All of you is welcome here. Your strength and struggle, your grief and pain, your creativity and joy. The parts of your story that you feel safe to share with others, and those parts of your experience that still cause you shame. You are not bad, wrong, or broken but human in a messy world.

I was 10 years old when I first had the thought "the world is too heavy for me." I tried to die three times between the ages of 14-18. Then began a journey of trying to figure out HOW to live. I was looking for freedom but kept picking up another set of chains.

When I stopped trying to FIX myself and began the process of meeting and befriending myself (though I didn't have that language back then), life began to change.

I share a bit about myself today as this is the first episode.

KEY IDEAS:

• True Self and personality are not the same thing. We grow into ourselves over time.
• There is beauty and wisdom to be mined in every season, including the hard winter seasons.
• You can embrace all of your parts and approach growth and healing from the perspective that you're already ok (worthy of love, belonging, good things).
• When each of us shows up as true self and integrated/whole, we form a beautiful whole.

LINKS/REFERENCES:

• No Bad Parts, Dick Schwartz, PhD
• The Midlife Crossroad: The Midlife Crossroad: 7 Truths for Freedom, health and joy | A Life In Progress
• Krista on IG
• Krista on FB: A Life in Progress and Rebranding Middle Age
• The Brave + Beautiful Community
• Befriend Your Inner Critic Workshop: Sep 6, 2023: Befriend Your Inner Critic Workshop | A Life In Progress