Whether you realize it or not, you set the tone of how others will and do interact with you. When you respect yourself, it’s obvious, and most of the time, others around you show up with their respect for you on point. But what happens when you don’t trust yourself, when you don’t have self-respect? It seems pretty apparent that’s when trouble ensues.

Samantha from London, England, wrote in and said, “Danielle, I love your mindset resets, so I’m hoping you can help me with my mindset around self-respect. Here’s my backstory: I grew up with a great family. I don’t have a ton of trauma, at least not like what I’ve heard about on your show. I am married to a wonderful man. I’ve done okay in my career. My kids are healthy and seem pretty happy, but I still struggle with respecting myself. I’m not sure why. Maybe I don’t know what self-respect is. Can you help me see if I respect myself? I hope that doesn’t sound like a stupid request! What am I missing? Are there signs? If I could control this part of myself, I would have more space to grow, as you talk about.”

Let’s face it, the state of the world is less than desirable in many ways, yet there’s also much movement and change that’s empowering and life-changing. What is happening in the world at large echoes what happens in our lives. We see negativity and focus on it, but there is another option.

Melanie Lush, from Florida, wrote in and said, “Danielle, I recently found your podcast and listened to an episode where you were talking about focus. Before I listened to the episode, I thought I struggled with focus. But, now I realize I don’t struggle with my focus; I struggle with focusing on the wrong things! If something has a bit of drama to it, is negative, or I feel like I don’t have a choice about the situation, I will laser focus. I spend most of my day in negative thoughts. First, thank you for opening my eyes to this because now that I know, I want to change it. And two, how can I shift my focus to be on something positive or better?”

Fear is one of the most powerful emotions. It ranks right up there, at least in my mind, with grief. It’s a liar. It’s a thieve. And yet, its intention is good. It’s meant to keep you safe. But, for many, fear keeps them paralyzed, shut down, and living in a way that is strictly in survival and never touching the beauty of joy, which is, of course, a birthright to all of us.

Jill Gibson from New Hampshire wrote in and said, “Danielle, I’m not sure where to start. I suppose I should just say the word in my head most days—fear. I was talking to a dear friend a few months ago, and she pointed out that I am constantly fearful but also doing everything I can to avoid it. I’ve struggled with this thought since she spoke those words. I feel this is a truthful assessment of where I am, but I do not know how to get out of it. I would love to hear your advice.”

Our lives are filled with habits and patterns. Some serve us. Some don’t. Depending on where the pattern originated, whether trauma or learned, these patterns can own us and become the coping mechanisms that are our everyday behaviors. People don’t necessarily cling to old habits because they want to beat themselves up but rather because we humans stick to what’s familiar.

Karen Crosby wrote in and said, “Danielle, I’ve been working with a therapist for a little over two years now. She has helped me realize I have many painful patterns in my daily life that come out in the things I do and through how my relationships have been. Yet, she hasn’t been able to help me change or let go of these painful patterns. It’s extremely frustrating. I’m hoping you can help! You’ve helped me in many other ways through your podcast, blog, videos, and Instagram posts. Can you please help me understand how to let go of painful patterns? I feel like I continually do things that cause more harm than good, even though I know that is not what I want!

Have you ever asked yourself, “Why am I here?” “What is my purpose?” Or worse, “How did I get here?!”

Not knowing your purpose or how your life has been molded into something you cannot recognize as yours directly challenges self-love, inner peace, and overall life fulfillment. The trust is taking steps, no matter how small, to live in alignment with our soul’s purpose can drastically change our inner and outer world in ways we can’t even imagine.

To go a step further, to get your life together, you must know what you want and where you’ve been. That’s why I sat down with soul-centered mentor Clarie Campagna to talk about the long-term impact of feeling stuck and uncertain of your life’s path and how each of us can start to identify our needs, passions, and ultimate purpose.

This week we’re doing something a bit different. Life coach Rachel Varitimos from the ‎A to B With Rachel V.  podcast invited me on her show to talk about the long-term impact of negative thoughts and negative thought cycles. The conversation was so good that I had to share it with you. Together, Rachel and I uncover how your thoughts can own you, how to overcome anxiety produced by your thoughts, especially social anxiety, and how to discover your gifts by healing trauma and changing the thought cycle. Because, let’s face it, our thoughts can either support or break us, and without a solid thought foundation, the path to inner peace and self-love is an uphill, impossible battle. The next hour is meant to inspire you to take action to embody your greatest life and hand over the blueprint to ultimate self-love and inner peace.