112 - When life knocks you down | Real talk on grief, growth and getting back up

This episode was a hard one to record and an even harder one to share.It is a real-time processing of what I’m going through right now. I'm coming to you after one of the hardest months I've had in a long time. Something significant happened in my personal life — something I'm not able to share the full details of because other people are involved. But what I can share is this: I got knocked completely on my ass. My confidence was shaken. All the progress I felt like I'd made seemed to evaporate overnight. And for a while, I really didn't handle it well.I'm sharing this because I think we need to have an honest conversation about what personal growth actually looks like — outside of the highlight reel version, the quantum leap and the "I've figured it all out" energy. The real version where sometimes, even when you're doing all the work, life still shows up and floors you.In this episode, I share:✧ What happened, as much as I'm able to share — and why I felt it was important to show up and say it out loud✧ Why anger is a mask for something deeper and what happens when we stay on the surface instead of going underneath✧ Why being in the mess is actually the only way through it✧ The tools I've been using to move through this and why even doing all of the things doesn't mean you'll be "over it" on any particular timeline✧ Why forcing yourself to move on never works and why that's also just a natural part of being human✧ The dangerous myth that personal growth means never falling down PLUS why we need to de-expert the experts and take everyone off pedestals✧ Why shame around struggling is one of the most isolating forces in the wellness space and the Wild Free Well way to dismantle it✧ The one thing that will carry you through every hard seasonTimestamps: [00:00] – Introduction & vulnerability warning (starting before I'm ready) [02:06] – What happened: a difficult personal situation, knocked off course [03:52] – The "woe is me" phase — normalizing the lived human experience  [05:29] – The importance of actually feeling your emotions, not bypassing them [08:28] – Anger as a mask for grief, disappointment + loss [09:45] – Why grief is harder than anger — and why we avoid it [12:12] – Removing shame from being human / de-pedestalling coaches, experts and other humans  [17:42] – The problem with curated online lives + the perfection myth [25:25] – What tools I used to move through it [27:00] – Forgiveness: an honest update[29:10] – Leaning into grace and self-compassion  [30:30] – The takeaway: normalize the mess, love yourself through it This episode is raw and real and everything I’ve ever hoped the podcast would be. It's not polished or refined. It’s not shiny and sparkly. And it might be exactly what you need to hear today.Because here's what I know for sure: you are always doing the best you can with what you have. Even in the worst moments. Even when it doesn't feel like it. And the fact that you're here, on this path, doing this work — means that you’re brave enough to face the ups and downs of life with grace and self-compassion. → This is the kind of work I do with my coaching clients — not just the high vibe manifestation stuff, but the real, deep, identity-level work. Together we navigate the hard seasons and come back stronger + more empowered. If you're in a difficult moment right now and you'd love support, I'd be honoured to walk alongside you. www.candicealessia.com/coaching WANT THE JUICE? 🧃Join my ⁠Telegram group⁠ for real-time updates, Q+A's, support and special offers for members only! ⁠https://t.me/wildfreewellspace ⁠ Want to find out more about me and my work? Head here: https://candicealessia.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/candicealessia/✨ If you loved this episode, send it to a friend who needs to hear it! And if you have a minute, leaving a review helps this podcast reach more people. Thank you for being here! 💕