Releasing Shame and Embracing Purpose through Hearing Loss | Angela Irwin - The Life Shift

Artwork for podcast The Life Shift - Pivotal Life-Changing Moments

Releasing Shame and Embracing Purpose through Hearing Loss | Angela Irwin

Episode 54 • 21st March 2023 • The Life Shift - Pivotal Life-Changing Moments • Matt Gilhooly

Angela's story of resilience, courage, and self-discovery is truly inspiring. In this episode, she talks about how she had to confront her childhood trauma of losing her hearing over fifteen years and how this trauma manifested in her 40s.

"He would say to me, Angela, if you had a broken leg, would you just continue to walk on it? And you know, he did say that to me a number of times. Sometimes when you're in a state like, you need to sort of hear that because I was just like, all right, let's move this along. And he's like, sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but that's not how this works. And so that was, just really emotionally painful time working through all of that."

Born with normal hearing, Angela began losing her hearing around seven and eventually went completely deaf. At 22, she received a cochlear implant, which she describes as a "second chance at life." Her experience of hearing loss and her journey to overcome the emotional and psychological trauma associated with it is a testament to her strength and determination.

During the pandemic, Angela launched the Joyful Life Cochlear Implant Fund, a 501(c)3 organization that helps cochlear implant recipients access the ongoing critical technology they need to keep their hearing and remain part of the hearing world.

Angela is a confidence coach and TEDx speaker, inspiring women worldwide to reprogram their self-acceptance and build lasting confidence to achieve their full potential. She has lived and traveled worldwide, including France, where she and her husband Colin have lived for 12 years. Her life story is a valuable reminder that the challenges we face don't have to stop us and can take us places we never imagined.