Turning Weaknesses into Strengths: Overcoming Insecurities with Cassandra Branch

Join me for an enlightening discussion with Cassandra, the founder of Lisa's Believe Ministries, as we candidly tackle the tough subject of overcoming insecurities. As someone who has faced and conquered insecurities rooted in childhood experiences, I share my story, hoping to inspire and empower. Together, we explore the power of acknowledging our unique abilities and how they can be harnessed to build self-confidence and resilience.

Cassandra's journey from being a shy girl, pressured by familial expectations, to becoming an influential life coach makes for a compelling narrative. She opens up about her experience of "faking it until she made it," demonstrating remarkable determination and strength in the face of adversity. We delve into her transformation, focusing on how she used her insecurities and weaknesses as stepping stones to launch her own daycare center. Her story is a testament to the extraordinary power of self-belief and the possibilities it unlocks.

In a refreshing twist, we also shed light on how perceived weaknesses can be turned into viable strengths. Cassandra shares the story of how her personal setbacks, like her back pain, actually fueled her creativity and productivity. Throughout the conversation, we emphasize the importance of self-care routines, including prayer, stretching, and exercise as part of standing tall and embracing one's true self. We wrap up on an inspirational note, urging listeners to bring faith into their lives and use their weaknesses as stepping stones towards success. This is an episode you wouldn't want to miss!

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:01

Hello and welcome back to the Overcome Yourself podcast. As you know, my name is Nicole. I'm so excited to be here today. With wait, i didn't ask is it Cassandra or Cassandra, cassandra, cassandra. Okay, welcome, cassandra. I'm so excited to have you here, and we actually met through Brooke and I think Brooke is going to have her own episode, so I'm so grateful that she brought us together. Can you tell us a little bit more about you? I know that you are in the faith industry. I guess I don't know how to say that If I'm saying that, right, yes, yes, yes. So tell us a little bit about that.

Speaker 2: 0:39

Well, thank you for having me, nicole. First and foremost, i've had a chance to listen to your podcast. I love it. So this is a treasure to be here with you, so thank you for that. Yes, my name is Cassandra. I am the owner and CEO founder owner founder of Lisa's Believe Ministries, and that's a ministry. It's a personal ministry designed to lift women to believe in their self worth and use their unique abilities to bring their dreams to life. You know God's way, through my coaching, through some of my programs that I offer under Lisa's Believe Ministries, and so that's basically what I do. I'm a life coach. I like to say I'm a mind, body, spirit life coach. You know, yeah, i love to really get to the whole, the whole of you, the whole part of you, I love it.

Speaker 1: 1:44

And you were telling me before we started recording that you were feeling called to talk about insecurities. So I want to dive into that. Tell me about insecurities and I guess how we can overcome those insecurities, right? Oh yeah?

Speaker 2: 1:59

Oh yeah. So I don't know. A lot of people don't really. They know they have insecurities, but they don't want to recognize it, you know, they just prefer to ignore it.

Speaker 2: 2:11

And so, first of all, let's define insecurities, and I looked it up in insecurities. It has a lot of definitions, so I put mine, because this is what I was going through. And so I said insecurity, social insecurities is you not owning your confidence in your unique abilities to do well with what God has given to you, for you to succeed in social settings as your true self? Now, that's the way I define it, you know, and it works for me.

Speaker 2: 2:49

And so and I put it that way because, again, those were the things that I was dealing with, you know, as a child and into my adulthood, and so, basically, what I was dealing with is not showing up as my true self, being afraid to speak. You know, whether I was in a as an adult, whether I was in a team work meeting, i was afraid to speak up, thinking that my what I had to say was inadequate, it didn't matter what I had to say. Or whether I was in a social gathering, especially with females, i was afraid to hold conversations due to feelings of insignificance or just shyness. You know, i was very shy and self conscious of my surrounding, self conscious of my hair, what I was wearing, what shoes I had on, and I think a lot of, especially females, can relate to what I just said. Yeah, absolutely.

Speaker 1: 3:52

I know I can. Oh, definitely, yeah, yes, and, and what you said just brings so much like there's so much good stuff in there. So let me think of a book. I read the confidence code, how, like what, the stuff that you're saying is like scientific, like we've got, like, you know, we've got like research and everything behind this. Yeah, and so we have the competence.

Speaker 1: 4:23

As women, we strive for competence And what we don't realize is that we already have, like we've, we've been going in, you know, we've been so focused on being competent that we are like we are beyond competent And the problem that we have is that we don't have the confidence to speak to that competence. Yes, that was. That was really good. I'm going to quote myself on that.

Speaker 1: 4:49

And so, like the example and I saw that it went around on social media is that it comes from this book is when we, as women, when we're looking, for example, at a job application, we will look at it and we will know 90% of the things that are on there, and then we'll be like Oh, i don't know this 10%, so I don't qualify where a man would look at that, and they would be like I know about 60% of this stuff, i can figure out the rest.

Speaker 1: 5:17

And then, and then we're like, oh my God, why do they get better opportunities? because they took them where we were like, oh, i'm not competent enough, and the dude was like I'll figure it out. And so there's there's so much depth in that, and it's not just you know, it goes into so many things, not just in faithfulness, but, you know, to bring in like there's research, there's women that are out there that are talking to, to, to generals, like generals in the military, who are still dealing with these things. So it doesn't matter what level you're at, this is important stuff.

Speaker 2: 5:49

This is important, and we don't hold enough conversations about this. We don't. And where I would like to go with this is where you know, where do these insecurities come from, you know, and so I can only speak for myself. And and and this took some, you know, i had to do some, some searching, some soul searching for this, and I realized that my insecurities came from my childhood. You know my childhood, probably since fifth grade. So I had a, i had a good childhood, but we moved around a lot. My stepfather was a pastor, so we, we moved a lot, but we settled. By the time I got into fifth grade, we settled. I come from a family with there's seven of us, so I'm the only girl, so I have six brothers, and so, yeah, and so we moved.

Speaker 1: 6:44

I thought I was not.

Speaker 2: 6:46

I really am, i really am. I was a tomboy growing up, trying to keep up with my brothers And so, but when we moved from, we were raised in Missouri, the state of Missouri, and we moved from one city to another city because my father was a pastor And I guess that move is what triggered me to start, you know, going into a shell And I didn't understand.

Speaker 2: 7:10

I'm like, why? why did I go into a shell in fifth grade? And it was because I left. You know, my parents moved and I left, all of my friends, my childhood friends that I grew up with since what? preschool, kindergarten and we moved. And here I am now, in fifth grade, and most relationships have already formed, you know, especially at the school that I was at. It was a. It was one of those type of schools, you know, everyone had their little groups, and here I was, this new girl, my brothers and I, and it was hard for me to find where I fit.

Speaker 2: 7:46

I've never been teased before And then, all of a sudden, i'm introduced to teased. And I've been teased by my brothers, of course, but I was never, ever teased by my friends in the town that I grew up in. And now we've moved, and now I'm being teased, i'm being looked at, my clothes are being evaluated, my hair has been evaluated, and then I'm like becoming like Oh you know, am I supposed to look a certain way? Am I supposed to talk a certain way? And that's where my roots begin, that's where my shyness begin. So I think it's very important that people really try to understand the root of it, the cause of it, because it just, it doesn't come on its own, it doesn't show up on its own. Why do we, as women, or why did we as individuals, you know, have these insecurities?

Speaker 1: 8:41

That that's powerful And I think that there's a lot societally, there's a lot of expectations that are placed on us, you know, to be good girls and to be quiet and to stay in line and to. You know, i remember when I was little, my mom passed away when I was one and a half and I ended up being raised by her grandparents, so my great grandparents, and so it was pretty old school. You know, like when I was little, i was raised. I knew how to cook, i knew how to clean, i knew how to sew, because, like, that's, that's the way that, that's the way that things happen.

Speaker 1: 9:19

And I remember wanting to go outside and mow the lawn because my brother was being asked to mow the lawn and I wanted to mow the lawn. I went, all right, let's do it. And you know, my grandparents coming out and being like girls, don't be long here, You need to go inside My grandpa would be like go inside and learn how to sew something. I'm like I already learned how to sew. I want to add this to my skillset, right? Yeah, so there's a lot of expectations as well that are placed on us. I think that has a lot to do with that, yeah, and so, yeah, sorry go ahead.

Speaker 2: 9:50

Oh no, i was going to say I love what you said. I can relate to you. I was. Of course, i was raised by my mother and my stepfather but, being having been the only girl with six brothers, i was told you need to be in the house, you need to learn how to cook, you need to, but I wanted to be outside with my brothers and I wanted to host play and I wanted to learn to do what they were doing.

Speaker 1: 10:13

So I can relate to everything you're saying Yeah, I wasn't allowed to play football because that's too rough, Like. I wanted to be out there tackling dudes, Like let me hit some dudes, why not?

Speaker 1: 10:23

Yes, you know, when you're little, right, Like so. And I was older than them, So like size wise, we were about the same size, you know, because my brother was two years younger than me. So, like it was, you know, I could take them up until we became teenagers, you know. But I was like, let me play football, Right? And so no, I was no, not quarterback. I could throw, but I was better at catching. So I played wide receiver a lot, So I was outside running and catching, Yeah, yeah, yeah. So I played a little bit. I don't like watching football, like sports, like I find it boring, But like I'll go out there and play some basketball, play some football, you know, like, if I can get in it, that's, you know, that's fun.

Speaker 1: 11:08

I hear you, yes, right, but not watching other people. So you became very shy. This mimics a lot of what I talk about in my book as well. I moved my parents made me move for my senior year of high school, and so that brought its own set of challenges and not even having time to really acclimate, right, like you're in for one year and then you're out. Are you kidding me? Yes, and so, and then, yeah, so there was a lot of, there was a lot of issues that came with that as well.

Speaker 1: 11:45

But in the shyness and and speaking right, because when I was little I was told I talked too much And so I got really quiet and I wouldn't talk, and that caused a lot of issues on its own, and then that's kind of where I kind of had to rediscover myself And I overcame myself. That's where my book came from, right, and so I'm sure that you have this journey to overcoming where your perspective shifts. So can you tell me a little bit about how you overcame that shy girl and are now being a life coach, like you're, transforming other people's lives? Yes, ma'am.

Speaker 2: 12:26

So I mean, it took a while. So I don't sit here and tell you my whole life story, but you know, i learned how to fake it right. I learned how to fake it in life. You know, i graduated from high school as a shy girl, but I had a mindset that I was meant to do more, like I knew. I knew in my heart that I was meant to do more And so I left home. I went to college but that didn't work out because I haven't dealt with my little negative what negative energy, negative vibes, negative voices. But I did leave home and I ended up moving to Texas what in 91. And I opened up my daycare. I opened up a home daycare It was a registered home daycare, you know because I knew I was meant to be more. Whether I went to school or not, i still had this energy in me to be more and to do more. And so I opened up my daycare, eventually became a licensed daycare And I'm having to hire people, i'm having to network with people, i'm having to do training and train my staff, and I could do it.

Speaker 2: 13:40

I'm faking it, but I'm dealing with anxiety all at the same time because I have not dealt with the issue. And so I wanted to deal with the issue because I knew I wanted to be more. I knew that I wanted to step into speaking, public speaking. I wanted to step into coaching. But how could I if I haven't dealt with my own issues? And so I did.

Speaker 2: 14:03

You know I did the worst. You know, the worst thing that my mother, you know, would even agree about. I went and found me a therapist, and why I say I did the worst is because I was raised in the 80s And you did not do therapy. Therapy was a no, no. My mother taught us that we do not tell our business whatsoever, so that taking you know, finding a therapist, wasn't easy for me. That was something that I had to pray on And it was something that I thought was a sin, because we were also taught to take your problems and your issues to God in prayer and to no one else.

Speaker 2: 14:44

And so I was dealing with a lot. Am I doing wrong? Is God going to be mad at me? Is he going to forgive me? And I'm young, i'm in my 20s, so I don't know no better. And so, anyway, i still go to therapy And it's there in therapy where my therapist helps me to figure out my thoughts, she helps me to figure out my emotions And she helps me to figure out where it all began and where it came from, because in the beginning I'm still thinking that it's me, it's my fault.

Speaker 2: 15:20

Everything that happened to me, all the teas and everything, even my childhood trauma everything is happening because of something I did, because of the way I look, because of the way I spoke, because of the way I dress. So I'm still dealing with those negative voices. And so going to therapy was the first step. And again, this wasn't something that happened overnight. It's a process. Therapy is a process, and while in therapy, i also wanted to.

Speaker 2: 15:53

My stepfather was a pastor, and so, of course, we were raised in church, and Wednesday night we were in church. Church was in us, let's just put it like that. And so, even though church was in me, i personally did not have a relationship with God. I was just riding the ways. This is just what we do as a family. And so, on top of going to therapy and believing that God was mad at me, i also had to learn well, who is God And why would he be mad at me? And so then I made the decision to try to get to know who God was for my life, and so that would be the turning point for me, taking on my social anxiety and everything else that came with it, and so that's what it took for me to turn this around.

Speaker 1: 16:49

You know something that you said? there's such a big deal. I don't know if you've heard of Pastor Ben Corson. He does a morning show. I might be a local one, but he also has some books. Optimisfit is a really good book, and Pastor Ben Corson, he struggled with depression, so he's very open about that, so that might be a great resource. He was a great resource for me, but one of the things he talked about I think it was him, i'm pretty sure it was him is that what we believe about God can actually affect our brain. And so if we believe that God loves us, that we are connected to a God that loves us, there's an area of our brain I don't remember which one it is that can actually grow. And if we are living with guilt, if we feel like we are hated by the universe, by our creator, if there's like guilt, if there's anger, there's actually a part of our brain that can actually get smaller.

Speaker 1: 17:48

And so this is scientific stuff that you're talking about here And that's all about perception and how you view the universe and how it actually affects you internally. Isn't that amazing? That was good, that was good, and so one of the things that I love is that he'll bring the science back into it And he'll be like here let me explain, like this is biblical, but let me show you how we have actually proven that this is actually true, and so that's one of the amazing things that I've learned from him. And just the power of perception, it's just such a big deal. And knowing and walking and knowing that God loves us, that really it changes us physically, like it's not a fool.

Speaker 2: 18:35

Oh, yeah, and knowing knowing who he is, that he loves us and who he is, and what that means, because I felt like I knew who he was, but I didn't. I thought of him as evil, as someone not evil, my evil God, but someone who punished. He was the punisher. And so I love what you just said, because it's so true. Once I wrapped my mind around and learned who he really was, who he was the creator of all things, who only creates wonderful things, all things good. Then I was able to say oh, that's who you are. You're not just.

Speaker 2: 19:20

You didn't create me just to punish me. You created me to be something wonderful, you created me to be good, to make all things good. God doesn't create bad, he creates only good. And once I realized that I was like oh, so I wasn't created to be shy, i wasn't created to not feel confident, i wasn't created to act like this. I'm acting like this for a reason It's not because this is who God called me to be And that I was like oh, ok, god, i'm getting it. And so that's what helped me to turn my thinking around.

Speaker 1: 20:04

Yes, and you can't say that you love God and then turn around and be like but I hate me. There's a difference between worshiping yourself. We're not talking about worshiping yourself, but being able to love you the way that He created you. Because if you say I hate this, i hate my smile, you're saying I don't like the way you did this, and so there's a lot of power in realizing that. It's OK to. And it comes back to what I've been talking about today And it's like using what you've got, whatever that weakness is. So when I was told I talked too much when I was little, you talk too much, you talk too much, you talk too much, and now I get paid to talk. So it's like using that and changing that perspective.

Speaker 1: 20:53

One of the things I talk about in my book is I was talking too much, yeah, but also I was talking about the wrong things. I spent a lot of time now. I spent a lot of time in my Bible, i spent a lot of time reading books, i spent a lot of time hanging out with people like you, and so now the things that I talk about are different, and so it's worth listening to me. I'm not just talking, i'm not adding noise into the universe, right, i'm, it's good, like what I'm talking about. I keep quoting myself.

Speaker 1: 21:20

So, like I heard once, poor people talk about. Poor minded people talk about other people. Middle class people talk about events, but wealth minded people, they're talking about ideas. And so when we're talking gossip, that's poor minded things, it's not productive. When we're talking about ideas and this business and the next thing and what God thinks of us, these are ideas and this is wealth minded talk. So when we, if you're wealth minded and because, right, porno is not a state of being, it's a state of mind, and so wealth comes to us in abundance, like if we look back at the Bible, like Abraham lived on God's leftovers and he was super wealthy. So like the abundance is in the gratitude and being grateful for what we have, and then that you know, that's how the fish turns into like thousands, that's how the fish feeds thousands right.

Speaker 2: 22:18

Yeah, that's right.

Speaker 1: 22:19

That's right.

Speaker 2: 22:20

I just threw a lot at you. Okay, oh no, i love it. I love it. I love it. I like how you said you're using your voice. Now, you know, people told you you talk too much. You know, my thing was that I was too quiet, you're too quiet, you're too quiet, but I'm a great people. Now Tell me you're a great listener, you're a great listener.

Speaker 1: 22:39

Like it's using what we've got and turning that into a superpower. You know, and it's such a big deal, like I was told I'm too bossy. You're too bossy, nicole. No, i was a leader, i was exhibiting leadership qualities and I needed someone to guide me, to help me understand what that meant. You know, like, when you said that you start hiring people and you start having teams, that's gonna. That requires a whole new level of tools, of mindset, of everything Learning to deal with people.

Speaker 1: 23:09

One, you know, one of the cool things is I got the chance for a year to be the guest services director of my church And I got to have meetings with the pastor and I got to go to, like the I guess, the staff meetings for our church, yeah, yeah. And and a lot of what we talked about. Like, we studied john Maxwell's the leadership book together, right, and we were developing that leadership mindset because it's not, it's not about you anymore, it's about leading other people. And so when we get to this point of getting our 10,000 hours, you know of everything. Now our mission becomes empowering others. Right, and like that's what Jesus did. He just empowered others to do, to do good. Right, he's like, do this and then he empowered others and he's get others, and so that's what we do. Once we, once we get to the point where we know our stuff, now we get to empower others to help.

Speaker 2: 24:06

Yeah, and we love it. Yeah, and we love what we do. I love that how you use Jesus and that together so awesome. But but it's so true, i know that I have been empowered to help other women who have experienced the things that we've gone through, have experienced or still experience it, and so you know it's take their. You know, sometimes people see a weakness or weakness and they take it that were weak. You know your weakness is going to be your superpower. Your weakness is your strength, you know, and so, oh, absolutely.

Speaker 1: 24:42

One of my chapters I talk about. You know, like in movies, how, like, when we look at superhero movies, like the weakness what everybody it always like. You know, when Spider-Man got bit, that was a weakness, oh my god, i'm going to die and it ended up becoming a strength, right, like what if he chopped his arm off so that the poison didn't get to? you know what I'm saying, right? And so, yeah, like it's, it's beautiful that whatever And it's not that it is actually a weakness, right, because I had another conversation is like I don't want to turn on my weaknesses into superpower. I'm like, no, no, no, we have weaknesses that are, that are going to be there, but it's, it's the perspective And like what we, what we use with it.

Speaker 1: 25:17

You know, like, if, if, like when I wasn't able, like my back was hurting so much that it hurt to walk, i didn't try to run a marathon. I was like I don't know what, my book instead. Like I was like what can I do in this moment, right now, instead of sitting here watching, you know, like those, the show with the wheel, the prices right, right, like when you were in school and you stayed home from school and you watch the prices right and Jerry Springer. Okay, those are my favorite show, you know. You know, like you're a little and then like nothing on.

Speaker 1: 25:48

You're like, yes, i'm going to watch TV. And you're really like, oh my god, they're not marketing to me because I'm in school. This is like older people.

Speaker 2: 25:56

I do what else? because that's things affect your mind. You know, I always want to be productive. I always want to be doing something, no matter where I find myself, what circumstance I find myself. I know that I could be doing something productive no matter where I'm at in life, And so that that was awesome just as well.

Speaker 1: 26:19

I realize that it was because of that that weekend it was horrible, like I remember, like literally dragging myself to the bathroom, but it was because of that weekend that I sat down and I just cranked out that drop that you and I are speaking today, because I wrote the book and then I started editing and I'm like how can I start marketing my book even though it's not out? I can start talking to people, i can make a podcast, and that you know that's led to you and me speaking today. So if I hadn't heard my back, i wouldn't be here today, you know, like you and I wouldn't be talking. So I think that's awesome.

Speaker 2: 26:51

Oh yeah, and mine was what really pushed me out to start being seen. I mentioned stand quiet. I also, as a, as a girl, i did not feel like I didn't feel powerful. As a child, i didn't feel powerful. I know that. I feel seen, you know, and so I. I, what I adapted, i adapted to not being seen.

Speaker 2: 27:16

I work well behind the scenes, but, again, that's not where God called me to be, and I knew that. And so I had to tell myself, probably during the pandemic, while we were in the midst of the pandemic, what else can I do? And I came to me you have to be seen. I had to. I had to take that next measure. I had to take that next step and follow my dreams and follow my desires and get on, you know, get online, get on social media platforms, meet people like yourself and to tell my story, and so that I may be a blessing to other people. And so you're right being seen and what. And asking yourself what else can I do? How can I help someone? you know, what is it that God is calling me to do? And so all of this is super good. You know, i'm going to have to go back and listen to this podcast.

Speaker 1: 28:12

Oh, yes, yes, and I'll have like the show notes and everything, because this has been amazing. So I want to ask you two more things. First, i want to see if you have any last tips, like any gold nuggets, that you can send us off with, and then I'm going to ask you how we can stay in touch with you. So let's start with the gold nugget.

Speaker 2: 28:29

Oh, so some gold nuggets? I think that I don't know. I think that I think the the main thing I would like to share with people is learn to stand, learn to be yourself. You know, i know we hear it all the time be your authentic self, you know. be your true self. But the reason why you're hearing it is because it's true. It's true, learn to be your true self, you know, and in order to get through some things, sometimes it takes being by yourself.

Speaker 2: 29:05

Sometimes it took me being by myself in order to become the person God wanted me to be if that makes any kind of sense, you know. And so it took me developing a routine for myself. You know, every morning, every morning, i spend quiet time with myself. I spend quiet time with God, and that can look like however you want it to look like journaling, music, prayers, devotions. Every morning, i need to stretch. Every morning, i need to do some kind of workout, and that's to get my body moving, that's to keep me healthy.

Speaker 2: 29:45

I'm an avid Walker, i love hiking and walking, i get outside every single day, and these things are just basic things that you can be doing to start getting you on a path, a more successful path and it seems so basic, but sometimes that's all it takes is basic. I'm still a huge breakfast eater, you know. I have to begin my day eating, healthy eating, a nice breakfast, and that and that could just be a bowl of cereal, but it helps me to get get to thinking. You know it. Having some food in my stomach, i'm able to think about my day ahead, i'm able to be charged and ready and I'm ready to go. And also, i just want to tell people be patient with one another. I know this world is very and with yourself, come on, and with yourself, we are, we're just a very busy people. We're always in a hurry, we're always in a rush and we have no time.

Speaker 2: 30:48

Slow down, pause, think before you act, think before you say, think before you respond. You know, just slow down, be patient and then be understanding. We begin to lend an ear. You know I say people say I'm a good listener. When we begin to lend an ear will see other people's perspective, whether we agree with them or not. We're being patient with them, we're listening to them, we're trying to understand them. Therefore, we'll know where they're coming from. We don't know what people's background was. We don't know what they've been through. We don't know why they talk the way they talk or act the way they act. We're taking the time to listen and to be patient with one another. Then we're showing love, and when we show love we're inviting peace in to our environment, into our world, and I think maybe that will help the world to be a better place to live in.

Speaker 1: 31:50

Yes, yes, having grace for yourself. Yeah, you know, like it's okay. It's okay Be patient. Be patient and kind. I love it And something that you mentioned, that you said. These are all simple things. One of the most important habits that I feel that I built is drinking my water. You know, and and I talk about that in my book with a learning, habits stacking, replacing habits Yeah, because I use to drink a lot of soda, so I got myself this cup of water.

Speaker 2: 32:25

Right.

Speaker 1: 32:25

And it looks like a soda cup, right, it has a little straw. I put my ice in it, but then I always fill it with water, and so you know like drink, because I tried to drink water bottles but then I didn't like the drinking of the bottle and there was so much. And then I'm driving and and no, but seriously, these are things that you don't think about, and then you kind of just deal with it. Right, small things, yes, so now I just walk around with my cup of water all the time and.

Speaker 1: 32:48

I'm drinking my water, and we were talking about sports earlier, when, if you're playing a sport and you're going to practice, you're not practicing all fancy things, you're practicing fundamentals. Can you dribble the ball? well, how's your footwork? Are you able to run from one side of the court to the other without losing your breath? Fundamental things, because those are the things that win games. It's not fanciness, it's not having the fancy shoes, it's not having the sweat band, it's none of that. It's like can you dribble to get past these people? Can you do the little, tiny things?

Speaker 1: 33:28

And then it's about building that muscle memory, and that's something that I preach with gratitude. You've got to build up the muscle memory of gratitude when things are going well, so that it's there when things are not going well, because when you're let's go back to this basketball analogy, because we were talking about how I used to play basketball. So if you don't have the muscle memory of dribbling, if you don't have it in place, when things get heated, your brain gets scrambled, you're going to lose control of the ball. But if you practice those, and then that's all you do. Oh, i remember the heat. I'm in Miami, right. So when Shaq was playing on the heat. That dude cannot make a free throw to save his life. Why? Because I'm willing to bet that he has not spent as much time as Michael Jordan did practicing free throws right.

Speaker 1: 34:19

And so that is the same with gratitude. Like Michael Jordan was one of the best with free throws, right All the time. Why? Because he's in there practicing free throws. Shaq was practicing something else and that's fine. He's good at other things, but free throws was not his thing. Like I remember my 60-year-old Nana in the living room like going like this dude, it's like during the championships, right, and that's how it is.

Speaker 1: 34:44

With gratitude, like we've got to build it up when things are going well. So like the AC is going to be grateful for it, because one day it's not going to be there and then, instead of being pissed off, right, and so like little things like that And that works well. Also, like I learned about this really, when I lost my baby. Like I had a miscarriage And I had to figure out what can I grab onto so that I don't disappear too, and I had to learn gratitude And I learned to be grateful for it, right, this second. That was hard. So now that I practice it regularly when things get hard, i don't have to go so low because I can focus on my gratitude. And I've done like three interviews today so far And everybody that I've talked to we talk about being your authentic self, so I just want you to know that this is huge. This is key. If you get anything else from the Overcome Yourself podcast, it is time to beneath yourself.

Speaker 2: 35:47

Yes, be yourself. Yes, all of those were all good, good, good, good.

Speaker 1: 35:52

Be, yourself.

Speaker 2: 35:53

Gratitude just for anything, little bitty things. I'm grateful. Just right now, i'm facing the window, the sun is shining, everyone's like, it's so hot, 103 degrees. But you know what? I'm so thankful for this weather. I'm so thankful that we're not sitting in freezing. I'm in Texas, so I'll take this over freezing weather any time And the electricity's man-off. You know I'm freezing cold, so I'll take this weather, so just be grateful. Like she said, totally agree.

Speaker 1: 36:24

I love it. So how can we stay in touch with you? Do you have a newsletter? How can we find out more about what's going on?

Speaker 2: 36:31

Oh yeah, The best way. So for right now, the best way, I'm on Facebook. My business page is Cassandra Y Branch. Hopefully you'll put a link for that with spelling Yes, links will be in the show notes. Cassandra Y Branch On Instagram Ms CY Branch, And if you would like to work with me, just DM me from Facebook. Once you're on Facebook, you'll see my website. You'll see my group. I will invite you to my group or accept you to my group. What is your group.

Speaker 2: 37:06

Tell us the name. Oh yeah, Rising up Woman of Faith.

Speaker 1: 37:10

Yeah.

Speaker 2: 37:10

Love it. That's our group, where we give you nuggets and gyms about just how to apply your faith on a regular basis and step into your true self and step into your success. You know, start that business that you're thinking of, or maybe you're just ready to start working on yourself. It doesn't matter where you're at, we are there for you.

Speaker 1: 37:32

We believe in you. I love it, i love it, i love it. Thank you so so much. This has been absolutely wonderful. You can find us online. Make sure that you follow you, like you subscribe. You do all the good stuff. You guys know I don't got to tell you, so thank you so much for being here And I will see you next time. Thank you.

Speaker 2: 37:55

Nicole Love you, keep up with it, thank you. All right, Bye everyone.