Podcasts about Inner critic

In his Prime Video series, Bait, Riz Ahmed plays an actor auditioning to be the next James Bond. Ahmed says Bond is a "symbol of aspiration, this unattainable kind of self" his character is pursuing. He's nominated for an Emmy for his role in the series. Ahmed spoke with Tonya Mosley about being his own worst critic, why he connected to Hamlet, and his early days as an MC on pirate radio. Subscribe to our free weekly newsletter Follow us on Instagram Subscribe to our YouTube channel Check out the Fresh Air ArchivesSee pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

So when self-doubt starts blowing through your brain like a leaf blower with a personal vendetta…press play.Before you listen, you've been listening to us and now it's our turn to listen to you!We want to hear from you. What topics would you like us to explore? What meditation do you need right now? Is there a story you'd like to share?Send us your thoughts, ideas, questions, or experiences at WDPFTpodcast@gmail.com.Your stories help shape this community, and they often inspire future episodes. And if you'd like to help our little podcast grow, don't forget to rate, review, subscribe, and share.Ever feel like everyone else knows exactly what they're doing while you're one awkward moment away from being exposed?Welcome to imposter syndrome.Imposter syndrome is that  tiny little pip-squeak voice that convinces you that you're not qualified, don't belong, or haven't earned your place yet.In this guided meditation, you'll learn how to recognize self-doubt without letting it make your decisions and remember that growth doesn't require perfection.Because feeling uncertain doesn't mean you're unqualified.It means you're still growing. It means you're human.Send us Fan MailHow Yoga Changed My Life a PodcastSend Us Your Stories!If you have a story about how yoga, meditation, breath work, journaling, or movement changed your life, we want to hear from you! These podcasts are really about the same thing — how people move through the seasons of life they didn't plan for, and what helps them along the way.If you'd like to be on the show or share your story:  Fill out our guest form or email us at yogachanged@gmail.com Follow us on TikTok:https://www.tiktok.com/@yogachangedFollow us on Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/yogachanged/More info, go to https://howyogachangedmylife.comFor those who have reached out asking how to support Adrienne and her family during this time, click here to donate. There is absolutely no expectation—just sincere gratitude.The theme music for this episode, “Cenote Angelita”, was written and produced by Mar Abajo Rio AKA MAR Yoga Music. Dive deeper into this and other orig...

This talk explores the inner critic as a habitual pattern of thought, emotion, and body sensation—not a fixed truth- as well as offering practices of self-compassion. ★ Support this podcast ★

Stassi and Taylor start off strong by diving deep into some reality TV criticism! First up: Taylor addresses the diabolical rumor that she forced her wife's name change for the show. Stassi makes peace with being fundamentally misunderstood on TV. The duo unpack modern parenting dynamics and the unfair double standards moms face.An astrological storm is brewin'—including a total solar eclipse, a six-planet alignment, and the tail end of the Lion's Gate portal. Stassi and Taylor review their past manifestation journals to see what actually came true (shoutout to sleep-trained babies and 12-episode seasons!). Lastly, Stassi plans her end of summer Europe trip to emerge just in time for spooky season, while Taylor prepares for a first-time trip away from the baby to live it up at a Backstreet Boys concert in Vegas. Gird your loins, water signs!Thank you to our sponsors!Amazon Music: Your one app for music, podcasts, and audiobooks — Amazon Music Unlimited subscription now includes access to audiobooksBoll and Branch: For a limited time, get 15% off sitewide at BollAndBranch.com/stassi with code Stassi. Exclusions apply.Hiya: Receive 50% off your first order at hiyahealth.com/STASSIProgressive: Compare car insurance quote with rates from other companies at Progressive.comQuince: Go to Quince.com/stassi for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Send us Fan MailWhat happens when your life looks successful on the outside, but inside you feel anxious, disconnected, ashamed, or exhausted from trying to hold it all together?In this episode of Spiritual Spotlight Series, Rachel Garrett sits down with Meghann Dawson, certified empowerment coach, transformational speaker, host of Becoming Is Messy, and founder of the Unperfect Life Company, for an honest conversation about perfectionism, high-functioning anxiety, trauma healing, nervous system regulation, self-trust, and authentic living.Meghann shares how survival patterns can look like achievement, people-pleasing, over-functioning, and perfectionism—and why the very behaviors that once helped us feel safe can eventually keep us disconnected from ourselves.We explore the powerful turning point Meghann experienced in her daughter's nursery, how she began rebuilding trust with herself, and why healing isn't about becoming a “better” or more polished version of yourself. It's about becoming more honest about who you actually are.You'll also hear how to distinguish intuition from the inner critic, why slowing down can help you hear your own inner knowing, and how modalities including talk therapy, somatic work, body-based healing, and energy healing can support different layers of trauma recovery.Meghann also shares what living an “unperfect life” really means: choosing goals that genuinely belong to you, creating boundaries that protect your peace, releasing the need for approval, and redefining success through authenticity.If you've ever wondered, “Why does my life look fine but not feel like mine?”, this conversation may give you permission to ask a different question:Does my life actually feel true to me? Support the showSpiritual Spotlight Series is hosted by Rachel Garrett, RN, CCH — Akashic Records Practitioner, Master Energy Healer, and Certified Crystal Healer.Conversations about the things we almost don't say out loud. For the ones who feel everything — but question it.Each episode features real stories of spiritual awakening, healing, and transformation from guests across all walks of life, alongside solo teachings on Akashic Records, crystal healing, nervous system support, and intuitive development.Healing doesn't have to be heavy.New: Join the monthly live Akashic reading → YouTube membership at $4.99/month → youtube.com/@rachelgarrett/membership✨ Explore More Spiritual Wisdom & Stay Connected

I've done a lot of work on myself over the years, but my inner critic still has a way of showing up when I least expect it. In this vlog, I'm talking about what happened when that voice came back, sent me into a shame spiral, and had me judging myself, questioning my self-worth, and slipping back into negative thoughts and negative self talk. It's amazing how quickly old patterns can make you forget everything you know about yourself.I'm sharing how I try to catch that self judgement before it takes over, reframe the thoughts that are making me feel small, and remind myself that one hard moment does not define my identity or my worth. If you're wondering how to silence your inner critic, stop judging yourself, get out of a shame spiral, or stop being so hard on yourself, I hope this feels like a reminder that healing isn't about never having negative thoughts again. It's about learning how to recognize them, reframe them, and come back to yourself.Timestamps: 00:00 – Inner Critic Resurfaces 03:13 – Driving Violation05:54 – Cop's Basic Advice 07:07 – Our Inner Critic 09:25 – Basic Self-Care Tools 12:15 – Lighting Palo Santo 15:06 – Daily Positive Affirmations 16:32 – Embracing Human ExperienceConnect with Me:Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠@realamyedwards⁠⁠⁠Spotify: ⁠⁠⁠The Amy Edwards Show Podcast⁠⁠⁠#innercritic #selfjudgment #shame

Today, Lauren shares module one, lesson one of her upcoming at-your-own-pace course, Inner Voice Reset™.This lesson talks about changing the harsh inner voice that becomes automatic and shapes confidence, emotions, choices, and life opportunities, and emphasizes building awareness by noticing and observing critical thoughts with curiosity rather than believing them. Lauren reframes the inner critic as a protector using outdated strategies, encouraging compassion instead of self-attack, and highlights that you are the one noticing thoughts, not the thoughts themselves.Pre-order Inner Voice Reset™ on presale now for only $99Fill out Lauren's support feedback survey Becoming You is a 1:1-centered healing mentorship for highly sensitive people who want lasting inner change. This work blends deep emotional support, subconscious belief clearing, and gentle integration, so healing doesn't just make sense, it actually sticks. Learn more & apply nowJoin our HSP Community– free private online group, live monthly meetings, & moreLeave a voice memo (a story, a question, a helpful tip, etc.) to be played in a future episode!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Get Lauren's free mini-course, Embracing Your Sensitivity: A Journey to Self-AcceptanceBecome a Patreon subscriber for bonuses and to help support the podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Connect with Lauren on Instagram: @⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠iamlaurenlasalleIf you have ideas for episode topics, questions for Lauren to answer on the podcast, or if you would like to write an email sharing your story for Lauren to read on the podcast, email lauren@laurenlasalle.com (email title: For Podcast).You can find out more about Lauren's programs at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠laurenlasalle.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Sadie takes a solo adventure into the world of horror with multi-hyphenate creative Spider One (Big Baby, Allegoria) and vocalist of 90s rock band Powerman 5000. While they don't talk about his music career, they do deep dive into his new horror film Big Baby which is now available to watch OnDemand.Lots of ground is covered from what happens when you try to control the narrative and how to spin that on its head into the horror genre (you end up getting an accountability partner you didn't necessarily ask for...) to really great advice on how to battle your inner critic. Resources from this episode: Big Baby Trailer Watch Big Baby OnDemand Spider One InstagramPipeline Podcasts:All OG Pipeline Artists podcasts can be found on pipelineartists.com/listen.YouTube:Watch full (read that as "most ... maybe not any" because Jeanne is tired) episodes on YouTube.Follow us on X:@recklesscr8tive@SadieKDean@jeannevb@pipelineartistsFollow us on IG:@recklesscr8tive@_thesadiedean_@jeannevb_@pipelineartists Dive into our affordable education platform, Symposium, for live events and on-demand.Enter Pipeline's Contests:Script Pipeline—Screenwriting/TV/PitchFilm Pipeline—Short Scripts/FilmsBook Pipeline 

Sara explores the inner critic and its role in the creative process through an insightful dissection of Bodhidharma's original founding text of Zen. How does what our Great Red Bearded Barbarian Ancestor actually said measure up to the perfect Zen master living rent free in our heads? Where does the inner critic come from and how does it hold us back? Is it actually making some good points, and is there a healthier happier way of listening to that? Find out here!

What changes when you stop beating yourself up and start treating yourself like someone you love?In this episode of You Go First, Lain Hensley sits down with longtime friend and executive coach Susan Korte, creator of Kindness Corner, an online community designed to help people-pleasers quiet their inner critics, practice self-compassion, and reconnect with who they truly are.Susan shares her deeply personal journey of healing, self-discovery, and learning the self-love she needed to break old patterns and become the parent and person she wanted to be. She explains how being kinder to herself accelerated her growth and inspired her to create a supportive space where others can feel seen, encouraged, and less alone. Together, Lain and Susan explore the connection between kindness, boundaries, confidence, and personal growth. Susan also shares practical ways to interrupt negative self-talk, including naming your inner critic, practicing box breathing, observing your thoughts, and asking a simple but powerful question: What do I need right now?It's an honest and uplifting conversation about giving yourself permission to be imperfect, investing in your well-being, and finding a community that reminds you that you matter.

When your inner critic won't stop hogging the microphone, press play.Self-doubt has a funny way of showing up uninvited and acting like it pays rent.Before you know it, it's questioning your decisions, your abilities, and whether you should've sent that text three days ago.This short guided meditation will help you take the microphone back, quiet the noise, and reconnect with the version of yourself that existed long before all the second-guessing moved in.Today's meditation is a chance to interrupt that conversation.To breathe.And to remember that self-doubt is just a feeling—it's far from the truth.Send us Fan MailWe Didn't Plan For This Special SeriesThis series exists because so many of you reached out and said, “I didn't plan for this either.”If you've gone through a diagnosis, a loss, a life change, a career shift, a divorce, becoming a caregiver, moving, starting over — we want to hear your story.EMAIL US: WDPFTPodcast@gmail.comYou don't have to have it figured out. You just have to be willing to share honestly.How Yoga Changed My Life a PodcastSend Us Your Stories!If you have a story about how yoga, meditation, breath work, journaling, or movement changed your life, we want to hear from you! These podcasts are really about the same thing — how people move through the seasons of life they didn't plan for, and what helps them along the way.If you'd like to be on the show or share your story:  Fill out our guest form or email us at yogachanged@gmail.com Follow us on TikTok:https://www.tiktok.com/@yogachangedFollow us on Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/yogachanged/More info, go to https://howyogachangedmylife.comFor th...

567. There's a voice in your head that has opinions about everything you do — and most of them are unkind. It replays your mistakes. It pre-edits your ideas before you even say them. It tells you that you're too much, not enough, or both at once. This week Dr. Judy Ho unpacks the inner critic: where it comes from, why it's louder for some people than others, what the neuroscience says about why it's so hard to shut up — and three evidence-based tools to change your relationship with it for good.Have a mental health question? Email Dr. Judy's team at psychologist@quickanddirtytips.comFind Savvy Psychologist on Facebook and subscribe to the newsletter for more psychology tips.Watch on YouTube: www.youtube.com/@SavvyPsychologistMore from Dr. Ho on her other channels:Dr. Ho's website, Substack, LinkedIn.Savvy Psychologist is a part of Quick and Dirty Tips. Find a transcript at QuickandDirtyTips.com. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sometimes the person standing in your way isn't someone else. It's the version of yourself that was created to survive. In this episode of the Power & Purpose Podcast, Vanessa Soul sits down with Steven Francisci—U.S. Navy Veteran, author, mental health advocate, and trauma awareness educator—to explore what it truly takes to heal from childhood conditioning, codependency, shame, religious deconstruction, and inherited identities. Steven shares the powerful story behind his memoir, From Ahole to Alright**, and explains how therapy, self-reflection, and conscious change transformed every area of his life. Together they discuss: • Why trauma creates protective identities • The Codependency Triangle (Victim • Rescuer • Persecutor) • How manipulation often disguises itself as love • Religious deconstruction and questioning inherited beliefs • Radical self-awareness without self-shame • Healing the inner critic • Journaling, art therapy, breathwork and shadow work • Letting go of certainty and learning to trust life • Returning to love as your true identity Whether you're beginning your healing journey or have been doing inner work for years, this conversation offers practical insights and profound perspective for becoming more fully yourself.

If you’ve ever lain awake wondering what’s wrong with your homeschool, know this: you’re asking one of the same questions homeschool moms are asking every single week — you’re just doing it alone, at midnight, with a search bar instead of a friend. After two decades of homeschooling my own four kids, and six years coaching the women who do this work every single day, I can tell you this with complete confidence: the questions that keep homeschool moms up at night are almost always the same questions. Over and over. In every coaching conversation. In every Collective session. And in every message I receive at midnight from a mama trying to figure out what’s going wrong and why she can’t seem to fix it. So this summer on the Confident Homeschool Mom Podcast, I decided to address them directly. Seven episodes. Seven books. And seven questions that deserve more than a quick fix. Watch the video below — and then keep reading for the full breakdown. https://youtu.be/zkxm-irxoMQ What You’ll Learn in this Video: Why your child’s behaviour is almost never actually about you — and the personality framework that can explain it How the way you talk to your kids might be creating more friction than you realize — and what healthy homeschool communication actually sounds like The personal mental habits that are quietly making your whole life harder, whether you’re homeschooling or not Why your child needs to feel truly seen by you — and why that starts with feeling seen yourself What it actually means to let your child lead their own learning — and why that’s harder than it sounds Why so many homeschool moms feel like they’ve lost themselves — and how to find their way back Why you feel constantly in conflict with the way your life feels right now — and what radical acceptance actually means for your homeschool The 7 Questions Homeschool Moms Are Asking— And The Books That Answer Them: These aren’t random questions. They’re the same questions homeschool moms are asking — out loud and not out loud — every single week. 1. Why do I keep reacting the same way to my child — and is it actually about them or about me? The Road Back to You — Ian Morgan Cron & Suzanne Stabile What looks like defiance is almost always a collision between two completely different core motivations. Yours and theirs. The Enneagram helps you understand both — and once you do, everything shifts. 2. Is the way I talk to my kids making things worse — and what does healthy homeschool communication actually sound like? Nonviolent Communication — Marshall Rosenberg Not just how you speak to your kids — but how you listen to them. How you hear what’s underneath the behaviour instead of just reacting to the behaviour itself. 3. What do mentally strong homeschool moms do differently — and how do I get there? 13 Things Mentally Strong People Don’t Do — Amy Morin This one isn’t just about homeschooling. These are the personal mental habits that are quietly making your whole life harder. And homeschool moms are particularly vulnerable to several of them — because we carry so much and ask for so little help. 4. Does my child feel truly seen by me — and do I even feel seen myself? Feeling Seen — Jodi Carrington Kids don’t need us to be perfect. They need to feel seen. But how can we help our children feel seen when we ourselves have never felt truly seen? This episode goes there. Still with me? Good — because these are exactly the questions homeschool moms are asking most, and getting through four of them without flinching means you’re already doing the hard, honest work. 5. What does it actually mean to let my child lead their own learning? The Gardener and the Carpenter — Alison Gopnik A carpenter shapes wood into a specific, predetermined form. A gardener creates the conditions for growth — and then trusts what emerges. Most of us were taught to be carpenters. This book helps you become a gardener. 6. Why do I feel like I’ve lost myself in homeschooling — and how do I find my way back? Stop Losing Yourself — Teresa Wiedrick This is the question underneath so many other questions. You started this journey with such intention. And somewhere along the way — between the lesson planning and the sibling conflict and the never-ending needs of everyone around you — you lost the thread back to yourself. This episode is drawn from my own coaching work with homeschool mamas, and there is a whole course built around it. 7. Why do I feel constantly in conflict with the way my life feels right now? Radical Acceptance — Tara Brach Radical acceptance isn’t about giving up or lowering your standards. It’s about stopping the war with reality long enough to actually see it clearly. And from that place of clarity — choosing what to do next. So if any of these are questions homeschool moms are asking themselves at 2 am, take it as a sign: you’re not behind, you’re not alone, and you’re not the only one wondering. Not Sure Which of These Questions Homeschool Moms Are Asking Is Yours? If none of these seven quite fit, and you’re still asking your own version of “what’s wrong with my homeschool,” that’s exactly what the free Homeschool Overwhelm Quiz is for.

This episode is all about nonviolent homeschool communication — specifically, the patterns that make it harder than it needs to be. Nonviolent homeschool communication starts here — with understanding these old patterns. And there is one book that has shaped how I think about this more than any other. I’ve read a lot of books on relationships, parenting, connection, and attachment over the years — more than I can count. But Marshall Rosenberg’s Nonviolent Communication is the one I keep coming back to. For me, it is the bible of relationships and communication. And it has changed how I show up in my homeschool in ways I didn’t expect. Here’s what it taught me. https://youtu.be/J7kN_HHX52c?si=jZyaiXFDGyilrnsw But first, how does Marshall Rosenberg define nonviolent communication? NVC (aka Nonviolent Communication) is a language of life that helps us transform old patterns of defensiveness and aggressiveness into compassion and empathy and to improve the quality of all of our relationships. (Definition provided by the Center for Non-Violent Communication). We all have old patterns that need to be transformed. And we definitely notice we have reactive, defensive, and aggressive patterns when we attempt to create relationships. Certainly, we notice this when we saturate ourselves in the homeschool parenting role. The 4 NVC Components That Transform Nonviolent Homeschool Communication Observation: Observation without evaluation consists of noticing concrete things and actions around us. We learn to distinguish between judgment and what we sense in the present moment and to simply observe what is there. Feeling: When we notice things around us, we inevitably experience varying emotions and physical sensations in each particular moment. Here, distinguishing feelings from thoughts is an essential step in the NVC process. Needs: All individuals have needs and values that sustain and enrich their lives. When those needs are met, we experience comfortable feelings, like happiness or peacefulness, and when they are not, we experience uncomfortable feelings, like frustration. Understanding that we, as well as those around us, have these needs is perhaps the most important step in learning to practice NVC and live empathically. Request: To make clear and present requests is crucial to NVC's transformative mission. When we learn to request concrete actions that can be carried out in the present moment, we begin to find ways to cooperatively and creatively ensure that everyone's needs are met. (Definitions provided by the Center for Non-Violent Communication). Here’s how each component transforms homeschool communication in real life. Lesson One — The Homeschool Communication Shift That Changes Everything “What I want in my life is compassion, a flow between myself and others based on a mutual giving from the heart.” ― Marshall B. Rosenberg, Nonviolent Communication: A Language of Life This is what we all want: we want a flow within ourselves and between us. But we’re not all trained to enable that flow. We have walls built up to defend ourselves; sometimes we even have spikes and landmines built up to defend ourselves. Either way, those defenses don’t build relationships. Vulnerability and authenticity allow relationships to expand and grow. Nonviolent homeschool communication requires this foundation first — self-compassion. And that is an easy thing to say and a less easy thing to do. Big Emotions Journal for the Homeschool Mom Are you a homeschool mom navigating the ups and downs of daily life with your kids? Introducing the Homeschool Mama's Toolbox—a powerful resource to help you manage big emotions like anger, guilt, or overwhelm with clarity and intention. $9.99 Original price was: $9.99.$6.99Current price is: $6.99. Shop now Lesson Two — Homeschool Communication and Grace “All violence is the result of people tricking themselves into believing that their pain derives from other people and that consequently, those people deserve to be punished.” ― Marshall B. Rosenberg, Nonviolent Communication: A Language of Life We do what we do because that is what we know to do in the scenario at the time. And in the words of Maya Angelou, “Do the best you can until you know better. Then when you know better, do better.“ If we have a growth mindset about life and relationships, how we show up will shift over time. Growth changes everything. Over time, we show up differently in the same scenarios — five, ten, or twenty years later — if we choose that path. Looking back in regret and shame is one option. Forgiving ourselves and growing is another. And when we grow humble and self-aware enough, we realize that others aren’t trying to intentionally cause us pain or friction either. Punishment didn’t teach us when we simply didn’t know better. It won’t serve the people engaging us wrongly now either. So we choose grace — the same grace we’d want extended to our own growing selves. This shift in perspective is at the heart of nonviolent homeschool communication. Lesson Three — What Anger Is Really Telling You “At the core of all anger is a need that is not being fulfilled.” ― Marshall B. Rosenberg, Nonviolent Communication: A Language of Life Anger is that mighty sharp tip of an iceberg that protects our fragile hearts. It’s a useful tool to self-protect. But it also protects or keeps us from connecting with others if we self-protect too hard. Under the mighty iceberg of anger’s sharp tip is a whole lotta other big emotions. You name the emotion, it’s there. And those emotions are always fueled by our unmet needs. Nonviolent homeschool communication asks us to address those needs directly rather than react to the emotion on the surface. So we need to address our own needs and respectfully request that others meet our needs, so that we don’t spend our lives reactively, angrily demanding others meet our needs, and/or never connecting with ourselves or others. Lesson Four — The Danger of Not Knowing Yourself “We are dangerous when we are not conscious of our responsibility for how we behave, think, and feel.” ― Marshall B. Rosenberg, Nonviolent Communication: A Language of Life You know when you’re not a parent and you have heaped judgments on your own parents parenting approaches BUT THEN you have kids??? And all you can think to yourself is DANG, this parenting thing is only easy when I’m not doing it. (& also, I can see now that my parents were doing the best they could do with what they knew to do in their parenting years, no matter how unhealthy things were). Because parenting is SO CHALLENGING at times. Every parenting book I’ve read had something to say. And I’ve appreciated most of them for something. But this core point, that we need to grow in self-awareness and self-compassion has had the most impact on my parenting approach. I’ve made the gamut of parenting mistakes. I really have. Which means I have regret. (& lest you try to console me for my perfectly imperfect parenting, I will go to my grave regretting them, but I also don’t fuel them with self-contempt). Self-shaming won’t change how I engage my kids now. Mistakes were made — I’m human. Healthy examples weren’t always available to me, and no matter how many parenting books or hours in a therapist’s office, I was bound to struggle with this one relationship: the relationship with myself. My defenses and my reactiveness towards things that hurt me or offended me or confused me were my instinctive armour and battle gear that I brought into my family life, as a wife, and as a mother. I wish this weren’t true. But it is. I had (& still have) armour and battle gear. Do I like that? Hell no. Will it serve me to pretend that these patterns weren’t mine at the beginning of my family journey? Again, hell no. I’ve learned that including practices in self-awareness has helped me see me a little more clearly (a little more, because there will always be room for more self-awareness, I’ll never see myself clearly). Or in the words of Carl Rogers, “The curious paradox is that when I accept myself just as I am, then I can change.” Self-awareness is the foundation of nonviolent homeschool communication — and this is where it starts. Lesson Five — You Are Not Vanilla “My theory is that we get depressed because we're not getting what we want, and we're not getting what we want because we have never been taught to get what we want. Instead, we've been taught to be good little boys and girls and good mothers and fathers. If we're going to be one of those good things, better get used to being depressed. Depression is the reward we get for being “good.” But, if you want to feel better, I'd like you to clarify what you would like people to do to make life more wonderful for you.” ― Marshall B. Rosenberg, Nonviolent Communication: A Language of Life If we don’t acknowledge who we are, that we are separate people, and that we have separate needs, we force ourselves to go underground. Our identity becomes like vanilla ice cream. Vanilla is a flavour of ice cream, sure (aka it’s a personality of ice cream types, though it is a basic personality). But it doesn’t have a specific personality, a particular flavour, or a particular texture. It has an entry-level nothingness. (Clearly vanilla is not my favourite. Bring on the peppermint chocolate chip). But we each aren’t vanilla personalities: we have our own flair, our own flavour, and our own textures. We are unique and are meant to be here for a special purpose. When we put our efforts toward being good or right, enabling ourselves to go undercover, we aren’t really us. And so does our nonviolent homeschool communication. And when we put our efforts toward fully accepting all of our parts, and each of our needs, and acknowledging our real selves, we flourish. The Homeschool Communication Tool I Use Every Day The very most important thing I gain from Marshall Rosenberg’s book, Nonviolent Communication, is this fill-in-the-blank statement. It is a useful tool: a fill-in-the-blank conversation “instruction manual” to address my needs and request someone to engage my needs (which, not coincidentally when you practice doing this for you, makes it awfully easy to engage for others too). When I see that______________ I feel ______________ because my need for ________________ is/is not met. Would you be willing to __________________? This single sentence changed my nonviolent homeschool communication more than any other tool I’ve found. So my goal in my relationships with my kids and my relationship with my partner is to make observations, clarify and express my feelings, declare my underlying needs, and ask for my needs to be met. That simple. And not easy at all. If you want to go deeper in nonviolent homeschool communication Here are three ways I can support you: Reading That Restores You — Book Club Newsletter Every Wednesday morning, a warm, thoughtful reflection lands in your inbox drawn from the books we’re exploring together — including Nonviolent Communication. Journaling prompts. Practical takeaways for your homeschool communication and your life. You don’t have to read the book. You just have to show up for yourself on a Wednesday morning. Sign up free here. Get My Weekly Book Reflection The Confident Homeschool Mom Collective If you want to work through homeschool communication challenges live — with a community of women who genuinely get this life — come join us in the Collective. This month, we’re exploring Nonviolent Communication together. Roundtable conversations, book club discussion, writer’s room, and actionable strategy sessions. Every Friday. Your first Friday is completely free. Join the Collective here. Book a Free Aligned Homeschool Reset Session If homeschool communication with a specific child or your partner feels particularly stuck right now — I’d love to think through it with you. Book a free no-obligation Aligned Homeschool Reset Session and let’s look at what’s really happening and what might need to shift. Book your free session here. Book your free Aligned Homeschool Reset Session Keep Reading How to Use Non-Violent Communication in our Homeschools The Homeschool Communication Mistake Parents Make & How to Change It Counseling 101: a Homeschool Parent's Most Important Skill Conflict Resolution Toolbox How Listening to our Trauma Stories can Enable our Homeschool Families Homeschool Kids are the Audience to the Homeschool Marriage How to Address Your Big Emotions with Christine Dixon A Homeschool Mom Podcast to Transform Your Life Perspective-Shifting Homeschool Coaching Discussions Foster Strong Relationships in Your Homeschool Family Hold Onto Your Kids by Gordon Neufeld in Homeschool Mama Book Club How Marie Forleo Informs my Homeschool How Brene Brown's Inspiring Thoughts have Informed my Homeschool 8 Ways to Build Healthy Relationships in Your Homeschool Family The Ultimate Guide to Building Boundaries and Healthy Relationships for Homeschool Moms 13 Things Mentally Strong Don't Do: Amy Morin influences my homeschool Enneagram: A Self-Awareness Tool That Makes You a Better Educator, Mom & Partner 5 Reasons Your Homeschool Child Won't Do Work & How to Motivate Your Child How Brene Brown's Atlas of the Heart Influences our Homeschools Latest episodes 13 Things Mentally Strong Homeschool Moms Don’t Do August 11, 2026 7 Questions Homeschool Moms Are Afraid to Ask Out Loud August 4, 2026 How to Improve Homeschool Communication with the Best NVC August 4, 2026 How to Stop Taking Your Child’s Behaviour Personally July 21, 2026 You’re Invited to the Homeschool Mom Book Club 2026 July 14, 2026 Post-Partum Overwhelm in Your Homeschool: 12 Ways to Cope July 12, 2026 A 2023 High School Graduate’s Thoughts on her Homeschool Life July 11, 2026 What It’s Like? The Homeschool to High School Transition July 11, 2026 Navigate Homeschool High School (What You Need to Know) July 7, 2026 How to Set Realistic High School Expectations? Learn Human Development July 3, 2026 Declutter Your Homeschool Mama Mind: Overwhelm to On Purpose July 2, 2026 How to Handle Homeschool Criticism With Confidence June 29, 2026 How to Create a Personalized Homeschool High School That Fits Your Teen June 23, 2026 The Real Cost Of Being The “Good Girl” Who Became The Good Mom June 16, 2026 What Is an Education Anyway? Your Answer Changes Your Homeschool June 8, 2026 5 Reasons Your Homeschool Child Won’t Do Work & How to Motivate Your Child June 2, 2026 Crush 1st-Year Homeschool Frustrations and Plan a Smooth Year 2 May 30, 2026 Encouragement for Homeschool Moms in the 1st Year May 30, 2026 Transitioning into Homeschool High School: What We're Really Talking About May 26, 2026 Registered Homeschooling vs Online Learning BC: What Really Matters May 19, 2026 Homeschool Year End Review: Celebrating your Success & Growth May 12, 2026 When You Buy New Homeschool Curriculum: 5 Clever Suggestions May 6, 2026 The Truth About Homeschooling the “Right Way” — But What Works May 5, 2026 9 Steps to Thrive: Confident Homeschool Mom in Year 1 April 28, 2026 What If Your Unrealistic Expectations Are Actually Your Greatest Asset? April 21, 2026 Overcome Imposter Syndrome: How to Build Confidence as a Homeschool Mom April 14, 2026 How to Get Started Homeschooling in 2026 April 11, 2026 9 Mistakes That Make Your 1st Homeschool Year Stressful (& How to Avoid Them) April 9, 2026 How to Make Confident Homeschool Decisions (Without Seeking Permission) April 7, 2026 How to Homeschool When Everyone Has ADHD (And You’re Exhausted) March 31, 2026 Exhausted Homeschool Mom? 8 Things That Will Give You Hope March 24, 2026 Stop Second-Guessing as a Homeschool Mom (& Use Your Magic) March 17, 2026 “You’re Not Falling Apart. You’re in the Winter Homeschool Slump.” March 10, 2026 The Lies Homeschool Moms Believe That Makes Everything Harder March 2, 2026 You’re Not Failing. You’re Caught In An Inner Critic Loop. Here’s How to Get Out February 24, 2026 How to Stop People-Pleasing as a Homeschool Mom (One Mom’s Story) February 17, 2026 How to Stop the Inner Critic as a Homeschool Mom: The Charmed Life I Was Chasing (& the Pattern I Didn’t Know I Was Living) February 10, 2026 The Most Important Way to Take Care of Yourself as an Overwhelmed Homeschool Mom February 2, 2026 How to Do Kindergarten in Your Homeschool: A Fun & Effective Guide January 29, 2026 The Real Reason You’re Overwhelmed (It’s Not the Curriculum) January 26, 2026 Unexpected Feelings When Your Homeschooler Gets Accepted to University January 22, 2026 How to Stop Being a Hostage to Homeschool Pressure (& What to Do Instead) January 19, 2026 The Truth About Finding Your Homeschool Rhythm January 13, 2026 The Confident Homeschool Mom Podcast: Introducing the 1% Pivot January 6, 2026 Purpose-Driven Homeschool Planning for 2026: How to Recalibrate the Year with Clarity December 23, 2025 1% Shift to a Calm Homeschool Life December 23, 2025 12 Things I've Learned About Homeschool Moms: Self-Care Tips for Overwhelmed Homeschool Moms December 10, 2025 12-Day Homeschool Mom Self-Care Challenge to Come Back to Yourself December 2, 2025 What is the Reimagine Your Homeschool Group Coaching? November 18, 2025 Not Just a Homeschool Mom — Why You’re Disappearing (And How to Come Back) November 11, 2025 Subscribe to the Confident Homeschool Mom podcast YouTube Apple Audible Spotify Originally published July 6, 2022. Updated August 4, 2026. (function(m,a,i,l,e,r){ m['MailerLiteObject']=e;function f(){ var c={ a:arguments,q:[]};var r=this.push(c);return "number"!=typeof r?r:f.bind(c.q);} f.q=f.q||[];m[e]=m[e]||f.bind(f.q);m[e].q=m[e].q||f.q;r=a.createElement(i); var _=a.getElementsByTagName(i)[0];r.async=1;r.src=l+'?v'+(~~(new Date().getTime()/1000000)); _.parentNode.insertBefore(r,_);})(window, document, 'script', 'https://static.mailerlite.com/js/universal.js', 'ml'); var ml_account = ml('accounts', '1815912', 'p9n9c0c7s5', 'load');

Fan Mail: Tell Wendy how you're saying yes to yourself!In this episode, Wendy sits down with Kristine Jensen, a psychotherapist who spent 35+ years helping clients heal shame, while carrying a deep sense of unworthiness herself. After closing her practice and moving to the California coast, she finally became her own client. What she discovered: shame is foundational, not superficial. It's not embarrassment or guilt. It's a survival mechanism rooted in childhood, where you learned to collapse, comply, and hide in order to feel safe. And it shapes everything.They explore:Shame vs. other emotions: the misunderstood feeling that keeps women small, quiet, and disempoweredSelf-soothing internal dialogue: the practice children with healthy self-esteem learn early, and what happens when you have to teach it to yourself as an adultStop telling your old story: why repeatedly reliving trauma reinforces neural pathways, and how moving toward who you're becoming shifts everythingThe work isn't about understanding what happened to you. It's about learning to talk to yourself the way you'd talk to someone you love. Building an internal vocabulary of self-encouragement. Getting tired of your old story so you can create a new one. This is how unworthiness heals.Connect with Kristine:kristine-jensen.comFacebook: facebook.com/kristinebjensenauthorLinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/kristine-jensen-203a09129/Get her book, Bruised Not Broken: amazon.com/Bruised-Not-Broken-Troubled-Childhood/dp/B0DZ2PZN37?tag=syty-20________________________________________________________________________________________Connect with Wendy:LinkedinInstagram: @wendy.harropFacebook: Phineas Wright HouseWebsite: Phineas Wright House PWH Farm StaysPWH Curated Experience and TravelInterested in being a guest on the show? Send your pitch to podcast@phineaswrighthouse.comPodcast Production By Shannon Warner of Resonant Collective Want to start your own podcast? Let's chat!If this episode resonated, follow Say YES to Yourself! and leave a  5-star review. It helps more women in midlife discover the tools, stories, and community that make saying YES not only possible, but powerful.

Why are daughters of narcissistic mothers often so hard on themselves?In this episode of Mother Mayhem, we're talking about self-criticism, confidence, self-worth, and the lasting impact of a narcissistic mother. Together, we explore why an inner critic develops, how self-criticism can function as a protective strategy, and why understanding where the voice came from isn't always enough to change it.If you've ever wondered why your mother's voice still feels louder than your own, this conversation is for you.Join Mayhem Daughters

Learn to have a better relationship to your inner critic - the Connection Course: https://yt.artofaccomplishment.com/inner-critic-cc  That voice in your head that's constantly riding you — telling you you're not enough, reminding you of every mistake, nagging you while you're trying to focus — where did it actually come from? And why do you still listen to it? In this video, Joe Hudson breaks down the inner critic: its origins, why you think you need it, and how changing the way you relate to it can quietly transform your life. You'll learn a simple practice you can try today, and why the critic's power dissolves the moment you stop treating it like your boss. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

If you’re struggling as you learn how to stop taking your child’s behaviour personally, girlfriend, I get you! That feeling — that your child is doing something to you — is an easy one to fall into. Not just being difficult, but somehow, specifically, deliberately difficult, aimed at you. You’ve had the thought before, even if you didn’t say it out loud: why does he do this to me? First of all, I want to admit, I have most definitely been there. But I want to offer you a different question to reframe that. Not because your frustration isn’t valid — it is — but because that first question keeps you stuck. It keeps you reacting instead of understanding. And once you swap it out, something in the whole relationship starts to shift. “Why Is He Doing This to Me?” vs. “This Is Just How He’s Wired” In a recent coaching conversation, one of the moms I work with was working through exactly this. Her son has a hard time sitting still, gets bored fast, and constantly needs something new to stay engaged — and she’d been reading that as defiance. As him pushing back against her, specifically, was on purpose. But that constant need for stimulation, that low tolerance for boredom, that instinct to keep moving toward the next interesting thing? That could also be reframed as a personality thing. That’s a recognizable Enneagram Type 7 pattern — a child whose core wiring orients toward possibility and away from anything that feels confining. He’s not doing it to her. He’s doing it because that’s how he’s built to move through the world. That distinction changes everything about how you respond. A defiant child needs a consequence. A Type 7 child who’s drowning in boredom needs variety, movement, and a shorter runway between tasks. Same behavior. Completely different parenting response — and you can only get to the right one once you stop making it about you. A Quick Note on ADHD A quick caveat: trouble sitting still, low tolerance for boredom, always chasing the next stimulating thing — that can also be part of an ADHD profile, not just an Enneagram 7 pattern. The two aren’t mutually exclusive, and this isn’t a substitute for an evaluation, and it’s a separate conversation from learning how to stop taking your child’s behaviour personally — both can be true at once. The Enneagram points to motivation; ADHD is something more neurological. A child can be both — and understanding one doesn’t rule out the other. If this is showing up across settings, not just during school time, it may be worth a conversation with your pediatrician, who can guide you toward an evaluation if needed. And if ADHD is already part of your homeschool reality, you might also like How to Homeschool When Everyone Has ADHD (And You’re Exhausted). It’s Not Just About Kids This same shift showed up for two other moms in a Confident Homeschool Mom Collective conversation, both talking about their husbands. One had spent years frustrated that her husband seemed to avoid conflict at almost any cost — going quiet in arguments, smoothing things over instead of hashing them out, seeming to just… ignoring the conflict instead of addressing it. And she read that as him not caring enough to address the unmet needs under the conflicts. Once she understood he was a Type 9, whose deepest instinct is toward peace and away from friction, she wasn’t excusing the pattern — but she stopped taking it personally. It wasn’t about her. It was his wiring, doing what it’s always done. Enneagram coaches often see 9s and 8s pair up in marriage — and 8s aren’t afraid of conflict at all. So imagine how he was receiving her in those moments: not as someone smoothing things over peacefully, but as someone withholding, someone who wouldn’t engage. (If you want to see this dynamic from the other side, I loved this Enneagram 8 mom’s story of growth — it’s a great window into how an 8 experiences conflict, connection, and homeschooling.) Kids, partners — the pattern is the same. The behaviour that used to feel like a verdict on you turns out to be almost entirely unrelated to you. It’s wiring. And wiring isn’t personal. How to Stop Taking Your Child’s Behaviour Personally When You Think in Black and White If you’re someone who tends to see things in black and white — this behaviour is good, another behaviour is bad — this shift can feel disorienting at first. It’s not that boundaries stop mattering or that behaviour stops having consequences. That is certainly not my goal here. However, it IS that you stop assigning motive where there isn’t one. Your child avoiding boredom isn’t defiance — in fact, there’s a bounty to boredom when it’s handled well (I go deeper on that in how to deal with your kids’ homeschool boredom). Your partner avoiding conflict isn’t apathy. Once you can separate the behaviour from an imagined motive aimed at you, you’re free to respond to what’s actually happening instead of reacting to a story you’ve built around it. And if it’s you who’s the bored one some days — bored of the routine, bored of the sameness, bored in a way that feels a little taboo to admit as a homeschool mom — that’s real too, and worth naming (here’s a whole post on being the bored homeschool mom). What Changes When You Stop Taking It Personally You start responding instead of reacting. You start getting curious instead of assuming offense or hurt. Instead of why does he do this to me, you start asking: What does this behaviour tell me about how he’s wired? What does he actually need right now? Is this about me at all, or is this simply him? That question — is this about me, or is this just them — is one of the most useful tools I know for a homeschool mom learning how to stop taking her child’s behaviour personally. It doesn’t make the hard moments disappear. Your Type 7 son will still get bored mid-lesson. Your Type 9 husband will still go quiet when things get tense. But you’ll stop absorbing those moments as a referendum on you, and that alone changes how much of the day you carry home with you emotionally. Where to Begin You don’t need to become an Enneagram expert overnight to make this discussion valuable. Start small: the next time your child’s behaviour sends you into a spiral of why does he do this, pause and ask instead, is this wiring, or is this really about me? If you do that, you’ll find it’s the former — and that single shift in framing can be enough to bring you back to curiosity instead of hurt. Certainly, if you want to go further, understanding your child’s — and your partner’s — Enneagram type is one of the fastest ways to build this reframe into a daily habit rather than something you have to remember to do in the moment. If this resonated, I’d love to help you think through it. Book a free Aligned Homeschool Reset Session and let’s find out what’s really driving the dynamics in your home — and how to stop carrying what was never yours to carry. Book your free Aligned Homeschool Reset Session Two Ways to Join the Homeschool Mama Book Club 2026 The Homeschool Mama Book Club 2026 is the one thing I wish someone had offered me in my early homeschool years. 1. Join the Book Club Newsletter — free, every Wednesday Every Wednesday morning, a warm, thoughtful email lands in your inbox drawn from the books we’re exploring together. Reflections, journaling prompts, and practical takeaways — even if you haven’t read the book. Sign up for the free Book Club Newsletter here → 2. Join us live in the Confident Homeschool Mom Collective Every Friday at 10am Pacific, a group of homeschool mamas gathers to talk about the things that actually matter — roundtable conversations, book club discussions, Writer’s Room sessions, actionable strategy sessions, and real talk about what it actually feels like to do this every day. Your first Friday is completely free. Join the Confident Homeschool Mom Collective here → Come Talk Through How to Stop Taking Your Child’s Behaviour Personally With Us This is exactly the kind of conversation we have, every single week, in the Homeschool Mama Book Club. A place where you say the thing out loud — why does he do this to me — and a room full of women nod because they’ve thought it too. We read together, we talk it through in book club discussions, we bring our real questions to Writer’s Room sessions and strategy conversations, and in the middle of all that, you get tools to really support your homeschool mom life. The women who show up every Friday will tell you it feels like a reset — a space where they’re actually seen, understood, and encouraged, without competition or judgment. If you’ve been carrying how to stop taking your child’s behaviour personally all on your own, this is where you bring it instead. You’re Invited — Join the Book Club → Get My Weekly Book Reflection Want to Go Deeper? Understanding the Enneagram for Homeschoolers Enneagram For Homeschool Moms: A Self-Awareness Tool That Makes You a Better Educator, Mom & Partner Sibling Bickering in Homeschool Families: What's Normal & How to Handle It The Guilt Journal for Homeschool Moms You're Invited to the Homeschool Mom Book Club 2026 How to Reimagine Your Homeschool Support: 7 Essential Lessons How to Create a Personalized Homeschool High School That Fits Your Teen Tired of Homeschool Sibling Fights? Try These 3 Simple Strategies! Understanding the Enneagram for Homeschoolers Interest-Led Homeschool for Confident Moms: An Enneagram 8 Mom's Story of Growth 5 Reasons Your Homeschool Child Won't Do Work & How to Motivate Your Child Child-Led Learning Benefits Your Kids (& You) Will Love How to Facilitate Child-Led Learning in Your Homeschool Latest episodes How to Stop Taking Your Child’s Behaviour Personally July 21, 2026 You’re Invited to the Homeschool Mom Book Club 2026 July 14, 2026 Post-Partum Overwhelm in Your Homeschool: 12 Ways to Cope July 12, 2026 A 2023 High School Graduate’s Thoughts on her Homeschool Life July 11, 2026 What It’s Like? The Homeschool to High School Transition July 11, 2026 Navigate Homeschool High School (What You Need to Know) July 7, 2026 How to Set Realistic High School Expectations? Learn Human Development July 3, 2026 Declutter Your Homeschool Mama Mind: Overwhelm to On Purpose July 2, 2026 How to Handle Homeschool Criticism With Confidence June 29, 2026 How to Create a Personalized Homeschool High School That Fits Your Teen June 23, 2026 The Real Cost Of Being The “Good Girl” Who Became The Good Mom June 16, 2026 What Is an Education Anyway? Your Answer Changes Your Homeschool June 8, 2026 5 Reasons Your Homeschool Child Won’t Do Work & How to Motivate Your Child June 2, 2026 Crush 1st-Year Homeschool Frustrations and Plan a Smooth Year 2 May 30, 2026 Encouragement for Homeschool Moms in the 1st Year May 30, 2026 Transitioning into Homeschool High School: What We're Really Talking About May 26, 2026 Registered Homeschooling vs Online Learning BC: What Really Matters May 19, 2026 Homeschool Year End Review: Celebrating your Success & Growth May 12, 2026 When You Buy New Homeschool Curriculum: 5 Clever Suggestions May 6, 2026 The Truth About Homeschooling the “Right Way” — But What Works May 5, 2026 9 Steps to Thrive: Confident Homeschool Mom in Year 1 April 28, 2026 What If Your Unrealistic Expectations Are Actually Your Greatest Asset? April 21, 2026 Overcome Imposter Syndrome: How to Build Confidence as a Homeschool Mom April 14, 2026 How to Get Started Homeschooling in 2026 April 11, 2026 9 Mistakes That Make Your 1st Homeschool Year Stressful (& How to Avoid Them) April 9, 2026 How to Make Confident Homeschool Decisions (Without Seeking Permission) April 7, 2026 How to Homeschool When Everyone Has ADHD (And You’re Exhausted) March 31, 2026 Exhausted Homeschool Mom? 8 Things That Will Give You Hope March 24, 2026 Stop Second-Guessing as a Homeschool Mom (& Use Your Magic) March 17, 2026 “You’re Not Falling Apart. You’re in the Winter Homeschool Slump.” March 10, 2026 The Lies Homeschool Moms Believe That Makes Everything Harder March 2, 2026 You’re Not Failing. You’re Caught In An Inner Critic Loop. Here’s How to Get Out February 24, 2026 How to Stop People-Pleasing as a Homeschool Mom (One Mom’s Story) February 17, 2026 How to Stop the Inner Critic as a Homeschool Mom: The Charmed Life I Was Chasing (& the Pattern I Didn’t Know I Was Living) February 10, 2026 The Most Important Way to Take Care of Yourself as an Overwhelmed Homeschool Mom February 2, 2026 How to Do Kindergarten in Your Homeschool: A Fun & Effective Guide January 29, 2026 The Real Reason You’re Overwhelmed (It’s Not the Curriculum) January 26, 2026 Unexpected Feelings When Your Homeschooler Gets Accepted to University January 22, 2026 How to Stop Being a Hostage to Homeschool Pressure (& What to Do Instead) January 19, 2026 The Truth About Finding Your Homeschool Rhythm January 13, 2026 The Confident Homeschool Mom Podcast: Introducing the 1% Pivot January 6, 2026 Purpose-Driven Homeschool Planning for 2026: How to Recalibrate the Year with Clarity December 23, 2025 1% Shift to a Calm Homeschool Life December 23, 2025 12 Things I've Learned About Homeschool Moms: Self-Care Tips for Overwhelmed Homeschool Moms December 10, 2025 12-Day Homeschool Mom Self-Care Challenge to Come Back to Yourself December 2, 2025 What is the Reimagine Your Homeschool Group Coaching? November 18, 2025 Not Just a Homeschool Mom — Why You’re Disappearing (And How to Come Back) November 11, 2025 Teaching World War to a Homeschooled Eight Year Old November 10, 2025 Reimagine Your Homeschool: Feel Free, Inspire Curiosity and Do What Works November 5, 2025 the role of imagination in a home education November 4, 2025 Subscribe to the Confident Homeschool Mom podcast YouTube Apple Audible Spotify Call to Adventure by Kevin MacLeodLink: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3470-call-to-adventureLicense: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ (function(m,a,i,l,e,r){ m['MailerLiteObject']=e;function f(){ var c={ a:arguments,q:[]};var r=this.push(c);return "number"!=typeof r?r:f.bind(c.q);} f.q=f.q||[];m[e]=m[e]||f.bind(f.q);m[e].q=m[e].q||f.q;r=a.createElement(i); var _=a.getElementsByTagName(i)[0];r.async=1;r.src=l+'?v'+(~~(new Date().getTime()/1000000)); _.parentNode.insertBefore(r,_);})(window, document, 'script', 'https://static.mailerlite.com/js/universal.js', 'ml'); var ml_account = ml('accounts', '1815912', 'p9n9c0c7s5', 'load');

A Guide to Softening the Inner CriticYOUR DAILY DOSE OF CALM, CLARITY, AND GENTLE ENCOURAGEMENT.In this episode, we explore the theme of "a guide to softening the inner critic". This is a gentle, contemplative piece designed to help you pause, reflect, and find peace in the present moment. Whether you're listening during your morning routine, a quiet lunch break, or winding down before sleep, this episode invites you to slow down and reconnect with yourself.Take a deep breath. You are here. That is enough.

Today's Scripture: 1 John 3:18–20 What do you do when the harshest voice in your life is the one inside you? Today's Scripture helps us distinguish between true conviction, which leads to repair and life, and self-condemnation, which crushes us with shame. This episode helps you recognize the inner critic, notice when self-criticism starts to sound spiritual, and rest your heart in the presence of the God who is greater than your heart. You'll learn:*The difference between conviction and condemnation*Why sensitive, conscientious people often mistake shame for maturity*How the inner critic tries to protect you through harshness*Why God's full knowledge of you is comfort, not threat*One way to respond when your inner critic gets loud Go Deeper: Episode 140: How to Stop Blaming Yourself for Things That Aren't Your FaultRead I Shouldn't Feel This Way for help distinguishing true guilt from false guilt. Connect with Dr. Alison on Instagram: @dralisoncook Join 80,000+ Soul Menders in Dr. Alison's free email community for ongoing reflection and support. While Dr. Cook is a counselor, the content of this podcast and any of the products provided by Dr. Cook are not specific counseling advice nor are they a substitute for individual counseling. The content and products provided on this podcast are for informational purposes only.‍ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Season 7, Episode 7 Guest: Natalia Roblero, Director of Groups & Incentives, Memorable DMC Costa Rica, Panamá, Belize Natalia Roblero, director of groups and incentives sales at Memorable Travel Group, joins host Courtney Stanley for a conversation about ambition, resilience and the realities of building a meaningful career as a single mom. Together, they explore what it means to lead with courage, navigate impostor syndrome and self-doubt, give yourself grace through life's changing seasons, and learn to believe the good things others see in you.

In this episode of the Dethroning Your Inner Critic podcast, Joanna Kleinman explores why uncertainty feels so uncomfortable—and why our desperate need for certainty may be the very thing keeping us stuck. Drawing from her own journey and decades of coaching high-achieving leaders, entrepreneurs, and executives, Joanna shares the six powerful mindset shifts that transformed her relationship with uncertainty. She explains why your Inner Critic automatically interprets the unknown as danger, how that drives anxiety, overthinking, perfectionism, and people-pleasing, and what it actually takes to develop lasting confidence. If you've been waiting to feel certain before taking the next step, this episode will help you see that peace isn't found on the other side of certainty—it's created through learning to trust yourself in the middle of uncertainty. ✨ Tune in to discover how embracing uncertainty can unlock your most authentic, confident, and powerful self.   Your weekly reflection questions: Where in your life are you waiting to feel certain before allowing yourself to move forward? What story does your Inner Critic automatically tell you whenever you don't know what's going to happen? What might become possible if you trusted yourself more than you trusted certainty?  

In this episode, Kristen dives into the hidden roots of the inner critic with licensed professional counselor and motivational speaker Mary Beth Fox, exploring how early experiences influence the stories we tell ourselves and how healing begins.   You will learn: How to identify the voice behind your inner critic and uncover the childhood messages shaping your self-worth. Why childhood trauma and emotional experiences can lead to perfectionism, people-pleasing, and shame in adulthood. How to separate inherited beliefs from your authentic voice so you can stop believing your inner critic. The three-step process to heal emotional wounds in your relationships and with yourself. Practical ways to replace self-criticism with self-compassion and build a healthier, more confident relationship with yourself. Connect with Mary Beth Fox: www.theinnerchildtherapist.com Mary Beth Fox Podcast: Not Good Enough Stuff with Mary Beth Fox Mary Beth's Book Recommendation:   The Giving Tree   Subscribe HERE and get a free 5-day journal to begin closing the chapter on what doesn't serve you and open the door to the real you. Connect with Kristen: Get Kristen's newsletter, packed with tangible tools, resources, and inspiration Watch the episodes on YouTube Follow Kristen on Instagram  Kristen's TikTok  Have Kristen Speak at Your Event Disclaimer This information is being provided to you for educational and informational purposes only. It is being provided to you to educate you about ideas on stress management and as a self-help tool for your own use. It is not psychotherapy/counseling in any form. This information is to be used at your own risk based on your own judgment. For counseling services near Indianapolis, IN, visit www.pathwaystohealingcounseling.com. Pathways to Healing Counseling's vision is to provide warm, caring, compassionate and life-changing counseling services and educational programs to individuals, couples and families in order to create learning, healing and growth.

Welcome to the Homeschool Mom Book Club 2026 — a year of reading chosen entirely for you. Can I ask you a question? Who is nurturing you? It’s a question most homeschool moms never get asked. We pour everything into our children — our time, our creativity, our patience, our presence — and somewhere in all that nurturing, we forget that we are humans with needs too. Who Is Nurturing You? I’ve been there. I spent years showing up for everyone else and calling what was left of me enough. Occasional Wednesday nights at Starbucks with a latte and a journal were the thing that kept me going. I thought that was enough. It wasn’t. It’s cliche, but it’s true: I was surviving, not thriving. I craved time to read and write and learn for myself — not just enabling it for the kids. And when I began reading for me, I realized I could answer some of the challenges I was noticing in my homeschool family. After nearly two decades homeschooling and six years coaching women who home educate, I’ve learned that books, and their authors, can be incredible resources for us as home educators. I’ve also learned, from my own life, and the lives of other homeschool moms, we consistently DON’T put ourselves on our to-do lists. We leave our needs, our interests, our rabbit trails last on our lists. Our social lives can be abysmal (funny that onlookers are concerned that our kids aren’t socialized, when mom is driving them hither and yon, waiting in the parking lot while they meet new friends and do cool things). That’s why the Homeschool Mom Book Club 2026 exists. And that’s why I want to invite you into the 2026 lineup — twelve books, one per month, chosen entirely for the woman doing this work every single day. A Gift for the Mama Who Keeps Coming Last If you’ve been putting yourself last in your homeschool, I made something for you. It’s called the Permission Slip — 14 daily anchor practices for the homeschool mama who keeps coming last. It’s free and it’s yours. Grab it here: Yes, I Give Myself Permission You Are the Most Important Curriculum in Your Homeschool Before we get to the books, I want to say something I come back to again and again in my coaching work with homeschool moms: You are the most important curriculum in your homeschool. Not the books you choose for your kids. Not the actual curriculum you pull out each morning. And not the co-op or the field trips or the Charlotte Mason inspired nature study either. You. The way you show up. The way you regulate. Even the curiosity you model. The grace you extend — to your kids and to yourself. That is what your children are absorbing every single day. So investing in yourself isn’t something you do when you finally have time. It’s the most important work you can do for your homeschool. And a good book — and a community of women to think about it with — is one of the most accessible ways to begin. How the Homeschool Mama Book Club 2026 Works One book a month. Twelve months. Four quarterly themes that build on each other — so the reading isn’t just a list but a year-long conversation with yourself. When you’re listening to yourself, able to hear two thoughts in a row (because you know that is hard to do with kids afoot), and willing to unpack the challenges in your homeschool mom life, you’ll move toward enjoying the charms of your homeschool family life. And here’s the part I want you to hear clearly: you don’t have to read the book to show up. I know, crazy, right? A book club where you don’t HAVE to read. Of course, you’ll be more deeply benefited if you do. But I know I wouldn’t have been able to read a book a month in my busiest homeschool years and I’m certainly not expecting it of anyone else. Come for the conversation, come for the community, and come because for one Friday morning a month someone is asking what you think and what you need. Every month in the Confident Homeschool Mom Collective we gather for four Friday sessions built around each book: Roundtable Chat — the big question the book is really asking Book Club Discussion — diving into the ideas together Writer’s Room — putting pen to paper on what surfaced for you Actionable Strategies — taking what you learned and building it into your real homeschool life https://youtu.be/WX9ALm-uODU?si=j3xVN-WWRQWkyJWm The 2026–2027 Homeschool Mama Book Club Lineup ☀️ Summer — Your Inner Life June, July, August We start by turning inward. Before we can talk about education philosophy or creative practice we need to know ourselves a little better first. June — Atlas of the Heart by Brené BrownDo you actually know what you’re feeling — or are you just reacting to it? Brown maps 87 emotions and gives you the vocabulary to finally understand what’s happening inside you — and why it matters for every relationship in your home. July — The Road Back to You by Ian Morgan Cron & Suzanne StabileWhy do you parent and teach the way you do? This warm, witty introduction to the Enneagram helps you understand your core motivations, your stress responses, and the invisible rules you’ve been living by without even knowing it. And when you join the Confident Homeschool Mom Collective (where the Homeschool Mama Book Club lives, you’ll have access to a workshop on how the Enneagram works in your homeschool family.) August — The Life That’s Waiting by Brianna WiestWhat would your life look like if you stopped forcing it and started living it? Wiest’s newest collection of essays is for the mom who has been pushing herself toward a life that doesn’t quite fit — and is finally ready to choose differently.

Send us Fan Mail That sentence you never remember learning can still run your whole life: “I'm not good enough.” It can look like perfectionism, people pleasing, overexplaining, staying “nice,” or feeling guilty for needing rest and support. We sit down with Mary Beth Fox, an inner child therapist, to trace how that story takes root in childhood and quietly becomes an adult identity, even when everything looks “fine” from the outside. We dig into what the inner critic really is: not a personality trait, but a collection of borrowed voices from family, culture, school, and society. Mary Beth shares a grounded way to start untangling it, especially when you can't catch it in the moment. After the wave passes, you replay the script, ask “Where did that come from?” and “Whose voice is that?” then practice turning toward your true voice and true self-worth. We also talk about the slower, subtler wounds emotional neglect, conditional love, criticism and comparison and how they grow into adult anxiety and chronic self-doubt. If you've ever had a stressful week and felt like all your progress vanished, this conversation reframes it: healing can never be lost. When the old voice returns, it's not proof you failed it can be a signal that a younger part of you needs attention, safety, and a new response. Listen for practical inner child healing steps, identity work that goes deeper than affirmations, and a reminder you can come back to any day: you were always enough. If this resonates, share the episode with a friend, follow the show, and leave a review so more people can find it and start turning down the volume on the voice that was never theirs. Connect With the Guest: Website: https://www.theinnerchildtherapist.com Free Resource: A free workbook on understanding "not good enough" patterns is available on her website  Social Media: Search "The Inner Child Therapist" on Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok Support the show Want to Be a Guest on Healthy Mind, Healthy Life?

Self-care podcast exploring Quieting Your Summer Body Image Inner Critic. TOPICS:: ** Quieting Your Summer Body Image Inner Critic.   NOTES:: Show notes: amberapproved.ca/podcast/678 Leave me a review at amberapproved.ca/review Email me at info@amberapproved.ca   Save 50% off everything in the online store: Workshops, Masterclasses and Self-Study Programs to help you address emotional eating, hormone imbalances, weight-loss blocks and more from July 5th-12th: https://amber-romaniuk.mykajabi.com/store     Take the NEW Free Hormone Imbalance Quiz here: https://amberapproved.ca/hormone-imbalance-quiz    Subscribe to newsletter: https://amber-romaniuk.mykajabi.com/newsletter-sign-up    SHOW LINKS: Click below to schedule a 30 minute Complimentary Body Freedom Consultation https://amberapproved.ca/body-freedom-consultation/  Take my free Emotional Eating Quiz here: http://amberapproved.ca/emotional-eating-quiz Listen to Episode 668 about what it's like to work with me here: https://amberapproved.ca/podcast/668  Follow me on Instagram www.instagram.com/amberromaniuk Youtube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@amberromaniuk/    MY PARTNERS: Designs For Health Blood Sugar Bundle! One of the hardest parts of overcoming my emotional eating was the INSANE SUGAR and carb cravings. It was the intense sugar and carb cravings. That's why I created my Blood Sugar Bundle with Designs for Health to support your body while you work on emotional eating and breaking binge patterns. It includes chromium for blood sugar balance, L-glutamine to help curb cravings fast, a high-quality probiotic for gut health, and a clean Pure Paleo protein powder to keep you full and stable. I only recommend Designs for Health to my clients because they are third-party tested, family-owned, and use the highest quality ingredients. Quality matters when it comes to truly supporting your body and getting results. Get 30% off The Blood Sugar Bundle in USA and Canada automatically applied at checkout below! Canada Blood Sugar Bundle here for 30% off!  USA Blood Sugar Bundle here for 30% off! You can also get 30% off any Designs for Health supplements anytime, it's my gift to you. Canada: www.designsforhealth.ca  (code AMBER30) USA: www.designsforhealth.com (code AMBER88)

One of the most essential coping skills for building real confidence is mindful acceptance. This is the practice of noticing that fear, self-doubt, and self-consciousness are present and... that's ok. Henry puts it simply: you're acknowledging there's a passenger on the bus. You're just not letting that passenger drive.  We'll also take some time to name and untangle the harsh inner critic. That's the voice that pretends to be accurate self-assessment but is usually something absorbed from a critical adult long ago and we've just pressed play on ever since. The three key questions Henry raised for distinguishing the harsh inner-critic from your true voice are: Does it attack? Does it use fear and shame? Is it absolute or extreme? If the answers is "Yes" to any of the above, then that's your inner-critic. Your authentic voice is gentler, clearer, and never tries to motivate through fear or shame. Simply acknowledging the difference can take the power away from the inner-critic.     About: The Joy Lab Podcast is an Ambie-nominated podcast that blends science and soul to help you cope better with stress, anxiety, and depression. It's hosted by integrative psychiatrist Dr. Henry Emmons and holistic mental health researcher Dr. Aimee Prasek. The podcast is best paired with the Joy Lab Program (get your 7-day free trial!). Bonus: spread some joy and keep this podcast ad-free by donating (Joy Lab is powered by the nonprofit Pathways North and your donations are tax-deductible).    Listen & follow the Joy Lab Podcast on your favorite listening app:  Spotify | Apple | YouTube      Full transcript available here.   Sources and Notes for our Element of Confidence: Joy Lab Program: Take the next leap in your wellbeing journey with step-by-step practices to help you build and maintain the elements of joy in your life. Start your 7-day free trial now. Related episodes about imposter phenomenon: Imposter Syndrome is a Myth [ep. 175] What Imposter Syndrome Really Is [ep. 276] Book: The Confidence Gap by Russ Harris, PhD Book: Confidence Culture by Shani Orgad, PhD & Rosalind Gill, PhD Bandura. Self-efficacy: Toward a Unifying Theory of Behavioral Change. Access here. Baumeister et al. Does High Self-Esteem Cause Better Performance, Interpersonal Success, Happiness, or Healthier Lifestyles? Access here. Donnelly et al. Do people know how others view them? Two approaches for identifying the accuracy of metaperceptions. Access here. Hayes et al. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy as a Unified Model of Behavior Change. Access here. More about Victor Frankl's work from VFIA.   Common Questions: Q: How do I stop my fear and self-doubt from getting in the way every time I try something new? A: This episode introduces mindful acceptance, the skill of noticing uncomfortable feelings like fear, doubt, and embarrassment without fighting or avoiding them, so they don't hijack your actions. With this skill, the focus doesn't have to be about making the feelings go away, it's more about learning to move forward while they're present.   Q: How do I know if the critical voice in my head is giving me useful information or just tearing me down? A: Here are some important point to help you distinguish your harsh inner critic from your true voice: The inner critic attacks, uses fear and shame as motivation, and deals in absolutes. Your true voice is gentler, more nuanced, and never tries to hurt you.    Key moments: [00:00] Welcome back to the Element of Confidence — recap of last episode's definition: confidence as trust and willingness to act [00:30] How we'll build confidence: Mostly Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) strategies and Dr. Russ Harris' framework [01:00] First step: mindful acceptance — noticing rather than judging, allowing rather than fighting [01:30] What we're accepting: the uncomfortable feelings that arise when we wish we felt confident — nervousness, embarrassment, fear [02:30] Henry: acceptance is not resignation and not agreement with the anxiety [03:00] What acceptance actually is: "I notice I'm feeling anxious. I'm going to take action anyway." [03:30] The bus metaphor: fear and self-doubt are passengers — they don't need to drive [04:00] Why this matters: confidence doesn't come from feeling good first; it comes from acting despite not feeling good [04:30] Aimee's fellowship interview story: knowing all the behavior change theory, then getting a question about Boston housing [05:00] Pterodactyls, not butterflies — the full physical panic experience [05:30] Thirty minutes of talking to suppress the feelings, which only made them worse — the fellowship did not come through [06:30] Henry shares his own story: giving a large talk despite genuine anxiety, using mindful acceptance in real time [07:30] What shifted during the talk: nervousness moved to the background, attention shifted to connection with the audience [08:00] Genuine confidence appeared — not because anxiety was gone, but because he was succeeding despite it [08:30] Mindful acceptance doesn't mean not feeling uncomfortable — it means seeing clearly and choosing your actions anyway [09:30] The performance bell curve: a little anxiety is actually good for performance; fighting it isn't the goal [10:30] Experiential avoidance: using effort to suppress uncomfortable thoughts, emotions, and sensations to feel safer short-term [11:00] The Good Place medium place metaphor: warm beer and marching band music — feeling safe but not really living [11:30] How avoidance is protective in the short term but reinforces the idea that you can't handle the situation [12:30] Irony of avoidance: it boosts the scary power of what we're avoiding; the world gets smaller, anxiety increases [13:00] The brain is blunt — it can't fully distinguish fear of survival from fear of public speaking or starting a new career [13:30] We have to train a willingness: not enthusiasm for discomfort, but openness to experiencing it as part of skill-building [14:00] Henry: avoidance accumulates — the thing avoided gets bigger and scarier, and you sacrifice what you actually wanted [15:00] Social anxiety is up in recent years — fear of rejection is one of the most common mental health challenges [16:00] The brain doesn't distinguish social threats from survival threats — the amygdala alarm sounds equally loud [16:30] You can train your nervous system: every small forward step builds a new neural pathway and builds confidence [17:30] Naming the inner critic: the harsh, self-critical voice that rides along during experiential avoidance [18:00] Aimee's dual monologue during the fellowship interview — speaking outward and critiquing herself inward simultaneously [19:30] The inner critic may sometimes have useful information — and that's worth extracting [20:00] When the information is useful (you don't have the skill yet) versus when it's just harsh and paralyzing [20:30] The inner critic is usually a voice absorbed from a critical adult long ago — pressed play on ever since [21:30] Mindful acceptance: notice the voices, accept they're here, create space and retain energy rather than getting wrapped up [22:00] Henry: the key to working with the inner critic is simply realizing it's not you [22:30] Your authentic voice is gentler, clearer, and never tries to motivate through fear or shame [23:00] How to identify the inner critic: Does it attack? Does it use fear and shame? Is it absolute or extreme? [24:00] Your true voice is nuanced: "This is hard. I'm learning. I'm not there yet." [24:30] Once you recognize the inner critic, something shifts: "Ah, there's that voice again" — like a neighbor's dog barking [25:00] Extract any grain of truth, let the inflated story go, and move forward [26:00] Mindful acceptance: notice the voice, accept it's there, but don't accept what it says — and move forward anyway [26:30] Questions for identifying inner critic vs. true voice — in the show notes and in the Joy Lab Program Experiment [27:00] Preview of next episode: working more with the thoughts that rise up — what to do after you notice them [27:30] Three closing pieces of wisdom: Jon Kabat-Zinn on being awake, Carl Jung on the terror of full self-acceptance, Carl Rogers on the paradox that makes change possible    Like and follow Joy Lab on Socials:  Instagram Linkedin Facebook YouTube     Please remember that this content is for informational and educational purposes only. It is not intended to provide medical advice and is not a replacement for advice and treatment from a medical professional. Please consult your doctor or other qualified health professional before beginning any diet change, supplement, or lifestyle program. Please see our terms for more information. If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. Call the NAMI HelpLine: 1-800-950-6264 available Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. – 10 p.m., ET. OR text "HelpLine" to 62640 or email NAMI at helpline@nami.org. Visit NAMI for more. You can also call or text SAMHSA at 988 or chat 988lifeline.org.

Coach Sheri Gazitt is a certified coach and founder of Teen Wise, dedicated to helping teen girls and their parents navigate the complexities of adolescence with more confidence and less chaos. With a background in counseling and psychology, Sheri specializes in friendship dynamics, inner confidence, stress management, and emotional resilience — and brings the perspective of a mom who gets it firsthand. In youth sports, girls don't just face physical and competitive pressure — they face social pressure, friendship drama, and an inner critic that can be louder than any coach. In this episode, Sheri breaks down what's really going on beneath the surface, and gives parents practical tools to help their daughters feel grounded, confident, and capable both on and off the field. Connect with Coach Sheri Website: teen-wise.com  Instagram: @beteenwise If today's conversation resonated, I will send one idea every Friday for sports parents.  Subscribe at hernanchousa.com

That thought you can't stop replaying isn't just annoying. It quietly shapes how you walk into meetings, how you speak under pressure, and how safe other people feel around you. Susan Drumm, bestselling author of The Leader's Playlist and founder of Meritage Leadership, joins me to unpack a powerful idea: every leader has a playlist. Some of it is literal music that shifts your energy fast. Some of it is the internal soundtrack of beliefs, doubts, old wounds, and reflex reactions that can end up leading on your behalf.We dig into pattern recognition and pattern disruption, from Susan's own unlikely career pivots to the everyday leadership traps of sunk cost fallacy and social expectation. We also get specific about the inner critic and imposter syndrome, including how to create separation from that voice so it stops acting like the only truth in the room. Susan brings nuance too: this isn't about suppressing anger, grief, or frustration. Emotions carry information, like anger signaling a crossed boundary. The goal is to feel what's real without getting stuck in an eight-lane neural highway that keeps pulling you back into resentment or self-doubt.Then we make it practical. Susan shares how music can act as a “pattern interrupt,” why it has such a strong neuroscience effect, and how leaders can build intentional playlists tied to new “I am” or “I create” identity statements. You'll hear a workplace example of a leader stuck in the story “I am left out” and how shifting state, attention, and behavior changes collaboration outcomes over time. If you want to lead with more emotional regulation, presence, and intention, this will give you a concrete starting point. Subscribe, share with a leader who needs a reset, and leave a review so more people can find the show.

Transitioning from homeschooling the early years to high school is a significant shift—for both you and your teen. It's not just about choosing the right curriculum or making sure they meet graduation requirements. It’s about fostering independence, supporting their personal growth, and adjusting to your evolving role as a homeschool mom as you navigate homeschool high school. If you're wondering how to confidently guide your homeschooler through these years, know that this is a typical concern at this transition season. Let's explore what this transition really looks like and how you can set your teen (and yourself) up for a satisfying experience. https://youtu.be/j7MClbBT3Sw?si=X-6czZiT2yXcryp_ How to Succeed at Navigating Homeschool High School with Confidence “Am I Covering Enough?” The Silent Worry of Every Homeschool Mom A homeschool mom recently shared with me: “Oh man, I am in that zone of figuring out how to finish the year in a fun, explorative way while also battling those ‘Am I covering enough?' thoughts. I know we're really okay, but I think it gets stressful as I'm listening to other families beginning to worry about high school and college. I don't want my kids' education to be reduced to a test score, but I do wonder if it would be easier than compiling a portfolio for each child.” Does this sound familiar? If you're navigating the transition from “learning through play” to “we should probably get serious about high school credits,” you are not alone. This shift is natural. But it doesn't mean you have to homeschool from a place of fear. Let’s talk about what really matters in these years—and how you can navigate homeschool high school with confidence. The Emotional Side of Navigating Homeschool High School One of the biggest challenges of homeschooling the high school years isn't just academics—it's navigating the emotional transition. One day, you're tucking them into bed with bedtime stories. The next, they're staying up later than you. One day, you'll be solving sibling conflicts. The next, they're telling you, “Mom, I got this.” Your role is shifting from hands-on teacher to supportive guide. And that shift isn't always smooth. It's okay to feel moments of panic. It's okay to wonder if you've done enough. And it's okay to grieve the little years while also embracing this new chapter. What’s most important is that your teen feels empowered and supported as you both navigate homeschool high school together. You’ve Already Succeeded — Navigating Homeschool High School Is the Next Step High school doesn’t have to be scary. Remember when you first began homeschooling and everything felt overwhelming? You conquered that challenge, and now you can master this high school transition too. A Guide Built for the Mom, Not Just the Curriculum My guide “Mindsets for Homeschool Mamas: Navigate Homeschool High School with Confidence” is designed specifically for YOU – not your homeschool teen – because your mindset and well-being are the foundation of a successful homeschool high school experience. This isn’t another homeschool high school curriculum guide. This is about your journey as you guide your teen through these transformative years. High school homeschooling brings new responsibilities, but it also offers incredible opportunities to: Customize learning to your teen’s unique passions and future goals Strengthen your relationship during these pivotal years of development Create a high school experience that aligns with your family’s values Prepare your teen for independence while maintaining meaningful connection What’s Included in “Mindsets for Homeschool Mamas” 1: Setting Your Homeschool High School Foundation Clarify your academic, personal growth, and family goals Guided journal prompts to address your concerns Define what success truly means for YOUR family during high school 2: Communication Strategies for the Teen Years Navigate changing dynamics as your teen grows more independent Discussion frameworks for collaborating on curriculum choices Ways to support your teen’s emotional well-being during this transition 3: Self-Care for the Homeschool Mom Practical wellness strategies that fit into your busy schedule Permission to prioritize your growth alongside your teen’s Tools to maintain joy and purpose throughout the high school journey Why This Guide Is Different Most high school homeschool resources focus on academic requirements, transcripts, and college preparation. While those are obviously important, they miss the most crucial element: YOU. Your mindset, well-being, and confidence directly impact your homeschool atmosphere. This guide addresses the human side of homeschooling high school – your thoughts, emotions, and growth as a mother during this season as you navigate homeschool high school. What Other Homeschool Moms Are Saying “Teresa is the real deal! An experienced homeschool Mom who’s been there and can help others get out of overwhelm. Her ability to hold space for silence and difficult feelings makes her “no small talk” approach so effective. I trust her. Her retreat, resources and ask me anything meetings have served me tremendously. I’m so glad she’s in my corner!” –Homeschool Mom of 2 Get Your Guide Here → Mindset Shifts for Homeschool Moms: Thriving Through the High School Years Confidently Homeschool Through the High School Years $12.99 $10.99 Shop now Get your Guide Here! Mindset Shifts for Homeschool Moms: Thriving Through the High School Years Confidently Homeschool Through the High School Years $12.99 Original price was: $12.99.$10.99Current price is: $10.99. Shop now Building a High School Plan While Navigating Homeschool High School Once your mindset feels steadier, the next layer is practical: building an actual plan. This is where you’ll face a new set of questions: Should we follow a traditional four-year plan? What if my teen wants to go to college? How do I balance structured learning with their individual interests? What about transcripts and credits? Instead of feeling overwhelmed, approach high school as a personalized journey. Here’s how: Four Ways to Build a Plan That Fits Your Teen ✔ Start with the Big Picture — Think about where your teen might be headed in four years. Are they considering college? A trade? Entrepreneurship? Plan backward from their goals while leaving room for flexibility. ✔ Lean Into Their Strengths & Interests — High school is an opportunity for teens to explore their passions. Whether it’s literature, science, the arts, or hands-on learning, tailor their education to keep them engaged. ✔ Consider Alternative Learning Paths — High school doesn’t have to look like a traditional classroom. Dual enrollment, apprenticeships, online courses, and independent study can all be valuable options. ✔ Encourage Ownership of Their Learning — The high school years should prepare your teen for adulthood. Give them increasing responsibility for managing their schedule, completing assignments, and setting personal goals. If this feels overwhelming, take a deep breath. You don’t have to figure it all out overnight. A flexible, personalized approach is key to making these years work for your family while navigating homeschool high school. If you want the authoritative guide to homeschooling high school, check out the Homeschool High School podcast and all the offerings at 7 Sisters Homeschool. https://youtu.be/ZQqrU5icsS8?si=gJ34S-zsZn-0Nq3Z Living Your Life on Purpose — For You, Too Building your teen’s plan is half the picture. The other half is a question a lot of homeschool moms don’t expect to face while navigating homeschool high school: what about your plan? Just as your teen is stepping into a new stage, so are you. Homeschooling through high school often brings up deeper questions: What’s next for me? How do I redefine my role beyond “homeschool mom”? Am I ready for this next phase of my own life? This is why I created the Living Your Life on Purpose Checklist. It’s designed to help homeschool moms reflect on their own journey and step into the next season with confidence. As we guide our kids toward independence, we have to honour our own growth too. Get Your Free Checklist Now → Does Homeschooling Feel Like It’s Pulling You in Too Many Directions? If that question about your own next chapter stirred something, you’re not alone there either. You likely started homeschooling with a deep desire to create a meaningful, connected learning experience for you and your kids. But somewhere along the way, the overwhelm, the exhaustion, and the never-ending to-do lists made you wonder: Am I really doing enough? How do I stay intentional when I’m just trying to keep up? What happens when my role as a homeschool mom changes — how do I find purpose then? I’ve been there. Every homeschool mom faces seasons of doubt, burnout, and transition while navigating homeschool high school. But the good news is you can realign with your purpose and homeschool in a way that truly works for your family. Get Your Free Checklist Now → Get Your Free Checklist Now! You Don’t Have to Navigate This Alone Feeling uncertain while navigating homeschool high school is completely normal. But you don’t have to figure it out by yourself. I’d love to invite you to a one-on-one coaching conversation where we can: ✅ Clarify your biggest challenges around homeschooling the high school years ✅ Create an action plan for your next steps ✅ Help you move forward with confidence If you need guidance, encouragement, or just someone to say “You’re doing better than you think,” I’m here. Book your free Aligned Homeschool Reset Session I help homeschool moms trust themselves, edit expectations, and make intentional choices that create a more confident, connected, and present homeschool life. Book your Reset Session with Teresa You Have Support if You Want It High school homeschooling isn’t just about academic requirements, transcripts, and college preparation — it’s about creating a meaningful journey for both you and your teen. With the right mindset and self-care practices, you can keep navigating homeschool high school with confidence. Ready to transform your approach? The guide includes printable journal pages, guided reflection exercises, and actionable strategies you can implement immediately. You’re also invited to join our private community of homeschool moms navigating their homeschool years together. You’ve got this, mama. And whenever you need a reminder, I’m just a conversation away. Book a No-Obligation Conversation with Teresa → — Renee, Homeschool Mama of 4, on coaching with Teresa Wiedrick Book a no-obligation conversation with Teresa You're Not Starting Over. You're Starting Fresh. If homeschool high school feels like unfamiliar territory — even after years of homeschooling — that makes complete sense. But here's what I want you to remember: you are not starting over. You are starting fresh. Everything you have learned about your child — how they think, how they learn, what lights them up and what shuts them down — you bring all of that into these high school years with you. That knowledge doesn't disappear. It deepens. The spiral you might be feeling right now isn't a sign that you're behind. It's just your brain catching up to what your gut already knows — this child is worth figuring out. And you are exactly the right person to do it. You've already proven that. You just have to trust it. And if you need someone in your corner while you do — I'm here. Book a free Aligned Homeschool Reset Session and let's think through it together. Related Reading Unexpected Feelings When Your Homeschooler Gets Accepted to University homeschool high school Transitioning into Homeschool High School: What We're Really Talking About Own Your Learning, Own Your Life with Stephanie Sewell How to Create a Personalized Homeschool High School (That Actually Fits Your Teen) Homeschool Teens Perspective: How to Homeschool High School a Letter to My Homeschool High School Daughter How to unschool high school. Helping Our Kids Live Their Lives on Purpose: A Practical Guide for Homeschool Moms Awakened Homeschool Family: Living with Purpose, Learning from Heart Mindset Shifts for Homeschool Moms: Thriving Through the High School Years What It's Like: Homeschool to High School Transition What are the benefits of a homeschool high school? Fun with your Homeschool High Schoolers Teaching Literary Devices via Pop Culture how I transitioned from homeschool to public high school the surprising transition from school to homeschool 5 Ways to Parent Homeschool Teenagers to Keep You Sane Latest episodes You’re Invited to the Homeschool Mom Book Club 2026 July 14, 2026 Post-Partum Overwhelm in Your Homeschool: 12 Ways to Cope July 12, 2026 A 2023 High School Graduate’s Thoughts on her Homeschool Life July 11, 2026 What It’s Like? The Homeschool to High School Transition July 11, 2026 Navigate Homeschool High School (What You Need to Know) July 7, 2026 How to Set Realistic High School Expectations? Learn Human Development July 3, 2026 Declutter Your Homeschool Mama Mind: Overwhelm to On Purpose July 2, 2026 How to Handle Homeschool Criticism With Confidence June 29, 2026 How to Create a Personalized Homeschool High School That Fits Your Teen June 23, 2026 The Real Cost Of Being The “Good Girl” Who Became The Good Mom June 16, 2026 What Is an Education Anyway? Your Answer Changes Your Homeschool June 8, 2026 5 Reasons Your Homeschool Child Won’t Do Work & How to Motivate Your Child June 2, 2026 Crush 1st-Year Homeschool Frustrations and Plan a Smooth Year 2 May 30, 2026 Encouragement for Homeschool Moms in the 1st Year May 30, 2026 Transitioning into Homeschool High School: What We're Really Talking About May 26, 2026 Registered Homeschooling vs Online Learning BC: What Really Matters May 19, 2026 Homeschool Year End Review: Celebrating your Success & Growth May 12, 2026 When You Buy New Homeschool Curriculum: 5 Clever Suggestions May 6, 2026 The Truth About Homeschooling the “Right Way” — But What Works May 5, 2026 9 Steps to Thrive: Confident Homeschool Mom in Year 1 April 28, 2026 What If Your Unrealistic Expectations Are Actually Your Greatest Asset? April 21, 2026 Overcome Imposter Syndrome: How to Build Confidence as a Homeschool Mom April 14, 2026 How to Get Started Homeschooling in 2026 April 11, 2026 9 Mistakes That Make Your 1st Homeschool Year Stressful (& How to Avoid Them) April 9, 2026 How to Make Confident Homeschool Decisions (Without Seeking Permission) April 7, 2026 How to Homeschool When Everyone Has ADHD (And You’re Exhausted) March 31, 2026 Exhausted Homeschool Mom? 8 Things That Will Give You Hope March 24, 2026 Stop Second-Guessing as a Homeschool Mom (& Use Your Magic) March 17, 2026 “You’re Not Falling Apart. You’re in the Winter Homeschool Slump.” March 10, 2026 The Lies Homeschool Moms Believe That Makes Everything Harder March 2, 2026 You’re Not Failing. You’re Caught In An Inner Critic Loop. Here’s How to Get Out February 24, 2026 How to Stop People-Pleasing as a Homeschool Mom (One Mom’s Story) February 17, 2026 How to Stop the Inner Critic as a Homeschool Mom: The Charmed Life I Was Chasing (& the Pattern I Didn’t Know I Was Living) February 10, 2026 The Most Important Way to Take Care of Yourself as an Overwhelmed Homeschool Mom February 2, 2026 How to Do Kindergarten in Your Homeschool: A Fun & Effective Guide January 29, 2026 The Real Reason You’re Overwhelmed (It’s Not the Curriculum) January 26, 2026 Unexpected Feelings When Your Homeschooler Gets Accepted to University January 22, 2026 How to Stop Being a Hostage to Homeschool Pressure (& What to Do Instead) January 19, 2026 The Truth About Finding Your Homeschool Rhythm January 13, 2026 The Confident Homeschool Mom Podcast: Introducing the 1% Pivot January 6, 2026 Purpose-Driven Homeschool Planning for 2026: How to Recalibrate the Year with Clarity December 23, 2025 1% Shift to a Calm Homeschool Life December 23, 2025 12 Things I've Learned About Homeschool Moms: Self-Care Tips for Overwhelmed Homeschool Moms December 10, 2025 12-Day Homeschool Mom Self-Care Challenge to Come Back to Yourself December 2, 2025 What is the Reimagine Your Homeschool Group Coaching? November 18, 2025 Not Just a Homeschool Mom — Why You’re Disappearing (And How to Come Back) November 11, 2025 Teaching World War to a Homeschooled Eight Year Old November 10, 2025 Reimagine Your Homeschool: Feel Free, Inspire Curiosity and Do What Works November 5, 2025 the role of imagination in a home education November 4, 2025 Helping Our Kids Live Their Lives on Purpose: A Practical Guide for Homeschool Moms October 28, 2025 Subscribe to the Confident Homeschool Mom podcast YouTube Apple Audible Spotify This post was originally published on April 3, 2025, and has been updated on July 6, 2026. Call to Adventure by Kevin MacLeodLink: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3470-call-to-adventureLicense: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ (function(m,a,i,l,e,r){ m['MailerLiteObject']=e;function f(){ var c={ a:arguments,q:[]};var r=this.push(c);return "number"!=typeof r?r:f.bind(c.q);} f.q=f.q||[];m[e]=m[e]||f.bind(f.q);m[e].q=m[e].q||f.q;r=a.createElement(i); var _=a.getElementsByTagName(i)[0];r.async=1;r.src=l+'?v'+(~~(new Date().getTime()/1000000)); _.parentNode.insertBefore(r,_);})(window, document, 'script', 'https://static.mailerlite.com/js/universal.js', 'ml'); var ml_account = ml('accounts', '1815912', 'p9n9c0c7s5', 'load');

What if the voice you have been calling your inner critic is actually trying to protect you? In this episode, Brig introduces the idea of your “inner cutie,” the part of you that gets loud when you are about to do something new, uncomfortable, or important. That voice may sound like fear, hesitation, or self-doubt, but Brig encourages you to stop treating it like the enemy. Instead of trying to silence that voice, she shows you how to get curious about it. What is it afraid of? What is it trying to protect you from? What information is it giving you? Brig also shares from her own experience and explains how listening to this part of yourself can help you build trust with yourself, make clearer decisions, and move forward without waiting for fear to disappear. WHAT YOU'LL LEARN How to recognize the difference between your inner critic and your inner cutie Why self-doubt may be information, not proof that you should stop How to question negative self-talk instead of automatically believing it Why listening to your inner voice can strengthen self-trust How to work with fear instead of fighting against it WHY THIS MATTERS Many of us have learned to push down fear, ignore doubt, and force ourselves forward. But Brig offers another way. The feelings you are trying to get rid of may be trying to tell you something. When you slow down, listen, and respond with curiosity instead of judgment, you can make decisions from a place of awareness instead of fear. TAKE ACTION The next time self-doubt shows up, pause before trying to silence it. Ask yourself: What is this part of me trying to tell me? What is she afraid will happen? What does she need to feel safe enough for me to move forward? You do not have to let fear make the decision, but you also do not have to fight yourself to grow. For a clearer look at the patterns shaping your choices, take the free Kages Self-Assessment and discover what may be keeping you stuck.   STAY CONNECTED — Website | Instagram | Facebook

Ever feel like you have to over-prepare, over-script, and over-plan just to feel confident enough to show up? In this episode of the Do The Thing Podcast, host Stacey Lauren sits down with Chris Cantori, a 25-year radio veteran and podcasting mentor, to unpack why the most powerful thing you can do is stop performing and start being real. Chris opens up about imposter syndrome, getting called unmanageable for refusing to fake enthusiasm, and how he learned to feel the room instead of controlling it. You will learn how to quiet the inner critic, turn fear into love, stop taking criticism personally, and find the confidence to speak and show up as your true self, whether you are on a stage, in a meeting, or building a podcast of your own. If you are ready to stop hiding behind preparation and start finding your real voice, this episode is your permission slip. Topics covered: finding your voice, authenticity vs performing, overcoming fear of judgment, imposter syndrome, public speaking confidence, radio and podcasting industry insight, vulnerability as a strength. Timestamps:  00:00 Introduction to Chris Cantori and his do the thing story  08:15 From over-scripted to unscripted: feeling the room instead of planning it  17:40 Confidence versus insecurity: what really happens in Chris's head before he speaks  27:05 Turning fear into love and quieting the inner critic  36:20 Being misunderstood, handling criticism, and why vulnerability threatens some people

(Auckland Insight Meditation)

How often do you offer yourself the same kindness you so freely give to everyone else?This guided meditation is a gentle reminder that self-compassion isn't something you earn—it's something you practice. Through mindful breathing, learn to soften your self-critic and release your attachment to perfection. Give yourself a few moments to reconnect with the part of you that deserves patience, understanding, and care.Whether you're carrying guilt, grief, disappointment, or simply feeling like you're not enough today, this meditation offers a quiet space to return to yourself with kindness.Become a brave place for yourself. When you've forgotten how to be gentle with yourself, press play.Send us Fan MailFor those who have reached out asking how to support Adrienne and her family during this time, click here to donate. There is absolutely no expectation—just sincere gratitude.We Didn't Plan For This Special SeriesThis series exists because so many of you reached out and said, “I didn't plan for this either.”If you've gone through a diagnosis, a loss, a life change, a career shift, a divorce, becoming a caregiver, moving, starting over — we want to hear your story.EMAIL US: WDPFTPodcast@gmail.comYou don't have to have it figured out. You just have to be willing to share honestly.How Yoga Changed My Life a PodcastSend Us Your Stories!If you have a story about how yoga, meditation, breath work, journaling, or movement changed your life, we want to hear from you! These podcasts are really about the same thing — how people move through the seasons of life they didn't plan for, and what helps them along the way.If you'd like to be on the show or share your story:  Fill out our guest form or email us at yogachanged@gmail.com Follow us on TikTok:...

If you've been trying to feel more confident, less anxious, or more certain before taking the next step in your life, this episode is for you. I'm exploring why the real obstacle isn't your fear, self-doubt, or uncomfortable emotions—it's the relationship you've developed with them. You'll learn how the MIND Method helps you stop resisting discomfort, understand what your nervous system is really telling you, and build the emotional capacity to move forward even when uncertainty is present. ✨ Tune in to discover how changing your relationship with discomfort can free you from the Inner Critic and help you lead your life from your Authentic Self.   Your weekly reflection questions: What uncomfortable feeling have you spent the most energy trying to avoid, and how has avoiding it shaped your life? How would your decisions change if you stopped waiting for fear or uncertainty to disappear first? What would it look like to respond to discomfort with curiosity instead of resistance this week?  

Reclaim Your Power with One-Breath MeditationChristel Arcucci welcomes listeners to The Ecstatic Empath Show and explains that breath is a powerful, always-available tool for healing, awakening, and reclaiming power by shifting out of stress responses (fight, flight, freeze, or please) into neutrality. She introduces a simple “one breath meditation” (one full inhale and one full exhale) that can be done anywhere, especially when anchored to everyday triggers like phone notifications, walking through doorways, or washing hands, and warns against overcommitting to long meditations that can fuel a failure spiral. She emphasizes responding rather than reacting, setting boundaries with the inner critic, and using words or a mantra (e.g., “soul, body, breath”) to focus attention, with repeated practice throughout the day to turn unconscious habits into embodied, empowered choices aligned with soul purpose.If you've ever felt like your sensitivity is too much because you feel everything and you don't know what to do with it, this is for you.The Ecstatic Empath Chakra Recode Album is 13 guided hypnosis journeys through every layer of your energetic system, designed to recode your identity from overwhelmed empath to ecstatic empath. Visit https://www.chakrarecode.com00:00 Breath As Power00:22 Show Welcome And Offer01:29 Why Breath Reclaims Power03:01 One Breath Meditation03:47 Anchor It Daily05:29 Avoid Overachieving06:58 Restart With Kindness09:02 Silence Inner Critic10:17 Mantra Focus Words11:48 Mindfulness Piano Lesson13:43 Use It All Day14:17 Social Media Example16:15 One Breath Success Spiral17:50 Closing And Next StepsQuestions? Message me here :-)Support the showDid you know the chapter you didn't dare write yet is already written?The Empath Recode helps you stop pouring energy into the life you've outgrown and pour every ounce of life force into the life you want to be living. We're not rehashing what didn't work. We're shifting the agreements you've been unconsciously keeping so you can release the version of yourself you built for everyone else and begin the pleasure-led, purpose-filled life that's been waiting for you.Begin your Unapologetic Era. https://www.EmpathRecode.com

(Auckland Insight Meditation)

That voice in your head that says you're not ready, not good enough, not worthy? Laura Jane Layton calls it your inner bully. And she's spent years figuring out how to turn it into your biggest cheerleader.Candy Motzek sits down with Laura Jane Layton, author of the children's book series Suddenly Finds a Superpower, to talk about why negative self-talk runs so deep for coaches and high achievers and what to actually do about it.Laura Jane shares her baby step approach to shifting self-talk when jumping straight to "I can do this" doesn't feel honest. She talks about building your own measuring stick instead of using the one someone else handed you, why journaling in the moment right after a trigger is more powerful than journaling at night, and how to stay in the eye of the storm when everything around you is falling apart.She also shares the oxygen mask principle. When you put yourself first and model what self-kindness actually looks like, everyone around you learns how to do it too. This one's warm, honest, and genuinely practical.Grab the free course, Stop Guessing and Start Signing Clients, and start building a coaching business that's actually yours: https://candymotzek.lpages.co/vfo/Want to see what's actually working for coaches right now? Download the free Coaching Business Insights Report 2026: https://candymotzek.lpages.co/business-growth-survey/Ready to work with a coach? Book a free 30-minute call: https://stepintosuccessnow.com/

Your inner critic isn't telling the truth about who you are — and understanding where it came from is the first step to stop letting it run your life.   What You'll Learn in This Episode Why the inner critic sounds like your own internal logic — not an outside attack — and why that makes it so hard to challenge Where self-criticism really comes from: the childhood survival strategies that hardened into a voice you can't turn off The key difference between honest self-reflection (which helps you grow) and self-attack (which just dresses pain up as insight) How to use your body as an early warning system — the tightening or sinking feeling that signals the critic before your mind catches up The naming shift — from "I am such an idiot" to "there's that voice again" — that creates just enough distance to actually move How to get under the criticism to the fear driving it, and why that understanding changes everything Why you don't have to wait for the critic to go quiet before living your life — and how to act from your values while the voice is still talking Episode Timestamps 00:00 Introduction 01:00 What the inner critic actually is 03:30 Why the voice feels like your own thoughts 04:00 Where the inner critic comes from 07:00 How it shows up in everyday life 11:00 Self-reflection vs. self-attack 13:00 What to actually do about it 14:00 Step 1: Notice it 15:00 Step 2: Name it without fusing with it 15:30 Step 3: Get curious about the fear underneath 16:30 Step 4: Challenge distorted thinking 19:00 Step 5: Replace attack with compassionate honesty 20:00 Step 6: Act from your values 21:00 Key takeaways and closing Episode Summary Most people assume the inner critic is just part of who they are. That harsh internal commentary — the voice that says "you're always like this" or "who do you think you're kidding?" — feels like their own honest assessment of reality. In this episode, Brett Ingram breaks down why that assumption is wrong, where the voice actually came from, and what you can do so it stops running your life. What the inner critic actually is The inner critic isn't honest feedback. It's a pattern of thought that evaluates you in absolute, personal, and disproportionately harsh terms. Where healthy self-reflection asks "what happened here and what can I learn?", the inner critic says "see, this is just who you are." One wants to help you grow. The other wants to condemn you. The costs of letting it run unchecked are real: you make yourself smaller than you are, you avoid risks that might have changed your life, and over time you quietly become the person the voice said you were — not because it was right, but because you never stopped to question it. That low-grade sense of not quite enough, humming in the background even when things are going fine, compounds quietly across years of small choices. Where it comes from Here's what most people miss: the inner critic didn't start as an enemy. It started as protection. In early life, we're all trying to figure out how to belong, how to be loved, how to be accepted. And at some point, most of us get a message — sometimes direct, sometimes subtle — that one version of us is more acceptable than another. If achievement earned you warmth, perfectionism became a bid for love. If being "too much" made people uncomfortable, shrinking became a strategy for belonging. The voice that tells you to be perfect, to stay quiet, to not take up too much space — it started as a survival strategy, not a personal attack. Critical or high-expectation parents, early experiences of failure or humiliation, chronic comparison by teachers or siblings, cultural and social media messages about what success looks like — all of these can harden into an internal narrator that speaks with the authority of fact. Social media in particular keeps that bar rising, surfacing only the highlight reels while hiding the struggles behind them. "The critic wasn't born mean," Brett says in this episode. "But the coping strategy that made sense at nine years old might be doing real damage at thirty-five." The six practical steps There's no hack that makes the voice disappear. But you can change your relationship with it — and that shift changes everything. The first step is to notice it. Most of us are so fused with the inner narrator that we don't realize we're listening to it. Watch for the emotional signature: a tightening, a sinking feeling, a sudden urge to quit or hide. That's often the body responding before the mind catches up. Once you notice it, name it without fusing with it. "I'm such an idiot" and "there's that voice again" are not the same statement. The first makes you the thought. The second creates just enough distance to observe it and decide what to do with it. Some people find it helpful to give the critic a name or treat it as a character — not to mock it, but to stop treating it as the oracle. From there, get curious about what the voice is protecting. Underneath most inner criticism is fear — fear of rejection, of failure, of being exposed. When the voice says "don't speak up in that meeting," the fear underneath might be "what if I say something dumb and they judge me?" That fear is worth understanding. The solution the voice proposes — silence — may not be serving you. Then challenge the distorted thinking: the all-or-nothing conclusions ("I completely failed at this"), the overgeneralizations ("I always do this"), the certainty that "everyone could tell I was nervous." Ask whether you'd accept this verdict from a close friend about themselves. Usually the answer is no — and you deserve the same standard. Replace self-attack with compassionate honesty. The goal isn't toxic positivity. It's being honest and kind at the same time, because those two things aren't opposites. "That didn't land the way I hoped — what can I learn?" is not lowering your standards. It's being a good coach to yourself instead of a bad one. And finally, act from your values even while the critic is still talking. You don't have to wait for it to go quiet. When you move forward from what actually matters to you — not from fear, not from the voice's verdict — you build evidence, slowly, that the critic never had the final word. This is part of the deeper work of [the inner landscape that shapes every decision you make]. The inner critic is part of you that got scared and never quite found a better way to cope. It's not your enemy. And you are not just that voice. You never were. Resources Mentioned Stuart Smalley — SNL's "Daily Affirmation" character, featuring the Michael Jordan episode as a reference point for universal self-talk struggles — Saturday Night Live / NBC   Keep Exploring If this episode resonated, these are worth your time: Mind & Inner Life Pillar — The full framework for understanding and reshaping the inner landscape that drives your choices  Enjoyed This Episode? The best way to support optYOUmize is to subscribe and leave a review — it takes about two minutes and makes a real difference in helping more people find the show. Apple Podcasts · Spotify · Amazon Music · YouTube Leave a Review →

If you've been working hard toward a goal, relationship, business, or dream but still find yourself feeling anxious, overwhelmed, or stuck in a cycle of striving, this episode is for you. I'm exploring why the struggle isn't usually caused by the effort itself, but by the fear underneath it. You'll learn how the Inner Critic turns desires into emotional survival missions, why we become attached to outcomes, and how letting go of control can help you create the life you want from a place of trust rather than desperation. ✨ Tune in to discover how to pursue your goals with passion and commitment while freeing your emotional well-being from the need for any specific outcome.   Your weekly reflection questions: What outcome am I currently making responsible for my emotional well-being? What feeling am I most afraid of experiencing if things don't go as planned? How would I pursue this goal differently if I trusted myself to handle any outcome?  

Your mind doesn't record. Tt builds meaning. In this episode, Dr. Caroline Leaf breaks down why photographic memory is a myth, what your inner critic is actually trying to tell you, and why understanding a problem and restructuring it are two completely different things. Plus: the real difference between self-worth, self-confidence, and self-love — and why you can have all the achievements and still feel hollow.

What happens when you've done everything right on paper but still feel disconnected, restless, and not enough? In this coaching session, I sit down with Sean as he opens up about addiction, childhood emotional neglect, self-worth, and the internal pressure that followed him into adulthood. Together, we explore how becoming a father can surface old wounds, why self-criticism often disguises itself as discipline, and what it looks like to start building trust and safety from the inside out. This conversation is about breaking inherited patterns and learning how to become the person you needed growing up.SHOW HIGHLIGHTS00:00 Introduction & Why Sean Came On02:57 Rock Bottom, Recovery & Starting Over09:41 Growing Up Around Conflict & Emotional Instability13:23 Relationship With His Father16:11 Becoming a Father & Rewriting the Legacy17:44 The Inner Critic & Feeling Not Good Enough20:39 Control, Trust & Self-Worth23:17 Living With Intensity & Chronic Stress25:15 Feeling Seen & Understanding the Need to Escape29:16 Meeting His Younger Self32:00 Speaking to His Parents From the Present35:06 Leaving Childhood Behind40:56 Fathering the Child Within43:36 Connecting With His Future Child49:20 Practical Tools for Building Self-Trust52:53 Childhood Confusion & Identity Formation56:05 Pregnancy, Job Loss & Emotional Collapse58:37 Retraining the Inner Critic01:03:18 Why Recognition Matters01:05:17 Final Reflections & Closing***Tired of feeling like you're never enough? Build your self-worth with help from this free guide: https://training.mantalks.com/self-worthPick up my book, Men's Work: A Practical Guide To Face Your Darkness, End Self-Sabotage, And Find Freedom: https://mantalks.com/mens-work-book/Heard about attachment but don't know where to start? Try the FREE Ultimate Guide To AttachmentCheck out some other free resources: How To Quit Porn | Anger Meditation | How To Lead In Your RelationshipBuild brotherhood with a powerful group of like-minded men from around the world. Check out The Alliance. Enjoy the podcast? Leave a review on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, or Podchaser. It helps us get into the ears of new listeners, expand the ManTalks Community, and help others find the tools and training they're looking for. And don't forget to subscribe on Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | SpotifyFor more, visit us at ManTalks.com | Facebook | Instagram

Fight response isn't just anger or "being reactive." It's a nervous system adaptation shaped by experiences where safety, protection, repair, or authenticity were missing. In this episode of Trauma Rewired, Jennifer Wallace and Elisabeth Kristof explore the neuroscience of the fight response, how suppressed anger turns inward as a harsh inner critic or outward as criticism and control, and why the body stays braced for threat long after the danger has passed.  This conversation explores parentification, emotional suppression, hypervigilance, chronic stress patterns, and the hidden ways fight response impacts relationships, health, and self-trust. The hosts break down how trauma wires survival patterns into the nervous system—and how daily neuro practices can help recondition those pathways toward safety and connection.   You'll learn: • Why fight response is protection, not a personality flaw • How suppressed anger impacts the nervous system and body • The connection between parentification and chronic fight states • Why the inner critic is often internalized fight energy • How nervous system patterns shape relationships and emotional reactivity • The neuroscience of emotional suppression, stress, and survival responses

Have you ever wondered whether your biggest dreams are truly yours—or shaped by fear, validation, and old conditioning? Jessica sits down with bestselling author and TBMer Tara Mohr to explore the powerful distinction between your inner critic and inner mentor. Together, they unpack how we hide from visibility, delay our purpose through perfectionism, and unknowingly play small in pursuit of safety. Tara shares the framework that has helped thousands of women reconnect with their authentic voice and step into greater self-expression, impact, and fulfillment. From the nervous system's role in self-doubt to reframing feedback and confidence, this episode offers practical tools for anyone ready to be seen—in work, creativity, relationships, and life. Whether you're launching a business, sharing your story, or simply feeling the pull toward a more authentic version of yourself, this conversation is a reminder: your wisdom already lives within you. Ready to step into your power? The Be Seen Challenge is live — drop into the TBM app to take the kickoff quiz and begin. Find the complete show notes here → https://tobemagnetic.com/expanded-podcast   Resources: The Be Seen Challenge Stop playing small in your career, relationships, and life and manifest your next level. Now live inside The Pathway.   Summer Sale: $23/Month Start your manifestation journey at our lowest price of the season: $23/month! Join now and step into the Be Seen Challenge with us before this offer ends.   Free Masterclass: Step Into Your F*ck It Energy If you missed our live masterclass with Lacy and Jessica — don't worry, you can still watch the replay! Learn how to step into your f*ck it energy and feel genuinely safe being seen.   Join the Pathway Membership Use code EXPANDED for 20% off your first month! The Pathway Membership gives you unlimited access to all of our manifestation workshops—including How to Manifest, Unblocking Your Inner Child, Shadow, Love, Money, Rock Bottoms, Ruts, and Energetic Updates —plus 70+ self-hypnosis tracks designed to unlock your full potential. LEARN MORE HERE   Get the latest from TBM Join the Pathway now - Return to Magic Challenge, Money Challenge, and Nervous System Reset available now!   New to TBM? Free Offerings to Get You Started Learn the Process! Expanded Podcast - How to Manifest Anything You Desire  Get Expanded! The Motivation - Testimonial Library Ready to find out what's holding you back? Try our Free Clarity Exercise   Be an EXPANDER! Share Your Manifestation Story Submit to Be a Process Guest What did you manifest during the Return to Magic Challenge? Share a voice note of your question, block, or Process to be featured in an episode!   This Episode Is Brought to You By:  ARMRA - Get 30% off your first subscription order with code TBM  Colostrum: Immune Revival - Immune barrier superfood    Fatty15 - go to fatty15.com/TBM use code TBM at checkout to get an additional 15% off your 90-day subscription Starter Kit   PIQUE - Get  20% off any Pique products at piquelife.com/tbm, and use code TBM at checkout.  Sun Goddess Matcha   In this episode we talk about: The concept of the Inner Mentor and how to access it Distinguishing intuition from fear-based thinking Understanding the true role of the inner critic Why visibility activates the nervous system Playing big versus playing small The hidden ways women avoid being seen Perfectionism and its connection to self-worth Designing at the whiteboard versus taking action Finding confidence through values instead of validation Why feedback reflects the giver as much as the receiver The relationship between curiosity and fear Language patterns that diminish personal authority Reclaiming your authentic voice and self-expression Sharing your story versus hiding behind expertise The joy and fulfillment that emerge from living authentically   Mentioned In the Episode:  Take the Be Seen Quiz in the TBM app Playing Big book available here: https://www.taramohr.com/the-playing-big-book/ Find our Be Seen Challenge plus all our workshops and all workshops mentioned inside our Pathway Membership! (Including the Inner Child Workshop, Safe to Be Seen DI, and the Be Seen Challenge Challenge)   Connect with Tara Mohr! Playing Big book available here: https://www.taramohr.com/the-playing-big-book/ Meet Your Inner Mentor (guided visualization): https://www.taramohr.com/book/inner-mentor-signup/ Free Inner Critic chapter from the Playing Big book: https://www.taramohr.com/the-playing-big-book/free-chapter/ HOW TO MANIFEST by Lacy Phillips (with exercises by Jessica Gill)Available now! The Expanded Podcast, from To Be Magnetic™ (TBM), is the leading manifestation podcast rooted in neuroscience, psychology, and energetics. Hosted by TBM's Chief Content Officer Jessica Gill, with monthly appearances from founder Lacy Phillips, Expanded is where science and the mystical meet to help you manifest in the most grounded, practical, and life-changing way.At TBM, we've redefined manifestation through Neural Manifestation™—our proven, science-backed method developed with neuroscientist Dr. Tara Swart. This process helps you reprogram limiting beliefs at the subconscious level so you can create the life most aligned with your authenticity.Each week, we take you inside the TBM practice to help you expand your subconscious to believe what you desire is possible. Through expert interviews, thought leader conversations, TBM teachings, and real member success stories, you'll learn how to: – Rewire your subconscious mind and step into your worth – Heal your inner child and integrate shadow work – Set boundaries, strengthen intuition, and reclaim self-worth – Manifest relationships, careers, abundance, and experiences that align with your true selfWith over than 40 million downloads and a global community in over 100 countries, Expanded has become the gold standard in manifestation content. Think of it as your weekly practice for expanding your mind, believing what you want is possible, and manifesting the life you're meant to live.Past guests include leading voices such as Mel Robbins, Lewis Howes, Jenna Zoe, Martha Beck, Dr. Joe Dispenza, Dr. Gabor Maté, Mark Groves, and Brianna Wiest. Where To Find Us!@tobemagnetic (IG)@LacyannephillipsLacy Launched a Substack! - By Candlelight - Join Here@Jessicaashleygill@tobemagnetic (youtube)@expandedpodcast

This week we're sharing a special episode from our friends at Mentally Stronger with Therapist Amy Morin — the Webby Award–winning podcast hosted by psychotherapist and mental strength trainer Amy Morin, whose TEDx talk has been viewed more than 25 million times and whose books have sold over a million copies in more than fifty languages. Every week, Amy shares a practical, research-backed mental strength strategy you can use right away. Think of it as a therapy session you don't have to book: all of the strategy, none of the small talk. Today we're sharing her episode on outsmarting your inner critic. Amy introduces the anxious voice in her own head that tries to keep her from taking risks, and walks through a simple three-step play — backed by research on self-distancing — for taking that voice's power away so it stops running your life. This play is one of the fifty tools in her brand-new book, The Mental Strength Playbook. For more strategies like this, follow Mentally Stronger on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. And tell her Mike sent you.

We can know we are loved and still not be able to let it in. The gap between believing something and feeling it in the body is not a faith problem — it's a physiological one.In this second conversation with Aundi Kolber, Michael and Julianne press deeper into what it actually takes to change: why being loved is not just a comfort but a biological prerequisite for growth, why asking someone to change before they feel safe is, in Aundi's word, cruel, and what it means to come home to yourself rather than keep fleeing from what hurts. Aundi also draws a line between the shame that keeps us stuck and the compassion that actually moves us — and why God is calling us home, not calling us out.This is a rebroadcast of one of the most-listened-to conversations in the show's ten-year history.Aundi Kolber is a licensed therapist and author of Try Softer: A Fresh Approach to Move Us Out of Anxiety, Stress, and Survival and Into a Life of Connection and Joy.Support the showENGAGE THE RESTORING THE SOUL PODCAST:- Follow us on YouTube - Tweet us at @michaeljcusick and @PodcastRTS- Like us on Facebook- Follow us on Instagram & Twitter- Follow Michael on Twitter- Email us at info@restoringthesoul.com Thanks for listening!