#125 - Why Self-Acceptance Is Necessary For Change

#125 - Why Self-Acceptance Is Necessary For Change

For years, I believed the woman staring back at me in the mirror was the reason my life wasn't changing. At 338 pounds, I thought the answer was to become someone different. I believed that if I criticized myself enough, pushed harder, or finally became "better," then everything else would fall into place. I was wrong. In this episode, I share the unexpected lesson that transformed not only my weight-loss journey, but every area of my life: lasting change doesn't begin with self-criticism—it begins with self-acceptance. We'll explore why accepting your current reality isn't the same as settling for it, and why making peace with who you are today creates the foundation for becoming who you're meant to be tomorrow. You'll discover: * Why self-rejection keeps you trapped in the very patterns you're trying to escape. * The difference between accepting yourself and giving up on yourself. * How self-compassion, healthy boundaries, and radical honesty create lasting transformation. * Why your identity can only expand from a place of acceptance—not shame. * A simple journaling exercise to help you begin shifting the relationship you have with yourself. If you've ever felt like you're constantly trying to "fix" yourself, this conversation is your invitation to stop fighting who you are and start building a relationship with the woman who's been there all along. Because healing doesn't begin the day you become someone else. It begins the day you finally decide you're worthy of love exactly as you are. And from that place... Everything changes. 💛 Here's What's Next:  ✨ Ready to go deeper? My Soul Medicine Healing Sessions are designed to help you release what’s been weighing you down and reconnect with the truest version of you. Book your session here: https://calendly.com/tarawiskow/soul-medicine-session  Learn more about She Rises: www.tara-wiskow.com/she-rises   — Follow me for more: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BeTheChangeYouNeedToday   Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tara.wiskow/  Website: www.tara-wiskow.com

#124 - Freedom Isn't the Absence of Chaos — How Breakthroughs Bring New Awareness

With the Fourth of July approaching, I've been thinking a lot about the word freedom. Not just the freedom we celebrate as a country, but the kind of freedom we create within ourselves. In this episode, I share the unexpected lesson I learned while preparing our newly purchased motorhome for our annual family camping trip. While the motorhome itself is exciting, it wasn't the purchase that impacted me the most - it was realizing that I had become the woman who was willing to make it happen. For years, anything involving money, banks, or applying for a loan filled me with fear. It wasn't that I believed I wasn't capable. Fear simply took over, and I found myself resisting the process whenever I could. This time was different. I made the phone calls, gathered the paperwork, asked the questions, and followed through from beginning to end. When it was all done, I realized something that stopped me in my tracks: healing isn't always measured by how you feel... sometimes it's measured by what no longer has power over you. As I continued preparing for our camping trip while supporting one son through a difficult season, helping another recover from an emergency appendectomy, and navigating life's unexpected twists, I found myself reflecting on why life can sometimes feel chaotic right after we've experienced a breakthrough. In this episode, we explore why true freedom isn't found when life finally calms down. It's found when fear, limiting beliefs, and old emotional patterns no longer get to decide how we show up. If you've ever wondered whether you're really growing, or you've questioned why life can feel messy just as you're beginning to change, I hope this conversation reminds you to pause and recognize the quiet evidence of your own transformation. Because sometimes the greatest breakthrough isn't something you accomplish. It's realizing you're no longer the woman you used to be. 💛 ✨ Special Fourth of July Offer If this episode stirred something in your heart and you're ready to experience more freedom in your own life, I'd love to support you through a Soul Medicine Healing Session. For a limited time, enjoy 20% OFF your session when you book by 11:45 PM CST on Saturday, July 4 using code FREEDOM20. (Your session can take place after July 4 - the discount simply expires when booking closes.) Book your session here: https://calendly.com/tarawiskow/soul-medicine-session [https://calendly.com/tarawiskow/soul-medicine-session] Follow me for more: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BeTheChangeYouNeedToday [https://www.facebook.com/BeTheChangeYouNeedToday]    Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tara.wiskow/ [https://www.instagram.com/tara.wiskow/]   Website: www.tara-wiskow.com [http://www.tara-wiskow.com]

#123 - Why Becoming Yourself Feels Uncomfortable

Why does becoming your authentic self feel so uncomfortable at first? If you've ever started setting boundaries, speaking your truth, choosing yourself, or stepping into a new version of yourself only to be met with guilt, fear, self-doubt, or discomfort, this episode is for you. In today's heartfelt conversation, Tara explores why personal growth often feels unsettling before it feels freeing. She shares how our nervous system becomes attached to what is familiar, why people-pleasing and self-abandonment can feel safer than authenticity, and how to navigate the discomfort that comes with becoming who you were always meant to be. Inside this episode, you'll learn: • Why authenticity can feel uncomfortable before it feels empowering • How your current identity may be keeping you stuck • Why growth often requires letting go of old versions of yourself • The difference between discomfort and misalignment • How to build self-trust while stepping into a new chapter of your life If you've been feeling called to stop shrinking yourself, stop living for everyone else's expectations, and reconnect with the woman underneath the conditioning, this episode will remind you that discomfort is often a sign that you're growing—not that you're doing something wrong. Because becoming yourself isn't about creating someone new. It's about remembering who you've been all along. Here's What's Next:  ✨ Ready to go deeper? My Soul Medicine Healing Sessions are designed to help you release what’s been weighing you down and reconnect with the truest version of you. Book your session here: https://calendly.com/tarawiskow/soul-medicine-session  Learn more about She Rises: www.tara-wiskow.com/she-rises   — Follow me for more: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BeTheChangeYouNeedToday   Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tara.wiskow/  Website: www.tara-wiskow.com

#122 - The Version of You You’re Becoming Requires Change

In this heartfelt solo episode, Tara dives deep into the fear of change and why so many of us cling to what feels familiar - even when it’s no longer aligned with who we’re becoming. She explores how our need for control, certainty, and emotional safety often keeps us stuck in cycles of fear, self-protection, and resistance. Through powerful perspective shifts, personal insight, and emotional truth, Tara shares how healing your inner world changes the way you experience your outer world. This episode is a reminder that not every painful season is punishment. Sometimes life is guiding you toward something greater than you could currently imagine. Inside this conversation, Tara discusses: • Why change feels so terrifying to the nervous system • How our thoughts, beliefs, and emotional patterns shape our experiences • The connection between fear, control, and suffering • Why healing changes the reality we create for ourselves • Learning to trust that what’s meant for your highest good will unfold in time • Letting go of what you THINK you need so life can show you what truly aligns If you’re navigating uncertainty, identity shifts, endings, or emotional growth right now… this episode will feel like a deep exhale for your soul. Because sometimes the life you’re meant for begins the moment you stop resisting change and start trusting yourself through it. Here's What's Next:  ✨ Ready to go deeper? My Soul Medicine Healing Sessions are designed to help you release what’s been weighing you down and reconnect with the truest version of you. Book your session here: https://calendly.com/tarawiskow/soul-medicine-session  Learn more about She Rises: www.tara-wiskow.com/she-rises   — Follow me for more: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BeTheChangeYouNeedToday   Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tara.wiskow/  Website: www.tara-wiskow.com

#121 - From Silence to Strength: Escaping Abuse & Reclaiming Joy - with Ingrid Dutton

In this powerful and deeply honest episode of Be The Change You Need, Tara sits down with survivor and nurse practitioner Ingrid Dutton for a courageous conversation about domestic violence, emotional abuse, healing, and reclaiming your life after survival. Together, they unpack: ✨ the hidden realities of emotional abuse and gaslighting ✨ how abuse slowly impacts identity and self-worth ✨ the small decisions that make leaving possible ✨ safety planning and support systems ✨ healing through therapy, including EMDR ✨ rebuilding self-trust and reclaiming your voice ✨ how sharing our stories helps others move from victimhood into empowerment This episode is both heartbreaking and hopeful — a reminder that healing is possible, identity can be rebuilt, and no one is alone in their journey. Whether you are navigating your own healing journey, supporting someone you love, or simply wanting to better understand the realities of domestic violence, this conversation offers compassion, education, and hope. Trigger Warning: This episode discusses emotional and physical abuse and may be triggering for some listeners. If you or someone you know is in immediate danger, please seek help from local authorities or domestic violence services. Ingrid's Information: 1 in 3 Podcast, https://www.1in3podcast.com/ [https://www.google.com/url?q=https%3A%2F%2Fcalendly.com%2Furl%3Fq%3Dhttps%253A%252F%252Fwww.1in3podcast.com%252F%252C%26user_uuid%3DBGBDFLTP3CIJE7K3%26stage%3D1%26hmac%3D5578c58f6ab18bc25baf06a41e3bda08577596c3f698ad089e0aa30dccdaadc5&sa=D&source=calendar&usd=2&usg=AOvVaw1WWBbLSrJ3k6W4om7RZmhj] Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/1in3podcast/ [https://www.google.com/url?q=https%3A%2F%2Fcalendly.com%2Furl%3Fq%3Dhttps%253A%252F%252Fwww.instagram.com%252F1in3podcast%252F%252C%26user_uuid%3DBGBDFLTP3CIJE7K3%26stage%3D1%26hmac%3Dd134a6dfe7952886489ec897c9fbf2e97afe0b4a130903536013ffa1f3a63d5f&sa=D&source=calendar&usd=2&usg=AOvVaw3wS-9MtFlEzCQ2ybBCvenM] Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/1in3podcast/ [https://www.google.com/url?q=https%3A%2F%2Fcalendly.com%2Furl%3Fq%3Dhttps%253A%252F%252Fwww.facebook.com%252F1in3podcast%252F%252C%26user_uuid%3DBGBDFLTP3CIJE7K3%26stage%3D1%26hmac%3D8c1121dcded720b81afe41a4cfdb372739d5d44bcd67d570fd6058520952db42&sa=D&source=calendar&usd=2&usg=AOvVaw2FsfjzOHhFG0uEKtiYp5Na] Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@1in3podcast [https://www.google.com/url?q=https%3A%2F%2Fcalendly.com%2Furl%3Fq%3Dhttps%253A%252F%252Fwww.tiktok.com%252F%25401in3podcast%26user_uuid%3DBGBDFLTP3CIJE7K3%26stage%3D1%26hmac%3D5e3f7ccac4729e10c4a9a25a1f867677a4bfa21dc3b40a295befe33b2bf5ca8f&sa=D&source=calendar&usd=2&usg=AOvVaw3rN2zOZQAqswFxDSJCpgq2]  Follow me for more: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BeTheChangeYouNeedToday   Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tara.wiskow/  Website: www.tara-wiskow.com  [http://www.tara-wiskow.com] Be The Change You Need