Sinéad O’Leary : Fighting Spirit

Topics covered : authenticity, self-worth, the power of play, fear, love, relationships, family dynamics, anxiety, triggers, trauma, expectations, suicidal thoughts, purpose, forgiveness, change, personal responsibility, healing, being in flow. Gerry Hussey otherwise known as 'The Soul Coach' is a performance psychologist who has been working in the fields of health and performance for almost twenty years. He and his wife Miriam are the founders of wellness platform ‘Soul Space’ and along with their wonderful children, Elijah who’s a toddler and their baby girl Bethany, they split their time between Ireland and Portugal and I’m proud to call them my friends. I spoke to both of them back in 2019 at the very beginning of Ready to be Real and recently I sat down with Gerry and had this heart opening conversation.In it, he shares some of his darkest times with us and explains how used his past trauma to step into his power, he talks non-negotiables, triggers and the impact that a letter can have on someone.He gives us so much to think about for the year ahead and I hope you take as much from it as I did. Gerry’s book is ‘Awaken Your Power Within’ and it’s a powerful read. Another book mentioned during the conversation is ‘Man's Search For Meaning’ by Victor Frankl.Gerry's questions to ask yourself :Who am I?What do I stand for?What do I believe in?What does the greatest version of me look like?And if I truly loved myself, if I didn't worry about what other people thought and I backed myself, what would I do? Am I being honest?Am I being truthful?Am I listening to my heart?Am I stepping in the direction of my dreams? If you’re a fan of my pod, please follow, rate and review in all the usual places. And thanks, as always, for your support of Ready to be Real. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

20 Jan 202356min

Topics covered : The Law of Attraction, taking action, letting go, inner critic, inner cheerleader, victimhood, gratitude, self-talk, beliefs, power of intention, change, difficulty, ah-ha moments, persistence, growth, transformation, awareness, awakening.I’m back with a brand-new episode and I speak to author, musician and wellness guru, Dr Joe. Vitale.Once homeless, Joe is now one of the world’s best known personal development experts and was also one of the main contributors on the hit movie ‘The Secret’.He's written over 80 books and in this conversation, we talk about The Law of Attraction and how important taking action is to achieve our goals, the beliefs we have about ourselves and how they impact us in our lives and he also gives great advice on how best to navigate challenging times too.Dr. Joe will be one of the speakers at the Pendulum Summit in the Convention centre in Dublin on the 25th and 26th of January and there are some tickets still available, go to…Tickets - PendulumSummitIf you’re a fan of my pod, please follow, rate and review in all the usual places. And thanks, as always, for your support of Ready to be Real. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

13 Jan 202346min

Topics covered : Sexual confidence, connection, shame, blame, self-pleasure, communication, fantasies, desire, dirty talk, sex toys, orgasm.This episode with holistic sex educator Jenny Keane was a big hit with listeners in 2022 which is why I am sharing it again.She talks about sexual confidence, the importance of connection, self-pleasure, shame, blame and dirty talk.She also answers your questions on fantasises, sex toys and she gives us a fascinating insight into orgasm too.She’s so knowledgeable and great craic and as you’d imagine this is a conversation for adult ears only, so something to be mindful of as you listen.I loved it and I think you will too.If you’re a fan of my pod, please follow, rate and review in all the usual places. And thanks, as always, for your support of Ready to be Real. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

6 Jan 20231h 16min

Topics covered : Anxiety, the inner critic, anorexia, bulimia, attempted suicide, cancer diagnosis, baking, starting a business, success, wellbeing. 2022 was a massive year for Una Leonard.She turned 30 on Christmas day and she used to joke to her family and say..."I’ll have a cookbook before I’m 30!" ...and she did exactly that! Her book 'Sweet Therapy – The Joy of Baking' released this September. We sat down and chatted in June this year and the episode was released 3 months later.It was one of the most powerful conversations I've ever had on the podcast, not alone this year but since Ready to be Real started in 2019.And I've re-released the episode today.She has come such a long way since her darkest days and even since our conversation this summer...and it's fantastic to see her thrive.Her wonderful Mam recently got some great news too so this Christmas really has been a time to celebrate in the Leonard household. This is what I said at the time of it's release....Una Leonard is the owner and founder of 2210 Patisserie, a very successful bakery business and she has a gorgeous, upbeat personality that at one point, hid a deep unhappiness.In this conversation we get a beautiful insight into her relationship with her Mam, the bond she also had with her Granny, fondly known as Dotie; and how baking and opening up her bakery, ultimately became her saviour. I learnt so much from listening to her….about the power our words can have on children in particular, and how our attitude to food can impact those around us.It was one of the most moving conversations I have ever had and I’m so grateful to Una for her willingness to speak about such difficult times in her life and I know she’ll help so many who’ll listen.But it’s an extremely challenging listen at times as we don’t shy away from the reality of her experience of attempted suicide, so please be aware before you play it.Resources :BodywhysBodywhys | The Eating Disorders Association of IrelandPietaPieta | Preventing Suicide and Self HarmSamaritansSamaritans IrelandBook: Sweet Therapy – The Joy of BakingIf you’re a fan of my pod, please follow, rate and review in all the usual places. And thanks, as always, for your support of Ready to be Real. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

30 Dec 20221h 21min

Topics covered : Meditation, fears, regrets, acceptance, death, present moment awareness, compassion.I hope you’re having a lovely Christmas break and I’ll be back with a brand new episode on the 13th of January but over the coming weeks I’m going to re-release some episodes that resonated with listeners.Starting with this one…with Brother Richard Hendrick.Brother Richard has been a priest-friar for over 20 years and during the Covid 19 pandemic he wrote a poem called ‘Lockdown’ which went viral.In this conversation he gives us a fascinating insight into the life of a monk, he explains the difference between having purpose in life and finding meaning, he speaks of Celtic spirituality, the power of apologising…and death, in the most beautiful way.It’s an episode that will make you reflect on your own life and hopefully enrich it, as it has for me.Book mentions: ‘Still Points – A guide to living the mindful, meditative way’‘The Top Five Regrets of The Dying’ by Bronnie WareIf you’re a fan of my pod, please follow, rate and review in all the usual places. And thanks, as always, for your support of Ready to be Real. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

23 Dec 20221h 13min

Topics covered : Failure, faith, religion, awareness, meditation, death, compassion, love. In this episode I speak to author, playwright, podcaster, poet and all-round wonderful human being, Michael Harding.Michael is someone I’ve wanted to speak to for years and I’m so happy to be releasing this episode in time for the Christmas break.In this enlightening conversation we talk about his love of religion, the power of failure and finding the extraordinary in the ordinary.His latest book ‘All the things left unsaid – confessions of love and regret’ is a stunning collection of letters he wrote for the people who deeply affected him over the years and it’s available now in all good bookshops.He's charmingly self-deprecating, reflective and his voice is one I could listen to forever. I hope you enjoy our conversation.If you’re a fan of my pod, please follow, rate and review in all the usual places. And thanks, as always, for your support of Ready to be Real. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

16 Dec 20221h 5min

Topics covered : Boundaries, the power of NO, core values, toxic relationships, gaslighting, red flags, people pleasing, narcissism, inner work, breaking a negative cycle of behaviour, positive change. In this episode I speak to life coach Jennifer Davy, about boundaries.Jennifer is married to Wayne and they have two boys Oliver who’s 8 and Freddie who’s 5 and they live in County Waterford.And in this conversation she breaks down what a boundary is and how to implement one, how to manage toxic relationships and how to spot gaslighting.Hopefully it might help you to navigate the often tricky Christmas period with friends and family.Some questions to ask yourself -What does a boundary look like for me?What are my core values, what matters to me?What am I no longer going to tolerate?What actions can I take that will protect my energy? You can find Jennifer on Instagram…Intuitive Life Coach for Women | Jennifer (@wellbeingwarrior.ie) • Instagram photos and videosIf you’re a fan of my pod, please follow, rate and review in all the usual places. And thanks, as always, for your support of Ready to be Real. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

9 Dec 202245min

Topics covered : Space, childhood dreams, possessions, freedom, starting over. In this episode I speak to engineer, scientist, writer and performer, Niamh Shaw who is dedicating her life to fulfilling a 40 year old dream – to become an Irish space explorer on a real life mission.Today, she divides her time between Strasbourg, home of the International Space University, Ireland and the US, where she is building up contacts in the space community.You’ll find her on Instagram @dr_niamh_shaw and her book ‘Dream Big: An Irishwoman's Space Odyssey’ is available in all good book shops.She is absolutely lovely and so inspiring and it’s an episode that will make you think and hopefully encourage you to follow your dreams. If you’re a fan of my pod, please follow, rate and review in all the usual places. And thanks, as always, for your support of Ready to be Real. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

2 Dec 202255min