Maureen Benkovich (00:00.762)
Welcome back to Sober Fit Life. Today's guest is someone I knew would be really fun to talk to. Maria and I are both part of the Leading Ladies Collective, and she's one of those people who can make you laugh, make you think, and call you out with love all in the same conversation. She's a licensed mental health therapist with over 20 years of experiencing helping adolescents and adults build emotional wellness and healthier relationships. She's the founder of
Maria Winters (00:17.846)
Yeah.
Maureen Benkovich (00:29.802)
Of the coaching therapist, co-host of Wellness Rebranded Podcast, and creator of the Emotional Fitness Studio, a free community focused on healing, connection, and growth. Maria is originally from Venezuela and brings both personal and professional insights into her work. Having never been a drinker, she offers a unique perspective on the social pressures and expectations around alcohol, especially within the Latino culture. Maria is insightful.
compassionate and refreshingly honest. And I know this conversation is going to be a good one. So Maria, thank you so much for coming on to Sober Fit Life.
Maria Winters (01:08.516)
Maureen, thank you so much for having me. And congrats on this podcast. It's amazing.
Maureen Benkovich (01:15.324)
Thank you. Yeah, I really love all the different angles. And this is an important one because as I shared with you as a former drinker, I never considered that people who don't drink also feel pressure and get pushback. So I'd I'd definitely love to get into that. But can you tell us a little bit about your story? Were you always a non-drinker? w what how did that develop for you?
Maria Winters (01:37.848)
That's a great question. And I don't think I ever thought about it on I until I start until I until I met you and I started these conversations with you. Cause drinking, I mean, drinking was present in my family as I was growing up. not in a in a level that I thought it was concerning, but obviously always present in celebrations and and family to meetings and things like that.
But for some reason I was never interested. And as I was growing up and became a teenager, and you know, the curiosity comes and you want to try things, I started trying alcohol and I never found a drink that I liked. Like I thought, and I still think they all taste terrible. Like they don't have a good taste. So it wasn't something. And then I think around age, I think I was probably like
Maureen Benkovich (02:18.129)
Hm.
Maria Winters (02:32.471)
15 or 16. I remember I went to a party and I'm like, let me just try this drink thing. You know, everybody's having so much fun with it. Like I wanna have fun too. And we'll talk about that, right? That's just a label and and a myth that we've you know connected alcohol with. But so I did and I probably drank a little bit more than my body could have handled, and I started feeling dizzy and I
Maureen Benkovich (02:43.13)
Uh-huh. Yep.
Maria Winters (03:00.159)
And I felt so uncomfortable in my body, you know, the DC and then throwing up and all that, that I'm like, mm, not only I don't like the taste, but I don't wanna feel like this at all. And that was like the the confirmation that me and alcohol were just not, it was just not something I was interested in.
Then after that I re I was just not interested. Still nowadays. I mean I get and even if I order a drink, I take a few sips and I have to tell the person that to make it like almost virgin for me to actually handle it because then the the f the flavor is too strong for me and then I don't enjoy it. but yeah, it's just something that I it's not not something I wanna do or enjoy doing.
Maureen Benkovich (03:36.87)
Mm-hmm.
Maureen Benkovich (03:52.305)
Yeah, you you know, you said a couple interesting things there because as kids, right, when we're trying it, it doesn't taste good at first. Anybody you talk to first experiences, most people will say, Yeah, it didn't taste good, but we push through that, we override it because we want to have the experiences. Like you said, you're looking around and everybody's quote unquote having fun. But I think it's really interesting that you were very mindful and aware of your body and how you felt, and you didn't want to feel that way. Cause again,
Maria Winters (04:13.742)
Mm-hmm.
Maureen Benkovich (04:21.232)
We often override that as younger people, young adults trying alcohol because we so want the experience. So that tells me a lot about you from a young age. You were very self aware. But did you feel, you know, judged and pressured?
Maria Winters (04:29.496)
Mm-hmm.
Maria Winters (04:33.558)
Mm. Yeah, I guess
absolutely. Still nowadays I'm 49 and it still happens. Not with my friends that have known me forever. And even then, still now, there's so comments like, my goodness, when are you gonna start drinking? You're so boring. Like, maybe maybe you should reconsider this non-drinking situation, right? But of course, of course, there's always comments about that. And and it it's interesting because people assume that there must be
Maureen Benkovich (04:52.914)
my gosh.
Maria Winters (05:08.512)
A bigger reason, you know, being asked if it's because of religion, or if it's because maybe I'm in recovery, or if it's because I grew up in a in a family situation that you know, brought me away from that. And and no, I don't have any of those answers. So it's it's interesting the reactions that people have to a choice. Because in my case, it's actually a choice, right? Well, it's always a choice, but
Maureen Benkovich (05:09.819)
Mm-hmm.
Maureen Benkovich (05:23.1)
Mm-hmm.
Maureen Benkovich (05:33.361)
Yes.
Maria Winters (05:37.62)
is not because of something specific. It says I don't like the flavor. And then they almost start competing. Like, I'm gonna teach you the drink that you will like. And I'm like, try me. I'm I'm open. But I haven't found that in forty for nine years. So if you have any new surprises I never thought about, then sure. But I just don't like it.
Maureen Benkovich (05:45.358)
yeah.
Maureen Benkovich (05:59.003)
I hate to say I was one of those drinkers that would say that to non-drinkers. I'll find you something you like. Come on, drink with me. And you know, isn't that interesting? It's the only drug that when you're not participating in it, people push back and say, Why aren't you doing that? You know, and I always use this example. If you didn't join a bunch of people in doing cocaine, general society wouldn't say, gee, Maria, what's wrong with you? You're no fun, you're boring. And and yet
Maria Winters (06:02.774)
I do.
Maria Winters (06:16.419)
Mm-hmm.
Maureen Benkovich (06:27.842)
alcohol because it's a legal drug, we get this push back. But as you and I know, that is not about you, Maria. It is about the person it was about me when I was pushing back on people 'cause I wanted them to drink with me and I wanted to be able to drink the way I wanted to drink.
Maria Winters (06:35.16)
Mm-hmm.
Maria Winters (06:44.628)
Mm-hmm. It's almost like people take it almost like as a rejection to to them or or I get it. I mean, it's a rejection to the experience. We have connected or associated alcohol with with belonging, right? With with with social acceptance and and those kind of things. And it's just interesting because then when you say sometimes we even want to have that drink because it's the message of, okay, I'm one of you.
Maureen Benkovich (06:49.969)
Mm-hmm.
Maria Winters (07:14.454)
Right. Or or I'm relaxed. I can be fun. Right? How many times we just grab that drink so we can prove to other people we can fit in and prove that we can be fun and that we can enjoy the experience. No, so it's interesting when you can actually enjoy the experience without the drink. It's almost like, what wait? What what do you mean? Participation isn't measured by what you have on your on your on your glass? Is that a thing? How can you do that?
Maureen Benkovich (07:15.09)
Right.
Maureen Benkovich (07:31.003)
Mm-hmm.
Maureen Benkovich (07:40.163)
Mm-hmm. Right. And you know what I know about you? You're a lot of fun. I mean, you have so much energy, and we'll get to that. and and you you are just so present and and so interesting. And so I don't think people really mean that when they say you're not having fun. It is about them. And it's about right. because you are definitely a fun person. But let's just shift and tell me a little bit about alcohol and the Latino culture. What role
Maria Winters (07:59.31)
It is about them, yeah. Yeah.
Maureen Benkovich (08:10.044)
Do you see this alcohol p play in the Latino culture?
Maria Winters (08:16.034)
I think when it comes to the role, it's not different to the role in the American culture. What I think it's different is the understanding of that role. I think the American culture has had way more education to start seeing that more than a role, alcohol can become a tool and a symbol of different things, and and it's is is a coping mechanism.
I think in the Latin culture we're years behind in opening those conversations. But I mean, I'm sure similar to the American culture in the Latino culture is present in again, there I didn't grow up with not even one little family gathering that didn't have alcohol. I mean, it's just impossible.
When you I remember when I got married, my dad was more concerned of what alcohol he was gonna serve than the the food, right? Because for him, the alcohol that he served will give him some kind of status of you don't wanna serve cheap, crappy alcohol, right? You want people to have the best of the out so that was really more important to, you know, to to have your guests being happy than the food.
Maureen Benkovich (09:29.329)
Mm-hmm.
Maureen Benkovich (09:35.952)
Yeah.
Maria Winters (09:36.106)
What I've noticed as a professional though, it working with couples and families in the Hispanic culture is the it is almost the norm that you drink, especially on weekends, to the point that you either pass out or you come home, you're not yourself anymore. and
Maureen Benkovich (09:38.834)
Mm-hmm.
Maria Winters (10:01.92)
you know, that the amount of stories about abuse that comes only when the person is under the influence of alcohol and how that has been normalized, because in in in most cases is are the males who are going out and drinking and and and then what I've noticed in the Hispanic culture, maybe that is different, is the whole machismo thing that is the women thinking,
Maureen Benkovich (10:08.818)
Mm-hmm.
Maria Winters (10:26.86)
He drinks, but he went to work and it after he's done, you know, after the the effects of alcohol are over, he's go goes back to himself. So that's not really him. So they take it. Because we have this belief sometimes of as Latina women that we as to be a good wife means that you have to keep your mouth shut and go with whatever your husband do does, because you're the sacrificed wife and good mother that have to.
Maureen Benkovich (10:44.914)
Mm.
Maria Winters (10:56.152)
keep up or with everything, right? Or or so I've seen that so much in 20 years that I've been working that is is really almost like the norm. So if one of these women go and talk to another one and say, my husband does this and this is what happens when he drinks, well mine too. And then the other neighbor well mine too and and that's the way it is. Right. So and
Maureen Benkovich (11:16.858)
And that's just the way it is, right? There's a and that's yeah. Yeah.
Maria Winters (11:23.68)
On top of that, there's also because of being immigrants, the fear of maybe calling the police when the husband is being abusive because of being under the influence, or they know they're he's driving under the influence, like because then other variables can come into place. So there's so many layers to this that they just accept it as part of living. And again, the lack of understanding that one, that's not okay. Two
Maureen Benkovich (11:31.546)
Mm.
Maria Winters (11:53.682)
In is it's illegal to drive under the influence. In our countries, it might be too, but nobody's enforcing those rules. So many, many people come here and say, What? I'm gonna be stopped if I'm driving under the influence. Why? Like I I don't know. so all those things I think play a role for for that behavior to become normalized.
Maureen Benkovich (11:59.848)
Right.
Yeah.
Maureen Benkovich (12:15.75)
The norm. Yeah. Yeah. I asked you, I said, What does the Latino culture think of the sober curious movement? And you said, What's that? And and that's what I do, right? And it really started in the UK ten, fifteen years ago and it's coming this way. But trying to bring this awareness, to what the truth about alcohol, it's a drug, it's addictive, it's habit forming, it negatively impacts every aspect of our life is a relatively new thought process. So yeah.
Maria Winters (12:45.112)
And it's I mean, it's so easy to find, you know this, is is when we find the the excuses or the reasons why we drink, right? That's why one of the main questions is how much your drinking is affecting other people, because it's not really affecting yourself. You think it's relaxing you, it's helping you sleep, it's making you feel better. You actually do feel better or numb for a little bit, distracts you for whatever it is that you're going through.
Maureen Benkovich (13:06.78)
Short term.
Maria Winters (13:10.662)
and sometimes it's even hard to see how it is how it is affecting other people. But I mean here something I did notice moving to this country is how much open openness there is to talk about AA meetings or NA meetings or looking for help. In my country, I think there are AA groups. I maybe, but I didn't grow up
Maureen Benkovich (13:13.852)
Mm-hmm.
Maureen Benkovich (13:34.002)
Mm.
Maria Winters (13:37.258)
hearing of anybody going to any of these groups, not because they didn't need it. I'm sure they did, but nobody go went or talked about that help being available or even talk about alcohol being a problem. It wasn't until I moved here I'm like, these conversations actually happen good, not where I'm from.
Maureen Benkovich (13:41.553)
Mm-hmm.
Maureen Benkovich (13:54.01)
Hmm.
Interesting. So do you try to bring that into your therapy, educating about alcohol when you notice it's a coping mechanism or something that's impacting their relationship, marriage, that sort of thing?
Maria Winters (14:08.488)
Absolutely. And sometimes it lands and other times it's not. It's not gonna Right. Like everything. Yeah.
Maureen Benkovich (14:11.076)
Mm-hmm. yeah. Well, it's a process. It's a, it's like, don't take away my alcohol. It's it's very, it's it's a long game that you're playing trying to educate and and show the truth. And you know, it took me years to to come to the truth. But I guess what do you see are the common coping reasons why people use alcohol? You you listed several of them. we think it helps with sleep.
Maria Winters (14:23.81)
Right.
Mm-hmm.
Mm-hmm.
Maureen Benkovich (14:40.23)
But now we know so much more, it actually fragments our sleep. We think it helps us relax, but yet it releases stress hormones. You know, you're listing all the reasons, what people think. And and don't forget, we're being messaged all the time that this is a product that is beneficial and sophisticated. Like you said, your dad cared about what he served at the the wedding, what it looked like. You know, we are messaged from the time we're little that alcohol is in every facet of our living and society.
Maria Winters (14:53.964)
Mm-hmm.
Maria Winters (15:00.483)
Mm-hmm.
Maria Winters (15:09.674)
Mm-hmm. Well, and and another thing that I see, at least in the Latin culture, is a reward. Alcohol is also seen as a reward. I worked all week or I worked all day. So I deserve that glass of wine when I come home. Because then I also associate it with decompressing and relaxing and all that without knowing that actually the biology, like you were saying, behind it is that now you're gonna sleep actually not as well because alcohol is gonna interrupt that. So
Maureen Benkovich (15:15.622)
Mm-hmm.
Maureen Benkovich (15:35.185)
Right.
Maria Winters (15:39.106)
But it's that belief that it relaxes you. I think one of the I mean, we we do so many things, Maureen, to regulate emotions. in my case, it's the scrolling. I I I am to blame that I found that the way I regulate or look to regulate my emotions nowadays is on my phone. And I'm aware, and it's so hard to put that phone down and just
Maureen Benkovich (15:48.719)
Mm-hmm.
Maureen Benkovich (16:02.684)
Mm-hmm.
Maria Winters (16:07.288)
Keep practicing how to be with being uncomfortable, how to sit with uncomfortable emotions. It's hard, but we we it could be alcohol, it could be food, it could be work, it could be shopping, it could be scrolling, it could be exercise, it could be busyness. We are good at finding ways to distract uncomfortable emotions or even not uncomfortable ones, because even happiness can come.
Together with going shopping, scrolling, and and using alcohol and food, right? Mm-hmm.
Maureen Benkovich (16:38.256)
Right. Retail therapy, food therapy, you know, that kind of thing. Yeah. I think we've become a society, that is uncomfortable with being uncomfortable. And we think it's bad if we're bored and not constantly moving and have something to do. or if we're sad we need to immediately numb it, escape it, distract from it instead of process it. I mean, that is definitely hard to lean into your emotions and be curious about why you're feeling so uncomfortable, which is
Maria Winters (16:47.286)
Yeah.
Maria Winters (16:58.019)
Yeah.
Maureen Benkovich (17:07.696)
What you do help people with. Yeah. Mm-hmm.
Maria Winters (17:09.698)
And I get it, it is uncomfortable. Nobody likes to feel that way. However, nobody becomes physically strong at the gym, let's say, by avoiding a difficult workout, right? The same way with emotions, nobody's gonna become emotionally resilient or emotionally stronger by avoiding every uncomfortable feeling because that that's when emotional health begins. It's not to prevent ever feeling uncomfortable or sad.
Maureen Benkovich (17:34.46)
Mm-hmm.
Maria Winters (17:39.51)
Or frustrated or disappointed is actually learning what to do when you feel that way. That's what emotionally, emotional resilience really is and emotional health. Because we can't prevent. I mean, if you're alive, you're gonna have different kinds of emotions, some of them opposite in the same day, in an hour. But
Maureen Benkovich (17:46.385)
Yeah.
Maureen Benkovich (17:56.306)
That's right.
Mm-hmm.
Maria Winters (18:01.844)
It it's it's you know, the the lack of awareness on how to regulate emotions, I think it's really, really hurting us in so many ways.
Maureen Benkovich (18:09.946)
Mm-hmm. Yeah, I agree. And I talk about that a lot. That drinking alcohol for stress decreases our stress tolerance, our ability to handle stress. We're teaching our brain you can't handle hard things. So drink that substance to numb it and distract it. But yet every time we choose discomfort and move through it, we grow stronger. And is was that sort of the foundation for your emotional fitness studio? Everything we're talking about here. Can you talk about
How that came to be.
Maria Winters (18:40.588)
Yeah, so I worked as a mental health therapist at the emergency room for twelve years. And while I was there, I saw all the crises that you can imagine related to emotional and mental health. All that it exists, I probably saw it in twelve years. And I started thinking, okay, here I am at this job at the end of this rope. I mean, when they are at in crisis, right? When when when a lot of situations already happened.
What happens before they get here? Like, where do people go to get the tools? Like, if we're talking about maybe yes, learning that feelings don't have to be fixed immediately. Where do we learn this? Not in school, because you and I went through school and nobody told us not. Nobody taught us that emotions are temporary or that we can't survive discomfort. Nobody told me that. so where
Maureen Benkovich (19:26.203)
Right.
Maria Winters (19:37.856)
Where is like a school for adults that we learn how to do this living a little better? and give us tools for that. So then the idea came of creating a space, a safe space where we can come experience different things. It could be not only emotionally, but also physically. the studio offers, let's say, yoga classes, but also Zumba classes, but then sound healing and then
Maureen Benkovich (19:50.108)
Mm-hmm.
Maria Winters (20:05.164)
We have conversations about emotions or conversations about self-esteem that actually is highly related to the use of alcohol as well. we have conversations about grief, but maybe we also have just may sometimes a journaling session where we're not talking much, but we're getting to know ourselves better. And then what happens, Maureen, which is key, and it's key with the use of alcohol as well, I believe.
Maureen Benkovich (20:11.408)
Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.
Maria Winters (20:35.27)
The the concept of community when it comes to healing. I truly believe that healing happens easier and better in community. And alcohol can isolate you. You think that is bringing all this social you know, more social to your life, but at the end, when we start using it more and more, it isolates you from that connection with yourself.
Maureen Benkovich (20:39.889)
Right.
Maureen Benkovich (20:46.374)
Mm-hmm.
Maureen Benkovich (20:50.215)
Yes.
Maureen Benkovich (21:03.334)
Yes.
Maria Winters (21:04.064)
And from healthy relationships with other people, right? It can't get, I'm not saying it's cause effect. I'm saying it can happen. And then when we find ourselves that if we are human beings wired for belonging, when we don't find ourselves belonging to something that is beneficial and make us feel better and support our growth, it's hard for healing to happen.
Maureen Benkovich (21:26.331)
Yeah.
Maria Winters (21:31.224)
So what I started noticing now the the emotional fitness tour is in its third year, is wouldn't it was not only that all the events are actually free. So I took away the the obstacle or the challenge that people would have to pay for this. It's paid by amazing sponsors that choose to support this initiative. But not only
Maureen Benkovich (21:35.89)
Great.
Maureen Benkovich (21:41.338)
Yes.
Maureen Benkovich (21:50.619)
Mm-hmm.
Maria Winters (21:55.17)
They're free and it's a message of saying your well-being is important, so important that I'm gonna find the money somewhere else so you can enjoy without the worry of having to pay for it. Not only the conversations became important and offering participants the tools of learning different things to improve their well-being, but what I started seeing was that.
The companionship that the participants started giving to each other because they found themselves already in a place that is protected and selected to something very specific, which is emotional wellness. So if you're there, you're already on the same page, or kind of on the same page on that matter. So they started connecting with each other and supporting each other and staying outside of the studio at the end of an event, talking to each other and knowing that they have many things in common and
Maureen Benkovich (22:18.994)
Mm.
Maria Winters (22:46.848)
And realizing that they're not alone in this search for a better, emotionally stronger life, that then the magic happened when all those things came together. And then knowing that this initiative is supported by businesses in their community, not somewhere else, in their own community, that also think this is important and are giving this money for this to happen. So
Maureen Benkovich (22:49.17)
Mm-hmm.
Maureen Benkovich (22:55.547)
Right?
Maureen Benkovich (23:06.866)
Mm.
Maureen Benkovich (23:13.735)
Right?
Maria Winters (23:14.656)
All those four things at the same time is like a beautiful is the the opposite of of the perfect storm is just a beautiful I don't know, sunrise of things that so it's it's feeling supported, that support is important.
Maureen Benkovich (23:24.997)
Recipe.
Maureen Benkovich (23:28.827)
Yeah.
Maureen Benkovich (23:32.241)
Yeah, because that vulnerability and community kills shame and isolation. And that's like, as you said, I love how you said it, where the magic can happen. Now I know you also bring in speakers because I'm honored to I'm going to be one of those speakers this fall and and talking about the impact of negative coping mechanisms, even beyond alcohol and how we're we are really looking to change our physiological state unknowingly, and we want to downregulate our central nervous system. So I'm very much looking forward to that.
Maria Winters (23:46.348)
Yes.
Maureen Benkovich (24:01.414)
But where can you tell people here, cause we live in the same community, where can they find the emotional fitness studio? Where does it happen? How can they access it?
Maria Winters (24:01.624)
Yes.
Maria Winters (24:09.292)
Yes. So it happens in Annapolis and it happens every month. We have more than one event every month, except in the summary is a little slow on purpose because I know people are doing their own thing, but it's usually two or three events per month. you can find all the information and register. All the events are on are up and open for registration since the beginning of the year for the whole year. And you can find that at the coaching therapist dot com.
Maureen Benkovich (24:34.802)
Amazing.
Maria Winters (24:38.614)
And then there's a tab there that points to the emotional fitness studio. And then you can see the whole list of events, who are gonna be the speakers, which are all carefully selected by me, people that I know can bring tools in a professional, ethical, and supportive way. And then you can register for free and choose. It's like a menu of what is what you need, what do you want to explore? And all events are completely different.
Maureen Benkovich (25:05.564)
Yes.
Maria Winters (25:05.844)
in energy, in in knowledge, in all that. So it's is there's a variety of opportunities. And yeah, we're gonna we're there every year, every month.
Maureen Benkovich (25:16.494)
We'll have that information in the show notes. I highly encourage you all to check out the emotional fitness studio. And Maria, I always ask people this question, and even though alcohol has never really been part of your story, which I think is a blessing, what daily practices help you stay emotionally, mentally, physically, and spiritually fit since this is sober fit life.
Maria Winters (25:39.756)
I mean, going back to support is important. I think creating a a a support network around me has been key for my life. Really selecting who are the people that I go to when I need to and and developing the ability of asking for help because it wasn't always easy. and I think a lot the the other thing that I would add is an a a
Maureen Benkovich (25:49.522)
Mm-hmm.
Maria Winters (26:06.836)
an increased amount of compassion and grace with myself. That has been key as well, because that the negative self-talk and sometimes the the guilt that we bring to ourselves and the criticism can be really harsh to a point that then we end up doing things that we wouldn't do to anybody else or say anybody else, but we do to ourselves. And that's is important. It's the
Maureen Benkovich (26:30.044)
Mm.
Maria Winters (26:34.434)
the grace and compassion for whatever it is that I'm going through or the me even the mistakes I make. Cause it's it's not about it's not being weak. It's being human. Understanding that all those things, even the use of alcohol or, you know, the the one step forward and two steps backward in this relationship with alcohol, grace and compassion that is is is human. What we're going through is human.
Maureen Benkovich (26:44.114)
Mm-hmm.
Maureen Benkovich (26:50.578)
Mm-hmm.
Maureen Benkovich (26:54.535)
Yes.
Maureen Benkovich (26:59.452)
Yeah, I love that because for years I spent beating myself up and inner critic and isolating and not sharing all the things you're talking about. And then when I started to understand that transformation and true life change, habit change can only happen with positive emotion. It doesn't happen by beating yourself up and hiding. It happens with exactly what you're providing at something like the emotional fitness studio.
Maria Winters (27:04.034)
No.
Maureen Benkovich (27:26.566)
So stepping a little bit out of your comfort zone at first and being curious and having that self compassion and compassion for others. So that's that's really such a great message. And I love that you're sharing that. Is there anything else you want to share today with this audience of Sober Fit Life? Anything you want people to take away?
Maria Winters (27:43.448)
Well, I think just just one question that I think could be really insightful when we're talking about being uncomfortable with your emotions and the use of alcohol is what happens when you're uncomfortable? What do we do? And and explore that as much as we can because a gift that we can give to ourselves is is actually that is learning to tolerate discomfort. Cause when we do that
Maureen Benkovich (28:01.02)
Mm-hmm.
Maria Winters (28:11.166)
magical things can happen, right? And and again, like I said it before, just reinforcing or letting you know if you're listening to these that emotions are temporary, that they are expected natural, that if you're alive and you're human, you're going to have a different ex experience different array of emotions and they're all valid. And that we can survive this comfort.
Maureen Benkovich (28:12.882)
Mm-hmm.
Maureen Benkovich (28:37.105)
Yes.
Maria Winters (28:40.298)
We can, you can, that's a fact. so just to keep exploring that and and and you deserve the effort that it it means to go through that growth and and getting to know yourself.
Maureen Benkovich (28:42.439)
You can.
Maureen Benkovich (28:57.062)
Yeah, I love that. What a great message. Maria, thank you so much for coming on Sober Fit Life. I always love talking with you and I hope everybody will check out the emotional fitness studio.
Maria Winters (29:07.747)
Thank you.
