Returning to Yourself: A Conversation with Maribeth Swan

Linda Binns

Published on: 23/04/2026

The final interview in the Self-Led Leadership series There is a particular kind of reconnection that happens when we stop running and striving. Not necessarily a dramatic transformation or a sudden awakening. Rather, a quiet, steady return — to our body, to nature, to the truth we always carried but somehow learned to distrust. That is the heart of my final conversation in the Self-Led Leadership interview series. And I couldn't have asked for a more fitting place to close. Maribeth Swan is an intuitive counsellor, flower essence guide and educator whose work centers on nervous system healing and helping people reconnect with their deeper essence. She brings lived experience, intuitive awareness, and trauma-informed care to her work — supporting people through grief, loss, and the kind of emotional unravelling that quietly precedes real growth. What drew me to Maribeth, and what I think will stay with you long after you watch this interview, is the quality of gentleness she brings. A reminder that the return to ourselves doesn't have to be hard.

Energy StrategiesSelf-CarePersonal GrowthHighly Sensitive

Know and Accept Yourself, The Quiet Skill That Changes Everything

Linda Binns

Published on: 07/02/2026

If you are highly sensitive, you have probably been misunderstood at work at least once. Sometimes it is subtle, a raised eyebrow when you need a quiet moment. Sometimes it is direct, being told you are “too much,” “too intense,” or “too emotional.” That experience can quietly train you to edit yourself. To stay small. To second-guess your instincts. And yet, the real shift happens when you stop trying to fit your sensitivity into someone else’s definition of “normal,” and start getting to know yourself at a deeper level. Not as a self improvement project, but as an honest relationship with who you are. Elaine Aron wrote about how sensitive people can be judged in what she called a temperament-ignorant culture. That lands because it is real. It is not only a personal struggle. It is also a social one. The path forward begins inside, with self awareness and self acceptance.

Energy StrategiesPersonal GrowthHighly Sensitive

Value Yourself First: Why Your HSP Traits Are Not the Problem

Linda Binns

Published on: 17/01/2026

When things don’t go the way we want them to, it’s easy to feel upset… or even angry. It can feel like unfair circumstances, other people’s choices, or “life” is doing something to you. And if you’re highly sensitive, empathic, and high-achieving, that intensity can hit even harder—because you notice more, feel more, and often carry higher expectations (for yourself and for others). You may have learned to think: • “I’m too sensitive.” • “I take things too personally.” • “I need to toughen up.” • “Something is wrong with me.” If that’s familiar, I want you to hear this gently: Your sensitivity is not the problem. The way you’ve been relating to it might be. “Too many people overvalue what they are not and undervalue what they are.” — Malcolm S. Forbes Why valuing yourself changes everything If you want to be valued—at work, in your relationships, in your life—there’s an inner shift that makes a bigger difference than most people realize: When you value yourself, you stop negotiating your worth. You begin to move differently: • You choose environments that support you. • You set boundaries with less guilt. • You stop over-explaining. • You stop trying to earn rest. • You stop proving you deserve space. That shift is energy. And energy is powerful.

Energy StrategiesFeng ShuiSelf-CarePersonal GrowthLaw of AttractionHighly Sensitive

Value Without Apology: Boundaries That Stop Discounting Yourself

Linda Binns

Published on: 12/09/2025

If you care deeply, it’s easy to equate “being helpful” with saying yes, adding extras, or softening your price. The result: resentment, confusion, and work that no longer feels good. Valuing your work isn’t pushy—it’s clear, kind, and sustainable.

Self-CarePersonal GrowthLaw of Attraction