Advertise on podcast: Paths Back to You

A reflective essay on the quiet, deeper shifts between your 20s and your 30s: learning to leave things alone instead of fixing them, building a sense of home that lives inside you instead of in a relationship or a place, choosing the people who bring you back to yourself, and getting more comfortable in the uncertainty of not knowing what comes next. It's not a glow-up story, and there's no five-step plan. More on what it means to stop chasing a "better" version of yourself and start building a home for your favorite one. In this episode:– Why leaving things alone is sometimes more productive than fixing them– The difference between managing yourself and actually taking care of yourself– How anxious attachment, old friendships, and a stuck identity kept me small / what you might be missing out on– Making peace with getting older and the new excitement of uncertainty– Taking authorship of your life instead of living from the past 🔑 https://diajin.com (FREE resources & paid offers) ✍🏼Substack: https://diajin.substack.com/subscribe Socials: 🐝 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/diajin 🐝 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@diajin 🐝 YouTube:https://youtube.com/@diajin

If you've ever understood exactly why you do something, and then did it anyway (again), then this episode is for you. I spent nearly 2 decades doing genuine, deep, inner work. Therapy, somatic practices, learning, even helping clients. I could name every wound, explain every pattern, and still spent years trying to 'get out of my own way'. Feeling at odds with different parts of myself. So, let's dive deep about the paradox of being a deeply self-aware person who still self-sabotages. Why awareness alone isn't the mechanism of change. What's actually happening in your nervous system while you're busy being frustrated that nothing is changing. And what I finally learned was 'the thing' that moves the needle. 🔑 https://diajin.com (FREE resources & paid offers) ✍🏼Substack: https://diajin.substack.com/subscribe Socials: 🐝 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/diajin 🐝 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@diajin 🐝 YouTube:https://youtube.com/@diajin

One of my biggest lessons in life has been learning how to not brace for the fall when faced with uncertainty and change. As I reflect on the last decade of my life (from age 25 to 35), I'd say I did a pretty good job with trusting the next step before I felt fully confident to take it. I hope this may somehow resonate with you, or even inspire you to take the leap. cheers to the open road and question marks. This short video essay was created from a Substack article I wrote shortly after my 35th birthday. 🔑 https://diajin.com (FREE resources & paid offers) ✍🏼Substack: https://diajin.substack.com/subscribe Socials: 🐝 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/diajin 🐝 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@diajin 🐝 YouTube:https://youtube.com/@diajin

Many of us pursue self improvement from a place of self-rejection, which can make sustained change a challenge. We explore the nuances of why this approach to "how to reinvent yourself" might not stick, especially when we try to implement too many new habits at once. We'll dive into the psychology behind effective habit formation and how to cultivate a healthier mindset that actually leads to lasting change, moving beyond the traps of superficial self-help, and 'glow-up' trends. 🔑 https://diajin.com (FREE resources & paid offers) ✍🏼Substack: https://diajin.substack.com/subscribe Socials: 🐝 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/diajin 🐝 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@diajin 🐝 YouTube:https://youtube.com/@diajin

People pleasing became a survival strategy that turned into self abandonment. This video explores the nuances of why you've adapted to these toxic patterns, and how its become a trap and making us lose ourselves. I also wanted to share PRACTICAL ways on how to stop being a people pleaser, moving beyond these old pattern to cultivate genuine personal preferences and deepening your relationship to self, and others.🐝 A friend to all is a friend to none, especially to yourself. 🔑 https://diajin.com (FREE resources & paid offers) ✍🏼Substack: https://diajin.substack.com/subscribe Socials: 🐝 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/diajin 🐝 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@diajin 🐝 YouTube:https://youtube.com/@diajin

I've always been someone who's comfortable alone. Traveling solo, going out by myself, not really needing anyone around. I was proud of being independent, self-sufficient, and a low-maintenance friend. In this video we go into the different faces of loneliness, what hyper-independence or being a low-maintenance friend is costing us, and why we can feel alone even in our closest relationships, along with what it looks like to have a rich inner life while still letting connection in and flourish. 🔑 https://diajin.com (FREE resources & paid offers) ✍🏼Substack: https://diajin.substack.com/subscribe Socials: 🐝 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/diajin 🐝 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@diajin 🐝 YouTube:https://youtube.com/@diajin topics: self-help, loneliness, being alone, solitude, how to be alone not lonely, personal growth, healing journey

Self-help and healing are (in my opinion) necessary and very impactful on our journey of being alive. However, there can come a point where it becomes the trap. The more we heal, the more we're experts at scanning for fixes. I break down the nuances of what the trap is, why we get stuck in it, and how to move beyond 'the work' and actually live. 🔑 https://diajin.com (FREE resources & paid offers) ✍🏼Substack: https://diajin.substack.com/subscribe Socials: 🐝 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/diajin 🐝 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@diajin 🐝 YouTube:https://youtube.com/@diajin topics: self-help, personal growth, healing journey

Life so far has never felt like a straight line. There'd been moments where I felt envious of those with such security, stability, always a home to return to. Then when I get honest with myself, through the rollercoaster ride of my 20s and into my 30s, I wouldn't have it any other way. To leave one of my favorite sayings: We can always begin, again 🔑 https://diajin.com (FREE resources & paid offers) ✍🏼Substack: https://diajin.substack.com/subscribe Socials: 🐝 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/diajin 🐝 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@diajin 🐝 YouTube:https://youtube.com/@diajin Topics: advice for your 20s, advice for your 30s, starting over again, dealing with big life changes, traveling across the US, personal growth, personal development, self-help

Is it old news now? That New Year's Resolutions do not stick. I felt a full body NO when I was asked to set goals for the upcoming year. Instead, here are 4 intentional, delightful, and magical ways to help steer you into and through the new year. 🔑 https://diajin.com (1:1 offers, and other ways to work with me) ✍🏼Substack: https://diajin.substack.com/subscribe Socials: 🐝 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/diajin 🐝 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/diajin 🐝 YouTube:https://youtube.com/@diajin

I’ve never walked a traditional path. My brief time in the corporate world felt like a layover, something I did out of financial need and the desire for stability. Maybe even my late attempt at “adulthood.” But it became clear pretty quickly that this life wasn’t meant for me. Even though uncertainty terrifies me and I have my own anxieties about the future, I decided to take the leap: leaving corporate, betting on myself, and returning to the path of being a content creator while building my own business. This is an honest reflection on what that transition is really like, the excitement and the stress, the hope and the doubt, and the reality behind starting a new chapter, a new venture, and a new version of your life. If you’re navigating a career change, thinking about quitting your job, or exploring entrepreneurship, I hope this helps you feel less alone.📥 Grab the free Micro-Yes Starter Kit: https://www.diajin.com/free ❣️ Return to Self (course waitlist) https://www.diajin.com/return-to-self-waitlist 🔑 https://diajin.com(1:1 offers, and other ways to work with me) ✍🏼Substack: https://diajin.substack.com/subscribe Socials: 🐝 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/diajin 🐝 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/diajin 🐝 YouTube:https://youtube.com/@diajin Topics covered: How I left my 9–5 corporate job, Career change at 30+ (why I walked away from stability), Quitting corporate to become a content creator, Transitioning from corporate life to entrepreneurship, What self-employment is really like behind the scenes, Building a business from scratch as a solo creator, The emotional side of taking a leap of faith, Choosing creativity over certainty, The hidden stressors of starting a business, How to know when a job isn’t aligned, Navigating uncertainty while reinventing your life, Mindset shifts for new entrepreneurs and creators, Honest reflections on leaving the traditional path

If you're doing the inner work but nothing's changing, you're feeling frustrated and stuck, I hear you. I've been there many times. I spent 20 years chasing breakthroughs before I realized: transformation doesn't happen in aha moments. It happens in the small, boring actions I used to dismiss as "band-aids." In this video, I break down why might still feel stuck in the same patterns (even after all your efforts), what creates lasting change, and a reminder that yes, it all matters. everything you're doing is building the bridge to future you/back home. 📥 Grab the free Micro-Yes Starter Kit: https://www.diajin.com/free 🔗Join the waitlist for Return to Self❣️: https://www.diajin.com/return-to-self-waitlist 🔑 https://diajin.com (Courses, 1:1 offers, and other ways to work with me) ✍🏼Substack: https://diajin.substack.com/subscribe 🐝 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/diajin 🐝 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/diajin Topics:self love practices, inner work tips, feeling stuck in life, transformation journey, self worth journey, anxious attachment healing, mental health journey, personal development tips, nervous system regulation, healing journey, emotional growth, building self trust, breaking old patterns, small habits that changed my life, micro habits for mental health

You're doing all the nervous system tools: breathwork, grounding, somatic exercises—but you're still getting triggered, still spiraling, still stuck in the same patterns. Here's why: you're treating symptoms, not the system. In this video, I break down what nervous system regulation actually means (it's NOT about being calm), why the tools alone won't create lasting change, and the deeper layer most people miss, the one that keeps your system running old protection programs even when you're "safe." 🔗 Ready to go deeper? Join the waitlist for Return to Self❣️: https://www.diajin.com/return-to-self-waitlist 🔑 https://diajin.com (Courses, 1:1 offers, and other ways to work with me) ✍🏼Substack: https://diajin.substack.com/subscribe 🐝 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/diajin 🐝 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/diajin topics mentioned: nervous system regulation, polyvagal theory, anxious attachment, avoidant attachment, self worth, conditional self worth, people pleasing, trauma healing, somatic healing, nervous system healing, how to regulate your nervous system, fight or flight response, dysregulation, emotional regulation, attachment theory, internal family systems, IFS therapy, self compassion, healing from trauma, vagus nerve, ventral vagal, dorsal vagal, sympathetic nervous system

If you're a solopreneur, creator, artist, student, or anyone who feels like they're constantly busy, near burnout, but never "productive enough" then this one's for you. In this video, I'm sharing 3 "anti" productivity practices and mindset shifts that will not only allow you to optimize your time and schedule, but to stay motivated and in love with chasing your dreams. ❣️ Return to Self (course waitlist) https://www.diajin.com/return-to-self-waitlist 🔑 https://diajin.com (1:1 and other ways to work with me) ✍🏼Substack newsletter: https://diajin.substack.com/subscrib 🐝 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/diajin 🐝 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/diajin

In 2017, I booked a one-way ticket with no savings and no real plan. I just needed to run away and escape the version of me who felt low and lost. That leap into the unknown began a three year journey across Asia, Europe, and New Zealand that ended up teaching me far more than how to travel. In this episode, I share how I started a travel YouTube channel from scratch, worked odd jobs abroad, and slowly turned documenting my life into a career. There were a lot of uncertainty along the way but it was the start of completely reprogramming my self-worth and belief system. 🔑 https://diajin.com(Courses, 1:1 offers, and other ways to work with me) ✍🏼Substack: https://diajin.substack.com/subscribe(I share more personal and in-depth essays on there, plus we can chat in real time!) 🐝 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/diajin 🐝 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/diajin 🎙 My podcast "Paths Back to You" Listen on iTunes: https://apple.co/3iJVVwIListen on Spotify: https://spoti.fi/2PYcE3a 👻 My Spooky podcast "Soup of The Night"Listen on iTunes: https://bit.ly/4fv6PVFListen on Spotify: https://bit.ly/4lg5O5d

Self-worth isn’t something we have to earn, but for many of us, childhood, culture, and past experiences convince us otherwise. In this video, I share my story of going from low self-worth and seeking home in wrong relationships to finally feeling anchored in my own worthiness. I’ll walk you through the 3 biggest shifts that changed everything for me. Work with me 1:1 or explore more at:🔑 https://diajin.com ✍🏼Substack: https://diajin.substack.com/subscribe (I share more personal and in-depth essays on there, plus we can chat in real time!) 🐝 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/diajin 🐝 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/diajin topics:self worth vs self esteemhow to build self worthinner child healing self compassion practicesbreaking people-pleasing patternschildhood wounds & adult relationshipsovercoming toxic relationshipshow to trust yourself againletting go of the past traumaself love journey / feeling enoughpersonal growth + embodimentstop seeking external validationrebuilding confidence & belonging