#11 Wisdom Beyond Her Years: Mia Rodriguez on Self-Love, Mindset, and Growing Up

In this inspiring episode, Jackie sits down with 17-year-old Mia Rodriguez — co-founder of Mommy & Me Ah Coaching and a true force of wisdom beyond her years. From navigating bullying at age eight years old, to going plant-based at 11 years old to heal chronic stomach issues, to coaching other young women through life's hardest moments, Mia shares how she has built an unshakable inner foundation at such a young age.

Mia opens up about the power of comparison, gratitude, and affirmations — and introduces us to the beautiful philosophy of Sonder, a reminder that your struggles are just as valid and important as anyone else's. She also shares her game-changing mindset shift: trading "what if it goes wrong?" for "what if it goes right?"

Whether you're 17 or 70, this conversation will leave you feeling seen, inspired, and ready to show up for yourself. Don't miss this one, comadre. ☕💛

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:00

Bienvenida to Greek Komanda, a podcast for women navigating grief in all its forms. Whether you're killing from death, divorce, job loss, health challenges, or life's many transitions, this is your safe sacred space. I'm Jackie, a Greek coach and speech language technologist, and you're commanding on this journey. Here we share our stories to get website without change. We support each other through loss and transformation. Honor our culture and collective strength, and find hope and community. You are not alone in your Greek combat. Pull up a chair, get your coffee seal, and let's walk this journey together. Lisa. Alright, hi everybody. Welcome back to our Grief Comadres podcast. Um, today I have a very, very special guest on, and I'm super excited to um have a conversation with Miss Mia Rodriguez. This is um Sonia Rodriguez's daughter. So if you remember from the episode before, we interviewed her mom. Um, well, I was excited about entering interviewing your mom, Mia. I'm like super excited to interview you. Like, I feel like even more.

SPEAKER_01 1:23

Thank you so much.

SPEAKER_00 1:25

Yeah, I feel like the as soon as I met you, like you radiate this like energy that just draws people towards you. And like I want to learn from you. And so um, just a quick introduction. So, Mia is the co-founder of Mommy and Mia Coaching. Um, and she has worked alongside her mom on different projects every February. Um, you and your mom have a love yourself challenge through Facebook where you have a group of women and you um do challenges, daily challenges to increase their self-love. And so what's so amazing about Mia is that you are only 17, but how old were you when you actually started, you know, like working with your mom and doing these types of events?

SPEAKER_01 2:17

Okay, well, first of all, I just wanted to say thank you so much for having me on. It's a pleasure to be here. I'm so excited. Um, and then in terms of how long it's been, we started kind of talking about videos a while back, like a YouTube channel, um, when I was like eight, I believe so. And it started just because I loved making videos for fun, and my mom was introduced to coaching at the time, and we just thought it would be fun to make videos where we would teach people tips and anything inspirational. But um, I was also getting bullied at the time, so I was struggling with my own kind of self-confidence and just had questions of my own. So that was a really perfect time for us to start making those videos.

SPEAKER_00 3:06

Wow, that I had never known that about you, that at eight years old you were, you know, going through your own bullying. And like if I look back at my childhood and like going through school and and going through navigating like those those teenage, preteen years, like they're hard, you know. And like now I wish that I had the tools that I have now, you know. So for you to be able to like use that and and incorporate that in your journey is amazing.

SPEAKER_02 3:39

Yes.

SPEAKER_00 3:40

Can you tell us like a little bit about yourself? Like who is Mia? What is Mia like? What are your hobbies? Just like tell us all about yourself.

SPEAKER_01 3:50

So I'm Mia, as we just said, I'm 17 years old, I'm a junior in high school. Um, I'm involved in a lot of clubs at school. I've been trying to make make it take advantage of that. So I'm in the science club, I'm in a book club, I love to read, I also love to bake, and I'm really into art as well.

SPEAKER_00 4:10

So, what are you reading right now?

SPEAKER_01 4:13

Right now, we actually just got a book called The Surgeon. Um, it's kind of like this thriller mystery. I'm not super into that, I'm not gonna lie. But it's been fun to like experiment and see because we did read a book a while back. I cannot remember the name to save my life, but I actually enjoyed it. It was where they pretty much went on this like game show, um, kind of like Survivor idea. I don't know if you know that show. Kind of like that idea, and people were getting like murdered and we figured out what was happening.

SPEAKER_00 4:49

Yeah, yeah. Um, I love like murder mystery books, like thriller. Yes, I do. I I hate sci-fi books. I can't read those. I don't like those, yeah. Yeah, I'm not into it.

SPEAKER_01 5:02

So you're personal reference.

SPEAKER_00 5:04

It is, yeah, it is. But I like how books kind of take us away from like the stress of the real world, and we get to like totally emerge in like a different place, a different time period, things like that. Um, Mia, you mentioned that you like cooking, but one of the things that I had learned about you um when I was first getting to know you, and I probably want to say that it was about the time that my stepdad had passed away that I met you and your family. So it was about six years ago. So you were like 11-ish, right?

SPEAKER_01 5:38

Yeah, yeah, yeah. I was like 11.

SPEAKER_00 5:40

Right. You were 11 years old, and I learned that you were vegan.

SPEAKER_01 5:44

Yes.

SPEAKER_00 5:44

And that totally blew my mind. I had tried to be vegan for like a week and I I couldn't, I couldn't do it, I couldn't stick to it. Um, so tell us about like being vegan and uh like your journey with you know in being vegan and then also like how your mindset had to play a part in like your consistency and yeah, of course.

SPEAKER_01 6:09

So it I guess it started out. I had stomach issues since I was little. Um, they kind of got worse when I was about nine, and that was something that I had struggled with for a while. Um, but I love to watch cooking shows. That was like me and my dad's thing. We would watch all these cooking shows, and this lady came out, her name's Tabitha Brown. I don't know if you're familiar with her. No, um, but she's really well known for making cooking videos where she would make plant-based cooking. Um, that's what she would do. And she was in an interview where she talked about kind of how she was introduced to it, and she said that she struggled a lot with health issues as well, like migraines and stomach issues, and like no medication was really helping her. But she did a 30-day challenge uh where she ate plant-based tervine for the 30 days, and it helped her. She saw a huge difference, and she kind of just kept doing that.

SPEAKER_00 7:09

Wow.

SPEAKER_01 7:10

So that's where I had found out about it. I was like, oh, that's that's really cool. Um, I was maybe like 10. I don't think I was really like nine or ten when I had seen that. So then I kind of started to cook some of her meals and look into that, and it helped me a lot. So when I kind of tried to do the challenge, I was introduced to it the same way as her. When I tried to do the challenge, I was like 11. So it was pretty, I was pretty fresh to it at the time when you met me.

SPEAKER_02 7:38

Right.

SPEAKER_01 7:39

Um, but I had tried the challenge and I saw a huge difference. Like I just wasn't in pain as often. Um, like just my stomach just didn't hurt as much. I wasn't having as much complications. So I kind of just continued with it, and ever since, that's what's worked for me.

SPEAKER_00 7:58

Um and yeah, that is so amazing because like a lot of of us like want to make changes, and we want to make changes that are gonna like we know that they're better for our health or better for our mindset, right? But some of us like we can't commit to to doing it. So for you to be so young, 10 years old, my daughter's eight, and I can't see her watching cooking shows, cooking, looking up recipes. Um, how did you feel like being so young and then having like the the stomach issues and then seeing kids your age eating any food that they wanted without being in pain? And like, how did you navigate that?

SPEAKER_01 8:45

Yeah, honestly, I don't know, it's kind of this tricky thing. Um, I feel like I was a very I think now that I think back on it, I was a very different person before I started kind of having some medical issues. So I feel like for me that was kind of a big motivation and setting that mindset. Because before, maybe if I was like younger, it would have been harder for me. Um, but once that started, I don't know, I guess that's when I was going to doctors often and I and I just didn't like that, and having the pressure of, oh, maybe I would need to take these medications, like all these different medications. So I think that was definitely one big thing where at the time I was kind of already getting into cooking and baking. Like I thought it was fun, and that was something that me and my dad had bonded over. So I think that brought I guess it was easier for me to where I was more willing to, oh, maybe research you know, food, my stomach, maybe that's like the best thing that could correlate. Right. Um yeah, and I guess when you're in pain, like it's kind of just I don't know, like it's such a it brings down your mood so much. So when you can find, oh, this dessert that I made was really good, like I had fun making it and it was delicious, okay. This is something that can help me, and that's good. So for me, that kept the mindset, um, like it kept it going to help me continue it. And then in terms of being around other kids, that was a little bit hard for me, but almost more because I was like embarrassed. I don't know why. I thought because kids might judge me, like are you saying, oh like you can't eat this or you don't want to eat this, like what's wrong with you, right? I think for me that was like the biggest thing. I don't know why. I think I don't know. But I think you know, hanging out with certain people and letting them know, yeah, this makes my stomach hurt, and it doesn't feel like I don't feel good with it. There were people that would either judge me or there were people that'd be like, oh yeah, whatever. So hanging around those kids that didn't judge me definitely helped.

SPEAKER_00 10:58

Isn't it interesting how like you thought people were gonna make fun of you or ask you questions, and like did people really make it that big of a deal?

SPEAKER_01 11:10

Honestly, not really. Like for the kids, I feel like they didn't really bat an eye so much. It was more the teachers that were like, What? Like, that's crazy. Why why would you eat this way, or what do you even eat? Or um, they were the ones that would judge me more than the act.

SPEAKER_00 11:26

That's interesting. Uh-huh. That's interesting. So this whole time you might have been creating like a story in your head about like your your peers, and that wasn't even the case, right? It was more of like a quick like questions from your teachers. Um and that's great, that's one of the things that we do, right? And so we sometimes make like a mountain out of a mohill, right? Or yeah, for sure. It's gonna be this. Sometimes we don't want to make the changes because we fear what other people are gonna think. Um, and so you were so young to navigate something like that, right? Um, but you know, like you had that goal or that end and um end goal in mind, right? My stomach's not gonna hurt, my stomach's not gonna kill me. Um, this is the sacrifice that I'm making. So that's something like really commendable of you to be so young. Like, yeah, and not only that, but I've tasted your food and it is delicious.

SPEAKER_01 12:26

Thank you.

SPEAKER_00 12:26

Yeah, the food that you have made is delicious. Um, so I I love that you are an inspiration to other people, even if we are not vegan, but we're tasting your food and we're like, dang, this is good, you know? Um, so Mia, talk to us about your mommy and Mia coaching and um your collaboration with your mom, but maybe you can even talk to us about some of the workshops that you've done, um, some of like the like the talks and the you know, like the experiences that people go through when they join, you know, this program.

SPEAKER_01 13:04

Okay, so one of our first workshops that we did that I love that I want to talk about is you were actually a part of it. We did a mommy me workshop that was like our first one. It stems from the name, and we kept that uh where we basically kind of just the goal was to help daughters and moms to build their relationship through kind of building their own. Um and that was that was really fun. I enjoyed that immensely. Um and I think a lot of it you kind of can teach from your own experiences with what you're struggling with, and okay, this is this is what helped me, and these are little things that I learned along the way. Um but doing these workshops has helped me a lot, like growing up, I feel like it's it helped me better understand like my own emotions and my own feelings and how to handle them in a way that I don't think I would have ever known how to when I was younger. It's giving me these tools, you know, like uh being no bits of meditation and yoga and kind of introducing that to you guys, and also journaling, writing, and how you said that reading kind of provides us this escape. I feel journaling can so much do the same, just getting to write it down or talk about it. Um so yeah, I think it's I think it's brought me the tools that I'm I'm so lucky and so fortunate to have. Obviously, you know, life is difficult and you get thrown so many challenges at your way, but it just it makes it a little more manageable and a little bit more easier to get get by.

SPEAKER_00 14:54

Yeah, and you know, like I really struggled in I mean, in just in my childhood and pre-teen teen in general, you know, like I had such a hard time. Like I there's I have a joke that my first if you ask me who my first friend was in school, it was the school counselor because I didn't have any friends. And so now like not only being a female or being a you know a girl is just is hard in general, but like being human and navigating through like childhood and school and bullying, feeling like you don't you don't fit into the right, you know, and then not only that, for you to come home and have like a relationship with your mom that is like also like rocky, rocky, and you know, and you don't connect. So yeah, my daughter and I meet um Mila and I did go to the mommy and Mia workshop, and um Mila is a spitting image of her mother, so we don't we don't we don't get along all the time and we clash, we clash. And so to see your relationship with your mom and the way that you guys are able to, I guess nothing's perfect, right? You and your mom don't have a perfect relationship, but you guys are able to use the tools for yourself to be able to come back and be better mother and daughter, you know, for each other. And so that's what's so amazing to me. And not only that, but you also did participate in life coaching for my daughter.

SPEAKER_01 16:35

Yes, I did.

SPEAKER_00 16:36

Yeah. Can you tell us, like, I guess, what is the biggest transformation that you see when somebody your age goes through life coaching?

SPEAKER_01 16:49

Okay, well I don't know, that's like I love that. That's such a good question. Um I think it just makes them definitely like a confidence boost for sure. Um tends to be a little bit more understanding. I think with with like you said, with the clashing, you know, me and my mom will argue and we will we have opposing views. Like that happens with everybody. I think at the end of the day, it just comes down to being more open-minded, willing to understand where each other's coming from, even if it's you know hard to do so, and being willing to kind of step up and and work hard to make those changes and work hard for each other. Um but yeah, on the coaching for a specific person, I think it definitely that confidence boosts and just getting a little bit more understanding for sure, um, and a better understanding with others, but also themselves.

SPEAKER_02 17:50

Right.

SPEAKER_01 17:51

Um just again, it's so much to navigate being young. Your emotions are just so heavy and so hard. And I feel that sometimes adults can tend to kind of diminish that a little bit, even if it seems like small experiences, it can just feel so heavy and like the end of the world. So being able to just express that and talk about it, and have someone that can understand you a little bit more is definitely really helpful. And okay, like yes, I'm it's not always gonna be perfect, but I'll be okay. Like I have things I can do and things that can help me.

SPEAKER_00 18:33

Yeah, you know what? Thank you for saying that. That adults sometimes diminish things because I have probably like I'm public offender number one. I probably have told my Mila, like, oh my gosh, you know, it's not a big deal, or and uh and she's like, you're not, she's told me like you're not listening to me, or you're not, you know, like I can't talk to you. And I'm like, Yes, you can, but if the first thing that comes out of my mouth is like diminishing her feelings, like I can understand, you know, how I'm not I'm not helping the situation. So thank you for bringing that to like light, because that's something that I also need to work on, right? Is is understanding that the weight of like the way that she sees it right now might be really heavy.

SPEAKER_01 19:20

Yes, for sure.

SPEAKER_00 19:21

And she's in middle school, you're in high school, right? What grade are you in?

SPEAKER_01 19:25

I'm a junior in high school. Oh my gosh. I know I'm gonna be a junior, it's crazy. I think this year has flown by.

SPEAKER_00 19:32

It has, and you know what? Next year is gonna go even faster.

SPEAKER_01 19:36

Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 19:37

And um, so what are your plans like after high school?

SPEAKER_01 19:42

Okay, so right now I'm thinking of maybe studying environmental science. That's something I'm interested in. I have always been such an indecisive person, so this is such a big decision, and I have interests kind of all over the place. Um, but that's kind of what I've pretty much narrowed it down to as of now. And I would love to go to Texas AM. That's like one of my dream colleges. Definitely want to go like out of El Paso just for the experience. It's age. I only get to go there once. So yeah, I'm excited about that.

SPEAKER_00 20:14

Wow, and how's your mom and dad handling that?

SPEAKER_01 20:18

I think they're they're okay. I I know that I mean I'm not I'm not a parent, but I'm sure that it's difficult and it's hard on them. Right. So I mean, I don't know. I think it'll hit them more my senior year when you know college apps come and get into certain colleges and it kind of becomes more real in that. Right.

SPEAKER_00 20:40

When they're packing your bags and driving you.

SPEAKER_01 20:42

Yes, for sure. That'll be that'll be when it hits.

SPEAKER_00 20:45

Right. Oh my gosh. I I don't even want to think about that because my my son did already graduate, but now um Mila is turning 14 on Sunday, and I can't even talk. Like, I don't even when she tells me, like, oh, I'm turning 14, I'm like, don't I can't handle that right now. I can't talk to can't talk about it right now. Um, so just her getting older, but um okay, we'll wrap it up, but you have so much to share. Like, you have so much insight, Mia. And you have like thank you so much. Yes, like what would you tell? Like, what are three things that you would tell a girl your age? You know, like right now, someone your age, what are three things you would just tell them? Maybe three tools, three consejos, um, advice. What's what's something that you would tell them?

SPEAKER_01 21:42

Okay. So I would say the first thing, we kind of mentioned this a little bit earlier. This is something I've struggled with. Um, and I think it's just it's really important to work on is a comparison. As famously said, comparison is the thief of joy. I feel like it's so easy, especially as a teenager, to just look around you and think, I wish I was them. They seem like they have this perfect life, they're so beautiful, they're so smart, they're so everything you're kind of envious of. And it's just so easy to get caught up in that. So I would say try your best. I know it's easier said than done. And you know, take my advice with a grain of salt because everybody's different. But try your best not to compare yourself and focus on all the things that you are good at, all the things that you are strong at. You are just as amazing as other people are. You know, there are plenty of people that look at you and wish they were you and think you're so smart, you're so amazing, but don't doubt yourself there's somebody out there that wants to grow up to be just like you. So like that, that is important, and that is definitely something that helps so much with your confidence. Like, you got this, you are still growing, we're all still learning and trying to figure it out. And yeah, so I would say that is like one of the biggest things comparison because that is something that I struggle with.

SPEAKER_00 23:25

Yeah, so and it's so easy, also, because like we have access to Instagram, to TikTok, yes, I mean, and then especially, and then everything looks perfect, right? Like this person travels, this person dresses nice, her hair is so beautiful, her makeup, she's on point, you know. Yes, and so it's easy. Like, I have found myself getting on Instagram and scrolling and seeing other speech therapists, and I'm like, I feel like I'm not accomplished, I haven't done this, and so it's easy in a second for you to start comparing yourself and and like totally talk yourself down. Like you are you're not worthy, you're not, you're not as pretty as her, you're not as good as her. And so, like, it's something that you really have to be conscious of, right? That you are not doing that, and that you are like your first cheerleader, right? Like, wait a minute, I am, you know, I am pretty, I am this, I am that, right? So, okay, what's number two?

SPEAKER_01 24:30

So, number two, I guess kind of going on that. Um, I would say maybe like gratitude and affirmations is a huge thing. And I know some of you have maybe heard that a million times, and it's like, oh my gosh, again and again. And trust me, that was me. That was me.

SPEAKER_00 24:47

So I'm like, I know some people hear that and they're like, whatever, like I I admit, like the affirmations, I'm like, uh, do we really have to say it out loud?

SPEAKER_01 24:58

Like, this is yeah, like you kind of try to ignore it and don't want to do it. But I think for me, truly like trying to practice gratitude or after affirmations more often is so helpful, and I think that's why it just people repeat it so often, and it just sounds like people say it all the time, because it genuinely does help immensely. Um, just thinking about what you're grateful for every day. Like sometimes when I just have a really long day at school, I don't want to go, or I'm just so tired, I'm not down for it. I try to think, okay, what am I looking forward to? What am I doing in what are the classes that I like, or is the weather nice that morning, or did my hair turn out good, or was I able to make my bed before we left? Or just different little things. It doesn't have to be something crazy and all around, I'm grateful for just something super deep. You don't have to be like naturally philosophical or anything with it. Anything, anything that can just be something that you can be thankful for that day is so important.

SPEAKER_00 26:15

Even like that moment, like that moment. I remember um like even the way my coffee tasted. I was like, oh, I'm grateful for this cup of coffee. Like it's the right temperature, it like the creamer mixture was on point. Like I'm just grateful for that. And uh, the other thing I wanted to piggyback off of your gratitude um comment was that gratitude, so we can't be angry and grateful at the same time. We can't be scared and grateful at the same time. So, one of like the brain hacks is like to switch out of that fearful, dreadful, even like like I want to say like like singness, like you don't have the will or the want, like, oh no quiero ir a uh escuela today, you know, even like that, like once you start tapping into gratitude, like you click that part of the brain off, and you're like, okay. And so it it is like it once you start to have a lens of gratitude, you start to see the world a little bit differently. Like you start to look at the plants and look at the sun, and you know, even like the fresh air, like the wind, you're like, Oh, I'm grateful for that little breeze. It sounds silly, but it's totally true, you know. Um, so yeah, I I agree with you. What are some affirmations like that you have found yourself telling yourself?

SPEAKER_01 27:43

So for me, I think the easiest way to just get an affirmation is like maybe when you're getting ready, or um I don't know, even if you're at school, I think something that I might tell myself is oh, if I'm doing my eyelashes or something, oh they look good today, or my eyes look pretty, or I like the way that the sun reflects off of them. Or I don't know, maybe if you're at work or school and something was hard for you, oh I'm grateful that that's done. I'm grateful that I did it and then I tried my best. Like I recently took SATs, which I don't know, yes, oh my gosh. So much pressure, it's a lot and stress, and it can be so so stressful, and you're just trying to study as much as you can before it. It's a whole thing. So after that, I was tired, but I was like, okay, I did it, I'm grateful that it's over, whatever happens, happens, and I can always take it again. So it's kind of just trying to again shift that gratitude to just positively thinking as well. Like they go, they go hand in hand, just trying to be more optimistic about certain things.

SPEAKER_00 28:56

Right, right. One of the affirmations that I will tell myself sometimes is like I'm capable of doing hard things.

SPEAKER_02 29:04

Yes, right.

SPEAKER_00 29:04

Even like I'm worthy of love, I'm worthy of happiness. Um, sometimes like I feel like I have to work really, really hard to like earn a break or earn rest. So I I will tell myself, like, hey, you're worthy of resting. You deserve to rest. Like those are little affirmations that I find myself like coming back to. Um, but when I find a good one and I need it for a while, like I'll put it on a post-it, um, yes, put it around my desk. Yeah, things like that. Even like putting it on your phone screensaver. Yes. That's like you're like, oh, I need to look at this, I need to see this. All right. So you said the first one is not comparing yourself. Um, your second tip is to um engage in gratitude and in in the use of affirmations. What's your third tip?

SPEAKER_01 29:54

Okay, so my third tip kind of goes off of this philosophy that I had recently read about. It's called Sonder. I don't know if you're familiar with it.

SPEAKER_00 30:03

I'm not.

SPEAKER_01 30:04

About how everybody experiences their own things and we're kind of just this one small part of this bigger picture. Um and that's to kind of show because for me, I have struggled a lot with not so much like feeling yes, feeling alone comes with it, but not like I feel that I tend to kind of undermine the things that I'm feeling by saying that people are going through worse, that I'm just being dramatic, that there's so much worse things that could be happening, and there's people go through way more terrible, harder issues than I am, and I tend to kind of undermine it and just push it to the side and whatever, forget about it, deal with it. And I think that's something that is not talked about enough. Yes, we need to talk about that feeling of loneliness because it can be really difficult. But once you kind of reach a level where you're not so focused on that you can kind of understand more that other people go through issues, but then you're not focusing on yourself because oh, people go through other issues. So it goes with that philosophy in the sense that it's kind of like everybody goes through their own things, and yours are just as important as theirs.

SPEAKER_00 31:33

I love that.

SPEAKER_01 31:34

It doesn't matter. We can't, I feel like there's this kind of scale and measure for your problems are way up here and way harder, and mine are like yours or whatever. You know, everybody's are just as important. Your struggles are valid, your feelings are so valid. It doesn't matter how small or how little you believe them to be, they're just as important and just as important to be talked about, and you know, get that help for and reach out for that support.

SPEAKER_00 32:08

Yeah, and I feel like it's even like maybe like a compassion. Um, like it taps into compassion too because you are compassionate and thoughtful of like the people around you, but you're also like giving yourself that compassion too, and you're validating, like you're validating like my struggles, my emotions, my feelings, my grief. Um, I talk a lot about grief, so my grief is real, and sometimes we we compare grief, like, well, you haven't lost somebody, you know, so therefore you you shouldn't be crying, you should be over it. You should, you know. So that's we'll say that again. Did you say Sonder?

SPEAKER_01 32:49

Yes, Sonder. S-O-N-D-E-R.

SPEAKER_00 32:51

Sonder. Okay, I need to look at into that because I I really like it. Um, anything else, uh, Mia, that you want to leave our listeners with before we wrap up.

SPEAKER_01 33:05

Okay, so I would just say one more thing that I had kind of been thinking about. Because I don't know, with tips, it's just there's so many things that you could give, and it just varies and it ranges on you know where you're at as a person and the different things that you've gone through. Um, but one thing that has recently helped me a lot, just with like different stresses, especially with school, is I tend to overthink a lot. Yeah, um, I think that's something that a lot of us can relate to. Yeah, it's very common. Um, but I had seen I had read something or I'd seen something where it was to like kind of shift your mindset from really negative and worrying about everything that could go wrong to everything that could go right. I feel like I get caught up in uh what if I I recently did an audition, so like what if I do terrible at this audition? What if I mess up? What if I forget my lines? What if I it's just constantly, constantly, what if this goes wrong?

SPEAKER_00 34:07

Right.

SPEAKER_01 34:08

So shifting it to okay, what if I do well? What if they like how I did? What if my I read all my lines really well? And especially kind of shifting that to more positive, I feel like it gives you that confidence, you know, fake it till you make it. Your brain will start to think, okay, right, actually, I got this. I can do well, right. So kind of instilling that, even if it's fake, even if you like are trying really hard, even if just like yeah, it sounds like you're you're crazy, it helps, it helps so much, and you'll notice that you're actually doing better or performing better. Yeah, just because you had more confidence inside you and you weren't as nervous or anxious or beating yourself down.

SPEAKER_00 35:01

Yeah, oh my gosh. I I love that you said that because it's so true. Like, even before we step into a place, like we've already come attached with like all of the thoughts that have been going through our head, even before we even like went for the audition, went for the job interview, went for that conversation with somebody, you know, like we've already played in our head a million things that can go wrong. Yeah, and so I think it's also not only just engage like saying that you're gonna do it, but like do it right, like really go for it, uh huh. Speak it out loud, write it down, right? This would be like a good journal prompt, right? Yes, whatever you know. I feel like when I'm anxious and when I'm going down that rabbit hole, like getting it out on paper and writing it out is like that helps me, and then I feel so much better.

SPEAKER_01 35:51

It's a breath of fresh air, like it takes off the weight off your shoulders for sure.

SPEAKER_00 35:55

Right, yeah. Mia, this was so much fun. Thank you for um being here with me tonight. I mean, this evening. Um I know you had prom yesterday, so you're probably tired. And oh, it's okay. Did you have school today? No, no school. No, I didn't.

SPEAKER_01 36:13

I was off, yes.

SPEAKER_00 36:14

Okay, cool. So you got to rest. Um, but I really, really thank you for for doing this interview. Um, I am super excited to hear about like your journey. Maybe we could do this again, maybe after you graduate. Um, I know that you're gonna help um um your mom and myself in our next workshop. You you uh might be make baking something for us. Um so for our um our self love workshop that's coming up in May. Um, so we'll be you know sharing your your journey with with the listeners. So thank you, Mia, so much for tonight.

SPEAKER_01 36:53

Thank you as well. I had a lovely time. Thank you.

SPEAKER_00 36:56

Thank you. We'll talk to you soon.

SPEAKER_01 36:58

Yes.

SPEAKER_00 37:00

Bye.

SPEAKER_01 37:01

Bye.