“You can’t rewrite your past,

but you can reclaim your power

by shifting what it now means within you.”

Glenn S. Cohen

@CenterForNI

Lately, my inner world has felt like a full house, some days like a family reunion I didn’t know I RSVP’d to. I’ve come to realize that inside me live three distinct aspects, each playing a vital role in how I show up in life, love, and leadership.

First, there are my unresolved inner children, adolescents and wounded adult aspects stuck, frozen in the past. They hold old emotional energy and disempowered beliefs that show up suddenly, outside of our awareness, but not randomly. They’re activated by how I perceive and make sense of the world around me.

Then come my protective personalities I created in earlier in life to guard those wounded aspects. They’ve worked hard to keep me safe, but too often they now hijack the moment, sabotaging connection and keeping me looping in old survival patterns.

And then, there’s my Mindful Empowered Leader. This is the version of me I’m growing into. The one who leads mindfully with non-judgmental presence, being open and flexible with love and acceptance. When I lead from this place, I can build safety, certainty and trust, especially with those scared and frozen wounded aspects of myself who think I’m still six years old.

And here’s the perspective that’s shifting everything: I can’t change what happened to me, but I can transform what happened within me.

By working with the roots (my past wounds), I strengthen the trunk (my present responses) and shape the leaves and branches (my future self and relationships). Healing becomes a Tree of Life, growing upward only because I’m willing to go downward first.

This process isn’t about perfection, it’s about presence. It’s about being willing to observe and not engage the noise happening upstairs, even when it’s messy or loud. Especially then.

It’s like tending to a wild, tangled tree in your own backyard, one that’s grown unruly over time. You don’t chop it down. You learn how to prune the branches, nourish the roots, and give it sunlight, so it can rise and thrive again. So, which part of your inner world is asking to be seen, heard, and loved today?

If this resonates with you, reach out. I’d love to hear from you. If you’re feeling called to work together, visit my website and fill out the Request Initial Interview form. You can also subscribe to my podcast on Apple or Spotify and sign up for my Substack blog (just scroll to the bottom of my homepage).

Thank you for walking with me as I share these lessons of life, love, and healing.

With big hugs and lots of love,

Glenn 🙏🌻

Get full access to Neurological Intelligence: Lessons in LIfe, Love and Healing at centerforni.substack.com/subscribe