• Hiding and the fawn trauma response
• How the limbic brain can interpret the threat of being unliked as seriously as the threat of physical harm or even annihilation
• How we can quickly and unconsciously interpret others as enemies when we are caught up in making sure we are liked and/or seen as “the good one”
• The importance of both tenderness and anti-fragile approaches to loosen the hold these ego strategies have on us

Today we are discussing what we could call living from truth. I had an experience not long back where a mentor of mine was asking me to say exactly what I wanted, and I noticed a freeze response. This opened up for me a new depth of experience around what it really can feel like to live from truth, as opposed to following the momentum of past conditioning and habits. Many of us say we want to be authentic or know our true nature, or the truth of reality, but what does that really mean? We’re kicking it off by getting into some teachings from Adyashanti, and of course diving into our own experiences and challenges in stepping into greater alignment with our inner truth. 

In this episode we talk about: 

• Adyashanti’s teachings on truth and agency 
• Matt Kahn’s book, Everything is Here to Help You 
• What it means to follow a living path and meet life as an invitation
• How thinking incrementally and focusing on becoming “more aligned” can be helpful 
• The embodied experience of choosing truth 

For more information on Bliss + Grit, or one-on-one coaching with Brooke Thomas or Vanessa Scotto, please visit www.blissandgrit.com.

To become a supporting member and join our forum please visit www.patreon.com/blissandgrit

Today we are talking with Dr. Gail Brenner, a clinical psychologist whose practice and teachings are unique because of her non-dual perspective grounded in deep and practical truths about peace and happiness. She is the author of two books, The End of Self-Help, and Suffering is Optional. We are primarily discussing her most recent book, Suffering is Optional. You can find more on Gail’s work at www.gailbrenner.com.

In this episode we talk about: 

• What Gail means by “optional suffering” since we know we experience suffering in our lives. 
• What conditioning is and how it affects our lives. 
• What thoughts have to do with suffering. 
• The limiting identity of unworthiness and how it plays out in life. 
• How life without thinking is not, "lying on a couch like a blob". 
• The value and power of curiosity. 

For more information on Bliss + Grit, or one-on-one coaching with Brooke Thomas or Vanessa Scotto, please visit www.blissandgrit.com.

To become a supporting member and join our forum please visit www.patreon.com/blissandgrit

[Flashback Tuesday]

In the second episode Vanessa interviews Brooke so that listeners can get to know her a bit and hear the shape her path has taken and is taking thus far.

For more information on Bliss + Grit, or to get information about one-on-one coaching with Brooke Thomas or Vanessa Scotto, please visit www.blissandgrit.com.

To become a supporting member and join our forum please visit www.patreon.com/blissandgrit