Listen to this episode if you're feeling stuck, tired of living up to everyone else's expectations, or wondering if there's more to life than just checking boxes and paying bills.
More info, resources & ways to connect - https://www.tacosfallapart.com/podcast-live-show/podcast-guests/nina-bevar
In this conversation, we dug into what it really means to make decisions from your soul instead of your head with empowerment coach Nina Bevar, who left Switzerland at 34 to chase her dreams in New York City and eventually Hawaii.
Nina's journey wasn't some overnight success story. She spent years visiting New York, falling in love with the city but making excuses about why she couldn't move. It took hitting rock bottom (losing her job and spending two years unemployed and depressed in Geneva) before she finally asked herself the hard question: Why am I staying somewhere I hate?
The shift came at a wedding in Mallorca when a friend simply asked her that same question out loud. Sometimes we need to hear our own truth reflected back to us. Nina saved money for a year at a job she couldn't stand and made the leap. She says she grew more in seven years abroad than in 34 years at home.
So what exactly is a soul-driven decision? Nina explains it as something you feel physically in your heart and body, not just in your head. It's that mix of scared and excited that tells you you're onto something real. It's not about wanting a new car or chasing material stuff. It's deeper than that, often connected to dreams you had as a kid before life got complicated.
The tricky part is when you recognize that modern life is noisy as hell. Between work and bills and kids and everyone else's expectations, it's hard to hear what your soul actually wants. Nina recommends taking even just an hour a week to check in with yourself. Ask the simple questions: Am I happy? Do I love myself? What do I actually need right now?
A huge theme in our conversation was limiting beliefs. Nina works with clients who say things like "I'm not good with money" or "I'm not confident" and helps them trace where those beliefs came from. Usually it's someone else's fear or expectation that got lodged in their brain. One client realized her money anxiety came directly from her dad's scarcity mindset, even though she was actually doing great financially.
We also got real about privilege and practicality. Yes, Nina moved countries twice, but she doesn't have kids. She acknowledges that complicates things. But she also pushes back on the idea that complicated means impossible. Often we create more obstacles in our heads than actually exist. Did you research what it would really take? Did you ask someone who's done it? Or are you just assuming it's too hard?
Her advice for anyone feeling stuck: start small. You don't have to quit your job and move to Hawaii tomorrow. Take one tiny step toward what lights you up. Visit a place you're curious about. Have a conversation about your dreams out loud. Read a book about it. Put some wood on the fire of your soul so it doesn't go out while you're waiting for the "right time."
Because here's the thing Nina wants you to remember: people don't regret the things they did. They regret what they didn't do. Life is short and unpredictable. What are you waiting for?
Oh, and her best life hack is... Naps!! Two-hour naps, specifically. The Italians are onto something.
