224. Silencing Your Inner Critic | A Pathway to Self-Acceptance with Dr. Laura Gallaher

"Choose to be okay with who you are."

"Self-acceptance is not the opposite of self-improvement; it is the opposite of self-judgment."

"It's about being more at peace with the imperfection that exists in all of us."

"You are never responding to the world around you, ever - you are only ever responding to the meaning that you're putting on what is happening."

 

Episode summary |

Dr. Laura Gallaher, an organizational psychologist and author, shares her journey from working with NASA to promoting radical self-acceptance. She discusses the importance of psychological safety in organizations, the relationship between self-acceptance and self-improvement, and how stress is often a choice influenced by our self-judgment. Dr. Gallaher emphasizes that self-acceptance is crucial for personal growth and effective leadership, and she provides practical insights on how to cultivate a more accepting relationship with oneself.

 

R.O.G. Takeaway Tips |

• Radical self-acceptance involves embracing all aspects of oneself, including flaws and strengths.
• Self-acceptance is not the opposite of self-improvement; they can coexist.
• Stress is often a choice based on the meaning we assign to situations.
• Defensiveness often indicates a lack of self-acceptance.
• The stories we tell ourselves can significantly impact our emotional responses.
• Creating psychological safety in teams requires self-awareness and vulnerability.
• High achievers often fear that self-acceptance will lead to complacency.
• Compassion for others often reflects our level of self-acceptance.
• Experiential learning and reflection are key to personal growth. 

 

Chapters | 

00:00 Introduction to Dr. Laura Gallaher

06:53 Self-Awareness and Personal Growth

18:00 The Missing Links: Company Culture

29:08 The Impact of Childhood Experiences on Self-Perception

34:59 Understanding and Reframing Personal Narratives

40:38 Defensiveness and Self-Acceptance in Relationships

46:06 Rapid Fire Insights and Personal Reflections

 

Guest Bio |

Dr. Laura is a professional speaker and organizational psychologist who inspires driven self-starters to transform their relationship with themselves to accomplish more than ever while making everything easier! While sharing revelations on radical self-acceptance she uniquely leverages humor to resonate with audiences. She is an approachable, funny, warm, alluring, optimistic, curious and delightful speaker and guest! Even as a USA Today and Wall Street Journal Best-selling author, Dr. Laura doesn't fit the typical "academic" personality of her PhD peers.

Some of her noteworthy achievements include being hired by NASA to transform culture following the Columbia accident, working with Disney to lead radical shifts in performance management for their leaders, and inspiring Yahoo’s global teams to seek transformation from the inside-out.

Fun is always abounding in Dr. Laura’s life; so when she’s not serving a mass self-acceptance movement you can find her water skiing, floating in a sunny pool (likely on a large peacock floatie), playing with her dogs, Grace (a papillon) and Jackson (a morkie), singing while playing her beautiful grand piano, or diving deeper into her own consciousness to live life most fully.

 

Resources:

• Laura's LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/laura-gallaher-phd
• Self Acceptance Quiz URL: https://selfacceptancequiz.com/
• Website URL: drlauragallaher.com
• Instagram: @drlauragallaher

Where to find R.O.G. Podcast:

R.O.G on YouTube

R.O.G on Apple Podcasts

R.O.G on Spotify

5 Year Gratitude Journal:

Grounded in Gratitude on Etsy

How diverse is your network? 
N.D.I. Network Diversity Index

What is your Generosity Style? 
Generosity Quiz

Credits: Dr. Laura Gallaher, Host Shannon Cassidy, Bridge Between, Inc.

Coming Next: Please join us next week, Episode 225, Special Guest, Scott Mann.