the pause before the storm
Last week, I reflected on pausing before automatically returning to old fall routines – to question what still fits, what aligns with who you're becoming, what deserves a place in your life as the seasons shift. (It’ll be on the blog soon if you want to revisit)
Given the real-time tragedies unfolding daily in the world, and the news cycles drilling opinions and "hot takes" every minute of every day, pausing is just as important now as it has ever been.
Our automatic reactions have larger implications.
Pausing isn't the cure to what ails our society…
but it can make a big impact when we use it to examine our initial reactions, understand the deep internal stories that fuel them, and regulate our emotions before responding.
I'm also not suggesting that self-work takes the place of the work we need to do in the communities we are a part of – whether that be our family, friend groups, neighborhoods, towns or cities at large – just that knowing oneself is one of the many bricks in the long, winding road of building the future we want to see.
The longest relationship you'll have in this life is the one with yourself.
Our identities are comprised of nature and nurture – and a lot of things that have been piled onto us as we've grown into adults, set free into society without an operations manual for how to do things perfectly. (how rude! )
When we don't pause, we operate on autopilot and the costs compound.
We act from old wounds instead of present wisdom.
We snap at our partners the way we were spoken to as children.
We make decisions from inherited fears rather than our own values.
We perpetuate workplace dynamics that drain everyone because "that's just how things are done."
Our unexamined reactions ripple outward — into our relationships, our work, our communities.
The person who cuts us off in traffic becomes the target for frustration that actually belongs to something else entirely.
The political post we share in anger creates more heat than discourse.
Without an operations manual, we need to become our own investigators.
Which reactions are authentically ours versus which ones we picked up along the way?
What stories are we telling ourselves about how the world works — and are they actually true?
What patterns keep showing up that we haven't fully examined?
What practices support our “undoing” so we can live more authentically and freely?
Self-reflection, care, and understanding build our relationship with ourselves and serve as an internal foundation for how we respond externally.
This is the deep identity work I'm most passionate about supporting people through — helping you sort through the layers, recognize your authentic self versus your conditioned self, and create more conscious ways of being in the world.
When we know ourselves, we can respond instead of react. We can act from wisdom instead of wounding. We can perpetuate healing instead of harm.
If you're ready to pause, examine, and do the work of becoming more consciously YOU, I'm here to help. Fall is the perfect season for this kind of inventory. As the external world naturally slows and turns inward, we're invited to examine what we've been carrying and decide what still serves us.
This is the kind of exploration I guide people through — whether you're looking to rediscover who you are now, understand the stories that drive you, or create more intentional ways of showing up in your life and relationships — reach out.
The world needs more people who are awake to themselves.
xox,
Michelle
Jenny McQueen took this pic years ago in my former office space, but this heart resonates with me right now.
Want to explore how to work together? I do identity work. Whether you are looking to rediscover who you are now, realign and strategize a way forward, or want to reclaim your voice and show up in the world, I can help. Yes, this still includes brand content (which I love!) and business and life strategy. Everything touches — and I am here to support you in making meaningful progress.
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Be who you are. Lead with curiosity & love. The world will respond.
