I want to talk about something that most of us participate in every single day.

Something that sounds positive.

Something we’ve been taught to admire.

Something that gets celebrated.

Productivity.

We’re told to be productive.

Get things done.

Make the most of your time.

Don’t waste a day.

Stay busy.

Work harder.

Move faster.

Accomplish more.

Build something.

Improve yourself.

Optimize your life.

And on the surface...

none of that sounds terrible.

There’s nothing inherently wrong with accomplishing things.

There’s nothing wrong with ambition.

There’s nothing wrong with working toward a goal.

But somewhere along the way...

we may have crossed a line.

Because what happens when productivity stops being something we do...

and becomes the primary way we determine whether we are worthy?

What happens when being busy becomes a personality?

When rest feels irresponsible?

When doing nothing makes you feel guilty?

When you can’t sit quietly without reaching for your phone?

When you take a day off and spend the entire day thinking about everything you should be doing?

When the first question we ask someone isn’t:

“How are you?”

but:

“What are you working on?”

That’s where today’s conversation begins.

What happens when productivity replaces humanity?

Welcome back to another Rooted & Rising Conversation.

I’m Coach Celeta.

And today...

we’re talking about a dream.

A dream that has been handed down from generation to generation.

Work hard.

Get an education.

Get a good job.

Buy a house.

Build a family.

Make money.

Save.

Retire.

And eventually...

you’ll have the life you’ve always wanted.

That’s the promise.

The American Dream.

And for some people...

that dream has created opportunity.

It has created businesses.

Homes.

Education.

Mobility.

Generational wealth.

Possibilities that previous generations couldn’t imagine.

So this isn’t a conversation about pretending the American Dream has never worked for anyone.

It has.

But today...

I want to ask a different question.

What happens when the pursuit of the American Dream begins costing us our emotional lives?

What happens when we’re working ourselves into exhaustion trying to afford a life we’re too exhausted to enjoy?

What happens when success becomes something we have to constantly prove?

What happens when owning the house isn’t enough?

The career isn’t enough.

The salary isn’t enough.

The title isn’t enough.

The followers aren’t enough.

The accomplishments aren’t enough.

And somehow...

we still feel like we’re behind.

Today we’re asking:

Is the American Dream making some of us emotionally exhausted before we ever get the opportunity to enjoy it?

Today, I want to talk about something that doesn’t always announce itself.

It doesn’t necessarily look like crying.

It doesn’t always look like depression.

It doesn’t always look like someone sitting alone in a dark room.

Sometimes loneliness looks like a woman who is constantly surrounded by people...

and still feels invisible.

Sometimes it looks like a man who goes to work every day, talks to coworkers, comes home, scrolls through thousands of faces, and realizes he hasn’t had one meaningful conversation all week.

Sometimes it looks like the person who has hundreds of followers...

but nobody they feel safe calling at two in the morning.

Sometimes it looks like the person who says:

“I’m good.”

because they don’t know how to tell anybody they’re not.

And sometimes...

loneliness looks like being needed by everyone...

while feeling known by no one.

Today we’re talking about The Loneliness Epidemic.

And I want to begin with a question:

How did we become so connected—and still end up feeling so alone?

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Across cultures and eras, human violence has persisted not as an anomaly but as a patterned psychological and sociological phenomenon. The behaviors you describe — exploitation, trafficking, sadism, and predation — are not random acts. They emerge from identifiable psychological profiles, environmental conditions, and systemic failures that allow individuals with antisocial traits to thrive.

This analysis examines the psychological architecture of individuals who commit severe interpersonal harm, and the societal mechanisms that enable their concealment.

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Welcome back to another Rooted & Rising Conversation.

Today we’re beginning something different.

We’ve spent a lot of time talking about what happens inside the individual.

We’ve talked about women who are exhausted.

Women who are surviving.

Women who have learned to perform strength.

Women who have forgotten how to rest.

Women who have had to rebuild themselves.

But today...

I want us to step back.

Way back.

And look at something bigger.

I want us to look at the emotional climate we’re living in.

Because something is happening.

And I don’t think we talk about it enough.

People are tired.

People are angry.

People are overwhelmed.

People are disconnected.

People are anxious.

People are lonely.

And increasingly...

people are numb.

Not necessarily crying.

Not necessarily angry.

Not necessarily happy either.

Just...

numb.

You wake up.

You go to work.

You scroll.

You consume information.

You handle your responsibilities.

You watch something terrible happen.

You say,

“That’s awful.”

And then you keep scrolling.

Another tragedy.

Another shooting.

Another political fight.

Another economic crisis.

Another natural disaster.

Another celebrity death.

Another story about someone suffering.

Another argument.

Another notification.

Another outrage.

Another thing we’re expected to have an opinion about.

And eventually...

something inside you says:

“I can’t process another thing.”

So you stop.

Not physically.

Emotionally.

You keep functioning.

But you stop feeling everything.

And today...

I want to ask a difficult question:

What happens to a society when emotional numbness becomes normal?

Welcome to American in Emotional Decline.

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Welcome back to another Rooted & Rising Conversation.

Today, I want to have a conversation that sounds simple...

but for many women, it is anything but simple.

Choosing yourself without guilt.

Now, when we hear the phrase choose yourself, it sounds empowering.

It sounds like something we’re supposed to celebrate.

But let’s be honest.

For some women, choosing yourself can feel almost... wrong.

You say no...

and immediately start explaining.

You take some time for yourself...

and wonder who you’re neglecting.

You stop fixing everyone’s problems...

and suddenly you’re questioning whether you’ve become selfish.

You make a decision based on what you need...

and guilt shows up at the door.

And I want to ask:

Who taught us that taking care of ourselves was something we needed permission to do?

Because somewhere along the way, many women learned that being a good woman meant being available.

Being understanding.

Being accommodating.

Being needed.

Being dependable.

Being the one who could always be counted on.

But what happens when being counted on begins to cost you your relationship with yourself?

That’s where today’s conversation begins.

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Welcome home.

Today I’d like to begin with a question that may feel unfamiliar.

Not because it’s difficult...

But because many of us have never given ourselves permission to ask it.

Have you ever missed a version of yourself that no longer exists?

Not because she died.

Not because she left.

But because life slowly asked her to become someone else.

Maybe you used to laugh more freely.

Maybe you trusted people more easily.

Maybe you dreamed without immediately calculating the risk.

Maybe you spoke your mind before you learned that honesty could cost you acceptance.

And then...

Life happened.

Responsibilities multiplied.

Disappointments accumulated.

Losses reshaped you.

Survival became necessary.

And without even realizing it...

You became someone different.

Today, I don’t want to talk about becoming stronger.

I want to talk about the quiet grief that can come from realizing...

The woman you are today isn’t entirely the woman you expected to become.

Welcome to another Rooted & Rising Conversation.

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Welcome home.

Before we begin today’s conversation...

I want to ask you something that may feel uncomfortable.

Have you ever looked at your own life and quietly wondered...

“If I hadn’t spent so much of my life surviving... who would I have become?”

Not because you regret your life.

Not because you’re ashamed of your choices.

But because somewhere inside you...

there’s a quiet curiosity.

A wondering.

A part of you that asks,

“How much of my life was chosen... and how much was simply a response to what happened to me?”

That question isn’t about blame.

It’s about possibility.

Because today, we’re talking about women who rebuild themselves.

Not women who pretend nothing happened.

Not women who erase their past.

But women who gather the broken pieces of their lives and say,

“I still get to decide what comes next.”

Welcome to another Rooted & Rising Conversation.

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I’m so grateful you’ve chosen to spend this time with me.

Before we begin today’s conversation...

I want to ask you a question.

Not because I expect you to answer it today...

But because I hope you’ll carry it with you long after this conversation ends.

When was the first time you believed your appearance determined your worth?

Maybe you don’t remember.

Most of us don’t.

Because these lessons often arrive quietly.

A comment.

A compliment.

A comparison.

A magazine cover.

A family member.

A television show.

A social media post.

A joke that wasn’t really a joke.

Over time, those moments become stories.

Stories about what beautiful is supposed to look like.

Stories about who gets noticed.

Who gets chosen.

Who gets celebrated.

Who gets overlooked.

Today, I don’t want to talk about beauty.

I want to talk about the emotional weight of trying to measure ourselves against standards we may never have chosen.

Welcome to another Rooted & Rising Conversation.

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Welcome home.

I’m so grateful you’ve chosen to spend this time with me.

Today, I want to begin with a question.

Not because I expect you to answer it right away...

But because I hope it stays with you long after this episode ends.

What if your anger has never really disappeared?

What if it simply learned to speak a different language?

What if it became exhaustion...

Perfectionism...

People-pleasing...

Silence...

Overthinking...

Resentment...

Or the quiet ache of always putting yourself last?

For many women, anger was never safe.

It wasn’t welcomed.

It wasn’t understood.

It wasn’t even recognized as something they were allowed to have.

So instead of expressing it...

they learned to reshape it.

Today’s conversation is about that hidden transformation.

It’s called...

The Rage Women Were Never Allowed to Express.

I’m so grateful you’ve chosen to spend this time with me.

No matter where this conversation finds you today, I hope you’ll let yourself settle in for a while.

Take a slow breath.

Notice your shoulders.

Notice your jaw.

Notice how often your body stays braced without you even realizing it.

Sometimes we carry tension the same way we carry responsibility.

Quietly.

Automatically.

Until we forget what it feels like to put either one down.

This is Rooted & Rising.

A place where we don’t rush to fix ourselves.

A place where we become curious about our lives.

A place where we tell the truth—even when it’s uncomfortable.

Today’s conversation begins with a question that has stayed with me for a long time.

What if the deepest loneliness isn’t being alone...

What if it’s feeling unseen by the people who know you best?

I’m so glad you’re here.

No matter where you’re listening today—whether you’re driving, walking, cooking dinner, or simply taking a quiet moment for yourself—I hope you know this:

This is a place where you don’t have to perform.

You don’t have to pretend you’ve got it all figured out.

You don’t have to package your life into an inspirational quote.

You don’t have to look healed to belong here.

Around here, we believe something different.

We believe healing isn’t something you perform for other people.

It’s something you experience within yourself.

Today’s conversation is one I’ve wanted to have for a long time.

Because I think we’ve accidentally created an image of healing that’s beautiful...

but not always honest.

Today’s episode is called...

“Pretty Healing vs. Real Healing.”

I’m so glad you’ve chosen to spend this time with me.

Whether you’re listening while driving home from work, walking through your neighborhood, sitting quietly with a cup of tea, or simply taking a few moments for yourself, thank you for being here.

This isn’t a place where anyone has to have all the answers.

It’s a place where we ask honest questions.

It’s a place where we stop pretending.

It’s a place where we remember that healing isn’t a destination—it’s a relationship we build with ourselves over time.

Today’s conversation begins with a word many of us have heard our entire lives.

Strong.

For some women, it’s the highest compliment they’ve ever received.

For others...

it’s become the heaviest thing they’ve ever carried.

Today’s episode is called...

“The Superwoman Trap.”

Welcome

If this is your first time here, I want you to know something.

This isn’t a place where you have to pretend.

You don’t have to have the perfect words.

You don’t have to hide behind “I’m okay.”

You don’t have to earn your seat at this table.

Around here, we tell the truth.

Because truth has a way of opening doors that silence has kept locked for years.

So wherever you’re listening today—whether you’re driving, folding clothes, sitting on your porch, or simply trying to catch your breath—I hope you’ll stay with me.

Because today’s conversation may feel familiar in ways you weren’t expecting.

I am so excited for today itis the first day of our Launch Week of VedaOne Handbags and Rags! “ CARRY YOUR STORY. WEAR YOUR POWER”

Okay now

Welcome back to Rooted & Rising, the place where we have honest conversations about healing, identity, purpose, power, and becoming the women we were always meant to be.

I want to start today’s conve…

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The other day, I was filling out paperwork at an office, and there was one question on the form that caught my attention.

It simply asked:

“Occupation.”

Just one line.

One blank space.

I smiled because I thought, Where do I even begin?

Do I write coach?

Author?

Business owner?

Veteran?

Speaker?

Caregiver?

Friend?

Daughter?

Mother?

Mentor?

Woman trying to keep all the balls in the air?

I stared at that little blank line much longer than I should have.

Not because I didn’t know what to write.

Because I realized how much of my identity had become wrapped up in what I do for other people.

And then another thought came.

When was the last time someone asked me who I am...

instead of what I do?

Maybe that’s the question many of us have stopped asking ourselves.

Who am I...

when nobody needs me?

Welcome to Rooted & Rising.

Today, I want us to talk about something that has quietly become an expectation for so many women.

The pressure...

to be everything.

A few weeks ago, someone introduced me to a woman at an event.

Before I could even shake her hand, the person introducing us smiled and said,

“Oh, she’s one of the strongest women I know.”

Now, you’ve probably heard someone described that way.

Maybe you’ve even been described that way.

Strong.

Resilient.

Independent.

The one who always figures it out.

The one who never falls apart.

The one everybody depends on.

The woman smiled politely.

She thanked them.

We talked for a little while.

Nothing unusual.

But later that afternoon, after everyone had gone home, she said something I’ll never forget.

She looked at me and quietly asked,

“Can I tell you something I’ve never said out loud?”

I said, “Of course.”

She took a deep breath and whispered,

“I’m so tired of being the strong one.”

Not angry.

Not dramatic.

Just tired.

And what struck me wasn’t what she said.

It was how quickly she apologized afterward.

“I’m sorry... I shouldn’t even be saying that. Other people have it worse.”

I remember thinking...

Why did she apologize?

Why do so many women apologize for telling the truth about how they’re feeling?

That question has stayed with me.

Because I wonder...

How many women are performing strength...

while privately praying someone would notice they’re exhausted?

Welcome to Rooted & Rising.

I’m Celeta.

And today, I want us to talk about something I think we’ve misunderstood for far too long.

A few months ago, I decided I was going to do something I hadn’t done in a long time. I left my phone in the car and went for a walk.

No destination.

No podcast playing.

No phone calls.

No list of errands.

Just me.

I found myself in a park, surrounded by trees that had probably stood there longer than any of us listening today. Children were laughing somewhere in the distance. A couple sat on a bench holding hands. The breeze moved through the leaves so gently that it almost sounded like a whisper.

It was peaceful.

Or at least... it should have been.

But my mind wasn’t in that park.

It was making grocery lists.

Replaying a conversation I had three days earlier.

Thinking about emails I hadn’t answered.

Trying to remember whether I’d paid a bill.

Planning tomorrow before today had even finished.

And then something happened.

I caught myself looking over my shoulder.

Not because someone was there.

Because my body was acting as if danger might be.

I stopped walking.

I remember thinking...

“Why can’t I just be here?”

Nothing was wrong.

Nobody needed me.

Nothing was chasing me.

Nothing was falling apart.

But my nervous system hadn’t gotten the message.

That’s when it hit me.

Sometimes the crisis ends...

but survival doesn’t.

...

Can I ask you something?

Have you ever noticed that?

Have you ever finally reached the place you prayed for...

only to discover your body didn’t know how to live there?

Maybe you finally found financial stability...

but you’re still terrified every time you spend money.

Maybe you finally left the unhealthy relationship...

but you still apologize for everything.

Maybe your children are grown...

but you still wake up every morning carrying the weight of everyone else’s lives.

Maybe the storm has passed...

but you’re still walking around with an umbrella.

Family...

that’s what I want to talk about today.

Because I don’t think enough people are asking this question:

What happens when survival becomes the only way you know how to live?

Welcome to Rooted & Rising.

Have you ever met someone and within the first five minutes of the conversation they tell you how busy they are?

Not because you asked.

Not because it was relevant.

But because somewhere along the way, busyness became their identity.

“Girl, I’ve been running all week.”

“I haven’t sat down all day.”

“I’m exhausted.”

“I’ve got so much on my plate.”

And if we’re honest...

Many of us have become that woman.

Now listen.

This episode isn’t about judging anybody.

Because I’ve been that woman too.

The woman who wore exhaustion like a badge of honor.

The woman who believed productivity was proof of worth.

The woman who thought rest was something I would get to later.

After the work was done.

After the responsibilities were handled.

After everybody else was okay.

But here’s the truth that sat with me recently:

Some of us are no longer experiencing burnout.

We’ve become burnout.

And that’s what we’re talking about today.

Welcome to Rooted & Rising.

If all the responsibilities disappeared tomorrow...

Who would you be?

Not what would you do.

Who would you be?

What would bring you joy?

What would make you laugh?

What would make you feel alive?

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“One of the greatest misconceptions about healing is that people are afraid of pain.”

“Many people are not afraid of pain.”

“They’ve survived pain.”

“They’ve survived heartbreak.”

“They’ve survived disappointment.”

“They’ve survived betrayal.”

“What many women are actually afraid of is vulnerability.”

Because vulnerability means being seen.

Being known.

Being honest.

Being emotionally exposed.

And for women who have been hurt, abandoned, criticized, rejected, or betrayed...

vulnerability can feel terrifying.

Not because they don’t want connection.

But because they know exactly what it feels like when trust is broken.

Today we’re talking about:

The Fear of Vulnerability

• What am I afraid people will see if I become vulnerable?

• When did I first learn that vulnerability was unsafe?

• What emotional walls am I still carrying?

• How has self-protection impacted my relationships?

• What would change if I allowed myself to be seen more honestly?

Sit with those questions.

Allow yourself to answer gently.

Without judgment.

Without shame.

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