Paul Scanlon has been a mentor, educator, and motivational speaker for over 40 years with a focus on communication, leadership, cultural engineering, and self awareness. I've been following Paul on Instagram and have listened to his podcast for quite some time as I've processed traumas, worked on setting better boundaries, and learned communication skills – all the things that I'm still working on to this day!

I’m happy to have him on the podcast today to talk about how our childhood traumas impact us as adults and how we can take measures to get unstuck, come back home to our authentic selves, set better boundaries, and become more comfortable with change.

Paul’s book, I Am Not My Father, is an incredible story of how to heal generational trauma and the power of leaning into who you truly are.

In this episode, he explains how attachment styles formed in childhood influence our relationships and patterns as adults, and how we can start to have more compassion and understanding towards ourselves through all of the ups and downs that life throws at us.

He shares helpful tools for setting boundaries and caring less about what other people think of us as we embark on our journey of self improvement and evolution. He acknowledges that, as we grow and change, our relationships can be strained, and how to overcome friction in our lives in order to focus on our own personal growth. He even shares advice for navigating career transitions and aging gracefully in both body and mind.

I’m grateful for Paul’s work and insight on how to get unstuck and make small steps towards aligning who we are with how we show up in the world. I hope his perspective inspires and empowers you to look inward, too.

(00:02:51) How a Mid-Life Unraveling Turned Into a Transformative Awakening

(00:11:52) Understanding Attachment Styles & Confronting Abandonment Wounds

(00:19:47) How to Set Better Boundaries & Trust Your Energy Radar

(00:28:29) Embracing Change & Navigating New Relationship Dynamics

(00:39:23) Tips For Aging Well Externally & Internally

Click here for full show notes

Guest Info:

• Website: paulscanlon.com

• Podcast: Growing Big People with PS

• Instagram: @paulscanlonuk

• Read: I Am Not My Father by Paul Scanlon

Resources:

• Start a conversation in your The Big Silence merch: thebigsilence.com/collections/shop-all

• Read: The Big Silence: A Daughter's Memoir of Mental Illness and Healing

• Follow Karena Dawn on Instagram: @karenadawn

• Follow The Big Silence on Instagram: @The.Big.Silence

• Subscribe: The Big Silence YouTube Channel

• Therapy For All: Resources for those in need

• Thank you to our partners! Go to