Taboo Talk with Sarah

Taboo talk Season 2 Episode 11 You’re Not Broken: Trauma, the Nervous System & Learning to Feel Safe Again with Steve Soporn

🔑 MAIN TOPICS / TAKEAWAYS * Why trauma is a nervous system adaptation, not a personal failure * How childhood trauma impacts the brain, emotional regulation, addiction, and relationships * The difference between “fixing” emotions and learning to stay present with them * How men are conditioned to suppress emotions—and the long-term cost of that * Why healing happens through small consistent steps, not perfection     🗣️ INTRIGUING QUOTES * “I didn’t come out of the womb broken.” * “Your brain adapted… and it can adapt again.” * “We all came into the world as a bright shining light… and life covered it up.”     ⏱️ KEY MOMENTS & TIMESTAMPS * 00:03 – Introduction: trauma beyond mindset * 02:26 – Steve’s brain scan and the moment everything changed * 06:54 – Trauma as adaptation, not damage * 09:39 – The impact trauma had on parenting and relationships * 11:35 – “Man up, stuff it down” and emotional suppression in men * 14:22 – Leaving a 30-year finance career to pursue healing work * 17:58 – Understanding trauma through nervous system regulation * 20:51 – Breathwork, neurofeedback, psychedelics & inner child work * 22:56 – Why trauma responses aren’t conscious choices * 27:04 – How healing changes relationships and attracts healthier people * 28:37 – Addiction, trauma, and the body trying to feel safe * 34:33 – Post-traumatic growth and reclaiming your life * 37:59 – Final takeaway: “You are not broken.” 📚 RESOURCES MENTIONED * 🎧 The Neuro’s Journey Podcast (A podcast exploring trauma, healing, leadership, nervous system regulation, and personal growth.) * 🧠 Neurofeedback / QEEG Brain Scanning * 📖 Work and concepts from Dr. Daniel Amen

Taboo Talk Season 2 Episode 10 When Who You Were No Longer Fits: Rediscovering Your Spark in Midlife with Heike Yates

🔑 MAIN TOPICS / TAKEAWAYS * The quiet unraveling of identity in midlife and why it’s more common than we think * Letting go of old identities (like “the runner”) and grieving who we used to be * Why “reinventing yourself” is the wrong approach—and what to do instead * The importance of resetting, not restarting, and honoring your lived experience * How to find your “spark” again through curiosity, small steps, and self-trust     🗣️ INTRIGUING QUOTES * “Something that once fit really well… doesn’t anymore.” * “You don’t need to reinvent yourself—you need to reset.” * “Stop dimming your light and pursue your spark.”     ⏱️ KEY MOMENTS * 00:00 – Introduction: the quiet shifts of midlife * 02:14 – Heike’s “aha moments” and evolving identity * 05:30 – Pushing harder… until the body says no * 06:59 – The wake-up call: burnout and physical breakdown * 10:32 – Losing identity as a runner and grieving the change * 15:04 – The healing power of Pilates and slowing down * 18:00 – Identity, community, and letting go of who you were * 21:53 – Moving forward without looking back * 23:34 – Why sparks change over time * 28:04 – The story behind Pursue Your Spark * 32:50 – Your spark doesn’t have to be big—it just has to be yours * 38:07 – Why “reinvention” is the wrong mindset * 42:09 – Finding your next step when you feel stuck * 44:29 – Final message: stop dimming your light 👤GUEST Heike Yates is a Midlife Fitness Expert, author, and creator of the SPARK Framework. She helps midlife women navigate seasons when what used to work no longer fits and routines feel harder to follow than they used to. With over 35 years of experience in fitness, nutrition, and mindset coaching, Heike supports women who feel stuck in the gap between knowing what matters and actually following through. Her approach is practical, compassionate, and designed for real life — not ideal days. She is the host of the Pursue Your Spark Podcast and award-winning author of Pursue Your Spark, where she blends science and lived experience to help women rebuild self-trust and move forward with steady steps, without guilt, extremes, or starting over.

Taboo talk Season2, Episode 9 Surviving the Unthinkable: Grief, Trauma & Finding Your Way Back with Todd Maguire

🔑 KEY TAKEAWAYS   * Grief—especially from suicide—can transform identity in ways people don’t understand. * Avoiding pain doesn’t remove it… it delays and often deepens it. * Trauma isn’t just emotional—it can shape behaviour, identity, and self-worth. * Vulnerability isn’t weakness—it’s the new definition of strength. * Healing isn’t linear—but it is possible with the right tools and support.     🗣️ QUOTES TO REMEMBER   * “The grief transforms you into someone you don’t recognise.” – Todd Maguire * “You’ve got to face it now… or it’ll be worse down the track.” – Todd Maguire * “The new definition of strength is being vulnerable.” – Todd Maguire * “You don’t have to do it alone.” – Sarah Jordan-Ross     ⏱️ KEY MOMENTS   * 00:00 – Introduction: grief beyond death and the weight we carry * 02:38 – Todd shares the unseen reality of suicide grief * 03:37 – Finding his partner: the moment that changed everything * 07:46 – Turning to alcohol and survival coping mechanisms * 11:30 – “Surviving badly” vs learning to survive well * 13:17 – The alter ego: Donnie and life undercover * 17:46 – The turning point: stopping another suicide * 20:57 – Losing identity and returning to “normal life” * 23:45 – Fatherhood as a wake-up call * 26:28 – PTSD, anger, and the delayed impact of trauma * 28:18 – Writing the book: the moment everything shifted * 31:24 – Redefining strength: vulnerability over silence * 37:01 – Message to those struggling: “You are loved. You will be missed.” * 46:31 – PTSD explained like a physical injury * 48:11 – Final reflections: you don’t have to do it alone

Taboo talk season 2, Episode 8 The Conversations We Avoid: Legacy, Loss & Living Before It’s Too Late with Jermaine Ee

🔑 KEY TAKEAWAYS * What we focus on shapes our reality—and we can train that intentionally. * Avoiding end-of-life conversations creates emotional and logistical burdens for loved ones. * Legacy isn’t just money—it’s stories, memories, and how we show up in everyday life. * Most people delay estate planning not because it’s hard—but because it’s uncomfortable. * The real opportunity isn’t just planning for death… it’s learning to live more fully now.     🗣️ QUOTES TO REMEMBER * “What we focus on shapes our entire reality.” – Jermaine Ee * “Urgent beats important every time.” – Jermaine Ee * “Clarity is love in practical form.” – Jermaine Ee * “Those stories disappear only when we stop telling them.” – Jermaine Ee * “Every day is a special occasion… we just forget.” – Conversation theme     ⏱️ KEY MOMENTS * 00:00 – Introduction: Why we avoid conversations about death and legacy * 01:58 – Jermaine’s perspective: What we focus on shapes reality * 03:19 – Why humans avoid estate planning (urgent vs important) * 07:59 – The emotional cost families pay when planning isn’t done * 12:31 – What legacy really means (and how it shifts after loss) * 15:57 – Jermaine’s story: discovering who his mum was before motherhood * 20:01 – Capturing stories before they disappear * 24:39 – Why asking your parents questions matters * 27:54 – The surprising reason people avoid estate planning * 33:45 – “Clarity is love in practical form” * 36:04 – Regret, saving, and not fully enjoying life * 38:02 – Living differently when you realise life is fragile * 41:52 – Choosing joy, using what you have, living intentionally

Taboo Talk Season 2, Episode 7 Beyond Survival: Grief, Caregiving & Finding Life Beyond the Horizon with Lani Almanza

🔑 KEY TAKEAWAYS * Grief is not only about death. It can also come through change, transition, identity loss, and the life we thought we were going to have. * After caregiving or crisis, many people do not know how to stop “treading water” and begin living again. * Healing often starts with small moments of awareness, especially breath, rest, and reconnecting with yourself. * Grief does not necessarily get smaller. We grow around it and learn how to carry it differently. * Looking beyond the horizon is not betrayal. It is a way of honoring what has been while still allowing yourself to live fully. 🗣️ QUOTES TO REMEMBER * “Life experience becomes your credentials.” – Lani Almanza * “Grief isn’t a one-time thing that you experience and then it goes away.” – Lani Almanza * “You’re not in crisis anymore, but you haven’t quite figured out what’s next.” – Sarah Jordan-Ross * “We grow around our grief.” – Sarah Jordan-Ross and Lani Almanza conversation theme * “Remember to come up for air.” – Advice from the whale, shared by Lani Almanza ⏱️ KEY MOMENTS * 00:01 – Sarah introduces Lani and frames the conversation around life after crisis * 01:59 – Lani answers the season’s opening question: what she notices and cannot unsee * 04:04 – What happens when caregiving ends and you no longer know where you fit * 05:42 – Lani shares her own experience after losing her son Jacob and later caring for both parents * 07:19 – The moment she realized she could finally turn her phone off after more than 20 years * 10:00 – “Been there, done that” as real-life credentials * 12:18 – Finding joy after grief without feeling disloyal * 16:22 – Why grief never fully disappears, but we grow around it * 20:32 – The inspiration behind Beyond the Horizon * 26:08 – One small shift to begin healing: meeting yourself in your breath * 29:06 – Advice from the whale: make a splash, come up for air, no blubbering * 31:03 – Sarah reflects on honoring the past while still choosing life ahead