Unpack-That Be Free

Have you ever looked around and realized you're not just missing certain people, but the way your family used to feel?

Sometimes we grieve the laughter, the traditions, the family gatherings, and the sense of belonging we once shared. The people may still be here, but the connection doesn't feel the same.

In this episode of Unpack That Be Free, I reflect on growing up in Miami during the 1980s, when family meant Friday night gatherings, music, dancing, playing outside with my siblings, and making memories around the dinner table. Life wasn't perfect, but we knew we belonged to one another.

As I've grown older, I've experienced how disagreements, changing relationships, and different seasons of life can shift family dynamics. I've also learned that loving someone doesn't mean I have to hold on to every tradition, expectation, or relationship in the same way.

Through these experiences, I've come to embrace three things: Remember, Release, and Rebuild.

We can honor the memories, release what no longer supports our well being, and create new traditions, healthier boundaries, and meaningful connections.

Family may not look or feel the way it once did, but that doesn't mean the love we shared wasn't real.

So I invite you to ask yourself:

What do I miss about how my family used to feel? What is worth remembering? What needs to be released? And what can I rebuild?

You still get to decide what love, connection, and belonging will look like moving forward.

Let's unpack what's heavy, release what's holding us back, and live free, one conversation at a time.

If this conversation resonates with you, visit https://dare2liftit.com/ to connect with our community, where we unpack what's heavy, reconnect with ourselves, and create space for healing and freedom.

#UnpackThatBeFree #BeFreeOneConversationAtATime #FamilyRelationships #FamilyGrief #FamilyDynamics #HealingFamilyRelationships #FamilyBoundaries #FindingBelonging #EmotionalWellness #HealingJourney

How do you grieve someone who is still alive, someone you can see, speak to, and love, but whose relationship with you has changed?Sometimes grief doesn't come with a funeral or a final goodbye. Sometimes it's the loss of familiar moments, shared experiences, and the connection you once knew.In this episode of Unpack That Be Free, I open up about my relationship with my mother and how her mental health challenges changed our lives. I reflect on the laughter, traveling, and everyday memories we created together, along with the difficult emotions that come from missing those moments while being grateful that she is still here.Through this journey, I've learned that grief and gratitude can exist at the same time. I've also discovered the importance of community, allowing our loved ones to feel valued, and giving ourselves permission to acknowledge what has changed.You don't need a funeral to experience grief, and you don't have to stop loving someone to acknowledge what you've lost.So I invite you to ask yourself:What has changed? What am I truly missing? And what can I still honor?Grief doesn't have an expiration date. You can take your time, honor your emotions, and make space for the memories that continue to bring you joy.Let's unpack what is no longer our story and be free, one conversation at a time.If this conversation resonates with you, visit https://dare2liftit.com/ to connect with our community, where we unpack what's heavy, reconnect with ourselves, and create space for healing and freedom.#UnpackThatBeFree #BeFreeOneConversationAtATime #GrievingSomeoneStillAlive #AmbiguousLoss #GriefAndHealing #MentalHealthAwareness #FamilyGrief #GriefAndGratitude #EmotionalWellness #HealingJourney

What are you still carrying that no longer belongs to you?

For a long time, I carried the belief that being strong meant handling everything alone. I told myself I did not need help, I could not slow down, and I had to appear as though I had everything together, even when I was crumbling inside.

In this episode of Unpack That Be Free, I question the stories I carried about strength, independence, shame, and using my voice. As someone who is neurodivergent and has dyslexia, I also reflect on the fear of stumbling over my words, sounding different, and wondering whether I was capable of sharing my story.

But strength is not always about carrying more.

Sometimes strength means asking for help, making room for community, being honest about what you need, and releasing the pressure to perform.

I have learned that I do not have to be the loudest person in the room to make an impact. I do not have to have all the answers. I can pause, listen, learn, and allow others to walk beside me.

So I invite you to ask yourself:

What am I carrying? Where did I pick it up? Do I still need it?

What are you holding onto simply because you have carried it for so long?

You are not what happened to you. You are who you choose to become.

Subscribe to Unpack That Be Free and join me as we unpack, heal, create space, and grow together, one conversation at a time.

#UnpackThatBeFree #BeFreeOneConversationAtATime #QuestionTheStory #ReleaseTheWeight #AskForHelp #StrongWomanHealing #NeurodivergentVoices #DyslexiaAwareness #HealingJourney #EmotionalFreedom

What happens when something you went through becomes something you believe you are?

At 16 years old, I became a mother. Along with that new reality came shame, fear, self doubt, and the pressure to grow up quickly. Somewhere in the middle of trying to hold everything together, being “strong” became more than a way to survive. It became part of my identity.

In this episode of Unpack That Be Free, I reflect on teenage motherhood and the stories I began telling myself about who I was, what others thought of me, and whether I was good enough. Now, at 51, I can look back at that chapter differently. What once felt like a detour also helped develop the woman I was becoming.

But this conversation isn't only about teenage motherhood. It's about the identities we create during difficult seasons and continue carrying long after those seasons have ended.

What if being “the strong one,” the one who never needs help, the one who holds everything together, or another identity you've carried was something you once needed to survive but no longer need to protect?

I've learned that healing doesn't require having everything figured out. Sometimes it means being honest about where you are, accepting support, finding community, and taking life one step at a time.

So I invite you to sit with this question:

What identity am I still protecting because I once needed it, and does it still belong to me?

What happened can be part of your story without becoming the definition of who you are.

Subscribe to Unpack That Be Free and join me as we unpack, heal, create space, and grow together, one conversation at a time.

#UnpackThatBeFree #BeFreeOneConversationAtATime #IdentityHealing #TeenMotherhood #RewriteYourStory #HealingJourney #LetGoOfShame #SelfDiscovery #AuthenticSelf #EmotionalWellness

What happens when something someone said about you becomes a story you start telling yourself?

“You’re too much.”

“That doesn’t sound right.”

“Who wants to hear you?”

Sometimes those words stay with us longer than we realize. They can follow us into new rooms, new opportunities, and moments when we know we have something valuable to say—but still question whether we should say it.

In this episode of Unpack That Be Free, I reflect on my own experiences with dyslexia, being energetic and passionate, and learning how comments from others shaped the way I viewed my voice. Over time, staying quiet became easier than risking being misunderstood.

But the stories that shaped us don't have to become the stories that define us.

You are allowed to process differently. You are allowed to stumble over your words. You are allowed to take up space and show up as yourself.

So I invite you to ask: Where did your story begin? And if you could rewrite it today, what would the new story say?

Let’s unpack what is no longer our story and be free, one conversation at a time.

Ready to continue your journey? Connect with Matilde Hernandez for resources, speaking, workshops, coaching, and opportunities to help you move forward with greater clarity, intention, and freedom.

#UnpackThatBeFree #BeFreeOneConversationAtATime #TheStoriesWeTellOurselves #RewriteYourStory #PermissionToBeFree #FindYourVoice #SelfDiscoveryJourney #DyslexiaAwareness #AuthenticSelf #EmotionalWellness

What if the voice directing your life isn't actually yours?Sometimes the beliefs we carry about ourselves were shaped by shame, dysfunction, painful experiences, rejection, or the feeling that we were never good enough. We repeat those stories for so long that eventually, they can begin to sound like our own voice.In this episode of Unpack That Be Free, I invite you to become curious about the voices influencing the way you see yourself and the direction of your life.I reflect on my own journey of self-discovery and the things I've had to unlearn, forgive, release, and revisit along the way. Healing hasn't been linear, and becoming who I am today has required me to recognize when something from my past is trying to pull me backward.You don't have to have all the answers today.You can pause.You can reassess.You can give yourself permission to rebuild.And you can recognize the past for what it was without allowing it to determine who you are becoming.So ask yourself: Whose voice is truly directing your life?This is a space where we grow together, heal together, and create room to become authentically ourselves.Let's unpack what is no longer our story and be free, one conversation at a time.Ready to continue your journey? Connect with Matilde Hernandez and discover more resources, coaching, and opportunities to help you move forward with greater clarity, intention, and freedom.

#UnpackThatBeFree #BeFreeOneConversationAtATime #UnpackYourStory #PermissionToBeFree #WhoseVoiceIsIt #HealingJourney #SelfDiscoveryJourney #RebuildYourself #AuthenticSelf #EmotionalWellness