I’ve had the phrase “New level, old devil” in my notes for years. YEARS. And somehow, it never made it into an episode… until now. Apparently, it wanted to be the finale of minisodes. And honestly? It’s perfect timing, because this one runs deep.

(And yes, this is the last minisode I’ll be airing, but don’t worry, the weekly podcast isn’t going anywhere! Just scaling back on the extra minisodes. You’ll get two episodes a month that are interviews, and the other two will be longer solo episodes, similar to the Coming Home to Yourself Series.)

Here’s the deal: every time you uplevel—whether it’s in your career, relationships, boundaries, or just giving yourself more damn rest—old stuff tends to come roaring back. Not because you’re doing it wrong, but because growth shakes loose the beliefs you’ve been carrying around since childhood. That family-of-origin stuff? It doesn’t just vanish. It waits in the wings until you're strong enough to deal with it.

The truth about those unconscious narratives is that these beliefs are old stories with loyal roots.

What you’ll learn in this episode:

Why personal growth often triggers unresolved family-of-origin stuff
The truth behind “new level, old devil” and how it shows up
Six key reflection questions to identify where you’re stuck or playing small
The difference between explicit and implicit messages you absorbed growing up
How we unconsciously engineer our lives to avoid rejection, discomfort, or being “too much”
The connection between your current habits and your need for belonging
What it means to wear emotional “armor”—and how to start taking it off
The difference between top-down and bottom-up healing work
Tools and modalities to start untangling old beliefs: journaling, somatic work, EMDR, psychedelics, and more
How this all ties into the habits covered in How to Stop Feeling Like Sht*

When you start waking up to the ways you've been staying small, it can feel overwhelming. But here's the thing—you didn’t choose these stories on purpose, and you’re not broken for believing them. This is your invitation to get curious, offer yourself some grace, and begin rewriting your life in a way that honors who you are now—not who you had to be back then.

If this episode resonated and you’re ready to finally break free from self-sabotaging habits and start choosing yourself on purpose, join me in How to Stop Feeling Like Sh*t: The 8-Week Experience. We start May 15. Details are HERE!

Resources from this episode:

How to Stop Feeling Like Shit - The 8-Week Experience

Episode 671: Life Lesson 10 on Growth Isn’t Linear, And That’s the Whole Damn Point

My Ketamine Therapy Journey secret podcast series

Book recommendations:

I love a good personal development book, and you do too, right? I’ve compiled a list of book recommendations, as mentioned in past episodes. Check out these amazing book recommendations here. Happy reading!

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The refugees who dream of home