Episode 28: Breaking Free from Good Girl Expectations: Barbara Howlin’s Journey to Self-Trust and Inner Safety
In this week’s empowering episode, we sit down with Barbara Howlin, a creative, passionate, and deeply intuitive human who guides us through what it truly means to shed expectations and embrace your authentic self. Barbara opens up about dismantling “good girl syndrome,” breaking free from external validation, and learning to live life from the inside out.
Through her vulnerable storytelling, Barbara reminds us how easy it is to slip back into people-pleasing or approval-seeking patterns, yet how transformational it is when we pause, question our intentions, and realign with our own truth. She shares the internal questions that helped her grow:
Am I proving myself or expressing myself? Am I living from the inside out? Am I acting from love or searching for it?
We explore the power of slowing down, lifting our heads up, and fully experiencing the present moment instead of rushing through life. Barbara also walks us through her grounding morning routine with journaling, reiki, and movement in nature and how this 30-minute ritual keeps her centered and nourished.
A major turning point in Barbara’s journey was burnout recovery, which forced her to reclaim her intuition and rebuild a sense of safety within her nervous system. She explains how embracing the layers of your past is essential for healing and how reconnecting with your inner child can restore balance and emotional resilience.
Barbara’s story is a heartfelt reminder that caring for ourselves isn’t optional—it’s foundational. Her wisdom encourages us to prioritize what truly matters, to let go of shame, to honor our personal layers, and to live boldly with joy and purpose.
Ways to Engage: Identify some things in your life that are “glass.” What can you not drop at any cost in fear of it breaking? What can you live with dropping and having it bounce back? Remember these priorities during your journey.
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Timestamps:
Timestamps:
Prioritizing Self Care - ( 3:20 )
Confidently Setting Boundaries - ( 5:20 )
Taking Care of Your Emotional Health as much as Your Physical Health - ( 10:58 )
Support self & other women unapologetically - ( 19:35 )
Coming Back to Your WHY and Your VALUES - ( 26:14 )
Living Out of Your Own Expectations - ( 33:35 )
Accepting the Layered Aspects of Yourself - ( 44:14 )
Living out FEEL, how does it affect your relationships - ( 50:44 )
5 Activities That Nourish You - ( 57:18 )
5 Words for How You Want to Feel in the Next Six Months - ( 58:10 )
Original FEEL Podcast Theme Music by Rio & Valencia Saint-Louis
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In this empowering bonus resource, we’re giving you a free sneak peek into the Embracing a F.E.E.L Fueled Life course! This downloadable PDF guides you through reconnecting with who you truly are—beyond your roles, responsibilities, and expectations.
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