Welcome to my creativity origin story for this phase :)
It's been just over a year since my professional high met my personal low. I left my job as Senior Exec and General Counsel of a healthcare startup, completely burnt out after decades of grinding, people-pleasing, and misadventures. My mind buzzed with to-dos, I snapped at my son, neglected friends and family, and my meditation practice sputtered. More than once, I woke up to a voice screaming in my head that I needed to quit. I was addicted to feeling needed and being the consummate team player.
My bosses wisely told me to take a two-week vacation, and a few days in, I knew I couldn't go back. The truth was, beyond focusing on family and community, I wanted to focus on spirituality and joy. These words felt too idealistic to say out loud in my polished, high-achieving circles. I'd reached a personal inflection point, and no title or raise could satisfy the deeper questions tugging at me: Who am I when I strip away the armor of achievement? How do I want to be in the world? What actually sets my soul on fire?
For nearly 20 years, I'd lived with a personality split, the polished "Allison" and the spiritual "Allie" who danced on tables. It was time to shed an old identity and integrate all parts of me. This podcast is a place to reclaim the full spectrum of who I am, exploring facets like being a mother, a meditator, a student of non-dualism, a Reiki master, a bookworm, a UAP nerd, an occasional poet, and yes, still a healthcare and startup lawyer.
I'm fighting the urge to narrow down my focus, hoping to honor my various pieces and the process of becoming. As Kelly Wilde Miller writes, "authentic creation doesn't start with strategy. It starts with something quieter, a pull." Let's begin.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit alliecanton.substack.com
