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Why do we trust some voices more than others, and what does that mean for leaders? In this episode, I explore how trust is built through a familiar voice, and why being trusted does not always mean being told the truth. Drawing on more than twenty years behind the microphone and new research on podcast listeners and workplace honesty, I look at parasocial relationships, the difference between trusting a person and trusting what they say, and why employees often hold back their real concerns, even from leaders they like. You'll learn: Why a familiar voice lowers our guard, and the responsibility that comes with it The difference between trusting someone's character and checking their claims What "bounded disclosure" is, and why your team may be giving you the safe version How to use the BEMA™ framework (Body, Emotions, Mind and Beliefs, Action) to make honesty feel safe One simple question to ask in your next one-to-one This episode is for leaders, managers, coaches and anyone who wants to build trust, improve communication, and create a team where people feel safe to speak up. ► Read the extended reflection on Substack: https://unboxwithsahar.substack.com/p/your-team-trusts-you-that-doesnt ► Join my Buy Me a Coffee community for free access to members-only content and a discount on my digital resources:  https://www.buymeacoffee.com/unboxwithsahar/share/first-coffee  ► Looking to help your team speak up and be heard? Bring my Unbox A Brighter Future course to your organisation:  https://saharhuneidi-com-tlsqwv.subscribepage.io/  Season 26 Episode 38: The Courage to Be You. Show Up. Stay True.

Introducing Amanda Rizkalla: “Hungered” | Oprah’s Book Club from The Oprah Podcast. Follow the show: The Oprah Podcast BUY THE BOOK! Hungered by Amanda Rizkalla: ⁠https://amzn.to/4hIE21v The 125th Oprah’s Book Club selection is the stunning debut novel Hungered by author Amanda Rizkalla. Written from the perspective of 12-year-old Sofia, Hungered gives a unique look inside the world of a family who is unhoused. Amanda shares how her personal experience of losing their housing and living in a car with her family as a child inspired her to write this poignant and beautiful story. Oprah and Amanda have a thoughtful discussion about how - despite the daily struggle to survive - the fictional Sofia and her family are still able to experience joy, humor and compassion. We hear from several readers including a young woman who says that Amanda’s novel resonated with her because she also experienced being unhoused as a child. 00:00:00 - Welcome Amanda Rizkalla, author of “Hungered” 00:02:10 - Amanda shares why she wrote the book 00:05:00 - The plot of Hungered 00:06:40 - Understanding being unhoused 00:12:40 - Growing up mixed race 00:18:15 - Amanda on choosing the mother’s career 00:22:20 - Theme of not belonging 00:26:15 - Amanda’s writing process 00:28:40 - The ending of the book #oprahsbookclub Follow Oprah Winfrey on Social: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/oprahpodcast/ ⁠⁠https://www.facebook.com/oprahpodcast/⁠⁠ https://www.instagram.com/oprah/?hl=en⁠⁠ https://www.facebook.com/oprahwinfrey/ DISCLAIMER: Please note, this is an independent podcast episode not affiliated with, endorsed by, or produced in conjunction with the host podcast feed or any of its media entities. The views and opinions expressed in this episode are solely those of the creators and guests. For any concerns, please reach out to [email protected].

When a rapper's "Free Palestine" statement got him pulled from a stadium tour, and the headline act apologized a week later calling it a mistake, it exposed something every brand, leader, and public voice needs to reckon with: neutrality is a choice, not a shield. Sahar unpacks courage, consistency, and why authenticity can't be faked anymore — through the lens of her own week of loss, launch, and unresolved change, and the BEMA™ framework. ► Join YT Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC9-TgN0Yhqz7dPyPFArPCtA/join ► Members Only Videos: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=UUMO9-TgN0Yhqz7dPyPFArPCtA ► Join my free live AMA – 2 December 2026 https://luma.com/7sk4ehsm ► Read the extended article and subscribe on Substack https://unboxwithsahar.substack.com/p/neutral-is-not-the-same-as-safe

In this episode, Sahar gets personal about why she missed last week — and why she runs everything herself, from client messages to editing. She shares the story of launching her Arabic poetry book at the Abu Dhabi Book Fair, her reflections comparing it to the Sharjah International Book Fair, and finally connecting in person with the Emirati Writers' Association after months of trying. She also thanks her audio and video listeners for the growing downloads, gives an update on the Unbox A Brighter Future campaign before the introductory price ends on September 21st, and shares what's coming next — new meditations and a full audio course built from listener feedback. ► Join YT Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC9-TgN0Yhqz7dPyPFArPCtA/join ► Members Only Videos: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=UUMO9-TgN0Yhqz7dPyPFArPCtA ► Join my free live AMA – 2 December 2026 https://luma.com/7sk4ehsm ► Read the extended article and subscribe on Substack https://substack.com/@unboxwithsahar

Why does admitting you're wrong feel like losing authority? Why Strong Leaders Can Stop Defending Themselves: true courage isn't just speaking up — it's staying open without defending yourself. In this episode, I explore why "I was wrong" might be the strongest thing a leader can say, using the four dimensions of the BEMA™. There's a quieter form of courage that rarely gets named: the ability to hear something uncomfortable without immediately explaining, denying or defending yourself. Defensiveness starts as protection — it keeps our sense of self safe in the moment — but over time it blocks feedback, damages relationships and stops leaders and teams from growing. In Season 26, Episode 35 of Unbox The Podcast, I explore why staying true to yourself doesn't mean staying loyal to every past opinion or decision, and how "I was wrong" can be one of the strongest things a leader — or anyone — can say. Using the four dimensions of the BEMA™, I break down how defensiveness shows up in the body, emotions, mind and action, and why the courage to be wrong might be the missing piece in how we define real leadership. The extended reflection on this episode — including full research and sources — is available on my Substack. © Sahar Huneidi Palmer Strategic Clarity Mentor | Bilingual Bestselling Author | Podcaster ► Join my free live AMA – 2 December 2026 https://luma.com/7sk4ehsm ► Read the extended article and subscribe on Substack https://unboxwithsahar.substack.com/p/the-courage-to-be-wrong ► Explore my books, mentoring, courses, newsletter and social platforms https://linktr.ee/UnboxWithSahar ► Digital resources, guided meditations and self-development tools https://buymeacoffee.com/unboxwithsahar/share/first-coffee

How do you recognise and live as The Real You? In this final episode of the first Conversations with Sahar series, Sahar brings together the central themes explored across nine conversations: self-awareness, logic and intuition, life's signals, changing relationships, clear communication, action and self-trust. Discover why clarity only creates change when you trust it enough to act. Sahar also introduces the September Unbox A Brighter Future campaign, shares news of her two-week break, and invites listeners to express their interest in a future Arabic series. ► Explore Unbox A Brighter Future: https://saharhuneidi-com-tlsqwv.subscribepage.io ► Join YT Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC9-TgN0Yhqz7dPyPFArPCtA/join Join Sahar's Buy Me a Coffee community for member posts, complimentary access to her paid Substack content and 20% off digital purchases: ► Read extended articles and subscribe on Substack: https://unboxwithsahar.substack.com/p/the-quiet-cost-of-becoming-yourself ► Find supportive products from Unbox with Sahar and Sound Essence on Amazon.ae. ► Join my free live AMA – 2 December 2026 https://luma.com/7sk4ehsm © Sahar Huneidi Palmer Strategic Clarity Mentor | Bilingual Bestselling Author | Podcaster Licensed #3598566: Snappy by Jonathan Boyle

Why does clarity disappear under pressure? In this episode, you will learn how stress affects decision-making, intuition, logic and self-leadership, and how to make an aligned decision when urgency, fear or other people's expectations are influencing you. Pressure can narrow your view until an immediate decision feels like a clear one. But ending the discomfort is not the same as choosing what is right for you. In Season 26, Episode 34 of Unbox The Podcast, I explain how pressure affects the four dimensions of the BEMA™ Methodology: Body, Emotions, Mind and Accountability to Action. You will learn how to recognise when one part of you is speaking for the whole of you, distinguish intuition from thinking fear, and use a practical five-step clarity reset before you respond. I also explore why you may be carrying somebody else's urgency and how to protect your judgement without avoiding responsibility. It's just around the corner, September is the new January. You do not have to wait for another year to reconsider what is working, what feels out of alignment and what you want to change. Look out for my September series, Unbox A Brighter Future, and visit https://www.saharhuneidi.com to find out more. Subscribe to Unbox The Podcast so you do not miss the next episode. ► Social Media: https://linktr.ee/UnboxWithSahar ► Newsletter: https://www.saharhuneidi.com/#signup

How do you trust yourself, stop overthinking and make clear decisions when fear, intuition and other people's opinions pull you in different directions? In Conversations with Sahar Part 9, Sahar Huneidi Palmer explores why we continue seeking advice when we may already know the answer. Gathering more information can support a decision, but it can also distance you from your own judgement when you are searching for certainty that life cannot provide. Discover how self-trust becomes weakened when you repeatedly dismiss what you recognise, how to distinguish intuition from fear, and why your body, emotions, mind, beliefs and actions may send conflicting messages. Through Sahar's four-dimensional BEMA™ framework, you will learn how inner alignment supports clearer decision-making and turns awareness into meaningful action. September offers a natural opportunity to review where you are and decide how you want to use the remaining months of the year. If you have been postponing a change you already know you need to make, Sahar's flagship course, Unbox A Brighter Future, provides a structured process for recognising what is blocking you, reconnecting with your direction and moving forward. This is the penultimate episode of the first Conversations with Sahar series. After Part 10, Sahar will take a short break and is considering returning with a new series in Arabic. Please leave a comment if you would listen. ► Join my free live AMA – 2 December 2026 https://luma.com/7sk4ehsm ► Read the extended article and subscribe on Substack https://unboxwithsahar.substack.com/p/before-you-make-a-decision-under ► Explore my books, mentoring, courses, newsletter and social platforms https://linktr.ee/UnboxWithSahar ► Digital resources, guided meditations and self-development tools https://www.buymeacoffee.com/unboxwithsahar   © Sahar Huneidi Palmer Strategic Clarity Mentor | Bilingual Author | Podcaster

You can manage everything well and still be moving in the wrong direction. In Season 26, Episode 33 of Unbox The Podcast, Sahar Huneidi Palmer explores the difference between managing the present and leading towards a better future. Whether you lead an organisation or your own life, authentic leadership requires more than competence. It requires a strategic vision aligned with who you are and what matters to you now. Using the Four Dimensions of Change within the BEMA™, Sahar explains how inner alignment supports clearer direction, meaningful choices and accountable action. She also explores the role of a mentor in helping leaders see the patterns and gaps they may be too close to recognise. ► Read the extended article and subscribe on Substack https://unboxwithsahar.substack.com/p/authentic-leadership-is-your-success ► Explore my books, mentoring, courses, newsletter and social platforms https://linktr.ee/UnboxWithSahar ► Digital resources, guided meditations and self-development tools https://www.buymeacoffee.com/unboxwithsahar © Sahar Huneidi Palmer Strategic Clarity Mentor | Bilingual Author | Podcaster

The way someone thinks can reveal who they are—and whether we can trust them. In Conversations with Sahar, Part 8, Sahar Huneidi Palmer shares why this understanding led her to accept her late husband's proposal, and how a mentor revealed patterns in her own mind that she had never recognised. She explains why communication starts before words and how the BEMA™ dimensions help us identify misalignment, choose a response rather than a reaction, and speak with integrity. What's your preference, horizontal or vertical video? Please let me know. ► Continue with guided meditations, self-awareness tools and practical resources: https://buymeacoffee.com/unboxwithsahar ► Read the extended article and subscribe on Substack https://substack.com/@unboxwithsahar ► Explore my books, mentoring, courses, newsletter and social platforms https://linktr.ee/UnboxWithSahar Licensed #3598566: Snappy by Jonathan Boyle

Something is quietly shifting. Millennials and Gen Z are going back to vinyl records, physical books, handwritten journals, board games, and printed photographs — and it is not nostalgia. It is intelligence. In this episode, Sahar takes you through her own journey from punch cards and Fortran to the age of AI, and asks the question that sits at the heart of this season: what does it actually mean to be human right now? She explores the science of co-regulation — why we are biologically designed to need each other's physical presence — what research tells us about the measurable difference between live music and digital sound, and why the handwritten journal has become the ultimate act of self-care in a distracted world. This episode is for anyone in leadership, in life, or simply in the middle of a noisy world who is wondering whether it is still possible — and still worth it — to stay fully, unapologetically human. Plus: Sahar shares why she chose to publish Dreams Decoded as a physical, on-demand book, and why she believes putting something in your hands is an act of courage to stay human in itself.  ► Your Dreams Decoded 49-page e-book, soon out as paperback:  https://www.saharhuneidi.com/product/your-dreams-decoded-ebook/ Unbox The Podcast — new episodes every week. Share this one with someone who needs to hear it.  ► Read the extended article and subscribe on Substack
 https://open.substack.com/pub/unboxwithsahar/  ► Explore my books, mentoring, courses, newsletter and social platforms
 https://linktr.ee/UnboxWithSahar  ► Digital resources, guided meditations and self-development tools
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Why is knowing what needs to change often not enough to actually change your life? We have access to more information than ever before. We read books, listen to podcasts, take courses and learn about ourselves. Yet we can understand a pattern and still repeat it. In this episode of Conversations with Sahar, I explore the difference between knowledge and self-awareness, and why you cannot change what you are not aware of. I also explain how my Four Dimensions of Change, the BEMA™ Methodology, can help you look at your Body, Emotions, Mind and belief systems, and Accountability to actions. Awareness helps you identify what needs to change. Reflection helps you understand what you are seeing. As you become more aligned with who you are, the action you need to take becomes clearer. And action matters. You do not need to wait until you are certain you have made the perfect decision. You can act, observe the result, reflect and adjust. Even an action that does not work as expected can teach you something valuable about yourself and your direction. The question is not simply, "What do I know?" It is: "What am I doing with what I know?" ► Design The Web of Your Life | Tools For Life™ A practical tool to help you see where you are now and what needs your attention. https://www.saharhuneidi.com/product/life-clarity-take-action-tool/ ► Read the extended reflection on Substack (FREE) https://unboxwithsahar.substack.com/p/why-knowledge-alone-is-not-enough ► Explore my books, mentoring, courses, newsletter and social platforms https://linktr.ee/UnboxWithSahar ► Digital resources, guided meditations and self-development tools https://www.buymeacoffee.com/unboxwithsahar  If this episode resonated with you, follow Conversations with Sahar on your favourite podcast platform or subscribe on YouTube. #SelfAwareness #PersonalGrowth #LifeMentoring #AlignedAction #BEMA #ConversationsWithSahar Licensed #3598566: Snappy by Jonathan Boyle

Who is really leading your life? In Season 26, Episode 31 of Unbox The Podcast, discover how self-leadership helps you make clearer decisions, recognise what you can influence and stop allowing other people's expectations, old beliefs or difficult circumstances to determine your next move. I share how the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait became a turning point in my own life and shaped my work as an Intuitive Life Mentor. We explore why guidance should always return you to yourself, how intuition and logic work together, and why accountability is central to reclaiming your power. Through my BEMA Methodology and the Four Dimensions of Change—Body, Emotions, Mind and beliefs, and Accountability to actions—you will learn how misalignment can keep you stuck and why the obstacle may be rooted somewhere other than where it first appears. By the end of this episode, I invite you to ask yourself one direct question: Who is leading your life? ► Explore Unbox A Brighter Future https://www.saharhuneidi.com/product/life-mentoring-unbox-a-brighter-future/ ► Read the extended article and subscribe on Substack https://open.substack.com/pub/unboxwithsahar/p/who-is-leading-your-life ► Explore my books, mentoring, courses, newsletter and social platforms https://linktr.ee/UnboxWithSahar ► Digital resources, guided meditations and self-development tools https://www.buymeacoffee.com/unboxwithsahar If this conversation resonated with you, please follow Unbox The Podcast, leave a review on your favourite podcast platform, or subscribe on YouTube so you never miss a new conversation. The Courage to Be You. Show up. Stay true. #PersonalGrowth #SelfAwareness #Clarity #SelfLeadership #Mindset #Purpose #unboxThePodcast ► Licensed #3598566: Snappy by Jonathan Boyle

Why do so many intelligent, capable people feel stuck, even when nothing appears to be wrong? In this episode of Conversations with Sahar, I explore one of the biggest misconceptions in personal growth. Feeling stuck is often not a lack of motivation, confidence or ability. More often, it is a sign that different parts of your life are no longer working together. Using my BEMA™ Methodology, I explain why clarity begins with awareness, how misalignment quietly affects your decisions, energy, relationships and direction, and why trying harder is rarely the answer. When your Body, Emotions, Mind and Accountability are aligned, decisions become clearer and life begins to move with greater ease. If you have been questioning your next step, feeling uncertain about your career, relationships or purpose, this conversation will help you understand what your life may really be trying to tell you. In this episode you will discover: • Why feeling stuck is often a symptom rather than the real problem. • The difference between being stuck and being out of alignment. • How the BEMA™ Methodology helps identify the source of inner friction. • Why awareness always comes before meaningful change. • One question that can transform the way you make decisions. ► Read the extended article and subscribe on Substack https://open.substack.com/pub/unboxwithsahar/p/you-are-not-stuck-this-is-why ► Explore my books, mentoring, courses, newsletter and social platforms https://linktr.ee/UnboxWithSahar ► Digital resources, guided meditations and self-development tools https://www.buymeacoffee.com/unboxwithsahar  ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ If this conversation resonated with you, please follow Unbox The Podcast, leave a review on your favourite podcast platform, or subscribe on YouTube so you never miss a new conversation. The Courage to Be You. Show up. Stay true. #FeelingStuck #PersonalGrowth #SelfAwareness #Clarity #Leadership #BEMA #ConversationsWithSahar #DecisionMaking #Mindset #Purpose ► Licensed #3598566: Snappy by Jonathan Boyle

Sahar Huneidi Palmer explores the connection between faith, courage, inner conviction and action. You can have deep faith and still struggle to speak up, make a decision, set a boundary or move towards something you know is right for you. In this episode, Sahar looks at why courage becomes real only when it is expressed through action, and how facts, intuition and passion work together to create inner conviction. This audio-only episode also opens a practical reflection on living awareness: awareness not as something we only read about or discuss, but something we apply in the choices we make, the way we respond and how we live every day.  Next week, Sahar continues this subject through the four dimensions of BEMA: Body, Emotions, Mind and beliefs, and Accountability to action. ► You can also read extended post on the courage to act on my Substack here. ► Follow our new podcast series Conversations with Sahar for more on lived awareness. ► Website, books and Strategic Clarity Sessions: https://www.saharhuneidi.com ► Newsletter signup: https://www.saharhuneidi.com/#signup ► Social Media: https://linktr.ee/UnboxWithSahar ► Ageless Living Magazine: https://www.agelesslivingmagazines.com ► Best Holistic Life Magazine: https://www.bestholisticlife.com Licensed #3598566: Snappy by Jonathan Boyle