Balance Baby

S1E12 Vulnerability and Resilience as Pathways to Authenticity

• Harkaren • Season 1 • Episode 12

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As we tie the final bow on Season 1 of Balance Baby, I can't help but marvel at the mosaic of growth we've pieced together. Our journey has taught us the subtle art of balancing resilience with vulnerability, and in this finale, I peel back the layers of this intricate dance. It's time to recognize that the path to authenticity is paved with the challenges we face and the courage to confront them. I dive into the 'three Ps' - Power, Perspective, Perseverance - and reveal how they can be harnessed to turn life's discomforts into stepping stones for personal evolution. 

As we bid farewell to this season, I extend a warm invitation to continue this dialogue beyond the airwaves—let's connect on Instagram and keep the spirit of our community thriving. Your engagement fuels our collective journey, and as we embark on Season 2, I promise to bring even more stories and heartfelt conversations that resonate with your lives. Remember, the light we share individually brightens the path for all of us, so let's keep lifting each other up as we step into the next chapter of our adventure.

Join our community of radiant souls. Subscribe and tune in every Wednesday to hear the latest episode. Be a part of a vibrant tribe that supports, inspires, and grows together.

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Harkaren:

Hello everyone and welcome to Balance Baby, the podcast designed to help you consistently show up as the best version of yourself. My name is Harkaren and I'll be your host. I'll be here every week sharing stories and teaching you techniques to prioritize the only thing we have any control over in this world Ourselves. Here we are at the final episode of season one. My focus this season has been on building a solid foundation of understanding. When I created these episodes, I thought back to a past version of myself, all the things I wish I could have told her, and now each of these concepts plays a vital role in how I show up every day. Maya Angelou has a famous quote that says Do the best you can until you know better. Then, when you know better, do better. By listening to this podcast, your awareness is expanding. You've opened yourself up to a different perspective. You've allowed me to guide you through various scenarios, helping you connect the dots while sharing vulnerable and relatable stories from my own life. The goal is to get to a place of living authentically, cultivating inner peace and joy. When we are connected to our higher selves, we realize that life is not as complicated as we often make it out to be. You might already be noticing how this expanded awareness is impacting your reality. Get good at noticing the small changes. They will build momentum and help you to continue on this personal growth journey.

Harkaren:

Each episode in this podcast interconnects with the next, but they all had a common underlying theme. Can you guess what it might be? It doesn't matter how many times life knocks you down. What matters is how many times you get back up. Life has a way of testing us. It throws challenges in our direction to encourage us to step into a higher version of ourselves, to act from a place of authenticity and alignment. Or we can react based on past conditioning and repeat predictable narratives, forcing us to relearn a lesson we might have thought we already understood. Life has to make you uncomfortable, otherwise you would never leave your comfort zone and grow. So how does life do this? Usually through pain and obstacles, creating an opportunity for us to practice vulnerability and resilience.

Harkaren:

Vulnerability and resilience are two sides of the same coin. At first glance, they may seem like opposites. Vulnerability often makes us think about insecurity, discomfort or fear, while resilience often makes us think about strength, optimism and overcoming adversity. However, when we pay close attention, we realize that vulnerability is the gateway to resilience, and resilience is cultivated through vulnerability. I've had so many listeners comment that they admire my ability to be so vulnerable on this podcast, but to me, vulnerability is an essential and beautiful part of life. I believe we should all be more vulnerable and, as always, I'm happy to lead by example. Learning to be vulnerable with one another creates space for acceptance and understanding.

Harkaren:

Vulnerability is having the courage to show up authentically, to embrace our imperfections and to risk being seen for who we truly are. It's the willingness to open our hearts, share our struggles and acknowledge our fears and insecurities. It is the raw and unfiltered expression of our humanity. It allows us to foster trust and form meaningful relationships. Resilience, on the other hand, is the ability to bounce back from adversity and hardships, to adapt and thrive in the face of challenges or setbacks. It's our ability to harness our inner strength, to overcome obstacles and come out stronger and wiser. On the other end, resilience evokes feelings of hope and optimism. It's the belief that, no matter how difficult the circumstances might be, there's always a way forward, a light at the end of the tunnel, a silver lining in every situation when we allow ourselves to be vulnerable, to lean into discomfort and uncertainty and lean into fear, we open ourselves up to the possibility of growth and healing. It's through the process of embracing our vulnerabilities, facing our fears and confronting our challenges head on that we cultivate the resilience needed to navigate life's ups and downs. Resilience requires us to acknowledge our vulnerabilities, accept our limitations and practice self-care during times of stress and adversity. Resilient people prioritize their mental, emotional and physical well-being, recognizing that self-care is essential for building and maintaining resilience. They embrace change as an opportunity for growth and learning rather than as a threat to their well-being.

Harkaren:

When we experience any type of pain in our lives, we tend to have one of three reactions we try to numb it, we try to avoid it or we try to distract ourselves from it. For example, when you experience the death of a loved one, you might try to numb the emotional and psychological pain through alcohol, drugs or medication Anything to temporarily rid yourself of the grief and sadness you're experiencing. If you're having problems in your relationship and you know you have a tough conversation coming up which is causing feelings of discomfort and you know it could lead to conflict, you might be inclined to avoid the heartache altogether. You might choose to repress your emotions to avoid conflict which will manifest negatively in the body, as we learned in the previous episode, and sometimes, when we're dealing with chronic stress especially, we might be tempted to distract ourselves with the latest reality show or compulsive shopping or spending excessive amounts of time on social media.

Harkaren:

It's important for you to realize that your most significant growth will come through your most challenging moments. Instead of resorting to numbing, avoiding or distracting, use these moments of vulnerability to cultivate resilience. The amount of resilience you have will expand and grow through your life experiences, and the amount of resilience you have towards a certain situation might ebb and flow as well. So, for example, maybe you have a challenging situation that's work related, and maybe you can face that head on with no problem, but when you get home and you need to face your partner, maybe you're less resilient in these circumstances, while resilience may seem like a trait that you're either born with or not, it's actually a skill that we can develop and strengthen over time.

Harkaren:

To help you better understand and apply resilience in your life, you can practice the three Ps Power, perspective, perseverance. Power is the ability to take control of things. You have control of your thoughts, emotions and behaviors. It's about recognizing the importance of your personal power, understanding and knowing that you have the power to choose how you respond in any and every situation. It means that we acknowledge our emotions, but we don't allow them to dictate our actions if the actions aren't aligned with our higher self. Perspective is about how you view and interpret challenging situations. It's about reframing challenges as opportunities for growth and learning. Learn how to maintain a positive and empowering perspective. View adversity as an opportunity for growth rather than a roadblock. Learn setbacks into stepping stones towards a brighter future. Perseverance is the ability to keep going towards your goal despite obstacles and setbacks. It's about staying committed to your vision and persisting in the face of adversity. You embrace challenges as opportunities to build character and strength. Get comfortable with facing obstacles head on and know that you have the ability to overcome any situation that comes your way. Think about all those times when you felt hopeless and had no idea what to do or how to proceed. And yet here you are. You overcame it and now, with the tools you've learned in these episodes, you'll be able to bounce back quicker than ever before, purposefully moving through life with ease, ready to handle the ebbs and flows and to embrace the changes ahead.

Harkaren:

So let's recap what we've learned together in the last 12 weeks. We started off by developing an understanding of the conscious and subconscious mind, learning that most of our subconscious beliefs were developed at a young age and have continued to impact our life since then. We began to truly understand the power of our thoughts, how changing our thoughts will change our emotions and behaviors and the energy we emit into the world. We learned our energetic frequency impacts where we fall on the vibrational scale of alignment, and we created a toolkit to keep our vibrations high, while also learning tools to release negative and stagnant energy. We began to understand neuroplasticity and the power of creating positive feedback loops.

Harkaren:

Meditation and mindfulness are practices that provide us with clarity and alignment with our higher selves. We surround ourselves with supportive and uplifting people who are there for us when times get tough. We incorporated simple gratitude practices allowing us to choose a more optimistic outlook on life. We learned the importance of self-love, self-compassion and showing up for ourselves consistently every day. We began to understand the transformative power of letting go, creating a sense of trust with the universe. We learned that the universe will find ways to force change if we try to keep ourselves stuck when we are meant for. So much more.

Harkaren:

Vulnerability has been present throughout our journey as we confront and acknowledge the subconscious beliefs and patterns that shaped our lives since childhood. By delving into the depths of the subconscious mind, we open ourselves up to vulnerability, facing the truths and traumas that may have been buried beneath the surface for years. Vulnerability is a necessary step towards healing and transformation, as it allows us to uncover and release limiting beliefs and negative energy that might be holding us back as we learn to change our thoughts, emotions and energy. We also develop resilience in the face of adversity. By creating positive feedback loops, practicing gratitude and surrounding ourselves with supportive communities, we build a foundation of resilience that allows us to bounce back from setbacks and challenges with grace. Meditation and mindfulness help us develop inner strength and emotional resilience, enabling us to navigate life's ups and downs with greater ease. Our personal growth journey highlights the importance of self-love, self-compassion and letting go, a willingness to be vulnerable and trust in the process of life. By cultivating self-love and compassion, we build resilience from within, nurturing a sense of worthiness and empowerment that allows us to face challenges with courage. By embracing vulnerability and cultivating resilience, you empower yourself to live authentically, navigate challenges with grace and ultimately, thrive in alignment with your highest potential.

Harkaren:

The vulnerable stories I shared with you in Episode 10 and Episode 11 directly tie in to this episode. Those rock bottom moments were what turned me into the resilient woman I am today. I am only human, so I may still have doubts from time to time and I may still overthink certain situations, but I have a deep understanding that I will be able to handle anything and everything that comes my way. And if I am being tested by the universe, it is only to prove that I am ready to embody my higher self. When it seems that things are not going my way, I challenge myself to pause, I practice meditation and mindfulness and I allow the situation to unfold. Naturally, I start implementing additional self-care practices to ensure I am well-taking care of and energetically vibrating at a higher frequency, and then I let go and surrender, trusting that the universe has my back. These simple steps are how I overcome adversity every single time. I used to put in so much effort and unknowingly struggle against the situation, but now I am completely trusting in the universe because I know that everything is always working out for me when I am going through tough times. I know I am being prepared to level up and show up as a higher version of myself. What a beautiful cycle it is when you choose to look at it this way.

Harkaren:

Thank you so much for tuning in to my 12th episode. It's been an incredible few weeks and I'm so proud of every listener who made it this far. By tuning in and actively engaging with the content, you're taking powerful steps towards transforming your life for the better. And remember change starts with a single step and each episode you've listened to has brought you closer to your goals of self-discovery, resilience and living authentically. As we wrap up Season 1, I encourage you to continue nurturing your growth, embracing vulnerability and cultivating resilience. Your journey towards a more balanced and fulfilling life is just beginning, and I can't wait to see the incredible transformations that lie ahead.

Harkaren:

If you found my content valuable, please be sure to leave a review and hit the follow or subscribe button. If you're not already doing so, head over to my Instagram at BalanceBabyPodcast and click follow. That's where I'll be keeping you up to date with the release of Season 2. I'd also love to hear from you. Let me know what you want to hear more of and, lastly, please be sure to share the podcast so we can continue to grow together. Thank you for being a part of this amazing community, and I look forward to the next chapter of our journey. Stay resilient, stay authentic and keep shining your light brightly. Together, here we're creating a community of beautiful souls, ready to uplift each other, ready to experience all the joy that this life has to offer us. Don't forget life is all about balance, baby.