Wake Your Dream

77 - Feelings Tour Part 6: Sadness

In this episode, Annaliese and Alan explore the often-overlooked value of difficult emotions, focusing on sadness. They discuss how sadness connects you to what truly matters in life and offer practical ways to embrace it with self-compassion rather than rushing through or discounting it. Annaliese explains how sadness feels in your body, the needs you have that it shows you, and how to show up for yourself during challenging times.
You’ll Hear About:
Why sadness is valuable—it reminds you that your experiences matter. Instead of fast-forwarding through it, sadness invites you to be present and reflect on why something is significant to you.
Common avoidance reflexes when sadness arises are busyness or debating and dismissing it. Recognizing what your own avoidance pattern is helps you see where to choose instead to sit, listen, and support your real needs and experience.
Sadness is a healthy response to loss or hurt. It functions as an invitation to care for yourself in ways you may often overlook.
Feeling Sadness in Better Ways:
Notice and name sadness as it arises in your body.
See sadness as an opportunity to connect with yourself (note: if it's not a good time in the moment, practice being willing to schedule time later in the day and following through on sitting and feeling it fully)
Speak to yourself with kindness: acknowledge your feelings, that it's hard, and why your experience matters.
Really own the value and significance of being your own source of care and support.
Free Discovery Chat:Visit www.linktree.com/coachannaliese to schedule your free, 1-hour coaching session with Annaliese! Share your situation and she'll help you gain helpful tips to make real changes in your life.

76 - Feelings Tour Part 5: Guilt and Shame

In this episode, Annaliese and Alan dive into how even difficult emotions like guilt and shame are crucial to living a meaningful life. Annaliese shares how guilt and shame show up in your body, the stories they tell about who you are, and practical ways to handle them with compassion and empowerment for yourself instead of reacting automatically.
You’ll Hear About:
Guilt and shame are tough to sit with because they carry powerful identity messages. They often tell stories like, “I’m a disappointment” or “I’m not good enough.” That’s why it’s important to approach these feelings with care and truths for yourself.
Guilt tells you that you’ve done something wrong, while shame tells you that you are something wrong. These messages highlight how much you care about showing up in the world and whether you feel you’re doing that well.
Noticing your guilt and shame messages—what they’re saying and how intensely they feel—helps you create space to agree, disagree, or let go of those messages more easily in the moment.
Feeling Guilt Better:
Remember guilt is trying to show you who you think you are. Pause in the feeling with compassion for yourself. Ask yourself, “What’s the message about me guilt is trying to tell me?”
Notice what guilt points to about how you want to show up and what parts of that can help you grow.
Reflect on the bigger situation and remind yourself you’re the adult who can create healthier truths by tuning in to your guilt messages and selecting what's helpful and what's not.
Balancing Thoughts for Guilt and Shame:
“I just need a second.”-This helps you create a pause in a painful guilt story and lets you process it better before doing an unhelpful reaction like ignoring your mistake or just beating yourself up about it.
“I can repair mistakes.”-This helps you remember your ability to constructively take disappointment in yourself and use what you know to make things better in a compassionate and empowering way.
“Mistakes don’t disqualify me from already being loved and valuable.”-This reminds you of your true identity and intrinsic value that feelings of guilt and shame don't account for. It helps you be the adult you want to be that takes responsibility without undermining your worth.
Your Free Coaching Call:Experience coaching with Annaliese! Visit linktree.com/coachannaliese to schedule your FREE, 1-hour Discovery Chat.

75 - Feelings Tour Part 4: Anxiety and Worry

Podcast Episode Summary
In this episode, Annaliese and Alan dive into the vital role even tough feelings like anxiety and worry play in our lives. They explore how understanding and getting familiar with these emotions lead you to deeper self-awareness and personal growth, instead of derailing you or taking over.
You’ll Hear About:
The power of repetition in processing emotions: feeling your feelings little by little can seem like it's not helping much, but that's what actually creates the progress you need inside you. Emotions like anxiety carry important messages about what matters to you and what’s happening in your life.
How anxiety often stems from things you can’t control or don’t fully understand—whether it’s uncertainty, health concerns, relationship issues, or performance pressures. Where does anxiety shows up for you? What’s it revealing about what you care about or need?
The difference between anxiety (the energy in your body) and worry (thought patterns in your head). Worry can feel like unprocessed anxiety, which is why it’s crucial to recognize and address anxiety early on.
How anxiety tries to focus you on what you don't have or don't know. Avoiding anxiety leads to emotional buildup in you that increases feelings of insecurity and adds to limiting beliefs like, “I’m not capable.” or "What if everything goes wrong?"
Practical Tools for Managing Anxiety & Worry:
Notice when you’re focused on what you don’t have or know. What’s the support or information you might need?
Pause and listen to your anxiety without jumping to action right away.
Use anxiety’s messages to help you make aligned, confident choices—let it inform you, not steer your decisions.
EXERCISES
Close The Tabs:
Picture your negative “What If” thoughts as browser tabs open in your head.
Think of each “What If” as a question that needs an answer—otherwise, it stays open and weighs on you.
Look at one “What If” at a time and respond with an answer (a truth, comfort, or guidance).
Mentally close the tab with your answer. Try turning negative “What If” questions into positive ones: for example, “What if it goes well? What could that look like?”
“I’ve Done This Before”:
Identify what your anxiety is telling you to worry about—what does it say you don’t have or know?
Reflect on past experiences where you’ve handled something similar. What tools or strategies worked for you?
Be specific about the evidence: What choices did you make? How did it feel? What helped you most?
Remind yourself you’re safe and capable. Where do you now have more experience, resources, or confidence than before?
Your Free Coaching Call:Want personalized support for your worry or anxious thinking? Schedule your own free Discovery Chat with Annaliese at linktree.com/coachannaliese to gain actionable insights for daily, real changes you can make, right where you are.Listen in for how to feel and handle your anxiety and worry in ways that empower you, not derail you!

74 - Feelings Tour Part 3: Anger

Podcast Episode Summary
In this episode, Annaliese and Alan explore how even challenging emotions like anger can bring value and insight to your life. They focus on what anger teaches you about your values and how to handle it with understanding instead of reacting impulsively. Annaliese discusses how anger feels in your body, what it can make you believe about yourself, and practical steps for processing it in healthier ways.
You’ll Hear About:
-Anger is like a signpost pointing you to something you care deeply about or value. What are the main situations or experiences that trigger anger in you? Can you identify one thing your anger might be trying to tell you
Anger often comes with moral weight—you might feel it’s “righteous” to be angry about something, or you might think you’re “wrong” or “bad” for feeling it. Taking time to understand your own anger can help you uncover what truly matters to you. What does your anger show you about your values or priorities?
Being honest about your anger creates space to process it in healthier, less harmful ways. You don’t have to fully embrace the feeling, but being open to acknowledging it gives you the clarity and support you need. How can being honest about your anger help you respond more constructively
Anger can sometimes show up in unhelpful ways, but there are times when it’s the right emotion for the situation. Are you giving yourself the chance to choose how you respond, based on the kind of person you want to be? Are you willing to sit with uncomfortable emotions, knowing they’re a natural part of life?
Feeling Your Anger:Annaliese breaks down these actionable steps to help you process anger effectively:
Breathe and slow down. Anger puts you into survival mode, so start by creating space to pause.
Wait to act. Let yourself fully feel the emotion in your body. Allow it to evaporate naturally as you tune into what it’s telling you.
Don’t judge. Let the anger show you what matters to you without labeling it as good or bad.
Understand the story. Reflect on the reason behind your anger. Decide what feels true, what doesn’t, and what your best response could be.
Create space and own it. Allow yourself to feel without shame, knowing you can use your emotions to help, not harm.
Your Free Coaching Call:Curious about how coaching with Annaliese can help you? Experience your own confidential free, 1-hour Discovery Chat with Annaliese at linktree.com/coachannaliese. Share your story and walk away with actionable tips to make real changes in your life!Listen in to start changing your relationship with anger and make it work for you, not against you!

73 - Feelings Tour Part 2: Fear

In this episode, Annaliese and Alan explore the value of even the hardest emotions, focusing on the role Fear plays in your life. Annaliese points out how Fear, while deeply uncomfortable, is an important signal that reveals what you value, need, or prioritize. By learning to feel and interpret Fear, you can stop reacting impulsively and start supporting yourself with intention.
You’ll Hear About:
How Fear serves a purpose: it’s your mind and body’s way of drawing your attention to something important. Feeling it fully helps you understand why it’s there.
Why Fear feels urgent and uncomfortable—it’s wired to indicate high stakes or danger. Allowing yourself to feel it in the moment helps you process what it’s trying to tell you.
The importance of recognizing Fear’s story: Is it saying “you don’t have what you need” or “this relationship is in big trouble”? Feeling it first creates space to learn what it's telling you about your situation and respond wisely rather than react automatically.
Why Feel My Fear?
Fear is part of being human—it’s designed to guide you toward what matters most to you.
On the other side of the discomfort, you gain insight into your values and needs that you probably wouldn't otherwise.
Practicing feeling Fear, like a workout, builds your emotional strength over time. and empowers you to feel more authentically like yourself.
Your Free Coaching Call:Visit www.linktree.com/coachannaliese to schedule your free 1-hour Discovery Chat with Annaliese and gain actionable tips for real change.
Feeling your Fear isn’t easy, but it’s an act of self-empowerment. Listen in today to help yourself live more authentically and meaningfully.

72 - Feelings Tour Part 1: Feeling Your Feelings

In this episode, Annaliese and Alan dig into the transformative yet often uncomfortable process of feeling your feelings. Annaliese highlights how becoming emotionally self-aware improves your life in meaningful ways, and that you're capable of slowing down, sitting with your emotions, and learning to notice and name them.
You’ll Hear About:
How emotions act as signals, pointing to what you might not be seeing clearly in your life. Feeling them starts with being willing to “be in the room” with them.
Why describing for yourself the physical sensations connected to emotions might seem small, but is a grounding step that helps you normalize and trust your new practice of feeling your feelings.
The consequences of ignoring your emotions—they don’t disappear but grow louder and more disruptive until you address them.
How to Feel Your Feelings:
Give yourself permission. Even if it’s scary or uncertain, allow yourself to feel—it’s a vital part of emotional health.
Trust the process. You don’t need to understand or fix anything right away. This is not about your brain making sense of things."Feeling your feelings" is only about letting your body and spirit tell you what they need to.
Hold it loosely. Feeling your emotions doesn’t mean solving them. Sit with them, notice what they’re showing you, and let them speak.
Engage gradually and daily. It's helpful to picture a faucet where you can adjust the flow of feelings or let them wash over you, knowing you’re capable of processing them. Practice exercising yourself emotionally more regularly this way so you can grow with small, daily steps. 
Why It’s Worth It: Feeling your feelings is what helps you to better understand your experiences, live with clarity, and align your life more authentically. It's a practice that's most effective when you try it daily. Embracing this experience more helps you connect more deeply with yourself and have a more meaningful life. READY FOR CHANGE? Schedule your own free Discovery Coaching Chat with Annaliese at www.linktree.com/coachannaliese where you'll get confidential and customized tips and insight from Annaliese for results you'd like to see. No strings!Listen in today to grow and feel more capable to feel your feelings.

71 - Building Your Own Growth Process

In this episode, Annaliese and Alan explore how to build a personal growth process that keeps you engaged every day, not just when motivation is high. Annaliese shares how seeing growth as a journey instead of an arrival can help you stay committed and supported along the way.
You’ll Hear About:
Internal vs. External Growth Goals: Shift your focus from chasing outcomes to prioritizing deeper, more authentic daily experiences. Growth isn’t about checking off a list but realigning your time and energy to be more who you want to be.
Normalizing Setbacks: Growth includes forward steps and steps back. Expecting both helps you work with reality instead of against it, keeping you grounded in progress.
Healthy Habits for Motivation: Evaluate whether your routines support you or pressure you. Growth thrives when your habits work with you, not against you!
Permission to Slow Down: Every growth path you could try begins with giving yourself permission to pause, reflect, and start small.
How to Move Toward Growth:
Give Yourself Permission: Start by practicing a new mindset - that it’s okay to try something new.
Identify Blocks: Pay attention to the obstacles you're running into—internal beliefs like “I can’t” or external situations like lack of time. Remind yourself how much your growth matters to you.
Set a Feeling-Based Intention: Choose the feeling you want to experience more each day and adjust your priorities to support creating more of those experiences.
Simplify Your Steps: Small, practical actions like reading between tasks, taking a nap, or scheduling a walk can help you stay aligned with your growth goals - just remember to keep the steps accessible and small so you can experience yourself growing more frequently.
How to Build a Growth Process:
Tune In Daily: Ask what would help you feel most like yourself today—what supports flow, balance, or healing?
Choose a Rhythm: Let your practice emerge naturally, not as a checklist but as intentional moments you create and allow that meet your needs.
Be Flexible: Some days might call for quiet reflection, some days might benefit from a long walk, some days could use some creative expression, or even catching up on simple household tasks. Let yourself call the shots depending on what you notice you need in the moment.
Your Free Coaching Call:
Ready to take action on your growth? Schedule a FREE 1-hour Discovery Chat with Annaliese at www.linktree.com/coachannaliese and experience personalized coaching to help you move forward.Hoping you listen in today if you could use a boost and some belief in creating a better growth process that truly works for you!

70 - How Do You Handle Life Transitions?

In this episode, Annaliese and Alan talk about navigating life’s tricky transitions—those times when moving, health challenges, or loved ones’ changes upend your routine. Transitions can feel overwhelming, but there are practical ways to manage the weight and complexity while staying grounded.
You’ll Hear About:
How transitions happen both externally and internally, reshaping our lives and our sense of self. Reflecting on past changes can remind you of your ability to adapt and grow.
Why reframing transitions as “normal” instead of “problems” can ease your experience. Seeing change as part of life helps create inner stability.
How to recognize the thoughts you have during transitions. Do they remind you of your strengths or weigh you down with doubt? Helpful thoughts make all the difference.
FREE Coaching Call:Curious about how coaching with Annaliese could help you? Schedule your own FREE, no strings just value, 1-hour Discovery Chat with Annaliese at linktree.com/coachannaliese. Share your own experience that you're dealing with, and get personalized tips for the life changes you want.
A Step-by-Step Approach to Navigating Transitions:
Notice your thoughts about the transition:
Are you framing it as a threat or an opportunity?
Recognize that how you view the situation affects your choices, feelings, and actions.
Remind yourself of past transitions:
Say, “I’ve done this before. I’ve dealt with change and taken helpful actions.”
Reframe the transition:
See it as an invitation to zoom out, reflect on your capabilities, and focus on your strengths.
Practice focusing on what you have and what you can do:
Ask yourself, “What’s one thing I can do today to move forward?”
Remember, your next step doesn’t have to fix everything—just keep moving one day at a time.
Transitions are inevitable, but these steps can help you handle them with clarity and confidence. Listen in today to hear more!

69 - Practical Gratitude

In this episode, Annaliese and Alan explore how to practice gratitude in ways that feel genuine, helpful, and realistic—without turning it into just another “should.” Annaliese explains how gratitude can transform your perspective, especially during stress or struggle, by opening you up to see more of what’s already present in your life.
YOU'LL HEAR ABOUT:-Making gratitude practical: Let yourself let go of the idea that gratitude needs to be idealized or perfect! Instead, discover for yourself simple, everyday ways to let gratitude more naturally flow through your life.  -Gratitude and honesty coexist: Practicing gratitude doesn’t mean avoiding hard truths or pushing down difficult emotions. It’s not about “fixing” life’s struggles but creating a more soul-soothing experience for you in the middle of what you're going through.  -Shifting focus in negative moments: When life feels overwhelming or you feel like you're lacking, gratitude can gently remind you of what’s already there in front of you to support you.  
HOW GRATITUDE HELPS YOU: - Broadens your perspective, showing you the tools and capacity you already have.  - Helps you accept and allow your reality and let go of control.  - Opens the door to joy, allowing you to navigate challenges with more lightness, creativity, and resilience.  
WHEN TO PRACTICE GRATITUDE:-Any time your perspective feels narrow or stuck-Any time you're feeling things like fear, anxiety, overwhelm, aimlessness, or laziness
SIMPLE GRATITUDE PRACTICE: -Pause and close your eyes-Say, “I’m grateful...”  -Let the feeling of gratitude wash over you-Notice what you're focusing on that made it come to mind.  
YOUR FREE COACHING CALLBook a free one-hour Discovery Chat with Annaliese at www.linktree.com/coachannaliese to experience some coaching for yourself and see how it can help you right where you are!You'll feel more engaged with yourself, see the bigger picture of your life, and notice more clearly what you have as you listen in today!

68 - Why Daily Reflection Is Powerful

In this episode, Annaliese and Alan explore how life-changing the habit of daily reflection is, especially for those who are always on the go. Annaliese shares how taking just a few minutes to reflect each day helps you recognize key insights from your experiences, decisions, and your overall quality of life. Slowing down lets you notice patterns and ultimately empowers you to make intentional changes that align with the life you truly want.
You’ll Hear About- How skipping reflection means you might miss important information about your daily experience, limiting your ability to make positive changes.- While taking time to reflect can feel challenging, spending even 5-10 minutes asking, “Why did I react this way?” or “What was I feeling?” brings you valuable clarity.- Reflection often surprises you, revealing both the highs and lows in your life. Facing these truths head-on enables you to spot patterns and make adjustments to enjoy life more fully.
Benefits & Impact of Daily Reflection:- Shows you behaviors and reactions that could be holding you back- Helps you see both helpful and unhelpful decision-making patterns- Reveals influences that are shaping your day- Helps you choose more supportive actions for yourself- Uncovers beliefs that might no longer serve you- Invites you into a sense of presence, not just auto-pilot- Builds a sense of control and empowerment in your life
Ways to Practice Reflection:- Start small, with a 5-10 minute session each morning or evening- Slow down and tune into different parts of yourself, like:   1. Your feelings   2. Thought patterns   3. Actions   4. Interactions with others   5. Things you’re avoiding- Focus on one area at a time, asking questions like, “What emotions did I feel today?” or “What threw me off?”- Remember, some days you'll gain big insights, while others feel more routine to you. Trust the process—daily reflection is a habit that reveals more over time as you go!
YOUR FREE COACHING CHAT WITH ANNALIESE- Ready to experience coaching with Annaliese? Visit linktree.com/coachannaliese to book a free 1-hour Discovery Chat with her and get some great tips to start making a real change at home, in relationships, or at work!Listen in to learn simple, impactful ways you can make reflection work for you today!