#24- Coaching Lara: when the inner world calls

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Transcription of the episode

EPISODE TEASER

Lara: I feel all the creative energy inside my head. When I let it out, I feel so much more balanced. It’s like I have to release my creativity.

Gloria: That’s so true. Your inner gifts are always knocking at the door, waiting for you to do something with them. They won’t let you rest until you make space for them. And once you do, they begin to show you new ways of seeing and seeking what you’re looking for in your life right now.

Mentioned in the episode:

– Receive a Human Design reading HERE
– Discover my professional coaching HERE

EPISODE SUMMARY

This episode is for you if you feel a gap between your inner world and your outer experience.

In this session, I coach Lara, who came to me with exactly that feeling. She shares how rich her inner life is as a highly sensitive person. We talk about giftedness—her creativity, intellect, and depth—and the essential needs that often come with being gifted and highly sensitive.

As you’ll hear, you don’t need a formal identification or label. If you recognize these needs in yourself, they deserve to become a central part of your life.

Lara also describes how, in her outer world—at work, in her studies, and in her relationships—she experiences a strong sense of disconnection. Living with that day after day, meeting the demands of work and relationships, can be deeply challenging when there’s such a mismatch between what’s inside and what’s outside. This lack of harmony can make life feel very hard.

That’s exactly what we explore in this session. If you’re longing to bring more coherence between your inner world and your external life, this episode offers many insights to support you. 

EPISODE TRANSCRIPT

Gloria:

Welcome, Lara, to the Innerspace podcast for this coaching session. I am very curious to begin with your situation and what brings you to today’s session.

Lara:

I listened to your podcast and was immediately intrigued. I had recently started exploring this topic, and I wanted to learn more and meet people who have deeper knowledge. I was curious to see whether I could relate to it or recognize myself in it. I am really excited to be here today.

Gloria:
When you say “the topic,” I assume you are referring to one of my specialties, which is giftedness. Is that correct?

Lara:
Yes.

Gloria:
Okay. Can you tell me more about what you would like support with today?

Lara:
I am not sure whether I fall into that category, but everything people say about this topic deeply resonates with me. I have always had this nagging feeling that my brain works completely differently from those around me. I am very good at adapting to my environment, so I feel like nobody really knows me or understands how my mind works. No one knows my inner world, and that is a very lonely experience.
I am a very sociable person, so from the outside it looks like I get along with everyone. I would describe myself as a social chameleon. I think I have a lot of emotional intelligence, and I function very well in life. I do not have any major problems. But it is incredibly isolating not having people you can truly talk to. Even at university, it is not what I expected at all. It feels frustrating when your brain works this way. I feel like university, or at least my university, is not made for me. My job is not made for me either. Other people do not seem to experience the same struggles. They always seem fine with it.

Lara:
And I feel like I am always alone with my struggles.

Gloria:
First, I want to acknowledge what you are feeling. You discovered the topic of giftedness, and it seems to be opening new doors for you. Perhaps it brings a sense of belonging that you did not have before. What do you hope to gain by diving deeper into this topic?

Lara:
I hope to understand how to make the difference between my life and my authentic self as small as possible. Right now, there feels like an entire universe between my inner world and my outer world, and I want to reduce that gap as much as I can. I know it will probably always exist to some degree, but acknowledging it and learning more about it has already brought so much acceptance.

From the outside, nothing has really changed. My life is still the same. But simply knowing about this feels like naming an emotion. It helps me accept that this is how I am. I also struggle a lot with finding my people. Many books talk about listening to podcasts and reading extensively, which I was already doing. Immersing myself in the minds of people who think similarly has helped a lot.

Gloria:
I love how you describe this gap between the inner world and the outer world, and your desire to reduce it so there is more coherence between what you experience inside and how you live outside. That is a very beautiful way of putting it. Can you describe both sides for me? You can start wherever you like. What does your inner world look like, and what does your outer life look like right now? Where do you feel the gap most strongly?

Lara:
I want to start with my inner world, and maybe even go back in time. Ever since I was a child, I was incredibly imaginative. I always had words in my head. I spent most of my time in the library reading books. My mum would drop me off there, and I would just read. I drew, wrote stories, and lived in my imagination.
As I grew older, my parents, who are immigrants, pushed me toward something practical. Art degre es were seen as something for privileged people, so I dismissed that path and started a bachelor’s degree instead. I always felt that the topics I wanted to talk about did not resonate with my peers. I usually had older friends. When I was in school, I became friends with a professor I randomly met on a beach in Germany, and we are still in touch. I always found conversations with people my age boring. I never fit into the school system either because I could not understand why there were always right and wrong answers.

I never really had anyone to talk to about the podcasts or topics that interest me. Whenever I tried, it felt like no one could relate. I love physics and space, and I have only met maybe three people in my entire life who I could talk to about these things. Now at university, it feels the same. I do not get any satisfaction from random conversations. I really dislike shallow interactions.

Even my job feels misaligned. I work in sales, which is a very shallow field intellectually. It attracts a certain type of personality, usually not creative or deeply intellectual people. It often feels like the opposite. My life does not align with my inner world. I do not even need my job to be perfectly aligned. I just want a few people who can meet me there. I think it is not even a desire, but a basic human need to feel connection. And I am incredibly selective about this.

Gloria:
What do you feel needs to change in order to reduce that gap and create the connections you are longing for?

Lara:
I think the first step would be to change my circle of friends, or at least widen it. Getting to know more people increases the probability of meeting someone who is like-minded.

Gloria:
You mentioned earlier that people are probably not aware of your inner world. How much do you share what is closest to your heart with your current friends?

Lara:
I always try to share what is going on inside of me. But I learn very quickly. If I notice that people are not interested or do not understand what I am talking about, I stop bringing it up. I try with everyone, but usually everyone fails the test. So I know what topics I can and cannot talk about with the people around me.

Gloria:
Earlier, you mentioned meeting a professor on the beach and staying in touch. When you look at that experience, what did it teach you? How could that help you create more of these connections?

Lara:
It taught me to be open to meeting people outside my usual social circles. In normal life, we would never have met through student events. He is a computer science professor, and I am studying business at a completely different university. I think I need to expand my network into other areas and disciplines. My frustration probably comes from trying to form deep connections with my peers, who are mostly business students my age. That might explain a lot.

Gloria:
Do you get satisfaction from your studies?

Lara:
It depends. If I had to put it on a scale, maybe 30 percent. Mostly, it frustrates me. Group work is especially difficult because I have to explain my ideas multiple times before others understand them. For me, it is already clear. The learning pace is very slow, so I often read books on my laptop while the lecturer is teaching. Even the questions other students ask feel boring to me. My mind works in an interdisciplinary way, and I find it very limiting when people only know one topic.

Gloria:
That aligns very strongly with your human design as a manifesting generator. Manifesting generators are multi-passionate by nature. They do not thrive when they are confined to one narrow area of interest. Variety is essential, whether in work, studies, or daily life. Without it, frustration builds. What you described is something you could intentionally cultivate more to avoid feeling stuck in one lane all day.

Lara:
That really resonates. I also tend to want to change jobs frequently. Right now, I am not living in alignment with my authentic self, which is why I have forced myself to stay in this job for seven months. That is actually a new record for me.

Gloria:
I am curious. How did you decide to study business?

Lara:
I chose entrepreneurship because I thought it would give me a foundation while still allowing creativity. Creative people can flourish more in entrepreneurship than in many other fields because it is interdisciplinary. You can build something around almost any topic you are interested in and dive deeply into it. I genuinely like the subject because it is open and attracts people from different backgrounds. The issue is that the studies themselves are repetitive and slow. Most of the material is based on basic entrepreneurship literature that I have already read.

Gloria:
That makes sense. When I combine my work with human design and giftedness, it becomes very clear. Gifted people tend to be fast thinkers who seek depth, complexity, and challenge. Speed is a big part of intelligence. When you add the manifesting generator type, which is one of the fastest and most powerful types in human design, the need for speed, variety, and new experiences becomes even stronger. Many manifesting generators feel frustrated working with others because everything feels too slow.

You are experiencing a combination of these two dynamics. You need fast-moving, intellectually stimulating environments with fresh challenges. That is reflected both in giftedness and in your human design. I really hear that in everything you are saying. In terms of your job in sales, how satisfying is it for you on a scale from zero to one hundred?

Lara:
Maybe 20 percent. I am good at it, but it is not intellectually challenging. I love psychology, so I try to make it more interesting by reading psychology books and applying what I learn to my own thinking. That helps a bit, but it is not something I want to do long term.

Gloria:
That is very characteristic of a manifesting generator. There is rarely something you want to do forever.

Lara:
Exactly. I usually perform very well at a job, and people do not want me to leave, but I feel this strong urge to move on. I hate the feeling of not learning or growing.

Gloria:
That constant need to learn and grow is also a core trait of giftedness. It is essential for your well-being. What originally made you choose sales?

Lara:
Did I have to take that offer? I had just come back from a big trip through Asia and needed a job quickly, so I took the first one I could get. I actually really like the company. It is a very interesting place because it sits at the heart of the startup scene. I get to meet fascinating people and attend great events, so in many ways it is quite nice. I think the 20 percent satisfaction comes from the fact that I have already been there for over half a year, which for me is a long time.

Gloria:
Yes, you have already outgrown where you are. What do you notice when you hear yourself describe this situation?

Lara:
I hear that I need to move forward, but I do not know where. It feels like I am standing at a crossroads. One foot is still where I am now, and the other foot is trying to step in every possible direction. Then I overthink it and step back. So I am standing still, wanting to move forward, but not knowing which way to go.

Gloria:
What directions do you see as possible right now?

Lara:
For me, the clear next step would be starting my own startup, since it is also part of my course. I think it would satisfy me because it is challenging and I could choose a topic that truly interests me. But I do not know which startup to found because I have so many ideas. I currently have five or six ideas and side projects. A week ago, I also wanted to be an artist because I love painting. There is just so much going on in my head.

And I think it all comes back to where I can find people like me. There is a very strong need for that. I want to find a profession or a path that attracts people who think similarly. I also do not want to found a startup alone. I would want to do it with someone, but I have not met anyone yet where I felt we truly think alike. With most people, I cannot imagine working closely together.

Gloria:
I really hear how often you return to the topic of your community and your people. That is very much part of your human design. Your profile is two four, and the four line is deeply connected to community, belonging, and your people.

This is important not just personally, but also professionally. Your work and your impact will grow through your network. When people say your network is your net worth, I am not talking about money here, but about fulfillment and impact. Everything becomes bigger and more successful when it is done with your people. Your instinct around this is very accurate.I want to come back to something you said earlier. You mentioned having five or six ideas in your head.

How many do you have in your heart?

Lara:
Actually, it is just one.

Gloria:
What is the one in your heart?

Lara:
I know that I want to be an artist. I want to paint, and I want to do that forever. This is the one thing I could probably do for the rest of my life. There is nothing that brings me more joy than painting and completely losing myself in it.

Gloria:
What do you feel when you are painting?

Lara:
I feel all the emotions that I usually push away. In my daily life, I do everything I can to avoid feeling too much because I am very sensitive. When I paint, I always enter a flow state. I lose track of time, and my mind finally quiets down for a while. It feels like meditation. I also love the result. I am a very visual person, and I love beautiful colors.

Gloria:
How much time do you currently spend painting?

Lara:
Not daily, but maybe one hour a week.

Gloria:
Do you see the gap here, something you could already change right now? Painting brings you more than 100 percent satisfaction, yet you give it one hour per week. Meanwhile, most of your time is spent on activities that give you only 20 or 30 percent satisfaction.

Lara:
Yes. It is very clear now that you say it like this.

Gloria:
What would be a commitment that feels desirable and realistic for you?

Lara:
I want to commit to making art every day. It does not have to be painting specifically, but I want to express whatever is in my head creatively each day. If I do not, it feels like everything is stuck inside me. I imagine the universe with thousands of ideas floating around, and none of them have an outlet. When I let the creativity out, I feel balanced again. It feels like I need to release it.

Gloria:
I love the way you describe that. Your inner gifts will always knock on the door until you make space for them. They will not let you rest until you listen. Once you create space for them, they will start showing you the very paths you are looking for right now.

Lara:
That feels very true. As you were speaking, I noticed this desire to make art the main character in my life instead of a side character. I also realize that I feel jealous when I see people who are full-time artists. And honestly, who even decides what makes a great artist?

Gloria:
I completely agree with you.

Lara:
My path feels very clear now. I do not know why I could not see this before, but hearing it reflected back is very powerful.

Gloria:
Jealousy or envy is actually a very helpful signal. It is saying, this is something I want too. Even if you have not allowed yourself to admit it yet. It is showing you what belongs to you. Using your earlier metaphor, it is an invitation to close the gap.

Lara:
Yes, I totally agree. I do not know why I have not allowed myself to do this. I think it has a lot to do with the stories I have been telling myself.

Gloria:
What stories are those?

Lara:
I think they come from my first experiences with art. Whenever I told my parents that I loved art, they could not really understand it. They love me deeply, but they never connected to that part of me. They did not like museums or creative spaces, and they discouraged me from following that path. I do not blame them, and I know I had agency, but I think this is why I told myself for a long time that art was just not for me.

Gloria:
What emotions come up for you as you share this?

Lara:
I want to cry when I talk about it.

Gloria:
If you can, try not to hold it back. Just breathe and let the emotion be there. It is asking to be felt.

Lara:
It feels sad, but not in a heavy way. I feel sad for my inner child, the one who was never really accepted for who she was.

Gloria:
I have chills hearing you say that.

Lara:
I realize that many of the questions I have now about who I am and where my life is going might not even exist if I had followed my natural path earlier. But I am still young. I can still choose this. I am an adult now, and nobody can tell me what to do anymore.

Gloria:
Absolutely. This is the perfect moment to become aware of it. I can feel your speed and your capacity to shift quickly. Once awareness is there, change can begin immediately. You could already start tomorrow.

Lara: Yes.

Gloria:
That is a gift. Right now, all you need is awareness, feeling what you are feeling, and acknowledging your experience. Then you can decide to give yourself what you did not receive before.

Lara:
I want to realign my life with my inner desires and interests. I ask myself every day what I would think about this moment if I were 100 years old. I overthink things a lot and look at them from every angle. But I know I am not someone who does things for degrees or status. My motivation is intrinsic. I find it easy to do things I genuinely care about and very hard to do things just for money. Of course, money is necessary, but it is not my main driver. I want to do things for the sake of doing them.

Gloria:
I think many people would resonate with that. The question now becomes, what can you let go of so that this intrinsic motivation can be expressed outwardly?

Lara:
There is so much. I feel like once I opened this door, everything wants to come out. It felt natural for me to suppress myself and adapt to what others considered normal, what my parents expected, and what the world expected. But I am done with that.

Gloria:
I want to add something based on your human design. You have a strong connection to your heart, and everything works best when it comes from there. That is why I asked what is in your heart. Without that, the impact and connections you want will not fully happen.

You also have line two in your profile, which represents natural talent. You even said today that you can already see the path. That is part of this. It can also trigger jealousy in others because some things come easily to you. Some people will admire it, and others will struggle with it.

Line two is also about projections. You mentioned expectations several times. A helpful question for you is to ask, am I doing this because someone expects it from me? Or am I assuming that expectation myself? Sometimes expectations are real, but sometimes they are self-created projections.

If you start showing more of who you truly are, doors will open that you cannot even see yet.

Lara:
That reminds me of a movie I watched recently called Elemental. It is about a girl who is expected to take over her father’s shop, but she realizes she wants to be an artist. She is terrified to tell him, but when she finally does, he tells her he only ever wanted her to be happy. It felt very fitting.

Gloria:
That is a perfect metaphor. Keep that scene in mind. Ask yourself whose expectation this really is. And then come back to your heart and ask what you desire.

Lara:
Yes, because honestly, nobody really cares how I live my life.

Gloria:
Exactly.

Lara:
It is strange how you can know these things intellectually but not truly realize them until they surface like this.

Gloria:
That is exactly the process. Now, earlier you asked where you could find your people. Do you feel you have an answer now?

Lara:
Yes. The answer is not here.

Gloria:
Okay.

Lara:
I think every no brings me closer to a yes. That already feels like progress.

Gloria:
And what would be the next step?

Lara:
Meeting people outside the entrepreneurship bubble. I also tend to connect better with people who have more life experience. They feel wiser to me.

Gloria:
Let me add one more key. When you are most alive, in your joy and flow, you become a magnet for what you desire. This is especially true for generators and manifesting generators. When you raise your level of joy, everything else follows. Making space for your creativity will raise your energy, your presence, and your resonance.

You also have this tension between enjoying solitude and needing community. Painting alone feeds one part of you, but being out in the world with people who share your passion feeds the other. If your current environments give you only 20 or 30 percent satisfaction, it makes sense that the people you meet there reflect that. If you place yourself in spaces that give you 80 or 100 percent satisfaction, you will naturally meet people who resonate at that level.

Lara:
That makes so much sense. This explains why I keep meeting the same types of people over and over. It almost sounds too good to be true, that simply following joy would also bring the right people.

Gloria:
What makes it sound too good to be true?

Lara:
I think I believe that life has to be hard to be meaningful. That you have to struggle to prove something.

Gloria:
That belief is deeply connected to your open heart center in human design. It can show up as feeling the need to prove your worth. The shift is moving toward the belief that you are intrinsically worthy. You do not need to prove anything.

A helpful question is, am I doing this to prove my worth, or because I genuinely desire it?

Lara:
That resonates a lot. I can feel how deeply ingrained that belief is.

Gloria:
Awareness is the first step. Now ask yourself, what belief could I start exploring that moves me one step away from life has to be hard?

Lara:
That I can live authentically and enjoy my life. That life is meant to be enjoyed, not just endured.

Gloria:
That is a beautiful belief. Life feels hard when you are not aligned with yourself. When something is off, life pushes back. That resistance is information.

Lara:
Yes, that feels very true.

Gloria:
Write that belief down. Repeat it. Live it through small actions, like painting. Every decision you make either confirms your old belief or your new one.

Lara:
I want to make this my new mantra.

Gloria:
Beautiful. And notice how your reality responds. What if life can be authentic and enjoyable? What would you do differently today?

Lara:
I feel hopeful. I feel like something good is coming.

Gloria:
That is a belief worth keeping.

Lara:
Thank you so much.

Gloria:
What are you taking away from today?

Lara:
That I am an artist. That I can create my life the same way I create art. And that it does not have to be hard. Life is meant to be enjoyed.

Gloria:
Wonderful. I look forward to seeing how it unfolds.

Lara:
Thank you so much.

EPISODE CONCLUSION

How was this coaching session for you? What resonated? What are you taking with you from today?

One moment I deeply loved was when I asked Lara how many of the projects in her head were actually in her heart. It was such a precious turning point. You may have noticed how she shifted from six o’clock, to five, to two, and finally to one o’clock—really dropping in, very clearly. What happens when you ask yourself that same question? I would truly love to hear.

If you’ve been listening to this podcast for a while, you’ll know that there is often an emotional moment in these coaching sessions. That reflects how I work. We need to make space for emotion, because it opens things up well beyond the session itself. I sincerely hope that Lara can continue to make more space for her feelings.

During the session, there were a few things I didn’t immediately respond to, such as when she said, “I don’t let myself feel.” I want to add something here, because if you recognize yourself in that, know that not allowing yourself to feel is a major obstacle to feeling truly alive. When you block the difficult emotions, it also becomes harder to access the beautiful ones.

I deeply understand the instinct many highly sensitive people have to say, “Let’s just not feel at all. It will be easier.” And yes, temporarily, it might seem like a solution. But in the long run, it doesn’t help. The real path is learning to let yourself feel and to move with your emotions. And if that feels difficult, know that it is something you can learn. I’ve learned it myself, and it’s a core teaching I share with my clients.

This ability is fundamental to life. If you don’t know how to let yourself feel, it becomes very hard to truly live on this Earth. I say that with deep compassion and understanding. There are moments when I, too, would rather not feel, because it can be intense and overwhelming. But you are designed to move through these experiences. With the right tools, support, shifts in perspective, and spiritual grounding, you can navigate your emotions with more humor, lightness, compassion, and self-understanding. These tools exist, and once you commit to this path, you’ll also experience many more emotions on the lighter, more joyful side of life.

So the question becomes: can you accept what is harder, so that you can also fully live what is beautiful? Life holds this polarity, and it’s part of being human. I don’t say this lightly—I live it too. It’s not always easy, but emotions carry precious information. The more you listen to them and understand their messages, the more you can adjust your life in ways that truly support you. And the more freely emotions can flow, the less time you tend to stay stuck in them.

I’ll also add that, depending on your Human Design, there are different ways of approaching emotional processing. I warmly encourage you to explore this more deeply. You know where to find me—you can book a call through my website or reach out via Instagram, LinkedIn, or Facebook. Just search for Gloria Jensen or Gloria Jensen Coaching, and if you don’t find the link, simply message me.

As you saw in this session, we began with the topic of giftedness and gradually moved into Lara’s individuality and specificity. This reflects how I integrate giftedness in my work. In this podcast, I don’t always speak about giftedness explicitly, but you’ll find a lot more on this topic on my blog, including over 60 interviews focused specifically on giftedness.

For me, giftedness is a key piece of understanding, but it’s not meant to become a trap or a reason to live from victimhood. I say this without judgment—I’ve been there myself. It’s okay to move through that phase. My intention is for giftedness to become a source of empowerment, a key that helps you move through life with more ease and clarity. From there, we turn toward your unique story and what truly supports you in thriving.

As Lara shared, this understanding brings more self-acceptance, and that’s where its real power lies. It allows you to be more fully yourself and to normalize behaviors you may not see reflected around you. When we looked at Lara’s question around belonging and community, giftedness gave us part of the answer—yes, there are fewer people like you. But then we widened the perspective. If you’re not finding your people, where are you spending your time? And do those spaces truly reflect who you are?

For Lara, it became very clear that she was seeking connection in environments that weren’t aligned with her. As she begins to take more space for herself—especially as an artist and painter—I’m confident she’ll naturally find deeper connections. I’ve seen this in my own life. When I stepped into coaching, spiritual growth, and deeper training, I entered spaces where people shared similar values and depth. The connections I have today would not have been possible if I hadn’t followed my path.

And that’s why I can say with certainty, for Lara and for you, that when you follow a path that is truer to who you are, deeper connection follows. We need that. We need to feel understood. We need resonance. This is a foundational element of a happier life.

That’s all for today. I’ll see you in the next episode.

Thank you so much for joining The Inner Space.

Make sure to subscribe, leave a comment, or share this episode with someone who might need exactly this encouragement.

And until next time, keep exploring your inner space—where authenticity sets you free.