Podcast Summary: Shed and Shine – Episode 84

Episode: Gino's Riff - Sabbatical 2025: Slowing Down to Remember Who You Are
Hosts: Gino Wickman (solo episode)
Date: October 15, 2025

Episode Overview

In this solo episode, Gino Wickman reflects on his August sabbatical—an annual tradition rooted in one of the "10 disciplines" he and Rob Dube champion: taking time off. Gino unpacks how a month away from work helped him reconnect with his true self, realize the power of slowing down, deepen his honesty and authenticity, and even experience physical healing. He shares the intentions, outcomes, and transformative lessons of his sabbatical, providing listeners with both inspiration and practical insight for undertaking their own restorative break.

Key Discussion Points

1. The Power and Practice of Sabbatical

• Annual Tradition: Gino takes an entire August off every year, focusing exclusively on family, friends, and himself.
• No Work, No Thinking About Work: Complete mental and physical detachment from professional responsibilities during sabbatical is crucial.
• Purpose:
  • Forget what he does for a living by the end.
  • Return refreshed, motivated, and ready for course corrections.
  • “Over 20 years running, I’ve come back with the same passion and purpose, but with these wonderful little tweaks…” (01:40)

2. Entering Sabbatical: State of Mind and Intentions

• Pre-Sabbatical State: Felt "spiritually stuck" and "impatient," in a "seeking, pushing mode" (03:00).
• Three Intentions for Sabbatical:
  1. Remember Who I Am: Return to “that perfect little soul that was born…my innate self, before the world got a hold of me.” (04:05)
  2. See Life As It Is: Remove filters and stop trying to make meaning—see things as they truly are. “When I would share a situation, they would say, do you know why that happened?...because it did.” (05:10)
  3. Release Anything That Doesn’t Serve Me: Go beyond superficial tasks and let go emotionally, physically, and spiritually. “Picture the suit of armor falling away, the block of marble falling away.” (07:00)

3. The Experience: What Happened During Sabbatical

• Rough Start: Felt contraction in week one due to spiritual stuckness and impatience.
• Shift to Expansion: Clarity and peace emerged as he let go and slowed down.
• Activities: Balanced time reading, enjoying friends and family, and embracing stillness for deep reflection.

4. Outcomes: Clarity and Transformation

a. Slowing Down to Find the Flow

• Outcome 1: Deep realization about the need to slow down and “just be.”
• Cancelled two upcoming retreat trips to maintain his newfound peaceful pace.
• “It was incredible as to how much clarity I received.” (13:00)
• Connects to the concept of the "synchronicity pocket"—living in a flow that's "not too fast, not too slow," at the perfect speed (15:20).

b. Radical Honesty and Authenticity

• Outcome 2: Profound advancement in his honesty and authenticity, both professionally and personally.
• Memorable Quote:
  “It was this deeper honesty, this deeper authenticity… words are almost impossible because it goes so deep into my soul.” (17:00)
• Professional Example:
  Two business deals contingent on equity partnerships fell through during the month away—clarity from sabbatical helped him engage honestly and directly, “and everyone wins as a result of it.” (19:40)
• Personal Growth:
  More honest and authentic conversations with loved ones than ever before.

c. Healing Subconscious and Physical Pain

• Outcome 3: Addressed longstanding back pain by exploring Dr. John Sarno’s mind-body theory on repressed anger and subconscious emotion as the real root cause of chronic pain.
• Through meditation, reading, and emotional work, he experienced a dramatic reduction in pain—especially after golf, when pain usually lingered for two weeks, now reduced to a day and a half (27:00).
• Highlights from Sarno’s Teachings: (29:30)
  • “The pain is a harmless condition caused by my repressed emotions.”
  • "The principal emotion is my repressed anger."
  • “I intend to be in control, not my subconscious mind.”

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Intentions:
  "If I can articulate this, the clarity of remembering who I am, the clarity of seeing life as it is and then releasing anything that doesn’t serve me… it’s like picturing the suit of armor falling away." (07:00)
• On Outcomes:
  “The outcome of every sabbatical for me is always different.” (02:30)
• Returning to True Self:
  "Getting me back to my true self. Keeping me fully in my sweet spot and in my true self.” (22:10)

Suggested Segment Timestamps

• 00:00 – Introduction: Why sabbaticals?
• 02:30 – Gino’s emotional state before sabbatical
• 04:05 – Three intentions for the month
• 07:00 – Deeper meaning behind “releasing what doesn’t serve you”
• 13:00 – Outcome #1: Clarity through slowing down, canceling trips
• 17:00 – Outcome #2: Radical honesty and professional clarity
• 27:00 – Outcome #3: Healing chronic pain through emotional work
• 29:30 – Top takeaways from Dr. Sarno’s approach
• 32:00 – Closing thoughts, call to action to take your own sabbatical

Episode Tone and Closing Call to Action

Gino speaks with honesty, humility, and a deep sense of gratitude for the transformations inspired by stepping away from his day-to-day business grind. He urges listeners to consider a sabbatical of their own—not just as a break from work, but as a deliberate act to reconnect with their true essence, gain clarity, shed emotional baggage, and possibly discover unexpected healing.

Final Words:
“Creating the time and space is where the magic happens. It’s where the growth happens. It’s where the insights happen. It’s where you happen.” (32:30)