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Overcome Anxiety With These Proven Strategies · Create The Best Me

• 0:00
  like, rewind your day.
• 0:01
  Typically, whenever I have minimal sleep, I am more prone to have a negative mindset.
• 0:08
  And so there's, key functions, are you hydrating well?
• 0:11
  Because a lot of times if we have headaches, we're not hydrating well, it causes all these ripple effects.
• 0:15
  If you're not getting out in nature.
• 0:17
  If you're not playing, if you're not sleeping well.
• 0:20
  Typically a lot of it can be stemmed back towards how are you taking care of yourself?
• 0:24
  How are you filling your cup?
• 0:26
  Are you surrounding yourself with the right people?
• 0:28
  Are you doing the things that make you your best?
• 0:31
  It's amazing.
• 0:32
  When was the pivotal moment in your life or career when you shifted toward a positive mindset?
• 0:40
  What sparked that change?
• 0:42
  but really after losing my mom, life was really hard.
• 0:46
  I was able to learn that both pain and peace can co-exist.
• 0:50
  I was able to learn that resiliency is my value for life.
• 0:56
  I was able to reflect on so many things.
• 0:59
  And overcoming adversity but this time it was different.
• 1:02
  This time it was a matter of stepping up, stepping in and stepping over into the next chapter.
• 1:07
  For our listeners who are women in midlife, looking to adopt a positive outlook.
• 1:13
  What are the best practices that you recommend starting with?
• 1:18
  This one's tough for midlife women.
• 1:22
  The words I'm going to say I'm going to say Hello, and welcome to Create the Best Me.
• 1:35
  I am your host, Carmen Hecox.
• 1:37
  Today's episode promises an inspiring journey through transformation, resilience, and the art of embracing life's second act with enthusiasm and purpose.
• 1:50
  We're thrilled to have Susie Maldonado with us, a personal trainer, podcaster, and a beacon of positivity whose life story and insights offer a roadmap to thriving in midlife and beyond.
• 2:07
  How did a woman who never plays sports become a fitness sensation?
• 2:12
  What drove Susie to start a podcast that has become A lifeline for many?
• 2:19
  From overcoming personal loss to finding strength in adversity, Susie's story is a testament to the power of a positive mindset and the beauty of life's unexpected turns.
• 2:33
  In this episode, Susie will share the pivotal moments of her journey, her secret to maintaining a positive outlook, and actionable advice for anyone looking to transform their life.
• 2:46
  Let's welcome Susie Maldonado.
• 2:49
  Susie Maldonado.
• 2:52
  Welcome to Create the Best Me.
• 2:54
  I am honored to have you on.
• 2:57
  Thank you so much.
• 2:58
  I'm so honored to be here as well.
• 2:59
  Can you share a little bit about who you are, your background, and what led you to become a personal trainer, focusing on helping people live a more positive life?
• 3:12
  Absolutely.
• 3:12
  I'd be honored to.
• 3:13
  So I was a girl who never played sports in high school.
• 3:19
  And I got into fitness by running my first 5k.
• 3:23
  It was me and my tennis shoes.
• 3:26
  And the only person waiting for me at the end of the racing line was my dad.
• 3:30
  And at that point, I really just enjoyed being outdoors.
• 3:34
  I enjoyed being surrounded and having a sort of competition.
• 3:38
  So that was how I got into sports.
• 3:41
  And I ran several 5Ks, 13 half marathons, two marathons.
• 3:48
  And after completing my marathons, I got injured.
• 3:52
  And what would any crazy person do other than another competition?
• 3:57
  So I went from eating bread and carb loading to not eating bread at all.
• 4:01
  I did my first fitness competition and walking across the stage, I did it, but my body wasn't made for it.
• 4:07
  And I just really found a deep discipline for sticking with something that was really hard.
• 4:12
  And so I had the hours already put in that I was adjusted to.
• 4:16
  Someone approached me at the gym and said, would you like to become a personal trainer?
• 4:19
  And that's how the journey started.
• 4:20
  And for some of the people that may not know you, tell us about your podcast.
• 4:25
  Thank you so much.
• 4:26
  Yeah, I started my podcast December 17th of 2023 and it was a leap of faith.
• 4:33
  It was something very scary, very liberating.
• 4:35
  After going through losing my mom to cancer her fourth times.
• 4:39
  It was a matter of always, I've always had such a deep passion for self development, learning, growing.
• 4:45
  I've gone through a lot of adversities in my life.
• 4:48
  And through 10 years of development, a lot of my friends always told me that I had a lot of great nuggets to share and people needed to hear it.
• 4:55
  And I always thought no one wants to hear the things I have to offer.
• 4:57
  But then the Lord kept picking at me and kept saying, there's an assignment for you.
• 5:01
  And people spoke over me and I took the leap of faith.
• 5:06
  I did a little knuckle grease and figured out how to start a podcast and started it back at the tail end of 2023 and it's called Believe With Susie and it's been incredible.
• 5:17
  And Tell us some of the stuff that I found out yesterday, because I think people need to know this about you.
• 5:25
  You started December 17th, last year.
• 5:28
  Yes, Decided to make the decision.
• 5:30
  I want to start a podcast.
• 5:32
  And when did that podcast air?
• 5:35
  December 17th.
• 5:36
  So it was incredible because it was a matter of just, you know, a lot of people get stuck in what we call paralysis analysis.
• 5:44
  To where perfection is a thing that's going to rob you from pursuing your dreams, from taking the chances, from taking the risks.
• 5:51
  And so I had to make a really, I had to make a deal with myself that if I were going to step into this journey, there's no turning back.
• 5:59
  And that's just kind of how I do life now.
• 6:01
  I'm a no quitter person.
• 6:03
  I take a life one day at a time.
• 6:05
  And so after I figured out, I created a basic 10 step blueprint on how to start a podcast with minimal equipment, minimal investment, using what you have and let's go.
• 6:16
  So I chose to do a solo podcast because then I could really control the content.
• 6:21
  I decided the first week I couldn't stop talking, and I was able to release five episodes my first week.
• 6:27
  Then I talked to my sister that week and she said, is this going to be sustainable?
• 6:31
  She was as a listener, I suggest you maybe come out with a scheduling of the days you're going to release content and how long they're going to be.
• 6:39
  So I was thinking, Hmm, I did five last week.
• 6:42
  I guess I'll continue on with five.
• 6:43
  And then I also decided because I'm a person who has ADHD, I lose my attention span very quickly.
• 6:50
  And I figured no longer than 15 minutes.
• 6:53
  I could get some quick hitters in, some power punch nuggets in five to 15 minutes.
• 6:58
  And so I have been releasing an average of five per week.
• 7:03
  That is crazy.
• 7:04
  Cause I release one a week.
• 7:06
  And I'm going to tell you, Susie my hat's off to you because it is a lot of work.
• 7:13
  It is.
• 7:13
  And I'll tell you what, there's some mornings that, you know, I'm a podcast junkie myself.
• 7:17
  I love, I have my, favorites.
• 7:20
  And randomly mine will pop on my radio and I'm like, holy crap, I needed that lesson today.
• 7:27
  And it was like a replay because I all I'm doing is feeding the information, the stuff that I feel that I needed.
• 7:35
  At some point before in the hope is that I can be a light in a dark world because God uses broken people to help reach others.
• 7:43
  And that was actually the name of my first podcast was I am not broken.
• 7:48
  And it was just a revelation of hearing an author on an Ed Mylett podcast.
• 7:54
  He was also on Mel Robbins, his name is Jim Kwik and he was a boy with a broken brain and his book was called Limitless," I'm sorry, "Limitless." And when he spoke, I've never felt so connected in my entire world.
• 8:07
  It's like everything collided together.
• 8:08
  And I called my sister, she's a neurological scientist.
• 8:11
  And yes, I'm a trainer.
• 8:12
  I'm a health coach.
• 8:13
  I'm a podcaster, my sister's got the brains, I have the street smarts.
• 8:16
  And I couldn't shut up.
• 8:17
  And I was like, my life makes sense.
• 8:19
  I don't feel broken.
• 8:21
  Meaning a lot of times I would have to over apologize when I spoke to people.
• 8:27
  Because I would speak in a way that seemed to be, too much or out there or not the normal.
• 8:36
  And when I finally realized that once you learn how you learn, there are people who need to hear it.
• 8:41
  And my aha moments were providing breakthroughs for all my friends left and right.
• 8:46
  So instead of me thinking that I didn't have anything to offer, I realized I have a lot to offer.
• 8:51
  And that was the name of my first podcast was I'm not broken.
• 8:54
  And it was where I was able to taking my limiting thoughts into liberating truths.
• 8:58
  Because everything that you place after the words I am are a label and you can choose to keep them or fight for them.
• 9:04
  so.
• 9:05
  I will say, I love your podcast.
• 9:08
  I absolutely love it because I feel like they're small bite size, positive messages.
• 9:14
  And because you're putting out so much stuff out there, I can pick and choose which one resonates with me today.
• 9:22
  What do I need right now?
• 9:25
  It's amazing.
• 9:26
  When was the pivotal moment in your life or career when you shifted toward a positive mindset?
• 9:33
  What sparked that change?
• 9:36
  Well, I'd have to say I've always had a positive mindset, but the flip to optimist is really the pivotal moment.
• 9:47
  You know, being positive, people can take that connotation like, Oh, she's so positive.
• 9:52
  She's a trainer.
• 9:53
  She's got to be that way.
• 9:54
  No, no, no.
• 9:56
  The optimism occurred after, really after my mom passed away and after I started stepping into the truth that life is hard.
• 10:05
  And I know it and I say it, but really after losing my mom, life was really hard.
• 10:10
  I was able to learn that both pain and peace can co-exist I was able to learn that resiliency is my value for life.
• 10:20
  I was able to reflect on so many things of how I've been able to overcome adversity.
• 10:26
  And overcoming adversity but this time it was different.
• 10:29
  This time it was a matter of stepping up, stepping in and stepping over into the next chapter.
• 10:34
  And so anything that you do in life is going to be hard.
• 10:39
  It's part of the process.
• 10:40
  It's part of the growth.
• 10:41
  And really was whenever I understood that the two things I could control in my life are attitude and effort.
• 10:47
  Every single day we have a choice, you can choose how you control your attitude and your effort.
• 10:54
  And I choose to look at both sides and I think, well, what's the alternative?
• 11:01
  So I think that would really just be the pivotal moments of just understanding that like we only have one life to live.
• 11:06
  And I'm going to quit playing small.
• 11:08
  Is everyday easy?
• 11:09
  Absolutely not.
• 11:10
  Do I struggle all the time?
• 11:12
  Am I human?
• 11:13
  Yes.
• 11:14
  So I'm not perfect for some people, but I am perfect for others.
• 11:18
  So in what they need to hear the lessons and all that.
• 11:21
  And, I'm pretty sure because you're a trainer, you deal with people that have different mindsets; and working out is hard.
• 11:30
  And you are pushing these people to the next level.
• 11:34
  And maybe sometimes you hear them say, I can't, Susie, I can't, I physically can't.
• 11:40
  You want me to do this and I can't.
• 11:43
  And so I know that a lot of times when I constantly hear negative stuff, it can take an adjustment for me to get back into my positive ways.
• 11:53
  And so I applaud you that I'm pretty sure, you have clients that do this, that you are able to say, I am not going to allow this negative energy to be mine or to embrace it.
• 12:07
  I'm going to reject it with positive Slightly, my response typically is show me you can't.
• 12:15
  And they look at me and like, show me you can't.
• 12:17
  And then once they show me they can't, typically what happens is they erase the apostrophe "T" from their mind, and I said, here's the deal.
• 12:28
  Everything that we train physical, like in the way I train is functional fitness.
• 12:34
  Bending, standing, pressing, pushing.
• 12:38
  Physically I've been able to train people vertically, they can't get down on the ground because of hands, knees issues.
• 12:46
  So it's a matter of like, let me show you a way that fits you.
• 12:49
  I will meet you where you are.
• 12:52
  And it's more of that per se, because if it's a constant, I can't, I can't, I can't like physically, you're right I do tell them, that's completely fine.
• 13:02
  If you need to in this minute, take care of you, I support you.
• 13:09
  I always support them and meet them where they are.
• 13:12
  And that's how people learn to trust me as a trainer Because you embrace them.
• 13:16
  Because it's not easy, but it's a choice and they choose to be there and they choose me and I have a responsibility.
• 13:23
  Inspiration plays a huge role in maintaining positivity.
• 13:28
  Where does your inspiration come from and how do you keep yourself motivated, especially during challenging times?
• 13:36
  I heard this great quote one time that said, the word inspired comes from a root level of being in spirit; to being with the spirit.
• 13:45
  So for me, I cannot do it by myself.
• 13:48
  I am nothing without my faith.
• 13:52
  I am nothing without the self development.
• 13:54
  And just like, as you plant a seed, you have to water it, you have to nurture it.
• 13:58
  You have to be kind to it and be compassionate.
• 14:00
  It's taking a lot of years of self development to be able to be who I am today, but the way I stay inspired is always surrounding myself, choosing to surround myself with people who are stronger than me.
• 14:15
  Who we compliment each other.
• 14:17
  It's like, if you could think of like a chain link fence, we better each other.
• 14:20
  So I'm very particular about my circle because no one is immune to negativity.
• 14:27
  No one's immune to not getting the challenges they happen every single day.
• 14:32
  But whenever you have mentors and leaders who you trust, you know, they're there for you no matter what.
• 14:40
  Like, especially like whenever my mom passed away, I had more flowers and more gifts on my front step from people who live in different states because of the leadership that they bring.
• 14:51
  It's about fighting for people in life and in everything else you do.
• 14:56
  So inspiration for me comes from a strong faith that I'm guided by and just meditation.
• 15:03
  I've got to walk, got to get outside, it's nature, it's pouring into my cup so that I can pour into others And you journal a lot too, don't you?
• 15:12
  An insane amount.
• 15:13
  Tell us a little bit about your journaling.
• 15:15
  So I would say vulnerably and authentically, it's a way of coping with mental mindset and battling anxiety and not allowing the negativity to seep in.
• 15:26
  Because whenever I can control my hand, which in essence, it redirects the focus of my brain.
• 15:31
  Because if I'm sitting, constantly battling thoughts from the past, the future, anxiety, fear, all these things.
• 15:39
  I can focus on my breath work.
• 15:41
  I can focus on my breathing, controlling what I can control, and that's me.
• 15:45
  And so it has been a monumental tool of growth.
• 15:50
  And my acronym for GROW is God Rewards Our Work.
• 15:53
  So, reward is, serving others, right?
• 15:56
  So the things that I learn, I literally turn around and teach others, help others win.
• 16:02
  That time comes For our listeners who are women in midlife, looking to adopt a positive outlook.
• 16:10
  What are the best practices that you recommend starting with?
• 16:14
  This one's tough for midlife women.
• 16:18
  The words I'm going to say may sound easy, but they're not.
• 16:21
  You have to understand that hard choices make an easy life and easy choices make a hard life.
• 16:28
  I would say monitor the language that you speak to yourself.
• 16:32
  So if you are a midlife mom, say you have kids, you don't have kids, no matter what is happening, you are you.
• 16:39
  So the seven inches between your two ears.
• 16:42
  The dialogue that happens, it is reflective through body language, through whatever it is.
• 16:48
  So I would just say, grace.
• 16:50
  Have compassion for yourself.
• 16:52
  Talk to yourself the way that you would talk to your best friend.
• 16:56
  You have to be kind because those words are rooted in our identity, and our self-confidence and our self-worth.
• 17:03
  Our self-worth really is the best way to put it, it's like the foundation of a house.
• 17:09
  Your self-worth has nothing to do with what you do.
• 17:12
  It's how you see yourself day in and day out.
• 17:15
  Is the foundation of your house, is it solid?
• 17:18
  Is it sturdy?
• 17:19
  Is it shaky?
• 17:20
  Is it cracked?
• 17:21
  Because from there, the house that you build on the foundation is your self-confidence.
• 17:26
  And so just becoming aware, I think awareness for me was one of the most pivotal growth aspects that I had to be forced through the fire and came out on the other side day by day.
• 17:37
  Understanding that there's going to be massive self-sabotaging things that we can do to ourselves.
• 17:43
  There's going to be comparison theory.
• 17:44
  There's going to be distractions.
• 17:46
  There's going to be, you know, especially whenever we rise up to a level.
• 17:49
  And as we get on our growth journey, we start experiencing wins and sometimes we feel like we're not worthy of it.
• 17:56
  And then we start lowering our temperature back down to who we're comfortable and all the work that it took us to rise up instead of lowering back down the temperature of who we are.
• 18:06
  Like I've seen this happen where some clients that join me lost 20, 30 pounds.
• 18:11
  They got really comfortable and then they quit coming to me and next thing I see them, they've added the weight back on.
• 18:18
  It's just a matter of anytime you start something, it's going to be really hard.
• 18:22
  It's going to suck.
• 18:24
  Just stick with it in the hard times and just learn that this life is one day at a time.
• 18:32
  And unfortunately, the world teaches us, got to have it yesterday type of world.
• 18:36
  We can get groceries to our doorstep.
• 18:39
  We can, you know, get on an airplane, fly cross country, be there in four hours.
• 18:43
  And it's such an instant gratification, I think just slowing down sometimes and having compassion and grace and really just falling in love with yourself.
• 18:52
  Tell me, why do you think, cause I've seen that too, or I've, experienced it myself.
• 18:57
  Where I've accomplished something that I never thought I would ever accomplish.
• 19:03
  And I can't sit there and just bask in it.
• 19:06
  Because sometimes, I might feel like I'm not worthy of this.
• 19:10
  This must've been a mistake.
• 19:12
  I need to be here because this was a fluke.
• 19:15
  I cannot be here.
• 19:17
  Why do you think people do that?
• 19:20
  It's called the lie.
• 19:21
  It's a limited idea explained.
• 19:24
  Because labels become limits and it refers back to a story, that we tell ourselves of something that happened to us when we were younger.
• 19:33
  It's rooted deeply into our self-identity in our belief system.
• 19:37
  So it's building, like I tell a lot of people, the lessons that I learned, that in anything that you're going to do in life that requires growth, that requires you to really flex your muscles and get in and get dirty.
• 19:52
  You can have the best strategy in the world, but it's not a strategy problem.
• 19:56
  It's a mindset problem.
• 19:58
  And that is why I need my podcast, Believe with Susie, because for the first time at the age of 39, I finally believed in myself because I understood I wasn't broken.
• 20:10
  I understood that my past traumas that correlated my current triggers didn't define me.
• 20:16
  And I learned that whenever you truly believe in yourself, watch out world.
• 20:23
  And my acronym for ''BELIEVE'' b stands for breakthrough.
• 20:27
  Whenever you get out of your own way, when you quit playing small, those breakthroughs happen, the shifts in life happen.
• 20:34
  The E stands for empowerment.
• 20:36
  If you can light your own world on fire and then think about spreading that ripple effect to others, it is unbelievable.
• 20:43
  The L stands for leadership because I'm a good leader.
• 20:47
  I stepped out of it because of, I went through some dark times back in a couple of years ago.
• 20:51
  So I had to repour into my cup.
• 20:54
  In leadership, means whenever you're a leader, you have a position where people behind you can't see.
• 20:59
  And so you have a vision to see further into others and every person has dreams.
• 21:04
  Every person just wants to be seen.
• 21:07
  They want to be understood that, you know, because people remember how you made them feel, not what you said.
• 21:12
  And so being a leadership was a responsibility.
• 21:15
  It's an honor and it takes a lot to step up into that.
• 21:19
  I is for inspiration.
• 21:22
  Because if you can inspire the fire in somebody's world, if you can just see them crack that code in their eyes where it starts sparkling and they're like, Oh dang, that's incredible.
• 21:31
  E I want to be able to equip people with the tools.
• 21:34
  Because if you can equip people with the tools, I believe in the law of reciprocity.
• 21:39
  I give serve abundantly and blissfully without anything attached to it.
• 21:45
  Again, I just hope that maybe one day somebody can value it in the law of reciprocity, we'll, you know, it'll just create a generational impact.
• 21:54
  It'll break molds, right?
• 21:56
  V is for victory.
• 21:57
  I want you to celebrate every victory.
• 22:00
  Every step you took, you woke up 30 minutes early.
• 22:03
  That is how you continue to fight for your victories.
• 22:07
  That is how you keep yourself inspired.
• 22:09
  And then the last E is to enlighten the world.
• 22:11
  Because if you can enlighten someone, what happens is that you brighten them, right?
• 22:15
  Because that light bulb turns on and when they become brightened, they get less frightened and they quit tackling the fear because fear is false evidence appearing real.
• 22:24
  And I teach people that failing is part of the process.
• 22:28
  And my acronym for failed is a faithful attempt in learning every day.
• 22:33
  And when you put it in that realm, you're faithfully stepping up and attempting.
• 22:38
  It makes sense to where you are going to be like, okay, it's supposed to suck.
• 22:41
  I'm going to, I'm going to fall.
• 22:42
  I'm going to mess up, but it's part of growing and that's how you get it.
• 22:46
  Why do you believe adopting a positive mindset is particularly important for women in midlife and how does that impact their personal and professional lives?
• 22:56
  I think that what happens whenever you adopt a positive mindset is that you see things differently.
• 23:04
  Instead of, this is so literal, but if you can imagine a person who is with self-doubt, When they walk, they're hunched over, their eyes are towards the ground.
• 23:15
  They're looking at the puddle versus the ocean, or looking up it's a telescopic view.
• 23:20
  You can see water.
• 23:21
  You're more prone to see opportunities that are right in front of you, which could build more relationships and relationships are number one key.
• 23:29
  They're everything, that's how we met.
• 23:32
  Is by taking a chance and being open to learning.
• 23:35
  But ultimately it impacts everything from your relationships to your wellbeing, to your posture in life.
• 23:42
  And it's how you fight for yourself.
• 23:44
  Overcoming self-doubt and imposter syndrome is the common theme for women in midlife.
• 23:51
  What advice would you have for women facing these challenges?
• 23:56
  Well, the secret's out, everybody deals with it.
• 23:59
  I read a statistic that like 84 percent of women who are C E O's deal with imposter syndrome every single day.
• 24:08
  To me, imposter syndrome is, like you said, like this is a fluke.
• 24:12
  I'm not supposed to be here.
• 24:13
  You lower the temperature back down.
• 24:15
  And self-doubt I think self-doubt is one of those things that we're going to constantly battle.
• 24:21
  But if you can just become aware of the feeling, the circumstance, like the feeling typically equals the result.
• 24:29
  And so whenever you're feeling, the feeling is what I call it.
• 24:33
  Getting really in tune with your body of understanding that your body has responses.
• 24:39
  Whenever I start feeling sad about my mom, I feel a lump in my throat and then it's about a 20 to 30 second reaction between the lump in the throat to the trigger of the brain.
• 24:52
  And the next, the cries happens, or if I feel exposed, I like to say that people who feel exposed or feel made out, that would be imposter syndrome.
• 25:01
  You feel that gut in your stomach, like somebody punched you.
• 25:04
  And then you start like your body responds.
• 25:06
  But understanding that there is a specific time I can't recall exactly what it was, maybe 20 to 30 seconds to where you feel that emotion and it sends a signal to your brain.
• 25:16
  But if you can catch yourself within that little timeframe and sit down.
• 25:20
  Here's the lesson that I learned from Mel Robbins, sit down, be where your feet are, close your eyes and count to 30.
• 25:26
  Or if there's someone near you, hug them fast and you're going to let this pass, right?
• 25:31
  And the other key maybe not so obvious answer would be like, rewind your day.
• 25:37
  Typically, whenever I have minimal sleep, I am more prone to have a negative mindset.
• 25:44
  And so there's, key functions, are you hydrating well?
• 25:47
  Because a lot of times if we have headaches, we're not hydrating well, it causes all these ripple effects.
• 25:51
  If you're not getting out in nature.
• 25:53
  If you're not playing, if you're not sleeping well.
• 25:56
  Typically a lot of it can be stemmed back towards how are you taking care of yourself?
• 26:00
  How are you filling your cup?
• 26:02
  Are you surrounding yourself with the right people?
• 26:04
  Are you doing the things that make you your best?
• 26:07
  Great Advice.
• 26:09
  Could you share a success story from your training or your podcast that highlights the transformation someone achieved through adopting a positive mindset and overcoming limiting beliefs.
• 26:22
  I have one and her name is Anna Chanel.
• 26:27
  She is one of my clients that may get emotional, but it's totally fine.
• 26:30
  So Anna is a client who started with me she's about to hit a pretty big milestone with her workouts.
• 26:36
  And when she first came, she had already been on a journey of weight loss.
• 26:41
  I think she'd lost maybe 60 pounds or so.
• 26:44
  She was like 236.
• 26:45
  And I think today she's like 135 ish and she is in her I think she's in her sixties.
• 26:52
  She has three grown boys, been married for a lot of years.
• 26:56
  But what was crazy is that when she first met me, she liked me, but she's someone who I battled with as far as coming in with the right mindset, not being negative.
• 27:08
  And I remember one day she came and she tried bowing up to me and I'm like, girlfriend, this is my arena.
• 27:14
  You go in and I was like, you can either leave.
• 27:17
  Or go in that corner before you come back because this energy you're bringing in not okay.
• 27:23
  Long story short, her and I were able to really have some conversations of things that our childhood, we had a lot of things in common with our childhood.
• 27:31
  Things that were said to us, things that we believe that we were worth or not worth.
• 27:35
  And we really had a breakthrough.
• 27:37
  And in February of 2021, I believe we had this massive ice storm in Texas.
• 27:45
  Where the entire state shut down.
• 27:48
  I woke up, I was 41 degrees in my house.
• 27:53
  I had moved.
• 27:54
  Okay.
• 27:54
  The thing is I had moved a year prior to that.
• 27:56
  I left everything behind.
• 27:58
  I left behind 200 clients.
• 28:00
  I started from zero my training business because the Lord laid it on my heart that I needed to be in where I am now.
• 28:07
  And so I was by myself and people were dying because they had no electricity, no heat, no anything.
• 28:14
  And I was freezing.
• 28:15
  And I was like, I was thinking, is this it?
• 28:18
  Like I was laying in bed.
• 28:19
  It was very surreal.
• 28:21
  And we had no next to no service, but luckily I had a phone call.
• 28:25
  It rang in and it was Anna.
• 28:26
  I was like, hello?
• 28:28
  She goes, get your stuff packed.
• 28:30
  Get your bags packed.
• 28:31
  I'm sending my son.
• 28:32
  He's going to be there in five minutes.
• 28:33
  You're going to come stay with me for the next week.
• 28:35
  She took care of me when I was taking care of her prior than that.
• 28:39
  So I was like, yes, ma'am.
• 28:40
  Next thing I know, I get a knock on my door.
• 28:41
  Her son's a firefighter in the city that we're in, came and picked me up.
• 28:45
  I, all my family's like far away because again, I moved far from everyone else.
• 28:49
  And went to stay with her for a week.
• 28:51
  And she was on the hospital grid.
• 28:53
  We ate chips and salsa.
• 28:55
  We danced in the kitchen.
• 28:56
  I trained one of my online classes and it was like the best week ever.
• 28:59
  So it was twofold and she's stronger today.
• 29:04
  And she just, she won an award called the Daisy Award.
• 29:08
  She's been a nurse for many years and Daisy Award is more of like the resiliency award of being like a positive light.
• 29:13
  And that was so huge for her.
• 29:15
  It was, that was, I was really proud of her for that That's an amazing story.
• 29:18
  That almost made me cry.
• 29:20
  Because I do remember, I'm in California, I remember when the state of Texas went through that.
• 29:26
  And you are right, people did die.
• 29:28
  It was sad.
• 29:30
  And it's nice to know that you touched somebody's life in the past.
• 29:35
  And that person knew.
• 29:36
  that they needed to touch your life for your livelihood.
• 29:40
  She knew it was going to be a knucklehead and she knew I wasn't going to ask for help because she was a knucklehead too.
• 29:44
  So she was taking care of me.
• 29:46
  So For anyone looking to make significant changes in life, what is the first step you suggest they take toward self-improvement and a more fulfilling life?
• 29:58
  The first step is really about self-awareness.
• 30:02
  It's about understanding truthfully, like drawing a line in the sand.
• 30:07
  Reflect, where do you want to go?
• 30:09
  What do you want your life to look like?
• 30:11
  Because if you don't have a vision of where you're going, it's hard to know the next step.
• 30:18
  I read a quote one time that said, it's hard to run a race if you don't know where the starting line is.
• 30:24
  Where's your starting line?
• 30:26
  And very closely behind that, I would say, make small steps.
• 30:34
  Don't make these big, hairy, audacious goals, especially if you are wanting to make changes.
• 30:42
  One day at a time.
• 30:44
  So again, take one more drink of water, go outside for five more minutes.
• 30:48
  It doesn't take much.
• 30:50
  You don't have to work out for an hour.
• 30:51
  You don't have to do high intensity workout.
• 30:53
  And I think the more rapid, overnight 360 changes people make the less likely they are to stick with it.
• 31:01
  But if you can say, okay, here's where I am.
• 31:04
  What do I want to do?
• 31:06
  What is the first step I can take?
• 31:08
  And you don't have to add a lot.
• 31:09
  It could be something as simple as eating one green vegetable a week more than you were before or going to bed 10 minutes earlier or journaling, especially a lot of my clients who have a lot of anxiety, because I've dealt with it a lot too.
• 31:26
  Whenever you have thoughts in your head and they have nowhere to escape, it affects their sleeping habits, which causes insomnia, which causes cortisol levels to spike, which causes your body to hang on to extra fat, which causes your central nervous system to be at a whack which, causes the logic to be low, emotions to be high.
• 31:45
  It's a ripple effect.
• 31:47
  So that's why journaling for me has been so pivotal because it's like, if you can take it from the brain, and safely just write it down.
• 31:54
  It's like a release for your brain.
• 31:55
  Like it knows it's safe and you come back to it.
• 31:58
  And a lot of times whenever you have a constant thoughts in your head and they can never stop, it's like you're leaving the lights on in the house all night.
• 32:06
  There's constant energy running.
• 32:08
  You got to be able to like release it because it goes from being invisible to being visible when you write it, which in essence helps you make a plan on how you can move forward.
• 32:18
  So small steps, From our discussion today, what is one thing you'd like our viewers and listeners to remember and hold close to their hearts?
• 32:29
  The best advice I can give anybody watching this.
• 32:35
  And my hope is that maybe one day you'll believe me.
• 32:39
  And when you do, I really hope you remember this moment.
• 32:42
  That you are this far away from achieving everything you've ever dreamed of.
• 32:47
  And the reason why I say you're this far away is because this is typically if you expand your thumb and your index finger and you turn it towards you, that's a distance from ear to ear.
• 32:57
  That's your belief system.
• 32:58
  When you truly start understanding that you can control your effort, you can control your attitude.
• 33:04
  And I understand there's a lot of things that happen in people's lives.
• 33:06
  Like I get that.
• 33:07
  It's very hard.
• 33:07
  It's very difficult.
• 33:09
  But the belief system is your identity.
• 33:12
  It's the roots of who you are.
• 33:13
  So if you could think of a big oak tree that's planted the deep roots, it didn't grow to be an oak tree overnight.
• 33:22
  It was planted.
• 33:23
  It was nurtured.
• 33:24
  It was watered.
• 33:25
  It was taken care of in good conditions.
• 33:28
  And I would just say that your mindset is so powerful.
• 33:33
  It's so powerful.
• 33:34
  I'd say development, invest in yourself, and that will start building up that belief system.
• 33:40
  It doesn't happen overnight.
• 33:41
  But there's people who can really just add to your value vault is what I like to call it.
• 33:48
  You know, find the things that you love to do and try to do a little bit more of those.
• 33:52
  Susie, are there any future projects that you are currently working on?
• 33:58
  And if so, when can we expect to see them?
• 34:02
  Well, I am in the process of building out my YouTube channel.
• 34:06
  Where it's going to be a one platform where everyone can find the things that I do from holistic health coaching, towards my low impact training, finding podcast episodes, and who knows what else.
• 34:18
  But I think currently I've just, I've been in a season of listening, I guess for the next step of where I'm going.
• 34:24
  And I heard that in the waiting season, that's where you grow your wings.
• 34:27
  So I am very happy with what I have right now.
• 34:32
  I'm just looking to expand my reach.
• 34:34
  My network looking for opportunities.
• 34:37
  And I'm going to put this out there because it's laid on my heart.
• 34:41
  I feel in the future, I'll be called to speak on broader platforms, more stages, bringing the story to people of resiliency, of growth, of you're never behind in life.
• 34:55
  Because who you are today is a sum accumulation of all your lessons you've learned, all your trials, your tribulations, your tests that create your testimonies, your mess that creates your message.
• 35:05
  You didn't break through because you had a breakthrough.
• 35:08
  You're no longer a victim.
• 35:10
  You now declare a victory because the world cannot contain what the Lord's already ordained in us.
• 35:16
  And at any point you can make a U turn of creating the life of your dreams.
• 35:20
  And I'm here for that every day.
• 35:21
  I'd love to see you create a book, even if it's just little inspirational chapters.
• 35:27
  I've been told that before, so you're not the first person to say that.
• 35:31
  Susie, where can people learn more about you or begin to work with you?
• 35:37
  You can find my podcast on Spotify or Apple.
• 35:40
  It's called Believe with Susie.
• 35:42
  And on TikTok, I'm at Believe with Susie.
• 35:46
  That platform is really just a way that I let my wild flag fly of inspiration, devotionals, sharing my life.
• 35:56
  And then on Instagram, Susie Maldonado 15.
• 36:00
  What about your training?
• 36:01
  How can people work with you through training?
• 36:05
  I do have a link attached to my Instagram that has a hub with all my links on there.
• 36:09
  So it's my, I don't have the direct link, but I do have a, they could find it on there.
• 36:15
  And then we could also include in your show notes.
• 36:16
  Susie, thank you so much for coming on.
• 36:18
  I will include all of your information in my show notes so that people can find you everywhere because honestly, people need to listen to your show.
• 36:28
  They have to.
• 36:29
  I mean, it's better than your cup of coffee in the morning.
• 36:32
  Let me just put it that way.
• 36:33
  That's a compliment.
• 36:35
  I couldn't listening to it yesterday.
• 36:37
  Thank you so much for coming on.
• 36:39
  Thank you so much for having me, Carmen.
• 36:40
  I really appreciate it.
• 36:41
  And that wraps up an incredibly inspiring conversation with Susie Maldonado.
• 36:47
  If you're looking for more insights, tips, or want to connect with Susie, head on over to createthebestme.com/ep064, where you'll find all the links and additional information from today's episode.
• 37:04
  But before you go there, don't forget to hit the subscribe button.
• 37:08
  Don't forget to join us next week as we'll dive into the art of self-care, prioritizing your well-being.
• 37:16
  It's an episode you won't want to miss, especially if you're looking to nurture your body, mind, and soul in ways that truly matter.
• 37:25
  Until then, keep dreaming big, take care of yourself, and remember you are beautiful, strong, and capable of creating the best version of yourself.
• 37:37
  Thank you for watching.
• 37:38
  Catch you next week.
• 37:40
  Bye for now.