# Ep 55. Perfectionism, Loneliness & how to Practice Connection with TEDx Curator Cara Truitt

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/success-reimagined-with-amna-shabbir-md-7213595/ep-55-perfectionism-loneliness-how-to-practice-connection-with-tedx-curator-cara-truitt
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/success-reimagined-with-amna-shabbir-md-7213595/ep-55-perfectionism-loneliness-how-to-practice-connection-with-tedx-curator-cara-truitt.md
Podcast: [Success Reimagined with Amna Shabbir MD](https://stenobird.com/podcast/success-reimagined-with-amna-shabbir-md-7213595)
Published: 2026-03-08T23:00:00+00:00
Episode link: https://share.transistor.fm/s/2cc09922
Audio file: https://media.transistor.fm/2cc09922/c36669bf.mp3
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JSON: https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/success-reimagined-with-amna-shabbir-md-7213595/episodes/ep-55-perfectionism-loneliness-how-to-practice-connection-with-tedx-curator-cara-truitt
Duration seconds: 1992

## Resource

Connection is both our greatest need and our greatest strength. But in a world where we are more wirelessly connected than ever, why do we feel so alone? In this powerful conversation, Dr. Amna Shabbir, MD speaks with Cara Truitt, entrepreneur, speaker coach, TEDx Sugar Creek Women founder, and community builder, about what it truly means to build authentic connection in a disconnected world. Cara opens up about losing everything in one week, filing for divorce on Monday, bankruptcy on Wednesday, and her sister passing away on Friday, and how walking into a yoga studio became the beginning of her healing journey. She shares how that community gave her the first deep breath she ever took and taught her what it felt like to be enough just as she was. From running that yoga studio through the pandemic to founding TEDx Sugar Creek Women and creating spaces where people can come as they are and leave as more of who they are, Cara has dedicated her life to cultivating connection. She introduces her STOP to Connect framework, a simple yet transformative tool for creating micro moments of intentional connection throughout the day by setting a silent intention, trusting yourself, having an open heart and mind, and preparing to be present. Cara also unpacks how perfectionism, which she calls "fancy fear," shows up in her life and why she has learned to practice awareness without judgment. She redefines success as choosing curiosity over fear, leaning into self trust and intuition, and building the art of showing up authentically instead of chasing external expectations. Episode Takeaways Why we live in the most connected world yet feel the most alone, and how the loneliness epidemic is a global health crisis The STOP to Connect framework How to create micro moments of intentiona…

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## Transcript

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