In this week’s episode of The Baggage Reclaim Sessions, my brother Richard and I reflect on our childhood and how repeatedly wondering ‘Is there something about me?’ affected our sense of self and working lives. We discuss how (and why) our sense of worthiness has been intertwined with our professional success and personal relationships. This honest conversation unpacks feelings of abandonment, rejection, and the lifelong struggle of feeling ‘good-enough,’ highlighting the importance of acknowledging and healing from our past to reclaim our present.

IN THIS EPISODE…

• 01:05 Childhood reflections
• 02:19 The impact of rejection
• 03:27 Struggles with self-worth
• 03:56 Navigating relationships
• 06:02 Family dynamics
• 07:08 Coping mechanisms
• 21:02 People-pleasing styles
• 24:42 Workplace challenges
• 27:47 Living as outsiders
• 28:26 Moving to Dublin
• 30:38 First day at school
• 31:57 Protective factors
• 33:29 Childhood trauma and adult responses
• 35:50 Facing anxiety and vulnerability
• 42:39 Reframing failure and self-talk
• 45:54 Acknowledging the past
• 52:16 Final thoughts and resources

LINKS MENTIONED AND RECOMMENDED RESOURCES

• Ep 280: Secrets, Lies, and Coming Out
• Ep. 222: They’re just not that into you?
• Dealing with Someone Who Blows Hot and Cold: Is It Worth It?
• Ep 194: The Self-Sabotage of Overgiving, Over-Responsibility, People Pleasing, Perfectionism and Overthinking
• Ep 276: New Year, New No, and Recognising the Dark Side of People Pleasing
• The Joy of Saying No
• Are You a People Pleaser? quiz
• Ep 158: It’s Not That You’re Not ‘Good Enough’ — You’re Over-Responsible
• Ep 100: Are You Exceeding Your Bandwidth? (You Are Not The Energizer Bunny)
• Ep 121: The Release & Relief of Giving Up On Try-ing
• Ep. 230: Why you’re still having thoughts about that certain someone or thing (understanding our subconscious)
• Questioning our default stories and fears allows us to ‘update’
• Ep 243: Revisited-What’s the baggage behind it?
• Ep 126: I ‘Failed’, And I’m OK
• Forgiving Me For Abandonment
• Ep 233: Eek, Am I Doing Self-Care Wrong?
• The newsletter series I wrote: I Broke Up With My Mother part one | part two | part three
• Ep 204: Let’s Talk About Family Estrangement
• Simone thought she was exhausted and burnt-out. But her high-functioning anxiety was going unnoticed

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