6. Getting Unstuck: Recognizing Obstacles to Moving Forward – an Interview with Sarah Elkins
We’re joined mid-way through this episode by Sarah Elkins. Sarah is a speaker, workshop facilitator and coach, musician and storyteller. She is the host of the unique “No Longer Virtual” conferences – two-day limited participation events with the theme of “connecting beyond the keyboard.”
Sarah Elkins works with leadership and sales teams to improve communication by creating environments that encourage authentic connection and curiosity, using storytelling techniques to help people find personal stories to share, and ways to share them.
Her podcast, “Your Stories Don’t Define You. How You Tell Them Will,” can be found on iTunes, Spotify, and more. She’s an active blogger on LinkedIn and on her website.
Sarah lives in Montana, and enjoys hiking, fishing, and traveling. She loves to cook and host guests in her 1890 Victorian home, nourishing and nurturing all who visit.
Listen for:
We begin this episode by explaining how the stories we tell ourselves help or inhibit our attempts to get unstuck and move forward toward the life we really want.
These stories can manifest themselves in at least three ways for both individuals and organizations:
The inner critic
Bad habits or ineffective patterns of behavior
Self-defeating messages
As we interview Sarah, listen for:
• How the ability to observe is a critical tool of storytellers.
• Why storytellers need to be able to be and demonstrate vulnerability.
• How we tell a story is how we feel it.
• How pulling lessons out of negative stories can allow you to avoid experiencing the same negative emotions again.
• What can happen in an organization when leaders don’t address personal or organizational conflict appropriately.
• How our personal and work psyches are inextricably linked.
• How personal growth is dependent on strong self-awareness; negative routines, for example, can be changed without recognition that the routine is self-damaging to begin with.
After listening to the episode:
Consider what stories you consistently tell yourself. How do these stories help or inhibit your attempts to move forward?
What are your persistent roadblocks and what do you sense are the root causes of them?