Gina describes herself in one breath: "I'm happy. I'm healthy. I'm rich. I'm beautiful." It is a cheerful way to start a conversation, and it is even more striking once you hear where she began. On the Joyful Mate podcast, Gina shares how a childhood without a father, a painful marriage and a season of depression led her to a quieter kind of happiness, one she says she found by looking inward.
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Gina grew up without her father and, as she tells it, with a mother who was herself a victim of hard circumstances. She spent part of her youth in the care of the Good Shepherd sisters, who supported her schooling. She went on to become a certified public accountant and, for a time, planned to return to the sisters and serve as a religious sister herself.
Life took a different turn. She married, and she describes that marriage as the wrong one. Looking back, she sees it as a kind of stepping stone. Gina says she used to be a doormat with very little self-esteem, and that the hardship of that relationship is what eventually taught her she had rights and a voice of her own.
Gina is open about the depression that followed, including a stay in a psychiatric ward. She remembers a quiet inner voice telling her, "you do not belong here," and she set about doing everything asked of her so she could go home. She also describes the antidepressant medication she was given at the time as leaving her feeling like a zombie.
At that point an aunt overseas urged her to look for complementary options rather than depend entirely on the psychiatrists. Gina found an audio program called Holosync, which uses calming sounds. She describes a recording of falling water with the sound of a gong. She remembers the first night she listened as unforgettable, and says she woke the next day feeling inspired to live and began exercising. She says she kept at it consistently and credits it with helping her through depression without drugs.
That is Gina's personal experience, and it is worth hearing it that way. Anthony reflects in the episode that peaceful sounds and nature can help settle a busy mind, and that when we quieten the noise around us we often become more open to receiving help. If you are living with depression, please speak with a doctor or mental health professional about what is right for you, and do not change or stop any medication without their advice.
Gina calls the audio program the first part of her reformation. The second came much later, at the age of 61, when she was listening to inspirational talks online and was introduced to Louise Hay. For the first time, she says, she truly understood that we have to love ourselves.
From that day she began a practice of daily affirmations, and she credits that practice for the change in how she looks and feels. She jogs each day, listens to inspirational speakers, and spends time on a rooftop garden she created, watching the sky, the moon and the stars. It is a good reminder that self-love does not have to be complicated. For Gina it is a simple, repeated practice done each morning.
She also shares a tender story about her mother. Gina says she introduced her mother to the same affirmations in her final days, using a mirror and the words "I love you" and "I am lovable." She says her mother's face softened and she passed peacefully. It is a moving example of how it is never too late to start being kind to ourselves.
Gina's story does not stop at personal healing. At 62 she works with clients in Australia and the United States, a career that began when a group of visiting students helped her find online work. Over the following years her small business grew, and she now has a team and a larger office.
She also pays for three college students to go to school, because she wants to give other young people what she missed as a child. She says she hopes to attend their graduations as the parent they might otherwise not have in the audience. Anthony points out how the gap in her own life has become a source of fulfilment for her and for others.
One of the strongest themes of the conversation is Gina's view that lasting happiness cannot be bought. She says people chase cars and other worldly things that never quite satisfy, while the real thing is "free, deep inside."
Anthony adds that modern life pulls our attention outward through advertising, social media and constant comparison, and that what makes one person happy may not work for the next. His suggestion is to step back from the outer world long enough to connect with the inner one, then return to the world with a clearer sense of who you are. If this idea resonates, you might enjoy our post on catching yourself mid-judgment, and our reflection on the three relationships that help you feel whole again, which begins with the one you have with yourself.
Gina's changes came from repeated, simple practices: listening, affirmations, daily movement and time outdoors. None required special equipment, only commitment.
She describes saying yes to suggestions, from a call from her aunt to the students who helped her get online. Being open to others' ideas can lead to unexpected doors.
Gina turned her own childhood experience into a way of supporting young people. Your story may also point toward the way you are meant to serve.
Whether it is a mirror, a journal or a quiet walk, a daily moment of self-kindness can add up over time.
This article shares one person's experience and is general information only. It is not medical advice. If you are struggling, please talk to your doctor or a mental health professional. In Australia, Lifeline is available 24 hours a day on 13 11 14.
If you enjoyed this story, there is more to discover on the me&my wellness podcasts page, and you can follow the Joyful Mate podcast wherever you listen to find new conversations about happiness, connection and wellbeing.