How many of us have chased a dream with everything we’ve got, only to realize at the finish line that it wasn’t the dream we thought it was? What does it take to walk away from something you fought so hard to achieve?

I recently had a fascinating conversation with Tracy Macdonald, a woman whose journey took her from the corporate world into one of the most elite and demanding organizations in the world: the U.S. Secret Service. Her story isn’t just about breaking barriers; it’s a powerful lesson in the courage it takes to quit, redefine success, and stay true to yourself.

From “Silence of the Lambs” to a Real-Life Agent

Tracy’s path to law enforcement wasn’t typical. She was a “petite female” from a conservative Southern home working in banking when inspiration struck in an unlikely form: Jodie Foster’s character in “Silence of the Lambs.” It was the first time she had seen a female federal agent on the big screen, and she wanted to be her.

While the FBI’s crime scenes weren’t a fit, the Secret Service, with its focus on financial crime and protection, felt right. The opportunity crystalized after 9/11, when agents came to her bank and noted their need for women with credit card experience and language skills—Tracy spoke French. Something clicked, and she decided, “I’m gonna go for this.”

“I Decided I Would Quit Tomorrow”

The journey was grueling. The application process alone took a year, filled with panel interviews, polygraphs, and intense background checks. As a former corporate professional, the physical training was a shock to her system compared to her classmates who came from military and police backgrounds.

The experience pushed her to her absolute limit. “I would cower in the shower full of bruises,” she recalled. There were countless times she wanted to give up. So how did she get through? With a simple but powerful mindset trick she learned from a friend at West Point:

“Every time I wanted to quit, I just decided I would quit tomorrow. And then I never let tomorrow come.”

This stubborn determination, fueled by a desire to prove doubters wrong, carried her through. Walking across the stage to receive her badge was one of the proudest moments of her career. She had defied the odds.

When the Dream Isn’t What You Envisioned

But after all that struggle, a new reality set in. While she was good at the investigative work, the emotional toll of the job was something she hadn’t anticipated. “I was too sensitive to break up people’s families, even though I knew it was on the right side of the law,” Tracy shared.

The dream job lacked any semblance of work-life balance. She was missing weddings, funerals, and celebrations, living on fast food, and her health was suffering. After a year and a half, she made a decision that was arguably harder than getting into the agency in the first place: she decided to quit.

Initially, she felt a wave of guilt and embarrassment, concerned about what her family and community would think after they had rallied behind her. She found herself over-explaining her choice, trying to justify it to others and maybe to herself.

But that feeling quickly shifted to pride. “No one can take it away from me. I still did it,” she realized. “It wasn’t a failure. It was just, I got more information when I got there.”

The Real Warrior Mindset

Tracy’s story is a profound example of the warrior mindset. It’s not just about pushing through hardship; it’s about having the brutal honesty to admit when something isn’t working and the courage to change course.

So many people stay stuck—in the wrong career, the wrong relationship, the wrong life—because they’re afraid of what it means to “quit.” Tracy’s journey teaches us that:

* It’s okay to pivot. You can pour your heart into something and still realize it’s not your final destination. That’s not failure; it’s data collection.

* Your well-being matters most. No career is worth sacrificing your health or your most important relationships.

* True strength is honoring yourself. The ultimate act of courage is to stop making others comfortable at the expense of your own truth. As Tracy now advises young women, “Saying no is a form of self-respect.”

Her story is a vital reminder, especially for young people facing immense pressure to have it all figured out, that your path is your own. It’s okay to try, to fail, to change your mind, and to pursue what truly lights you up, not what you think you should be doing.

To connect with Tracy Macdonald and learn more from her incredible journey, you can find her on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tracy-macdonald-5477692/

Do you ever feel exhausted from saying “yes” when you desperately want to say “no”? Do you pride yourself on being a giver, yet secretly feel resentful and taken advantage of? If so, you’re not alone. Many of us are caught in the cycle of people-pleasing, believing it’s what makes us a “good person.”

I recently sat down with Barb Nangle, a boundaries coach who specializes in helping professional women break free from this exact pattern. Her personal journey from a self-described “lifelong rescuer, fixer, savior, [and] codependent” to a coach with unshakeable boundaries is a powerful lesson in self-reclamation.

The biggest revelation? People-pleasing has less to do with kindness and more to do with something we rarely admit: our ego.

From the Bottom of the Iceberg

For decades, Barb was the person who looked like she had it all together on the outside—a successful career, a master’s degree, and a full volunteer schedule. Inside, however, she was dying. After 37 years of therapy and countless self-help books that only “scratched the surface,” she hit a “codependent bottom” at age 52.

The turning point was discovering 12-step recovery, which she says “melted the iceberg” of her life. It was there she uncovered the truth about her behavior. She wasn’t just being “nice”; she was lying—acting like things were fine when they weren’t, all to please others.

She realized her core wound was codependence, and the antidote was something she never knew she lacked: boundaries.

The Core Shift: Whose Approval Are You Seeking?

Many of us believe we help others out of the goodness of our hearts. Barb thought so, too. “I thought, honestly... that I helped people because I’m nice,” she admitted. The startling realization was that her actions were driven by a desire for approval and, more accurately, a fear of disapproval. A “bad person” in her mind was someone who said no and was unhelpful.

This is where the ego comes in. My own “aha moment” came when I realized people-pleasing was more of an ego issue than a soul issue. The ego feels safe, loved, and validated when we give, especially if that was our childhood conditioning. Our soul, however, simply wants us to honor our truth.

The change begins with a profound mindset shift. For Barb, it was this:

“I came to care more what I think of me than what others do.”

This doesn’t mean you stop caring about others. It means you stop being willing to throw your own integrity out the window to manipulate people into being pleased by you. As Barb puts it, it’s fine to seek others’ approval, but only after you have your own first.

How to Start Building Your Boundaries

For anyone feeling trapped by resentment and exhaustion, Barb emphasizes that change is possible at any age. Here’s how to start:

* 1. Start With Yourself. The first boundary you set is often internal. Barb’s first conscious boundary was simply not opening an email from an ex-boyfriend the moment it arrived. You can’t have a tug-of-war if you refuse to pick up the rope. Don’t answer the text, the email, or the phone call until you have the mental and emotional space to handle it.

* 2. Learn to Tolerate the Feelings. Setting boundaries is uncomfortable. The first few times I said “no,” it felt “yucky”. Barb agrees, noting that people feel like they’re going to die. You must learn to manage those feelings and understand that they won’t kill you.

* 3. Practice on “Easy” People. Don’t start with the most difficult person in your life. Begin with good-natured people where the stakes are lower. This builds your confidence and skills.

* 4. Embrace the Experiment. Learning boundaries is like learning to ride a bike; you can’t just read the manual, you have to do it. It’s an experimental process where you figure out your limits. You might set a boundary too harshly and need to apologize and adjust. Over time, it becomes second nature.

Eventually, setting boundaries is no longer a conscious, difficult act. As Barb so brilliantly stated, “I don’t set boundaries. I have boundaries”. It becomes an integrated part of who you are—someone who gives from the overflow, not from an empty cup.

Where to Find Barb Nangle

Barb’s passion for this work is palpable, and her coaching is born from her own profound healing journey. To learn more about her story and her work, you can visit her website: https://higherpowercc.com/meet-barb/

* Podcast: Listen to her show, Fragmented to Whole: Life Lessons from 12-Step Recovery.

* Instagram: Follow her at @higherpowercoaching.

* Work with Barb: If you’re ready to do this work, you can book a free 30-minute “Unshakeable You” call at barbchat.net.

We’ve all been there. The kind of day, week, or even month where everything feels heavy. The challenges pile up, the stress mounts, and we start taking ourselves and our lives so seriously that we completely forget to laugh. But what if the very things driving us crazy are actually the secret to finding more joy, confidence, and connection?

I recently had an incredible conversation with my friend Rita Desnoyers-Garcia, a social worker, coach, and mother of three who has a unique specialty: she teaches stressed-out, high-achieving women how to laugh at what drives them nuts. She does this through stand-up comedy and other exercises that calm the nervous system and activate the problem-solving parts of our brain.

Her story is a powerful reminder that sometimes, the most effective way to shift your mindset is to find the funny.

The Moment It All Imploded

Rita’s work is born from her own experience. As a professional mom to three young children, she found herself trying to operate at full-speed in every area of her life, like someone frantically spinning plates. She had created a story in her mind that her mission was to “retire” her husband so their family could have more time together—a goal she hadn’t even discussed with him.

“What I was really doing was... destroying and causing more problems in my family because I wasn’t really paying attention to my kids at all,” she shared.

The breaking point came with a phone call confirming her efforts were “down the toilet”. She muted the phone, sank to the floor, and started to cry. Her kids, seeing her distress, started crying too. In that moment, all the hidden beliefs she had suppressed came rushing to the surface: “You don’t know what you’re doing... What a loser. Blah, blah, blah, blah, blah “.

That painful afternoon became a turning point. She knew something had to change and found a coach. The first thing he asked her was:

“Can you be kind and gentle with yourself right now?”

Rita was skeptical. But he pressed, “Just for 30 seconds. Don’t beat yourself up”. She tried it, and in the absence of her inner critic, a quiet calm emerged. That simple, 30-second exercise was the seed for a coaching practice built on self-compassion.

Finding the Funny: From Bucket List to Life’s Work

Comedy was always a “currency” in Rita’s family, a way to get attention in a household of eight. Years later, she decided to check off a bucket list item and take a stand-up comedy class at a local adult school. Though she was petrified, the experience forced her to get serious about finding what was funny in her daily life.

“You just start to see the ridiculousness of a lot of your day,” she explained.

The course culminated in a live show where her entire set was about being a mom. After, a woman from the audience approached her. “I have three kids too,” the woman said. “I laughed so hard at your jokes, I almost peed my pants”.

That was a lightbulb moment. Rita realized this wasn’t just for her; it was a way to help other women feel seen, connect, and release their stress. She began teaching workshops, where she witnessed incredible transformations. One woman told her, “Every week I come in here with something that drives me nuts and I realized it’s part of my set. It is just material”.

Why Laughter Is a Serious Tool for Well-being

You don’t have to be a natural comedian to benefit from this approach. Rita believes everyone has the potential to be funny if they are open to it. The process is less about becoming a professional comic and more about using humor as a tool for a profound internal shift.

Here’s what happens when we learn to find the funny:

* You Gain Perspective: Humor makes you an observer of your life rather than getting caught up in the drama. This distance allows you to see things more clearly.

* You Release Tension: Laughter is one of the body’s built-in mechanisms for releasing stress. When you’re laughing, you move out of the “fight, flight, or freeze” response and signal to your nervous system that you are safe.

* You Build Confidence: Trying something new and scary—like performing in a show—and succeeding makes you freer and more confident. You start to see what else is possible in your life.

* You Embrace Authenticity: Laughter shatters the myth of perfection. It gives you permission to be yourself, make mistakes, and show your vulnerability, which is what people truly connect with.

* You Become a Better Role Model: For those of us who are parents, letting go of the need to be a “perfect mom” is a gift to our children. When they see us relaxed, happy, and able to laugh at ourselves, it gives them permission to be imperfect, too.

Your Invitation to Laugh More

This work is so powerful, and I am thrilled to announce that Rita will be bringing her magic to my new membership platform, Align. She will be hosting weekly “Finding the Funny” sessions every Friday to help us all unload the stress of the week and learn to find the humor in our struggles.

It’s about giving yourself the tools to build mental and emotional fitness in a way that is light, fun, and deeply transformative.

So, think about your week. What was the one thing that drove you absolutely nuts? Now, imagine it was a scene in a sitcom. What happened? How could you tell that story to make a friend laugh?

That’s the starting point. It’s not about ignoring the pain; it’s about finding the punchline right alongside it.

To learn more and join us for “Finding the Funny” with Rita, you can check out all the details on Align here: https://www.fitwarriorlife.com/alignlab

Do you ever feel that your mind is constantly racing, jumping from one task to the next, one worry to another? It’s a feeling many of us know well. In our overstimulated world, our minds can feel like a web browser with a hundred tabs open at once, constantly reacting, scrolling, and judging. Finding a way to quiet the noise and slow down can feel like the most profound gift you can give yourself.

But what if you’re not someone who can easily sit in silent meditation?

I recently had a conversation with architect and artist Seema Chandane, who shared a beautiful and accessible practice for finding calm: Mandala Mindful Meditation. It’s a creative process that serves as a powerful tool for grounding yourself, and the best part is, you don’t need to be an “artist” to do it.

What is Mandala Art Meditation?

At its core, a mandala is a geometric design that starts from a central point and expands outward in concentric, repetitive patterns. While mandalas have deep roots in different cultures for meditative purposes , Seema’s approach focuses on the simple, modern act of drawing or coloring as a form of mindfulness.

The process is straightforward: you begin at the center and create repetitive patterns, or simply color within a pre-drawn design. This simple action has a profound effect. “What that does is it kind of slows your nervous system down,” Seema explains.

Overcoming the “I’m Not Creative” Barrier

One of the biggest hurdles people face is the belief that they aren’t creative enough. Seema hears this all the time. Our society often measures creativity by perfection—the perfect Instagram post, the flawless project outcome.

This practice invites you to redefine creativity. “Here, creativity is playfulness. Here, it’s about the flow,” Seema says. The goal isn’t to produce a masterpiece; it’s to silence the inner critic that judges whether your lines are symmetrical or your colors are “right”. The focus is on rewarding the process, not just the outcome. There are no rules and no pressure.

Finding Flow: Meditation in Motion

As you engage with the patterns and colors, something remarkable happens. The initial mental chatter begins to fade. The rhythm of repeating patterns and the simple act of filling space with color soothes your nervous system. Your breath falls into sync with your hand’s movements, and you enter a meditative state of flow.

“The time will seem like it’s dissolving,” Seema notes, “And you won’t know where that 40 minutes passed away”. This is where the magic lies—in that quiet, decluttered mental space where you can find deep answers.

A Practice for Life

The most beautiful metaphor Seema shared is how this practice translates from paper into daily life. Every mandala begins with a center, just as we have a center in our own lives. When we feel scattered and unbalanced, it’s often because we’ve lost touch with that center.

This practice teaches you how to find that central point on the page and, by extension, within yourself. It’s a way to learn how to pause, ground yourself, and operate from a place of calm stability, even amidst chaos.

If you’re looking for a way to close some of those mental tabs and create space for yourself, this might be the gentle, creative invitation you’ve been waiting for.

You can experience this practice for yourself. Seema Chandane is facilitating Mandala Art Meditation sessions as a part of our Align membership program. To join her and our other facilitators, click the link below:

Join Align and Start Your Mandala Practice

I’m opening the doors to ALIGN, not just a membership, but a sanctuary for growth, clarity, and emotional fitness.

ALIGN is where you’ll get the support, tools, and community to:

* Pause in the midst of the chaos

* Strengthen your inner resilience

* Align with who you truly are

* And create a life that feels full, calm, and abundant

This is not about waiting until burnout forces you to slow down. ALIGN is about building weekly rituals, practices, and conversations that bring you back to your center, consistently.

Right now, I’m inviting 10 founding members to join me in shaping this movement. Founding members get:

* Special pricing (lock in)

* Special gift upon sign up

* The chance to co-create the direction of ALIGN

If you’ve been waiting for a sign to put yourself first, this is it. This is the spark.

Join us in our next live party here:

Today: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/hgz8jZ2KSA2w6ehiLbYHYQ#/registration

October 4th: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/DJbgV5rAT_mu-ox7XDq8pQ#/registration

Let’s do this together.

Have you ever been told to calm down when you were upset? Or felt like you had to suppress your frustration at work to be seen as professional? Most of us have been taught that certain emotions—like anger, sadness, or frustration—are “bad” and should be pushed away. We learn to put on a brave face, but deep down, that unprocessed energy just becomes mental clutter, weighing us down.

But what if we’ve been looking at it all wrong?

In a recent podcast episode, I sat down with the incredible Dr. Sandra Lewis, a clinical psychologist and personal energy strategist, and she completely shifted my perspective. Her core belief is simple but profound:

“Nothing happening inside you is there to hurt you”.

That’s right. According to Dr. Lewis, every single feeling, even the most uncomfortable ones, is there to

help you. She calls our ability to sense and perceive our emotions a “human superpower”.

Think about the last time you felt truly angry. What was it about? Dr. Lewis suggests that anger is often a powerful signal that your core values have been violated. It’s not just a negative feeling to be suppressed; it’s a messenger trying to get your attention. It’s telling you where you need to realign with what truly matters to you. When we see it this way, we can use that energy not for destruction, but for creative problem-solving and positive change.

The conversation took an even deeper turn when she shared what she considers one of the greatest gifts of emotional intelligence: the recognition that our feelings originate

inside us. As she put it, no one can pour anger or joy into you; you create it from within.

I have to be honest—as you’ll hear in the episode, my immediate reaction was discomfort. My mind instinctively wanted to blame someone or something else for my unease. But then came the insight: if we create our emotions, that means we have agency. We have the power to

shift our experience. That isn’t about blame; it’s about reclaiming our personal power.

This is the very essence of the work we are setting out to do with our new platform, ALIGN. It’s about moving from a place of reaction to a place of conscious creation.

In a world designed to make us chase after an idea of success that doesn’t feel aligned, compete with each other and fight for resources, our mission at ALIGN is to remind you to:

* Pause in the midst of the chaos

* Put on your oxygen mask first

* Give from a place of overflow, not depletion

* Find your true gifts and share them with the world

* Attract (Not Chase) a life of abundance in health, relationships and finances

* Get ALIGNed

This work isn’t a one-time fix; it’s a daily practice. That’s why I am so thrilled that Dr. Sandra Lewis will be bringing her wisdom to ALIGN, guiding a weekly session called

“Befriending Our Emotions” to help us all build this crucial skill.

So if you want to get a COMPLIMENTARY taste of what to expect inside the world of ALIGN, please join us for one of our live, virtual open houses this week. Choose the time that works best for you:

* Evening Sessions (7:00 PM): Join us on Tuesday, September 30th, Wednesday, October 1st, or Thursday, October 2nd.

* Click here to register for an evening session

* Morning Session (8:00 AM): Join us on Saturday, October 4th.

* Click here to register for the morning session

Come celebrate the launch, meet the team and some like-minded folks, enjoy session demos, giveaways, and most importantly, give yourself permission to stop DOING and just BE.

Have you ever felt an unexplainable tightness in your chest, a pit in your stomach, or a persistent sense of anxiety that you just can’t “think” your way out of? We often try to rationalize our feelings or suppress them, but as this week’s guest explains, our bodies hold onto these emotions, and true release comes from working with the body, not just the mind.

In this episode, I am joined by Ina Hansen, a Certified Clinical EFT Practitioner and Trauma-Informed Coach, for a fascinating look at the Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT), also known as tapping. Ina specializes in helping women heal from childhood trauma and toxic relationships by releasing what has been held inside their bodies for years.

What is EFT Tapping?

EFT is a powerful, science-backed technique that works directly with your nervous system. Ina describes it as being similar to acupuncture, but instead of needles, you use your own fingertips to tap on specific meridian points on the body. This process helps calm the amygdala—the brain's fear center—and moves you out of a "fight or flight" state.

The results are astounding. According to clinical studies, just 10 minutes of tapping can reduce stress and anxiety levels by up to 40%. Unlike simply talking about a problem, which can sometimes heighten stress, tapping helps neutralize the emotional charge of an issue where it’s stored: in your body.

It’s Not Just for “Big T” Trauma

One of the most important points Ina makes is that we have all experienced trauma. It doesn't have to be a major, catastrophic event. "Little t" traumas and subconscious beliefs we absorbed in childhood—like "I'm not good enough" or "I don't deserve this"—shape our reality and hold us back. Even in the best of childhoods, we internalize beliefs from our environment that can get trapped in our bodies, leading to anxiety, people-pleasing, and feeling stuck. EFT helps bring these patterns to the surface and gently release them.

Experience a Live Tapping Demo

The highlight of our conversation was when Ina graciously guided me through a live EFT session. I brought up my nervousness about the launch of my new membership, and what followed was a beautiful demonstration of how tapping works.

Ina guided me to:

* Voice the worry while tapping on specific points, starting with the "karate chop" point on the side of the hand.

* Identify the physical sensation associated with the feeling, which for me was a pit in my stomach that I visualized as a brown, round avocado seed.

* Tap through the meridian points while describing the physical sensation out loud—its size, shape, color, and location.

As we continued to tap and breathe into the sensation, I felt it become fainter, blurry, and eventually disappear entirely. The sense of calm and clarity that followed was immediate and profound. As soon as I opened my eyes, my gaze fell on a sign in my office I hadn't truly seen in a while: "Dream big, darling". It was the exact message I needed to receive.

This is a tool that anyone can learn and use to calm themselves down in moments of stress. You can follow along with the demo in the episode—Ina explains that even if the specific issue isn't yours, your nervous system still benefits from the practice through what she calls "borrowing benefits".

I’m thrilled to announce that Ina Hansen will be one of the expert facilitators in my new membership platform, Align. This will be an ongoing, virtual retreat designed to help you heal your mind, body, and soul with live weekly sessions featuring modalities like EFT, guided meditation, soulful book discussions, and more.

Join Align here: https://www.fitwarriorlife.com/alignlab

Do you ever feel like you're caught in a cycle of constant effort without any real change? You’ve tried the weekend retreats, the spa days, and the meditation apps. They offer a moment of peace, a fleeting sense of calm, but it never seems to stick. Before long, you’re right back where you started, feeling overwhelmed and alone in your struggle.

If this sounds familiar, you are not alone. And it is not your fault.

The truth is that lasting well-being isn't found in a single event or a quick fix. Real healing is a process. It requires consistency, genuine support, and a dedicated space where you can show up as you are and be guided with compassion. It’s less like a one-time vacation and more like building strength at a gym—it happens with steady practice.

That’s the principle behind Align, a virtual wellness gym designed to help you heal your mind, nurture your body, and restore your spirit.

See below for a special offer ending soon.

More Than Just Videos: A Live, Interactive Space

What makes this different from the apps and pre-recorded courses you’ve tried before? Everything is live and interactive. These aren’t videos you watch passively. They are real-time experiences led by expert facilitators who are there to see you and guide you. Each facilitator is handpicked, extensively trained, and rated by members, ensuring you are always in a supportive and capable space.

A Place to Align, Every Week

Your membership gives you unlimited access to a rich schedule of live weekly sessions designed to help you feel grounded, energized, and connected. You can take as many as you want, whenever you need them.

Here is just a sample of what’s offered:

* Monday Manifestation Circle: Start your week with clear intention.

* Befriend Your Emotions: Learn to work with your feelings, not against them.

* Soulful Chapters Book Discussions: Connect with others through shared reading and insight.

* EFT (Tapping) Circles: Release stress and limiting beliefs in a group setting.

* Mandala Art Making: Access your creativity as a form of meditation.

* Finding the Funny: Explore humor and lightness as a healing tool.

* Breathwork, Guided Meditations & Centering Exercises: Classic practices to ground your energy and calm your mind.

You Don't Have to Do This Alone

Beyond the sessions, Align is a heart-centered community. Your membership includes access to a supportive network of fellow members, private office hours for more personal connection, and early access to future in-person gatherings.

Healing is a continuous process, and this is your starting point. This is your space, your sanctuary, and your reminder that you are not meant to carry it all by yourself.

The doors are open now. It’s time to step into a place that will meet you exactly where you are.

Click Here to Join: https://www.fitwarriorlife.com/alignlab

Reach out for a special discount just for substack members- ($100- $800 off membership options)

We all know the feeling of being "stuck." It’s that invisible barrier that holds us back, a pattern we can’t seem to break no matter how hard we try. But what if the root of that "stuckness" lies deeper than we think, in wounds we never even recognized as trauma?

I recently had a powerful conversation with my friend Stacey Uhrig, a Trauma Care Practitioner, about the subtle, often overlooked ways our past shapes our present. Her work dives beneath the surface to help people find freedom from patterns that have held them captive for decades.

Redefining Trauma: It's Not What You Think

When we hear the word "trauma," our minds often jump to overt, catastrophic events. But Stacey offers a broader, more inclusive definition. The dictionary defines trauma as an "unhealed physical or emotional wound" or "injury." This means that many of us are walking around with unhealed injuries we’ve been told to ignore.

Stacey points out that while some people grow up without emotional or mental injury, many others were hurt and didn't know how to express it. This is especially true for psychological and emotional pain, which often gets bypassed. Have you ever been told:

* "You're making too big of a deal out of that."

* "Why can't you just let it go?"

Many of us internalize these messages, gaslighting ourselves into believing we shouldn't be upset. We might tell ourselves, "I have a roof over my head. I never go hungry. What do I have to be upset about?" Even those who grew up in wealthy households with yearly vacations can carry deep wounds from having an emotionally immature or narcissistic parent. These experiences can leave us feeling unseen, unheard, and unsafe, even without overt abuse.

The key takeaway is that trauma isn't a competition. Your nervous system doesn't rank traumatic events; it simply assesses what feels safe and what doesn’t. As Stacey puts it, the trauma isn't just the event itself, but "living life through the lens of how you interpreted that moment."

A Journey Guided by Lived Experience

Stacey’s path to becoming a trauma specialist was born from her own experiences. "I am my own client," she shared, recalling a past filled with anxiety, two nervous breakdowns, and years of feeling disconnected from her body despite knowing intellectually what was wrong.

Her healing journey began to shift dramatically when she discovered modalities that connected her mind and body. Now, she brings a robust toolbox to her clients as a trauma-trained practitioner—a distinction she notes is very different from being simply "trauma-informed." Her methods include:

* Parts Work (Internal Family Systems): Identifying the adaptive parts of ourselves we developed for survival that may now be keeping us stuck.

* Polyvagal Theory: Understanding the link between these internal "parts" and our nervous system's responses.

* Rapid Transformational Therapy: A form of hypnotherapy used to get to the subconscious root of a persistent behavior or obstacle.

Healing Through Reading: Introducing Soulful Chapters

For Stacey, a major turning point came not from a therapy session, but from a book. During her second nervous breakdown in her early 40s, someone gave her Brené Brown's Daring Greatly. The impact was profound. "I just learned more from that book than I did from 20 years of therapy," she recalls. This ignited a passion for healing through literature, proving that deep wisdom could be accessible and transformative.

This is why I am so incredibly honored to announce that Stacey will be bringing this passion to Align, my new initiative designed to be a "gym for your mind and your soul." Stacey will be facilitating Soulful Chapters, a unique, trauma-informed book club for our members.

This isn't your average book club. Instead of rushing through a book a month, Soulful Chapters will dive deep into just a few chapters at a time, allowing for true processing and integration. The sessions will function like group coaching, creating a safe space to discuss the emotions and patterns the books bring to the surface.

Stacey gave a perfect example of how this works. When moderating discussions on Mel Robbins' The Let Them Theory, she noticed that the simple advice to "let go of control" made many people feel physically sick or ashamed when they couldn't do it. Stacey was able to reframe this, explaining that for many, the need to control isn't a mindset flaw—it's a nervous system response learned in a chaotic past where control equaled safety. The theory isn't something you fail at; it's something you work toward as you heal.

That is the power of discussing these concepts in a space held by a trauma-trained specialist. It's an opportunity to gain introspection, see your belief systems more clearly, and do the deep inner work required to heal.

Get Aligned

As we start to declutter our minds from these unhealed wounds, we create space to become truly aligned with ourselves and the universe. It’s about building a connection so strong that you can finally feel that the universe has your back.

I invite you to join us on this journey. It’s heavy work, but it’s the most rewarding work you’ll ever do.

To learn more about Stacey and her incredible work, visit her website at flipyourmindset.com or follow her on Instagram at @StaceyUhrig.

And to join us in Soulful Chapters and other transformative classes, keep an eye out for the launch of Align. Let's get healed. Let's get Aligned.

It’s time to start training your soul.

Join us in Align. Our doors are open, and your community is waiting.

Learn more and become a founding member here: https://www.fitwarriorlife.com/alignlab

Let's start our weeks with intention, together.

With love, Chitra