The Made-Up Barriers Holding You Back & How to Finally Start

Have you ever felt a deep calling to do something more, only to be paralyzed by your own inner critic? What if the only thing standing in your way is a story you've told yourself? In this deeply personal and moving episode, Dr. C shares the vulnerable origin story of the LIFE Podcast. She reveals how crippling self-doubt and "made-up barriers" kept her dream on the shelf for years.

Listen as Dr. C recounts the powerful moment of inspiration and the life-changing whisper that finally gave her the courage to act. This episode is more than just a story; it's a guide to help you dismantle your own insecurities and take that first brave step toward your purpose. If you've ever thought, "Who would listen to me?"—this one is for you.

In this episode, you will learn:

• How to identify the "made-up barriers" that are holding you back.
• The profound impact of investing in your own personal and professional development.
• A powerful technique to reframe negative self-talk into positive action.
• Why progress is more important than perfection when pursuing your passion.

Have a question? Ask Dr. C.

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Episode Transcript

DrC (00:05):
Hey, have you ever had an idea on your heart?
A dream that feels so right, soperfect for you, but it stays
locked away because of a tiny,nagging voice of doubt.
You tell yourself you're notready, it's not the time, it's
not the right time, and mostcommon one of all, who am I to

(00:25):
do that?
Well, today I'm gonna share thevery personal origin story of
this podcast.
A journey that started withyears of insecurity and one
powerful moment that finallypushed me to press record.
We're gonna explore thosemade-up barriers we all create
and how to find the courage tofinally take the next step.
The other day I had the immensehonor of attending the YWCA of

(00:52):
Rochester and Monroe CountyAnnual Luncheon.
And the keynote speaker was theone and only MC Lite.
Yes, the one and only MC Light.
Now, if you know me, you knowthat I've always said that music
saved my life.
I have a very special place inmy heart for female MCs as well.
But what truly struck me wasn'tjust her presence, it was her

(01:15):
story of growth.
You see, she said thatthroughout every part of her
career, she invested in her owndevelopment.
She took classes, actingclasses, for two years before
she even started acting.
And every time she evolved, sheresearched and she invested in
herself and developed the skillsshe needed to pursue whatever
she wanted.

(01:36):
And it made me think, how oftendo we stop at the desire?
We say, Oh, I'd love to dothat, but we don't take the next
step of researching what weneed to be successful.
It brought me right back to2019 when I started my doctoral
program and learning all aboutwellness and workplace burnout.

(01:56):
The World Health Organizationhad just classified burnout as
an occupational phenomenon.
And I was thinking, who knowsthis stuff?
Like, wow, how do I get thisinformation out there?
The idea of the podcast wasborn, but so was doubt.
And here's the transparentvulnerable moment.

(02:17):
Because of my own insecurities,I put that idea on the shelf.
I kept doing presentations andconsulted with leaders, but I
knew I wasn't reaching everyoneI could.
So the thought of the podcastkept coming back, and it kept
coming back, and it was alwaysfollowed by a wave of
self-negative talk.
Who's gonna listen to me?

(02:39):
My voice sounds horrible.
All these obstacles, thesebarriers, and I now realize they
were completely made up.
They were excuses my fear wascreating to keep me comfortable
in my insecurity.
I'm gonna repeat that.
My emotional wellness wassuffering, and I felt like a

(03:07):
failure because I had thiscritical information to share,
but my inner critic wouldn't letme.
It was a heavy internalstruggle.
We'll dive into the moment thatchanged everything right after
this short break.
Stay with us.
It was immense.

(03:47):
Then in July, that thought camerushing back to me and it
wouldn't go away.
And about two weeks later, onemorning, around 5 a.m., you
know, that time when you're in alight sleep, just before waking
up, I heard my dad, who passedaway three years ago, whisper in
my ear.
I heard him clearly say, Yougot this, kid.

(04:11):
Let's go.
And I even felt his breathagainst my ear.
I immediately jumped out of bedand said, I'm starting the
podcast.
And my husband, God bless hissoul, just looked at me, half
sleep and said, Okay, okay,let's go.
Come on.
He never gave me a reason why Ishouldn't, only supported why I
should.

(04:31):
That was the moment my mindsetbegan to flourish.
The fear was still there, butthe purpose was finally louder.
From that morning on, Ievolved.
I dove deep into researchingeverything, how to start, what a
podcast even is, how to upload,how to market.
I took MC Light's example and Iinvested in my own development.

(04:52):
So you might be listening tothis and thinking, that's great
for you, Dr.
C, but I'm overwhelmed.
How do I actually start?
Well, let's make it realsimple.
Here are three practical waysyou can take today for any
project, big and small.
First, name it.
Get really clear on what youwant to do.

(05:13):
Write it down in one simplesentence.
Take it out of your head andput it on paper because then it
makes it real.
Second, shrink it.
The big dream can beintimidating.
So, what is the smallest,tiniest first step you can take?
Not launch the business, butGoogle domain names for 15

(05:34):
minutes.
Not write a book, but maybewrite a sentence, a paragraph.
This is about creating forwardmotion, not no matter how small.
And third, share it.
Tell one person you trust aboutyour idea.
The moment you say it out loud,you create accountability and
you also invite support.
Remember how my husbandreacted?

(05:56):
Find your cheerleader.
Naming it, shrinking it, andsharing it.
That's it.
That's how you begin.
And on September 3rd, aftertaking my own first steps, I
realize I released my firstepisode.
And in just under a month,tomorrow it'll be a month that
the Life Podcast was launched.

(06:19):
In just under a month, we havereached listeners in seven
countries and 72 cities.
I've received messages frompeople about how an episode has
helped them through a challenge,and that has brought so much
joy to my heart because, afterall, that was always the go.
So imagine if I had continuedto listen to my fears.

(06:41):
So I want to ask you, what madea barrier are you holding on
to?
Are your obstacles real or arethey a story you're telling
yourself?
If it's a story, it's time toreframe it.
Your project, your gift iswaiting for you.
And I promise you, someone inthis universe is waiting to
receive your gift.
Don't let perfection get in theway.

(07:03):
My first episodes have volumeissues and tones all over the
place, but people aren'tlistening to that.
They're not listening to themistakes, they're listening to
the message.
So do it.
Just start.
So as we wrap up, my hope foryou is this: take the first
brave step this week.

(07:24):
Give yourself a dream.
Give it a name.
Make it real.
Break it down into small steps.
So small you can't say no.
And share it.
Share it with someone who willcheer you on and support you and
talk to you about resourcesthat may be available that you

(07:46):
don't know about.
That's it.
That's the start.
You don't need a perfect plan,you just need progress.
Your gift is way worth sharing.
And someone out there iswaiting to receive it.
Until next time, keep onlearning, stay inspired,
continue to flourish, never stopevolving.

(08:06):
I'm your host, Dr.
C, and this is the LifePodcast.