Welcome to Thursday Thoughts on The Grit Show. This week, we are chatting about something you would see as innocuous under most circumstances: cherry blossoms. However, the science of epigenetics and the inheritable intergenerational effects of trauma are quite intriguing and may have you looking at these lovely markers of spring in a whole new way. Epigenetics is something Shawna has long been interested in and although this field is young, and full of room for debate, Shawna feels there are a lot of interesting facts and things we can learn from it. Her takeaways may not be the ones that are discussed in the mainstream, but will definitely give you some food for thought. She touches on a couple of studies that are referenced below, but will also talk about the lenses that this research can give us as we move through our days and interact with those around us. If you have thoughts on this, we would love to hear them. DM on Instagram @The.Grit.Show or contact us through our website (www.TheGritShow.com). Shawna Rodrigues is the founder of The Grit Show (www.TheGritShow.com), a podcast that creates a community around purpose, alignment, and growth. Where scrappy survivors come together as seekers and thrivers. Article on study of the Epigenetic effects of the Dutch Famine: https://www.nytimes.com/2018/01/31/science/dutch-famine-genes.html Study by Brian Dias and Kerry Ressler Parental olfactory experience influences behavior and neural structure in subsequent generations https://www.nature.com/articles/nn.3594 Shawna Rodrigues left her award-winning career in the public sector in 2019 and after launching The Grit Show, soon learned the abysmal fact that women hosted only 27% of podcasts. This led to the founding of the Authentic Connections Podcast Network intent on raising that number by 10% in five years- 37 by 27. Because really, shouldn’t it be closer to 50%? She is the Director of Impact for the network, which offers full-service support for podcasting from mentoring to production. In September 2023 they are also launching the EPAC (Entrepreneurs and Podcasters Authentically Connected) community for those in early stages and wanting a place for weekly connection. She still finds a little time for her pursuits as a best-selling author and shares the hosting of Author Express, a podcast that features the voice behind the pages of your favorite book. Find her on Instagram- @ShawnaPodcasts and learn more about the network and other happenings at https://linktr.ee/37by27. Stay Connected to The Grit Show Follow us on Instagram: @The.Grit.Show Grab your copy of our Self-Care Coloring Pages & as a bonus, you’ll get weekly email reminders when episodes come out!