Rekindling with Julie Squires:

Animals have a way of taking us places in life we never expected. That's exactly what happened to my guest Derek Walter when a "micro pig" entered his life and soon became a 650 lb. pig with the intelligence of a small child.

Animal workers are deeply passionate and can carry strong opinions about what’s “best” for animals. The problem is that judgment creeps in, hijacks your nervous system and narrows your options to choose empathy and compassion instead of judgement. \

You're a helper, caregiver, advocate for animals. But how do you do all of that and not lose yourself in the process?

Join me and Julie Smith, associate professor at Santa Fe College Teaching Zoo while we talk about talking to animals.

What a summer of pep talks! Today I close the summer circle with a calming reset, a story about tiny wins, three truths, and a short visualization. And a tease of what is to come.

In this episode, we break down the myth of the “unbreakable caregiver” and explore what real resilience actually looks like.