What if the path to inner peace wasn't about doing more, but recognizing you're already enough? Barbara Burgess joins us for a soul-stirring conversation that might just revolutionize how you approach midlife.
Barbara shares how leaving a 20-year toxic job created space for profound self-discovery. With disarming honesty, she reveals how we become trapped in "small yeses" that drain our energy and pull us away from our authentic path. Her concept of "bulletproof grace" offers a transformative approach to handling difficult people without absorbing their negativity.
The most powerful moments come when Barbara explains how our bodies hold wisdom our minds often ignore. Research shows our physical reactions provide more accurate guidance than our thoughts, yet we've trained ourselves to disconnect from these internal signals. Through simple practices like pocket phrases ("Let me think about that"), we can create space to check in with our bodies before committing to things that don't serve us.
Barbara's perspective on "staying in your energy lane" provides a refreshing antidote to comparison culture. When we stop trying to mimic others' journeys and protect our boundaries from others' expectations, we discover a natural flow state where meaning and joy emerge effortlessly. Her stories about connecting with strangers and finding delight in small moments demonstrate how slowing down—even amid busy lives—reveals opportunities for genuine connection.
Whether you're struggling with boundaries, feeling overwhelmed by others' expectations, or simply seeking more peace in daily life, this episode offers practical wisdom wrapped in midlife realness. Join us to discover how honoring your "enough-ness" might be the most revolutionary act of self-care you can practice.
Barbara Burgess is an author, mother, executive, and unapologetic dark-chocolate lover who’s embraced the beautiful messiness of life. She founded Corluma (cor = heart, luma = light), a Chicago-based consulting firm, wrote and performed a one-woman show “The Extraordinary Experience of Being Ordinary” and most recently wrote her first book, Enough: Finding Peace in a World of Distractions, Hustle, and Expectations.
Known for her humor, vulnerability, and practical wisdom, Barbara shares simple shifts to help people remember they are enough and have enough. Her ego is kept in healthy check by two teenage children and career adventures that included selling candy bars for Nestle Foods, launching Grainger into internet commerce, a brief marketing stint at the Chicago Mercantile Exchange, and most recently overseeing operations, marketing, and finances as the COO of a non-profit. Like all of us, Barbara says, she’s still figuring it out.
Let's Connect!
Website: www.corluma.com
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/barbaraburgess1
Book: www.beenough.com
Halfway To Dead Podcast
email: Jen@HalfwayToDeadPodcast.com
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