13 - Aargh No! And Other Honest Truths About A Creative Life

16- Losing Who I Was to Find Who I Am

What happens when you have the job, the relationship, the life that looks right on paper, but inside you feel completely disconnected? In this deeply honest conversation, holistic psychotherapist and SoulPlanTM guide Gabrielle Cox shares the story of leaving her corporate career and her relationship in the same week, and what it really takes to rebuild your identity from the inside out. Episode Summary Have you ever done everything “right” and still found yourself on the bathroom floor wondering why you feel so lost? In this episode, I sit down with Gabrielle Cox, whose life pivoted in 2018 when she left her senior corporate role and her long-term relationship in the same week. From the outside, everything looked successful. Inside, she was burnt out, dysregulated and deeply unfulfilled. After experiencing burnout twice and realising she had built her life around external expectations and validation, something had to change. A meditation retreat with Dr Joe Dispenza became a powerful turning point, bringing a profound sense of connection andlove, but also a stark realisation when she returned home that she had no idea who she truly wanted to be. For the first time, there were no expectations driving her forward. Just space. And that space was both exhilarating and terrifying. From painting and decorating to training in spiritual counselling and psychotherapy, Gabrielle shares how discovering SoulPlanTM felt like being truly seen for the first time. Not as ajob title,  not as someone’s partner, but as an energetic being with specific gifts, challenges and talents that could beconsciously activated. This conversation covers a lot of ground: * What it feels like to lose an external identity and sit with the discomfort of not knowing who you are next * How burnout and dysregulation can be signals rather than failures * The power of SoulPlanTM as an energetic blueprint and why it can feel so deeply affirming * Why movement and embodiment are essential when we feel stuck, numb or overwhelmed * How subtle language shifts can move us from struggle into challenge and possibility This episode is perfect for anyone who feels disconnected from who they once were, unsure of who they are becoming, or feeling aware that the life they have built no longer feels right. Listen Now: Press play if you are somewhere in between who you were and who you know you are capable of becoming. Gaby's story is warm, grounded and completely without pretence, and this conversation is a genuine reminder that the disconnection you might be feeling right now is not a sign that something has gone wrong. It might just be the invitation you have been waiting for. Connect with Lisa Birtles Substack: https://substack.com/@lisabirtles [https://substack.com/@lisabirtles] Website: lisabirtles.com Instagram: @lisabthecoach Connect with Gabrielle Cox Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tuningintoyoursoul [https://www.instagram.com/tuningintoyoursoul] Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tuningintoyoursoul [https://www.facebook.com/tuningintoyoursoul] Substack: https://substack.com/@gabriellecox [https://substack.com/@gabriellecox] Book a connection call: https://calendly.com/tuning_soul/connection-call [https://calendly.com/tuning_soul/connection-call]

Ep 15 - You Don't Have to Raise your Hand to Belong

Episode Summary It's been a while since I've recorded a public episode. Not because I had nothing to say. Because I was listening, learning, and building something worth coming back for. This episode is me coming back. In this episode: Why the retreat was by design, not failure, and what I've been doing in the in-between. The decision I finally had the courage to honour, and why so many of us think we're still deciding something we've actually already decided. And something I want to say directly to everyone who has been reading, listening and watching without ever commenting publicly: I see you. And this episode is for you. Press play if: * You've ever mistaken a necessary retreat for falling behind. * You've been moved by someone's work without ever telling them. Y * ou're standing at the edge of a decision you've already made in your heart. * Or you just need permission to belong without having to perform it. Sit with this after listening: What decision have you already made that you're still waiting to fully honour? Connect with Lisa Birtles Find me on Substack at Lisa Birtles - Lit Up: https://substack.com/@lisabirtles [https://substack.com/@lisabirtles] Website: www.lisabirtles.com [www.lisabirtles.com] Reach out publicly or privately, both are equally welcome. Episodes are released when something responds, not on a rigid schedule, because that's how this work is built.

14 - Becoming who you are, with Carolyn Appleton

Becoming who you truly are is not always straightforward. Sometimes it follows burnout, big life changes, or moments that make you stop and reassess. In this episode, Lisa is joined by Carolyn Appleton to explore identity, emotional intelligence and the role of the bodyin recognising what is actually right for you. Episode Summary: Have you ever carried on with something because it made logical sense or met other people's expectations, even though something in you was saying otherwise? In this conversation, I’m joined by Carolyn Appleton and we explore what it really means to become who you are through the choices you make and the life events that influence you. Carolyn shares her experience of burnout, earlier changes in her family life, including when her mother became a priest, and how those experiences shifted her sense of identity and possibility. We also explore the difference between change that happens to you and change you begin to choose for yourself. From burnout and external shifts, to more intentional decisions such as her move to Valencia and designing a four day working week. Alongside this, we talk about how easy it is to rely on logic and experience, and how that can lead us to override emotional responses and physical signals that are often trying to guide us. In this episode, we explore: • What burnout can reveal when you can no longer push through • The impact of significant life changes on identity • The difference between reactive and intentional change • How emotional and body signals can help guide decisions This episode is perfect for you if you are starting to question what still fits and what no longer does. Listen Now: If you are ready to reflect on the changes in your own life and consider what you might choose next, this conversation willgive you a grounded place to start. Connect with Lisa Birtles: Website: lisabirtles.com [lisabirtles.com] Instagram: @lisabthecoach www.linkedin.com/in/lisabirtles [www.linkedin.com/in/lisabirtles] Connect with Carolyn Appleton: Substack: carolynappleton.substack.com LinkedIn: Carolyn Appleton [https://www.linkedin.com/in/carolynappleton/] Website: carolynappleton.co.uk [Connect with Carolyn Appleton: Substack: carolynappleton.substack.com LinkedIn: Website: carolynappleton.co.uk] Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stories/carolynappletree/ [https://www.instagram.com/stories/carolynappletree/] Inspired Action: Notice one moment today where something feelsoff or fully aligned. Pause before you move past it, and pay attention to what your body is telling you. If you enjoyed this episode, follow and subscribe to This Is What I’m Here For, share it with someone who would enjoy it and give a 5-star review.

13 - Aargh No! And Other Honest Truths About A Creative Life

Episode Summary What does it really look like to leave a secure career, follow a creative calling, and discover that the dream is both wonderful and hard in ways no one talks about? In this episode, author Caroline Hulse joins Lisa Birtles for a warm, funny and deeply honest conversation about writing, waiting, money,purpose and life with a small controlling dog who has very strong views about working from home. Have you ever pursued a dream thinking that once you got there, everything would finally fall into place, only to realise that you are still you, with the same doubts, fears and questions, just in a different setting? In this episode of This Is What I’m Here For, Lisa is joined byManchester based author Caroline Hulse, former HR professional, novelist published in fourteen languages, and owner of Ziggy, a small and very controlling dog who plays an unexpected role in Caroline’s creative life. When Lisa asked about a pivotal career shift, Caroline’s honest response was “Aargh, no”, and that sets the tone for a conversation that refuses to romanticise big life changes. Together, Lisa and Caroline explore the long road from writing at night alongside a full time HR career to becoming a published author, the realities of turning a passion into a job, and the emotional weight of waiting, uncertainty and financial unpredictability. Caroline speaks candidly about money, privilege, security and why she still chooses this path, again and again, even when it feels uncomfortable. In this episode, they talk about: * Leaving a secure HR career to write full time, what no one warns you about, and why Caroline says she would not necessarily recommend her life shift, even though she would still choose it every day * The everyday reality of a writing life, from spreadsheets and first drafts to waiting for emails that could change everything, and how uncertainty shows up in the body and the mind * Purpose, including Caroline’s belief that she is here to entertain and be entertained, and how books, flawed characters and even a small controlling dog help her stay connected to the world This episode is for anyone going through a transition, questioning whether the dream is worth the discomfort, or wondering if there is something more real and honest than the polished success stories we usually hear about on socialmedia. Listen Now Press play if you want a down-to-earth conversation about creativity, courage and choosing a life that makes sense to you, even when it is messy, uncertain and occasionally involves a dog who insists on being welded to your side. Connect with Lisa Birtles: Website: lisabirtles.com Instagram: @lisabthecoach Get your copy of Vivian Dies Again by C E Hulse: https://amzn.eu/d/086VvZvW [https://amzn.eu/d/086VvZvW]

12 - How you do Anything is how you do Everything

Episode Summary Fresh from three powerful days at the Millionaire Mind Intensive TM event, Lisa records this spontaneous solo episode while the energy is still very much alive. What began with hesitation turned into a weekend of unexpected learning, powerful insights, and one moment on the final day that revealed something important about how she responds when she feels pushed outside her comfort zone. A warm and honest reflection on courage, values, and the patterns that shape how we show up in life. Have you ever had one of those moments where something happens and suddenly you see yourself more clearly than you did before? In this episode Lisa shares a very real and very fresh reflection after spending three intense days at a training event . When the invitation first arrived she wasn’t sure whether to go. It meant giving up an entire weekend and stepping into an environment that felt quite different from the spaces she usually learns in. But something about the invitation kept nudging her forward, and she decided to trust that instinct and say yes. What followed was three days of high energy learning, connection with new people, and moments that challenged her in ways she hadn’t quite expected. By the end of the weekend she found herself feeling energised, inspired and full of ideas for what comes next. But it was something that happened during the final hours of the event that really stayed with her. A single exercise sparked a deeper realisation about how she responds when she feels pressure, when her values are triggered, and how easily we can slip into patterns we may not even realise are there. And it brought one simple phrase back into focus: "How you do anything is how you do everything". In this episode Lisa reflects on the insight that landed for her in that moment and why it has prompted a new level of curiosity about the patterns that shape how we show up in our lives, our work and our relationships. She explores: * How the moments we resist and want to hide from can sometimes reveal the biggest personal insights * What can happen when we step outside our comfort zone and stay curious about our reactions * The powerful role our values play in shaping how we respond to challenge * Why simply noticing our patterns can open the door to deeper growth. Awareness is the first step in creating change This episode is perfect for anyone who is doing the work of personal growth and self awareness and who is open to learning more about subconscious patterns that can so powerfully influence how we show up in the world. Listen Now Press play if you enjoy honest reflections about personal growth and the kind of insights that only land when we’re willing to step outside our comfort zone and really look at what’s going on beneath the surface. Connect with Lisa Birtles: Website: lisabirtles.comInstagram: @lisabthecoach