159: New Life Perspectives with Liz Larson and Bill McKenna - Episode 159

159: New Life Perspectives with Liz Larson and Bill McKenna - Episode 159

How do people find strength in their journey to sobriety? This conversation with Liz Larson and Bill McKenna zooms in on a feeling almost everyone knows too well: guilt.

They talk about guilt as more than just an awkward emotion; it’s described as a pattern wired into the nervous system that “can quietly turn into the belief that something is wrong with us,” shifting from “I made a mistake” to “I am the mistake.” Speaking from their work with the Cogno Movement System, Liz and Bill break guilt down into everyday situations.

You’ll hear how guilt and blame feed off each other, why chronic guilt can show up as over-apologising, people-pleasing, or staying in unhealthy relationships, and how it often pushes people to accept poor treatment or avoid speaking up. They point out that cultures, families and religious upbringing can heavily load people with guilt, sometimes from childhood onwards. The episode walks through how guilt affects boundaries, parenting after divorce, money, work, success, spirituality and even physical health.

From parents overcompensating after a breakup, to people who can’t charge fairly for their work, to those who feel guilty just for resting, guilt is shown as a thread that runs through many life choices. Liz and Bill also talk about “the electric fence” of the nervous system – that invisible limit where success, visibility or joy suddenly feel unsafe and trigger guilt.

A memorable moment comes when they quote a teacher who said, “guilt has a useful shelf life of about three seconds,” suggesting that anything longer turns into self-punishment and affects everyone nearby. Throughout, the tone stays practical and conversational, with a focus on recognising guilt in the body and life, and on the possibility of loosening its grip.

If guilt has been running the show in your life, this episode might nudge you to ask: how much of that guilt is actually yours, and what would life look like without it?