A Shared Wisdom Guest Post Featuring Anne-Sophie Reinhardt

“Today, I recorded my last episode of [my first podcast] Fighting Anorexia. I’m just so darn happy I’m done with the whole anorexia thing. I’m free. Finally.”

I wrote those words back in September. I hadn’t published an episode of my podcast in weeks and had already decided to cancel the show after 59 episodes. I had lost my passion for it, and it just didn’t feel right anymore. I knew I needed to move on, yet for weeks, episode 60 was nagging at me. I had cobwebs in my head overshadowing every new project I tried to begin. I had no idea why until I realized I had never said goodbye to my listeners, had never explained why I chose to end the show.

So, I sat down and recorded that farewell episode, saying all I wanted to say, thanking everyone who had made the podcast such a success and who had helped me recover from my anorexia.

The relief I felt after I hit publish was instant and massive. This podcast had been the last string tying me to my eating disorder. Cutting it was the push I needed to completely move on.

I had finally tied up my loose end. 

We all have unfinished business in our lives. People, arguments, wrongdoings. All of those loose ends impact us in many destructive ways. They hinder our productivity, our relationships, our happiness and our forward momentum.

They burden our mind, body and soul, and it’s up to us to take action and free ourselves from the cobwebs they formed.

But often times there’s resistance, maybe even fear that holds us back from taking the steps we know we need to take.

Sometimes there’s stigma, pride or insecurity.

The reason doesn’t matter though as the result is always the same: you keep yourself from being free and the person you were meant to be.

For me, closing the anorexia chapter was a big deal. After all, the podcast was my start point in this online world. I had begun my podcast without realizing that one day, this would be my business and my life. I had begun my blog without anticipating the big community I was going to create. But not only that, I also had a commitment to my listeners. I had a responsibility to those who needed inspiration, hope and guidance.

Letting go of that without feeling like I was the worst person on this planet was a difficult step to take, but it was the right one for me and ultimately for everyone involved.

The truth is that simply continuing to do something because you have started it doesn’t make sense if your inside is screaming in despair. Holding on to a project for the sole reason of having once created it doesn’t serve anybody and only creates shame, blame and guilt.

However, if you take heart and act, you create a whole new array of possibility for yourself and your future. You’ll suddenly create space for new thoughts, new feelings and new ways of seeing the world.

Canceling my podcast led to a host of life-changing decisions: I dropped my accompanying blog, rebranded my business and separated from my husband. All decisions that I had been putting off for too long and that hurt me and my self-confidence tremendously.

As a result, I’ve been happier, more productive, and more alive than ever before. I have finally begun to take a stand for myself, to believe in myself, and to trust that I am able to take responsibility for myself. The cobwebs are gone, and I’m able to live in the moment, be present, and focus on doing what’s right.

Which loose ends do you have in your life that are still secretly nagging at you? Friends you’ve lost touch with but never really knew why? Family members you had a big falling out with and never resolved it? Relationships you’d like to end but haven’t had the courage to do so? Difficult phone calls you have to make but always find an excuse not to do so?

Don’t underestimate the power that these ties have and how they influence your everyday life, even if you don’t realize it right away.

So today, take the time to tie up those loose ends. Write letters, make phone calls or just meditate and make peace with something for yourself, but close the chapter so that you can move on. You never know which new chapters are waiting for you.

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Anne-Sophie Reinhardt is an anorexia survivor, body image expert, self-love advocate and the owner of aMINDmedia. She empowers you to achieve a healthier and more successful life by returning to your true purpose and values. 

P.S. – Registration opens on 12/3 for the Coming Back to Life Ecourse! Make sure you’re signed up for the waiting list to receive your earlybird coupon!