Have you ever felt completely drained despite doing everything "right" in your life? That was my reality a few years ago. On paper, I had it all—beautiful family, great job, full calendar—yet I was slowly crumbling underneath, defensive and resentful despite my efficiency.

Everything changed when I heard someone say: "when you're not living in alignment with your values, you'll feel drained, no matter how efficient you are." That sentence hit me like a revelation. I discovered that freedom, truth, and integrity were my core values, yet I was living as if productivity was my only priority. The disconnect was destroying me from within.

The research backs this up powerfully. People clear on their personal values are 110% more likely to feel fulfilled at work and three times more likely to report high life satisfaction. Yet most of us, especially women raised to be "good girls," were never taught how to identify our own personal values. Instead, we followed templates—be kind, be responsible, be agreeable—pulling away from our intuition just to please others.

In this episode, I guide you through a simple yet transformative three-step process: identifying your true values, noticing where you're aligned or out of sync, and taking one small, powerful step toward what truly matters to you. I share vulnerable examples from my own work life, showing how organizational changes helped me honor my values around impact and integrity, leaving me invigorated rather than exhausted despite having more responsibility than ever before.

Whether your values center around creativity, rest, honesty, or something entirely unique to you, living in alignment isn't about overhauling your entire life overnight. It's about making one small choice today, then another tomorrow. When women start honoring their values, something radical happens—energy shifts, guilt softens, voices strengthen, and direction becomes clear. Connect with me on Instagram @beinglaurenbarrett and share which value you're holding close this week.

The patterns that shape our lives often began long before we were born. Every defensive reaction, shame spiral, harsh judgment, or jealous thought might be more than just a personal quirk it could be an echo from generations past.

This deeply personal exploration of generational patterns reveals how emotions pass through families without words, creating behaviors we struggle to understand in ourselves. Shame makes us feel fundamentally flawed and drives us to hide our authentic selves. Defensiveness springs up as protection when we feel vulnerable, yet isolates us from those we love. Judgment, of ourselves and others, often mirrors the critical voices we grew up hearing. Jealousy signals unmet needs and desires worth exploring rather than suppressing.

Breaking these cycles doesn't require grandiose transformations but small moments of awareness and compassion. When we learn to pause for just six seconds, the typical duration of an emotional wave, we create space to choose differently than those before us. The most powerful healing happens in everyday interactions: noticing when we reach for our phones to numb discomfort, recognizing defensive reactions with partners, or catching ourselves in judgment patterns that mirrored our parents' dinner table conversations. As Carl Jung reminds us, "Nothing has a stronger influence psychologically on children than the unlived life of the parent." Yet when we meet these inherited patterns with curiosity instead of shame, we not only heal ourselves but potentially generations before and after us.

Ready to transform your relationship with these emotions? Follow along on Instagram @being_lauren_barrett and join a community of others courageously examining their emotional inheritance. Your healing journey matters more than you know: when you heal, you're never healing just for yourself.

Stepping beyond comfort requires courage, especially when life feels peaceful. That sweet spot of having a flexible job, lovely home, great marriage, and beautiful children had me feeling oddly complacent. Something was missing—the exhilaration of challenging myself, pushing boundaries, growing in new ways.

Enter the 75 Hard challenge: two workouts daily (one outdoors), a gallon of water, personal development reading, progress photos, and clean eating for 75 consecutive days. Miss anything, and you restart from day one. For someone who once had unhealthy obsessions with fitness, this program could have been triggering. But years of therapy have given me the self-awareness to approach it differently now—not as punishment, but as a catalyst for growth.

As I approach 40, I'm craving vibrancy. I want to feel strong, energetic, and comfortable in my skin through sustainable habits, not restriction. The timing feels perfect as summer brings abundant fresh produce and opportunities for outdoor movement. But what makes my approach unique is adding components not in the original program: daily play and service. Because while self-discipline matters, so does connection and joy.

Just one day in, I noticed the afternoon energy crashes disappearing. The persistent bloating began subsiding. Most importantly, I felt a spark—that feeling of aliveness that comes from intentional living rather than autopilot existence. This journey isn't about achieving a certain look but about proving to myself I can commit to something challenging and emerge stronger, clearer, and more intentional on the other side.

Follow along on Instagram @being_lauren_barrett as I document this journey, or message me if you're inspired to join this challenge. Sometimes the most profound transformation begins with simply deciding that comfort isn't enough anymore.

For years, I built a life that looked good on the outside — organized, accomplished, in control. But behind that carefully curated image was a constant undercurrent of worry, confusion, and shame. I didn’t know I had ADHD. I just thought I was failing at being a person in ways no one else seemed to struggle with. In this episode, I share the story of my late diagnosis and how it’s helped me reframe my entire life — from childhood to career to relationships. This is an honest look at what it means to mask, to cope, and finally, to begin again with compassion and clarity. 

We live in a world that glorifies hustle, but what if slowing down is actually the secret to moving forward? In this episode of The Good Daughter Society, we’re unpacking how to release the pressure to constantly be doing while still building a life that feels aligned, fulfilling, and successful.

I’ll share my own journey of breaking free from burnout, learning to trust the power of pause, and embracing a more intentional way of living. We’ll explore:
 ✨ Why busyness doesn’t always mean progress
 ✨ How to shift from frantic action to aligned momentum
 ✨ Practical ways to slow down without losing momentum
✨ The mindset shifts that make success feel more easeful

And if you’re feeling the pull to realign and step into your next chapter with clarity and confidence, my Start (Again) Mastermind begins on April 6th—a space for women ready to reclaim their time, energy, and purpose. 💫

Tune in, take a deep breath, and remember: You are right on time.

🔗 Join the Start (Again) Mastermind: www.gooddaughtersociety/startagain
💌 Let’s Connect: @good.daughter.society

Starting over isn’t about erasing the past; it’s about choosing to move forward with the wisdom you’ve gained. In this episode, we explore the myths of "starting fresh," the role mental health plays in our ability to begin again, and how small acts of self-compassion can shift everything. If you’ve ever felt stuck, this conversation is your reminder that every new beginning is simply a choice to turn the page. 

Join us to learn HOW to start again in our upcoming masterclass on Sunday, April 6th at 10:00am est via zoom. Click here to save your free spot!

We learn and hear a lot about healing and being on a healing journey. But what does that really mean? What are we healing from? Are we ever truly healed? 

These are questions I’ve been asking myself for the last decade. Through this curiosity, I’ve settled into a perspective that works for me and I’d love to share it with you in this episode.

www.laurenbarrett.com/healing for your free pdf download on self-compassion <3

Join me as I explore the topic of narcissism on my quest for healing!

Feeling stuck in your job? Not sure what to do next? This episode is for you!

Navigating new friends as a wife, mom and almost 40 year old!