But in absence

00:41:25.719 --> 00:41:28.380
of good parenting, kids need what's called a

00:41:28.380 --> 00:41:31.440
charismatic adult. They need somebody that might

00:41:31.440 --> 00:41:33.199
be a teacher, that might be a therapist, that

00:41:33.199 --> 00:41:35.000
might be a social worker. They need somebody

00:41:35.000 --> 00:41:39.659
that actively, enthusiastically delights in them,

00:41:39.800 --> 00:41:42.500
believes in them, listens to them. And I think

00:41:42.500 --> 00:41:45.420
we all need that. And particularly this inner

00:41:45.420 --> 00:41:48.039
voice that might be quieter for some folks and

00:41:48.039 --> 00:41:50.780
might be almost silenced by the critic. I think

00:41:50.780 --> 00:41:53.519
that they do sometimes need a charismatic adult,

00:41:53.679 --> 00:41:57.460
a real person that's like, hey, you know, that's

00:41:57.460 --> 00:41:59.860
a great idea. You have good ideas. You are a

00:41:59.860 --> 00:42:02.760
capable person. A lot of women have not heard

00:42:02.760 --> 00:42:05.940
that. And that's heartbreaking to me. Yes, yes.

00:42:06.300 --> 00:42:09.579
Now, I think we all develop blind spots and you

00:42:09.579 --> 00:42:13.320
can't always see. everything clearly or even

00:42:13.320 --> 00:42:17.820
see yourself clearly. And when in those situations,

00:42:17.980 --> 00:42:21.199
especially when an external charismatic, caring

00:42:21.199 --> 00:42:27.340
voice can can look at you and affirm what they

00:42:27.340 --> 00:42:30.440
see in terms of your potential and what you can

00:42:30.440 --> 00:42:33.280
do and what you are capable of. I think that

00:42:33.280 --> 00:42:37.079
that can be hugely impactful in a little positive

00:42:37.079 --> 00:42:39.579
me self. Right. Like I'm an external, you know,

00:42:39.579 --> 00:42:41.119
I'm an external person. But let me tell you about.

00:42:41.629 --> 00:42:44.469
how well you're doing yes so gal this is time

00:42:44.469 --> 00:42:45.889
for a little feature on our show that we love

00:42:45.889 --> 00:42:47.489
just a fun little kind of popcorn feature called

00:42:47.489 --> 00:42:50.010
hot or hype so i'm going to pitch you some ideas

00:42:50.010 --> 00:42:51.949
and kind of self -help self -improvement you

00:42:51.949 --> 00:42:53.809
tell me if you think it's hot legit you think

00:42:53.809 --> 00:42:58.929
it's hype okay okay vision boards Hmm. Um, I'm

00:42:58.929 --> 00:43:02.369
going to go with, uh, I, this one I'm, I'm on

00:43:02.369 --> 00:43:04.570
the fence about, but if I really have to lean

00:43:04.570 --> 00:43:08.869
one way or the other, I would say hype. Oh, I

00:43:08.869 --> 00:43:10.130
thought, I thought you were going to tip hot.

00:43:10.210 --> 00:43:11.809
Yeah. I thought you were going to say hot. Tell

00:43:11.809 --> 00:43:15.179
me, tell me why it's hypey. Because. Only because

00:43:15.179 --> 00:43:18.139
if that's all we're doing, if that's the only

00:43:18.139 --> 00:43:20.119
step, I think going back to our previous conversation,

00:43:20.420 --> 00:43:23.039
if it's if that's all we're doing and sometimes

00:43:23.039 --> 00:43:25.199
there is this danger of thinking, OK, as long

00:43:25.199 --> 00:43:27.699
as I've created this vision board, then that's

00:43:27.699 --> 00:43:30.590
it. It's going to just manifest itself. So provided

00:43:30.590 --> 00:43:33.190
that's only step one and then step two is you

00:43:33.190 --> 00:43:36.010
are taking concerted action, then yes, then I'm

00:43:36.010 --> 00:43:38.550
all for vision boards. Yeah, I hear you, girl.

00:43:38.590 --> 00:43:39.590
It's one of those things where it's like, and

00:43:39.590 --> 00:43:42.809
also how much time did you spend on that vision

00:43:42.809 --> 00:43:44.630
board that you could have been, you know, like

00:43:44.630 --> 00:43:46.869
pitching an agent or, you know, like doing something

00:43:46.869 --> 00:43:48.369
that would actually get you the thing that you

00:43:48.369 --> 00:43:51.869
need to do. I hear you. Meditation retreats.

00:43:53.889 --> 00:43:57.309
I'm going to say hype. Wow. See, I thought you'd

00:43:57.309 --> 00:44:00.159
be all pro. Tell me why hype. Okay, and again,

00:44:00.219 --> 00:44:02.199
I think it all depends on the kind of approach

00:44:02.199 --> 00:44:07.039
you're taking to it. If meditation retreat is

00:44:07.039 --> 00:44:10.800
to deepen your practice, strengthen your practice,

00:44:10.980 --> 00:44:14.199
then I think it's beautiful. But if meditation

00:44:14.199 --> 00:44:18.940
retreat is something that you're only doing on

00:44:18.940 --> 00:44:22.920
a one -off basis, it's not something you are

00:44:22.920 --> 00:44:28.039
actively in a sustainable way. choosing and practicing

00:44:28.039 --> 00:44:30.460
every single day and just once a year you say

00:44:30.460 --> 00:44:34.139
okay i'll go to a meditation retreat to make

00:44:34.139 --> 00:44:36.860
everything go better yeah it's the juice detox

00:44:36.860 --> 00:44:40.840
of mindfulness it's like i'll take three days

00:44:40.840 --> 00:44:43.380
and clear it out yeah ready for more trash yeah

00:44:43.380 --> 00:44:45.920
so if it's a one -off choice i don't think it's

00:44:45.920 --> 00:44:48.139
going to have the kind of impact that it could

00:44:48.139 --> 00:44:51.460
have but if it's something yeah if it's to reaffirm

00:44:51.460 --> 00:44:54.559
reinforce what you're already practicing It's

00:44:54.559 --> 00:44:56.940
awesome. Have you done one? Yes. Have you done

00:44:56.940 --> 00:44:59.719
like a silent retreat? Yes. In fact, my whole

00:44:59.719 --> 00:45:03.079
mindfulness journey began with doing 10 days

00:45:03.079 --> 00:45:05.840
of what is called Vipassana meditation, where

00:45:05.840 --> 00:45:08.780
you meditate for 10 hours a day and complete

00:45:08.780 --> 00:45:13.010
silence. It was a game changer. I can imagine

00:45:13.010 --> 00:45:16.630
that was a game changer. That's like a meditation

00:45:16.630 --> 00:45:20.349
hard stop. You took off of everything to do that

00:45:20.349 --> 00:45:22.650
for 10 days. Was that at the beginning of your

00:45:22.650 --> 00:45:24.230
entrepreneurial journey? It was at the beginning

00:45:24.230 --> 00:45:26.900
of my journey. Now I can't even imagine going

00:45:26.900 --> 00:45:31.800
away for 10 days as a mom to do that. But I'm

00:45:31.800 --> 00:45:35.179
glad, yes, it created that strong foundation

00:45:35.179 --> 00:45:37.679
and I've tried to sustain that practice since

00:45:37.679 --> 00:45:40.699
then. That's amazing. The soft life movement.

00:45:41.380 --> 00:45:44.860
I'm going to say hot. Yeah. Okay, I don't know

00:45:44.860 --> 00:45:46.539
what the soft life movement is. Have I missed

00:45:46.539 --> 00:45:48.019
something? It's basically getting out of the

00:45:48.019 --> 00:45:52.599
rat race. So it's like a mindful disengagement

00:45:52.599 --> 00:45:56.179
with... success the you know uh you know the

00:45:56.179 --> 00:45:57.619
race for better grades better schools better

00:45:57.619 --> 00:46:00.820
jobs better it's like i won't do that i'm going

00:46:00.820 --> 00:46:09.079
to live on a farm and yeah i say that i don't

00:46:09.079 --> 00:46:12.599
think the soft life necessarily means abandoning

00:46:12.599 --> 00:46:16.699
our ambition but it's defining ambition on your

00:46:16.699 --> 00:46:19.469
own terms which is what our conversation today

00:46:19.469 --> 00:46:22.309
has been about. It's about choosing for yourself

00:46:22.309 --> 00:46:24.829
when you're ready to accelerate, when you're

00:46:24.829 --> 00:46:27.489
ready to slow down, what kind of boundaries you

00:46:27.489 --> 00:46:29.429
want to set for yourself, what you want to say

00:46:29.429 --> 00:46:31.889
no to, what you want to say yes to. So it's just

00:46:31.889 --> 00:46:34.929
a more thoughtful, conscious approach to moving

00:46:34.929 --> 00:46:37.650
ahead. But it need not mean giving up everything

00:46:37.650 --> 00:46:41.929
or moving to a farm or moving to, you know. Being

00:46:41.929 --> 00:46:45.050
a Buddhist monastery. It reminds me, are you

00:46:45.050 --> 00:46:46.789
familiar with Neha Rush and the power pause?

00:46:47.170 --> 00:46:50.679
No. Basically the idea that you can consciously,

00:46:50.940 --> 00:46:55.360
mindfully, and powerfully choose to not work

00:46:55.360 --> 00:46:58.260
in the early stages or continuing stages of motherhood.

00:46:58.590 --> 00:47:01.969
So it's not that you are now a stay -at -home

00:47:01.969 --> 00:47:05.170
mom. It's that I have chosen this time to do

00:47:05.170 --> 00:47:07.809
this act of mothering in the way that I want

00:47:07.809 --> 00:47:09.409
to do it and that there's power in that choice.

00:47:09.489 --> 00:47:11.150
So I think that's like a version of the soft

00:47:11.150 --> 00:47:14.230
life movement, I think. Yeah, that's one choice

00:47:14.230 --> 00:47:16.849
that didn't make it into my book. The choice

00:47:16.849 --> 00:47:20.429
between calling something a sacrifice versus

00:47:20.429 --> 00:47:24.250
a decision. And especially what you're talking

00:47:24.250 --> 00:47:27.670
about in terms of taking that pause after motherhood,

00:47:27.690 --> 00:47:30.309
instead of thinking, oh, I made a sacrifice or

00:47:30.309 --> 00:47:32.750
I'm sacrificing my career to raise my children

00:47:32.750 --> 00:47:35.889
or vice versa, to actually say I'm consciously

00:47:35.889 --> 00:47:38.789
choosing this because I value this. I value this

00:47:38.789 --> 00:47:41.610
time with my family. And when I'm ready, I'll

00:47:41.610 --> 00:47:44.869
know when I'm ready to recommit to my professional

00:47:44.869 --> 00:47:47.309
life as well. So, yes. And I wonder how much

00:47:47.309 --> 00:47:49.909
of that. is the identity you know if you've built

00:47:49.909 --> 00:47:52.050
your whole identity around your job your career

00:47:52.050 --> 00:47:58.210
then when you do take a break to um raise your

00:47:58.210 --> 00:48:02.909
children that feels more out of line with who

00:48:03.610 --> 00:48:05.650
You were. That's right. But you can make that

00:48:05.650 --> 00:48:08.269
into it. Well, that was who I was. But now this

00:48:08.269 --> 00:48:11.730
is who I am. Oh, yeah. It's a new I am statement.

00:48:11.730 --> 00:48:13.949
Yeah. I mean, I see this with fitness all the

00:48:13.949 --> 00:48:15.750
time. Yeah. You know, I'm working on a book on

00:48:15.750 --> 00:48:18.030
fitness and motherhood. Yeah. And identity is

00:48:18.030 --> 00:48:20.369
at the center of the book because a lot of women

00:48:20.369 --> 00:48:23.800
are. They decide that they have sacrificed their

00:48:23.800 --> 00:48:27.079
bodies to become a mother. And that's the end

00:48:27.079 --> 00:48:29.179
of fitness time. And now it's motherhood time.

00:48:29.280 --> 00:48:31.480
And it's like, but what if motherhood time and

00:48:31.480 --> 00:48:34.360
fitness time were the same time? You know, what

00:48:34.360 --> 00:48:37.079
if you could see an identity that was a fit mother?

00:48:37.949 --> 00:48:39.829
Correct. And then once that becomes resonant

00:48:39.829 --> 00:48:41.469
for you, then the world's your oyster. Yeah.

00:48:41.590 --> 00:48:43.489
Really, truly. So, Gal, we've come to the end

00:48:43.489 --> 00:48:45.289
of the interview and you have given us incredible

00:48:45.289 --> 00:48:47.349
amounts to think about. And I encourage everyone

00:48:47.349 --> 00:48:48.849
to read your book because, guys, this is the

00:48:48.849 --> 00:48:52.010
tip of the iceberg for conscious choice. But

00:48:52.010 --> 00:48:54.429
we'd love to know from you, what is your 40s

00:48:54.429 --> 00:48:56.530
formula? For our listeners out there who are

00:48:56.530 --> 00:48:59.130
looking for ways to thrive in this decade, what

00:48:59.130 --> 00:49:05.340
can you offer them? I think. My 40s formula is

00:49:05.340 --> 00:49:11.000
constantly telling myself that I'm not done yet.

00:49:11.900 --> 00:49:14.599
You know, it's constantly reminding myself that

00:49:14.599 --> 00:49:17.840
wherever I may be, in whatever phase of life,

00:49:17.880 --> 00:49:21.440
and especially now, that this is not the end

00:49:21.440 --> 00:49:27.320
of the story. If anything, I can use this phase

00:49:27.320 --> 00:49:31.699
of my life with the kind of... experience and

00:49:31.699 --> 00:49:35.179
wisdom that comes for so many of us by the time

00:49:35.179 --> 00:49:38.460
we reach our 40s I can use that as a launch pad

00:49:38.460 --> 00:49:43.860
to really reignite or reinvent myself in bigger

00:49:43.860 --> 00:49:47.710
and bolder ways so the next few decades of my

00:49:47.710 --> 00:49:51.550
life look even more remarkable. So I think it's,

00:49:51.550 --> 00:49:55.010
it's that conscious choice to really think of

00:49:55.010 --> 00:49:57.710
it, not as a stopping point, but as a launch

00:49:57.710 --> 00:50:01.969
pad for, for even greater impact and, and, and

00:50:01.969 --> 00:50:04.650
living. Yes. Incredible. Yeah. We are not out

00:50:04.650 --> 00:50:08.989
to pasture, man. Lots of living to do. Yes. Well,

00:50:09.250 --> 00:50:10.909
thank you so much for being with us today. We

00:50:10.909 --> 00:50:12.989
have loved interviewing Bhavna. Thank you. Thank

00:50:12.989 --> 00:50:14.969
you. It was lovely speaking to you both. Thank

00:50:14.969 --> 00:50:47.539
you. Bye. I'm trying to figure out how to dress

00:50:47.539 --> 00:50:49.639
the children because my children are skinny and

00:50:49.639 --> 00:50:52.079
they get cold like they were cold the other day

00:50:52.079 --> 00:50:54.000
in Singapore. They're skinny Singaporean children.

00:50:54.440 --> 00:50:58.539
It has been a little colder lately. So I was

00:50:58.539 --> 00:51:00.599
just like right okay how many layers do they

00:51:00.599 --> 00:51:03.199
need and then I've realized okay well you can't

00:51:03.199 --> 00:51:05.840
do cotton because if they start sweating it's

00:51:05.840 --> 00:51:08.179
going to absorb it and then I'm like oh god I

00:51:08.179 --> 00:51:09.860
was like planning on getting them vests and thermals

00:51:09.860 --> 00:51:11.280
and then I'm like well all the vests are cotton

00:51:11.280 --> 00:51:14.119
vests. No! because I need to figure out how to

00:51:14.119 --> 00:51:16.460
dress them. I'm confused. Even though I grew

00:51:16.460 --> 00:51:18.539
up in England, it doesn't get that cold. There

00:51:18.539 --> 00:51:20.820
we just wear, you know, like two layers. And

00:51:20.820 --> 00:51:23.260
again, I've blocked that part of my memory of

00:51:23.260 --> 00:51:24.199
cold winters.
