perfectionism will always find a new way to keep you performing...if you allow it

you think you're above it all and that's exactly the problem

spiritual ego is real and it hides in the language of growth. in this episode, i'm reading my latest essay exploring what happens when discernment becomes judgment, why being "in the world without being of it" doesn't mean floating above it, and how some of our most unexpected connections are our greatest teachers. questions for deeper reflection: - where might your discernment actually be judgment in disguise? - are there parts of yourself you've been shunning to perform a version of your journey that looks more acceptable? - what would it mean to be fully human? not in spite of your awareness, but because of it. if these questions are stirring something you want to explore more deeply, here's how we can work together: the mirror [https://calendly.com/michellebreana/the-mirror-session] — 60 minutes of being deeply seen. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit michellebreana.substack.com [https://michellebreana.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]

i don't need you to understand me

for years i felt misunderstood and constantly seeking someone who could reflect back who i was because i couldn't see it myself. i looked for completion in romantic partners, then friends, asking them to make me feel whole. but the real issue wasn't that they didn't understand me. it was that i didn't understand myself. this musing is about the difference between understanding and acceptance, what we actually need from relationships, and how learning to see myself whole changed everything. maybe you're seeking completion in your relationships, too. maybe you're asking others to see you before you've learned to see yourself. maybe you're confusing understanding with acceptance and wondering why you still feel unseen. then this episode is for you ❤︎⁠ —————————————————————— work with me: if you're ready to see the patterns you're too close to notice, book a mirror session here [https://calendly.com/michellebreana/the-mirror-session] join the community: subscribe on substack [http://michellebreana.substack.com] for more essays exploring the living practice of self-discovery This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit michellebreana.substack.com [https://michellebreana.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]

perfectionism will always find a new way to keep you performing...if you allow it

i went from scrolling through instagram first thing in the morning to building a rigid multi-step routine—and both were perfectionism, just in different forms. this is a story about worthiness wounds, performing for others vs. performing for yourself, and what it took to finally choose rhythm over rigidity. maybe your routine feels like it's suffocating you, too. maybe you're performing for others, or yourself, and don't even realize it. maybe you're trying to control one thing while ignoring the root. work with me: if you're ready to see the patterns you're too close to notice, book a mirror session here [https://calendly.com/michellebreana/the-mirror-session] This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit michellebreana.substack.com [https://michellebreana.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]

here's what happens when you allow your rhythms to shift with you

our rhythms are about returning. they’re not another thing for us to perform for others. creating your own rhythm when you strip away the aesthetic of perfection from its view is about finding what works for you, and not what everyone else states worked for them. it’s about what grounds you. what stabilizes you. what brings you back to center. if you find yourself unable to see the answer because your perfectionism has you stuck in “it has to look a certain way, or it doesn’t count”, this is exactly the work i do in a mirror session. this is a 60-minute container of being completely seen, where i serve as your sacred mirror, reflecting back the patterns and blocks you’re too close to see yourself and helping you identify the micro-choices that build the bridge between what you know and who you want to be. book a mirror session here [https://calendly.com/michellebreana/the-mirror-session] This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit michellebreana.substack.com [https://michellebreana.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]

Ep. 014 — Endings are beginnings

When I recorded Episode 13, I was tired— really tired. I showed up anyway, proud that I followed through, but listening back, I could hear something else in my voice. It was my own battle cry, calling me to slow down. Over the last few weeks, I’ve been reflecting on what that episode revealed. I needed space. I needed recovery. It revealed that I was creating from a shaky foundation, caught up in the rhythm of go-go-go, unable to receive the messages trying to come through. In this season finale, I share: - What 13 straight weeks of creating taught me about my energy and my limits - How I know it’s time to let something end - Why endings are never just endings but invitations to begin again - The bittersweet gratitude of closing a chapter - What’s stirring for Season 2 Season 1 has been about putting myself out there, trusting the process, and proving to myself that I could do this. Now, it’s time to let this version end so a new one can begin. Press play and join me in this honest reflection on the beauty of endings, the courage it takes to pause, and the unfolding that happens when we trust what’s next. ————————————— Subscribe for weekly devotion drops: Substack → ahealingdose.substack.com [https://ahealingdose.substack.com/] Let’s connect: Website → ahealingdose.com [https://ahealingdose.substack.com/] Personal Musings → @thetransformationdoula [http://www.instagram.com/thetransformationdoula] This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit michellebreana.substack.com [https://michellebreana.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]