If you are in the horrors with menstrual cycle issues or you want to learn how to harness your hormones, then you are in the right place.

Welcome to the Period Power podcast. I’m your host Maisie Hill menstrual health expert, acupuncturist, certified life coach and author of Period Power. I’m on a mission to help you get your cycle working for you so that you can use it to get what you want out of life. Are you ready? Let’s go.

Hello everyone, welcome to another fabulous episode where I get to have a conversation that I know is just going to be incredible because I have one of my clients and a colleague of mine, Maria Carmen is here on the show this week. Welcome, Maria Carmen.

Maria Carmen: Thank you, Maisie, I’m super excited to be here with you today.

Maisie: It’s great to have you. So why don’t we start off before I forget, if you just introduce yourself, let everyone know your pronouns and any other details you want to share.

Maria Carmen: Yeah, absolutely. So like Maisie said, my name is Maria Carmen, a Spanish sounding name but I’m Italian based in the Netherlands for the past seven years. I’m doing a PhD in menstrual health. And that’s why kind of colleagues. Yeah, my pronouns are she, her. And I’m 27 years old.

Maisie: So good. I just love that you’re 27 years old and you’re just out there in the world doing this incredible research. So tell us more because people are going to want to know. Tell us more about your PhD and what your focus is on, where you’re at with it all. Tell us.

Maria Carmen: Yeah. Basically for the last years I’ve kind of really been in this menstrual movement which is also how we were basically connected. I will say something more about it later. And particularly my research, I sit in a business school so I’m kind of really curious of how companies can implement menstrual health policies. And yeah, kind of action within their work but also how brands and organisations can [inaudible] with their products, with their offers.

So it’s been exciting. There’s been so much change in the last year, so it’s been a fruitful area for research.

Maisie: Oh my goodness, what a time to be doing this. This is such amazing timing and my goodness, is your work needed in the world. Okay, so when did you join The Flow Collective? It was this year, wasn’t it? In my mind it’s this year.

Maria Carmen: Yeah. It was just about seven months ago, I think. So not the last enrolment, the one before.

Maisie: And why did you join?

Maria Carmen: Well, I have just been part of the Doing Less workshop. And that was really the moment that completely convinced me. Of course we first met actually in person when you presented a translated version of your book in the Netherlands just before the pandemic.

Maisie: That was one of the last things, maybe even the last thing I did before the pandemic started and that first lockdown hit. Because yeah, I was over in the Netherlands because of my book coming out and the translation there. And you came along to that fabulous event. It was such a great event. And it was just like, who is this woman? Because you were just so – I just really remember your energy. And so it was really cool to then see that you had joined The Flow Collective. And I never knew how you had ended up coming there. So that’s really cool to hear.

Maria Carmen: Yeah. I have of course heard of your book because being aware of what happens in the menstrual health movement, if an amazing new book is going to come out. And for me what struck me about it because when you presented it I had already read it, the English version was of course already out. And I love how you were balancing this practice informed information, coming from your years as a practitioner and your experience with the data, and the science, and with this kind of no BS approach.

I love the combination, it resonated with me a lot. And so I loved seeing you talk in person. I think a lot of people haven’t had the chance yet maybe because they’ve meet you online in the last year. So that was really striking but I hadn’t joined The Collective in the month thereafter because I thought, well, I have a very strong menstrual cycle awareness practice already. I’ve been doing this for years. So you ask yourself, okay, I’m going to invest in something but why would I, right?

Maisie: Yes. And it’s such a good question to ask for anything, why am I doing this? Is this important to me? And kind of making that decision in a really strong way.

Maria Carmen: Yeah, absolutely. But then I joined the Doing Less workshop. And then my mind was blown with the tools. And I’m a sucker for tools, although I am more often in my head than I am in my practicing and my implementation which has been one of my biggest learnings in The Flow Collective. And so I wasn’t even joining live so I rewatched the recording and still I got so much out of it. And I realised that The Flow Collective isn’t just about figuring out the phases of your cycle which I was already aware of.

But it was about applying compassion and self-love towards yourself. And also really getting down with your thoughts and knowing how to work with them rather than against them, and I was, yeah, I was in.

Maisie: I love that, getting down with your thoughts. That’s exactly what it is. But yeah, I think that was kind of interesting for me, seeing your name pop up and you joining because I’m always when someone is a practitioner, or they work in this field themselves then I kind of always just want to make sure you know it’s not just about the cycle. There’s going to be a whole load of other stuff because of course it’s there and understanding the cycle and the hormones really informs our approach and the conversations that we have. But it is just a small part of the rest of it.

And I love that you got to experience that in the Doing Less workshop. Okay, so you joined, was there any hesitations at the time? Was there anything where you were like, “I don’t know?”

Maria Carmen: I think the hesitation was more towards myself. I’ve bought over the years a lot of courses. I am a fan of personal development. And I got whatever I needed to get over the years. But I just was afraid that it was yet another way to just kind of bring information in. And my biggest problem over the year has been well, how do I conflate everything I’ve learnt into actual changes in my life? How do I get to see the impact of what I’m learning in my daily actions and in my daily thought processes?

And so I was just a bit concerned that it would just be another investment. But I also told myself, I can just try and see what’s going to happen. And to be honest, having heard you in the podcast already for months at that time, I knew that I could show up and get what I needed. One of my favourite quotes of yours, I always get what I came for. And that’s become one of my mantras.

Maisie: But I love that because that is such a skill to develop because I think definitely for me, maybe for you, I have a sense, and probably for a lot of other people, we like to do things the right way. We were kind of raised with this and particularly if you have experience in academia and things, it’s like being thorough, ticking off everything off the list and really there can be this perfectionism around how we interact with things like courses and content of any kind. And it can end up being like another thing that we beat ourselves up with.

Rather than thinking, well, why am I here? Am I getting the results that I want? And making the judgement based on that rather than am I listening to every call? Have I filled in every worksheet? Have I taken part in everything? That’s not the whole point because the membership is designed for different brains, and different learning styles, and different learning needs. So some people love Ask a Coach and doing the one-on-one coaching that happens there. Other people love the community. Other people don’t have anything to do with the community.

Some people love listening to replays. Others are determined to get there live. So it’s kind of designed where you just take your pick. The point is never you have to take part in everything.

Maria Carmen: Yeah, and that’s a learning in itself. I definitely haven’t ever joined anything like The Flow Collective. So at the beginning you’re really, you’re entering almost for me, I didn’t know what to expect. I think now with the way you’ve been talking about it and the [inaudible], I think there is a better sense out there of what it is.

And [inaudible], I just trusted myself and trusted you that there would be something magical on the other side of it. And I think a funny thing to also realise for me is that I hadn’t realised that you were a life coach somehow. I don’t know how I missed that but for me you were a menstrual health expert and so that was enough. But I had a thing when I was younger. So 10 years ago I went to this event and then they made us write down, what do I want to be when I grow up?

And I wrote down life coach, and that was a concept that 10 years ago in Italy, people didn’t even know what it was but I was loving it. And for me those two worlds really came together in The Flow Collective that for me it’s really a unique place on the internet and in the world because it’s recognition that the cyclical body needs certain care and certain attention. But also it gives you a wisdom that can really help you get to the success you deserve.

Maisie: Yes. So I’m just over here nodding, I’m like, yes, totally. My heart responds to that, hearing you say that because it is needed, so needed. Okay, so you joined seven months ago. What has your experience been like? And maybe some of the top things that have been meaningful to you or results that you’ve created, tell us whatever you want to share.

Maria Carmen: Yeah. So I’ve done a little bit of reflecting on this over the past days. But I think the first thing is I’ve always thought personal development was very lonely. And also a bit of a complication towards yourself and also with others. Because yeah, you’re trying to become the smartest, most successful version of yourself, and the world tells us that that means that we’re taking from others.

But as I’ve said to you before, the celebration culture in The Flow Collective is something that I think has forever changed me because it allowed me to celebrate strangers, so people that I don’t know personally, that of course are not strangers because we are now in the same community. But that I cannot see. That I cannot judge, I don’t see their physique, I don’t know their personality. But I can share on their success, and on their self-love, and on their wins and they can do the same with me.

And that allowed me to also see myself really with fresh eyes. And every week see how much I’ve achieved in terms of just bringing compassion to the table and supporting myself. I’d had a difficult few years over COVID. I struggled with some boundaries and some toxic people. And so I think I arrived to The Flow Collective really drained without maybe even realising. But I really needed an energy boost to keep going for my dreams if I can say so.

And I think that the community has been so supportive towards that and also feeling liking you’re our biggest cheerleader, that’s one thing that for me, it feels very special to be honest. And so that’s been on the community side of things. But to be honest the biggest shift, I feel like my reality has changed. I was thinking about it yesterday. I always struggled with finding confidence in myself to make decisions. And I know we’re going towards that in autumn so I’m so excited for that next chapter.

But I always looked at others, my partner, my parents, my best friends to confirm whatever gut feeling or sense I had of a situation. But that also made me really dependent on others and I’m not sure of myself. And I’ve done so much problem solving in the last six months. I’ve blown my own mind from my computer broke and I have to find a solution to get my data back.

Maisie: Oh my gosh, what a nightmare.

Maria Carmen: Yeah. So real things. I get stuck somewhere, I lose my keys, something happens and my spontaneous response that I would be just crying, calling someone for help before even checking in with my brain. So bring your brain where the solution is, it’s also been my second mantra.

Maisie: Wow. It’s so interesting how often people do celebrate that because we do speak about being resourceful and that doesn’t mean existing is an island and not receiving any help or not asking for help. But it is, for me when I see you and I see everyone else in the community, it’s like I see you as your most powerful, resourceful self. And so I think that’s the beauty of a coach is that they see you that way and give you an opportunity through the relationship, through the community to see yourself that way and to step into that version of yourself that is already in there.

It’s not like you’re becoming a different person. This version of you is already in there but there’s just stuff maybe that we need to tend to in order to let them step out and up a bit more. What do you think of that?

Maria Carmen: Yeah. That feels so true. And I think that’s also an important thing to say about the community. There is nothing prescriptive there. There’s nothing even about having to perform. Success doesn’t necessarily mean upleveling in a way that doesn’t feel true to us. But it really means stepping into that version of ourself that is the most compassionate, the one that dares to dream, the one that dares to want. And I think for me that’s been super helpful to shift the idea of success and of upleveling if we want to call it that way.

From an external input, one, to our question. And the question is, what do I want to be? Who do I want to be? What do I want to achieve? And that’s brought some concrete results both emotionally and practically, like raising your prices if you’re doing consulting. And then somehow many more opportunities are coming and you’re asking yourself, are these things just materialising themselves out of thin air? But it’s because you’re bringing that confidence, and that authenticity, and that daring to ask out there which I wouldn’t have had without The Flow Collective for sure.

Maisie: That’s so, so important. I just wish that for everyone to have that shift in how you see yourself and then kind of what you dare to do. And I think I shared recently on a call that I was coaching our babysitter about this because of a conversation that she had with me about what she charged. And I was like, “Never tell anyone that’s what you charge like that.” And it’s been so fun to watch her shift things and now she’s charging more money. And I’m like I love to see it, I love to see it. It is so important.

And I love what you touched on there about your version of what success is. And I love how on our wins threads there’s people who are like, “I felt like shit this week and I was able to feel like shit.” Because so much of what we do is just about being able to experience your emotion and to sit with yourself with compassion, and tenderness, and understanding and make decisions from there about what you want to happen.

And I love that also kind of mentioned a little while ago that decisions has been something that’s been challenging for you. And now you’ve been making all these decisions. But I also have to point out as your coach, I have to jump in and point out as well. And I think you know this already. But we have a tendency to think how is this happening. And we kind of make it as it’s happening because of something outside of us. Something’s shifted in the world. Well, there is more articles about this. So more companies are hearing about it.

And that’s why they want me to come in and be a consultant, kind of things like that. It’s like, yeah, that can be true. And how have you created this result? And really taking that responsibility that you are always creating results for yourself of all kinds. And I just want to celebrate that with you now that you’ve gone for it and you’ve been like, “I’m going to go for it.” Because from the coaching we’ve done and kind of witnessing shifts for you, that stepping into success for you seems to have been such a huge part of the past six/seven months.

Maria Carmen: Yeah. And I think one of the things I underestimated is we are made to believe that success is the goal and it’s kind of the end of it. And then we figure out there is actually success tolerance or intolerance. And I think I also freaked myself out a little bit with, well, what if it’s easy? What if I can create things? That’s scary because it means that you can really have such a real impact on your life and therefore there is no excuses for playing small. And when I realised that I was like, “Oh, oh.”

Maisie: What went through your mind?

Maria Carmen: I think there was a general shutdown of, I guess, there is also a whole journey there of how do you hold space for that? How do you give yourself enough credit and also enough space to freak out for the uplevel and then ask for help? That’s where I think the coaching and also working on this with you and with Mars, and with the other coaches has been instrumental because success is not the end of it. It’s the journey. It’s a lifelong thing.

And so somehow it gave me a perspective of now I can see how a lot of successful people can be miserable or can be alone. Because if you don’t support yourself in the process, you can start doubting everything. You can start self-sabotaging. And I really saw that very clearly. So that was an interesting – I didn’t expect that.

Maisie: It is interesting, isn’t it? Because I’ve had those same experiences and so many other people I know have as well where we’re just socialised to think that well, when you succeed, you’ll be happy. And then a lot of people have what I describe as goal disappointment or success disappointment where they get there and they’re like, “Where’s my parade?” They’re either not giving themselves the parade in the first place, and actually not holding space for the celebration and acknowledging themselves.

Or they’ve been thinking that well, when I achieve this thing my life is going to be better somehow. And with that it means really that they’re not actually celebrating their life as it is. And I’m a big believer in life is always 50/50. So whether you’re here or there, it doesn’t matter, it’s still 50/50. Half of it’s crap and half of it’s amazing. It’s just a different set of 50/50. What actually constitutes that 50/50.

So there’s that but then I also think, and I’d love to hear your thoughts on this. Kind of I think it’s an interesting phase where you are and what you’ve worked with and now kind of what you’re moving towards. I think there can also be a bit of disappointment. I’m trying to think if that’s the right word. Where because you have become the person along the way, it’s like that success becomes inevitable. So then when you’re on the other side of it, it’s like, well, of course this was going to happen so it’s not quite disappointment but it’s like ambivalence maybe. What do you think?

Maria Carmen: Yeah. It fees like watered down. It’s not shocking. It doesn’t feel like a complete surprise, maybe it sounds surprising somehow. You don’t blow your own mind in the moment because it’s been a diluted process if you know what I’m saying, like that. And you’re expecting it by then because it’s unfolding. And I think that’s also why celebration every week is so important because what I’ve also done before is I’ve looked back to previous posts and what I commented on.

And I’m a journaler, I’ve kept track of my last 10 years. I am that kind of person. So I do see how I’ve developed but sometimes cannot tap back into that feeling and that emotion. And I think consciously working through those things with coaching really helps you remember that’s where I was, and this is where I am now. And for me literally the biggest takeaway is every day we get an opportunity to apply this work. I think that’s something that – I don’t know if people out there, the people that listen to your podcast maybe get a sense of that because you share your daily life quite a bit.

But every single day I am faced with a situation where I’m reacting to something, something happens, someone says something about me. And I get a chance to either step back into my comfort zone of belittling myself or not believing that I can do things. Or deciding not to do the work. And/or I get the chance to really show up as the person I’ve become. So it’s really a daily thing. And I think that’s for me, it’s an interesting challenge because it means that you don’t just become that person one day and you’re that person forever. It’s a daily process.

And you get to [inaudible] every day. So if there’s a shit day, if there’s a shit week, and at the end of the month I go, “So it’s been a difficult week, been a lot of overstimulation.”

Maisie: I know that feeling. I know that feeling. But yeah, and I think that’s it and it’s also that recognising that sometimes the ‘growth’ is to actually be like, “You know what? I am going to sit this one out.” Sometimes it’s leaning into it, stepping into it, and kind of working with some of the discomfort that might be there, by tending to your nervous system, by being compassionate towards yourself and still going for it. And then there’s other times when it’s like, “You know what? Right now I am feeling overstimulated, and I do need to rest.”

And it’s kind of like a slight detachment from identity from it. It doesn’t mean anything about me, and this is, you know, it comes down to self-worth, and morals, and things. It doesn’t mean anything about you whether you decide to step into something or to step back from something. You’re still amazing. You’re still perfect. You’re still inherently worthy and lovable, that doesn’t change.

Maria Carmen: Yeah. It’s very, very hard as well, perfectionist, and as a people pleaser and all the things that maybe actually let me rephrase that.

Maisie: Okay good. I was about to go, “Listen, we need to have a conversation.”

Maria Carmen: No. As someone who has had some tendencies in the past around people pleasing and perfectionism, let’s rephrase it like that. And sometimes I sit back into it because we’re humans. But I think that creating real space for existing just the way you are and be okay with it even within the larger realm of personal development is so powerful because there’s real burnout that can come from just wanting to be the perfect version of yourself.

And I’m the first kid, I have four younger brothers. All the responsibility of being a good child, a good person in school and study hard, and achieve the things. Those things seep into your identity for real. And so the fact, The Flow Collective and your coaching, and your coaches’ work creates the space to just exist and not do something about it every time is also a super powerful feature. I want to speak to that because it’s not just about improving and getting your successes. It’s also just developing tolerance for just sitting with yourself let’s say is important.

Maisie: Yes. So, so important. And for me that’s it, it’s like that inner journey that you go on and all that exploration, and acceptance, and loving yourself, every part of you, unconditional love towards yourself. Because when you unlock that in yourself, I don’t even have the words for it because just I can feel the expansiveness in my body just saying it. And it really when we tend to those inner parts it allows us to show up in the world in a very different way.

Maria Carmen: Yeah. And to let that love kind of be reflected in others. I think going back to that competition part and wanting to be the best or be better. I think I’ve felt it so much less in the last six months because I’ve realised that when I show myself compassion I’m showing everyone else compassion. That’s so important. And I keep it in. I keep it close to my heart. And I try to practice every day.

Maisie: Well, let’s celebrate that. How incredible. Okay, what is a fun memory that you have from being in the membership? And that might be from a session, some communication with another member, or maybe in the community or something that you’ve actually used and then taken out into your life?

Maria Carmen: Yeah, I think whenever you’re coaching someone else, you Maisie I mean, there is always a bit less pressure because you’re not on the hot seat and so you can observe. Every time that then you ask everyone else to raise their hand if they also experience that stupid feeling, or if they also not have everything together. And everyone is raising their hand. It feels like such a simple moment but also just reckoning, we’re all the same, we all get through this. And the fact that we can see each other raising that hand, I think it’s very powerful because it’s a moment of vulnerability.

The person that is getting coached is probably in a difficult place in that moment emotionally, vulnerable. And everyone shows up and it’s okay with being seen as imperfect. And for me that’s kind of the perfect summary of what The Flow Collective is because then we also laugh about it, and we move on.

Maisie: Yeah. There’s a lot of laugher on our calls. There’s also tears and everything else in the mix as well. But I do enjoy how fun that is. And I think it is, you know, when I was coming up with the membership and thinking about the different components and did I want there to be a community or not? And just like how you started off this conversation. I really wanted to answer that for myself of well, why, would I have the community? Why is that important? And that is the reason.

I mean there’s other reasons as well but so much of it is about being seen, whether you’re being seen in a struggle, a celebration, but it’s so powerful because everyone comes in. And I’ve had this experience myself as well, being in a group. You think I’m the only one that has this experience. I’m the only one who struggles with this. My brain works this way, no one else thinks this, no one else is feeling this.

Like today, someone on Instagram asked me how often, do I ever feel doubt. Every day. There’s no getting away from emotions like this. But it’s what you do with them and how you’re able to work with them that means they don’t become something, a reason to stop. Feeling doubt is not going to stop me. It’s just going to be like, okay, what’s next? So there’s doubt, okay, understanding it, being loving towards myself. And so that’s why I’m always like, “Who else thinks this?”

Because everyone needs to see that. Because even if you’re internally going, “Yeah, that’s a me thing as well.” But you don’t know that everyone else on the call or the vast majority, it’s also a thing for them. And then we all get to go, “Oh.” That’s one of the ways that we can just start to accept these parts of ourselves by just seeing that everyone else is human including me, including you. Has there been anything that you’ve found particularly challenging or uncomfortable along the way?

Maria Carmen: I think bringing all the work outside of the community into the world has been a big gift. And at the same time I also can get into the mode of I definitely have all the tools and you poor people, you don’t know Maisie yet. Well, I’ve sent all my friends of course to the podcast. So they know who you are. But it’s sometimes hard and that’s a personal challenge. I really sometimes get into the [inaudible], oh, well, I mean I’m definitely in the right because I’ve done so much inner work on this.

I’ve modelled this so I’m not sure where you’re coming from, but you really haven’t done a thought download on this. And then I have to check myself and don’t be a frightful person, don’t be horrible. I think maybe that’s a very specific challenge. But I’ve seen this in the community as well. People ask me, “How do you manage to bring that into your life if other people don’t know what this work is?” And I think my takeaway and I haven’t necessarily finished the whole journey, I’m in the midst of it.

But is that as long as you show up authentically yourself you don’t have to teach this to anyone. They’re going to see it. You’re going to model it for them.

Maisie: I’m over here just, yes, yes, yes. This is so important and I’m really appreciative that you have mentioned this as well because it does come up pretty regularly in the community with people like, “I’m feeling so different. I’ve had all these shifts. How do I explain it to my partner? How do I get other people to know about this kind of stuff?” And for me it’s really interesting because I for sure have gone on this journey as well by the way. And I completely agree with you that do it for you and then let other people experience you.

And there’s also this female socialisation element to it as well. And this is not a good or a bad thing I don’t think because we can kind of look at it in different ways and play with it. But it’s like, oh, well, if I’ve had something that’s really helped me then there can be excitement to share it with everyone else. But there can also be, I think, a sense of obligation that comes through, like I need to share this with the people who are struggling. And that’s again not good or bad. It’s just what it is.

But I think there can also for some people be an element of a desire to fix someone else.

Maria Carmen: 100%.

Maisie: Yeah. And there’s just like I’m over here and this is maybe not your experience, but I will say it, I will be honest, my experience, I’m over here all high and mighty taking care of myself. And now I see [inaudible] for what it is. And let me tell you about yourself.

Maria Carmen: Exactly, that’s a real risk. And I think you know what? I think laugher and humour is actually what fixes it because it fixes ego. There’s no space for ego and humour at the same time. So for me I can be quite sensitive. I can get offended quite easily. So I really try to lean into this humour of, okay, I’ll just laugh about it. And then my partner says, “Well, what would your coach say?” Or my friend would say, “Well, tell her [inaudible].” And then it becomes something that they know I’ve loved this. They’ve seen the positive impact on my life.

So they smile about it and there’s no need for me to preach around it because that’s going to just bring me [inaudible] I think, an entitlement which is not what I want to embody.

Maisie: Yes, exactly. And I think we, like when you are aware of yourself, if you’re paying attention to how you feel, so how your body feels and the thoughts that you’re thinking, we can discern that. We can tell the difference between when we’re leaning in with what’s genuine love and care for someone and offering them something. And knowing that you’re just offering, and they can say no. Versus something that feels more forceful and it’s like there’s a bit of nervous system activation usually.

And it’s kind of, I think often it can be a bit of defensiveness actually and kind of wanting to be right is kind of how I would describe it. And wanting other people to see it. Again, that can come from love and wanting to help someone. But I think it’s just a phase of this that most people go through. And then like you said, the answer is just laughing about what am I doing here? I’m just getting to laugh about it, having a moment and then moving on with things.

Okay, what else, is there anything else you want to talk about? Is there anything that’s surprised you, anything else that you’d like to share really?

Maria Carmen: I think I was honest and it’s really true, I’ve been working with my cycle, and I’ve been working with my emotions for so long even though I’m still relatively young. And yet I’ve never had such a transformation as I have in the last six months or seven months. And I think that’s because I’ve implemented, and I’ve really just overcome my perfectionism of learning everything right before I even understood what the model was. I just tried it out. I tried working on myself.

I trusted myself in the process and I trust you. And I trusted Mars and the other coaches. And something that really hit me was I think you both said, both you and Mars say, people are allowed to be wrong about you. And it sounds so simple but for me it was lifechanging because I had spent a lot of time trying to convince people. I’m a good person. I work hard. I mean well. And now I am really in the process of dropping that. And I didn’t expect that to have such a massive impact on the way I’d show up in life at work and beyond.

That was really something I needed, and I didn’t know I needed it. So it doesn’t surprise me. But people are allowed to be wrong about you, it’s not your job to convince them. That’s been really mind blowing. And it’s not even come from things that are brought to coaching. It’s come from other people’s coaching, it’s come from reading, through the community. And I think that so much more success can be created if I really believe that talk. So I’m going there.

Maisie: Yes, so, so true. And that has been really powerful for me as well. And I think if anyone wants to hear more about that I did a whole podcast episode about it, quite a while back now. But yeah, other people are always going to have thoughts about you. And we can’t do anything about that. And really those thoughts tend to bother you if you have those thoughts about yourself. And I think this is like you said, ongoing work that we all do. And there’ll be times when there is a bit of a zinger, and someone says something and it’s like.

And we, I think with awareness can see, is there a part of me that believes this to be true? But so often other people are just offering us thoughts about ourselves, and we just readily take them on. And that means the good, the bad, and the ugly of all kinds. People are always offering us thoughts and opinions about ourselves and sometimes we’re like, “Yeah, I really like how that person sees me. I’m going to take on that thought.” And other times someone will offer you a thought about yourself that feels awful.

And sometimes there will be truth in it and other times maybe there isn’t. But we just take it on so it’s that, I think being able to recognise other people’s thoughts, and your thoughts, and working with things in a helpful and a kind way.

Maria Carmen: Yeah, a 100%, that feels very right.

Maisie: Yes, okay. Well, what a powerful one to end on. Maria Carmen, thank you so much for coming on. It’s been so much fun, and I’ve just really enjoyed the conversation and I’m sure everyone listening has as well. And please let the people know where to find you if they want to come and work with you or hire you as a consultant or hear about your work in any way. Where do they need to head to, to find out how to do that?

Maria Carmen: Yeah. I think the easiest is Instagram, so Periods With Maria Carmen. It’s a long one. And then I have everything there. So it’s quite easy to find me from there.

Maisie: Okay, wonderful. So Periods With Maria Carmen. And we will stick your handle if that’s okay in the show notes so that people can head over to you. Amazing. This has been just such a delight so thank you so much. And I just look forward to seeing what’s next for you. It’s just been amazing to witness things. And I know that there’s so much more in front of you. And my goodness, to be doing all this work at 27, both professionally and personally, look out world.

Maria Carmen: I can wait. Thank you so much, Maisie, it was really an honour and super fun.

Maisie: Amazing. Alright, everyone, we’ll catch you next week.

Thanks for listening to this week’s episode of the Period Power podcast. If you enjoyed learning how to make your cycle work for you, head over to maisiehill.com for more.