Awaken Your Gifts

In this conversation, writing coach and author Amy Hallberg joins Keri to explore how we awaken power by claiming our gifts—especially in times of upheaval. They trace Amy’s journey from “upholder” to norm-breaker, the humbling wisdom of being an exchange student in West Germany, and why language is only an approximation of lived experience. Together they unpack ritual, grief, and everyday action in the wake of community tragedy, and reframe “purpose” from a rigid noun to a living verb. If you’re navigating liminal spaces—midlife shifts, identity transitions, creative blocks—this episode offers practical ways to honor what’s breaking down while making something truer take root. Guest Amy Hallberg — author, writing coach, and founder of Courageous Wordsmith, guiding real-life writers from inklings to finished work through 1:1 and group programs. Website: amyhallberg.com • Programs: Courageous Wordsmith Key takeaways Your gifts are your power. Start naming—out loud—the thing you do with ease (the thing others notice). Claim it, then practice it. Purpose is a verb. Who you are being (quality + action) matters more than a tidy title or identity. Language ≠ life. Words are translations of experience; let stories emerge before you edit them into shape. Allow → Compose → Revise. Amy’s creative flow favors permissive drafting over “shitty first draft” self-talk or premature perfection. Ritual holds crisis. In collective grief, pair prayer/meaning with movement/action (“pray—and move your feet”). Small things, great love. Capacity builds through tiny, repeated acts (in writing, caregiving, citizenship). You won’t “go back.” After liminal thresholds, the task is integration—not returning to who you were. Memorable lines “Your gifts are your power.” “Words are signifiers—approximations of what we live.” “Purpose works better as a verb than a title.” Lightly structured outline  Meeting the rebel-upholder: growing up gifted, sensitive, and not quite fitting Germany at 17: unlearning perfection & finding value beyond grades Language, symbols, and telling the truth on the page Drafting without armor: the Allow → Compose → Revise method Ritual, grief, and community response after tragedy Purpose vs. meaning: claim the verb, not the label Closing practice: say it in the mirror—“I am a writer / creator / healer”—until your nervous system believes you Mentioned Prayer of St. Francis (“Lord, make me an instrument of your peace…”) Quote often attributed to Mother Teresa: “We can do no great things; only small things with great love.” Try this (listener prompt) Write down one gift you’ve been minimizing. Say it out loud three times today. Then take one tiny action that expresses it. Connect with Amy Website: amyhallberg.com Coaching & community: Courageous Wordsmith Connect with Keri Site: kerimangis.com Support the show Subscribe, rate, and share with a friend who’s ready to challenge the status quo and step into their gifts.

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