Some things you don’t “get over.” They change you. They move in and make themselves part of your life. And maybe the goal isn’t to erase them — maybe it’s to learn how to live, love, lead, and create with them still in the room.

In this conversation, I explore:

• The culture of closure — how we set invisible timelines for healing and why they backfire.
• Carrying vs. moving on — personal stories and what my own songwriting taught me.
• When the body keeps score — listening for the signs you’ve been pushing too hard.
• Leadership when pain lingers — five practices to lead with trust and care.
• Advocacy and language — better words for hard days, for others and for yourself.
• Art as a container — the story behind Embracing the Weight: A Journey Through Shadows and Light.
• Music as a turning point — my song Made it Through the Morning as a quiet victory anthem.

Featured Song:

🎵 Made it Through the Morning – Listen on Spotify:

https://open.spotify.com/track/6a7cHhIALMm536M87PsLIl?si=c3a0af577b9a4356

Featured Artwork:

🎨 Embracing the Weight: A Journey Through Shadows and Light – View here:

https://www.pictorem.com/1934551/embracing-the-weight-a-journey-through-shadows-and-light/

More ways to connect:

📖 The Optimist’s Way™ – https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0C6J6M9Q4

🎶 All my music – https://open.spotify.com/artist/2hbJLbX7FkveIAz0xnJce9?si=UHpwiUotRUWTNDyGjsgq9g

📷 Instagram – https://instagram.com/mikebakerhq

💛 Support Endometriosis Awareness – https://instagram.com/endodad76