Episode 038 of Living in Response is a deep reflection on “you just have to start” and realizing it’s actually OK to want to be seen.

Thanks for joining me along my journey into self-expression, purpose, and creativity through this raw, unedited, unfiltered, unbound stream-of-consciousness podcast!

Topics Covered in This Episode:Summarized (mostly) with AI

1️⃣ You Don’t Have to Know—You Just Have to StartThis whole podcast began as an experiment in not knowing. I used to get stuck trying to figure everything out first—my niche, my audience, the perfect name. But none of that mattered as much as just beginning. Starting scared, starting messy, just… starting.

2️⃣ The Pattern of Starting + StoppingI share how I used to start projects, platforms, or ideas—then quit when I grew out of them. Not because I failed, but because I was trying to squeeze myself into something that didn’t fit. What I really needed was freedom to evolve in real time.

3️⃣ Being in Process Is the PathI used to feel lost, like I was stuck between a hundred paths, unsure which to take. Now I see it differently: being in the process—figuring it out as I go—is the path. Every step is the next step.

4️⃣ I Just Needed to Say ItSometimes we carry around ideas, truths, insights that feel heavy until we express them. I’ve found that just talking about them helps move that energy. I don’t have to write a book. I just have to say a little piece—and that’s enough.

5️⃣ The Desire to Be SeenIn a recent cannabis + breathwork journey from the Emotional Freedom course by Becca Francis, I uncovered a core truth: I want to be seen. And I’ve been holding shame about that. But it’s okay. That desire is deeply human—and when I own it, it loses its power over me.

6️⃣ Chiron in Leo & the Wound of ExpressionAstrologically, my Chiron is in Leo—linked to wounds around self-expression, visibility, and creativity. Realizing this helped me stop demonizing my desire to share. There’s nothing wrong with wanting to be seen, to create, to be known.

7️⃣ Micro-Movement as MomentumFrom brushing my teeth with my non-dominant hand to building a yoga practice over years, I’ve seen what happens when I show up a little bit each day. Not perfectly. Just consistently. Tiny actions compound.

8️⃣ Meditation as Portal + PracticeMeditation helped me realize that thoughts are just thoughts. I’m not them. And the metaphor I’m exploring is: thoughts are a river, and I can sit on the bank and watch them flow. Sometimes I get pulled in. But I can still sit myself back upon the shore where I eventually realized that I’m not solely the river or the version of myself on the shore but the one watching all of that unfold.

9️⃣ From Podcast to Practice: Becoming a GuideThis podcast started as expression, but it’s slowly becoming part of a bigger vision. I feel a pull toward guiding others through meditation, embodiment, and integration. It’s not about rushing to be a teacher. It’s about tending the seed of a calling.

🔟 Integration Is a Key Part of the PathI talk about my upcoming studies in somatic integration and how even meditation (like psychedelics) can open us to insights that need time, space, and embodiment to fully land. Integration isn’t optional—it’s part of the practice.

1️⃣1️⃣ Reflecting on "Me" Content & Mirror ContentAfter hearing about the difference between self-centered (‘me me me”) vs. reflective content, I got a little triggered. Is my podcast too much me? But I remembered my intention: to document, to share my process, to let others see someone still figuring it out. Because maybe, that’s the mirror someone else needs.

🌀 The Bottom Line: Just Don’t StopAll of this has shown me one thing: you don’t need a perfect plan. You need curiosity, compassion, and the courage to keep going. That’s how anything grows—one small, lived moment at a time.

Mentions & Resourcesnot affiliated, just a fan

🧘‍♀️ Emotional Freedom with Cannabis course by Becca Francis (via The Shift Network)🌿 Psychedelic Cannabis via Daniel McQueen💫 How to Be Famous with Whitney Uland (on fame as a spiritual journey)🌌 The Heart of Meditation by the Dalai Lama📚 The Gap and the Gain (mentioned re: perspective on progress)🌀 Chiron in Leo – Wounds around being seen and expressed🧠 Meditation as River Metaphor – Stream of thoughts vs. the witness🌱 Neuroplasticity Experiment – Brushing with non-dominant hand on Bluesky

Deep gratitude for all the people bravely living into their truth <3

Mystically,

Belle

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