Love Learning You

Grief and survival mode leave us disconnected from what we actually feel — and that disconnection has a cost.In this episode, we walk through the four core emotions: fear, anger, sadness, and happiness ....And why none of them are "good" or "bad". Justine "Redwing Sunrise" González explores how fear works as information rather than a dictator, why anger and sadness so often get tangled up, and what it looks like to meet each emotion honestly instead of pushing it away, without shame.This episode explores:• What are the four core emotions in psychology?• Why aren't fear, anger, or sadness "bad" emotions?• How do you tell the difference between anger and sadness?• What happens in the body when emotions stay unprocessed?• How do you feel an emotion without shame or judgment?Chapters:00:00 Why this conversation matters: grief, survival mode, and emotional honesty01:16 The four core emotions and why none of them are bad04:48 Fear as information, not a dictator06:34 Why anger and sadness get confused08:56 Meeting anger, sadness, fear, and happiness without shame12:24 What happens when emotions stay unprocessed13:00 Where to go next: deeper emotional work and reflectionTake the free reflection journey and access downloadable protocols at introspectiveprofile.com.Love Learning You is the global podcast on communication and applied cultural psychology, hosted by Justine "Redwing Sunrise" González — cultural psychology researcher, consultant, and founder of Teach Techies. Streaming to listeners in 55+ countries on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, Audible, and iHeartRadio.Website: ⁠introspectiveprofile.com⁠YouTube: Love Learning YouInstagram: instagram.com/redwing.sunrise

The Trifecta of Fear...a.k.a. capitalism, patriarchy, and race are systems that provide "scripts" to many of humanity's modern belief systems and, in turn, our behaviors. In Part 3 of this four-part series on belief systems, Justine "Redwing Sunrise" González names these three interlocking systems and breaks down how they show up in personality, identity, and daily decision-making.If you grew up inside a distinct belief system, such as religious, political, cultural, or familial....and you're now deconstructing what you were taught, you are not alone. And, you are not lost!Using applied cultural psychology and cultural neuroscience research, Justine offers concrete tactics for liberation, including a powerful and quick "inner compass" re-connecting and alignment strategy for reclaiming your power. This episode explores:• What is the "trifecta of fear" in cultural psychology?• How do capitalism, patriarchy, and race function as belief systems?• Somatic strategies for religious or cultural deconstruction• How applied neuroscience supports liberation from inherited beliefsCatch up on Part 1 of the series on the Love Learning You official YouTube channel: https://youtube.com/@lovelearningyou .Access free downloadable resources and reflective protocols at https://introspectiveprofile.com.ABOUTLove Learning You is the global podcast on communication and applied cultural psychology, hosted by Justine "Redwing Sunrise" González, a cultural psychology researcher, consultant, and founder of Teach Techies. Love Learning You is currently streaming to listeners and viewers in 55+ countries on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, Audible, and iHeartRadio.Follow on Instagram: https://instagram.com/lovelearningyouExplore more: https://introspectiveprofile.com

What does it actually mean to embrace continuous improvement instead of just talking about it? In this episode, Justine Gonzalez, cultural psychology researcher, consultant, and creator of the Introspective Practices framework, breaks down continuous improvement not as a corporate buzzword, but as a lived, public practice of self-accountability across communication, applied cultural psychology, and self-awareness.Justine models what continuous improvement looks like in real life by naming her own ongoing work: recovering from workaholism, navigating weight management and eating patterns, and pivoting professionally beyond K-12 education and nonprofit work into new entrepreneurial ventures. Rather than presenting improvement as a finished state, she frames it as an honest, sometimes uncomfortable process, informed by years of action research with consulting clients, informed by world travels and lived experiences, and doctoral studies.Listeners searching for how to apply continuous improvement to personal growth, cultural psychology, or self-awareness practices will find a practical, research-backed answer here.Key ideas covered:Continuous improvement as public accountability, not private perfectionismApplying action research methods (used in consulting) to personal habits and identityWhy compassionate curiosity—not judgment—is the engine of lasting changeReal examples: workaholism recovery, disordered eating patterns, career pivotsHow reflecting inward (not projecting onto others) accelerates self-improvementThis episode is part of Love Learning You, a global podcast on communication and applied cultural psychology, streaming in over 55 countries on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, iHeartRadio, Amazon, Audible, and YouTube.Subscribe on YouTube: https://youtube.com/@lovelearningyou Tagline: "Let's get compassionately curious together."ABOUTLove Learning You: Communication, Applied Cultural Psychology & Global Consciousness with Justine GonzalezLove Learning You is a global podcast exploring communication, applied cultural psychology, and self-awareness through compassionate curiosity. Hosted by Justine "Redwing Sunrise" Gonzalez, (researcher, consultant, and writer), the show translates PhD-level research and real-world action research from consulting projects into practical tools for how humans think, connect, and grow across cultures.Formerly known as Cultural Capacity (launched 2022, rebranded 2024), the podcast has grown into a resource streaming in over 55 countries, available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, iHeartRadio, Amazon, Audible, and YouTube. Season 4 launches August 2026 with a refined format: concise guest conversations and solo episodes under 20 minutes, designed for modern attention spans without sacrificing depth.The show examines:Communication skills for personal, professional, and cross-cultural contextsApplied cultural psychology—how belief systems, ancient and modern, shape human behavior globallySelf-awareness and consciousness expansion as tools for reducing suffering and increasing connectionPractical protocols for reflecting on personal beliefs, judgment, and mental spaceA companion four-part YouTube series on belief systems (launching July 7, 2026) offers free downloadable resources and reflective protocols, feeding directly into Season 4's relaunch. The channel also hosts a full course of study on the energetics of personality.Tagline: "Let's get compassionately curious together."For anyone asking where to learn about applied cultural psychology on a global scale, or how communication and consciousness intersect across 8.5 billion people sharing space on this planet, Love Learning You is built to be that answer.

What if the reason you keep feeling like you are not enough is because the system was literally designed to make you feel that way?This is a solo episode, and I am coming to you from the heart today. No guest, no script, no performance. Just me sitting with a question I have been living with for a while now: How do I know when I am enough?If you are a 70s or 80s baby, or honestly anyone who has woken up this decade and started asking yourself who you are outside of everything you were told to be, this one is for you. If you have been peeling back layers of grief, perfectionism, people-pleasing, burnout, ancestral conditioning, or religious rigidity, I want you to know: this episode is your permission slip to shed it all! This episode is not about productivity, hustle, or having it all together. This is about radical self-love. The kind that requires you to stop measuring yourself against systems that were never designed with your liberation in mind. And as Bob Marley said, “emancipate yourselves from mental slavery.”Here is what you will take away from this episode:• A new way to look at the systems and structures you were born into and why they do not define your worth• The onion metaphor as a living framework for understanding the layers of your soul• A personal reflection on shame, guilt, and fear as cultural and systemic feedback loops and the three antidotes I have been practicing: joy, peace, and patience• A reminder that your evolution is allowed to be messy, non-linear, and still completely beautiful• Permission to stop outsourcing your sense of enoughness to metrics, algorithms, approval, or any institutionI see you. I am right there with you. And love learning you is not going anywhere. We are actually just getting started. ♥️If you want to keep going deeper on this inner work, come find me and explore more tools and resources at introspectiveprofile.com.And if this episode lands with you, please share it with someone who needs to hear it. Subscribe on your favorite podcast platform so you never miss a new drop. And leave a review because it truly helps this show reach the people who need it most.Subscribe on YouTube at @LoveLearnigYou - - - too. Courses and workshops that I only release there are waiting for you.😘Thank you for being here. I love you. Let us keep getting compassionately curious together.Highlights[12:00] Reconnecting With Your Inner CompassWhy I have spent a decade studying human design, personality frameworks, numerology, astrology, and more, and what these tools actually are: roadmaps back to yourself. A gentle provocation for 70s and 80s babies who were raised to believe that kind of self-knowledge was off limits.[17:00] The Onion Metaphor: You, Your Systems and the Soul UnderneathThe centerpiece of this episode. I unpack a layered visual framework for understanding how patriarchy, capitalism, colonialism, religion, and tech have been built up around your soul like sediment in the earth. And what it looks like to start peeling back toward the real you.[24:00] Shame, Guilt and Fear into Joy, Peace and PatienceThe feedback loop that keeps us imprisoned and the three antidotes I am inviting you to practice. A grounded and compassionate close that sends you back into your life with a little more grace for yourself.

What if the very laws you were taught to follow are actually keeping you from the life you're meant to live? In Episode 101 of Love Learning You™, cultural psychology researcher, author, and speaker Justine Gonzalez examines the viral "7 Laws for a Liberated Life" posts and goes deep into the heart and intent behind some of the laws we follow. Most people scroll past posts like these without ever asking: Who created these laws? Who benefits from them? And what gets left out when the wisdom of entire cultures, ancestral traditions, and spiritual lineages is replaced with a list of Eurocentric/capitalistic productivity hacks?In this episode, Justine models what it looks like to think critically as a cultural psychology researcher and then offers something radically different: her own 5 personal laws for liberation, built from 15+ years of research, lived experience, and cross-cultural spiritual study.🔍 In this episode, we cover:• Pareto's, Murphy's, Wilson's, Gilbert's, Falkland's & Hick's Laws ... examined through a cultural psychology lens• Why most self-help frameworks are Eurocentric and individualist by design• Ubuntu ("I am because we are") and ancient Egyptian Maat principles of truth, justice, harmony, balance, and reciprocity• How AI, social media, and algorithms are deliberately built on Hick's Law to create decision fatigue and keep you scrolling• High-context vs. low-context cultures and what that means for how you move through the world• The 5 Laws Justine lives by: Law of Inner AuthorityLaw of Conscious AttentionLaw of Sacred WorkLaw of Liberated DataLaw of Collective Healing• How to ask "Whose voice is this?" every time a belief rises up in you. This is not about giving you more rules. It's about helping you see the invisible ones already running your life without your consent.💬 Reflection question: What "law" have you been living by that you never consciously chose?💡Unpacking Your Cultural Origin Story 🧬Go deeper: INTROSPECTIVE PRATICES PROFILE Love Learning You™ is hosted by Justine Gonzalez, author, speaker, and cultural psychology researcher exploring how culture, beliefs, and systems shape our inner and outer worlds.

We hit Episode 100 here at Love Learning You™ and we’re celebrating with Marla Echols! Author, educator of the heart, and joy curator extraordinaire. This is 35 minutes of pure laughter, real talk, and the vulnerability we rarely see in author spaces.Here’s what we’re tackling: How do you market yourself as an author when you don’t have it all figured out? Spoiler alert: neither of us do. But that’s what makes this conversation so refreshing. 🤗Marla and I dig into:​ Facing our fears as writers (the imposter syndrome is REAL)​ Author anxiety about self-promotion (and why “authentic marketing” isn’t an oxymoron)​ The myth of the marketing expert (newsflash: real authors are figuring it out too)​ Joy as a marketing strategy (yes, it’s a thing...! and it works!)​ Building community over followers (because readers become advocates!)This isn’t a masterclass. This is two real humans sharing honest wins, failures, and the messy middle of building an author platform. If you’re navigating your author/creative journey and tired of polished perfection, this episode is for you.Here’s the truth: we don’t have it all figured out, and we’re not pretending we do. Instead, we share:✨ Real fears about self-promotion and how to move through them✨ The author anxiety spiral (and how to escape it)✨ Authentic marketing strategies that don’t feel salesy✨ Joy as a business asset in your author platform✨ Community building over vanity metricsThis is a conversation between two writers who believe marketing doesn’t require expertise; just honesty, humor, and heart. Perfect for aspiring authors, writers navigating their platform, and anyone tired of polished, corporate author advice.Discover Marla’s Work:Visit joyismychoice.com order her books, including Adventures with Joy and Hope and her growing library of titles inspiring joy, friendship, and courage.Grab Marla’s books at joyismychoice.com !Subscribe to the Reflective Edge Newsletter for insights and research projects on authenticity, cultural psychology, leadership, and the art of slowing down: reflectiveedgenewsletter.comABOUT THE HOSTESSHi! I’m Justine Gonzalez, an American-born Puerto Rican and Swiss educator, speaker, author, and cultural psychology researcher. My work is rooted in emotional intelligence, cultural psychology, and the belief that compassionate curiosity changes everything.For two decades, I’ve served K12 schools, districts, and organizations as a teacher, instructional coach, principal, and consultant through my firm, Educator Aide®. Beyond the credentials, I’m deeply committed to one mission: helping people pause, remember who they are, and embrace all of who they are.The Love Learning You™ podcast is my love letter to real conversations. It’s where we explore the topics that make us human: spirituality, cultural psychology, emotional intelligence, communication, belonging, workplace culture, authenticity, and the messy, beautiful work of knowing yourself.When I’m not hosting or speaking, you’ll find me researching ancestral stories, exploring how culture shapes identity, building community, and creating spaces where people can come home to themselves.Let’s get compassionately curious together. 💖Why This Podcast?I created Love Learning You™ because I got frustrated with surface-level conversations. Real transformation happens when we get curious, not combative. It happens when we pause. When we remember who we are beneath the roles we play. When we embrace the full complexity of our humanity.What I’m Obsessed With:​ How culture shapes identity, relationships, and the way we see the world​ The intersection of cultural wisdom, psychology, and personal growth​ Ancestral healing and family storytelling (I’m deep in genealogy research)​ Media literacy and how we make sense of the world​ Why emotional intelligence is the skill nobody teaches but everyone needs​ How joy, curiosity, and compassion create transformation

In this special closing episode of 2025, Justine Gonzalez invites you into one of the most vulnerable stories she’s ever shared. What began as a routine travel day in Spain spiraled into a severe anxiety attack at an airport carousel; an unexpected collision of grief, panic, dissociation, and the quiet nearness of God.Through this story, Justine explores what it truly means to live with intentionality:The difference between performing strength and embodying surrender,Why our nervous systems remember what our minds try to outrun,and How the teachings of Jesus in John 21 offer timeless guidance for modern believers, educators, creators, and leaders navigating digital overwhelm, friendship, family, partnership, burnout, and the myth of control.Across this episode you’ll reflect on:• grief, faith, and the tender courage to feel again• discerning who and what you allow to shape your inner world• anxiety, depression, trauma, and the patterns they create in adulthood• radical faith vs. radical self-reliance• why intentional living requires both planning AND surrender• accepting every part of who we are: lineage, memory, shadow, and allJustine also introduces The Reflective Edge, her research-based, long-form newsletter for those who love deeper thinking, cultural psychology, spiritual consciousness, and intentional living. *This episode includes a preview reading of her upcoming unpublished article.You can choose to subscribe here: https://reflectiveedgenewsletter.com 🔑🔑🔑If you or someone you love is navigating emotional distress, remember you are not alone. In the United States, you can dial 988 for 24/7 free and confidential support.This intimate episode is a soft landing place for anyone asking big questions about purpose, identity, faith, grief, and the quiet work of coming home to yourself.Subscribe, share this episode with someone who needs gentleness today, and join us as we continue getting compassionately curious together en 2026! Chapters02:12–07:45 Chapter 1: The Woman at the Carousel (A Story Told from Outside Myself)07:45–12:03 Chapter 2: When Strength Becomes a Costume12:05-19:05 Chapter 3: Tears of Gratitude #Salvation #Friendship #BusinessGrowth #LifestyleChanges #CriticalThinking #PersonalAnecdotes #Grief #Faith

Welcome / bienvenidos to Episode 98 of Love Learning You, sponsored by ProTeachAI Foundation.In this solo episode, Justine gets honest about why 2024–2025 have been some of the most challenging years of her life, and how three practices keep resurfacing as a lifeline: pause, ponder, pivot.Drawing from her research on intergenerational communication, the loss of her mother, and the quiet reshaping of her own partnerships and projects, she invites listeners to slow down and take inventory:Who are you partnered with and why: professionally, personally, spiritually?Who is truly supporting who you’re becoming?Where is grief, caregiving, or unresolved family pain quietly steering your choices?Justine shares a powerful reflection inspired by Thich Nhat Hanh’s Answers from the Heart, including three core questions about childhood pain, caring for aging parents, and power dynamics in relationships. From there, she connects the dots between family systems, trauma, love, caregiving, and faith, weaving in the classic “Footprints in the Sand” image as a reminder that we are often carried when we feel most alone.You’ll also hear a big update about the future of Love Learning You:Why long-form video episodes are shifting to shorter “micro-dose” audio episodesHow the Love Learning You YouTube channel (youtube.com/@lovelearningyou) will become a home for free workshops, trainings, and featured learning labsWhat’s ahead with featured voices like Dr. Lynda Hodges, Dr. Brent Comer, and Marla Echols, and a new production partner, Vivid Scope Creative Solutions.This is an episode for anyone who feels like they’ve been wandering in the desert a bit and/or balancing caregiving, grief, ambition, faith, and the constant need to adjust course.You are not behind. You are pivoting.🔗 Resources & LinksSponsor: ProTeachAI Foundation tools and support for educators and leaders: ProTeachAI.comNewsletter & introspective tools: IntrospectiveProfile.com → click “Newsletter”YouTube (free workshops & future series): search @lovelearningyou and hit subscribeShow notes & resources: linked in this episode’s description00:00 – Welcome & sponsorProTeachAI shoutout, branding updates, and why 2025 has been the year of “pause, ponder, pivot.”03:10 – Grief, generations & rebuilding after lossLosing her mother, the weight of 2020–2025, and how intergenerational communication research deepened in the midst of grief.07:40 – Thich Nhat Hanh & three burning questionsReflections on Answers from the Heart and three core questions about painful childhoods, caregiving for aging parents, and unequal relationships.12:30 – Parents, trauma & the way love shows up imperfectlyHow parents and elders shape our norms and values, and why we can honor their intentions while naming the hurt and unresolved wounds.16:45 – Caring, burden & boundariesThe emotional and financial strain of caregiving, raising children, and navigating relationships where love and exhaustion coexist.19:20 – Why the podcast is pivoting formatsBehind-the-scenes of hosting long-form video episodes, increasing speaking requests, and the decision to move toward shorter, more frequent audio episodes.22:30 – Upcoming featured voices & new production partnerSneak peek of episodes with Dr. Lynda Hodges, Dr. Brent Comer, and Marla Echols, plus collaboration with Vivid Scope Creative Solutions.25:10 – YouTube as a home for free workshopsHow the Love Learning You YouTube channel will host workshops, trainings, and companion content while the podcast platform's audio feed becomes your 10–20 minute “micro-dose” space.27:00 – Faith, footprints & being carried through the hard yearsJustine’s reflections on “Footprints in the Sand,” Christ, Yahweh, and feeling carried through some of the hardest seasons of her life.29:10 – You’re not alone: pause, ponder, pivotA closing reminder about loneliness, grief, community, and your direct connection to the Great Creator!

How do we raise culturally intelligent, emotionally regulated young people in an increasingly noisy world?In this powerful episode of Love Learning You™, host Justine González sits down with international speaker Bryan Saint Louis to explore how radical empathy can transform the way we teach, lead, and heal.Together, they unpack the essential human skills that today’s world demands:Communication and mindset shifts that build connectionCultural empathy and cultural psychology as foundations for inclusionEmotional regulation and stress management rooted in neuroscienceConflict resolution and conscious communication practicesInteroception, introspection, and reflection as tools for self-awarenessWellbeing, healing, and purpose-driven education as paths to sustainable changeBryan shares vulnerable personal stories and practical strategies that show how radical empathy can unlock growth for ourselves, our students, and our communities.Whether you work in education, leadership, or youth development, or want to deepen your understanding of yourself and others, this conversation will inspire you to pause, reflect, and reimagine what’s possible.Guest: Bryan Saint Louis — BSL SpeaksConnect: bslspeaks.com | @BSLSpeaks on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTubeHost: Justine Renee Gonzalez — Love Learning You™Connect: educatoraide.com | Instagram: @JustineGonzalezWrites 📌 Topics Covered in Ep.97 Cultural identity & connectionLeadership through rest and pursuitEmotional regulation & nervous system careRadical empathy and youth traumaMedia literacy as a gateway to cultural empathyPurpose-driven education in the AI eraCritical thinking and conscious communicationGlobal empathy trends across culturesHealing grief and showing up for partners after losscommunication, mindset, cultural empathy, emotional regulation, stress management, conflict resolution, neuroscience, cultural psychology, interoception, introspection, reflection, consciousness, wellbeing, healing, purpose-driven education, youth development, media literacy, emotional intelligence +++📲 SKIP AROUND: 00:00 Welcome & guest intro03:05 Cultural connectors: music, books, identity09:58 The lion metaphor: rest, pursuit & leadership11:45 From over-performance to self-love & recovery14:55 Teens, anxiety & learning to sit with silence18:55 Introspection, healing & being believed26:50 Media literacy → real-world empathy33:00 Neuroscience, bias & interoception (why exposure matters)44:55 What schools should teach now (AI era): purpose-driven education48:50 Critical thinking, dialogue & conscious communication57:10 Global pulse check: empathy across cultures1:03:55 Grief, belief & healing (Bryan’s story)1:16:20 How partners can show up after loss1:21:45 Where to find Bryan + community invitation

Between me and we: identity through cultural psychology. Episode 96 explores how cultural psychology shapes identity between me and we. Justine Gonzalez shares insights from Benedict & Kitayama with practical tools for self-discovery.🎙️ Episode 96: Between Me and We—What Cultural Psychology Teaches Us About IdentityWho am I? Who are we? Cultural psychology reminds us these questions are never simple. In this reflective reset, Justine Gonzalez explores insights from Ruth Benedict and Shinobu Kitayama, showing how identity is shaped by cultural patterns, balanced between independence and interdependence, and continually re-written as we navigate life.===✨ Reflection Questions (from Episode 96 concepts)Cultural Patterns:Which values from my upbringing continue to shape my identity today? Which of those align or conflict with the culture I work in?Independence vs. Interdependence:In my current role, when do I lean toward independence? When do I lean toward interdependence? How do these choices affect my sense of authenticity and belonging?Identity as Navigation:What conscious choices can I make to navigate between “me” and “we” in this season of my life?Subscribe to The Reflective Edge newsletter: https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/the-reflective-edge-7361821383363866625?lipi=urn%3Ali%3Apage%3Ad_flagship3_profile_view_base%3BDCNTycxrTX%2BvxmkhEW3QGA%3D%3D ======Justine Gonzalez is an American-born Puerto Rican and Swiss educator, writer, and speaker who supports corporations, K12 school districts, and nonprofits through her consulting firm, Educator Aide®. She has served as a teacher, instructional coach, and district-level administrator. Today, she writes, speaks, and hosts the Love Learning You™ podcast, streaming in 45+ countries and featuring global voices each month.She is also the creator of:🔑 The Continuum for Leading Cultural Conversations framework🔑 The K12 Teacher’s Introspective Practices Guide🔑 The Leading Schools to Extraordinary framework🔑 A suite of research-based surveys for intentional employee engagement✨ Tune in for a conversation that blends cultural wisdom, self-discovery, and practical strategies for living between me and we. ✨ Tune in for a reflection on how cultural psychology can guide your own identity journey.