Celebrating 5 Years: The Message That Started It All – You Are Worthy

 🎉 I am celebrating 5 YEARS of the podcast! 🎉

To mark this milestone, I’m taking you back to where it all began — my very first episode, recorded during the pandemic. I was terrified and excited, but I knew I had to share the message that changed my life:

✨ You are 100% worthy and loveable, exactly as you are. ✨

This episode started as a way to reach my students when I couldn’t be with them, but it grew into something so much bigger — a community, a resource, and a reminder that none of us are alone in our struggles.

In this special replay, you’ll hear:
✅ Why I started the podcast in the first place
✅ The struggles and fears I had when beginning
✅ The core truth that still guides every episode today

💛 Thank you for being part of this journey — whether you’ve been listening since day one or this is your very first time. I’m so grateful for you!

👉 Listen to more episodes of The Teen Anxiety Maze Podcast: 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2OT7CqOJ4ao&list=PL_GAwNq4evJ-FsN-0E4vA9-yGmkh2bFSZ
👉 Subscribe so you don’t miss what’s next: 
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCO9WBijdxeYpQSekM7RZYvA?sub_confirmation=1

 Struggling with anxiety in your family? If anxiety is causing tension, fights, or disconnect in your home, you don’t have to face it alone. I help parents bring more peace, confidence, and connection to their families. Let’s talk—schedule a free consultation today or email me: ccoufal@cynthiacoufalcoaching.com

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Email me: ccoufal@cynthiacoufalcoaching.com
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Transcript

[00:00:00] Five years ago on my dad's birthday, I sat down with a mic in this office with lots of nerves and recorded my very first episode of that time. It was better regulate than ever, and now it is the teen anxiety Ma. If you wanna know more about other things about this podcast this month, I've been doing different episodes to kind of celebrate this five year anniversary.

And in that first episode, I talked about how terrified I was to start this journey, but excited at the same time. People sometimes put words together like terror, excited or whatever. I was terrified and excited. And I'm not terrified anymore to record this. I've done so many, but I always worry about, you know, wanting it to sound good and trying new things and [00:01:00] just making sure that the right people are hearing the right message.

And so I still care about that. And I started this podcast. I learned how to podcast during the COVID shutdown, and I was really missing my students because school shut down and I was an A school counselor and I wanted my, I wanted to be able to talk to my. My students, even though I couldn't physically see them, and I didn't start it during the shutdown, I, I mean, I learned about how to podcast.

I got the idea because I couldn't see my students and I learned how to podcast. I watched a course, got it all set up. And then on September 22nd, 2020, which was my dad's birthday, he had passed away before that. But I had chosen that day 'cause that day was special to me. And I thought it would also give me good luck.

And on that day I released some episodes that I had [00:02:00] started and created in that journey of trying to figure that out. And the number one belief that I had gotten through life coaching for myself was that I am a hundred percent lovable and worthy because for so many years I did not believe that and I thought that.

If you did something that was wrong, then that took away some of your worthiness or some of your lovability and or if you had a, you know, made a mistake or whatever. And I realized that that wasn't true, and that became the message of my very first podcast because I wanted every. Person that heard it.

And at that time I was speaking to teenagers, but I wanted every young person, every adult, every human to hear the message that everyone is 100% worthy and lovable. And there's nothing that we can do to make it [00:03:00] more. And there's nothing that we can do to make it less. And no matter what other people say to us about it, no matter how we feel about it.

It doesn't take any of that away, and I wanted everyone to know that. And so if you've been with me since 2020, you know that we've changed names. I was a solo. Podcaster for many years and then I started adding in a few guests and then it practically became an interview show. I am going back to more solo episodes.

I'll probably have a few guests here and there, but I wanna be the one that's talking to you. This is really important to me. And it helps you to know more about how I work as an individual, my ideas and thoughts, and the things that go into my program so that it, it helps you to get to know me in case you wanna have me to be your coach, which would be so fun if I could meet you.

And so today. Oh, and by the way, only [00:04:00] less than 5% of all podcasts and there are millions of podcasts, but less than 5% of them make it five years. So I'm in the top 5% and less, maybe I'm in the top four or 3%, which is so amazing, and I'm so proud of myself for being able to do that. And so today I want to rewind and play for you my very first episode because if you're a new listener, you probably didn't go back to number one.

To try to start from the beginning. Now, some people did, and I have some days have like a whole bunch of downloads, like more than normal and about 200 more than normal. So I'm like, oh, I wonder what's going on, and I'll look, and somebody went back and went. Even downloaded the trailer, trailer and then episode 1, 2, 3, and so on.

I'm kind of like that. When I start a podcast and I really get into it, I'll go back to the beginning, unless it's a like a business strategy podcast, I don't usually go back to the beginning [00:05:00] because business strategy changes all the time. I can tell you that what I told you in episode one and all the ones after that is still.

A hundred percent real and good right now because how you regulate your emotions doesn't change. So that's kind of what's, what's good about my podcast is that the material doesn't get old, it doesn't expire no matter what ones you're listening to. It's pretty much the way it is still. So I think that's pretty cool.

So sit back and enjoy the very first episode. I'll talk to you soon.

/Hey, I'm Cynthia Kofa, and this is Better Regulate Than Never. This is a show where young people can find so [00:06:00] much information about emotional health and. Ways that they can unlock their greatest potential. So I'm so glad that you joined me today because you are going to start this amazing journey that you won't even believe.

Hey you. I am so glad that you were joining me for my first episode of Better Regulate Than Never. I have to be honest that I am terrified. I have put off hitting the record button for hours now, and I keep finding different things to do because I'm so afraid of actually putting this, I guess recording it so somebody might hear it, but then I told myself.

I can erase it if I don't like it. And no one is hearing it right now except for me and [00:07:00] eventually you, which I am very excited about. I am so excited about it that that's probably what's pushing me through this, even though I'm feeling I very apprehensive. I have been working with young people for over 30 years.

I have been an educator. A counselor for many years, I've been a mom. Well, I am a mom and I think all of these experiences are just going to help me so much in having this podcast. I just think it's really important. Many times when I've worked with young people at school. I've thought I wish I could go home with 'em.

Or even they have told me sometimes that they wish that they had more to time to talk to me or more time to learn things that we were talking about in a session. And this seems like the perfect way to get into homes and to, to, [00:08:00] for kids to take me home if they want to. And now that COVID is going on and we aren't having.

School as much or in the spring, we didn't have school at all, and it was really hard to connect to people. I just think this is a really great time to start this kind of podcast because I think it's so important. Our mental health and our emotional health is really key to every single thing we do our entire lives, and so this is just, I think, the perfect time to start this kind of podcast.

So I'm excited about it. I started listening to podcasts about five years ago, and they have ultimately changed my life completely. I, I don't even, sometimes, I can't even imagine the person I was five years ago before I listened to podcasts, and I just felt like there's so much I've learned and I want.[00:09:00] 

Young people to know the things that I have learned because it took me so many years to get to this point. And I, I just don't want young people to waste their time thinking negative thoughts or having faulty thoughts. Because they don't know how to do it differently. So that's really what this podcast is about.

I want this to be a place where you can just get away for a while and just listen to a new idea and really let it soak in. I wanna make 'em short so that it doesn't take very long to listen to them. Sometimes if they're too long. Well, I can talk a lot and I don't want to be like that. I really want you to get something out of each episode and get something quickly.

'cause sometimes you don't have a lot of time. I really think the most important thing [00:10:00] for young people and really everybody, oh my gosh, there's so many adults that don't know this, but it is so important to be able to name. How you're feeling and we don't know a lot of words for that. We're gonna talk about that in the next episode.

But to how, how to name what you're feeling and ultimately to be able to regulate it to it. It just makes your life more peaceful. It, and I am all, I, I'm sure, happier if you are able to regulate. We learn a lot of. About emotions and how to regulate them or not regulate them from the adults in our lives.

And I'm so sad to know that many adults if we just watch the news or whatever, we're seeing adults not regulating themselves well. And you've probably known people in a lot of areas of your life that maybe don't regulate their emotions well. And so I really want you to know how to do it [00:11:00] and hopefully maybe you can help.

Other adults and other young people that, you know, re regulate and figure out what are their feelings, but really it's for you because we, we can only control ourselves. And so if we learn how to control ourselves, it will really just make our corner of the world better and our lives better in every area, every place that we go.

If you're new to podcasts, you might be wondering. How do I have time to listen to podcasts or where do I listen to podcasts? I have to get up and go to school. I have to be at school, I have to go to work. I have to do. Things with my family, you know, so how do I do this? So in my life I listen to podcasts all over the place.

So I have a Bluetooth speaker. And so even when I'm taking a shower, I just turn up my Bluetooth speaker a little bit louder so I can hear it. And I listen to [00:12:00] podcasts while I'm taking a shower. I listen to them while I'm getting ready for work. I listen to them in my car. I listen to them when I'm going on a walk.

I am sure you'll find a lot of different ways to do that, but you can literally listen to pod podcasts anywhere they are. They're just, it's just so easy to do. It's just like listening to the radio or any kinda music. This is really just a preview podcast where I just kind of introduce myself and what this is all gonna be about.

There are some really kind of foundational things that I want you to know as we're going along. So those are gonna be the first few episodes. Some really, some things I really think that we're just, that's gonna be the base of every single thing we do. So I want you to have those first and then we'll kind of go into more just random all over the place topics.

And I also want you to email me. And let me know what things you're wanting to work on. [00:13:00] I did kind of do a focus group with some students that I know and they gave me some ideas and I love them and we're definitely gonna cover those topics. But because I kind of have a way, like these foundation ones that we're gonna do in the next few episodes are, we're gonna use that information to do every single thing.

Yeah, everything else that we do is gonna be based on those things. So I want you to be able to have that base knowledge first. But I'm definitely going to cover those other topics that people gave me. But I do want you to get something out of this one. I don't want it to just be like, Hey, this is who I am.

See you later. One of the most important things that I've learned in podcasts in the last five years that has totally changed my life is that. I am 100% worthy and lovable, and I want you to really think about that [00:14:00] statement and just let it soak in for a minute. I am 100% worthy and lovable. That's really hard sometimes when people in your life they're not.

Letting you know that maybe you even have people who are saying the opposite to you, and I just want you to know that there is nothing and there is no one that can take away your worthiness or can take away your lovability that is born into you the second that you are born. And there's nothing that can take it away no matter what you've done.

No matter what you've said, no matter if you fail a test, no matter if you make a really big mistake, it doesn't matter. And it doesn't matter what other people say about [00:15:00] you or tell you that you're not worthy or lovable because you are, and you have to hold onto that at all times. It's so important, and it took me so long to know that about myself.

It just makes me sad to think about how I treated myself and what I thought about myself before I knew that this was completely true and I'm, I just wanna make, that's why this is my, the very first thing I'm saying to you because this, this is what has really changed my life and made me feel so much better.

Most of my life. I didn't feel like I fit in. I had friends I enjoyed. My life for the most part, high school was not fun and I, there were a lot of people that were not nice to me, and I'm sure that that's part of why I got in my head that I wasn't worthy or lovable. But I think I was thinking that before people even treated me that way.

But certainly that didn't help. But all of those negative thoughts that were going on in my mind. [00:16:00] I didn't realize that I didn't have to listen to them. You don't have to believe them. The thoughts that you hear inside of your head are lies, but certainly the ones that are hurtful and negative and say, you know what a terrible person you are, how stupid you are, how fat you are, how ugly you are, all of those are lies.

We're at least neutral at best. I want to help you to become emotionally intelligent so that you become so smart and curious about your thoughts, especially when they're negative and you really start thinking about, oh, that's just my brain. That's what my brain does, and I don't have to believe what it's saying.

You know, our brain wants to keep us safe, and so anything. That takes us outside of our [00:17:00] home, makes our brain scared. Because if you think about way back in caveman times, pretty much every time you left your cave, you were risking your life because there were predators and diseases and there was just like so many things.

And we don't have to live like that anymore, but our brain doesn't know it. So. Our brain likes to tell us a lot of lies because it thinks that it's keeping us safe and helping us when really it's not. Did I mention to you that this podcast is terrifying me, but I wanna be an example for you for how to do hard things?

Many times in our lives, we are gonna be doing something for the first time. And just like this podcast is for me. You might be giving a speech for the first time. You might be interviewing for a job, going on a first date, leaving home for [00:18:00] college, starting a new career. There are so many things that you're gonna do for the first time in your life and they're exciting, but they're also terrifying.

And some, I've seen many young people let. The fear and the terror paralyze them and they don't go forward because they feel like they can't. Like I just can't take that next step. And I want you to know that everyone feels that way when something is new. And the only way to get to the good stuff, to actually see your dreams realized to do.

Those things that you never thought you could do is to walk forward in that fear. And that's what I'm doing right now. I wanna be as open and transparent in this podcast so you really can see that it's not just when you're young that you feel those [00:19:00] feelings, but your entire life, that you feel those feelings.

And I want you to see that you can move forward through those things. I am terrified that you will not like this podcast, or someone's gonna send me a message about how stupid I am, or, or I made a mistake or I said something wrong, and those things are gonna happen. I'm gonna make mistakes. I might say something that doesn't sound the way somebody wants me to, and I can get all caught up in that and decide not to do this, or I can just decide that I'm gonna go through this.

And that my brain's gonna tell me it's scary and that I shouldn't do it. There might even be people that tell me not to do it, but I am determined to do this and I want to prove to you, and I wanna prove to myself that I can do that. I hope that my example will help you to move forward through the things that are so hard.

[00:20:00] Everyone listening now has something looming over them that is difficult and scary. The concepts that you're gonna learn in this podcast will help you to overcome those thoughts and feelings. This podcast won't stop you from feeling scared and terrified and sad because if you're a human, you're gonna feel those emotions.

Our whole entire lives until. The day we die, we're gonna feel good and bad. Emotions, ones that feel so amazing, we wish they lasted forever. Ones that are so heart wrenching and terrible that we don't think we can hold on another minute, but we can. And I, in this podcast, I want to teach you how to embrace all of those feelings and have this rich.

Amazing life and fulfill the potential [00:21:00] that every single one of you has in your life because there is no one that can do what you do but you, no one has had the exact same genetic makeup. No one has the exact same circumstances and situations that have molded and created you. And what you can bring to this world, you've gotta do it.

And like I said, I have seen so many young people that had this amazing potential inside. They, they could, they could have done anything and they didn't because they didn't believe in themselves and they didn't think. That it w they were worthy. They didn't think they were lovable. They didn't think they were smart enough.

They didn't think they were cute enough, thin enough, tall enough. IT talented enough. I don't know. And that is not true and I just, [00:22:00] I don't think I can stress that enough. I feel like, oh my gosh, if you get anything or never listen to another episode, I just want you to know that. So there's a lot of pieces to this puzzle.

And we're gonna learn a lot of different things along the way. So just keep tuning in Every week. I'm going to post an episode every Tuesday, and I'm gonna do it pretty early in the morning. 'cause I get up pretty early in the morning, but I thought, well, maybe somebody's gonna wanna listen to it before they come to school, before they go to work or whatever.

So I'm gonna post it, I think, well right now I'm planning on 4:00 AM so you'd be able to listen to it after that every Tuesday. Well, thank you. For listening today, that has meant so much to me. Tell your friends about it. I, I just, there's just like so many people that I, I like imagine them listening to it, then I imagine what they are gonna think about it.

But, but tell your friends about it. And if we can get this information out to more people, I mean, just think [00:23:00] about how peaceful and relaxed the world might be. I also have a website and I'm gonna put that in the show notes so that you can check that out. And this episode doesn't really have anything extra with it, but most of the episodes will have an activity to do or a website I want you to look at or a place to go or whatever.

So all that stuff will be in the show notes, but this one will probably just have my web. My website probably make sure that wherever you listen to podcasts that you rate and review that's how podcasts get noticed. And not that this one needs to get noticed, but it would be just kind of fun if it did.

And with reviews and stuff, I can. Do a shout out to people in the podcast, people who give reviews and stuff. So I'm looking forward to seeing what people think and watching my ratings, because that's a whole [00:24:00] part of being a podcaster, and I think that part's gonna be really fun every day. We get to decide what our thoughts are gonna be.

Choose wisely. Talk to you soon.

Thanks for listening to Better Regulate Than Never. Music in this episode was provided by arches audio.com. Make sure you check out the show notes for links and activities. That will help you to get the most out of this episode. I cannot wait to talk to you next week. If you enjoy this show, don't forget to review and rate us wherever you get [00:25:00] podcasts.