Sound Insight Cathy Jacob

A different path to balance.  
In this episode, I explore the connection between the natural rhythms that govern our bodies, our environment, and our lives and their impact on our work. I discuss the significant upside for our health and performance when we pay attention to these rhythms and work with them rather than against them. 
"When I let nature’s rhythms guide my life, nature delivers. Adopting a more natural rhythm and pace in my work has delivered the single greatest boost to my creativity, productivity, and general well-being."
 

The elastic nature of comfort and courage.

"How does a woman who six short years ago, trekked one of the most isolated places on the planet, sleeping in freezing tents along side piles of goat dung, become paralyzed by the prospect of taking a 15-minute cab ride?"

In this episode, I share a personal and somewhat embarrassing experience of dramatic comfort zone shrinkage, as I reflect on the elastic nature of comfort and courage.
 
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Sometimes the hardest lies to spot are the ones you tell yourself.

In this episode, I reflect on my descent into burnout and three pervasive myths and a lie that kept me in a destructive cycle of over-commit, crash, and burn.
 
Notes:
Here is a link to the poem “You can’t have it all,” by Barbara Ras featured in the newsletter The Marginalian by Maria Popova.
Looking for more? Consider pairing this podcast with a subscription to my newsletter, The Slow Sip.
By becoming a subscriber, you’ll get transcripts of each episode, access to my full archives, plus tips, practices and special subscriber-only offerings delivered directly to your inbox.
 
Please take care of yourself.
The ideas, concepts, recommendations, and practices I talk about here are for general information purposes only and should not be considered advice for your unique situation or treatment for mental illness, trauma, or other health conditions. If you are having difficulty functioning or are experiencing persistent anxiety, depression, or other symptoms, please see your family doctor.

"I can’t tell you exactly how I landed on the bathroom floor.
All I can tell you is, in that moment, the cold tile was soothing against my cheek. I felt the purest sense of exhaustion I’d ever felt. I was done. There was nothing left to do but lie there, astonished that my breath was still moving in and out of my body."
In this episode, I share the personal story of my experience with debilitating burnout. I talk about how I got there, the costs, and how it led me to the work I do today.
 
Looking for more? Consider pairing this podcast with a subscription to my newsletter, The Slow Sip.
By becoming a subscriber, you’ll get transcripts of each episode, access to my full archives, plus tips, practices and special subscriber-only offerings delivered directly to your inbox.
Please take care of yourself.
The ideas, recommendations, and practices I talk about here are for general information purposes only and should not be considered advice for your unique situation or treatment for mental illness, trauma, or other health conditions. If you are having difficulty functioning or are experiencing persistent anxiety, depression, or other symptoms, please see your family doctor.
 

Welcome back for Season 3 of Sound Insight!
One of my New Year's resolutions is to read the stacks of journals collected in my closet. I’ve been journaling since I was about 15 years old. The greatest gift of this exercise is the opportunity to time travel, to be in a kind of conversation with my past self. Not to be fooled by a selective and unreliable memory, but to actually listen to the voice of my younger self.
What I didn't expect was what she would have to teach me.
Looking for more? Consider pairing this podcast with a subscription to my newsletter, The Slow Sip.
By becoming a subscriber, you’ll get transcripts of each episode, access to my full archives, plus tips, practices and special subscriber-only offerings delivered directly to your inbox.
Please take care of yourself.
The ideas, concepts, recommendations, and practices I talk about here are for general information purposes only and should not be considered advice for your unique situation or treatment for mental illness, trauma, or other health conditions. If you are having difficulty functioning or are experiencing persistent anxiety, depression, or other symptoms, please see your family doctor.
 

What does it mean to lead from heart?
When we describe someone as 'having heart' we tend to mean two things: they show compassion toward others, and they demonstrate strength and courage. Leading from heart demands that we be compassionate. It also requires inner strength. When we work with leaders, we begin by supporting them to strengthen their inner core.
In this episode, Cathy explores:
What it means to build a strong inner core and why it matters to leadership and to life. How training your inner core follows some of the same principles as physical core strength training. Three practices you can adopt to strengthen your inner core and build the essential foundation to lead and live with strength, courage, and compassion. If you'd like an adapted transcript of this episode, you can find it on Cathy's Blog, Field Notes.
For more on self-compassion from pioneers in this area, read The Transformative Effects of Mindful Self-Compassion, by Kristen Neff and Christopher Germer.
For more on why so many of us struggle with self-compassion, read Why Is Self-Compassion So Tough? - Cathy Jacob
For more information on the leadership development programs referenced here, visit Fire Inside Leadership's website.