#37: Spiritual Awakening: Why Success Alone Will Never Fulfill You with Anna Robinson

Success. Achievement. A full calendar. From the outside, it can look like you've made it. But what happens when success alone still leaves you feeling empty?

In this episode of Be Still and Live, I sit down with Anna Robinson—a soul activist, poet, and tea ceremonialist—to explore the deeper journey of spiritual awakening and why external success can never fully satisfy the longing for meaning, peace, and connection.

Anna shares the moment she realized the life she'd built no longer reflected who she truly was. Together, we explore what it means to move beyond achievement and into heart-led living, learning to trust your inner wisdom instead of chasing validation from the outside world.

We also have an honest conversation about spirituality, why the word God can feel complicated for many people, and how reconnecting with your body, creating moments of stillness, and embracing self-compassion can become powerful catalysts for transformation.

You'll also discover:

• Why chronic stress and anxiety can be signs of deeper misalignment.
• How stillness helps you hear your own inner guidance.
• The impact of your media consumption on your nervous system and wellbeing.
• Anna's tea ceremony practice and the simple principle that changes everything: once the ceremony begins, everything is perfect.

If you've ever wondered why success isn't enough—or you've felt the quiet pull toward something deeper—this conversation offers a grounded, practical perspective on spiritual awakening and finding fulfillment from the inside out.

If this episode resonates with you, subscribe to Be Still and Live, leave a review, and share it with someone who's searching for more meaning, peace, and purpose.

What's one small stillness practice you'll commit to this week?

* Be Still and Live Self-Led Course * - Sign Up HERE

Rate, Review, & Follow on Apple Podcasts
If this conversation brings you a breath of calm, subscribe, share it with a friend, and leave a quick review to help others find their own rhythm to thrive. Your feedback helps me reach more people who need this message too.

It’s easy - just click here, scroll to the bottom, tap those five stars, and hit “Write a Review.” I’d love to know what resonated most with you in this episode!
And don’t forget to hit that follow button if you haven’t already! There’s plenty more coming your way - practical tips, inspiring stories, and tools to help you live a life you love. You won’t want to miss out!

Let's Connect on Instagram
sileocoaching.com
Free Guided Fog to Freedom Meditation HERE

This podcast is produced, mixed, and edited by Cardinal Studio. 
For information about how to start your podcast, please visit www.cardinalstudio.co OR e-mail mike@cardinalstudio.co

Transcript

A Call To Slow Down

SPEAKER_02 0:00

Everything leads back to these universal truths. Even within religion, there is, while there is also distortion, there's truth embedded in all of it, you know, and I've come to see that everything alive is sacred and divine and interconnected.

Gillian 0:17

If your days feel full, but your heart longs for more meaning, you're not alone. Between the screens, the schedules, and the never-ending noise, it's easy to lose your sense of peace. But what if the way forward isn't found in doing more, but in learning to slow down, to simplify, to be still. Welcome to Be Still and Live, a podcast for individuals, couples, and families longing for calm, connection, and a more meaningful way to live. I'm Jillian, speaker, coach, and founder of Sileo Health and Wellness, and I'm here to help you create space for stillness and step into a life that feels whole and good again. Many people sense that there is a quieter wisdom within them, but they feel unsure how to access it in the pace of modern life. We know how it goes. Responsibilities accumulate and the expectations are always there. The noise is all around us, and slowly that voice within becomes harder and harder to hear. Yet beneath the conditioning, the urgency, and the constant input, something always remains, something that pulls us in and wants us to listen. Today's guest helps people reconnect with that place, that wisdom within us. Anna Robinson is a soul activist, a tea ceremonialist. And I had to ask her what that was. I had no idea what that was before we had this interview. She's also a poet and a facilitator who guides empathetic women back to the wisdom that lives within them and supports the awakening of heart-led leadership. Her work invites people to slow down enough to listen, to create intentional space, and to remember that clarity often emerges when we are no longer rushing in life. Through reflection and presence, Anna helps people reconnect with the love that exists beneath fear and begin making decisions from a deeper place of alignment. In this conversation, we explore what it means to live from the heart, why so many people feel disconnected from their inner guidance, and how small moments of stillness can begin to restore clarity, direction, and trust. If you've ever felt the quiet pull to slow down, to reconnect with your intuition, or to live with greater intention, this conversation offers an invitation back to what is already within you. If this conversation resonates, please follow along, subscribe to the podcast, share with somebody who you think might need this message as well, and also help us in building the Be Still movement, a community of people just like you choosing to live with greater presence, clarity, and connection in a world that often pulls us away from ourselves and the things that matter most. I hope you enjoy this episode.

Meeting Anna And Her Work

Gillian 3:20

Good morning, Anna. It's so good to have you here today on the podcast. And I'm so looking forward to our conversation. Thank you for jumping on and sharing your story with us.

SPEAKER_02 3:31

Thank you so much for having me.

Gillian 3:32

It's a pleasure to be here. Absolutely. I'm uh I'm very much looking forward to hearing more about you and um what you feel called to share with this audience. Anna reached out to me through another guest that I had, and there was clearly a connection with uh what she heard about Be Still and Live, this podcast, and what she feels this audience is wanting to hear. And um I'm just looking forward to seeing where this conversation goes. So yes, many people feel like they've drifted from themselves, but don't know how to return. And I feel you are called to this conversation because you're slowly finding your way, even if you haven't arrived fully yet. Um, I would love for you to share your story about, you know, where you started and where life has brought you and where you've landed today. Was there a specific season in your life when you realized something needed to change?

Checking Boxes Then Feeling Hollow

SPEAKER_02 4:33

Yeah, thank you for that question. Definitely there's a very, I can pinpoint exactly when all of the changes in my life really began to to cascade for me. And that was uh in my late 20s, I had, you know, I was raised in a in a family that really prioritized education and intellect and achievement. And, you know, there's a lot of love, a lot of beauty in my upbringing, but just very focused on on cultivating um the way to do life well. And for anyone who resonates with that, you know, there's there's a path laid out for you for a certain amount of time where, you know, you do well in school and then you go to college and you figure out what your career is and you meet your husband and you get married and you buy a home and maybe you have kids. I didn't quite get to that step, but I was slowly checking off all the boxes and had landed in a season of my life where I was married to a man that was my best friend and had a job that on paper looked exactly like what I wanted to be doing. And we had just bought a home, like everything was quote unquote perfect. And I did not feel that way internally. I, you know, hate is a strong word. I don't like to use it, but I I felt every day that I would go and sit in a box, aka my office for eight hours a day, some part of my soul would be sucked away from me. And I just felt complacent and like I knew there was something more that I was capable of. And that was confusing because there was a lot to be grateful for. And I thought, you know, like, why can't I just like what I have? Why can't I be satisfied with this? And there was, you know, a lot of confusion and self-judgment in that. But it got to the point where I just I had to start asking questions about what else there could be. And um in part that came about because my husband and I at the time, my my ex-husband now were exploring the possibilities of having children and and what, you know, welcoming adventure into our life in different ways could look like. And the question was raised to me by a practitioner of or the, you know, the food for thought that I would never really be at peace unless I was okay with either option, if I were to get pregnant and have kids or not. And it really had me look at my life, you know, five, 10 years out into the future. And I could just predict it day by day. It just looked the same. And I was like, I'm just, I'm not okay with this. This is not what I want. Uh, so I started asking questions, opening myself to receiving answers from life. And at the time, the word that I had availability for was the universe, you know, dear universe, what's my purpose? I just walked around asking the question and I started making little little changes, including going for more regular walks. And on one of those walks, I sat down on a bench and I had this experience that was really difficult for that version of me to understand or explain, which was just this incredible heart opening, where I felt really for the first time in my life, this real flow of love coming from inside of my body and flowing out into the world, and this like electric aliveness through every cell of my body that was connected to all of life around me. And it was so incredible and so compelling. It really stopped me in my tracks and and forced me, it didn't force me, but um invited me to really understand what this was. And having come from this very intellectual upbringing and having pretty strong atheist uh leanings in my in both my parents, both sides of my family for different reasons. My dad kind of came to that conclusion on his own through his experience with organized religion. And my grandmother on my mom's side was a Holocaust survivor and was basically like, there's it's not possible for a God to exist. And those messages really landed quite deeply in my system. And so when I had this experience, I was like, this is I'm more than I knew that I was. And it really became immediately clear that my my heart and my love and who I was was the best part about me, not my intellect or my achievements. And so that sent me on a path to really listen and prioritize and be guided by what my heart was asking me to do, which incidentally led me away from everything I thought I was supposed to do. Um and forced me to really cultivate a relationship with myself as the guide for my life, which, as I know you know, requires deep listening and requires slowing down and tuning into a quieter message or kind of wisdom than the very loud messages that come at us from the world. So that was a number of years ago, and I have explored so many ways to to really come home to myself. That's the language that I use to kind of explain this journey. And and um now no part of my life looks the same. And I feel really grateful to to know myself and be myself and be able to choose to live in this way.

Gillian 10:10

That's a beautiful story. Thank you for sharing that because I feel like it's something we all experience in one way or another. And um, you know, I really speak to the person who's typically, typically in midlife. It's not always midlife, but again, they feel like they've done everything they should have done. They followed the program, they followed the path that was put out for them. And they were kind of told or promised that that's where it's at. Once you arrive, once you work hard enough, once you push through, then you're going to feel fulfilled. You're gonna feel that sense of purpose. But in a lot of cases, people get there and they're disappointed because they're they're feeling like they put all of this effort and this dedication into this path. And when they get there and they have everything they they ever prayed for or desired in their life, and they're feeling this emptiness, that's a really hard place to be. So I love that you're you're sharing an example of what it looks like to have the courage to be open to unlearning what you had learned maybe early in your life and being open to where life might be calling you and trusting that inner voice.

From Atheism To Sacred Connection

Gillian 11:30

Now, you said you were raised atheist. I'm curious to know what that looks like in your life now. Are you connecting with something outside of yourself? You you said you're coming home to yourself. Like, how do you describe what happened to you on that bench in your heart and what was calling you into a different way of life?

SPEAKER_02 11:52

Yeah, I I have come so far on that, on that journey of exploration. You know, it it really required me to do a I'm learning of a lot of of shame stories around spirituality and religion. And I'm sensitive even to, I'm gonna preface this comment because I think, you know, I come from an atheist background and I had certain projections onto the word God, onto the word spirituality, but no matter where we're coming from, those words are so loaded. They have they're they're just covered in whatever our experience was. And I know a lot of people who came from even religious backgrounds who still who have that, even more so. Like I can't talk about God because it's been distorted, you know. So I just want to say that.

Gillian 12:38

Thank you for saying that. Because I think there's there is something there that needs to be acknowledged.

SPEAKER_02 12:44

Yeah, because I look, I want I want to to be heard in this in a way that it can be received. And I think the word I'm using is much less important than the energy behind it. Um, and it really was that, you know, what I described as that unconditional love that was, I mean, it was pouring out of my heart. Um, and I felt it flowing from me into all of life. And so I've I've explored, you know, how to connect with plants, how to connect with nature. I have had a daily meditation and yoga practice. I now have a daily tea practice that I sit with um every day. And what I'm realizing, the more I'm curious to really understand is that everything leads back to these universal truths. Even within religion, there is, while there is also distortion, there's truth embedded in all of it, you know, and and I've come to see that everything alive is sacred and divine and interconnected. And how life is animated by that force of love is maybe one of the most beautiful and and awe-inspiring parts of being alive. And so I really um have cultivated in part as part of my own spiritual practice the necessity to really just be an acknowledgement of that and to do my very best to contribute from myself to that web of life. Um is most service to that love. Yeah. And I I play around with words. I actually like to call that God now. And I, you know, I I pray from my heart to the heart of life or to God, again, whatever you want to call it. Um and I think those things really matter. That's where I feel most access to my deeper self and my own wisdom is is through really sitting in that connection and and listening deeply. And, you know, again, it's a term, it goes by a thousand words and it's it's still a mystery. This is an undescribable thing. And I think sitting in the not knowing, but still being in devotion and and um being humbled by the mystery is is something that has brought a lot of purpose and value into my life.

Gillian 14:58

Yeah, and I think that's that's so beautiful, Ina. I really believe that what you experienced is the foundation of what we're invited into when we discuss the the idea of God. And um, that energy, that love that was flowing from your heart, I believe that that is the foundation of what we're supposed to, what was intended to be experienced in religion. And sometimes religion can just feel like more input or rules or structure that pulls us away from that foundation of love and that energy where we're supposed to invite people in and have this peace and beautiful space to just be. So, I mean, religion, I mean, I I have my own experience with religion and it was mostly good, but there was a lot about it that felt like friction in my body, like it didn't really make sense to me. So I struggled and with that, and I've, you know, I'm still on that journey. But what I've learned is when you have religion without the foundation of your what you're talking about, that connection with God's source, universe, the world around you with creation. You talk about having this admiration for plants and you know, the creative world around you and love and other people. If that isn't the foundation of religion, and religion is is just like something that is accentuating that and supporting that, then I think that's where religion becomes a little bit more of a challenge or something that causes friction in our lives. And becomes hard for us to wrap our head around. And I understand like where your where your dad came from, where your grandmother came from. It can be so complicated when you aren't fully in tune with that love and that energy and that foundation that you're talking about.

Inner Wisdom In A Loud World

Gillian 17:04

So many, many of our listeners feel overwhelmed by constant input, information and opinions and expectations. You talked about the expectations in your life of being um on a certain path and having to kind of check those boxes as you went through life. How do you define inner wisdom in a world that is so loud?

SPEAKER_02 17:27

Yeah. So I just want to touch on one thing that you said about religion because I think it's really relevant to this question. I think what guides me, I, you know, I I enjoy learning about religions now and the ways that that can feed the spirit or have us feel connected to um to the divine, to God, to all of it. Where I struggle is any place that asks me to self-abandon or to attune to an authority outside myself or what is right about my life. And I just don't believe that there is any external truth like that that's right for every single human being. And when we orient to following the rules, whether they come from our parents or our partner or our pastor or a book, like really anywhere, um, it takes us away from from listening. And so, you know, I think the body is always present. The body is always, it is nature, it's an expression of this, this love animated, you know, and the mind, the mind is what learns to keep the body and the heart in check. And when we have uh internalized these rules, when we have decided to believe that certain things are the quote unquote right way, then even without any external influence, we can override ourselves inside of ourselves. And so I think that's where it gets a little tricky of, you know, we can find stillness and we can tune in and the voices that might come into our mind could be devastating and cruel and very um self-deprecating. And how do we tease out what was an internalized voice? What was the learned way to, you know, navigate environments that didn't cultivate or allow or really invite our full expression? And what is the truth of our own wisdom that's often a lot quieter and requires a little bit more um less linear thinking to really tune into, right? What the the body might tell you, what your intuition or your heart might tell you could go against everything you think is true or right. And so um, I just want to acknowledge that that process, there's a lot of nuance in that too. And it requires you sometimes to break rules or disappoint people. And if we have, as I think a lot of really sensitive people do, and I count myself in that category of being quite empathic, if we're in tuned to the emotions of the people around us, if we have the ability to feel into what is expected of us, it's really easy to use that as a way to know how to be. Um, and learning to be in the discomfort of, oh, you don't like me or you want me to do something different, but I'm going to honor who I am and be authentic to myself requires, you know, building muscles of resilience and and the capacity to be uncomfortable and um some trial and error. But what I've found is that if we're really listening, if we're listening to how we feel, our body is always giving us clues and signals about what's truly right for us. And, you know, I think you named this in a pretty important way where we might get to a place in life as I did, right? Everything looks good, but if it doesn't feel good, that's information. It doesn't mean you have to change everything, but it does mean that something in you is asking for something. And in my experience, really tuning in and honoring that and um being willing to explore what it is that actually brings us joy and actually allows for us to live as as the full joyful, grieving, powerful um women, humans that we are is it's really worth it. Um and not always easy.

Gillian 21:49

Yeah, absolutely. Absolutely. I feel like there's something to be to be discussed there.

What To Trust When You’re Off

Gillian 21:56

A life that looks good on the outside that doesn't feel Good on the inside. And I think this can be sometimes a tricky conversation to have because sometimes what feels good in the moment isn't always good for you long term. And sometimes there can be some confusion about what you know you think you want in that moment and what is going to allow you to sustain that fulfillment and and happiness long term. So when someone's in a life where they feel like it's something's off, something feels like it's unaligned or like it's pulling you away from that true peace and that space where you can fully just give yourself to the world around you. How do you, how do you, how would you say you know what can be trusted and what um needs some further reflection? Does that make sense? Am I clear on that question?

SPEAKER_02 22:52

It does. I at least I think it does. So I'm gonna answer it and you can tell me if it didn't. Um yeah, I think that's a really important question. And I especially for adults who are listening to this who might be orienting to that for the first time. You know, taking drastic action is not something I would ever recommend at first. It's we've learned over the course of 20, 30, 40, 50 years to to live and listen in a certain way and to make true sustainable change, I believe as much as we love this idea of this like peak experience and this sudden transformation, it it happens slowly through practice over time. And so, you know, my first recommendation to somebody in that circumstance would be to do nothing, to actually carve out space, whether that's for one breath or three breaths or 10 minutes or an hour, whatever is the first step that's available to you. To just start to listen. And the more we listen, the more we're gonna cultivate a relationship with ourselves. And the more we cultivate a relationship with ourselves, we're gonna be able to trust and hear what is my voice and what is the voice of, you know, cultural expectations or my grandmother who was really critical, or, you know, the ones that we've internalized that aren't true. And that is a that's a very personal thing, you know, to to navigate that internally. And if we really create the space to not reach towards fixing it, not try and make all the changes right away, but really attempt to be in relationship and and listen, I feel like that's where you're gonna feel the difference between what is the truth of your wisdom and what is what is noise. And as a general rule, at least in that first phase, I find that truth feels more like peace. And the noise tends to feel like it's pulling you off center. And um, you know, in some ways it is that simple and in some ways it's not that simple. And when you get to the point of, you know, maybe the deeper truth is but your job isn't right for you, or your relationship isn't right for you, those are big things. And they don't need to be again, just like rushed into. Maybe there's ways internally that shifting yourself will bring joy in your job or relationship, or maybe it's something to walk away from. And I'm a big proponent of usually with those things, like there's tension that exists within us. There's a part of us that's like, I know I don't want this. And then there's a part that's like, but we could never leave. Um and I I think that being with every single part in that process is a really important way to honor yourself as you move forward. Because if you start trying to listen to that deeper thing, but then you're overriding all of these strategies and all of these other parts of you that are afraid, you're you're still self-abandoning in that way. And that's gonna lead to just, I think, a more chaotic unfolding than something that can be um just really compassionately held and explored with care. And it is my personal belief that whoever you are that's listening to this, you are the wisest person in your own life. You are the person that's gonna have access to knowing what is right for you more than any other person, no matter how well they know you. And that's something that gets to be cultivated first internally and then lived into externally in your life. Like a muscle, you know.

Be Still And Live Program Invite

Gillian 26:54

Before we get back to today's conversation, I want to speak directly to you for a moment. Over the past several years of working with clients and hosting this podcast, one thing has become incredibly clear. People are overwhelmed. They're exhausted by the pace of modern life, struggling to find peace, clarity, and joy, and longing to deepen their faith and live more intentionally. If that sounds familiar, I want you to know you're not alone. And you don't have to figure it out on your own. If you missed the introduction, I'm Julian, certified holistic health coach, and I created the Be Still and Live program to help people move from overwhelm to clarity, from exhaustion to vitality, and from distraction to intentional living. Inside the program, I'll walk you through the exact frameworks I use to help people slow down, reconnect with their soul, and create more peace, purpose, and joy in their everyday lives. Don't spend another day waiting for life to slow down on its own. Open the show notes, click the link for Be Still and Live, and enroll in the Self-Live program today. It's time to stop surviving and start creating a life that you love. I look forward to seeing you there. Now, let's get back to today's conversation.

Awareness Acceptance And Self-Compassion

Gillian 28:21

Yeah, well, this is this is where the idea of soleo comes into play. Because what you're saying is when you're in a situation where there's you're feeling friction in your life and it's getting to the point where you're feeling it on a regular basis, and it's something that is demanding your attention because a lot of times this surfaces as chronic stress, it surfaces as disease in your body. A lot of the times it's um some type of inflammatory disease or an autoimmune disease, it surfaces as chronic anxiety or depression, and it just kind of slowly creeps into your life, but at some point starts to demand your attention, whether that's a you know nervous system breakdown or it's you know constant irritability where you're snapping at the people that you love around you. When you're in that place where you feel that misalignment in your life, what you're saying is it's so important to just not to respond to that friction immediately, but to take that space for stillness so you can really start to understand the root of what's going on. Because what I've learned in my life, I mean, I I it's so easy to blame the external for what you're feeling, but sometimes we're being called to do the internal work and we're being called to grow in a way that is only possible when we take that step back to reflect. And sometimes it's those external situations that are giving us this invitation to allow ourselves to grow in some way, in some capacity, so that we're maybe more prepared for what we're stepping into. And sometimes it means that we need to use that space to reflect on what's going on and maybe make adjustments in our life of some kind. But it's that space where we have that reflection that becomes so important for, you know, deciphering what we do next.

SPEAKER_02 30:16

Yeah, I think awareness is a really important first step for anything. And, you know, there's all these statistics that love to be thrown around, but that we're, you know, our subconscious brain is so wise and always at work and it runs our choices, you know, 90 to 95% of the time. And so that is operating below our awareness. We blame our partner. We feel a certain way where, you know, we, yeah, it's getting louder, but the way that we try and turn towards it is like, shh, yeah, go away. I don't want to deal with this. This isn't true. I'm gonna shove it down or like it's your fault, or however, we want to diffuse the discomfort. Um and so for me, the second what like be just becoming aware of like, okay, this is here, this is here in the space. And then the second pieces that I bring in, I mean, pretty radically and unconditionally in the way that I've chosen to live my life is is acceptance of oh wow, okay, even if I wish to be in a different place, this is where I am. This is what's happening. And as long as I'm in resistance to it, no real change can happen because I can only move from where I am. So, like real acceptance of the moment and compassion for myself, because again, you you described it really well. Like if we're having pain in our body or if there's anxiety that emerges, the because we want to feel good, of course, we do. That's so normal. The a lot of people, their first instinct is, you know, to beat themselves up or to try and discard these parts that aren't working for them. And so really learning to hold an internally compassionate lens of all parts of me are welcome here. I will not invalidate any part of my experience. And that doesn't mean I have to act on it, but it it does mean that I get to build the safe space inside myself where whatever I'm experiencing is welcome. And again, in my experience, the the compassionate, more loving ways of being is where real healing happens and where those really difficult things actually can find a way to not just be suppressed, but actually be moved and transmuted.

Gillian 32:43

Yeah, absolutely. I'd love to go back to this idea of coming back to yourself because I can appreciate that you and I come from very different upbringings. Therefore, we're gonna have a lens that's that's unique. And I grew up in, you know, the church and with a theological background. And when you say come back to yourself, I'm picturing coming back to God within us, that love that you describe as pouring out of our heart. So the way that I view it is we're realigning ourselves with God, and God is pure love. And when we come back to that place, I'm hearing that when you say you come to this place of acceptance. And when we come back to that place where we look at our life and all of the people in our life and our circumstances with this lens of love, things become clear. That's when the judgment falls away, that's when the resistance falls away, that's when the friction starts to disappear, when we align ourselves with that love and that like God is love. And um, I just think that's such a beautiful perspective to have because um I believe that we are created by a God who wants to be in relationship with us, wants to be flowing love into us, and he invites us to flow that love back into God and the people around us, and that's how we share that love. So I think that's that's a beautiful invitation. And I believe when we create space for stillness in our life, especially as our lives get more and more noisy, more and more crowded, it's quite literally that simple. We're being invited to create space for love to flow within us so we get to access that peace and that clarity. And when we do that, there's a ripple effect that happens where we allow that love and that peace to flow into the world around us. And I think, I think that's the point. I think that's where we feel, you know, this beautiful human experience and this beautiful connection and and the potential that we have in living in a community where love is the objective. Because then everybody's invited to live aligned with their unique self instead of being kind of pushed down this pathway of like what this is, this is what success looks like. You know, we're we're invited to just be who we're created to be. And we're all we all have this very unique purpose in the world around us. And when we all feel like we are invited to live that out in full capacity, can you imagine what the world would look like? We'd have, you know, farmers who are just so passionate about what they do and the way they go about doing it. We're gonna have educators who really flow that love into their students. We're gonna have doctors who really want to seek out truth and how to truly care about the human body instead of being pigeon, you know, held into this programming and this way that we're supposed to do things. Yeah, really well said.

SPEAKER_02 35:59

It's also where a lot of my hope comes from in in terms of envisioning a world that I really want to live in, is is exactly what you just described. I think there's a tremendous amount of power that we hold as even individual human beings to return to that true nature, that God nature, that loving nature that lives within us. And and first learn like where, you know, look at children. They're so nobody needs to tell them what they want, they know. And nobody needs to tell them to be in awe or to look towards people and say hi. You know, they're they're naturally expressed as themselves, and you can feel the love in children. And I would love to see a world where that doesn't go away, you know, where we don't learn to build armor around our hearts based on how people accept us or where they reject us or where we um were wounded and and have to go through this process of unlearning and removing all the armor and and sharing that love freely again. Um and, you know, you you described a bunch of really beautiful examples of of how that can benefit our world. And I also think about, you know, the forests that are cut down and the waters that are polluted and the way that we are as human to human in this very divisive moment in our modern culture, right? If we start extending compassion and love across those divides and and really land, not just know from our intellect this truth that everything is connected, but to feel it in in the fabric of our life and in our hearts that what we do, how we show up, the way that we walk the world has an impact on all of those things and it it matters.

Gillian 37:54

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 37:54

Um, there's so much potential for what we can create when we when we move from that place.

Choosing Love Over Fear And Noise

Gillian 38:00

Yeah. Yeah, absolutely. Yeah, it's this idea that I've been I've been reflecting on lately. Fear versus love. And I believe that you know, things start to unravel when we base our decisions on fear. And um, when we start to choose love, faith, hope, and love over fear, everything changes. And you're talking about how we raise our children. Like what happened, what would happen if we just immersed our children in this language of love and God's love and their potential to take that love and and share it with the world? And that was the environment that they were raised in a as a young child. And then we teach them go, you know, if if that leads you to religion, if you find a pathway that now enhances that love and creates the structure and this framework and this community where you can grow that love exponentially because of that framework and community you're in, then go and and you know, connect yourself with that. I feel like maybe we have it backwards where we create this framework and the structure first, and then we expect that everything else is gonna flow from that. But what if we trusted that we plant the seed of love first and we trust that that person's heart will lead them in the right direction? I don't know. There's just something to be said about that. Moving back to that place of faith, hope, and love over, okay, now we got to fear because we got to create the structure. And if we don't have the structure, then what might happen? Well, what would happen if we just planted seeds of love and trusted that they're going to take us in the right direction?

SPEAKER_02 39:41

I love what you said for so many reasons. And um, one is planting seeds and like, why not plant them in our own hearts and our own brains right now, you know? Like, yes, the future generations and the children. And also, like right now, for for each of us, there's there's a truth of that connection to to the sacred that lives inside of us. And if if that's not something that we're feeling connected to in our lives, um, it doesn't mean that that's not part of who we are. It just means that we're disconnected from it. And I think that's a lot of where this deeper yearning comes from, even when we have things that that we wanted and that look really good in life is our system's always going to be seeking wholeness. And if there's a part of us that we're not in relationship to, it's gonna be like, I'm here, like I want to be seen. Um, and then I think an another word that you just used that's really important in this process is trust. And, you know, I think of my grandmother as an example, like her life experience built very real reasons in her to not trust that life will be there for you or that God is benevolent, you know. And looking at the world right now, there's a lot of circumstances that people are in that they might feel very similarly, right? Of like putting trust, like nobody has my back, you know. I think that's really common and and something that we learn in our modern culture that that we're individuals and that our success relies on our competition with the people around us. And trusting is dangerous because we'll be burned. Um and there's so much courage in opening ourselves to believing something different and leaning into how can I recreate a trust with life? Because life does want to support us. I really do believe that. And what we're putting out into the world, we're gonna get back energetically. And so if we're distrusting, if we're hateful, if we're angry, like life will confirm that yes, those experiences can exist and you can choose to have those in your life. And if we have the courage to say, no, I want extraordinary, I don't want to settle, I don't want fine, I don't want to feel alone. Um, the more we start to lean into generosity and trust and love and compassion, we're gonna see the world reflect that back to us. And yeah, um, so I just wanted to touch on that because I think sometimes trust, again, it can be one of those loaded words where I can just be like, yeah, let's be nice for you.

Gillian 42:20

Yeah. And I I often, you know, I'm so aware of the the group of people who they don't trust God because of how God was presented to them from such a young age. And they felt that friction, like, this doesn't feel right. All of these rules, all of this judgment doesn't feel like who you're saying God is. And there's that internal conflict that you wrestle with. And so many people they throw the baby out with the bathwater. They don't want a relationship with God because of how God was presented to them. So through this conversation, I want to invite people back into that faith, hope, and love, trusting that that you are created by a God who loves you and wants you to feel that same love that you experienced on that park bench that just radiates from you. And that is what, I mean, if you're feeling disoriented and discouraged by the state of the world right now, I believe that that is the only way the world is going to change. God works through us, He doesn't impose Himself on us. And I believe that it's an invitation to allow that love to pour through us and to other people. And that is what causes that ripple effect that people are just so hungry for right now. But it's really taking it's really like going back to that faith, hope, and love and that trust where you have to believe more in that than the horrible things you've seen around you or the negative experience. Experience you've had in your life and trust that planting those seeds will slowly take root and become something beautiful.

SPEAKER_02 44:08

Mm-hmm. Yeah. Yeah. I also think, you know, yeah, there are difficult, challenging things happening in the world, but there's also so much beauty. Yes. And, you know, I think what are we focusing on is a really important part of what creates our perception and our reality. And so even if there are challenges around you, it's like, gosh, did you see that flower growing through the concrete? Oh my gosh.

Gillian 44:34

And it's it's it's so obvious that for some, well, not for some reason. And this is like, I mean, this is a slippery slope and we could go down this path. But it seems like we are being exposed to everything that we could possibly fear on a regular basis through news media, through what is shared, the headlines that are chosen to be shared are always negative. So just having the awareness that that is what's going on. And every time you turn on the news, every time you look at the headlines on your phone, it leads you to believe that all that exists in the world around you is destruction, is divisiveness, is evil. But that is not true. When you when you turn that off and you actually step into real life, like you said, look at that beautiful flower that's growing. I mean, we're recording this in late March. So we are moving into that season where new life is taking root. And if you're so focused on the headlines and what you're being told to believe is around you, yet you're not witnessing what's actually going on around you, like that beautiful tulip that's growing in your front yard or the budding trees around you, then yeah, you're going to start to believe that we need to fear. We need to protect ourselves. But the truth is we're constantly being invited into this place of love and peace and hope. And all of these seeds that are consistently being planted around us that we may be missing because we're so focused on kind of what's being imposed on us.

SPEAKER_02 46:14

Yeah, I think that, you know, consumption is something that it's important for all of us to take a look at because those things also inform our subconscious. What are we letting into our into our life, into our brain, not just the diet of our food, but our relationships and the media we consume and and being intentional with how we're we're crafting that, I think is something that every person gets to look at for themselves and and again from that place of feeling, like what do what's the impact of that on you in your system? And is it moving you towards how you want to feel and how you want to see the world, or is it moving you away from that and and letting that information in your body really be an important part of guiding you? And you know, we're referencing a lot of the beauty that that exists in the world around us. And and again, I just want to put a little plug in here of there is so much beauty that exists inside. And I think the clarifying process is one that that asks us to turn inward and kind of just shift our attention from all of these things that are pulling us in so many directions and just really land inside. And and you know, again, we love to know uncertainty is uncomfortable, but yeah, instead of needing to know, maybe to just ask some questions and see what yeah, get curious and see what life is gonna reveal to you beyond what you think you know. And I think it's a lot more interesting and logical for sure.

Gillian 47:45

Yeah, yeah. Absolutely. Well, Anna, is there anything else you would like to to share today? Is there anything else that's kind of on your heart that you'd like to share with the audience?

SPEAKER_02 47:58

You know, I think we covered it pretty well. I think again, just to not underestimate how much it matters every single human, every single life that's walking this planet. There's, you know, for you to feel good and to feel yourself and to feel relationship to something that matters to you and that feels sacred, that that matters, and also just how impactful every individual life is for this collective reality that we're sharing. And um just appreciate, really appreciate anybody who's willing to do that work because I know it does require uh devotion and courage, and yeah, and that's not a small thing. So just honoring you and anyone who's listening in that process.

Gillian 48:44

Yeah, yeah, I think that's a that's a great way to conclude because we can become hopeless and we can start to believe that what's the point? What's the point of me going through this process if everything else is crumbling around me? What I'd love to invite everybody into, including myself, is what would happen if each individual took responsibility for how we can cultivate this love and this clarity within ourselves. If everybody did that, this would be something that was contagious. People would see it in us and they would want to be a part of it. They're going to ask you questions, they're going to get curious. How are you experiencing this peace when everything, it seems like the world is literally burning down around us? And then you have that beautiful opportunity to share how simple it is and how accessible it is. That that this beautiful source of love is always available to us. We just have to, we just have to take the invitation and allow ourselves to go back to that place regularly and allow it to feed us and allow it to be what we focus on. And that becomes, again, the the ripple effect that changes the world in a positive way.

SPEAKER_02 50:06

Yeah, so beautiful. Well said. Thank you.

Tea Ceremony As A Daily Practice

Gillian 50:10

You're very welcome. And Anna, I'd love for you to share if um you would like, if anybody would be interested in connecting with you. And we didn't even talk about your tea ceremonies that you do. She didn't. So I think I think that's something that's so beautiful to share because I'm like, oh my gosh, after I read your bio and I learned a little bit more about ceremonial team making, I'm like, oh my gosh, this sounds, this sounds like something that I would benefit from. Because I mean, I have the resistance. I already feel like, oh my gosh, how would I make the time for that? Where would when would I do that? Where do you get the leaves? How long is that process? But at the same time, I'm also recognizing how beautiful that would be to create space for something that's so intentional. So would you mind sharing a little more about that and and what you do and how people can connect with you?

SPEAKER_02 50:59

Yeah, thank you for that question. Um, you know, I'll say I think having a pre everything, I think life is a practice, right? And what a good question even to ask now is like, what are we practicing on a daily basis? And what can we invite in that brings us closer? And I had shared with you earlier that I've tried a lot of things, you know, I've I've had a meditation practice and a yoga practice and a writing practice. I do still really love that one. Um but a number of years ago, I I stumbled on a tea ritual. A woman was running a program virtually that that you know, for 20, 30 minutes a day was sitting with tea leaves in a bowl. And there was a really simple rule in that, um, which was once the ceremony begins, everything is perfect. And for whatever reason, that invitation in this ritual, the cultivation of space to create stillness and connection with myself, to be in connection with tea as a being of nature started to soften my system into like really believing that truth. And what if the ceremony isn't just the tea ceremony, but the ceremony is life? What if everything is always perfect? And my work as a human is to allow it to be true. And it's cultivated this incredible resiliency and this softening in my system to find neutrality and the ability to access choice across any circumstances that life is is um throwing at me. And so, you know, this simple practice that I that I do on my own has also changed the way I walk the world. And so that's why I really just I so firmly believe that um, again, whether it's tea ceremony in the way that I serve it, which is in silence in a in a kind of ritual container, or something that you can develop as your own personal practice, or it's something that you find for yourself, the things that support us in yeah, just living as that um loving being more often is is is worth practicing. So that's that's what it is for me. I I think you're you're sharing that because I I have a program called Back to Center that supports people in in learning this ritual and also as a vehicle to kind of learn how to come back to center within themselves and the way they walk the world. And um I also think it's a really it's a really beautiful way to give you access to your own channel, your own voice, and and open yourself to creativity. So it's a deep love of mine. I could talk about this for a long time. And I'm gonna stop now. Yeah. Um, but I appreciate the question so much. Thank you.

Gillian 53:50

Yeah, you're very welcome. It was a pleasure chatting with you today and learning more about your story and um your journey through spirituality and just navigating through some of the complexities of of life and the pathway that we're we're kind of led down. And I I really appreciate you sharing where it's brought you. And I mean, life probably doesn't look the way that you thought it would when you were in your teens years or 20s. But it seems like you're in a beautiful state of peace and and clarity right now. So I think that's something that um is very encouraging when we open our heart to where life is leading us and opening ourselves to the fact that it may not look the way we originally anticipated. It's it's a really I think this a neat opportunity to embark on this this adventure in our life.

SPEAKER_02 54:50

Yeah, it's kind of a reckoning with this with this idea that we're actually not in control. Yeah. How much we would like to believe we are, but yeah, anxiety is not it's not actual control. It's just the desire to um be able to, and and letting that go has been one of the greatest gifts of my path. So wonderful.

Gillian 55:12

Wonderful. Well, thank you so much, Anna. Thank you. Have a wonderful day. You too.

Closing Reflections And Next Steps

Gillian 55:20

So just listening to Anna here, I believe there's a difference between constantly searching for answers and creating space where answers can, I guess, surface. Anna's work reminds us that wisdom isn't always something that we acquire. It doesn't always come from the external. It's often something that we simply remember. And we can't remember this wisdom if we're always distracted and we always have noise all around us. Beneath that noise of modern life, beneath the pressure to constantly perform, there is something that's always there, something that is consistent and calm and feels like something that is guiding us. This stillness helps us reconnect with that place. And from that place, decisions become so clear, and relationships can feel more intentional, and life begins to feel less stressful, less um full of anxiety, and more aligned. The world does not always encourage us to slow down long enough to listen. So we need to be intentional about doing this in our own lives. We often discover that what we are seeking has been present within us all along. If we slow down long enough to listen. If this conversation resonated with you, please consider sharing it with someone who may also be feeling that pull to reconnect with themselves. I also invite you to follow along on Instagram at Sileo Coaching, subscribe to the Be Still and Live podcast, and please leave a review. This helps this podcast and this message to get in front of more people who need it too. Until next time, be still and live, and we will see you at the next episode. Thank you for listening to Be Still and Live. As always, my hope is that this conversation offered you a little more space. Space to breathe, to listen, and to come home to what matters most. If this episode resonated with you, I invite you to subscribe to the show and consider sharing it with someone who could use a little more space or clarity right now. That simple act helps this work reach the people who need it most. If you're ready for a gentle next step, you can begin with Fog to Freedom in the show notes or at saleocoaching.com. Until next time, be still and live.

SPEAKER_00 57:54

This podcast is produced, mixed, and edited by Cardinal Studio. For more information about how to start your own podcast, please visit www.cardinalstudio.co or email Mike at mike at cardinalstudio.co. You can also find the details in the show notes.