Ines Gaston

Sunday reminders ✨️

I truly believe that our reality is a reflection of how we choose to show-up. So when you are stuck in overthinking, this is your reminder to connect with your heart and your future self. They always know the way!

With love,
Ines

I believe that love conquers all!

However, we need to be very clear on the meaning we give to love.

To me
Love is freedom and not attachment.
Love is unconditional. It surpasses rules.
Love is the ultimate energy that can heal all wounds.

We are often looking for love in relationships. But that is not the place where you will find love.

When you look for love outside of yourself, you will grow dependency. You will trigger a situation where other people no longer can be themselves. Love becomes a transaction because you need them to love you.

Love is something you have. It is a force you choose to share with others. It is not something you can claim. It is something you grow and it has to come from within.

Sending out the 'Malaga Diaries' next week. A series of stories on love, travel, family and healing.

Sign-up via the link in bio (newsletter). Or use this link in your browser: bit.ly/newsfromines

See you inside!

With love.
Ines

What would change if you allowed yourself to trust more?

When I am faced with adversities, I remind myself that things always happen for the better.

When faced with adversities, often there is little we can do. We don't control our environments nor do we control the situation.

Often times those things are just triggers. They teach us something about what we need to heal. They are invitations to change the way we show-up in life.

So when you can walk through life, facing difficulties and trusting that something better will follow, you claim back your power.

You take full accountability and therefore you allow yourself to grow because you trust yourself enough.

It all started with a dream ...

I was sitting at a bistro table, with my laptop, writing.

I saw a courtyard, somewhere in the south. I saw a suitcase and a mandarin tree.

A few months later I flew to Sevilla in search for that courtyard. I had no idea what or how things would be, but I promised myself I would follow my gut, my intuition.

I have always loved stories. It's a way of traveling without having to pack.

And I love writing. To me, writing is like having conversations with myself.

This year has been one big and wonderful journey. And I love how my life is unfolding. The great unknown, full of adventures, tales of courage and experiences that help me grow.

Slowly but steady I have been sharing my stories with friends. And they have encouraged me to open a Medium account so I can share my adventures and my "notes to self" with the world.

Go and have a look (link in bio)!

Would love to hear your thoughts.

With love
Ines.

So here's a question for you:

If you would love yourself truly madly, deeply, wholeheartedly and unconditionally ...
WHAT WOULD YOU DO?

One of the many questions I have been pondering on lately. And one I ask myself every time I have to make big and bold decissions.

It truly works when you need some courage. Because that is what love creates.

You dare to try things because life is one big experiment and you are enough.

But in all seriousness tho, what would you do?

And maybe more important is to ask yourself what you would stop doing?

Let me know.

Ps. New (news)letter coming your way so make sure to sign-up if you want to receive it.

With love,
Ines

The things you learn when having coffee moments with

Just 10 days left before I leave beloved Sevilla and hit the road again.

My adventurous side is having the best of times. My sensitive side struggles at times.

These are moments that I treasure because they always teach me something about my needs.

These moments bring me closer to my core. They ground me because they invite me to stop, reflect, learn and grow from it.

So don't be afraid to feel, go through the motions that come with emotions ... and let your friends and family remind you how awesome of a human you truly are.

I love you!
Ines

I don't believe in problems. Nor do I believe in negative emotions.

I do belief in symptoms and patterns and the different ways to deal with them.

Emotions are messengers. They tell us something about our needs. They are getways to narratives that make us feel a certain way.

So let's stop looking at Mental Health as problems but rather see them as invitatons to change for the better.

Let's add much more compassion to the equasion and learn to face adversities knowing you are not broken and that you are loved. Always.

As my life is moving forward in a more fast pace, I am being invited to surrender more, to trust more.

One of my friends asked me today how I was feeling about the decissions I've made this year. And I had to sit with that for a few seconds and feel my way through it ...

I replied I was feeling relieved. Because there is no such thing as a "bad" decission. The thing that is taking a lot of headspace is indecission.

So now that I have the final sprint of 2022, the year of doing, all sorted I can finally focus on taking action again.

I finally moved out of my own way, with compassion and determination.

And yes, I will make mistakes. But I wonder ... what does that really mean? Isnt "a mistake" a judgemental version of "I allow myself to grow"?

What do you think?

As I am putting my life into boxes, I came across a collage from my vision board 2021. Still a work in progress, but a few images became part of my memory already.

It made me smile but it also made me realise that when you want to create your dream life, you have to start by visualizing moments that speak from the heart.

It's not just about what you want. It's about how you want to feel while being surrounded with the things you want. Connecting with that feeling is the most powerful thing as it calls in the experiences, just like magic ❤

Just wanted to share that realisation and wisdom with you all ...

I finally send-out my newsletter today after an 8 week break. And this story is just the beginning ...

In two weeks I will in Sevilla chasing courtyards, dancing and exploring the possibilty to move. It's all up in the air people, but loving the process.

So sign-up to my newsletter via bio to receive more detailed updates & behind the scenes.

With love,
Ines

Ps. In case you want to read the full story you missed-out on today, just send me a DM 🙌

I had to go to therapy to be able to cry again. For many years I was unable to cry. I told myself I wouldn't cry. Not because I was feeling ashamed of tearing up in front of others. Not at all.

The reasoning behind that decision had everything to do with a deep wound that needed deep healing. I did not allow myself to cry because I did not want to be exposed to the pain of having no one around to comfort me when I did cry.

So when I decided to live with an open heart, when I started to do the work, I had to expose myself to pain. Old pain, pain that was deeply engrained in my many personas that helped me survive ... and tears have now become a metric which help me measure my vulnerability. I allow myself to cry, to be completely vulnerable because whatever happens I am able to hold myself, to carry myself and to keep myself safe.

Since I am slowly saying goodbye as I leave on another adventure I cry every day. But I dont cry alone. I share my tears. And there have been so many different tears. Tears of joy of the unknown adventures, of old memories, of moments and tears that express fear of losing what is dear to me.

I have changed the narratives about tears. From pain to freedom. Me crying in front of you means I feel safe with you.

So lets cry together and share a fine glass of wine to embody the wisdom that comes with tears ❤

The moment I accepted what makes me different from others is the moment I gave myself freedom.

I set myself free from trying to fit in, I have set myself free from comparing myself to others.

I started to live my own timeline, I started doing things because it made meeeee feel good, I started to accept that I am more then a job and a caregiver.

I started to nurture my creative side. My need for control had to take a backseat because I embraced uncertainty and played with it. I dance with it!

I liberated myself from myself and became more myself.

My world has grown, my life has become rich and I wish nothing then the best for myself and the people I love and work with.

I have opened my heart, I have done the work, I have raised my standards and I am practicing to receive without the fear of losing.

Find your spark 💎 and don't be afraid to follow your heart. Stop hiding so that magic can find you! Because it will ❤


✈️

So many dreams stay just a fantasy because we underestimate the power of opportunity.

Opportunity does not always come as an invitation. On the contrary, opportunity is mostly created.

When we stop apologizing for what we want, when we stop looking for external validation, when we stop waiting for the circumstances to be right ... that is when we create opportunity.

We start to build, we start to see possibilities, we speak up and we believe it is possible. And in the process of doing we inspire others to do the same.

Cheers to all of you who believe in the power of their dreams, who take bold moves, who stopped waiting for the invitations and instead are creating their own. You inspire me ❤

🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏

When you stop apologizing for what you want, when you stop the excuses and the BS from letting you move forward, you allow yourself to live from the heart.

And this is not something you think your way through. It is something you have to feel your way through. And when things get uncomfortable, you are being invited to dig deeper. You are being invited to feel, knowing you don’t get to choose what to feel because you feel EVERYTHING. The good, the bad and the ugly.

You learn about the limiting beliefs that hold you back. So when we speak about doing the work, it is going where the pain is, to untangle the beliefs and move forward regardless. It is acknowledging your power, your strengths and choosing to be lead by them. It is acknowledging vulnerability. That's also when all the heavy emotions hit you: self doubt, fear, restlessness.

But when you trust the process you overcome them. Because it is in the process of uncovering the meaning behind all the above where the growth lies.

Happy sunday 🙏

With love,
Ines

People have called me brave ...

For quitting a job I loved
For following my heart
For chasing a dream
For being irrational and
not choosing logic
And yet ... I don't feel brave.
But I do feel all the above.

Embrace your brave ❤

More news coming, so make sure you sign-up for my newsletter. (Link in bio)

The rollercoaster is real people. When you choose to follow your heart and you choose to expose yourself to uncertainty, your brain will go bananas. It will try to pull you back to what it knows, to what is familiar and with that it will expose you to so much BS and excuses that fear and anxiety are inevitable.

I am experiencing what we refer to as “riding the waves”. To give you a little more insight, these are the waves I am riding almost on a weekly basis: We go from euphoria to anxiety, followed by depression, relief and back to euphoria. It is challenging, but the good thing is that with every wave, I learn something about myself, what I want and what I need to change. And most importantly, I keep moving. Forward, sideways, backwards ... the label does not matter. As long as we have movement.

The biggest challenge: while riding those waves it is important to not focus on the roadblocks alone. But to look past them, keep your eye on the horizon and enjoy the ride. And as one of my friends pointed out yesterday: Life is full of challenges, but there is not one we can not handle. And when you believe that, it will become reality!

So cheers to those who are being bold, brave and following their crazy because you choose to follow your heart! You are not alone :)

At times we can get stuck in our heads. We feel restless, we feel we are losing control, we look outside of ourselves for solutions or answers, we want to do more, we feel we are not doing enough ...

When you find yourself in that loop, take a moment. Breath. Take a break and ask yourself "Where am I?"

Way to often we avoid breaks because we feel the discomfort of it. We rather just "have" instead of "be".

And that is where we take a wrong turn, we deny ourselves the lessons that come with discomfort. And if we do this for a very long time, we disconnect, we experience an identity crisis, we feel lost.

So take a moment to feel today. And be grateful for whatever is showing-up because it is helping you to become aware where you are so you can re-adjust your focus for the better.

You make a difference when you take a break because of how you show-up after it.

With love,
Ines

Vamos Peru!

What if you would give yourself permission to follow your hearts desires? To switch-off your brain and to go with the flow. To throw everything up in the air and release yourself from attachments? What would your life look like? What would it feel like? Are you allowing yourself to go there even?

I have ... yet again! I am practicing what I preach. I am trusting the process and most importantly, I trust myself enough to take the jump. I have decided to fully embrace vulnerability and to follow my heart. And this on different levels.

I have detached myself from the things that were holding me back. So last Friday I resigned from a “job” that provided 70% of my revenue with no back-up plan. Taking this leap of faith is a logical step forward in order to realize my dream. I am not going to get stuck in my head and think my way out of it. Been there, done that and it gave me a big fat burn-out. No! I am going to feel my way out of this one by doing what makes me feel most alive: traveling, nature, being with my friends who live all over the world and while doing so finding a place I can call home. Will it be Holland? I don't know! Maybe Peru? Who knows! Maybe Spain? Let's find out!

So yes, I don't really know what I am getting myself into. But I sure know what I feel, and it feels good! And that is all that matters. As for the practical stuff ... I am giving myself permission to figure it out on the go!

I truly believe in the magic of dreams. And so should you! And even though it is very scary at times, know that with every step you take you open yourself up to explore opportunity. You will learn, you will grow and you will inspire others in the process. And that is exactly what I am planning to do.

I am feeling super excited and grateful and scared and supported all at the same time. But most importantly, I feel aligned. I feel grounded and I can't wait to share my adventures with you.

Let's make 2022 the year of Doing! That's what I stand for and that is what I want to teach. In case you feel inspired or curious, then join me next week for a workshop to help you DO more.

One of the biggest causes of burn-out is rooted in trying to fit in and therefore denying the opportunity to be who you truly are.

Not an easy truth to accept, but a beautiful one once you wake-up to it.

Last week I had 6 people reach-out as they felt they had hit rock bottom. Nervous breakdowns we call them. I call them awakenings.

At times we feel lost, confused, scared. We are exhausted as we have exhausted ourselves. I have been there and I found a way out!

The best way forward is to do it your way, giving in to your desires, playing by your rules, at your pase, making your own choices and enjoy the unfolding of your process.

Trust yourself enough, ask for help but don't go back to a place where you feel you can not be wholeheartedly yourself.

YOU ARE MEANT FOR SO MUCH MORE! SO WHATEVER HAPPENS, JUST DO IT YOUR WAY!

I am here in case you need some guidance.

With love,
Ines

We are all creatives ...

But so many of us choose to live in the shadows. So many of us are afraid to show the world what matters to us and rather live life based on what is expected from us. So many of us are afraid to go through the feels and I get it. I see you, I feel you, I've been there and now I work with you.

Last weekend I was in Toulouse and I found this beautiful Poster (swipe right). It spoke to me in such a profound way, I had to buy it ... and it made me realise how grateful I am for all the creatives out there who choose to surrender and who continually find ways to make it work. To show-up in a way that is authentic, wheter it is through food, drawing, music, movement, writing, image ... what matters is that it is an expression of you, your soul, your emotions, your vision ... and you touch lives by doing that.

So thank you
for creating this image. I dont know you personally, but I love your work.

Never underestimate the impact you have on others by just being yourself. Yes, it can be that simple.

And today I want to remind each and every one of you to this simple truth.

Give a ❤ if you agree.

With love,
Ines

Before jumping into the year 2022, goals at hand ... cultivate a solid mindset based on trust first.

Trust that whatever you want, wants you back. Trust in yourself enough to know you will find a way. Trust in the skilset you have and trust in your ability to learn, to explore and to network.
Trust that anything is possible and actively look for ways to have it your way.

Tag someone who needs to hear this today ❤

We don't have to understand emotions, we have to feel them, learn from them and grow because of them.

One thing I see happening around me is that we are becoming more & more afraid to feel. It makes sense tho, since we are being educated with an emphasis on performance. Who we are is ever so often defined by what we do, have achieved and what we want.

But conversations, strategies and techniques about feeling is usually something we safe for therapy or when we feel sonething is wrong with us. And because of that we engage in copingstrategies that scream avoidance and leave us feeling disconnected.

Time to change that. Let's normalize feelings in our day to day conversations for it makes us better humans, it brings us closer together, it helps us feel more connected and therefore protected.

Let me know what your favourite lesson on emotions is.

With love,
Ines

There is no such thing as finding balance. But there are things to consider when creating balance for yourself.

Its goes beyond boundaries and behaviour as it all starts with awareness, understanding your own system and navigating your needs on a day to day basis while moving forward.

Its embedded in your rituals, your availability and so much more.

Once you embrace the dynamic nature of balance, you make it easier on yourself and that as such enables balance.

Happy Monday everyone ❤

What are your take-aways from 2021?

Winter is all about slowing down, staying-in and going within.

As the final days of the year gently pass us by, why not ask yourself what you have learned before you craft those new years resolutions.

What are your big take-aways of 2021?

Reminding yourself that everything is possible ...

Today, 4 years ago, I was in Prague delivering my very first workshop on Burn‐out.

At that time I was without a job, no fixed place to live and figuring out my next steps in life ... but regardless the many uncertainties related to money, housing and well "The Future" in general I decided to be brave and trust myself enough and just go with it. I trusted my story. I followed my gutt feeling in making it my business. At the time I was clueless on the how, but I gave myself permission to figure it out along the way.

Every time I have doubts, I think back to that time and connect with the fierceness that kept me going.

Just a little reminder to my fellow entrepreneurs out there that eveything is always working out! Just keep going, dare to ask for help because your dream is worth it! ❤

With love,
Ines

Ps. Thanks again to & for giving me a home so I could work on my dream 🙏

EVENT UPDATE

Many of you will be enjoying school holidays starting this weekend, so we have changed the date of the event.

What to expect?

* A 4h deep dive into the dynamics of Burn‐Out.
* A clear roadmap to help guide your revovery process
* Personal guidance from an expert

In other words ... 4 therapy sessions in 1 afternoon for just 65 euro 🤓

And ... an amazing venue in Vondelparc, with lots of vegan and non vegan sweets provided by local suppliers.

Early bird prices are available till 28/10 AND get an EXTRA DISCOUNT of 20٪ if you book now.

Register via link in bio.

Ps. Know anyone who is struggling right now? Share this workshop. It will change their life ❤

What is a burn-out? Why does it happen? How do we get out of it? And how can we avoid it?

I launched this training because many of us feel or have been feeling disconnected. From themselves, their career, relationships...those are the moments where we feel discomfort, stress, anxiety, fatigue, a lot of emotions... And the recurrent question we ask ourselves is related to the HOW.

THIS TRAINING WILL GIVE YOU THE ANSWERS.

What you will learn:

✅ How to identify, manage and overcome common burn-out symptoms such as chronic stress, anxiety and overwhelm.

✅ Strategies to create a healthier, more balanced life.

✅ Practical tips to integrate a self-care routine… no matter how busy your life is.

✅ Guidance and support to reignite your joy and passion for life, and replenish your spiritual well.

✅ How to create a story that will inspire you to take action!

This training is for you if:

✅ You have a demanding schedule, whether at home, at work, or both, and are looking for support to create a healthy work-life balance.

✅ You want to fully understand why you’re experiencing a burn-out, and are seeking expert step-by-step guidance on how to overcome it.

✅ You want to recharge and boost your energy, passion, creativity, and focus.

✅ You want the tools to create a self-care action plan to improve your emotional, physical, or spiritual well-being.

✅ You want to reclaim your inner power and self-confidence in order to thrive.

ONLY 25 SPOTS AVAILABLE.
EARLY BIRD ENDS THIS FRIDAY.

TODAY... FOREVER!

Today was very special as it will forever be the first day I opened my own practice. YES! An old school private practice with a door, chairs, a desk and flowers.

Something I told myself I was never going to do as it would limit my freedom.... And yet, here we are.

Although Covid has moved us more and more online, I have done the exact opposite for the past months.

When lockdown happened, like many entrepreneurs, I digested the first shockwave of change. As a business owner I had to sit, reflect and ask myself "now what?".

And I realised something: my added value was not only online, teaching resilience. Like many, I suffered from zoom fatigue, I was craving for human connection and I realised I could make a big difference in my community, with my community and for my community... in my role as clinical psychologist.

So for the past 18 months I have worked as a first line support healthcare worker, helping expats and fellow healthcare workers with Mental Health Issues. First in a hospital and as of today in my own private practice.

And there is more...

I will be sharing behind the scenes experiences in my next newsletter.
So much more is in the making and I cant wait to share it...

Don't miss out!
Sign-up via link in bio. ❤️