The Unfinished Human®

EP33 | Humanity - A Reflection on the State of Me and The World

What does it mean to be human when the world feels like it’s burning? In this unscripted anniversary episode, I reflect on one year of The Unfinished Human® and the unexpected path this project has taken — from personal writings to sibling conversations to guest interviews to this moment of raw, unfiltered truth telling. I talk about the creative well running dry, the medicine of getting back on my bike, and the grounding power of being outside, in community, and in motion. I share why visibility as a queer white woman in a conservative town matters, and how small acts of presence can become lifelines for people who don’t feel safe. I briefly speak to the heartbreak of watching the trans community be targeted, the ongoing erosion of rights, the violence of voter suppression, and the global crises unfolding in Gaza, Iran, Sudan, Cuba, and beyond. As a sensitive person, as an artist, it feels impossible to create without acknowledging the suffering happening in real time. This episode is an invitation to remember our shared humanity, to show up where we can, and to honor the truth that art and activism are not separate — they are intertwined. I close with my newest piece, Humanity, a reminder that we were never meant to stand alone. ________________________________________ What We Explore • One year of The Unfinished Human® and the evolution of the project • Creativity, burnout, and the need to refill the well • Cycling, nature, and the grounding power of embodied community • Queer visibility in conservative spaces • The targeting of the trans community and the erosion of rights • Voter suppression, redistricting, and systemic harm • Global crises and the overwhelm of witnessing • Art, activism, sensitivity, and the role of creatives in times of crisis • “Think globally, work locally” as a path back to purpose • The poem Humanity and the reminder that we belong to each other ________________________________________ Talking Points / Quotable Moments • “Participating in humanity, less screens.” • “Think globally, work locally.” • “It feels bullshit to show up when people are literally dying.” • “Being human never meant standing alone.” • “Visibility matters — especially where it feels unsafe.” • “Artists are struggling to know how to show up right now.” • “I need to be out with people, not just producing content.” • “We remember our humanity when we stop believing the story they sold us.” ________________________________________ Listen If You’re Into Raw reflections on humanity, activism, queer visibility, creativity, burnout, community care, global grief, and the emotional complexity of being alive in this moment. ________________________________________ Stay Unfinished Show up where you can. Rest where you must. And stay tethered to your humanity — and each other. Follow The Unfinished Human® wherever you listen, and stay wrecked, wild, and full of wonder. ________________________________________ Connect with Lyndsay / The Unfinished Human® 🌐Website: TheUnfinishedHuman.com [https://theunfinishedhuman.com] 📸Instagram: @theunfinishedhuman [https://instagram.com/theunfinishedhuman] 🕯️Free Ritual Journey: The Descent Begins Here [https://theunfinishedhuman.com/the-descent/] 🌀 Ritual Journey: Voice Reclamation Ritual Journey [https://theunfinishedhuman.gumroad.com/l/VoiceReclamation] 🎧 Insight Timer Meditations: insighttimer.com/lyndsaytoensing [https://insighttimer.com/lyndsaytoensing]

EP32: When Achievement Stops Working — Stillness, Time, and What We Were Never Taught

What happens after the identity collapse? After the title isgone, the body has spoken, and the old success story no longer makes sense? In Episode 32 of The Unfinished Human®, I continue the conversation with executive coach, speaker, and author BeccaPearce (You Don’t Have to Achieve to Be Loved), moving deeper into the terrain that follows burnout, illness, and ego death: stillness, grief, money, anger, motherhood, and the slow process of redefining value. We talk about the lies we were sold about success,productivity, money, and power—and how deeply they shape our nervous systems, our bodies, and the way we raise the next generation. Becca shares how watching her daughter choose a different relationship with achievement became a mirror for her own healing, and why time—not titles, money, or prestige—is the only thing that actually matters when everything falls apart. This episode explores what it means to stop performing forlove, to find stillness without forcing silence, to grieve what could have been without letting it define you, and to build a life that is aligned instead of impressive. This is Part 2 of a two‑part conversation. About Becca Becca Pearce (morebeccapearce.com [https://morebeccapearce.com/]), author of You Don’t Have to Achieve to be Loved, [https://www.amazon.com/dp/1962956679] spent much of her career as a corporate warrior, leading teams at CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield and Kaiser Permanente before being appointed CEO of Maryland’s Health Benefit Exchange. After a verypublic separation from the Exchange, Becca was diagnosed with a brain tumor, triggering a life-altering health battle that forced her to redefine success. Today, as an inspirational speaker, growth strategist andpersonal executive coach, she sparks transformation in organizations and empowers professionals to lead with authenticity and purpose.  She shares her journey as living proof that no matter how many times you’ve been “chewedup and spit out” by life, you can rise stronger and live fully.   morebeccapearce.com [https://morebeccapearce.com/] www.linkedin.com/in/beccapearce [http://www.linkedin.com/in/beccapearce] www.extendcoach.com [http://www.extendcoach.com/] What We Explore • Why achievement becomes a nervous system survival strategy • The lie that money, power, and titles equal safety • Redefining stillness for people who cannot sit still • Movement as regulation, trauma release, and mental quiet • Grief, anger, and the unresolved “what if” stories we carry • Parenting without passing down achievement addiction • Breadwinner identity, money shame, and recalculating worth • Coaching without hustle culture, hype, or hierarchies • Why time — not success — becomes the true measure of a life Talking Points / Quotable Moments • “Achievement doesn’t become a habit — it becomes anidentity.” • “Stillness doesn’t have to mean sitting still.” • “Money, power, and titles were never going to make me happy.” • “The only thing that really matters is time.” • “This wasn’t the wrong path — it was the path I was sold.” • “You don’t need ten years of misery to wake up.” • “What would I be willing to lose to believe I’m already enough?” Listen If You’re Into Conversations about high‑achiever burnout, stillness and nervous system healing, grief and anger after illness, redefining success, motherhood and identity, money and worthiness, coaching without hustle culture, and building a life that values time over performance. Stay Unfinished Healing isn’t linear. Stillness isn’t passive. And believing you’re already enough may be the hardest work of all. Follow The Unfinished Human® wherever you listen andstay wrecked, wild, and full of wonder. Connect with Lyndsay / The Unfinished Human® 🌐Website: TheUnfinishedHuman.com [https://theunfinishedhuman.com] 📸Instagram: @theunfinishedhuman [https://instagram.com/theunfinishedhuman] 🕯️Free Ritual Journey: The Descent Begins Here [https://theunfinishedhuman.com/the-descent/] 🌀 Ritual Journey: Voice Reclamation Ritual Journey [https://theunfinishedhuman.gumroad.com/l/VoiceReclamation] 🎧Insight Timer Meditations: insighttimer.com/lyndsaytoensing [https://insighttimer.com/lyndsaytoensing]

EP31: When Achievement Breaks — Identity, Job Loss & a Brain Tumor Wake-Up (Part 1) | with Guest Becca Pearce

There’s a particular kind of ache that comes with being ahigh achiever: the belief that love, rest, safety, and belonging are things you earn through output. And for many of us, that belief doesn’t loosen its grip until something ruptures—an ending we didn’t choose, a loss we can’t outwork, abody that refuses to keep carrying the load. In this episode, I sit down with Becca Pearce, a formercorporate executive whose life cracked open in rapid succession: a very public job loss, then a brain tumor diagnosis that required urgent surgery and led to a long, humbling season of relearning—how to walk, how to live, how to be in abody with real limitations. And underneath it all: the deeper question so many of us avoid until we can’t—Who am I without the title, the performance, the productivity, the proving? We talk honestly about the “mucked up middle”: grieving thebefore, realizing you may have romanticized what never truly made you happy, and facing the seductive pull of achievement—especially when money, security,and being the “reliable one” have been your armor. This is a conversation about identity collapse, nervous system truth, and the lifelong practice of unlearning the lie that you have to achieve to be loved. About Becca Becca Pearce (morebeccapearce.com [https://morebeccapearce.com/]), author of You Don’t Have to Achieve to be Loved, [https://www.amazon.com/dp/1962956679] spent much of her career as a corporate warrior, leading teams at CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield and Kaiser Permanente before being appointed CEO of Maryland’s Health Benefit Exchange. After a verypublic separation from the Exchange, Becca was diagnosed with a brain tumor, triggering a life-altering health battle that forced her to redefine success. Today, as an inspirational speaker, growth strategist andpersonal executive coach, she sparks transformation in organizations and empowers professionals to lead with authenticity and purpose.  She shares her journey as living proof that no matter how many times you’ve been “chewedup and spit out” by life, you can rise stronger and live fully.   morebeccapearce.com [https://morebeccapearce.com/] www.linkedin.com/in/beccapearce [http://www.linkedin.com/in/beccapearce] What We Explore • Achievement as a survival strategy—and the moment it stops working • Identity collapse after public job loss: “If I’m not this… who am I?” • When the body “wins”: illness, limitation, and forced surrender • Grief + the “before/after” split—and why we romanticize the past • Power, prestige, and success myths (and what we thought we wanted) • Breadwinner pressure, money guilt, and worthiness tied to contribution • Boundaries that protect your life—even when they look like “bad business” • The compulsion to be the one everyone relies on—and how it helps us avoid ourselves • Choosing presence over performance: what it means to want a different life Talking Points / Quotable Moments • “The body wins.” • “I thought I had made it—and it became my identity so quickly.” • “I spent years wishing for the before… stuck in the mourning phase.” • “Power and prestige weren’t things I actually wanted—but I thought theywere.” • “I’m a big boundaries person… this is the life I’m choosing.” • “We hold ourselves together to hold everybody else together.” Listen If You’re Into Honest conversations about high-achieving identity,perfectionism, people-pleasing, burnout, job loss, chronic illness, nervous system truth, boundaries, money + worthiness, and rebuilding a life that isn’t fueled by performance. Stay Unfinished Healing isn’t linear. Identity isn’t static. And learning tolive without proving—again and again—isn’t failure. It’s the work. Follow The Unfinished Human® wherever you listen, and stay wrecked, wild, and full of wonder. Connect with Lyndsay / The Unfinished Human® 🌐 Website: TheUnfinishedHuman.com [https://theunfinishedhuman.com] 📸 Instagram: @theunfinishedhuman [https://instagram.com/theunfinishedhuman] 🕯️Free Ritual Journey: The Descent Begins Here [https://theunfinishedhuman.com/the-descent/] 🌀 Ritual Journey: Voice Reclamation Ritual Journey [https://theunfinishedhuman.gumroad.com/l/VoiceReclamation] 🎧 Insight Timer Meditations: insighttimer.com/lyndsaytoensing [https://insighttimer.com/lyndsaytoensing]

EP30: Bodies, Bikes & Relearning…Again (Part 3)

What does it mean to return to movement—not as the person you were, but as the person you are now?   In Part 3 of our Sibling Files catch‑up series, Ben and I continue unraveling what it means to rebuild our lives inside bodies that have shifted, slowed, and demanded new forms of care. We talk about returning to cycling after years away, the egobruises that come with aging, and the surprising joy of rediscovering play without performance.   Ben shares his desire to race again—not to place, but to participate—and the reality check of being told that “a 20-mile ride is going to feel like a long ride.” We explore the emotional terrain of starting over, learning not to chase younger riders, and finding community that isn’t elitist or exclusionary.   I talk about finding a new bike shop, reconnecting with the cycling world, and navigating my AuDHD tendency to go all‑in until I burn out. We explore micro‑steps, sustainable movement, and why listening to our bodies is the only way forward. We also dive deep into nourishment—sweet potatoes, kimchi, sardines, gluten‑free comfort foods, dopamine cravings, inflammation, and the emotional complexity of feedinga body with a history of eating disorders. This conversation is raw, real, and rooted in the everyday work of staying alive, awake, and unfinished.   This episode is about aging, identity, nourishment, ego, community, and the quiet revolution of learning to move differently—not harder.   What We Explore  • Returning to cycling after years away—ego, identity, and unexpected joy • Aging bodies, shifting limits, and learning not to chase younger riders • AuDHD pacing, micro‑steps, and sustainable movement • Kettlebells, rebuilding strength, and the shock of starting over • Food, inflammation, dopamine, and the emotional work of nourishment • Eating disorder history, feast‑famine cycles, and body trust • Finding community in cycling without the elitism • Sweet potatoes, kimchi, sardines, and the weirdly perfect meals that keep us going • Why movement is no longer about performance—it’s about staying alive   Talking Points / Quotable Moments • “A 20-mile ride is going to feel like a long ride.” • “My bike gloves are old as fuck.” • “It’s not baby steps—it’s micro baby steps.” • “Doing something tiny is better than doing nothing.” • “I used to think of my body as something to control. Now I’m learning to listen.” • “We both walked away from cycling—and somehow we’re both coming back.” • “Good ingredients, done simply, win every time.” • “I’m a toast specialist, Ben.”   Listen If You’re Into Honest conversations about aging, identity, cycling, nourishment, chronic pain, AuDHD pacing, community, and the emotional complexity of rebuilding a life inside abody that keeps changing.   Stay Unfinished Healing isn’t linear. Movement isn’t punishment. And returning to yourself—again and again—isn’t regression. It’s the work.   Follow The Unfinished Human® wherever you listen, and stay wrecked, wild, and full of wonder.   Connect with Lyndsay / The Unfinished Human®  🌐 Website: TheUnfinishedHuman.com [https://theunfinishedhuman.com]📸 Instagram: @theunfinishedhuman [https://instagram.com/theunfinishedhuman] 🕯️Free Ritual Journey: The Descent Begins Here [https://theunfinishedhuman.com/the-descent/] 🌀Ritual Journey: Voice Reclamation Ritual Journey [https://theunfinishedhuman.gumroad.com/l/VoiceReclamation] 🎧 Insight Timer Meditations: insighttimer.com/lyndsaytoensing [https://insighttimer.com/lyndsaytoensing]

EP29: Bodies, Bikes & Relearning…Again (Part 2)

What happens when the body you’ve relied on your whole lifesuddenly refuses to cooperate—and the tools you swore you’d never use become the ones that finally help you heal? In Part 2 of our Sibling Files catch‑up series, Ben and I pick up right where we left off, diving deeper into what it means to rebuild a life inside bodies that have changed faster than our identities have. We talk about GLP‑1s, perimenopause, mobility loss, and the slow, humbling climb back toward strength. We also explore the surprising emotional terrain of returning to cycling after years away—and why freedom and play matter more to us now than metrics or milestones. I share the long road from hysterectomy to chronic pain, tobeing told I have “the spine of an 84‑year‑old,” to the medical team that helped me claw my way back through Pilates, PT, and functional movement. Ben talks about pool therapy, the shock of how quickly the body deteriorates when you’re forced into stillness, and the mindset shift required to train differently at 50. And somehow, without planning it, we both found ourselvescircling back to the same thing that once defined us: bikes. The community we left. The identity we shelved. The freedom we’ve been craving. This episode is about aging, resilience, stubbornness, andthe quiet revolution of learning to move differently—not harder. What We Explore • GLP‑1s, metabolism shifts, and why “doing all the rightthings” sometimes isn’t enough • The aftermath of hysterectomy, chronic pain, andrebuilding from the ground up • Pilates vs. yoga for aging bodies and why functionalmovement is everything • Pool therapy, water treadmills, and the shock of delayedsoreness • How identity gets tangled up in strength, capability, andindependence • The grief of losing mobility—and the joy of getting piecesof it back • Returning to cycling after years away: freedom, play, andzero expectations • Custom bike fits, aging joints, and learning not to chasethe younger riders • Why movement is no longer optional—it’s survival Talking Points / Quotable Moments • “If I’m not working out, I instantly put weight back on.Instantly.” • “They told me I have the spine of an 84‑year‑old woman.” • “Pilates has strengthened everything—muscles I didn’t evenknow I had.” • “Pool therapy felt easy… until the next two days when Icouldn’t move.” • “We’re so stubborn. We always think we can figure it outourselves.” • “Cycling has always given me a sense of freedom and play.” • “I either need to start riding again or finally get rid ofmy bikes.” • “We both stepped away from cycling—and now we’re bothcoming back.” Listen If You’re Into Raw conversations about aging, chronic pain, identityshifts, mobility, functional movement, and the emotional complexity of rebuilding a life inside a body that no longer behaves the way it used to. Stay Unfinished Healing isn’t linear. Strength isn’t static. And returningto yourself—again and again—isn’t regression. It’s the work. Follow The Unfinished Human® wherever you listen, and staywrecked, wild, and full of wonder. Connect with Lyndsay / The Unfinished Human® 🌐 Website: TheUnfinishedHuman.com [https://theunfinishedhuman.com] 📸Instagram: @theunfinishedhuman [https://instagram.com/theunfinishedhuman] 🕯️Free Ritual Journey: The Descent Begins Here [https://theunfinishedhuman.com/the-descent/] 🌀Ritual Journey: Voice Reclamation Ritual Journey [https://theunfinishedhuman.gumroad.com/l/VoiceReclamation] 🎧 Insight Timer Meditations: insighttimer.com/lyndsaytoensing [https://insighttimer.com/lyndsaytoensing]