The Self-Sabotage Show with Damian Culhane

In this episode you will hear the delightfully entertaining interview with American musical theatre composer Dana Rowe. His works have been performed internationally with productions in London’s West End, much of his work has been written with lyricist John Dempsey. Dana wrote the music for: Zombie Prom, The Fix (directed by Sam Mendes) and The Witches of Eastwick. Dana was nominated for the Olivier Award for his contribution to The Fix and The Witches of Eastwick, both of which were produced in London by Cameron Mackintosh. Dana also composed the score for The Ballad of Bonnie and Clyde. In 2011, he collaborated with Maribeth Graham on See Jane Run! Despite all his success and fame, Dana admits he had become an “Unintentional Maestro of self-destruction” and he grew up wanting to please others. Through his early work he tried to apply and channel his energy and mindset, but the creativity was blocked and unsustainable. Dana describes his personal journey as riding a “Bobsled to hell” going down the path of self-destruct. He experienced relationship breakdowns, health issues and his work suffered. Eventually he found his way to the 12 steps to recovery programme – focusing on his spiritually and connecting with a community to support him to make a full holistic recovery. Dana and I met through our mutual learning journey, both of us are discovering the techniques and skills of applying mental fitness with the organisation Positive Intelligence. You will hear us chat about the saboteurs and how to strengthen mental muscles. Thank you to Dana for being so open and vulnerable to share his story and thank you for your interest in this topic.

In this episode you will hear all about Sylvia’s experience as a digital nomad, she is a Soul vision coach – who helps people find their purpose. Sylvia generously shares her story about how she gave all her belongings away and began travelling to experience a new gateway to new life. She had been working in a stressful environment as an Art Director in a big advertising agency in Cologne in Germany. Suffering with her inner voice trying to tell her she was not good enough and that she could not do the work, she would experience the saboteurs of procrastination and talking herself out of stuff! This self-critical, judgemental inner conflict showed up as issues in her work, sadness and isolation and a passive anger that bubbled under the surface. Now Sylvia lives in Montemore, Portugal and you will hear how she transitioned from an Art Director to helping people connect with their purpose. During this interview you will learn about the Hero’s Journey created by Joseph Campbell as we chat about co-living. You will also hear us talk about co-dependent relationships and how to shift into interdependent relationships – learning to deepen your connection with yourself. You will discover more about how the experience of sabotage can be a valuable lesson and a necessary journey that is needed for you own development. If you wish to discuss any topic related to self-sabotage or the content of the podcast, you can book a call with Damian here: BOOK A 1:1 WITH DAMIAN Enjoy…

In this episode you will hear an interview with Leah Bateman, an Artificial Intelligence entrepreneur – focused on health and fitness. She is a qualified Pilates instructor and Reiki Healer– having overcome her own pain, physical disability and illness which had been caused by work-related stress. Leah’s journey with self-sabotage is around perfectionism – an insidious form of sabotage. Convincing yourself that you care and want to do things well, this can be subsuming and energy draining – becoming more and more anxious and less confident. The self-judgement and perfection may be intrinsic motivators to perform better, but the great intentions can become quite toxic – leading to sickness and burnout. You lose objectivity and become obsessed with your perfection – affecting work life balance, not being able to switch off and relax. Drawing into the dark playground – a nefarious place where you are not able to enjoy the present moment, distracted by the inner voices reminding you of the perfectionism trap – an energetic drain. You distract yourself, avoiding and procrastinating – triggered into ineffective activity, unfulfilling behaviour and emptiness. Draining energy and leaving you feeling apathy and depression. You will also learn about how ‘thinking about’ a task or project can convince you that you are doing something about the outcome – even though there is nothing progressing! You will hear about Solomon’s Paradox – the more emotionally close we are to a situation, the less wisdom we have available to resolve our own pain or problems. The answer to overcome the sabotage – listen to the podcast to learn some tips and hints! You will hear how breathing techniques and visceral scanning of your physical body shifts your focus, which switches off the sabotage mind. Using breathing for alignment and balance, including touch and voice to connect to the present moment. You will also hear about how important it is to incorporate physical fitness in to your life on a daily basis to help yourself on all levels. Emotional pain is akin to physical pain, so rather than continue with our stress or ruminating over the stress that is triggered – remove yourself from that pattern of sabotage. Being compassionate with yourself and incorporating movement can take time to integrate – the more this can be used to build your self-command to have more control over your mental and emotional health. You can always book a 15 minute discovery call with me using this link: BOOK A CALL WITH DAMIAN  You can follow me on Instagram @damianculhane You can follow Leah on Instagram @leahthehearthealer Enjoy the episode...

In this episode you will hear an interview with Faraaz Ali, who is a high-performance coach working with parents and leaders. You will hear a deep conversation about how sabotage can affect health and well-being, along with Faraaz experience of travelling to multiple countries for nine months – with his partner and his three-month-old daughter. You will also hear lots of practical hints and tips around how to overcome self-sabotage, how to align with your values and how structure and systems that we can create play such an important role in our ability to manage stress and improve emotional stability. You will also hear about mindset and how awareness plays such a critical part to overcoming sabotaging thoughts, emotions and behaviour. Many of the examples and personal stories shared help to associate the pressure of everyday behaviour and expectations of socio-economic environment on sabotage. Enjoy. Notes: You will find the books mentioned in the Podcast are available on Amazon: Deep Work by Cal Newport, Atomic Habits by James Clear, Man’s Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl You can book a 15 Minute Discovery Call with Damian here: BOOK A 15 MINUTE CONFIDENTIAL CALL WITH DAMIAN You can reach Faraaz here: www.instagram.com/faraaz4real www.Facebook.com/faraaz4real www.linkedin.com/in/faraaz4real

Join me in this revealing interview with Alicia Withey - where I am in the hot seat and answering questions about self-sabotage. The content includes: why your unconscious detaches you and hear my story of how emotional eating started. You will also hear about how to deal with self-sabotage, particularly if you have been triggered by recent lockdown behaviour.  We talk about how mental fitness helps to alleviate the reptilian response - which is almost uncontrollable at times of stress, worry, anxiety, fear and sadness. The negative voices inside your head are you unconscious response - but you have a choice. You will hear my explanation of your Judge saboteur and how to understand and have awareness to your own saboteurs.  You will hear how to quieten the 'monkey-mind' and how the work of Carl Jung is so relevant to understanding yourself and the steps of your pattern of sabotage. I struggled with multiple addictions and was wallowing in my own self-pity and sadness. Learn how I was able to pivot my mindset to change my thinking... If you are affected by any of the topics and need to discuss your own situation, please feel free to arrange a complimentary 15 minute Discovery Call using this link: Book a 15 Minute Discovery Call with Damian 

In this episode you will hear the conversation with Faye Blake who helps people to feel at home in their own skin, trust their intuition and connect with their purpose in this life. You will hear about our common experiences and personal escapism through alcohol and binge eating to combat depression. You will hear about the impact this had on relationships with loved ones and the fear of being judged. Faye talks about how the escapism made her feel like she was not good enough, like she always needed to be more or do more. You will hear how this led her to feeling like she was out of control or broken and at times like it was never ending. You will also hear our conversation about the suffering, which led to a lack of trust and lack of self-love. We talk about the need for something external to “fix” us and that the escapism is a way of numbing out. What you will learn from listening is that you are enough exactly as you are. The only person that you need validation and acceptance from is yourself. Faye shares how she learnt to live in and love her body, so that she could feel safe again in her own skin. We talk about how everyone needs to understand themselves at a deeper level. This can be achieved through a whole host of methods of self-inquiry which are revealed in the episode…. You can use this link to book a 15 minute discovery call to discuss any topic with Damian: BOOK A 15 MINUTE CALL WITH DAMIAN You can connect with Faye and visit her website here: www.fayeblake.co.uk

In this episode you will hear my interview with Jody Bartholomew a kundalini yoga instructor with a degree in psychology. Jody grew up in Hawaii, then moved to California and she loves travelling. She has a Bachelors in Psychology and loves learning. You will hear how Jody moved to Germany and started teaching English. She became a Job Coach for people with disabilities and later began working with male refugees from Middle East. Jody is now living in Dortmund, Germany and she trained in Kundalini Yoga to overcome personal issues. You will hear our discussion around relationships which caused Jody to create a lack of self-worth, leading to feelings of jealousy. She talks about how she became aggressive and controlling – building up a sense of mistrust and how she found reasons to leave relationships. She also attracted the wrong type of partners and was not willing to see the truth, but instead she was seeking to fix others. Jody shares her personal story of the impact this had on herself and others, including self-hatred, biting her cheeks, aggression towards self and even tension in her jaw. She discovered all of this through her own Hero’s Journey, learning about spirituality, relationship sabotage and her depression. The healing came from her study and practice of kundalini yoga… Thank you to Jody for sharing with such vulnerability and for the courage to talk about these experiences. The Self-Sabotage Show has been created with the hope that sharing these difficult topics and life experiences will enable others to have the courage and freedom to also face their own sabotage. If you are affected by any of the topics in this episode or if you wish to discuss the impact sabotage has had on your life, you can book a complimentary Discovery Call with Damian using this link: BOOK A 15 MINUTE CALL WITH DAMIAN

In this episode you will hear my interview with writing coach Rusti Lehay, who is an empathic editor. Rusti has been teaching creative writing for over a decade and is published in literary journals. She is based in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. You can find Rusti's profile if you click here. During our interview you will hear us chat about self-sabotage in particular the topics of food, relationships, career and education.  We go deep into the topic of expressing emotions and communicating anger in an effective loving way. We talk about how there are better ways to deal with anger that are mutually life-giving. You will also hear us in conversation about the fact there is nothing wrong with any emotion - it is how we deal with them that causes us suffering or to sabotage our relationships. You will also hear us chat about the Pleaser saboteur and how the underlying belief of not allowed to be capable causes frustration, rage and conflict - even though you might have the intention to please other people and be the peacemaker! Enjoy.... PS - If you would like to book a 15 minute discovery call to chat to me directly about anything to do with the above topics, you can use this link: BOOK A 15 MINUTE DISCOVERY CALL

In this episode you will hear my interview with the lovely and bubbly Kyrsti Snyder, a mum of two young boys who lives in Colorado USA. Kyrsti is an entrepreneur and is a Forex day trader who teaches people how to trade! During our conversation you will hear our discussion around many aspects related to self-sabotage, particularly the topic of a fear of success - where Kyrsti shares her personal story of how this has impacted her. You will also hear the conversation about how many people do things that cause them to avoid success - rooted in fear.  We also talk about parenting and how the children are responding and behaving, is not necessarily a reflection of parenting skills!  Kyrsti shares about her own mindset of growing up as the eldest sister of 8 siblings, and shares the Henry Ford quote: "Whether you believe you can do something or whether you believe you cannot - you're right." You will hear us talk about singing and song-writing - which is a passion of Kyrsti's having recognised her school and college career was not her choice and she wanted to pursue things that made her more happy.  The self-sabotage comes in the form of procrastination and avoider behaviour! Kyrsti shares her own perspective of how to overcome sabotage and taking personal responsibility for own growth, detaching from the past and being present to what is possible - focusing on self-empowerment and personal choice. You will also be learning about how we hide behind a mask and identity that we present to the outside world - plus how to overcome a victim mindset. Enjoy...

Our home is the intimate space where we hold our treasures – emotions and  experience. There is an energetic loop of the past in the home and your outer world reflects your inner world. Join me in this episode in conversation with Anita Adrain – a Certified Essential Feng Shui Practitioner and Trainer. We talk about the importance of clearing the clutter in your home to avoid sabotaging your success and how our surroundings affect our mindset and relationships. You will hear in this discussion about how blocked or stagnant energy impacts intimate relationships and how you can improve your intimacy in the bedroom, Anita shares her personal story about a longing and knowingness there was something more – gap / something missing... You will also hear how emotional attachment to baggage and possessions from the past can sabotage your own success in the area of your life, such as relationships. Enjoy...

In this episode you will hear an amazing and inspirational interview with Anthony Lungabardi, who was adopted when he was two years old. He was found in a wood shed, having been abandoned by his mother. Later is life Anthony became homeless for 6 years as a teenager, when his adopted father became physically and verbally abusive towards him. These events can be traumatic for anyone... The fact that this all happened in Anchorage, Alaska – one of the coldest places to live in with temperatures well below freezing for months – makes Anthony’s story of survival so inspirational. He shares some unforgettable moments of how he managed to turn his life around, healing the suffering he experienced. Through his recovery process he has managed to come to terms with the toxic masculinity that dominated his relationship with his father. Toxic masculinity is using status to gain power over others, in relationships, in career and it was a dysfunctional part of Tony’s story. He now helps others through his work with the Mankind Project – an organisation in 35 countries that runs camps and retreats, where he teaches men that it’s okay to not be okay. You will also hear our discussion about religion and systemic structures of culture, education and social upbringing. Finally, we also explore the topic of emotional homelessness and how Tony reconciles his own misgivings as a father and how he has a sense of not belonging. You are sure to enjoy this conversation – sensational stories shared to spread the knowledge and share the healing…. Enjoy. If you have been affected by self-sabotage or impacted by others sabotaging behaviour, you can complete the Self-Sabotage Assessment by following this link: CLICK HERE FOR ASSESSMENT You may wish to book a 15 minute discovery call using this link: BOOK A 15 MINUTE CALL Additional Notes: Anthony was featured in a book: "Almost Home" by Kevin Ryan and Tina Kelly (his story is under the alias of Paulie).

Welcome to Episode 4 - you will hear an interview with disabled influencer and entrepreneur Martyn Sibley. You will hear us discuss many topics relating to sabotage, running a business and disability. In particular we talk about the impact of sabotage on Martyn's health and mental well-being, causing him to experience stress and anxiety about not being enough. Martyn also talks about how his desire to always keep everyone else happy, causes him to not have his own needs met. You will hear us talk about the 'pleaser' saboteur and how this can cause you to feel resentment if you are always trying to help others all the time. Martyn is a co-founder of Purple Goat a marketing agency focusing on how to attract the 14.3 million disabled people to your brand.  Thank you to Martyn for being a guest and thank YOU for your interest in this topic. Damian

In this episode you will hear a recording of an interview with the Co-Founders of Ignite You JB Owen and Peter Giesin. During the interview you will hear some examples of how sabotage can impact you and affect relationships.  You will learn how to overcome any suffering caused in relationships and how sabotaging thoughts can affect your career and professional life. The topic explored is also explored whether sabotage affects Men or Women more, you hear about how emotional pain affects all of us on our journey as humans. The pain is inevitable and can define you from your past - but the suffering is optional and does not have to be prolonged. You will hear why Men do not admit their self-sabotage and become triumphant about their success and ignore or deny the impact sabotage has on their life. This can cause long term damage to relationships for men - particularly if their is toxic masculinity in 'manning up'. Women are much more aware and conscious of their sabotage and far more likely to accept they have sabotaged an area of their life - which makes it a smoother segway into acceptance and wanting to do something to overcome their sabotage. You will also hear about the work of Stanford Professor Shirzad Chamine and his work on saboteurs, which leads into how our divisive unconscious mind can judge our own behaviour and others. You will learn about how the 'pleaser' saboteur can lead to your own needs not being met, causing you you to resent others if they do not appreciate your effort. The motivation of the 'pleaser' is driven from an underlying belief that you are not worthy! I share a personal story about an area of tension that caused me to create an underlying belief that I am not allowed to be capable to ask for what I want. This programming was ingrained at an early age and I followed that unconscious pattern and belief, causing me to sabotage relationships and create conflict. You will also hear about how the fear emotion has been triggered by the global pandemic and the lockdown - but more importantly how to pivot your mindset in that situation. This is the topic of mental alchemy. This is explored further with the description of the work of Viktor Frankl who survived Auschwitz and wrote his book: Man's Search for Meaning... This leads to the discussion on how to come to terms with grief and sadness of having a son diagnosed with a life-limiting terminal disease. The journey of what we can learn from our personal experience and how you can use mental alchemy to pivot mindset.

In today's episode you will hear a recording of a live phone-in session with Lorraine Stamp.  The 'Ask the Coach' session covers a number of topics relating to sabotage and you will hear a more detailed description about the beliefs that cause sabotaging thoughts. You'll hear some personal stories and most importantly some useful and practical tips to overcome self-sabotage.  Right at the end of the episode we talk about the fact that 91% of people are seeking a new direction and 'purpose'. This was highlighted in a Sky News article about lock down, which mentions their survey where only 9% of people wanted to return to normal.  A whopping 91% are seeking more meaning and purpose, so you can download the template to 'Map Your Purpose'.  Here is the link for the complimentary template: CLICK HERE 

In today's episode you will be listening to an interview I did with Rupert, all about self-sabotage. Hear us talking and chatting about the reptilian brain and my personal story of the impact my dysfunctional behaviour and negative thoughts had on my life.  The topics include how the saboteurs show up, why the unconscious causes us to sabotage our lives and some useful tips to overcome the sabotaging behaviour and break old habits. Enjoy.

Self-sabotage is a very personal and unique experience which can often cause you emotional and psychological suffering. The impact of sabotage on yourself and others can cause a lifetime of emotional and sometimes physical pain if left unaddressed. During the episodes of The Self-Sabotage Show you will hear personal stories from a variety of interesting guests, all sharing their personal experience of an area of life they have sabotaged and more importantly how they overcame the impact that had on their emotional well-being.  Real life guests, sharing actual stories of the impact self-sabotage had on them.  This episode is the introduction to what will be covered and is a 'warm-up' for what to expect in future episodes. The outcome of you listening will be to learn something useful that could help you understand your own journey with unconscious patterns of sabotage, plus some practical ways to overcome any dysfunctional behaviour that causes you to make repeating choices that sabotage your own results. Enjoy - stay tuned in for the launch episode and keep track of future interviews here: www.damianculhane.co.uk