Episode Summary:
In this final episode of our 12-week journey, I share one of the most personal and transformative stories of my life—the season when everything I thought I wanted fell apart, and I was invited into deeper trust. We talk about what alignment really looks like—not the polished version we imagine, but the raw, unfiltered surrender to God’s unfolding plan. I’ll share the lessons I’ve learned through loss, waiting, and rebuilding, and offer encouragement for anyone standing at the edge of uncertainty.

🌿 In This Episode, You’ll Learn:

• What alignment really looks like—and why it’s not about perfection

• My personal journey of losing everything I thought I wanted and starting from ground zero

• How God’s plans, though different from our own, are always rooted in love and purpose

• Why trust grows strongest in the dark seasons of waiting and unknowing

• The difference between giving up and giving over—and how surrender is an act of strength

In this powerful and intimate episode, we dive into the subtle trap of misalignment—the kind that doesn’t scream but slowly erodes your peace, especially within long-term relationships and friendships.

I share the story of a friendship that once felt like everything I had prayed for—a sisterhood, a sanctuary, a soul-aligned bond—but over time, became emotionally draining, unbalanced, and quietly harmful.
Through vulnerability and spiritual reflection, I explore how easy it is to overlook misalignment when it hides behind loyalty, history, and comfort.

If you’ve ever felt the ache of staying in a relationship that no longer feeds your soul—this episode is for you. We unpack how misalignment often speaks through unease, tension, and emotional depletion… and how God gently nudges us back toward peace, truth, and wholeness.

✅ What You’ll Hear In This Episode:

• The real reason we ignore emotional misalignment in relationships

• Why letting go can feel like betrayal—but staying often is

• How to recognize when your soul is shrinking in someone’s presence

• Why expired friendships are often the clearest signs of misalignment

• How to discern the difference between comfort and divine alignment

We’re closing out the series with a deep exploration into what it actually looks and feels like to live in alignment—not the curated version, but the real, messy, soul-anchored version of peace. You won’t want to miss it.

📲 Let’s Connect

• 💌 Read my Substack reflections

• 📱 DM me your thoughts on Instagram

We’ve been sold a vision of success rooted in burnout—early wakeups, relentless hustle, and constant optimization. But what if that version of success was never meant for you?

In today’s deeply personal episode, Fernanda shares her raw journey through burnout, imposter syndrome, and the soul-crushing pressure of hustle culture. From breaking down behind closed doors to numbing with alcohol just to feel peace—this is a story of unraveling... and remembering.

You’ll be guided through what alignment actually feels like and how to begin reclaiming your energy, presence, and truth. The episode ends with a powerful 5-minute meditation to help you embody a life rooted in your rhythm—not the world’s.

If you’ve ever felt like success was costing you everything that matters—this episode is for you.

✅ Key Topics & Themes

• The lie of hustle culture and the “one-size-fits-all” success formula

• The emotional cost of trying to keep up with everyone else’s path

• Imposter syndrome, emotional burnout, and escaping into numbing behaviors

• How alignment isn’t stagnation—it’s intentional, sacred momentum

We live in a world that profits off our overwhelm—rushing us, distracting us, disconnecting us from the very thing that keeps us alive: the breath. In this deeply personal and transformative episode, Fernanda shares her journey from anxiety and burnout to nervous system regulation and healing—guided by the sacred act of slowing down her breath.

She unpacks insights from the groundbreaking book Breath by James Nestor, blending science and spirituality to reveal why breathing slower may be the single most powerful tool for longevity, peace, and presence. You’ll also learn practical breathwork techniques you can start using today—and end the episode with a soothing guided breath meditation to bring it all home.

This is more than a conversation about breath—it’s a portal back to yourself.

🌀 Key Topics & Themes:

✅ How our modern world conditions us to disconnect from our bodies
✅ Fernanda’s personal story of living in chronic anxiety and the breaking point that led her to breathwork
✅ The science behind breath and longevity (James Nestor’s Breath)
✅ How slowing your breath regulates the nervous system and promotes healing
✅ Simple breathing techniques to reduce stress and build inner peace
✅ A powerful guided breath meditation to close the episode

📌 Takeaways & Reflections:

📌 You can’t always change your circumstances—but you can always return to your breath.
📌 Slower breath = calmer body = clearer mind.
📌 Breath is the only tool you’re born with that requires no equipment and yet holds the power to transform your life.
📌 Longevity isn’t just about genetics—it’s about how deeply and intentionally you live.
📌 Healing is not about fixing yourself; it’s about remembering who you already are beneath the anxiety.

🔁 Guided Practice Mentioned:

🧘‍♀️ Box Breathing Technique:
Inhale for 4 → Hold for 4 → Exhale for 4 → Hold for 4 → Repeat for 4 rounds

🫁 5-Second Breath Practice:
Inhale for 5 seconds → Exhale for 5 seconds
(Practice for 5–10 minutes for full benefits)

🎧 Includes a 10-minute guided breath meditation at the end of the episode

More Resources :

- Breath: The New science of a Lost Art by James Nestor.

📲 Let’s Connect:

✨ Read More on Substack
✨ Follow on Instagram

In this raw and deeply personal episode, Fernanda opens up about her journey from New Age spirituality and self-help practices to full surrender to Jesus Christ. Through moments of unraveling, loss, and unexpected revelation, she shares how she went from trying to manifest her dream life to discovering a peace that can’t be manufactured—only received.

If you've ever reached a point where self-development just isn’t enough, or you’re feeling the nudge for something deeper, this episode offers a powerful, honest reflection on what it truly means to let go of control and trust in something greater.

This isn't a lecture—it's an invitation. One that might just change everything.

✨ Topics Covered

✅ What manufactured surrender looks like vs. biblical surrender
✅ The illusion of control in self-help and manifestation culture
✅ Why "following your truth" eventually leads to burnout
✅ The discomfort of walking a countercultural spiritual path
✅ The scriptures that anchor true peace and trust in God
✅ Why surrendering to Jesus isn’t giving up—it’s coming home
✅ Encouragement for skeptics, seekers, and those in transition

🧠 Key Takeaways & Reflections

📌 Control is rooted in fear. We try to control outcomes because we’re afraid—of failing, of not being enough, of being abandoned. But freedom comes when we hand it all over to the One who sees what we can’t.

📌 Resistance creates suffering. Letting go isn’t weakness—it’s wisdom. When we stop fighting life, we make space for rest, peace, and God’s redirection.

📌 You don’t need to have it all figured out. Scripture reminds us: God isn’t looking for perfection—just a mustard seed of faith and a willing heart.

📌 You were made for more. Culture teaches conformity. Jesus calls us to transformation. You’re not here to fit in—you’re here to be free.

🙏 Resources & Next Steps

📖 Want to start reading the Bible?
Start with the Book of John. Ask God to open the eyes of your heart before you read.

🕊️ Say a simple prayer like:
“God, I don’t know everything. But I want to know You. Help me see what’s true.”

📱 Helpful tools for understanding the Bible:

• The Bible App (YouVersion) – Devotionals, reading plans, and multiple translations

• The Bible Project (YouTube) – Animated video guides to each book of the Bible

• Blue Letter Bible – Original language word studies & deeper verse analysis

• Bible in One Year with Nicky Gumbel – Guided daily devotional readings.

  
  

  💌 Let’s Connect

  📖 Read my Substack: Real stories on healing, identity & faith. Fernanda Bertrand
  📸 Follow on Instagram: @fernanda.bertrand
  

What if legacy wasn’t something you leave behind, but something you embody—right here, right now? In this sacred conversation, Fernanda invites you into a deeper definition of legacy—one that has nothing to do with milestones or metrics, and everything to do with soul.

Rooted in the powerful memory of an end-of-life meditation that changed her forever, this episode explores what it means to live in alignment with what truly matters. Legacy, Fernanda reminds us, isn’t about how many people know your name—it’s about how your presence transforms the people who do.

This is for the woman who’s tired of chasing and ready to live her truth out loud. The one who’s been wondering if she’s doing enough… and needs the reminder that she already is.

✨ Episode Themes:

✅ Redefining legacy through the lens of soul, not strategy
✅ The turning point that shifted everything: an end-of-life meditation
✅ Why your presence matters more than your performance
✅ How to live in alignment with what is eternal, not external
✅ The ripple effect you may never fully see, but are already creating
✅ Trusting that your life is already part of something sacred

📌 Key Takeaways & Reflections:

• Legacy isn’t something you chase—it’s something you embody.

• Your impact lives not in grand gestures, but in quiet moments of truth, love, and alignment.

• You may never see the full ripple of your presence, but trust that it’s changing lives.

• Living your legacy doesn’t require perfection—it asks for honesty, presence, and devotion.

What if the thing you think you want the most… isn’t the thing you truly desire?

In today’s soul-stirring episode, I invite you to explore the radical truth about your deepest desires. We’ve been taught to chase more—more money, more recognition, more comfort—but underneath that surface-level striving is a sacred longing placed in us by God.

I share my personal journey of letting go of the material version of “success” and discovering that what I truly longed for was divine love, alignment, and purpose. We’ll talk about the cultural deception of hustle, the trap of self-manifestation, and the spiritual shift that happens when we allow God—not the algorithm—to lead us.

This episode will challenge what you’ve been taught, soften what you’ve been guarding, and guide you back to the One who gave you those desires in the first place.

If you’ve ever felt like you’re chasing success but still feeling empty… this conversation is for you.

Key Themes We Explore:✅ How material desires often mask deeper spiritual longings
✅ Why “manifesting” everything isn’t the same as being led by God
✅ The radical shift from striving to surrender
✅ What it means to trust God’s voice in a culture obsessed with control
✅ How to recognize your true deepest desire—and why it always leads back to love.

Powerful Quotes From This Episode:💬 “What you think you want is often just a shadow of what your soul is actually craving.”
💬 “Your deepest desires are not wrong—they’re just misdirected.”
💬 “You don’t have to manifest your worth. God already gave it to you.”
💬 “The love you’re looking for was never meant to come from this world.”

Reflective Questions:🌀 What have I been chasing that I believed would make me feel whole?
🌀 Have I mistaken external success for divine alignment?
🌀 Am I willing to let go of my vision to trust God’s vision for me?
🌀 What is the true desire beneath the surface of my dreams?

Let’s Connect:

📖 Read more on Substack 📱 DM me on Instagram
✨ Work with me – Book a discovery call

This week, we’re diving into the power of stillness—how slowing down can become the doorway to healing, clarity, and coming home to yourself. Fernanda shares her personal journey with meditation—from feeling unsafe in silence to embracing it as a sacred daily ritual—and explores six approachable meditation practices to help you create your own relationship with stillness. Whether you have 5 minutes or two hours, this episode invites you to stop performing and start listening—to the quiet wisdom within.

If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed by meditation or unsure how to start, this one is for you.

Episode Topics & Key Themes:

✅ Why stillness can feel threatening when we’re used to constant input
✅ The difference between consuming inspiration vs. embodying transformation
✅ Fernanda’s powerful turning point during a 7-day Joe Dispenza retreat
✅ How embracing her natural hair became an act of radical self-acceptance
✅ Six forms of meditation that fit different seasons of life
✅ Why five minutes of stillness can have a compounding effect on your nervous system

Key Takeaways & Reflections:

📌 Stillness isn’t about perfection—it’s about presence.
📌 Real change begins when we stop performing and start witnessing ourselves.
📌 Meditation isn’t one-size-fits-all—find what works for this season of your life.
📌 Your breath is your built-in reset button—use it to remind your body that you’re safe.
📌 You don’t need to sit still to connect with stillness. Sometimes, walking is the meditation.

Powerful Quotes From This Episode:

“Consuming inspiration is not the same as embodying transformation.”
“Stillness has become a rare and almost threatening state—because in stillness, the noise fades… and the truth rises.”
“The more you slow your breath, the more you train your nervous system that it’s safe to relax.”
“You are not behind. You are exactly where you need to be.”
“Meditation is not a performance—it’s a permission slip.”

✨ Let’s Reflect: Journal Prompts:

Take a moment after the episode to explore:

• What does stillness feel like in my body right now?

• What am I afraid I’ll feel if I stop staying busy?

• Which type of meditation feels most accessible for me in this season?

• Where in my day can I create a sacred pause?

• What is my soul trying to say that I haven’t been listening to?

💌 Let’s Connect:

📖 Read My Substack – Explore more reflections on self-discovery and alignment
📱 Follow Me on Instagram – DM me your thoughts on this episode
✨ Work With Me – Book a discovery call

Inside each of us lives a younger version of ourselves—our inner child—still holding the emotions, beliefs, and unmet needs from our earliest experiences. Often, it’s this tender part of us that gets triggered in the present: the one who learned to stay small, to people-please, to hide their truth in order to feel safe.

In this guided meditation, we gently reconnect with that inner child, not to fix them—but to witness them with love. Using tools from reparenting work—like breathwork, visualization, emotional attunement, and loving affirmations—we begin the healing process of meeting old wounds with new compassion.

If you've ever felt like you overreact, shut down, or carry emotions too big for the moment, this meditation will guide you to the root—offering presence where there was once absence, and care where there was once silence.

This is where the healing begins: not by changing who you are, but by remembering who you’ve always been.

🌿 Episode Topics & Key Themes

✅ Reconnecting with your inner child through imagery and breath
✅ Identifying the core wound that shaped your earliest emotional landscape
✅ Noticing how that wound still influences your adult behaviors
✅ Practicing attunement—meeting the inner child with compassion, not correction
✅ Offering healing words and loving action to reparent yourself
✅ Integration—bringing the inner child home to your heart

✨ Key Takeaways & Reflections

📌 “You are not broken—you are remembering.”
📌 Awareness is the first step in healing. The wound may still show up, but now you can choose to respond with love.
📌 Reparenting is not about fixing—it’s about being present with what was once unmet.
📌 Your inner child doesn’t need perfection. They just need presence.
📌 Every time you return with tenderness, you rewrite the story.

🧘‍♀️ Let’s Connect

📖 Read My Substack – Dive deeper into healing and alignment: [Substack Link]
📱 Follow Me on Instagram – DM me your reflections on this episode:@Fernanda.Bertrand
✨ Work With Me – Ready to go deeper? [Book a discovery call here]

What if the people who trigger us the most are actually our greatest teachers? In this powerful episode of The Highest Self Project, we explore how relationships serve as sacred mirrors—revealing the unhealed wounds and stories we've carried since childhood. Whether it's blame, projection, or the overuse of therapy-speak to label others, this conversation invites you to take your power back by owning your patterns and doing the deep, internal work that leads to transformation. This episode isn’t about shame—it’s about self-responsibility, soul-level healing, and choosing to evolve.

Episode Topics & Key Themes

✅ Why our biggest triggers are often reflections of our deepest wounds
✅ The danger of over-labeling people (narcissist, gaslighter, etc.) as a way to avoid self-reflection
✅ How to recognize and heal your core wound
✅ The 3-step framework for turning pain into growth
✅ Why self-awareness is the key to breaking toxic relationship patterns
✅ The spiritual truth: relationships are not in the way of our evolution—they are the way

Key Takeaways & Reflections

📌 When we villainize others, we give away the opportunity to see the parts of ourselves we’re avoiding.
📌 Your emotional triggers are sacred messengers—listen to them with curiosity, not judgment.
📌 The ego loves to assign blame. True growth begins when we ask, “What is this person showing me about me?”
📌 Your core wound likely formed when you were just a child—and it still echoes in your adult relationships.
📌 Owning your projection is the path to reclaiming your power. That’s how the shadow becomes the gift.

Powerful Quotes From This Episode

💬 “Relationships don’t block our evolution—they are the path to it.”
💬 “The ego says, ‘They’re the problem.’ But the soul whispers, ‘Look within.’”
💬 “Every trigger is a mirror. Every reaction is a doorway into the parts of you that are still waiting to be seen.”
💬 “The shadow of rejection holds the gift of radical self-acceptance.”

Let’s Connect:
📖 Read My Substack
📱 Follow Me on Instagram