For many people, the hardest journey isn't changing their circumstances—it's changing what they believe about themselves.

In Part 2 of this conversation, Anya and Aiyanna Smith open up about identity, healing, overcoming the feeling of never being enough, and discovering who God says they are. They share what they would tell their younger selves, how God has walked them through difficult seasons, and the hope they have for the future.

If you've ever questioned your worth or struggled to believe you're enough, this conversation is for you.

Topics Covered

• Healing from past wounds
• Identity in Christ
• Letting go of the "not enough" mindset
• What they would tell their younger selves
• Where they hope to be in five years
• God's faithfulness through healing and transition

Connect with our guests:

Aiyanna ("Yanna") Smith

📱 404-989-3997

Anya Smith

📧 connect.seated@gmail.com

Welcome to The Journey of You—where testimony becomes transformation, and where your story is your testimony, not your identity.

Hosted by Tonia D. Benas, this podcast is a sacred space designed to help you shift your mindset, elevate your perspective, and step boldly into who God created you to be. Because your story matters. Your journey matters. And how you live the dash between birth and legacy is a testament of His grace at work in you.

Tonia is a transformational coach, author, communicator, and faith-driven leader who guides you through the heart-work and the Holy Spirit–led work of becoming. With honest conversations, spiritual insight, and practical tools, she helps you adjust the lens through which you see your life—so you can see yourself the way God does: loved, called, capable, and full of possibility.

Each episode invites you to reflect, realign, and rediscover the truth of who you are. Whether you’re healing from past wounds, breaking free from labels, navigating transition, or stepping with courage into your calling—this is where the journey of identity unfolds.

Because when you shift your mindset, you shift your life.

You’re invited to walk this path intentionally, faithfully, and authentically.

This is YOUR story. YOUR journey. YOUR life.

Let’s live it on purpose.

The Journey of You | Tonia D Benas | Substack

Contact – Tonia D Benas

Mentioned in this episode:

Podcast Introduction — The Journey of You

This brief introduction opens each episode of The Journey of You, a reflective podcast hosted by Tonia D. Benas. The podcast offers thoughtful reflections and conversations centered on faith, identity, becoming, and the stories that shape our lives. Each episode invites listeners to slow down, reflect honestly, and remember that while our stories matter, they do not define us — they become testimonies. New reflections and updates can be found on Substack at toniadbenas.substack.com.

Podcast Outro — The Journey of You

This brief closing message appears at the end of each episode of The Journey of You. Listeners are invited to continue reflecting and connecting through written reflections and podcast updates on Substack at toniadbenas.substack.com. Thank you for being part of this journey.

Sometimes the life we carefully planned isn't the life God has prepared for us.

In Part 1 of this special conversation, identical twins Anya and Aiyanna Smith share their journey from growing up in a large family to stepping into a new season of independence. They reflect on the lessons God taught them about love, patience, surrender, fear, and trusting His timing when their plans didn't unfold as expected.

If you're navigating a season of change, this episode is a reminder that God often does His deepest work in the middle of transition.

Topics Covered

• Learning love and patience in a large family
• Moving into a new season of independence
• Letting go of control
• Overcoming fear and anxiety
• The importance of prayer and godly community
• Trusting God's timing

Connect with our guests:

Aiyanna ("Yanna") Smith

📱 404-989-3997

Anya Smith

📧 connect.seated@gmail.com

Welcome to The Journey of You—where testimony becomes transformation, and where your story is your testimony, not your identity.

Hosted by Tonia D. Benas, this podcast is a sacred space designed to help you shift your mindset, elevate your perspective, and step boldly into who God created you to be. Because your story matters. Your journey matters. And how you live the dash between birth and legacy is a testament of His grace at work in you.

Tonia is a transformational coach, author, communicator, and faith-driven leader who guides you through the heart-work and the Holy Spirit–led work of becoming. With honest conversations, spiritual insight, and practical tools, she helps you adjust the lens through which you see your life—so you can see yourself the way God does: loved, called, capable, and full of possibility.

Each episode invites you to reflect, realign, and rediscover the truth of who you are. Whether you’re healing from past wounds, breaking free from labels, navigating transition, or stepping with courage into your calling—this is where the journey of identity unfolds.

Because when you shift your mindset, you shift your life.

You’re invited to walk this path intentionally, faithfully, and authentically.

This is YOUR story. YOUR journey. YOUR life.

Let’s live it on purpose.

The Journey of You | Tonia D Benas | Substack

Contact – Tonia D Benas

Mentioned in this episode:

Podcast Outro — The Journey of You

This brief closing message appears at the end of each episode of The Journey of You. Listeners are invited to continue reflecting and connecting through written reflections and podcast updates on Substack at toniadbenas.substack.com. Thank you for being part of this journey.

Podcast Introduction — The Journey of You

This brief introduction opens each episode of The Journey of You, a reflective podcast hosted by Tonia D. Benas. The podcast offers thoughtful reflections and conversations centered on faith, identity, becoming, and the stories that shape our lives. Each episode invites listeners to slow down, reflect honestly, and remember that while our stories matter, they do not define us — they become testimonies. New reflections and updates can be found on Substack at toniadbenas.substack.com.

What if the greatest thing holding you back isn't what happened to you—but what you're still carrying?

In this deeply personal episode, Tonia explores the power of letting go of old stories, past disappointments, unmet expectations, and identities that no longer fit. Drawing from her own season of transition, she reflects on the wilderness journeys of Scripture, the danger of looking back like Lot's wife, and the freedom that comes when we release what God is no longer asking us to carry.

Sometimes the heaviest things in our lives are not sins. They are weights.

Old wounds.

Old labels.

Old versions of ourselves.

Old expectations of people, relationships, careers, and outcomes.

Through biblical wisdom and honest reflection, you'll be encouraged to examine what may be occupying space in your heart and discover how letting go creates room for God's new work in your life.

KEY SCRIPTURES:

• 2 Corinthians 5:17

• Hebrews 12:1

• Genesis 19:26

• Exodus 14:13-15

• Philippians 3:13-14

• Isaiah 43:18-19

IN THIS EPISODE:

• Why letting go is often harder than holding on

• The difference between honoring a season and remaining attached to it

• What Lot's wife teaches us about looking back

• Why Israel's wilderness journey was a season of transformation

• How old stories can keep us from embracing new identity

• What it means to truly become a new creation in Christ

• Questions to help you identify what God may be asking you to release

REFLECTION QUESTIONS:

• What am I carrying that God never intended me to carry this long?

• What expectation am I struggling to release?

• What story about myself am I still believing?

• Am I trying to recreate a season that has already ended?

• What new thing might God be preparing me for?

QUOTABLE MOMENT:

"Sometimes the greatest act of faith is not holding on. Sometimes it's letting go."

CONNECT WITH TONIA:

If this episode resonated with you, I would love to continue the conversation with you. Join me on Substack, where I share reflections on faith, identity, alignment, healing, purpose, and becoming.

Continue the Conversation:

The Journey of You | Tonia D Benas | Substack

Contact – Tonia D Benas

Never let anyone or anything stop you from blooming. There is something great inside of you that others need. Dare to just be you.