Empowering Chats with Susan Burrell

Radiate Your Light

Ep #188 - Radiate Your Light - A Solo Episode with Susan Burrell

In this solo episode I talk about radiating your light out into the world. So what does that mean? I looked up the word radiate and it literally means to "emit rays of light." 

So now I ask you, "Are you claiming the peace and radiance that you are?" 

The theme for the month of June is Radiance and that is what this episode is all about. Bright light, cheerful radiance. 

Sometimes life circumstances make us feel not so hopeful or cheerful. I know for me that has been the case quite a bit lately. It is during these times that I take the time to re-evaluate my life. As spiritual beings we are constantly in motion and evolving. So I encourage you to take the time to reflect where you are in your life. And recognize what your triggers are and how to move through your daily challenges so that your radiance can shine through. Are you holding on to those things that no longer serve you?

It's important to try and keep your mind quiet and give yourself some space to just be. Mornings are my favorite time to be in a place of peaceful mindset. If afternoons or evenings are best for you then make that time for yourself and claim the peace that you are – because as you claim it for yourself it will emanate out to those you come in contact with.

I encourage you to send out peace on the wings of love and forgiveness.

When you connect with your own source energy then you can radiate it out to the world.  What you radiate out will naturally radiate back to you – so why not send out love and kindness and all those good qualities that you wish to receive?

Radiate & Shine Brightly. Be a Radiant Light of Love.

 

Changing Lives, an interview with Activist, Dawn Manske

Ep #187 - Changing Lives, An Interview with Activist and Entrepreneur, Dawn Manske.

My guest for this Empowering Chat is an incredible individual who is fighting human trafficking with style. I am honored to welcome Dawn Manske, CEO of Made For Freedom to my show. Her story of courage and innovation is awe-inspiring.  You may need Kleenex by your side as you listen to her journey of how her innovative social company came to be. Made For Freedom, uses fashion to empower victims of sex trafficking and other marginalized situations.

The 10 years Dawn spent in China teaching English helped her to understand the unbalance produced by the devaluation of the girl child. This was her first exposure to poverty levels she had never seen before. In 2007 she viewed a documentary about sex trafficking that deeply affected her. She desperately wanted to see this horror and injustice come to an end but she had no idea what could be done from her hometown of St. Louis, Missouri.

And this is where the pants come in. Dawn shares her story of how her dream to help rescue and restore girls being victimized started with a pair of pants. Made For Freedom arose as the number of compliments she received from complete strangers about her super-comfortable fisherman pants, (purchased in Thailand) soared. It was stories like these and others that compelled Dawn to make the following pledge, “If there is any way I can help girls like this by selling pants, I will sell pants.”

That pledge marked the beginning of Made for Freedom, and Dawn hasn’t looked back since. Her journey and deep dive into business strategy and product development, has brought her in contact with people in St. Louis and around the world who are fighting for survivors. She has built a team of brilliant people who cheerfully lend their abundant and diverse skills to Made For Freedom. She partners with centers that are located in the United States and abroad to sell products made by the survivors of human trafficking. It is a win-win situation. The women and girls are given dignified employment with skills that empower them to walk away from their former life and create a beautiful new life with a purpose.

Together, with her partners, they are all committed to doing everything in their power to help women around the world know that we are all Made for Freedom.

To learn more about Made For Freedom and to purchase their products visit: MadeForFreedom.com

To learn more about Dawn Manske visit: MadeForFreedom.com/our-story

To learn more about me and how I show up in the world please visit my website: SusanBurrell.com

 

”Revealing The Hidden Layers” with Scott Clover...

Ep. #186 - Revealing The Hidden Layers An interview with Intuitive Healer and Podcaster, Scott Clover

This is the second time I have interviewed Scott for Empowering Chats.  He and I made a deep connection when I first interviewed him last year and I have since tapped into his intuitive gifts and energy healing for myself. We have also become friends. And so, I am pleased to once again have him as my guest on Empowering Chats.

In this episode we take a look at the many layers of story that we all carry, sometimes to our own detriment. For many, me included, when we run that toxic story about our life or our family of origin it can take root in our body and show up in physical ailments.

And worse, when we placate the story to the point where we don’t recognize it anymore is when the healing really needs to take place. Scott says observation is 55% of what is needed to heal. He helps his clients, like he has helped me, to see the pattern for what it is, so that the healing can begin. In Scott’s observations when the stories get locked in the body over many years it can show up in the body as sickness or other physical challenges.

Scott uses his intuitive sense, which I like to call divine intelligence, to get to the root of what may be causing his client’s challenges. He always aims to start at the root to heal the “issues” showing up because if you can't get at the root and tackle it from that vantage point then the “problems” will continue to show up. It’s all about revealing the hidden layers and exposing them to the light. Those roots must rise to the surface in order for the healing to begin, and in Scott’s experience it is much easier to yank out the root rather than just respond to the topical symptoms or issues.

Scott also emphasizes the importance of giving back to yourself and replenishing yourself in order to stay healthy. Over giving will eventually catch up with you and may show up in your physical body as sickness.

Scott is not only a friend but has also become an important part of my journey in uncovering the toxic stories and releasing that which no longer serves me. He really is a gifted healer and I am so grateful for his gifts, both personally and for the greater good he does in the world.

If you are interest in learning more about Scott Clover please visit his website at: ScottClover.com

You can find his podcast on all the major platforms and on his website at: ScottClover.com/podcast

Please visit my website to learn more about how I show up in the world: SusanBurrell.com

”Unlock The Burnout Barriers” with Anne Bérubé...

Ep #185 - Unlock The Burnout Barriers. An Interview with author, Anne Bérubé.

I have to start by exclaiming how impacted I was by my guest for this episode of Empowering Chats. I joked with her at the start of our interview about how much I felt her latest book, entitled, The Burnout Antidote, A Spiritual Guide to Empowerment for Empaths, Over-Givers and Highly Sensitive People was written specifically for me. Anne Bérubé is an author and a teacher / coach, and she also runs workshops she calls “Happy Sessions."

Anne and I had a lively and insightful conversation about those choices we make and how we find ourselves in burnout situations. So much of what Anne has written about speaks directly to me. And I have a feeling it will do the same for many of my listeners. Anne shares how she  used to carry a limiting belief that you can’t experience burnout when you are living your purpose. If you are living your purpose, how can you burnout?

That’s when she realized that the place she was giving from was not sustainable because it was based on beliefs of needing to please and be needed, or liked by those she was serving and helping.  And so, she found herself going through this process of digging deep to finding out who she was at her core.  She had to ask herself, “Who was I before people started needing me?”

Anne talks about the power of the patriarch and how that differs from the energy of the feminine. She goes onto express that feminine power is the source embedded in our earth, we are all sourced from the feminine. She feels we all need the grounding of our Mother voice, the one that says: “I am holding you. I am nurturing you. I am not going anywhere. I love you.” Anne and I both agree that we need to learn to love ourselves like that and recognize the masculine energy is actually a servant to the feminine and when they work together it can be powerful for everyone involved.

To learn more about Anne Bérubé visit her website at: AnneBerube.com

To purchase her book visit: AnneBerube.com/podcast-books

And for more about how I show up in the world please visit my website at: SusanBurrell.com

Am I My Own Best Friend?

Ep. #184 - Am I My Own Best Friend?  Today’s Podcast launches a new theme for the month of May. This month, all of my Empowering Chats will focus on the theme of Enthusiasm. This episode is a solo show where I ask this very important question of how to become your own best friend.

And so, I want you to think about this for a minute: Can you be your own best friend? What does that look like? Feel like? In order for me to get the answers to these questions I had to go deep within, to see myself from a new perspective.

First I had to discern what a best friend is. To me a best friend is someone who is loyal and listens without judgement. A best friend loves me unconditionally and accepts all of me.

So again, I ask myself, can I be my own best friend? And I ask you: Can you be your own best friend and see yourself with fresh eyes? I think we already inhabit those qualities we see in our best friends. I challenge you to try and see yourself how others see you. Embrace your courage, your wisdom and all your special qualities.

Your riches reside within you, so go find your brilliance, your opulence and the freedom to love yourself and be your own best friend.

To learn more about how I show up in the world please visit my website: SusanBurrell.com

”The Energy of Numbers” with Jesse Kalci...

Ep. #183 - The Energy of Numbers. An interview with Astro-Numerology Expert and Author, Jesse Kalsi.

The Energy of Numbers. What does that mean? My guest, Astro-numerology Expert and Author Jesse Kalsi is my guest for this episode of Empowering Chats and we explore the meaning and vitality of numbers. Our chat centers around the unique energy that surrounds our personal numbers and how to tap into that energy.

Jesse talks about his attraction to numbers. He shares how he has always been intuitively drawn to numbers and how the energy of numbers affects our lives.

Jesse uses the term “AstroNumerology” because he associates numbers with planets, which are astronomical bodies.  He further explains that AstroNumerology is not about adding numbers up; but rather about looking at each individual number, as each one represents a particular planet.  

When doing a reading he looks at a person’s date of birth first – and then the other numbers that are part of their lives, like the numbers that accompany their home address or their place of business. Jesse emphasizes the importance of using numbers to harmonize all the good in your life.

The intent is to raise the energy in your home and around your environment. It’s about attracting the positive energy and then lifting the vibration and rising up.

Jesse also incorporates the Chakra energy system in balancing the body. Over the past twenty years he has consulted thousands of people and has affected their lives in a positive way.

To learn more about Jesse visit his website: JesseKalsi.com

To purchase his book All about Numbers: JesseKalsi.com/books

To learn more about how I show up in the world please visit my website: SusanBurrell.com

”Punching Her Way to Fame!” with Alicia Doyle...

Ep. #182 - Punching Her Way to Fame! An interview with Author, Journalist and Ex-Boxer, Alicia Doyle. 

I am thrilled to welcome Alicia Doyle to this Empowering Chat. Alicia shares her story of how she got into professional boxing in her late twenties and how through that experience she thought she had found a cure for her depression.  And she did, but it was temporary. The fast-paced world of sports and boxing was such a strong focus that it provided her a distraction for the 2 years she was actively competing.

Eventually she learned how to release the rage and find her self-esteem. Alicia works with at-risk kids and has incorporated all that she learned in the boxing ring into her daily life. She mentors troubled youth and is a guiding light for them.

Her book, Fighting Chance, is not only about her life as a female boxer in a male-dominated sport but it is also about her story of survival in the ring of life.

I’d like to share this excerpt from her book:

I never expected boxing to infuse my psyche emotionally, spiritually and mentally, and put me on a path toward enlightenment. To this day, the skills I discovered in the ring translate to everyday life. I learned that the fight starts from within – and when faced head-on with conviction, honesty, vulnerability and faith, the battle is sublime.

Alicia recognized that the way out of her depression was to face her dark fears and lean into her experience as a boxer. Her book, Fighting Chance, tells that story. And writing it also helped her heal.

In this episode we share stories of struggle, light and inspiration.

To purchase Fighting Chance visit: AliciaDoyle.com/buy-fighting-chance

To learn more about Alicia Doyle and the work she does visit her website: AliciaDoyle.com

To Learn more about how I show up in the world I invite you to visit my website: SusanBurrell.com

”The Love Smacked Addict” with Sherry Gaba...

Ep #181 - The Love Smacked Addict – An Interview with Trauma Coach and Author, Sherry Gaba.

Anyway you slice it and dice it, no matter if you call it Love Addiction, Relationship Addiction, Obsessive Love or Romance Addiction, it all comes down to unhealthy practices in the name of love.

My guest for this episode of Empowering Chats, is Author and Trauma Coach, Sherry Gaba. Her book, “Love Smacked: How to Stop the Cycle of Relationship Addiction and Co-Dependency to Find Everlasting Love,” focuses on insecure attachments and what obsessive love looks like. Often times people who feel alone or who were abandoned as children will seek validation from others and become addicted to being in relationship.

Sherry experienced this first hand in her life and knows the importance of having self-love and a strong sense of self before entering into a love relationship.

Sherry explains that many times (although not always), the obsession and addiction to another is an attempt by that person to recover the love and attention that may have been missing in their life as a child. That person grows up with a warped sense of self and often times doesn’t have self-love or a strong sense of who they are. Without the nurturing, you can develop low self-esteem.

Her book focuses on how to break that cycle of dependency and addiction so that you can live fabulously on your own or with a life partner. She offers tools in her book that give her readers ways to recognize good partners and steer clear of bad ones, and how to define healthy boundaries.

Ultimately giving to yourself and finding ways to feel comfortable in your own skin is the key to healing.

To learn more about Sherry, visit her website at: SherryGaba.com

Sherry is offering an online group coaching program she calls, "Wake-Up Recovery," to help her clients overcome their love addiction issues by applying principles of positive psychology and mindfulness.  She is offering my listeners a one-month trial to her coaching program for only $1.00.  To take advantage of this offer please follow this link: wakeuprecovery.com/become-a-member-co1/

Please visit my website to learn more about how I show up in the world: SusanBurrell.com

”You Too Can Find Your Prince” with Marcia Naomi Berger...

Ep #180 - You Too Can Find Your Prince – An Interview with Author and Social Worker, Marcia Naomi Berger.

In this episode of Empowering Chats I have a lively conversation with Naomi Berger about overcoming the obstacles of dating in order to find your path to marriage. Her latest book, entitled, Marriage Minded, An A to Z Dating Guide for Lasting Love is an easy read. It is set up so that you can read it cover to cover or open to the section that calls to you.

We chat about how times have changed and how going to college in the 50s and early 60s was seen as a path to finding your future husband. Or as Naomi shared, many in her circle would jokingly say they were working toward their MRS degree. Under M in her A to Z guide Naomi’s book talks about the importance of having a mentor or model to express how relationships can work well. That particular section caught my attention and as Naomi stated, her book is made to be read as a guide either cover to cover or in sections.

Naomi’s book also feels like an A to Z guide in getting to know yourself and finding self-love. It helps you to build your inner foundation of self-love so that you can then naturally radiate out to the world that love and that light you carry – which can then attract more love toward you and translate to a lasting love in a committed relationship – whatever that may look like for each individual.

For more on Marcia Naomi Berger visit her website at: MarciaNaomiBerger.com

To purchase her book, Marriage Minded, An A to Z Dating Guide for Lasting Love visit: www.barnesandnoble.com/w/marriage-minded-marcia-naomi-berger/1138488951

To learn more about how I show up in the world I invite you to visit my website at: SusanBurrell.com

 

 

Cultivating Peace

Ep #179 - Cultivating Peace - a solo show with the host of Empowering Chats, Susan Burrell

This episode is the first show of April, 2022 and the focus is on self-love and peace.

I start this episode by asking some powerful questions about how we chose to show up in the world, post lockdown. How are you choosing to re-emerge in the world? Into your life? Are you choosing to emerge from a place of peace or a place of anger and fear?

I encourage you to focus on Peace. And begin with yourself, with your inner peace – and then when you have grasped that I challenge you to extend that peace outward to your community and ultimately to the world.

We already have the seed of peace within us – we just need to remember to focus on that peace in order to grow and materialize that peace. I think it’s also important to understand when this focus becomes intense, stuff may show up that looks nothing like peace. And that’s okay too, because this process can be like a detox. Sometimes it takes facing those non-peaceful moments or triggers in order to gain the actual peace you seek.

In this episode I invite you to put your mindfulness on peace. On self-love. This practice can be contagious. The more peaceful we are, the more it spreads to those we touch and to those surrounding us.

My goal is to love beyond measure. To love and live in peace, despite the reel of ugliness that is playing out in front of me. I choose to Love anyway. In doing that I remind myself – and you my listeners – to remember to be a presence of light and peace for the world. Peace resides within each of us – so remember to give to yourself and others the gift of peace wrapped in love.

To learn more about the work I do I invite you to visit my website: SusanBurrell.com

For those of you who are interested in the words of Poet, John O'Donohue I have included below the words to his poem which I read at the end of this episode:

“For Peace” by John O’Donohue

As the fever of day calms towards twilight
May all that is strained in us come to ease

We pray for all who suffered violence today,
May an unexpected serenity surprise them.

May those who risk their lives each day for peace,
May their hearts glimpse providence at the heart of history.

That those who make riches from violence and war
Might hear in their dreams the cries of the lost.

That we might see through our fear of each other
A new vision to hear our fatal attraction to aggression.

That those who enjoy the privilege of peace
Might not forget their tormented brothers and sisters.

That the wolf might lie down with the lamb,
That our swords be beaten into ploughshares

And no hurt or harm be done
Anywhere along the holy mountain.

 

© John O’Donohue