Paradise Is a Perspective

Paradise Perspectives is back for Season 4. Raw, real, and rooted in the Caribbean. 

In this episode, I reintroduce myself and share how my own healing journey transformed this podcast from travel tips into a space for fearless conversations. This season, expect powerful stories from Caribbean women who’ve faced heartbreak, fear, and second chances, and professionals bringing tips to help you rise higher. 

It’s about perspective, courage, and turning the ugly into something beautiful.

Chapters

• 0:00 Welcome to Season Four
• 1:26 From Travel Girl to Self-Discovery
• 3:30 Surviving Heartbreak at 47
• 5:22 Paradise Perspectives Podcast Evolution
• 7:10 Building an Army of Healed Women
• 11:50 Season Four Preview and Goodbye

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:06

is this thing on welcome to paradise perspectives. This is season four season four can you believe it, honey? We have made it to season four and I could not be more excited. In case you are new here, my name is risal celestina and I am your host, and I am. Can I just say that I am so incredibly grateful, so incredibly excited, that you have chosen this podcast to listen to right now. Out of all of the thousands of podcasts out there, you have chosen Paradise Perspectives and I couldn't be more grateful. So thank you so much for lending me a listening ear today. And if you have been here before, if you are already familiar with this podcast, and perhaps you are one of those who have been here all the way from the beginning, from season one, when I used to share all about the Caribbean from a local's perspective and we used to talk about palm trees and the different shades of turquoise and blue, and we used to talk about little cocktails on the beach you know those cocktails with the little umbrellas in it. Thank you so much for tuning back in. Welcome back, my sis, welcome back Now this season.

Speaker 1: 1:16

This season is going to be so, so different. It is going to be raw. It is going to be real and it's going to be exactly what the hell I need in my life today. And if you are listening right now, perhaps this is exactly what you need in your life too. So today I am going to reintroduce myself to you. I'm going to share with you what got me here, how did I end up here in this seat, sharing all of this through this microphone with you right now, and I'm going to also share with you where this podcast is headed to next. And I promise, if you are going through some shit in your life right now, if you are feeling scared, if you are feeling stuck, then, honey, this story, this podcast, this season four, is going to light a fire under your ass. I absolutely promise you that. So what better way to begin than from the very beginning, or at least the beginning of where I found myself with the idea of starting this podcast?

Speaker 1: 2:19

So I used to be known as the traveling island girl. That is what people knew me, as that is the name of my brand. It is, up to today, still the name of my brand, but I have decided to pivot. But let me tell you, I used to give all of the best island tips. I used to share all of the best beach bars, the best recommended restaurant. I used to make videos about Caribbean travel and, in particular, about St Martin, the island that I have been residing on since 2001. And I even started taking tourists out on guided private tours of the island. Sounds all very amazing, doesn't it? And it was, I have to say. I used to really enjoy doing that. But here's the absolute truth of all of that the more I said yes to every other person in my life, the more I was saying no to myself, and that included saying yes to the audience that I grew over the 10 years of having the Traveling Island Girl as my brand. So, you see, the girl that was smiling in those videos on YouTube was slowly dying inside, and then, as is usually the case, the universe stepped in and the shit hit the fan.

Speaker 1: 3:38

After 20 years of being someone's person, of being together with my husband actually, in fact, it was on the day that we were supposed to be celebrating our 20th anniversary that is when I found myself separated from my husband at the age of 47. I didn't know which way was up, which way was down. The man I thought was going to be my forever, did some shit that was so freaking painful. That girl, the only thing that this woman could do was to walk away from 20 years together. I walked away from that relationship, from that marriage. I got my own place and for the first time in decades, I had to sit with just me again. And here's the twist that I want to share with you today that same man actually that same man is now back in my life. But that is actually something for another episode that I am definitely going to share with you in this season four. But yeah, my life is kind of messy like that, especially my relationship. I gave this man another chance. I allowed him back into my life, back into my heart. Let's see where this shit is going to take us, but anyway, so I hold up.

Speaker 1: 4:58

For months, I internalized, I cried, I wrote in my journal, I questioned everything, I picked up meditation, I picked up all of the things that I could do, daily habits, all of the things that I could think of. That I found when I was doing all of the research of how to get over a broken heart. I did all of that in order to get away from that pain, but I also started to really look at myself and the role that I played in everything to take me to where I was. Then. Who was I when I wasn't his wife, his partner, his cheerleader, his person? Who was I? Who was this person? Who am I? What did I actually want? That is when I realized that I had been living my whole damn life to please everybody around me, from my parents, my partner, my husband, my audience. Everybody came first but me.

Speaker 1: 6:07

And one night in 2023, at the end of 2023, I sat down and I wrote down my goals for 2024. And guess what was on that list? Yeah, you guessed it Starting my very own podcast. And that is when the idea of Paradise Perspectives came together, because, deep down inside, I knew I had something to say. I knew that I was meant for more than sharing just travel tips and chasing after Instagram likes, as much fun as that seemed to be. At a certain time in my life, it was time for me to get honest with who I was and who I wanted to become. And I knew that my pain, what I actually survived and I went through, could be my power, but Only if I stopped running from it. So here we are now.

Speaker 1: 7:03

I started Paradise Respecters, and season one aired on June 15th of 2024. And this podcast then was all about travel. Then season two, I started sprinkling in a little bit of empowerment here and there, you know, testing the waters. And season three I went even deeper into all of those honest conversations that I wanted to share about heartbreak, about sisterhood and, of course, about fear and all of those fears that are keeping us back from being our true shiny selves. And now we're in season four and honey bun.

Speaker 1: 7:41

I could not be more excited, because this is the real deal. This is going to be full blown. All about mindset and mindfulness, real stories from real women, most of them my caribbean sisters. Because I realized another thing during all of that time too it was time for me to return to my Caribbean roots. I needed a little bit more of Caribbean into this, and I am going to share with you more from Caribbean women who have done the scary thing, who have walked away from relationships that didn't serve them anymore, who started businesses, who faced their fears dead on and, yes, some of who are still in the messy middle figuring shit out, just like you and me. We're also going to have some professionals in the studio, dropping by with some practical tips about business, about wellness, about money.

Speaker 1: 8:42

Because, let me be completely honest with you here as much as inspiration is so cute and motivating, action is actually what changes your life. Okay, listen up, my love. I want you to walk away from the season all fired up. I want you to realize that fear is not your enemy. It is actually your compass, because where you feel fear and I'm not talking about if you're standing in front of a lion in the serengeti and this lion is about to eat your ass, okay, that is not what I'm about I am talking about all of those little fears that we have actually narrated in our heads, that tell us that we cannot do a certain thing with our life. Those little silly fears, those fears is what I'm talking about. Those are your compass. When you feel that fear, that means that you're about to grow, because growth happens when you are uncomfortable, when you're doing the scary things without knowing what the outcome will be. So if it scares the shit out of you, that is actually your sign that you are on the right track. Ok, now this season is about to inspire you. Yes, absolutely. But it is also about elevating you to who you're supposed to be. It's about pushing you to take those dreams off of that dusty back shelf where you have been keeping them for years, and it is time for you to actually start working towards those dreams.

Speaker 1: 10:20

Because, at the end of the day, there's a reason why I'm calling this podcast Paradise Perspectives, because paradise isn't a beach, it isn't just a destination. Paradise is a perspective. That is exactly what it is. It's how you choose to see your life, your challenges, all of the possibilities, and this podcast, it, is here to help you see it all very differently, through a different filter, through new eyes. So I want you to do me a favor. I want you to hit subscribe, I want you to leave a review if you are listening on Spotify or on Apple podcast, because that is how you help this podcast grow and reach even more women who need it.

Speaker 1: 11:08

Ok, I have to be real with you. I actually have an ulterior motive. I am not here just to share empowering tips and tell you all about my pain and how that pain kind of helped elevate me to where I am today. No, no, no, no. I am here to build an army, an army of healed and awakened women who are all living their best lives. Imagine what a wonderful world this would be if we learned to take the ugly, the pain, and transform it into all of that beautiful things that we can do with it. Okay, that is what I'm all about. So season four starts here today, between you and me, and it's a promise, it's a promise to you, that shit's about to get real. Are you ready? Good, so thank you so very much for listening to the very, very first episode of season four. I'll be back next week with some more in-depth conversations that you do not want to miss, so make sure that you tune in. Goodbye for now. My name is Rosal Celestina, your host. Ciao.