Surrendering to the Signs

18. Season 2 Wrap Up with Laura Gates

In this heartfelt and reflective Season Two finale, Laura looks back on the conversations, insights, and transformations that shaped this powerful season of Surrendering to the Signs. Framed as both a reflection and a gentle guide, Laura shares the deeper intention behind the podcast, not just as a series of conversations, but as a kind of “homework” for life. Each episode, each guest, and each story has been carefully chosen to offer listeners practical wisdom, hope, and direction in navigating an increasingly complex world. From listening to the body’s wisdom, to trusting intuition, to finding the courage to act on what we already know, Laura revisits the key lessons from her guests and what they reveal about living a more conscious, aligned life. This episode is both a closing and an opening: a moment to integrate what’s been learned, and an invitation to trust your own inner guidance moving forward. Because ultimately, the goal isn’t to follow someone else’s path It’s to learn how to follow your own. And perhaps, to become your own guru. What You’ll Hear In This Episode * Why Laura sees the podcast as a form of guidance and real-life “training” * How stories and lived experiences can offer landmarks for navigating life * The deeper intention behind the podcast: helping you reconnect with your own wisdom * The message at the heart of it all: Be your own guru Resources & Links Connect with Laura Facebook https://www.facebook.com/surrenderingtothesigns [https://www.facebook.com/surrenderingtothesigns]Website www.surrenderingtothesigns.com [http://www.surrenderingtothesigns.com/] Download your free copy of Seven Keys to Surrendering to the Signs Home | Laura Gates | Surrendering to the Signs | Spiritual Podcast [https://laurafrancesgates.com/#seven-keys] Music Featured The music in each episode of Surrendering to the Signs has been carefully curated to enhance the episode, below is a list of all tracks featured. List of Music Easy to Love - Instrumental Version _Song by Saggie Louis Adrien _The Moon In your eyes Podcast co-produced, edited, and sound designed by Daniel De Souza https://www.danieldesouza.com [https://www.danieldesouza.com/]

17. The Wizard, the Shadow and Dreams with Bob Gates

In this deeply thoughtful and personal episode, Laura is joined by returning guest Bob Gates, professor emeritus from Syracuse University, Jungian scholar, photographer, and Laura’s father. Building on their widely loved conversation from Season One, Laura and Bob explore the profound symbolism of The Wizard of Oz and why this beloved film continues to resonate across generations. Through a Jungian lens, Bob explains how the story reflects the universal psychological journey of individuation, the process of becoming fully ourselves. Together, they discuss archetypes, dreams, synchronicities, and the deeper meaning behind the signs that appear throughout our lives. Bob shares insights from decades of studying Jungian psychology, documenting dreams, and following creative impulses that have shaped his own life path. The conversation also touches on grief, intuition, curiosity, and the courage required to release identities that have outlived their purpose. With warmth and honesty, this father–daughter dialogue reminds us that life is not about reaching a final destination, but about learning to trust the unfolding journey. Ultimately, this episode invites listeners to consider that the answers we seek may already be within us and that sometimes the signs guiding us home are everywhere, if we’re willing to pay attention. Bob grew up in New Jersey and attended graduate school in Iowa, where he obtained a PhD in English and studied photography at the University of Iowa. He taught English at Syracuse University for forty-two years and had a second career as a Fine Arts and drone photographer. Bob is a student of various psychological and spiritual traditions, including Jungian and Lacanian Psychology and the Buddhist and Advaita Vedanta spiritual traditions. He has published fiction, poetry, and a collection of “sayings,” and his photographs have been exhibited and published widely. What You’ll Hear * Why The Wizard of Oz is an enduring and psychologically powerful story * How the film reflects Jung’s concept of individuation — the development of the self * How the story reflects humanity’s ongoing struggle with patriarchy and power * The difference between overcoming life’s challenges and assimilating them * What it truly means to surrender — not to the world, but to deeper truths within ourselves * How synchronicities and signs can guide us toward greater awareness * The relationship between intuition, dreams, and the unconscious mind Resources & Links Connect with Laura Facebook https://www.facebook.com/surrenderingtothesigns [https://www.facebook.com/surrenderingtothesigns] Website www.surrenderingtothesigns.com [http://www.surrenderingtothesigns.com/] then add in Download your free copy of Seven Keys to Surrendering to the Signs Home | Laura Gates | Surrendering to the Signs | Spiritual Podcast [https://laurafrancesgates.com/#seven-keys] Carl Jung and Jungian psychologyIndividuation and archetypes You can connect with Bob on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BobGatesPhoto [https://www.facebook.com/BobGatesPhoto] Buy his books on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Bob-Gates/author/B07R28YH5F [https://www.amazon.com/stores/Bob-Gates/author/B07R28YH5F] And find out more about Bob on his website: bob gates photography [https://www.bobgatesphoto.com/] Visit www.surrenderingtothesigns.com [http://www.surrenderingtothesigns.com]  Music Featured The music in each episode of Surrendering to the Signs has been carefully curated to enhance the episode, below is a list of all tracks featured. List of Music Easy to Love -  Saggie - Instrumental Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy - Kashido  Magic - John Dada the Weathermen Every Little Thing - Adam Dib Podcast co-produced, edited, and sound designed by Daniel De Souza https://www.danieldesouza.com [https://www.danieldesouza.com/]

16. Fifth Dimensional Leadership with Ginny Clarke

In this deeply energising and wide-ranging conversation, Laura is joined by Ginny Clarke , conscious leadership expert, executive coach, former executive recruiter at Google and Spencer Stuart, and featured thought leader in Brené Brown’s book Strong Ground, to explore what it truly means to lead with consciousness, integrity, and soul. Ginny shares her personal and professional evolution, from navigating loss and spiritual awakening to observing firsthand how leadership impacts human wellbeing inside some of the world’s most influential organizations. She speaks candidly about the urgent need to bring humanity, truth, and self-awareness back into the workplace and why conscious leadership is no longer optional, but essential. Together, Laura and Ginny explore the deeper dimensions of leadership, not as a role or title, but as a way of being. This episode invites listeners to reconnect with their own agency, energy, and essence and to recognize that leadership begins not with managing others, but with remembering who you truly are. What You’ll Hear In This Episode * Ginny’s journey from executive recruiter to conscious leadership pioneer * How personal loss became a catalyst for spiritual awakening and purpose * Why only a small percentage of leaders are truly effective, and what’s missing * The difference between ego-based leadership and soul-based leadership * Why energy awareness is one of a leader’s greatest superpowers * The urgency of reclaiming humanity in modern workplaces Resources & Links Connect with Laura Facebook https://www.facebook.com/surrenderingtothesigns [https://www.facebook.com/surrenderingtothesigns] Website www.surrenderingtothesigns.com [http://www.surrenderingtothesigns.com/] then add in Download your free copy of Seven Keys to Surrendering to the Signs Home | Laura Gates | Surrendering to the Signs | Spiritual Podcast [https://laurafrancesgates.com/#seven-keys] The Five Dimensions of Conscious Leadership ™ Brené Brown’s Strong Ground - leadership and vulnerability research Gallup leadership engagement research Visit www.surrenderingtothesigns.com [http://www.surrenderingtothesigns.com]  Music Featured The music in each episode of Surrendering to the Signs has been carefully curated to enhance the episode, below is a list of all tracks featured. List of Music Easy to Love - Saggie - Instrumental  Seven Raindrops -Yonnie Dror Flower Duet Lakmé- Song by Hawkins Birds - J. G Podcast co-produced, edited, and sound designed by Daniel De Souza https://www.danieldesouza.com [https://www.danieldesouza.com/]

15. Creating a Legacy with Maria Medrano

In this moving and energising episode, Laura is joined by Maria Medrano, CEO and Co-Founder of Inspirame, tech executive, mother, and first-generation pioneer, to explore how faith, education, and an unwavering belief in possibility can change not just one life, but generations. Maria shares her remarkable story, from growing up in a working-class immigrant family in California to becoming the first in her family to graduate high school and college, building a career in Silicon Valley, and ultimately dedicating her life’s work to ensuring others can see, and access, the paths available to them. This conversation weaves together themes of spirituality, grief, resilience, education as liberation, and the quiet ways our loved ones continue to guide us after they’re gone. It’s a powerful reminder that signs often arrive through people, through opportunity, and through a deep inner knowing that we are here to give back what we’ve been given. What You’ll Hear in This Episode * Maria’s early life story and the influence of her parents’ strength and values * Being the first in her family to go to college and what that really took * How teachers became early “signs” and champions of possibility * Navigating criticism, doubt, and being told she didn’t belong * The loss of Maria’s mother and how her presence continues in a new form * How grief sharpened Maria’s commitment to personal growth and purpose * The creation of Inspirame as an embodiment of legacy and love * Helping young people navigate education systems without shame or confusion Resources & Links Connect with Laura Facebook https://www.facebook.com/surrenderingtothesigns [https://www.facebook.com/surrenderingtothesigns] Website www.surrenderingtothesigns.com [http://www.surrenderingtothesigns.com/] then add in Download your free copy of Seven Keys to Surrendering to the Signs Home | Laura Gates | Surrendering to the Signs | Spiritual Podcast [https://laurafrancesgates.com/#seven-keys] Inspirame, a technology platform dedicated to simplifying access to education and career pathways for underserved communities Visit www.surrenderingtothesigns.com [http://www.surrenderingtothesigns.com]  Music Featured The music in each episode of Surrendering to the Signs has been carefully curated to enhance the episode, below is a list of all tracks featured. List of Music This Is an Adventure _Song by Kyle Preston Living the Dream _Song by Rynn Passion _Song by Yestalgia El Río Fluye _Song by Reuven Bransburg Heart and Soul _Song by Dreams Are Here Podcast co-produced, edited, and sound designed by Daniel De Souza https://www.danieldesouza.com [https://www.danieldesouza.com/]

14. Being vs. Doing our Life with Joel Kimmel

In this expansive, philosophical, and deeply grounding conversation, Laura is joined by longtime mentor, friend, and executive coach Joel Kimmel to explore one of the most fundamental questions of our time: Who are we being  and how is that shaping the world we’re living in? Drawing from near-death experiences, decades of leadership work, and a lifetime of inquiry into language and awareness, Joel shares a radically compassionate way of seeing life, one that moves beyond right and wrong, success and failure, and into honor, contribution, and presence. Together, Laura and Joel explore how language doesn’t just describe our reality, it creates it. From the difference between “to-do lists” and “to-have-happen lists,” to listening beyond the thinking mind and into the quiet intelligence of being, this episode invites listeners to slow down, soften certainty, and discover new possibilities hiding in plain sight. This is not a conversation about fixing the world but about seeing it differently, and allowing what wants to happen to unfold. What You'll Hear In This Episode * Joel’s near-death experience and the three truths that shaped his life * Why who we are being matters more than what we are doing * The difference between intuition and embodied awareness * Why teams (and families) thrive when being is acknowledged * Listening to the inner voice without letting it dominate Resources & Links Connect with Laura Facebook https://www.facebook.com/surrenderingtothesigns [https://www.facebook.com/surrenderingtothesigns] Website www.surrenderingtothesigns.com [http://www.surrenderingtothesigns.com/] Download your free copy of Seven Keys to Surrendering to the Signs Home | Laura Gates | Surrendering to the Signs | Spiritual Podcast [https://laurafrancesgates.com/#seven-keys] Self: The Vast World Behind Our Words — Joel Kimmel & Judy Kimmel Visit www.surrenderingtothesigns.com [http://www.surrenderingtothesigns.com]  Music Featured The music in each episode of Surrendering to the Signs has been carefully curated to enhance the episode, below is a list of all tracks featured. List of Music Easy to Love - Instrumental Version _Song by Saggie  Night Patterns _Song by Florian Darklouds _Song by Out of Flux  Clarity_Song by Roie Shpigler  Butterfly_Song by Ian Post Dreamy_Song byYehezkel Raz - Creative Cut Highway - Song by Yarin Primak - - Instrumental version Never Die- Song by Noa Lembersky - - Alternative Version Podcast co-produced, edited, and sound designed by Daniel De Souza https://www.danieldesouza.com [https://www.danieldesouza.com/]