The Brave Yes

Women are utterly exhausted. And, if what I believe is true — that women have been languishing for years — it’s worth it to dive into the political — small p political — traps that have led to the feeling that women cannot seem to do anything to get ahead. This series will go under the hood of the everyday political structures that my clients — and myself — have experienced that keep women feeling trapped and stuck in exhaustion and in being unable to make as much progress as they wish they could. The goal is to highlight some of these power structures and start to lean in to change them for yourself and for others. KEY SUMMARY POINTS Work is in this article is defined as anything that is not pleasure or joy. Breaking down the many layered baggage of work ethic is often a part of the coaching work I do with my high achiever clients who lean toward perfectionism and people pleasing. The tethered relationship we have with technology has played a role in our overwork that leads to extreme exhaustion. Capitalism is another part of the power structure to which we feel tied to this constant state of work. Overworking is actually causing deaths. Surprising new studies show that people who work more than 54 hours a week are at serious risk of dying from overwork. Are you trapped in Toxic Productivity mode? This is a constant state of needing to improve yourself or your life and not ever feeling satiated by those attempts. 3 ways to fight back against overworking and toxic productivity. A fun yet powerful action to take TODAY to help bring ease to all.

Join the Brave Yes Community by subscribing to the FREE newsletter: https://shawnfink.com/brave-yes-newsletter/ Are you languishing or flourishing?’ In a New York Times article by writer Adam Grant that went viral in April, we all nodded our heads at the fact that, yes, indeed we are languishing right now in the messy middle of this long, drawn out global pandemic. Adam Grant, an organizational psychologist at Wharton and author of books such as Originals and Give and Take as well as host of the TedX podcast WorkLife, wrote in this article that we are all languishing, which he defines as the following: “Languishing is the neglected middle child of mental health. It’s the void between depression and flourishing — the absence of well-being. You don’t have symptoms of mental illness, but you’re not the picture of mental health either. You’re not functioning at full capacity. Languishing dulls your motivation, disrupts your ability to focus, and triples the odds that you’ll cut back on work. It appears to be more common than major depression — and in some ways it may be a bigger risk factor for mental illness.” Like most, I felt a big YES when I read this … that is how I am feeling. I am not used to languishing. In fact, 2020 was my best year ever for many personal and professional reasons. But 2021 has been less than thrilling for many reasons. At times it has felt exhausting and depressing. Grant wrote in his article: “Languishing is a sense of stagnation and emptiness. It feels as if you’re muddling through your days, looking at your life through a foggy windshield. And it might be the dominant emotion of 2021.” So I resonated with his belief that we are languishing. Until I got to thinking more about my own research for an upcoming project and sat with the idea … and then it occured to me. Let's work together to help you build your #BraveYes path! https://shawnfink.com/soul-shine

How To Journey Toward Wholeness by Shawn Fink

Join the Brave Yes Community by subscribing to the Brave Yes Newsletter: https://shawnfink.com/brave-yes-newsletter/

Ep. 23 -- Finding Absolute Sovereignty After Motherhood With Amelia Butler by Shawn Fink

Ep. 22 Embracing Your Longings After Tragedy With Michelle Currie by Shawn Fink

Making Time For Your Dreams and Inner Longings by Shawn Fink

We all hit burnout at different points in our lives and when that happens we tend to just take some downtime, try to regroup and then get back to our regularly scheduled lives. This is a normal way of handling burnout. But for this week’s guest on The Brave Yes Show a little downtime wasn’t going to be enough. Nor could she even imagine what that would look like. And so her first Brave Yes — which was to leave her job as a therapist — led to her other Brave Yeses, which ultimately led her to turn her burnout story into a brand new coaching business. Nicole’s story is much like my own big Brave Yes – leaving my 9-5 job in public policy and government and going out on my own to build a coaching business. When the signs of burnout start to show up, it’s up to us to decide how to move through it. As Nicole shares so clearly and honestly life just isn’t so linear as we wish it would be. But unless we listen to ourselves, we’ll never actually live into our true purpose and passion, which denies our ability to shine authentically. Before I encourage you to click play and listen … I want to first invite you to sign up for The Brave Yes Newsletter — a FREE weekly email that will encourage you and motivate you on your own Brave Yes Journey. If joining our community and becoming more involved is your thing, please subscribe below and you’ll receive a free gift from me — my 10 Brave Yes LIving Tips to start putting into action today. https://shawnfink.com/

Ep. 19 Weighing The Costs And Choosing Authenticity Anyway With Suzette Mullen by Shawn Fink

I'm feeling the good energy one feels after spending a positive, uplifting afternoon with other women. The spring retreat was yesterday and we really focused on exceptional well-being practices that would not only feel good but leave us lifted up and in a more optimal state emotionally and mentally. It's not the same as being in person but it's oh so good. One of the themes that came up a lot by the end of the retreat is the work that these women need to do around releasing fears. And in coaching work, this is a big part of the work we do. It's necessary to release fears in order to move forward in our lives. When we are standing up for ourselves, our beliefs, our dreams ... we are also putting ourselves out there. We are giving ourselves space to do something incredible, something novel. In this episode, I'm talking about how we need to lean toward hope -- not fear - when we are making a change in our lives.

Ep. 17 Putting Yourself First after Adversity with Jennifer Foxworthy by Shawn Fink

Ep. 16 Reclaiming A Lost Cultural Identity With Mindy Tsonas Choi by Shawn Fink

In today’s Brave Yes episode, using the 3 Brave Yes Voices interviews I’ve published so far, I am taking a little time to talk about this messy middle process that happens when we say yes to a Brave Yes, what we need to do to move through it and what we find on the other side. Ready to get real about your own Brave Yes Journey? Let's chat. https://calendly.com/shawn-6/breakthrough

Ep. 14 Finding Courage To Leave an Oppressive Church With Mara Irvin Clements by Shawn Fink

Sign up for the Rise Stronger Challenge now ... https://shawnfink.com/challenge/ My guest today is Victoria Kageni-Woodard, a fashion designer and multi-passionate entrepreneur, who immigrated to the United States and ended up working in the white male dominated construction industry where she spent her days downplaying her beauty and radiance. Her Brave Yes was leaving that industry to start her own business. But really it was returning home to herself. Victoria grew up in Kenya and is a wife, mother of 4 and fashion designer. When she moved to the US she began working in the construction business where she was able to cultivate a spirit of unity and maintain her integrity in a white male dominated industry. She is now the creative force behind Gusa by Victoria, a women’s clothing line that infuses her African heritage into working women clothing. She is also the mother of a child on the autism spectrum which has propelled her in all that she does in her life.