I created something for you. One of the things I kept hearing from women going through the mini course was, "I keep coming back to certain words and I want to make sure I really understand them." Words like shaming witness, internalized witness, the shame lens, denial. They show up throughout the course and in our conversations here, and they carry a lot of meaning. So I put together an Understanding Shame Glossary. It defines 37 key terms from the mini course in plain, human language. No clinical jargon. No textbook definitions. Just clear, honest explanations that connect each concept back to real life and lived experience. It also includes a Core Distinctions table (witnessing vs. fixing, emergence vs. forcing, curiosity vs. correction) and the single most important question shift at the heart of all unshaming work. This is a reference you can keep beside you as you move through the course, the exercises, and future teachings. It is not a test. There is nothing to memorize. It is simply there when you need it. You can find it inside the mini course classroom alongside the course material and the "How Was I Witnessed" exercise. If there is a term you wish was included or a definition that does not land quite right, I would love to hear from you. This is a living document and your feedback makes it better. xo, Amanda

What is everyone up to this weekend? I’m taking my daughter to a huge activity centre where they have roller skating, arcade, mini golf, go-karts, laser tag, and more! I’m excited AND I also know I’ll be exhausted after from all the noise, movement, people participating in all the activities too! I’m planning to chill for the rest of the day. ⛳️🏎️🛼👾🕹️ What are you up to?

If you could describe your first week of 2026 in three emojis, what would they be? I'll go first: 🏃‍♀️🤪😳 Your turn! 👇

@Amanda Connell Over the past two weeks I saw a lot of communities (many led by women) playing the game of create glamor photos with AI. I played along with one just to see how it works. After all, I do love tech. But when the first photo came out it looked nothing like the me I see myself as. The prompt said don't change the face but do add makeup, make the hair pretty and all the other things that many of us have been conditioned to think of as beauty and therefore worth. I hated the photo so much I refused to post it. But I did post the original "just me" selfie that the photo was based on. Then said why the glamor photo was just not what I was comfortable with. The whole experience made me think if you and the lovely conversations we had while doing our AI Ethics homework. Some see it as just a bit of fun and no harm. But I would argue that yes it is fun to play with the tech, but why do we feel the need to play with the tech in that way. So many women in the group I am talking about have never posted a photo of themselves before because they did not feel like they were enough just as they are. But this did post a AI enhanced version. I feel like there is some subtle shame in this game because it leads to the thought that we have to do the glamor shots and be something other than the regular us to be seen and valued.

Happy New Year, Beautiful Souls! 🎊 As we step into this new year, I can already see and feel the energy shifting to goal setting, changing, transformation, you name it. From goal setting, gym memberships, dieting, money makeovers, wellness practices, "New Year, New You" mentality, it's already gearing up. It's a great selling point, right? Companies banking on the shame women feel at this time of year and then they capitalize on it. Ugh. I just want you to know that's NOT what happens here. 💗 So, while I personally have a love/hate relationship with goal setting (more on that story later on!), before you make any big plans for the year, I'm inviting you to pause and ask yourself, "where is this desire coming from?" Is it coming from a place of shame? From a voice whispering that you're not good enough right now? That you're broken and in need of fixing? Just notice. When we create goals from that place, we put enormous pressure on ourselves to change and I don't know about you, but I really don't enjoy that. So I'm doing something different this year and I'm going to share a little bit with you now to get started. Instead of shaming myself into creating change (which we know doesn't creating long-lasting, sustainable change anyways) I'm going to get curious! I'm going to ask myself: - How am I really feeling right now? - What am I experiencing in this moment? - What are my true desires—beneath the noise of what I think I "should" want? You might be surprised by what comes up for you! This year, let's unshame our desires! Let's listen to what our bodies, hearts, and spirits are actually asking for—not from a place of not-enoughness, but from a place of deep wisdom and self-knowing. Welcome to 2026. Welcome to a year of curiosity, compassion, and unshaming. ❤️‍🔥 xo, Amanda