💛 Cracked Open with Alanna Banks
Welcome to Cracked Open, the podcast where self-trust and transformation meet. Being human is beautifully complex: We’re pulled between self-doubt and self-discovery, confusion and clarity. This space is for trust-seekers ready to lean into that complexity, crack open the layers, and connect deeply with their own truth.
Join me, Alanna Banks, a certified clinical hypnotist, master NLP practitioner, and life fulfillment coach. Each week, I will guide you through hypnotic meditations and soul-expanding conversations. If you’re a big thinker ready to stop seeking validation and start trusting yourself, this show is your invitation to turn inward, trust your intuition, and live a life that feels right to you.
Let’s journey together into the heart of who you really are. No filters, no fluff—just real talk, absolute trust, and the real you waiting to be cracked open
💛 Cracked Open with Alanna Banks
Part 3: The Road Ahead: How to Make Self-Trust a Lifestyle
I would love to hear what comes up for you. Send me a text message :)
Self-trust isn’t a one-and-done achievement. It’s not something you check off your to-do list and forget about. It’s a relationship—a daily commitment to showing up for yourself, especially when life gets messy, uncertain, or overwhelming.
In this final part of my self-trust series, I’m opening up about what it really looks like to sustain self-trust as a lifestyle. This isn’t about perfection—it’s about creating practices that keep you grounded, aligned, and moving forward even when doubt creeps in.
Here’s what we’re diving into:
How I Keep Self-Trust Alive – The rituals, reflections, and daily practices that help me tune into my intuition and confidently navigate challenges.
The Messy Truth About Doubt – Why self-trust isn’t about always feeling confident, but about moving forward even when doubt whispers in your ear.
Living Self-Trust in Relationships – From letting my dog choose our walking route to empowering my kids to make their own decisions, self-trust shows up unexpectedly.
Setting Boundaries with Clarity – How self-trust has made it easier for me to say ‘no’ to what doesn’t align and ‘yes’ to what does, without second-guessing myself.
Shaping the Future with Self-Trust – Why trusting myself has allowed me to dream bigger, take risks, and stay open to whatever comes next.
This episode will guide you through a powerful reflective exercise to envision your life if you lived fully from self-trust. You’ll leave with actionable steps to weave self-trust into your daily life—whether it’s a morning check-in, journaling about your wins, or letting go of control in small but meaningful ways.
Tune in to explore how self-trust can become your foundation, compass, and daily practice.
So what does it really take to maintain self-trust, not just as a choice here and there, but as a daily lifestyle? Self-trust is one of those things that we can't just achieve once and then check it off the list. It's something that we have to nurture, especially as life brings new challenges and opportunities, and so today I'm gonna share some of the ways that I keep self-trust alive and at the heart of everything I do, and I, today, I'm going to share some of the ways that I keep self-trust alive and at the heart of everything I do, and I'm going to guide you in envisioning a life led by your own inner knowing. So, hi, everyone, welcome back to Cracked Open. This is Alana Banks, and this is the third part of my series all on self-trust, and today I'm talking about the road ahead. What does life look like when you make self-trust part of your lifestyle, and how does it shape your vision for the future and what can you do to reinforce it on a daily basis? I'm going to dive into all of this in this episode. So, as you know and I've shared in the last couple of episodes that I've committed to self-trust, and as I've committed to self-trust more and more, I've come to understand that it's something that requires constant attention and nurturing, requires constant attention and nurturing, especially when I'm stepping into new territory.
Speaker 1:Self-trust isn't something you achieve once and then you have it forever. Right, it's an ongoing process and it deepens and shifts as I continue to grow. So, whether I'm taking on a new project, or adjusting to a new dynamic in my relationship, or making a pivot in my business, or navigating situations with my kids, I've noticed that self-trust is always tested, especially in the unknown. And here's the thing I used to think that once I trusted myself, everything would just be smooth sailing. But the truth is, self-trust is often the most alive in the moments of doubt and challenge, and we're human right, we can't escape these moments. Every time I step into a new situation where I can't see the outcome or things feel really uncertain, I'm given a new opportunity to trust myself. And this is the journey. Right Like this is the process, because it's in these times, when the path ahead isn't all mapped out and perfect, that I get to practice staying centered, staying grounded, listening to my intuition and moving forward. Anyway, and this has been one of the biggest lessons the key to sustaining self-trust is remembering that it's a journey, not a destination, because there's no point where we're suddenly done. And that's actually the coolest part of it all.
Speaker 1:And, trust me, there are definitely moments when doubts and uncertainties come up, and that's totally normal and natural and human. We can't escape that. But the difference now is that I've learned to handle these moments without letting them hold me back. Instead of seeing these doubts as signs that I'm on the wrong path or I'm not ready or I can't do it, I see them as part of the process, because self-trust isn't about feeling 100% confident all the time. It's about being able to move forward even when things feel uncertain. It's about being resilient. It's trusting that you have the inner strength and the intuition to navigate whatever comes your way.
Speaker 1:So this shift has been huge for me. Like I used to feel like I needed to have everything figured out, everything had to be perfect before I could take the next step, and you might feel this way too Many people do right. But now I understand that self-trust gives me the freedom to keep going, even when the path is uncertain or isn't entirely clear. It's kind of like having an inner compass that guides you without needing the full map. Like you might not always know the destination, but you can trust that you're capable of handling the journey. That's what self-trust is all about. It's knowing that you're capable, knowing that you're going to get through it no matter what, knowing that you have your back. So when we have self-trust, then that allows us to embrace new challenges without needing to control every single detail. And this is the challenging part, right, it's partly about letting go as well and trusting, taking that leap. And when you do this, you know. You know you're fairly certain that you'll be able to figure things out along the way, and that has given me a new sense of freedom knowing that I can just figure it out. I don't have to wait for perfect clarity to take action anymore. I trust myself. I trust myself to learn to adapt, to grow through each experience. In this way, self-trust isn't just a skill, it's a powerful foundation, and that's why I say that self-trust is the foundation to living a fulfilling, joyful life, because this foundation supports you in moving forward, it supports me in moving forward no matter what lies ahead, and that's powerful and that's freeing and it's exciting.
Speaker 1:So, to keep self-trust alive as a daily practice, I've developed some rituals that help me stay connected to my inner guidance. But here's the thing there's no one ritual or one size fits all approach. It's really personal and it's about finding what works best for you, what helps you connect and deepen that relationship with your own inner knowing. But of course, I'm going to share the ones that work for me and feel free to use them, and it may allow you to kind of explore and figure out some things that work for you. So one of my favorite ways to start each day is with a simple morning check-in, and I think I talked about this in part one.
Speaker 1:Right, I take a few quiet minutes. I might close my eyes, I might not. I might take a deep breath, I might not. I might take a deep breath, I might not. I might just simply ask myself what do I need to know today? And I don't try to force an answer, I just listen for intuitive nudges. Sometimes it's a reminder to be patient. Sometimes it's a sense of confidence to take a bold action. Sometimes there's nothing and I have to trust that. Sometimes it's a gentle thought that brings some clarity to something that I've been mulling over. Honestly, it really depends, and having this practice and doing this every morning keeps me grounded. It keeps me intentional about trusting my inner voice as I move throughout my day, and it's also an opportunity for me to continue trusting myself, because you know I've said this before but the more you check in with yourself, the more your inner guidance feels like it matters that you're listening, that you're checking in, so the more it will start to serve up to you.
Speaker 1:Another thing that I do is I make space to notice signs and synchronicities. Self-trust has really taught me that guidance shows up in unexpected places if I'm open to seeing it right. So I have to be open to looking for signs and synchronicities. They don't just come out of nowhere, so I'm open to it. I'm not necessarily looking for it, but when I see something that is a sign or like a synchronicity that makes sense to me, then that's my cue. For me, some signs are dimes. When I see a dime, I immediately think of my dad. My dad passed away five years ago and someone told me that dimes are spirits passed on loved ones, and so I see dimes everywhere. And whenever I see a dime, I just am like hi, dad, and that's my cue that I'm on the right track, or that he's looking down on me, or I check in to see what was I thinking about when I saw that dime. So that's one.
Speaker 1:Another thing I might do is I might pull a tarot card or an oracle card for insight. Sometimes I'll just randomly open up a page in a book and read a passage, knowing that there's probably something there that's meaningful for me in that moment. So these small acts remind me that the answers I need are often already around me, and it strengthens my trust in the process. So you may have your own things right. That are signs and synchronicities for you, but what these symbolize are that you're open, that you're open to receiving and you're also open to finding what you need in unexpected places, and you know that the answers are always all around you. You just have to open your eyes to it and expect it to be there, and then it will be.
Speaker 1:Another ritual for me that's been really valuable is journaling, but I don't necessarily journal about what I need to fix or change. I'm not even really journaling about like my day. Instead, I use it to celebrate. I'll write about moments where I listened to my intuition or I made a decision that honored my own voice, and this kind of journaling shows me that self-trust is already part of my life, even if it feels subtle or quiet. It just is a reinforcement right that I'm committed to my own truth, and it's a really fun way to look back and really just nurture that relationship with myself and sometimes be reminded of the things that you know I leapt towards with my own intuition.
Speaker 1:And then, of course, as a hypnotherapist, I also like to spend time practicing, envisioning the future, practicing envisioning the future. So I often set aside time to quiet the noise in my mind, close my eyes and just imagine what I want to create. So I think about anything right Relationships, work, my own life, my own personal development, experiences that feel most aligned with my values and my purpose. And I picture a life that flows from a place of self-trust, where I'm connected to my truth in everything that I do, and this visualization keeps me connected to the bigger picture. It reminds me that my journey is unique and that I don't have to follow anyone else's path. So, you know, I bring these practices to the forefront because they've really become essential for me, helping me stay centered and grounded no matter what's happening around me. And of course, you know I fall off and then I pick back up again, but these are sort of my anchors to remind me to always come back to self-trust.
Speaker 1:And, like I said, there's no formula right. You can do whatever you want, whatever makes sense for you, but self-trust will grow from finding and refining the practices that resonate the most with you. And when you stay tuned in to your own guidance and you celebrate your choices and you notice the signs around you, then you're continually nurturing your life rooted in self-trust, and that's that's where it really works for me. So self-trust is something that I use for my own personal decisions, but I also use it in a way that relates to others. So, especially when it comes to like my dog or my kids, I use self-trust a lot.
Speaker 1:So, for example, some days when I'm out walking my dog, I let him lead the way, I let him decide where he wants to go and I allow myself to trust that he knows what he wants. And it might sound simple, but it's actually been a really powerful reminder for me to let go of control and just trust the process, even in these seemingly small moments like walking your dog. But when I give him the chance to follow his own instincts, then I'm giving myself the chance to release any need to directly control him and it's kind of a fun little practice. And it's kind of a fun little practice and it's interesting what comes up for you, because often I'll have in my mind where I want to take him for a walk, but sometimes he doesn't want to follow in that direction and sometimes I try to force it, but what's the point of forcing it? We're out on this walk for his benefit, not mine, and so sometimes his intuition is more on the right track than mine might be Right. So it's a really letting go of that feeling of needing to control every situation and it's a it's. It's a really, really easy practice to get into.
Speaker 1:And it's the same thing with kids, right? I try to empower them to make choices and trust what they want to do or don't want to do, and sometimes that means letting them set their own boundaries or make their own decisions, even if it's not what I would have chosen for them. And this requires a lot of patience. Any parents out there that are listening, I know you're nodding your head right now. It takes a lot of letting go of expectations, but it's also a practice that I'm very committed to, because trusting others whether it's my dog or my kids or my clients or my husband. That's a reflection of my own self-trust, right? When I trust them, I'm reinforcing my own belief in the importance of honoring my inner guidance, and it makes space for others to experience that freedom too, right?
Speaker 1:Often people who don't trust other people it's not that they don't trust other people, it's not that they don't trust other people, it's that they don't trust themselves. So we always have to look back inward. Like what is it that I'm not trusting within myself? Right? Like why am I not trusting this person? Like, what part of this person am I not trusting? But what is that reflection within me? What am I not trusting within myself? That's what you have to ask yourself.
Speaker 1:So living from a place of self-trust has also changed the way I approach boundaries and communication. I'm a lot more clear and direct now than I ever have been, and this is because I'm no longer second guessing myself or overthinking right. I don't waste time on things that aren't in alignment with what I want or need, and this isn't selfish, right. This is not to say that I don't entertain it, but I'm not going to invest a lot of time, energy or money into something that doesn't really align with what I am moving towards. And so having self-trust has made me a lot more intentional about everything that I do right, the conversations that I engage in, the information that I'm taking in the actions that I'm committed to, the projects that I'm working on. And this clarity has allowed me to set boundaries with ease, because I'm not afraid to say no to what doesn't feel right anymore, because I know what I want to do. I have a lot more clarity want to do. I have a lot more clarity, and it's also made it really easy for me to say yes wholeheartedly when it is in alignment with what I want.
Speaker 1:There's this freedom in being able to focus on only what aligns with your values and your purpose, and self-trust is at the core of that. And this has been so empowering to recognize that living this way creates a life that feels really authentic and in harmony with who I truly am. It's brought so much peace into my life because everything feels intentional, right. Everything feels like something that I want to be doing. And here's the thing self-trust isn't just about handling today's challenges right. It's about setting the foundation for what I want to continue to create, moving forward. So as I look ahead, I realize that self-trust allows me to just dream bigger, to expand my vision and to know that I can navigate whatever comes my way. It's really allowed me to shape how I approach my relationships, because I'm committed right to being open and honest. It shapes my work because it helps me create freely, without overthinking or worrying about whether I'm doing it the right way. It's really given me the freedom to go after things that feel expansive, things that feel light, things that feel easy and in flow, and it's exciting to know that my path is ever evolving.
Speaker 1:Self-trust means that I can keep moving forward, even when I can't see every step ahead. But the thing is I know that as long as I stay true to myself, everything else is going to fall into place, and this gives me the courage to keep following my intuition. I'm sure many of you have heard about like following the breadcrumbs, right. So these are these little intuitive nudges, these are the breadcrumbs that are aligning you to, ultimately, what you're going to want. So this is your opportunity to continue to embrace the new opportunities, right, that are coming up for you, and then that allows you to live like fully, from a place of pure authenticity. You might want to go like rewind and listen to that again, because this is something that took a while for me to really understand and really integrate and process. So I want to invite you now to have a bit of reflection time, and this is an exercise that you can do whenever you want. You can come back to this as much as you want, but I'd like to invite you to reflect on what your life might look like if you fully embraced self-trust.
Speaker 1:Just take a moment to imagine a version of your life where you listen to yourself first, where your inner voice is guiding you every day, where you take action on these like crazy things that come into your mind. What would that feel like? How would you show up? What kind of relationships would you nurture? What kind of relationships would you let go of? What kind of projects would you be working on? What kind of parent would you be? What kind of partner would you be?
Speaker 1:So let's go into that just a little bit deeper and, if you can right now, just close your eyes for a minute, take a few deep, cleansing breaths and picture yourself living fully from a place of self-trust, really grounded in your knowing, really listening. Imagine that each day, you start by tuning into what feels right for you. No more overthinking or doubting yourself or asking other people what they think. Really just tuning in and noticing what feels right for you, what would bring you peace, joy, fulfillment. And I want you to notice what's different in this version of you. How do you carry yourself? How does it affect your relationships? How might you be at work or the way you make decisions?
Speaker 1:And now reflect on one small step you could take daily to bring more self-trust into your life. Maybe it's the morning inner check-in, maybe it's a reminder, a post-it note to follow your intuition. Maybe it's practicing, celebrating your decisions that come from a place of self-trust. But I invite you to choose something small and easy, something that helps you strengthen self-trust every day, and do this every day for the next seven days, maybe even 21 days. So take your time with this reflection and, when you're ready, write down what you saw, what you felt, what you heard, because self-trust is built step by step and each small action adds up over time. Right? You've all heard of the compound effect.
Speaker 1:The more you listen in, the more you check in, the more you ask yourself, the more you make decisions based on your own inner, knowing the more you're going to trust yourself, you're going to trust yourself, the more you're going to see evidence to suggest like, oh yeah, this is good, this feels good, this feels grounded, this feels like peaceful, because the goal here is to create a life that feels true to you, not one that you're living for someone else, not one that you think you should be living. A life that really feels true and authentic to you and where you want to be going, one that you don't need permission or validation to live. It's 100% yours. This is freedom. So, before I wrap up, I just want to say that self-trust is something that you keep building, one day at a time, and it's a way of life. It's really a lifestyle, if you choose.
Speaker 1:So if you found today's exercise helpful, or if you're starting a new self-trust practice, or you're going to take something that I've shared with you, I'd really love to hear about it. I really care about all of you. I'm really passionate about this topic, as you may have noticed, and I'm here to help. I'm here to provide guidance, I'm here to celebrate you. I'm excited for you genuinely, and so I want you just to know that you're not alone, and I'm honestly so excited to see where your self-trust will take you. So thank you so much for being here with me for this three-part series.
Speaker 1:I'm really excited that I got back on the podcast and that I've reignited some interests here this corner of the internet. I hope it sparked something within you, maybe an idea, a nudge, or maybe even just the courage to trust yourself a little bit more deeply. But this is just the beginning. I've got so many exciting episodes coming up where we're going to go even deeper into topics like this. It's not always going to be personally about me, but I really want to share everything that I've researched on self-trust. I've got some topics coming up, like the myths about personal growth that keep you stuck and how to break free from them, how boundaries are actually self-trust in action and how to set them without feeling guilty Ooh, that's a good one why overthinking is holding you back and how to tune into your gut instead. So if any of these resonate, make sure you're subscribed, because I don't want you to miss them. So subscribe to wherever you listen to your podcast you can listen to this pretty much everywhere where podcasts are streamed and if this series has inspired you and you're ready to take the next step in your self-trust journey.
Speaker 1:I'd love to invite you to check out my course. It's called Trust Mastering the Art of Self-Trust, and this course is where we take the concepts from these episodes and we go even deeper. It's like working with me one-on-one, but at your own pace. So we excavate the beliefs, the habits, the doubts that are keeping you stuck, and then I give you the tools to confidently navigate your life, your relationships, your work, your health, towards self-trust. So inside the course, you get guided exercise to uncover what's really holding you back. I give you powerful NLP and hypnosis techniques to rewire self-doubt into confidence. I give you a bunch of practical tools to live in alignment with your inner wisdom every single day. There are, I think, around seven guided hypnotic meditations that are yours to keep forever in there.
Speaker 1:This isn't just a course, it's really a transformation, and the people who have already gone through it are killing it in life. They are just trusting themselves at a deeper level all the time, and I'm just blown away by what they've achieved in just less than a year. So if you've been feeling stuck or unsure of your next step, this, honestly, is your sign to lean in and trust that you're capable of creating the life you want. So you can go to the link in my profile at Alana Banks Coaching on Instagram to learn more about my course Trust Mastering the Art of Self-Trust, and you can unlock all the modules today. If you go there, I'll actually put the link to the course in the show notes as well, so that you can just click right there.
Speaker 1:And the price you probably want to know the price. The price is $197. When I'm recording this right now, november 20th, I have no idea if the price will increase, but right now it's $197. You get lifetime access. There are six modules. It's the only course, honestly, that you're ever going to need when it comes to this issue. So check that out. Anyway, enough about that. Thank you again for tuning in. Let's keep growing together. I love you guys. Thank you so much for listening. I just love podcasting and love being here and love sharing my message with all of you. So keep on growing, keep on trusting yourself and I'll speak to you all soon. Bye for now.