The Success Trap: How to Overcome Perfectionism and Live Authentically Artwork

Thrive Spice

Thrive Spice is a podcast centered on the Asian American mental health experience while navigating career, family, identity and social empowerment. Join host Vanessa Tsang Shiliwala as she invites diverse business and political leaders, entrepreneurs, activists, and creators to share their real stories and practical advice on how they found their "Thrive Spice" - the joy that comes from finally owning our identity, power, and worth. Our mission is to promote a more inclusive world that centers intersectional communities, including women of color, AAPI, BIPOC, and LGBTQIA+ communities. Join us as we unpack some feelings and spill the tea: from sharing what real self-care and boundaries look like for us as we create social, political, and economic change; how we're healing from hate crimes, intergenerational trauma, and racism; and what we're doing to break glass ceilings, reclaim our stories and redefine what true happiness and success look like - for ourselves, and for the next generation.

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Thrive Spice

The Success Trap: How to Overcome Perfectionism and Live Authentically

November 10, 2021 • Vanessa Tsang Shiliwala • Season 1 • Episode 15

In the pursuit of success, do we lose ourselves? As a recovering perfectionist, I spill the tea on my own personal journey going from corporate life to mom to podcaster to Lillian So, fitness entrepreneur and co-author of the new book FitCEO, and share the incredible lessons I’ve learned along the way on parenting, career and relationships. We dig into the ways I’ve had to be vulnerable, brave, and listen to my intuition, while observing my inner critic with compassion and curiosity.

Do you dream of living an "Authentic Life" but feel trapped by social media's definitions of success - whether it's a job title, relationship, or any other personal goals? Have you ever climbed your way to the "Peak" of your goals, and discovered - wait a minute - it wasn't the glossy, happy, perfect life you had imagined? Same, girl, same.

In this podcast episode, we talk about observing moments of negative self-talk and using them as opportunities to reframe our perspectives, to uncover our real truth and potential. We talk about ways to find validation, healing, and empowerment in ourselves and as a community - especially for women of color, mothers, and Asian Americans. Most importantly, how can we start embracing - instead of judging - our own gloriously messy lives? We share how to cultivate a life where we’re allowed to make mistakes and learn from them, try new things, and live authentically and joyfully in our personal and professional lives.

5-MINUTE MINDFUL JOURNALING PROMPT: Are you ready to rise above your fears, doubts and negative self-talk? This podcast has a BONUS 5-minute journaling exercise at the end that I have personally found helpful in moments of self-doubt and anxiety. It will help you gain perspective on your own ways of thinking and help you cultivate joy, confidence and peace right now. You can also find it at www.thrivespicemedia.com.

Prefer to watch our episode? Check out the full interview on YouTube or see clips of the best parts of the interview on Instagram.

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Vanessa Tsang Shiliwala

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