Hello and welcome to the Awaken Together Podcast. I am Jen and I'm Kat. And thank you so much
for joining us today for another episode. So you heard our stories in episode 1 and
2 and now we are ready to start getting into the work. So here we go. Yes. So feel free for this
episode to grab a notebook because we are going to unpack the personality, the ego, and what's
beneath it all, our intuition, our soul, and our higher self. So for those of you new on the
spiritual journey, one of the most important things you can do early on on this life path
is really review the labels that you've placed on yourself along the way. So these labels are
usually based on the circumstances we've been through, sometimes our hobbies, what we do for
work or for living, what our beliefs are, and there can be labels tied to gender, relationships,
and so sometimes these are ones that we put on ourselves and also the labels can come from other
people. So it can be what we are told as we're growing up, what we get complimented for, what
we receive attention for. So all of these labels kind of making up our personality. Yeah, that's
right. There's so many boxes that we put ourselves in, like Jen said, and some of this comes from a
place of biological, maybe physiological as well, and then a lot of it is also learned. So I'll
start by sharing a little bit about the boxes that I put myself in when I was growing up and how that's
changed a bit through the years. So if you know me in person, you know I'm really short. I'm 5'1".
I'm 5'1 too. I'm 5'1 too. Oh my gosh. Did we ever put that together? Another parallel. I don't think so. That's hilarious.
Just another connection here. Right, two shorties just talking about our spiritual journeys. Totally a label
thrown on me as well. Oh yeah. I bet. How can you not be, right? It's like either you're really short,
you're really tall, or the only time your height doesn't get brought into the picture is when you're
somewhere in between. So yeah, with that small label I was told that I was cute a lot, that I was sweet.
Also somewhere along the lines I developed this idea that for a small, cute person I had to also
be ditzy. And so that was something that in high school I started kind of acting and taking on
myself because yeah, I just felt like that's who I was supposed to be. Whether I felt that way or
not really, like inside, didn't really matter because that's how I was expected to show up. This is a
story that my ego told me. Another box is that I'm fun so people could always look to me when they
wanted to have a good time. They could turn to me, they could shoot me a text, and I would always give
them something fun to do whether I had the energy to do it or not. So yeah, growing up that's kind of
like the person, the mold that I fit into. And what happened with that is I fell in this line where I
didn't think that I could be bold when I really wanted to be. When I wanted to speak my mind and
be serious and have those sorts of conversations, I didn't feel like it was my place. And when I grew
up, when I graduated high school and started to understand what I was doing to myself and the
molds that I had created, I really didn't like that. And I wanted to challenge that and I wanted
to be taken seriously above all. I was at that place where, you know, I was in college, I was a
college girl, and I wanted to be taken seriously and like the intelligent person that I knew myself
to be. I'm small but I always tell people this, I don't feel as small as I am, I feel tall.
Would you say something similar Jen? I don't know.
Yeah, that was so well said. And so yeah, that is 100% it is that these labels that we put on
ourselves, we feel like we always have to show up as those things. And when we have like a different
persona we're wanting to bring to the table, like one day we're feeling a ton of emotions and maybe
we can't be as sweet and kind, then we don't feel like we can show up as that because it feels,
yeah, it doesn't feel connected to us because that is not a label that we have previously
identified with. So growing up for me, I was told Jennifer is so good with people, she's always so
extroverted and smiley, I got called smiley, smiley shorty. I'm always happy, I was known as being
really loud, that was always like huge. So I was always a little self-conscious about that.
And then I really struggled with weight growing up. So not only the doctors telling me I'm overweight
at any appointment I went to, but yeah, there's obviously little comments made from peers
tied around that. So I really believed like, okay, well, I'm overweight, but I have this fun
personality and at least people like to be around me, but I would have never challenged those beliefs.
So the issue is that even though some of these labels can hold a more positive charge, like being
seen as kind can feel really good, like I love to be a kind person. And then there can be the more
like painful and negative charged ones, like yeah, overweight or ones that are very personal to your
body image, those can hold a lot more negative. But the issue is, is we start attaching so much
to those labels that we always have to show up personifying these blocks that we've created.
And if any, if we're ever going to show up any other way, it, yeah, we, we just can't do it or we,
we feel so much internal resistance to showing up in those other forms.
Right. So I think some of that comes with like maturity, right? In questioning,
questioning those boxes as we get a little bit older, like I remember having a moment where I was
like, you know what, screw that ditzy girl I've been pretending to be. I'm not aloof. I'm not that
fairy like personality. I'm actually pretty composed and focused. So going back to seeing
those high school friends after I made these like align changes with who I actually felt like,
I remember people telling me I changed when really I was just acting the way that I truly
felt on the inside. So we're met with that, right? Yeah. And so that's it. People notice and they
start, they'll judge and question you when you show up as different. I think that can make us
really insecure. Like, you know, that's when we can still hide. So even if you showed, like,
if you showed up like very passionate and more intense one day, they'd be like, what's with Kat
today? Like, why is she being like that? Why is she being like so mean? Like what got, yeah,
what got you down? And then those questionings and judgments that we receive from others,
that can make us hide back into our shells. But the point is, as we are moving through the world,
it's not meant to look one way. It's meant to be ever shifting. But the attachment to these
identities, if you don't stay in constant check with it, you're not staying in check with the
ego because the ego, this is the fuel for it. I am, I am this, I am that. The ego loves to have
control and set presets to things. And this leads to though, when we look at those boxes, so yeah,
maybe you even pause the podcast right now and start to actually put them down on paper. I have
so many notebooks of little boxes and then the words that I started to believe. And then look
at those boxes, those identities that you've given yourself and ask yourself when those things are
challenged, when someone, you know, brings up a question about one of those identities, what do
you feel? What happens? And then also looking at, are these things still serving me? Like, have I
always showed up this way? When did I start showing up this way? And do I, do I need this anymore?
Like, was this, yeah, maybe more for my youth? Did I, did I attach to it based on my family
circumstances? What can I release and surrender and let go of? Such an awesome exercise. Journaling
can just help bring so much more awareness to what your subconscious knows. And it just comes out
through your pen to the paper. So it's an awesome exercise. I hope you all take some time to do that.
Yeah. And so that's, that is what it's about. It's, it's learning and unlearning how we want
to be perceived and how attached we are to that. And so another awesome tool, so if you're
doing the journaling and you're having trouble even pulling up, like I don't even know some
of the labels. I don't really know how people see me, which can definitely, it's sometimes hard to
flip the mirror and look at yourself. I love using personality tests and not for the reason of,
you know, using them as an excuse, like, oh, well, I'm an ENFJ, so that's just how it is.
You know, Myers-Briggs, I love the Enneagram. I love the love language tests that you can do.
And all of these are just Google searched, uh, quizzes you can take. But sometimes when we can
make a list of the results of these tests, we can get that lens of how did I answer those questions?
What result did that bring up? And that can sometimes be a good map to unlearning yourself.
So sometimes we have to learn what we have become. And I put that in quotations so that we can
unlearn those things and realize that, yeah, that is, that is not what I want to, um, that's not how
I want to move through this, this life anymore. That's such a great point. I remember like taking
some personality tests back in the day and not liking my results and then questioning myself
and then taking it again to change my answers to get what I wanted. Yeah. Yeah, it does not always
mean that that is what we are. And so I think there can be a shadow side to the personality test of,
you know, people using it as an excuse to not do the work, but it can be an awesome map for the
work. So, okay, you just answered that way. That doesn't mean that that's what you are and that
you have to, it's not to give you another box. It's to help you unbox yourself. And I think that can
be a really good tool to use for that. I agree. It's very illuminating no matter what.
Yeah. And so, yeah, we're peeling back the layers. Once we start to shed more and more of these
things, that is what is underneath all of it is our intuition and it's our connection to that soul
and higher self. Um, into intuition is this deeper understanding beyond personal senses. So
it's that inner knowing. It can be our hunches where we really feel like, I think I'm supposed
to go talk to that person. I just feel like I should say something or it can be just those gut
visceral reactions. It can be a sense of trusting what's coming next. Um, it can be like, I know I'm
supposed to be here. I feel like I, I meant to be in this space at this time. And it can be that
perfect idea that just pops into your head where you just know like, wow, that's genius. Let me
write that down or that's such a good idea. Those are the moments when we're, we're hearing from
that intuition side. That's right. The ego and the intuition, they work side by side, but they are
very separate. And so I loved what you shared about the intuition. And really the more that we
can get into the place of getting comfortable listening to our bodies, the more easily we'll
be able to trust from that place of intuition. So you've probably heard trust your gut, right? It's
like a common expression. Um, the word gut teams up with the word feeling a lot. And there's good
reason for that. Research actually suggests that when, um, emotion and intuition, they have a
physical presence in our guts. Our guts are lined with a network of neurons and it's actually called
the second brain. It's known as the enteric nervous system. And there's just like millions of neurons
firing at all times. So, um, whenever you don't trust your gut, you can physically get sick. You
can also get sick about just having to make tough decisions. Like you'll feel it in your body. Your
stomach will be upset. You might get a headache. You might get a little shaky. Like we all know
what that feels and it's, it doesn't feel good. So, uh, we can be doing a lot of things to
strengthen our guts as well in order to come from that place of really heightened intuition and
being open to receive and really lead from that place. So one way that you can do that is by
eating healthy, clean, whole, unprocessed foods. So the gut loves fermented foods,
foods that are rich in pre and probiotics like kombucha. I love brewing my own at home. So fun.
Uh, Jen, I got a scoby for you if you ever want to brew your own too.
I do. Yeah. I want to hear that. Like I have questions now.
Yes. It's like part of my self care Sunday routine. It's just something to do that.
Nice. We'll do a workshop.
I love it. Sounds good. Got some kombucha, some kimchi, sauerkraut, yogurt,
sourdough bread. Another thing I love to make at home.
Oh my gosh. Your sourdough bread photos like that's Paula Katz Instagram. Oh,
you had my mouth watering the other day with a photo. Oh, I love it.
Honestly, it's not that hard and it tastes so much better than what they make at the store. And you
know exactly what's going into it. It's like two ingredients. So super simple. And there's something
to like making your food with love at home. Definitely. And knowing that it's good for
your gut. It's just an extra benefit. Also good for your gut, those prebiotics. So these are
different than the probiotics. Of course they're similar, but prebiotics are naturally found in
onions and garlic. So those are two really common household ingredients that prebiotics are rich in.
So again, good for your gut. You can use these to flavor foods. I use them in my cooking every
single day. And yeah, you just brush your teeth after and it's fine. Your gut's happy. Yeah.
Yeah. So the reason the gut kind of falls into under this roof and under this lens is because
when we're talking mind, body, and spirit, you hear that term really thrown around. So some of
this unveiling of the mind, like catching your thoughts and how they're tied to identity. But
the body and the mind work so much together. 95% of the serotonin that our brain receives comes
from our gut. So there is a huge link to the body having to work with the mind and there being this
tie. So even if you're doing all of this work to strip away some of your actions and to figure out
some of the, yeah, the intention behind what you're doing and how you're showing up, there can still
be a really big disconnect if our body is being really ignored and we tend to, you know, we can
get very overwhelmed by the external. There can be a lot of numbing and checking out from the body,
a lot of escaping, a lot of, you know, there can be that binging or the, you know, there's so many
different nutritional factors that we can deep dive into. But the important part is knowing that
when the mind and the body are working together and we put more intention behind how we're treating
our body and what we're actually taking in and the mind and body are starting to work together,
we're keeping more consistent energy throughout the day, that makes us more intentional in how
we're moving. But mind and body connection also leads to the spiritual side of things just like
attaching right into you. So there is definitely a magic whether you've felt this or not. In the
spiritual community, I think a lot of people started off with just mental work and then some
people get tied into just physical work, just doing a lot of focus on the body. But when we mesh
those two together, that's when the spiritual world seems to find you. That's when more profound
experiences start happening. That's when our intuition gets louder and starts telling us more
and we start really belonging in the present more. We're not so tied up in the past or worried about
the future that we're not dropping fully in. It really helps with that drop into the present.
Yeah. So I'll paint a picture of how you can actually feel your intuition in your body.
Okay. So think about the last time that you've had a really intuitive moment. So whether it was
a hunch on something that you didn't understand fully where this feeling was coming from,
but you knew you just had to listen to it. Chances are you felt it in your belly,
maybe the pit of your stomach. Maybe you got some goosebumps on your skin, a shiver down your spine.
Maybe your heartbeat begins to race, your breath begins to quicken. Sometimes it's even more
subtle than that though. And sometimes you might just describe it as like a deep knowing.
You really feel when something is right though. It feels clear, nourishing, it feels enriching.
And conversely on the other side, you'll feel it when something is off. So for me, this can be
a feeling of anxiety of not knowing what's off, but knowing something's off. It can also feel like
deflating. Like if my intuition was telling me something and I didn't act on it, then I'll feel
rather deflated for a little while until I truly understand where it's coming from and can take
action on it. And it does take a little while to get used to these signs and trusting your intuition
might be difficult at first if you're not used to it, but truly it all happens with time. So just
trust it bit by bit and try to act on it when you get these little signs in your body and just know
it's all worth it. Yeah, I think for me, I notice when I'm kind of out of that mind body spirit
sink when I start looking at other people as being separate from me, there's definitely this
when I look over and I start hearing myself have more judgmental thoughts or I, this can happen
as you step into the spiritual community as well of this, well, I'm doing the work, so why is no
one else doing the work? There can be ego creeps in over and over and over again and tries to add
separateness from yourself and to others. So I can feel when I'm not living by intuition because
there's a disconnect from me and everyone around me. When I'm really in tune to the three parts
working together, I really look around and I see through the lens of love so much more when I'm
dialed in. I think I can look at everyone and see myself and I see this like very, I have this really
strong sense that I'm meant to take in all the details that I meant to feel everything in the
moment. So I'll notice, yeah, what the wind feels like on my skin, what my feet feel like standing
on the ground. It brings so much awareness to the present and all the sensations that I'm feeling.
That's when I know like I'm in the flow, I'm not attaching, I'm not falling into an ego trap. This
is a beautiful moment and that's when I know. Yeah, finding that time to be still and silent
and present with whatever you're experiencing. It's all about staying open, right? To be able to
receive what's coming your way. Definitely and that is a huge part of the work. That is the,
it's this awakening together journey is constantly coming back and recognizing like that little map
that you draw of all your ego identities. You might need to be doing that every month because
you're going to constantly pick up new things. So it's, yeah, it's easy to put a bumper sticker on
a car but peeling it off is always the tricky part and that really is how it goes and we do it over
and over again. But that connection to intuition, you probably have, yeah, recognize and look at the
way you feel intuition in your body. So use the the writing prompts to also say how do I feel
when I'm feeling that real sense of alive and connectedness to the things around me.
Yeah, I love that. Such great ideas. And it also makes me think about like what else is going on
in our lives as we're trying to come to this place of listening to our intuitions really closely,
separating our egos from our true and ourselves and our stimuli, our external stimuli has a lot
to do with how open we're able to be. So think about like people in your life. There's people
who are probably positive influences who encourage you to be your best, to reach for the stars,
who inspire you to become the person that you want to be. And then there's probably other people who
drain you and who just kind of add to the noise and make it more difficult to hear what your
intuition wants you to hear. We all have them, right? It's life. There's always going to be those
people on both sides, because we don't live in bubbles as much as sometimes I want. I wish I did.
It's just not reality. And it's not necessarily positive to create echo chambers of only the
people that we are around. Yeah, but just being still for that time, your intuition will be
trying to talk with you. And keeping those people who enrich and empower you nearby and walking away
from those who drain you is a big step in just aligning your energy with how you want it to
move forward. Yeah, I fully, fully agree. And just if you have those negative, the people that do
drain you those negative around, I talk about this a lot, but we can learn a lot from the people that
drain us too. That can sometimes be when our intuition can speak a little louder. The next
time someone really bothers you, that is some of the best work we can do with tapping into our
intuition and the why, is the people that trigger all those unhealed feelings. Not that we want to
stay and surround ourselves with those people, but it's going to happen. You can't avoid entering a
space with someone that can maybe pull from you more than add to you. But we can learn a ton about
our reactivity in those moments, what that creates inside of us, what our instincts are. It can be a
map to a lot of those preset beliefs and how we respond to them. So the next time you really feel
that internal flare up from somebody, handle it with grace in that moment. You want to always
shine kind of a connectiveness. We're meant to be a light for others, but take that information,
notice it, go process it and sit and either dump it, journal it, meditate on it, figure out
what did that bring up and why did that create such an internal conflict. I have learned some
of my best lessons on where I get judgmental, where I get harsh and disconnected from those
triggering people. So that can be a huge map into figuring out where that ego comes in and goes,
well, yeah, they're clearly not on my level. So yeah, I don't need this. But we can walk away from
those circumstances without putting down the other person and to still use that as a map. But
surrounding yourself with people that are embracing your intuitive nature and helping to fuel your
spiritual journey is also so key. Absolutely. And you're so right. We need to be ready to let bad
feelings go. And I'll take that back. I don't like bad feelings because all feelings are valid and
just and have their time and place. But the ones that kind of bog you down and keep you in a lower
vibrational state, feelings of guilt, of shame, of embarrassment, all of those, those are really the
lowest vibrational energies. And it's hard. It can be really hard to break out of a cycle when
there's a lot in your life that's affecting keeping you in that place because negative emotions will
cloud your intuition. I know that whenever I'm feeling down in the dumps, it's physically
impossible for me to tap into my intuitive nature. And research actually backs this. It's found that
people made better intuitive choices in any task when they were in a more positive mood as compared
to when they were in a negative mood. So like Jen said, journaling, processing things, letting them
go and being really ready to part with them sometimes is the key to it all. Yes. I wrote
another quote down that I wanted to share too that the intuition, I got this from the seed of the soul,
but the intuition is a walkie talkie between the personality and the soul. So I love that as an
analogy that I love that. Yeah. We're not going to shed the ego. We're not going to get rid of the
ego. It's going to keep coming back. It sits with us, but it's, it's that walkie talkie between both
sides. So we have to stay just as in check of the ego to, to connect with the soul. So there is a
back and forth there. So yeah, I wanted to share that as well. I love that. Just like the image of
the walkie talkie in between the ego and the soul. And it's the method of communicating. So that's
really neat. And one other thing I was thinking about is sleep. Since we are holistic beings and
knowing that we are mind, body, spirit, we need to be able to recharge our bodies and our minds in
order to connect with that, that space of spirit and dream time. It's really the brain's way of
processing information that's left over from the day. There's so much like really valuable data
through the experiences, memories, and learnings that happen during our dream time. So paying
attention to your dreams can provide lots of juicy information that maybe you're not,
you don't normally have access to when you're awake. So pay attention to what those are,
write them down. Maybe you have a little notebook next to your bedside table or right,
right when you wake up in the morning, you write down what your dreams were the night before and
see what that means to you. What you think your subconscious is trying to tell you based on what's
been going on in your life. So good. Yes. Mind, body, spirit, throwing a lot of good stuff at you.
And if it's not clear, we really want you to have a lot of journals around. Yes. We love our journals.
Yes. I think you can spot a spiritual person a lot. There's so much writing involved in this
awakening and unveiling. I have notebooks for days. Same here. Same here. So, oh man, I think
we are, we've talked about a lot today. We've talked about-
Yeah, thanks Kat. I love it.
Of course. Super productive.
My five one, but not attached to it. Love.
Yes. Right. Short sisters for life who actually feel tall.
Yes. Yes. I love it.
Amazing. Well, thank you all so much for joining us for another episode of Waking Together.
We can't wait to see you all next week.
Bye.