Welcome! I’m so happy you’re here.

I’ve lived with anxiety my whole life. Not the debilitating kind, more the slow burn, constant vigilant kind. Always on high alert, high energy, moving a hundred miles an hour to stay in front of whatever my mind thought was chasing me. 

Turns out nothing was chasing me.

My anxiety stems from childhood trauma and a childhood filled with uncertainty. And no, this isn’t about blaming my parents, I believe they were doing the best they could at the time. 

What it is about, is taking responsibility for reparenting and caring for myself and making my needs and myself a priority. It’s about showing up for me when I need me most. It’s about showing myself the same compassion and kindness I would a loved one. 

You can read my anxiety journey below. ⬇️

Today, I find peace when I’m crafting or working on my podcast.

I created the Curiosity Junkie podcast in 2020 during Covid. I enjoy talking with writers, experts and people who have an interesting story to tell. Honestly, don’t we all have an interesting story to tell?

At the end of 2024 I pulled out my sewing machine and started making a quilt for my grandson. I had so much fun making something unique for him, that I started making baby gift items, travel/makeup bags, book sleeves, and anything else I thought would be fun to hand make. I take them to markets from time to time and sell some online. I find I enjoy mastering new skills and I like to create unique one time creations.

The funny thing is, I don’t sew to sell, I sew for me, I sew for inner peace, I sew for fun! I do work a full-time job for a candy company, and yes I get to eat all the chocolate I want when I’m at work. When I’m at home, I don’t watch TV and I do my best to stay away from all the doom and gloom of the nightly news. Hahaha! Which leaves me lots of time to sew and get creative. When I’m in creative mode, I’m focused on the here and now, I’m present with myself and whatever project I’m working on that day.

Well, that’s where I am today. Happy spending time with me doing what brings me joy!

How often do you find yourself saying negative things to yourself?

I’m guessing everyday. Most of us do. 

Our minds are working to protect us 24/7 and so they are constantly thinking and creating stories and pulling memories to relate to current events. What happens over time is we get caught up in the stories, the thinking and the memories and that is what creates our anxiety and depression. We abandon ourselves and start living in the future or in the past, and forget to come home to ourselves.

I spent years reading books on spiritual teachings, how to forgive, how to be happy, how to love, love languages, attachment styles, emotional blockages and many more.

Here’s what I found: Most, if not all, of the books refer to turning inward (self-awareness and self-discovery) and being present for yourself (self-acceptance and self-love).

So I gave it a whirl, because why not, I’ve tried everything else, including therapy.

To my surprise, when I started dedicating 20-30 minutes to myself everyday, it changed my life. Makes me tear up thinking about the overwhelming love I felt when I stopped running from myself and started turning towards myself. I committed to showing up for myself by setting aside 20-30 minutes every morning, without fail. I needed to know I cared enough to take the time to make myself a priority. 

Here’s what happened.

I found love. I found inner peace. I felt connected to everything, literally everything. I felt amazing! People started saying to me, what are you doing? You seem calm and peaceful and happy. The words “calm and peaceful” kept coming up and I thought, OMG! I feel it and they can see it. 

I guess what I’m saying is inner peace and true happiness can be found within each of us, when we dedicate and commit time to showing ourselves love and compassion. When we show up everyday it says we care and we are here and we aren’t going anywhere. It says, we will always be here for ourselves. It says “I love you.”

What did I do in those 20-30 minutes that made such a difference?

First, I showed up every day! 

Second, I made a daily effort to be self-aware and more mindful. I became more aware of my thoughts, my emotions, my feelings, my words, my actions. I committed to show up for myself every single day, and the results were amazing. I discovered a love I have never known before. And there was so much more… I began to accept and trust myself, creating a beautiful sense of inner peace and calm.

Third, I started doing some kind of exercise every single day. It doesn’t have to be going to the gym, it can be a 10 minute walk/hike, yoga, in-home YouTube video for legs or arms, whatever works for you on that day. Just do something that gets you and your body moving.

Could it really be that simple?

Yes! It changed my life, and the way I thought about myself. And it can change your life too!

How do you go about building a healthy relationship with yourself?

• Make a commitment to yourself to show up for yourself every day. Try the free 21 day Mindfulness Challenge.

• Dedicate 10-20 minutes of your time for yourself, uninterrupted in a quiet space. I use the meditation app Insight Timer which offers a free and paid subscription. I’m not an affiliate, but I do enjoy the app.

• Be consistent! You are so worth it!

Need help getting started?

I hear you and I gotcha! 

Click on the resources tab where you’ll find all kinds of great resources to help you get started on the path to finding a love you’ve never known before.

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In Gratitude,

Cassie