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:

1. The difference between performing strength and embodying surrender,
2. Why our nervous systems remember what our minds try to outrun,and
3. 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 all

Justine 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 *This episode includes a preview reading of her upcoming unpublished article.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!

Chapters

02:12–07:45 Chapter 1: The Woman at the Carousel (A Story Told from Outside Myself)

07:45–12:03 Chapter 2: When Strength Becomes a Costume

12:05-19:05 Chapter 3: Tears of Gratitude

#Salvation #Friendship #BusinessGrowth #LifestyleChanges #CriticalThinking #PersonalAnecdotes #Grief #Faith

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 connection

• Cultural empathy and cultural psychology as foundations for inclusion

• Emotional regulation and stress management rooted in neuroscience

• Conflict resolution and conscious communication practices

• Interoception, introspection, and reflection as tools for self-awareness

• Wellbeing, healing, and purpose-driven education as paths to sustainable change

Bryan 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 Speaks
Connect: bslspeaks.com | @BSLSpeaks on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube

Host: Justine Renee Gonzalez — Love Learning You™
Connect: educatoraide.com | Instagram: @JustineGonzalezWrites

📌 Topics Covered in Ep.97

• Cultural identity & connection

• Leadership through rest and pursuit

• Emotional regulation & nervous system care

• Radical empathy and youth trauma

• Media literacy as a gateway to cultural empathy

• Purpose-driven education in the AI era

• Critical thinking and conscious communication

• Global empathy trends across cultures

• Healing grief and showing up for partners after loss

communication, 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

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📲 SKIP AROUND:

00:00 Welcome & guest intro
03:05 Cultural connectors: music, books, identity
09:58 The lion metaphor: rest, pursuit & leadership
11:45 From over-performance to self-love & recovery
14:55 Teens, anxiety & learning to sit with silence
18:55 Introspection, healing & being believed
26:50 Media literacy → real-world empathy
33:00 Neuroscience, bias & interoception (why exposure matters)
44:55 What schools should teach now (AI era): purpose-driven education
48:50 Critical thinking, dialogue & conscious communication
57:10 Global pulse check: empathy across cultures
1:03:55 Grief, belief & healing (Bryan’s story)
1:16:20 How partners can show up after loss
1:21:45 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 Identity

Who 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.

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✨ Reflection Questions (from Episode 96 concepts)

1. 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?

2. 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?

3. 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

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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.

Feeling stuck in autopilot? In this 15-minute Reflective Reset, Justine Gonzalez guides you through 5 neuroscience-backed steps to activate your creative machinery...a powerful practice that blends psychology, introspection, and conscious living.Discover how a simple reset ritual can help you:🌱 Break free from stress patterns🧠 Unlock hidden creative potential💡 Rewire your mind for clarity & flow🌸 Reconnect with your deeper purpose00:00 Introduction – Why creativity needs a reset 01:25 Psycho-Cybernetics Overview – Pause & Presence: grounding your nervous system 04:40 Step 1 – Pattern Awareness: noticing your thought loops "Do Your Worrying Before You Place Your Bet, Not After the Wheel Starts Turning" 06:10 Step 2 – Emotional Intelligence: unlocking feelings as fuel "Form the Habit of Consciously Responding to the Present Moment" 08:25 Step 3, 4 – Reframing: turning stress into creative energy. "Try to Do Only One Thing at a Time" and "Sleep on It"12:30 Step 5 – Conscious Action: activating your creative machinery "Relax While You Work" 13:45 Reflection & Next Steps – Join Teach Techies + Subscribe to The Reflective Edge Newsletter🔗 Want to go deeper?1️⃣ Join our growing community of educators & entrepreneurs right here on Skool → https://skool.com/teachtechies2️⃣ Read the full Reflective Edge Newsletter article: “3-Minute Pause: Neuroscience Explains Why You’re Not Lazy!” on LinkedIn for the science behind this practice: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/3-minute-brain-hack-finally-closed-my-knowing-doing-gonz%C3%A1lez-abd-dxu8c/ Whether you’re an educator, entrepreneur, or creative leader, these reflective steps will help you reset, realign, and re-imagine how you bring your ideas to life.✨ Subscribe and stay active for more reflective tools, creative resets, and strategies at the intersection of introspection, psychology, and creativity.For free and paid downloads + resources, visit: https://educatoraide.com or https://justinegonzalez.com

#LoveLearningYou #psychology #PsychoCybernetics #JustineGonzalez #ReflectiveEdge #SuccessHabits Welcome to your Reflective Edge Reset, where we are diving into the world of **psycho cybernetics**, inspired by **books** from Dr. Maxwell Maltz, and how our **mindset** impacts our lives. Change your **self image** through **visualization** and **self help** tools, to better understand **maxwell maltz psycho cybernetics**.

🗣️ Every word you speak and every pause you take? They shape the way the world experiences you.

In Episode 93 of Love Learning You, I dive deep into the connection between tolerance vs. acceptance and how it impacts our destiny. Whew! And so do the intersection of emotional healing and cultural awareness in our lives. Beliefs. Norms. Values. The way you communicate with YOURSELF [inner voice, inner critic, or inner cheerleader?] can either expand or limit your influence.

🌌 Discover how to:
✔️ Align your voice with your vision
✔️ Move from reactive language to intentional expression
✔️ Use inner child practices [like how I talke about this patio chair I always wanted]

Whether you’re a leader, educator, or lifelong learner, this episode will help you listen to your inner voice with purpose, and embody the conscious emotional communication that creates the life and destiny that you get to decide.

🎙 Follow Love Learning You on Spotify for weekly insights on emotional development and healing, cultural awareness, and experiencing life with cosmic consciousness.

RESOURCES FROM THE EPISODE

In this episode, I mention and discuss a brilliant LinkedIn post I saw from a connection.

A wealth of introspective knowledge and wisdom, here is Kelly's profile: linkedin.com/in/cultureeq

🎙 Follow Love Learning You on Spotify and start living and leading with intention.

#LoveLearningYouPodcast #CulturalIntelligence #InterpersonalSkills #CosmicConsciousness #LeadershipWithHeart #ConsciousLiving #TopPodcastToFollow #EmotionalHealing #CulturalPsychology #DecideYourDestiny