Sometimes fitting in works so well that you do not notice how much of yourself you have adjusted along the way.
You learn when to speak, when to hold back, and which parts of yourself feel safe to show. But does changing how you show up mean you are being fake? Or can different versions of you all be real?
This is Season 9, and its theme is "Back to Basics," exploring the systems, habits, and assumptions that quietly shape how we live.
In this Yespisode, Akumu and Claire explore what it means to be your true self while constantly adapting to different people, spaces, expectations, and stages of life.
Joined by the ever-thoughtful and wise Honey Sharif (@simply_honey__), they explore the difference between adapting with intention and slowly dimming yourself to stay accepted.
Drawing from her experiences with fitness, motherhood, faith, community, and changing priorities, Honey shares how she has learned to embrace change without rejecting the versions of herself that came before.
Together, they unpack people-pleasing, masking, self-doubt, boundaries, protecting your energy, and the pressure to perform a familiar version of yourself. They also ask whether there is only one "real" you. Can you be outgoing in one space and quiet in another? Can you change without losing yourself?
Maybe living authentically does not mean behaving the same way everywhere. Sometimes it means protecting your energy. Sometimes it means accepting that you have changed. And sometimes it means recognising when adapting has become making yourself smaller for acceptance.
The Yes Challenge asks: Where in your life are you performing a version of yourself to stay accepted? And what might shift if you stopped editing, even slightly?
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Timestamps for Specific Segments:
(0:00) Intro
(03:13) Meet Honey Sharif: From CrossFit to intentional living
(06:02) Outgrowing old versions of yourself
(19:45) The Yes Challenge: Where are you editing yourself to stay accepted?
(30:18) Neurodivergence, masking, and which version of you is real
(36:05) Accepting your emotions and protecting your energy
(48:11) People-pleasing vs. genuine connection
(52:59) Intentional living: routines, cycle syncing, and communicating your needs
(58:25) Final takeaways: How to change without losing yourself
(01:00:40) What has Honey recently said "Yes" to?
(01:02:55) Outro
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You will connect with this episode if you:
> behave differently depending on the people or environment.
> have wondered which version of you is the "real" one.
> are learning the difference between adapting and masking.
> feel pressure to stay cheerful, outgoing, capable, or available because that is how people know you.
> are learning to set boundaries while still showing up for the people you love.
> are accepting that your authentic self can change over time.
You can fit in and still feel nothing like yourself. But changing how you show up does not always mean losing yourself. The question is whether you are doing it with intention or for acceptance.
Listen in, then DM us or leave a comment on Spotify: Where in your life are you still editing yourself to be accepted?
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Important resources:
Follow Honey here:
https://www.instagram.com/simply_honey__/
Check out Honey's CrossFit stats here:
https://games.crossfit.com/athlete/2432964
And, of course, explore the CrossFit episode here:
Episode 28
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