Being yourself sounds wonderfully inspirational until yourealize there is no instruction manual for being you. In this episode, Michelle explores why originality can feel so challenging when copying, comparing, fitting in, or following someone else’s proven path would be so much easier.From building a business that does not fit neatly into a box to protecting the original purpose of this very podcast, she shares what it looks like to keep choosing authenticity even when you are building the road while walking on it.Because yes, being original can leave you wondering, “Am I doing the right thing, in the right way, at the right time?” But becoming one of the Pod People just to make life easier probably is not the answer either. Originality requires discernment, discipline, a willingness to be uncomfortable, and enough courage to be your wonderfully weird, messy, genuine self. Because being original is challenging, but not being you is so much worse.

Questions or comments? I’d love to hear from you! [email protected]

Enjoying the podcast? Help us reach more wonderfullyoriginal humans by liking, commenting, following, subscribing, or sharing the podcast with someone who might enjoy these conversations too.

Reflection Questions

Where in your life are you tempted to copy, compare, or fitin rather than trust your own way of doing things?

What part of yourself have you been toning down because itdoes not look like what everyone else is doing?

Where are you creating something new without a clear example to follow, and how could you become more comfortable with not knowing exactly how it will unfold?

When you look at someone else’s life or success withlonging, what might that feeling be revealing about something you want to create for yourself?

What would it look like today to be a little more authentically, genuinely, wonderfully you?

Growth is beautiful, inspiring, and occasionally incrediblyannoying because it almost always comes with tension. In this episode, Michelle explores why that uncomfortable feeling may not be a sign that something is wrong, but a signal that something is ready to change. Whether you are facing adifficult decision, navigating loss, rebuilding after a major life change, or simply trying to figure out your next step, tension can carry wisdom if you are willing to listen. Sometimes it is telling you to rest. Sometimes it is telling you to accept what is. And sometimes it is practically standing behind you witha megaphone yelling, “Hey, it’s time to move!” The goal is not to eliminate every uncomfortable feeling, but to learn the difference between tension that is overwhelming you and tension that is inviting you forward.

Questions or comments? I’d love to hear from you! [email protected]

Enjoying the podcast? Help us reach more people by liking,commenting, following, subscribing, or sharing an episode with someone who might enjoy these conversations too.

Reflection Questions

Where are you currently experiencing tension in your life,and what might that tension be trying to tell you?

Is there a situation you have been resisting or arguing withrather than facing and accepting as it is?

How can you tell the difference between healthy tension thatis encouraging growth and overwhelming tension that is asking you to slow down or rest?

What decision or next step might become clearer if youstopped trying to eliminate the discomfort and instead became curious about the wisdom within it?

Where might getting more comfortable with beinguncomfortable help you move toward the person, relationship, work, or life you want to create?

Grief and loss are part of the human experience, whether weare grieving a person we love, a relationship, a job, our independence, or simply the way life used to be. Yet when someone is hurting, we often rush to fill the space with words, advice, reassurance, or attempts to make things better.In today’s episode, Michelle explores a different possibility: perhaps one of the greatest comforts we can offer ourselves and others is silence.

Silence gives us room to feel what we are feeling, findwords when we are ready, and listen to the deeper parts of ourselves that can easily be drowned out by busyness and noise. And when someone else is grieving, our quiet presence can offer something that advice and perfectly chosen wordssimply cannot. We don’t always need to fix the pain, explain it, or find something positive within it. Sometimes we simply need someone willing to sit beside us, listen deeply, and help us carry a little of the heaviness until we are ready to move forward again.

Questions or comments? I’d love to hear from you! [email protected]

Ready to create space to listen more deeply to yourself andthe life you truly want? Explore Life On Purpose

Reflection Questions

When you are experiencing grief, loss, or a difficulttransition, do you tend to seek silence or try to fill the space with activity, noise, or distraction?

What might you hear or discover if you allowed yourself moretime to simply be still with what you are experiencing?

When someone you care about is hurting, how comfortable are you being quietly present without trying to fix, explain, or make their pain better?

Who in your life has given you the gift of simply listeningand allowing you the space to find your own words?

Where in your life right now might silence, stillness, andcompassionate presence offer more comfort than another answer or solution?

Why do bad things happen to good people? Why can we do all the “right” things and still not get the result we expected? In today’s episode, Michelle explores our assumptions about fairness, cause and effect, and the judgments we make about what we believe should or should not be happening in our lives.

Sometimes there are causes influencing our circumstancesthat we simply cannot see or understand yet. We may try harder, change direction, take control, or decide something is unfair when perhaps there is a much bigger picture unfolding.

Michelle invites us to consider that each person is on their own unique journey, learning different lessons and experiencing life from a perspective we may never fully understand. Instead of immediately judging an experience as unfair, what might happen if we became curious aboutwhat else could be happening beneath the surface? Perhaps something we currently see as unfair may eventually reveal itself as an important part of our growth, purpose, or highest good.

Questions or comments? I’d love to hear from you! [email protected]

Ready to explore your own journey with greater intention andpurpose? Explore Life On Purpose

Reflection Questions

What is happening in your life right now that you havelabeled as unfair?

What expectations about what “should” be happening areinfluencing the way you see that situation?

Where might you be trying to control an outcome becausethings are not happening as quickly or in the way you expected?

Can you think of a past experience that once seemed unfairbut later revealed a purpose, lesson, opportunity, or unexpected good?

If you trusted that there may be more happening than you cancurrently see, how might you approach your present circumstances differently?

When something in life isn’t going the way we want, it canbe easy to look for someone or something to blame. Sometimes we blame another person, our circumstances, the economy, or the situation we’ve been handed. Other times, we turn that blame inward and immediately start wondering what we did wrong. But no matter where we direct it, blame rarely moves us toward what we actually want.

In today’s episode, Michelle explores what can happen whenwe stop giving our energy to blame and begin stepping into empowered self respect instead. That may mean recognizing where we are enabling behaviors that drain us, creating stronger boundaries, removing ourselves from situations thatcontinually hurt us, or simply accepting that if we want something different, we may need to make a different choice. Life may not owe us the outcome we wish for, but we can decide what we want, respect ourselves enough to pursue it, and start wearing a backbone where our wishbone used to be.

Questions or comments? I’d love to hear from you! [email protected]

Ready to become more intentional about the life you’recreating? Explore Life On Purpose

Reflection Questions

Where in your life are you currently blaming another person,yourself, or your circumstances for something you wish were different?

Is there someone or something you are continuing to enableeven though you know it is draining your energy?

What would empowered self respect look like in a situationwhere you currently feel disappointed, mistreated, or stuck?

What do you truly want that you may be wishing for insteadof actively creating?

Where is it time to “wear a backbone where your wishbone is”and make a change that moves you toward greater peace, joy, or fulfillment?

What are you avoiding, resisting, or hoping will somehowtake care of itself? In today’s episode, Michelle explores the idea of mind imbalances and what happens when ignorance, denial, complacency, or avoidance keeps us from facing something in our lives. Sometimes we know exactly whatneeds our attention, but we bury our heads in the sand because dealing with it feels uncomfortable, overwhelming, or inconvenient.

Whether it’s a difficult decision, a needed change, anunhealthy situation, a responsibility we’ve been avoiding, or even taking better care of ourselves, coming back into balance begins with being willing to look at what’s actually happening. Michelle encourages us to move beyond labelsand judgment and instead get curious about where we may be abdicating responsibility for our own lives. Awareness gives us the opportunity to stop avoiding what’s in front of us, take responsibility for what is ours, and make a different choice.

Questions or comments? I’d love to hear from you! [email protected]

Ready to become more intentional about the life you’recreating? Explore Life On Purpose

Reflection Questions

What is something in your life you may currently beavoiding, resisting, or hoping will simply take care of itself?

Is there an area where you know what needs to change buthaven’t been willing or ready to take action? What is holding you back?

Where might you be abdicating responsibility for somethingthat is yours to address?

Is there something you keep adding to your life that mayactually be helping you avoid dealing with something deeper?

If you stopped burying your head in the sand and faced onething directly, what would you choose to address first?

What is truth? Is it something absolute, or is what webelieve to be true shaped by our experiences, perspectives, culture, and the way we see the world? In today’s episode, Michelle explores the many ways two people can experience the same thing and walk away with very different truths,without either person necessarily being wrong.

But perhaps there is something even greater than ourindividual versions of truth. Michelle introduces the idea of the “great truth,” a truth grounded in love, joy, inclusion, honor, respect, value, and worth. She challenges us to consider what happens when we become willing to listen to perspectives that are different from our own and even allow ourselvesto be affected by them. Because the way we define and approach truth doesn’t just shape what we believe. It shapes our relationships, our communication, and ultimately the way we move through the world.

Questions or comments? I’d love to hear from you! [email protected]

Ready to live with greater intention and explore the beliefsshaping your life? Explore Life On Purpose

Reflection Questions

What does “truth” mean to you, and where did yourunderstanding of truth come from?

When was the last time someone helped you see somethingdifferently simply because you were willing to listen?

Where might you be holding tightly to your version of truthwithout considering another person’s experience or perspective?

How would your conversations or relationships change if youapproached truth through love, curiosity, honor, and respect?

What is your “great truth,” the highest ideal you want touse to guide how you live and relate to others?

Relationships thrive when two whole people choose to growtogether, not when one person loses themselves in the process. In today's episode, Michelle explores the difference between healthy love and unhealthy dependence, reminding us that real love never asks us to abandon our identity, our wisdom, or our boundaries. Instead, the strongest relationships are built by two people who remain grounded, self aware, and intentional as they create a life together.

In this episode, you'll discover:
Why healthy relationships begin with two whole individuals
The difference between connection and codependency
How boundaries protect both love and personal growth
Why authentic love encourages awareness rather than blind sacrifice

Reflection Questions

In your closest relationships, do you feel more likeyourself or less like yourself?

Have you ever mistaken self sacrifice or people pleasing forlove? What did that teach you?

What personal interests, values, or dreams are important foryou to continue nurturing regardless of your relationships?

Where could healthier boundaries strengthen both your wellbeing and your connections with others?

What does a truly healthy, mutually supportive relationshiplook like to you today?

Questions or comments? I'd love to hear from you! [email protected]

If you're ready to strengthen your communication, deepenyour relationships, and become a more intentional leader and coach, we'd love to have you join us at our upcoming Coaching Retreat. You'll gain practical tools you can apply in every area of your life while connecting with others who are committed to meaningful personal growth. Learn more at GrowBy1.com/CoachingRetreat.

In a world that often rewards speed over connection, what ifone of the greatest forms of wisdom is simply learning to be fully present? In today's episode, Michelle reflects on a powerful quote from Howard Thurman and explores what it means to approach others with humility, curiosity, and awillingness to learn. She reminds us that every person, regardless of their background or perspective, has something to teach us if we are disciplined enough to truly listen.

In this episode, you'll discover:
Why presence has become a rare and valuable leadership skill
How humility opens the door to unexpected wisdom
The importance of learning from people whose experiences differ from your own
Simple ways to become more intentional about listening and connecting each day

Reflection Questions

Who in your life might have wisdom to offer that you've beentoo busy or distracted to fully hear?

When was the last time someone changed your perspectivesimply because you listened with an open heart?

How could practicing greater presence improve yourrelationships at home, at work, or in your community?

What assumptions or judgments might be preventing you from learning from someone who is different from you?

What intentional practice could you begin today to becomemore disciplined in receiving the wisdom others have to share?

Questions or comments? I'd love to hear from you! [email protected]

If you're ready to deepen your ability to connect,communicate, and influence others in meaningful ways, join us at our upcoming Coaching Retreat. You'll develop practical coaching, leadership, and relationship building skills in a supportive environment designed to help you grow personally and professionally. Learn more at GrowBy1.com/CoachingRetreat.

Who are you becoming?

In today's episode, Michelle explores a simple but profoundquestion: Who are you? The answer may not be found in a personality test or a job title, but in what you consistently give your attention to. The books you study, the conversations you engage in, the thoughts you entertain, and the habits you practice are quietly shaping the person you are becoming. Every day offers an opportunity to intentionally choose the inputs that will influence your future.

You'll also discover why transformation is rarely the resultof one big breakthrough. Instead, it is built through daily moments of reflection, presence, and intentional growth. The person you will be five years from now is being formed by the choices you make today.

Questions or comments? I'd love to hear from you![email protected]

If this episode has you thinking more deeply about whoyou're becoming, we'd love to invite you to join us at the Grow By 1 Coaching Retreat. Together, we'll explore the habits, relationships, and conversations that shape lasting personal growth while strengthening your communication, leadership, and influence in every area of life. Learn more and reserve your spot at GrowBy1.com/CoachingRetreat.

Reflection Questions

What thoughts, habits, or influences are shaping who you arebecoming right now?

If someone observed your daily routines and priorities, whatwould they conclude matters most to you?

What new input or practice could help you become morealigned with the person you want to be?

Where have you been consuming information without allowing it to truly transform your thinking or actions?

Imagine yourself five years from now. What intentionalchoice can you make today to begin becoming that future version of yourself?