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Free to Be Mindful Podcast
Why Should Women Play Smaller to Prove They Rest
September 1, 2026
Ep:
316
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Why should women play smaller to prove they rest? A licensed therapist breaks down ambition, permission, and rest for high achieving women.
Why should women play smaller just to prove they know how to rest? In this episode, I unpack the real difference between ambition that comes from fear and ambition that comes from something alive, and why wanting more and actually resting can be true at the same time.
WHAT YOU'LL LEARN
✅ Why wanting more isn't something women need to apologize for, and why we don't ask men to prove they can rest before we respect their ambition
✅ The real difference between ambition that comes from fear and ambition that comes from something alive, and why it changes how rest fits in
✅ How to hold both wanting more and enjoying what you've built, without needing them to split evenly down the middle
CHAPTERS
00:00 Poolside Spark
00:39 Show Welcome
01:03 Season Reset
02:02 Stop Apologizing
02:29 Summer Reality Check
03:20 Redefining Rest
04:55 Ambition Without Fear
05:57 Reflection Prompts
07:42 Coaching Invitation
08:13 Final Sign Off
GRAB AN OFFER
🎁 Free Resource: 120 Coping Skills: https://www.freetobemindful.com/podcast-120copingskills
💛 Coaching for the Mom CEO: https://www.amigamoms.com
💡 Coaching for Child Therapists: https://www.thekidclinician.com/
💚 Coaching & Community for Latinx Therapists: https://www.latinxpracticecollective.com/
ABOUT ME
I'm Vanessa, the therapist who helps high-achieving adults become the best version of themselves, not just at work, but in the rooms that matter most. I host the Free to Be Mindful Podcast, named the #1 Latino Mental Health Podcast in 2026 by Feedspot. I believe the people who give everything to everyone else deserve to stop surviving and start living intentionally.
CONNECT WITH ME ON SOCIAL
🎧 Podcast: https://www.freetobemindful.com/podcast
📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/counselorvdejesus/
📋 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/counselorvdejesus/
🎤 Speaking & Workshops: https://www.freetobemindful.com/speaking
DISCLAIMER
Free to Be Mindful Podcast episodes are for educational purposes only and should not be considered as or substituted for therapy or professional help from a licensed clinician.
Why Should Women Play Smaller to Prove They Rest | Ep316
Vanessa: [00:00:00] So picture this. It's July in the Caribbean. Everyone around me is floating. My son's playing volleyball in the pool with kids he just met an hour ago like they've been friends for years. And then my husband's entertaining our daughter, who somehow looks like an Olympian swimmer with floaties on. And I'm just a few feet away in a lounge chair with my remarkable notebook open and the pen is going, already sketching what this exact show is going to look like and sound like next.
And I loved every second of it. Just because my version of relaxing is different than yours doesn't make it wrong, and that's what we're getting into today.
You're listening to the Free To Be Mindful podcast, the space for high-achieving women who give their best to everyone and are ready to keep some of it for themselves. I'm Vanessa, licensed therapist, speaker, and mom coach. I know what it takes to build a life you're proud of without losing yourself in the process.
Each week, we get honest about ambition, identity, and the parts of ourselves that we [00:01:00] quietly set aside. Here we go
Vanessa: Hello, and welcome to episode 316 of the Free to Be Mindful podcast. I hope that you're feeling good, looking good, and doing better in this world than you were yesterday.