In this mind-shifting episode, Gina sits with Zach Russell to unpack the ego, why it forms, and how to step out of the story into present-moment awareness. We cover: childhood triggers that switch on the ego’s fight-or-flight, why “not good enough” isn’t real, the difference between awareness and ego, how digital life amplifies our inner stories, and what it actually means to “let go.”

You’ll hear powerful reframes:

• “Expectation is the root of suffering.”
• “Trauma is a story about an experience.”
• “There is no future. Presence is all we ever have.”
• “You can decorate the jail cell… but it’s still a cell.”

If you’re tired of chasing “someday,” this one gives you the pattern-break.

Guest: Zach Russell Coaches people to transcend the egocentric mind and live in present awareness. Link hub: linktr.ee/zachrussell (as mentioned in the episode)

Listen + share: selfhelpshow.com Tag us: @selfhelpshow | @gmtvibes

ego, awareness, present moment, letting go, amygdala, neocortex, scarcity mindset, hyper-independence, self-improvement myth, digital ego, expectation suffering, consciousness, inner peace, trauma reframing