The North Star

Changing careers can come with losing an identity that meant a lot to you.As well as not knowing what comes next—and money stress.Carla Contreras joins Mackenzie Belcastro to talk about starting over. She shares what happened when a major career opportunity disappeared, leaving her with no money—and how that forced her to confront denial, grieve her identity as a food stylist, and recognize the gifts she had been overlooking. This is a conversation on trusting your intuition, combining intuition with strategy, navigating major life transitions, and inviting in abundance.Connect with Carla:SubstackPodcastWebsiteIGYou may also like...⁠⁠⁠Meditations⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ — graceful digestion, come home to yourself, etc.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠1:1 Program "The Art of Working Well"⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ — to reduce stress so you can actually enjoy the career and life you've worked so hard to create⁠Reiki⁠ - distance energy healingFind me on Instagram ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@mackbelcastro⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

If you've been feeling burnt out, or close to it, this ep. is all about coming ALIVE again. You may also like...⁠⁠⁠Meditations⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ — graceful digestion, come home to yourself, etc.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠1:1 Program "The Art of Working Well"⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ — to reduce stress so you can actually enjoy the career and life you've worked so hard to create⁠Reiki⁠ - distance energy healingFind me on Instagram ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@mackbelcastro⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

A gentle reminder for when the going gets tough / you're in a flare (physically or mentally). PS. Apologies for the quieter sound/hair brushing sounds. This was very impromptu, but I felt the call to share asap.You may also like...⁠⁠⁠Meditations⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ — graceful digestion, come home to yourself, etc.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠1:1 Program "The Art of Working Well"⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ — to reduce stress so you can actually enjoy the career and life you've worked so hard to create⁠Reiki⁠ - distance energy healingFind me on Instagram ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@mackbelcastro⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

It's hard to believe reducing stress levels is possible when it feels like you've tried everything. We talk about navigating this difficult situation in this episode, as well as enjoying the upcoming Fall season, and not letting life pass you by due to overwhelm from work (and other facets of life). You may also like...⁠⁠Meditations⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ — graceful digestion, come home to yourself, etc.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠1:1 Program "The Art of Working Well"⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ — to reduce stress so you can actually enjoy the career and life you've worked so hard to create⁠Reiki⁠ - distance energy healingFind me on Instagram ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@mackbelcastro⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

There are seasons when everything seems to be happening at once: more opportunities, more change, more responsibility, more difficult relationships, more uncertainty. And when there's a lot going on, it's easy to tip into feeling overcome by overwhelm.But this is the year of the Fire Horse. We're being initiated into a faster energy, and we're meant to learn how to finally hold it. The truth is, you can. Regardless of your past, you can learn to move through a fuller season of life while staying well.In this episode, I’m talking about super accessible nervous system regulation you can pull on to navigate daily stress. This isn't just about upping physical rest. This is about totally changing your relationship with your thoughts and your perception.Because your circumstances matter. Your body matters. Rest matters. But so does the lens through which you experience your life.We explore:Why doing more doesn’t automatically have to mean burning outHow the mind and body influence one anotherHow habitual thought patterns can contribute to stress and overwhelmWhy changing your perspective isn’t the same as bypassing realityHow to interrupt anxious thoughts and stop the mental spiralThe connection between mindset and nervous system regulationWhy mental rest can be just as important as physical restHow difficult experiences can become opportunities for growth and inner strengthWhy highly self-aware people may need more self-compassion—not more self-analysisWhat nervous system regulation actually means in everyday lifeIf you’ve been feeling overwhelmed, anxious, burned out, or like there’s simply too much happening at once, this episode is an invitation to consider a different possibility: You're not here to shrink your life down so that it's super easy. You have drive and passion for a reason. You're here to meet your life with greater capacity, so that you can do the big things you're here to do.