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My work in the past two decades has revolved around helping women awaken access to more of their consciousness and, therefore, be able to bring online what I call a “new operating system.” This system embraces a new way of being and doing that leads to a profoundly different way of leading; graduating out of habitual and conditioned ways of responding to life.

I recently had the pleasure of discussing the “inner lizard” with my good friend and colleague Martha Hamilton, author of the new book “Going Reptile: How Engaging Your Inner Lizard Leads to More Fulfilling Work and Personal Relationships.”

Martha has a background founded in the corporate world, with experience in marketing, accounting, and healthcare technology. Her awareness of non-cognitive information ignited her success, allowing her to create huge, groundbreaking shifts in business strategy. Now a coach and consultant, Martha helps her clients free themselves from prisons of their own making through her empathic and visionary guidance.

Going “reptile” is when our prefrontal cortex, the hub of our emotional and behavioral functioning, goes offline. When this occurs, the more primitive reptile brain takes over, causing us to become more reactive and less logical. As we engage more with our primitive nature, we find that we can stay connected with ourselves and others more deeply, leading to more fulfilling professional and personal relationships.

In this discussion, we explore:
  • How to recognize when the “reptile” takes over
  • How we can train our brain to work with the primitive mind
  • Practices and strategies to help us deepen our abilities to “notice”
  • Ways in which we can identify and use the different levels of “noticing” as entry points to expansion
You can listen to the full conversation here:

For more in depth exploration read:

You Make Your Path by Walking
A Transformational Field Guide through Trauma and Loss
Buy on AmazonBuy on Bookshop
The Way of the Mysterial Woman
Upgrading How You Live, Love and Lead
Buy on AmazonBuy on Bookshop

3 Comments

  • rotach nina says:

    Suzanne, thanks for this video. The reptile brain "observation" and connection to it results from awareness. In this sense, the subject is not new, there are many books on the market on the issue: how to be aware of what I feel.
    All this psychological work is very valuable (I attended your seminar in Esalen in 2006 and profited very much of it), however, let me as a pragmatic person make this remark: I am sure that women’ situation will change drastically if there are more women as company OWNERS. If we have the majority of shares in the enterprises, the "stage will be ours." We would have the freedom to be who we are to hire whom we would like to hire etc. For now, unfortunately we have to play by men’ rules. From the economic point of view, it is that simple.

    • Suzanne Anderson says:

      Hi Nina…so good to hear from you! Thanks for taking the time to comment. I remember a few years ago when the Dalai Lama spoke at the Vancouver Peace Summit he said, "The world will be saved by the western woman." At the time a lot was made of that statement to endorse women taking the lead – and that was positive. But I believe he was not just referring to gender – it will not be enough to just replace men with women, if women are still running on the old hypermasculine inner operating system as leaders or owners of companies. It will not be a big enough difference to tip the scales at this evolutionary turning point. It is a critical time for women to really bring together their Feminine and Masculine capacities.
      I often have women coming into my programs or coaching who have left their executive corporate positions and are starting their own enterprises. They know they don’t want to repeat what they experienced and they recognize that for them to lead in a different way they will need to do the deeper work of cultivating their consciousness and untapped potential.
      So I think it is an ‘and-and’ situation…yes we need more women owners and yes we need those women to become Mysterials!

  • Adelina says:

    interesting. reminds me, half a year ago my boss told me i am reacting out of proportion about certain topics, and it was hard to accept at first, but it was true. since then i am keeping an eye on it and try to ease in with myself, reach some internal state of comfort before i react. that’s often the moment when i come up with convincing arguments, or new possibilities. also, it gets easier in time. not to sound stuck up, but seeing other leaders not having this, i must say it looks disgraceful, i’m a bit ashamed of my old self.
    but not too much ashamed, am indulging myself and accepting myself quite well lately. easy peasy, why did i have to make it so hard until now? 🙂

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