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  • Ep 125: Breaking The 'Wine O'clock' Habit | Alcohol Coaching |
    2026/06/04

    Is your evening drink a true choice or just a well-worn ritual your brain expects at the end of every day?

    Your host Anna Donaghey breaks down the hidden psychology behind the “wine o’clock” habit. She explains the science of habit loops, why willpower alone can’t break the cycle, and offers a step-by-step framework for gently rewiring your automatic drinking response. Discover practical, compassionate tools to recognise your real needs and build a life that genuinely satisfies them with no white-knuckling required.

    If you feel stuck in the routine of pouring a drink as the sun goes down, this episode shows you how (and why) to change the script.

    Here are the Highlights:

    00:00 Intro: Why we reach for a drink between 5–7pm

    01:24 The “witching hour” and the automatic pull toward alcohol

    02:18 What is a habit loop?

    04:26 The craving isn’t for alcohol, it’s for relief, calm, and transition

    06:14 Understanding neural pathways and why habits feel automatic

    08:21 The reward script: why your brain believes drinking is the solution

    09:19 Why willpower doesn’t work at “wine o’clock”

    21:33 What did you drop when alcohol became the answer?

    22:24 A new way through the evening, one day at a time

    23:46 Listen to Ep 124 with Beverly Meyer (GABA + the biology of stress)

    24:50 Find all the resources on Anna’s website, www.thebigdrinkrethink.com.

    Anna’s book "What Are You Thirsty For? Rethinking Alcohol and The Life You Want", is now out in the world for you to buy!

    Order your copy, access her free tools and explore her coaching programmes at: https://thebigdrinkrethink.com/

    The Thirsty For More Mindset Lab is Anna’s ‘inner circle’ - a calm, thoughtful space where conversations continue, patterns are explored, and things begin to make sense. Find out more at: https://thirstyformore.substack.com/

    If you appreciate the podcast and would like to show a bit of love, you can donate the cost of a coffee here. It helps support the time and care that goes into making the show: https://buymeacoffee.com/bigdrinkrethink

    About the host Anna:

    Anna is a certified Alcohol Mindset Coach, trained by Annie Grace of This Naked Mind. Drawing on her own journey out of alcohol addiction, she now helps others explore and control their drinking. With a career spanning 25 years as a Strategist in the Advertising industry, she combines her own lived experiences, with great insight into what makes us tick and what influences us to behave the way we do.

    Connect with Anna:

    Website: thebigdrinkrethink.com

    LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/annadonaghey

    Instagram: instagram.com/bigdrinkrethink

    Produced by winteraudio.co.uk

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    26 分
  • Ep 124: Wired, Tired, and Reaching for Wine | Rethinking Alcohol and Your Nervous System
    2026/05/28
    What if that evening glass of wine isn't just a habit, but your body reaching for balance it's missing elsewhere?Anna Donaghey is joined by certified clinical nutritionist Beverly Meyer to decode the neuroscience behind our relationship with alcohol, specifically GABA, the nervous system's key calming neurotransmitter, and why modern life is quietly depleting it. Beverly shares practical, food-first strategies to genuinely restore GABA levels and explains why your body is always trying to help you, never sabotage you.If you've ever wondered, "Why can't I just say no to that drink?", this episode is for you.Here are the Highlights: 00:00 Intro: Alcohol and why nervous system regulation matters01:06 Meet Beverly Meyer: clinical nutrition and the missing GABA link05:14 GABA 101: The neurotransmitter explained in plain English10:05 Does alcohol “pretend” to be GABA?12:22 Are you GABA deficient before you ever pick up a drink?16:24 When alcohol “parks” on GABA receptors and why that matters 18:13 Alcohol as a solution, not the problem- the real story about depletion20:00 Changing the drinking conversation21:09 Why food matters most25:00 Paleo eating and asking “What did humans evolve to eat?”28:18 Why Beverly ditched Wi-Fi and breakfast cereal40:09 Herbal strategies for sleep and stress45:27 Your body is on your side, learn to listen and support it47:15 Where to find out more.Anna’s book "What Are You Thirsty For? Rethinking Alcohol and The Life You Want", is now out in the world for you to buy!Order your copy, access her free tools and explore her coaching programmes at: https://thebigdrinkrethink.com/The Thirsty For More Mindset Lab is Anna’s ‘inner circle’ - a calm, thoughtful space where conversations continue, patterns are explored, and things begin to make sense. Find out more at: https://thirstyformore.substack.com/If you appreciate the podcast and would like to show a bit of love, you can donate the cost of a coffee here. It helps support the time and care that goes into making the show: https://buymeacoffee.com/bigdrinkrethinkAbout the host Anna:Anna is a certified Alcohol Mindset Coach, trained by Annie Grace of This Naked Mind. Drawing on her own journey out of alcohol addiction, she now helps others explore and control their drinking. With a career spanning 25 years as a Strategist in the Advertising industry, she combines her own lived experiences, with great insight into what makes us tick and what influences us to behave the way we do.Connect with Anna:Website: thebigdrinkrethink.comLinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/annadonagheyInstagram: instagram.com/bigdrinkrethinkProduced by winteraudio.co.ukAbout Beverly Meyer:Beverly Meyer is a Certified Clinical Nutritionist (CCN) who has been in practice since 1985. Her journey into functional health began in the 1970s when, facing a debilitating virus that traditional medicine couldn't resolve, she sought out alternative practitioners - and never looked back. Hospitalised twice with Epstein-Barr Virus and living with chronic pain, hormonal issues, severe anxiety and poor sleep, she didn't just study these conditions. She lived them.In 2016, told to put her affairs in order after a mysterious health crisis, Beverly did what she has always done - researched her way to an answer, identifying a rare genetic disorder herself and finding the treatment she needed.Today she shares her knowledge through her website, consultations, and her long-running podcast Primal Diet - Modern Health, and is particularly known for her work on sleep, anxiety and the adrenals.Beverly’s website contains hundreds of articles, a free eBook, a newsletter and an online store that offers supplements to support a huge range of health needsFind out more: https://www.ondietandhealth.com/
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    49 分
  • Ep 123: How Big Is Your World? | Rethinking Alcohol |
    2026/05/21

    What if alcohol isn’t just a habit, but quietly shrinking the size of your world, dulling joy, and making ordinary pleasures feel like “not enough”? In this solo episode, Anna Donaghey shares honest insights from her own journey, exploring how drinking can subtly narrow both what you do and how much you feel.

    She unpacks the concept of the “hedonic threshold,” showing why your favourite activities may start feeling flat, and how even small milestones (like a child’s birthday) come to feel incomplete without a drink. Anna also gets real about what happens when you start to cut down: why everything can feel dull at first, why that’s normal, and how given time, colour and excitement quietly returns to the things you love.

    This episode is for anyone curious about changing the way they think about alcohol.

    Here are the Highlights:

    00:00 Intro: When the world starts to shrink

    01:19 The subtle ways alcohol “shrinks” your world

    04:44 When joy becomes muted and life feels flat

    06:14 The hedonic threshold: Why dopamine matters

    07:55 Why ordinary pleasures start feeling not enough

    09:53 The key questions to ask yourself

    10:15 How activities drop away when drinking more

    11:46 When drinking becomes the point

    12:35 A sharp illustration: Prosecco at a one-year-old’s birthday

    16:27 Why giving up alcohol feels flat at first

    17:59 How your world starts to expand again

    19:32 A gentle prompt: Is your world quietly contracting?

    20:03 How to connect, find resources, and support.

    Anna’s book "What Are You Thirsty For? Rethinking Alcohol and The Life You Want", is now out in the world for you to buy!

    Order your copy, access her free tools and explore her coaching programmes at: https://thebigdrinkrethink.com/

    The Thirsty For More Mindset Lab is Anna’s ‘inner circle’ - a calm, thoughtful space where conversations continue, patterns are explored, and things begin to make sense. Find out more at: https://thirstyformore.substack.com/

    If you appreciate the podcast and would like to show a bit of love, you can donate the cost of a coffee here. It helps support the time and care that goes into making the show: https://buymeacoffee.com/bigdrinkrethink

    About the host Anna:

    Anna is a certified Alcohol Mindset Coach, trained by Annie Grace of This Naked Mind. Drawing on her own journey out of alcohol addiction, she now helps others explore and control their drinking. With a career spanning 25 years as a Strategist in the Advertising industry, she combines her own lived experiences, with great insight into what makes us tick and what influences us to behave the way we do.

    Connect with Anna:

    Website: thebigdrinkrethink.com

    LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/annadonaghey

    Instagram: instagram.com/bigdrinkrethink

    Produced by winteraudio.co.uk

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    21 分
  • Ep 122: Building a Life You Don't Want to Escape From | Rethinking Alcohol |
    2026/05/14
    What if rethinking your drinking didn’t start with “giving up” alcohol, but instead you created the kind of life you don’t want to escape from? In this episode, Anna Donaghey sits down with adventurer and educator Belinda Coker to explore how rediscovering adventure, nature, and forgotten passions can quietly make alcohol fade into the background, no willpower or rock bottoms required.They talk honestly about growing up with normalised drinking, the “aha” moment that prompted Belinda to get hiking boots back on, and now teaching others how action, not theory, builds real confidence. She shares practical advice from her own journey, how immersing herself in adventure, house-sitting, and creativity helped her let go of drinking, and how to navigate tricky emotions (and triggers) in sobriety.Whether you’re just curious, stuck in a rut, or ready for a big change, this story has uplifting lessons for anyone wanting a richer, more expansive life with or without alcohol.Here are the Highlights:00:00 Meet Belinda Coker: Rethinking drinking isn’t always about alcohol01:25 Belinda’s story: adventure, midlife, and rediscovering passions02:58 Realising I had a drinking problem, only in hindsight05:19 Divorce, difficult periods, and drinking to cope07:00 Hiking becomes the new reward10:22 What adventure offers that alcohol can’t11:27 How new routines slowly nudged out drinking13:43 Returning to what you loved before alcohol14:41 When Friday nights become about flow, not wine18:12 Simple living, big happiness (and saving money)20:47 Why Belinda finally chose to stop drinking alcohol for good21:30 Recognising emotional triggers for drinking23:31 How she handles hard days now28:00 Why being honest about difficulties matters29:55 The “hike your own hike” philosophy for sobriety36:19 Out in the wild: zero desire for a drink41:29 How to get unstuck42:26 Where to find Belinda Coker and her work.Anna’s book "What Are You Thirsty For? Rethinking Alcohol and The Life You Want" is now out in the world for you to buy!Order your copy, access her free tools and explore her coaching programmes at: https://thebigdrinkrethink.com/The Thirsty For More Mindset Lab is Anna’s ‘inner circle’ - a calm, thoughtful space where conversations continue, patterns are explored, and things begin to make sense. Find out more at: https://thirstyformore.substack.com/If you appreciate the podcast and would like to show a bit of love, you can donate the cost of a coffee here. It helps support the time and care that goes into making the show: https://buymeacoffee.com/bigdrinkrethinkAbout the host Anna:Anna is a certified Alcohol Mindset Coach, trained by Annie Grace of This Naked Mind. Drawing on her own journey out of alcohol addiction, she now helps others explore and control their drinking. With a career spanning 25 years as a Strategist in the Advertising industry, she combines her own lived experiences with great insight into what makes us tick and what influences us to behave the way we do.Connect with Anna:Website: thebigdrinkrethink.com LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/annadonagheyInstagram: instagram.com/bigdrinkrethinkProduced by winteraudio.co.ukAbout Belinda Coker:Belinda Coker is an Australian hiker, writer, and educator who helps women rebuild confidence through practical adventure and responsible travel. She has completed solo hikes from Australia’s Red Centre to crossing Greenland’s Arctic Circle, experiences that shaped her belief that confidence grows through action, not theory. Through her platforms, Soul Treader and The House Sitting Collective, she teaches how structure, trust, and responsibility create genuine freedom and stability in life.Connect with Belinda:Website: https://soultreader.com/
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    46 分
  • Ep 121: Toolkit '101' - How to Party Without Alcohol
    2026/05/07
    Parties are supposed to be fun. So why does going alcohol-free feel so hard in a room full of drinkers? In this solo episode, Anna Donaghey draws on years of experience as an alcohol mindset coach and as someone who still actually goes to parties, to give you the toolkit she wishes she'd had.This one is practical from start to finish. Anna walks you through how to prepare before you arrive, what to bring, how to handle the "just have one!" brigade, and how to manage that rising self-consciousness when the energy in the room starts to shift. She also talks honestly about the drunk gap, why it exists, why it's not your fault, and how to stop letting it ruin your night.You'll leave with real scripts for declining drinks, strategies for those tricky social moments, and a reminder that waking up clear-headed the morning after a party is actually kind of wonderful.Whether you're newly alcohol-free, sober-curious, or just exploring what a night out could look like without drinking, this episode has you covered.Here are the Highlights: 00:00 Intro: Why parties without alcohol feel daunting 01:24 “But what do I actually do?” Why practical tools matter 02:13 The importance of a “before” plan – know your WHY for the night 05:44 Arrive calm, don’t underestimate your pre-party state 06:16 Why you need a drink in your hand within 30 seconds 07:01 Always have an exit plan (and travel independently) 07:57 No more “performative suffering” - enjoy your alcohol-free drink 09:55 You don’t owe anyone an explanation (scripts for awkward questions) 12:21 Seek out “real” conversations (and the power of good questions) 16:40 When others act weird about your not drinking16:25 Understanding the party “arc” when the “drunk gap” opens 18:12 Missing out, or a sign it’s time to go? The case for an early exit 21:20 Why caring what others think fades over time 24:02 The underrated joy of a hangover-free morning after 25:10 The essential party toolkit 27:08 How sober socialising becomes second nature Anna’s book "What Are You Thirsty For? Rethinking Alcohol and The Life You Want", is now out in the world for you to buy!Order your copy, access her free tools and explore her coaching programmes at: https://thebigdrinkrethink.com/The Thirsty For More Mindset Lab is Anna’s ‘inner circle’ - a calm, thoughtful space where conversations continue, patterns are explored, and things begin to make sense. Find out more at: https://thirstyformore.substack.com/If you appreciate the podcast and would like to show a bit of love, you can donate the cost of a coffee here. It helps support the time and care that goes into making the show: https://buymeacoffee.com/bigdrinkrethinkAbout the host Anna:Anna is a certified Alcohol Mindset Coach, trained by Annie Grace of This Naked Mind. Drawing on her own journey out of alcohol addiction, she now helps others explore and control their drinking. With a career spanning 25 years as a Strategist in the Advertising industry, she combines her own lived experiences, with great insight into what makes us tick and what influences us to behave the way we do.Connect with Anna:Website: thebigdrinkrethink.com LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/annadonagheyInstagram: instagram.com/bigdrinkrethinkProduced by winteraudio.co.uk
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    29 分
  • Ep 120: The Shortcut To Belonging | Rethinking Alcohol |
    2026/04/30
    Why does alcohol feel essential to parties, celebrations, and big social events? And what’s really at stake when you rethink your drinking in those spaces? Anna Donaghey is joined by Evan Cudworth, a self-described “party coach,” who shares his personal journey through alcohol-fueled confidence, alter egos, and radical new rituals.Together, they explore why we outsource energy and confidence to booze, how nostalgia can keep us stuck, and why the real “party” has to start within. Evan Cudworth breaks down his unique framework for building confidence and joy without alcohol and offers stories from both wild raves and deep silence at Burning Man.Whether you’re worried you can’t party sober (or just curious how presence can replace performance), this episode shares new possibilities.Here are the Highlights: 00:00 Intro: The myth that drinking is the party01:16 Why parties without alcohol feel unimaginable07:21 Creating alter egos: who are we trying to access?09:31 The “alcohol is a credit card” analogy11:42 How social norms & culture shape drinking14:44 Parties as rituals: St. Patrick’s Day and celebration engines20:30 The act of doing shots and what it really signifies24:42 Sober rituals and the power of intention29:56 The party within: reclaiming confidence and aliveness33:59 Building new evidence: is partying sober actually crap?34:44 The 7-stage “Party Within” framework44:41 Stop chasing nostalgia, what if you created joy instead?48:22 “Live more, numb less”, a new party philosophy51:05 The ultimate invitation: be the energy you want to see52:03 When it’s not about you: making others feel they belongAnna’s book "What Are You Thirsty For? Rethinking Alcohol and The Life You Want", is now out in the world for you to buy!Order your copy, access her free tools and explore her coaching programmes at: https://thebigdrinkrethink.com/The Thirsty For More Mindset Lab is Anna’s ‘inner circle’ - a calm, thoughtful space where conversations continue, patterns are explored, and things begin to make sense. Find out more at: https://thirstyformore.substack.com/If you appreciate the podcast and would like to show a bit of love, you can donate the cost of a coffee here. It helps support the time and care that goes into making the show: https://buymeacoffee.com/bigdrinkrethinkAbout the host Anna:Anna is a certified Alcohol Mindset Coach, trained by Annie Grace of This Naked Mind. Drawing on her own journey out of alcohol addiction, she now helps others explore and control their drinking. With a career spanning 25 years as a Strategist in the Advertising industry, she combines her own lived experiences, with great insight into what makes us tick and what influences us to behave the way we do.Connect with Anna:Website: thebigdrinkrethink.comLinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/annadonagheyInstagram: instagram.com/bigdrinkrethinkProduced by winteraudio.co.ukAbout Evan Cudworth:Evan Cudworth is, as far as anyone can tell, the world's first & only party coach - and he believes partying will save humanity. A nerdy UChicago graduate who came up in the underground rave & music scenes. Alongside his own struggles with validation, alcohol, & substances, in the post-pandemic chaos he created The Party Within, a 7 step framework for high-achieving adults who've been sold the lie that optimisation and fun are opposites.His argument is simple and a little heretical: the wellness industrial complex has made us more isolated, more rigid, and worse at being in a room together -and the cure is learning to actually party in our modern world.He's inspired thousands to libertate their social lives from anxiety, scrolling, & substances, and his work has appeared in GQ, the Washington Post, the Los Angeles Times, and Teen Vogue.He's here to make the case that partying might be the thing that saves us.Connect with Evan:Website: https://partycoach.me/
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    54 分
  • Ep 119: The Act of Showing Up | Alcohol Coaching
    2026/04/23
    What does it really mean to “show up” in your life and how is that different from simply “turning up”? In this solo episode, Anna Donaghey explores one of the most honest motivations she hears from people rethinking alcohol: the desire to be present. She shares why presence goes so much deeper than physical attendance. Alcohol is often used as an emotional buffer, and what’s possible when you start showing up as the unfiltered version of yourself at home, at work, and in every room you enter.Anna offers a powerful reframe: real presence is not just a skill for parties, but a life skill that transforms relationships and the texture of daily life. This episode is packed with gentle invitations to experiment with being genuinely present for yourself and the people who matter most.Here are the Highlights:00:00 Intro: Today we’re exploring the quest for true presence01:32 The difference between turning up and showing up03:41 How alcohol acts as a costume, buffering us from authenticity07:05 Alcohol, performance, and the “gap” we’re trying to bridge10:55 Children and loved ones can feel when you’re only “half there”11:54 A new version of attention is possible13:13 The surprising gifts of ordinary, real-time connection14:19 Why social events can feel the hardest17:06 Learning to trust your own presence20:06 Reframing sobriety: not deprivation, but a richer experience23:26 Real presence includes awkwardness and dullness24:14 Letting your actual energy lead is both vulnerable and enough27:35 Real confidence versus performed confidence30:07 Showing up is a gift to others, not just yourself34:37 Final question: will you turn up or show up?34:46 What’s coming next: unpacking the cultural architecture of alcohol and social life.Anna’s book "What Are You Thirsty For? Rethinking Alcohol and The Life You Want", is now out in the world for you to buy!Order your copy, access her free tools and explore her coaching programmes at: https://thebigdrinkrethink.com/The Thirsty For More Mindset Lab is Anna’s ‘inner circle’ - a calm, thoughtful space where conversations continue, patterns are explored, and things begin to make sense. Find out more at: https://thirstyformore.substack.com/If you appreciate the podcast and would like to show a bit of love, you can donate the cost of a coffee here. It helps support the time and care that goes into making the show: https://buymeacoffee.com/bigdrinkrethinkAbout the host Anna:Anna is a certified Alcohol Mindset Coach, trained by Annie Grace of This Naked Mind. Drawing on her own journey out of alcohol addiction, she now helps others explore and control their drinking. With a career spanning 25 years as a Strategist in the Advertising industry, she combines her own lived experiences, with great insight into what makes us tick and what influences us to behave the way we do.Connect with Anna:Website: thebigdrinkrethink.comLinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/annadonagheyInstagram: instagram.com/bigdrinkrethinkProduced by winteraudio.co.uk
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    36 分
  • Ep 118: When Avoidance Stops Working with April Day Garcia | Rethinking Alcohol |
    2026/04/16
    What happens when the strategies we rely on to avoid pain, achievement, busyness and constant momentum stop working?In this powerful conversation, Anna Donaghey is joined by April Day Garcia, author of The Room to Be Brave: Sometimes the way forward begins with going back, to explore how avoidance can hide in plain sight, especially for high-functioning people disguised as success.April shares how chasing achievement and belonging led her further from herself, with alcohol acting as a quiet form of escape. When a period of forced stillness changed everything, she began the deeper work of healing, returning to the “rooms” where old beliefs began.This episode offers a hopeful reframe: avoidance isn’t failure, it’s protection and real change starts not with becoming someone new, but with coming home to who you already are.Here are the Highlights:00:00 Intro: Rethinking avoidance with April Day Garcia00:45 The art of avoidance and the illusion of achievement02:27 April’s memoir mapping unravelling through literal rooms05:11 Running from the pain, and chasing achievement09:33 How avoidance can sometimes look like high performance11:31 No room for vulnerability, linking emotions to old, unsafe moments13:49 Alcohol’s role in numbing, postponing, and belonging16:50 Avoidance creates new problems, emotional costs rise20:35 The clear rupture: seeing darkness reflected in family23:07 Having a breakdown broke the cycle, and led to giving up alcohol38:09 The hardest rooms: confronting your own mistakes and shadow work41:55 Old beliefs aren’t yours and reclaiming your true self44:12 Redeveloping your rooms and rewriting your story52:36 Choose your hard, start with one room54:04 Healing isn’t failure, sometimes your truest self is waiting in the rooms you feared most.Anna’s book "What Are You Thirsty For? Rethinking Alcohol and The Life You Want", is now out in the world for you to buy!Order your copy, access her free tools and explore her coaching programmes at: https://thebigdrinkrethink.com/The Thirsty For More Mindset Lab is Anna’s ‘inner circle’ - a calm, thoughtful space where conversations continue, patterns are explored, and things begin to make sense. Find out more at: https://thirstyformore.substack.com/If you appreciate the podcast and would like to show a bit of love, you can donate the cost of a coffee here. It helps support the time and care that goes into making the show: https://buymeacoffee.com/bigdrinkrethinkAbout the host Anna:Anna is a certified Alcohol Mindset Coach, trained by Annie Grace of This Naked Mind. Drawing on her own journey out of alcohol addiction, she now helps others explore and control their drinking. With a career spanning 25 years as a Strategist in the Advertising industry, she combines her own lived experiences, with great insight into what makes us tick and what influences us to behave the way we do.Connect with Anna:Website: thebigdrinkrethink.comLinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/annadonagheyInstagram: instagram.com/bigdrinkrethinkProduced by winteraudio.co.ukAbout April Day Garcia:April Day Garcia spent years in forward motion - busy, capable, and running without knowing it. As a Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant, Reiki practitioner, and self-described chronic over-doer, she was excellent at moving through life while avoiding the rooms that needed her most.Sober since August 2024, April has been doing the harder work: going back into the experiences that shaped her deepest beliefs about herself, sitting in those spaces long enough to heal them, and discovering that who she was on the other side had been there all along. Her debut memoir, The Room to Be Brave: Sometimes the way forward begins with going back, is the story of what it means to stop running - and be brave enough to go back.Connect with April:Book: https://a.co/d/01NvRuC9Instagram: @theroomtobebraveWebsite: https://www.aprildaygarcia.com/
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    56 分