Fishing Without Bait 495: Creating Yourself Through Choice Points with Santina Grace

In this episode of Fishing Without Bait, we welcome back our imaginative, energetic returning guest Santina Grace for Part 2 of a deeply insightful conversation about mindfulness, self-awareness, grounding practices, and the inner battles so many of us face every day. Together, Santina and Jim dive into themes of anchoring thoughts, depersonalization, perspective shifts, emotional resilience, and reclaiming personal agency.


Santina shares a powerful example of using sensory-based anchors—in this case, strawberry essential oil—to help a client overcome cravings by reconnecting with a memory tied to freedom, comfort, and identity. The discussion expands into how grounding techniques and sensory awareness can support those dealing with derealization or feeling out of place in their own lives.

Jim and Santina also explore how filtered media realities and comparison culture distort our self-worth, leading many to believe they don’t belong. They remind us that turmoil has always existed in every era, and the real work is nurturing compassion—for ourselves first, and then for others whose perspectives differ.


Together they unpack:
• The difference between worry (paralyzing) and concern (actionable awareness)
• How every moment is a choice point
• The importance of checking in with ourselves mentally, emotionally, physically, and spiritually
• How meditation can look like focus, creativity, movement, or music—not silence
• How the mind’s chatter creates most internal conflict
• The dynamic between the “I-self” and “my-self”
• How befriending your “inner critic” or “inner witch” can reveal unmet needs and opportunities for self-care


This conversation is rich with humor, honesty, and the kind of grounded wisdom that encourages us not to “find ourselves,” but to create ourselves with intention, compassion, curiosity, and joy.

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