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What happens when you finally open the box you've been dragging for 19 years? That's exactly what I explore in this deeply personal episode as I reveal a family secret I've held close for decades—my mother's prison journal.

When I was just eleven years old, my world changed forever as my mother was sentenced to federal prison for embezzling money from a Birmingham coal company. That day in the courtroom remains crystal clear: the judge's bench, the discussion about shackling, the crushing weight of confusion and fear. Weekend drives to see her at Marianna Federal Prison. The smell of popcorn in the visiting room. The crocheted bears she mailed home. And beneath it all, the suffocating silence of shame I carried, terrified my private Christian school friends would discover my family's dark truth.

For nearly two decades since her passing, I've carried her prison writings from apartment to apartment, city to city—a manila folder filled with loose-leaf pages of her raw, honest reflections. Something recently shifted, compelling me to finally peel back these layers of generational trauma. I'm only three days into transcribing her words and already it's both wrecking and healing me simultaneously. Her humor, faith, and humanity shine through experiences ranging from cafeteria shoes pulled from trash cans to spiritual breakthroughs beside prison bunk beds.

This mini-series isn't about drama or backstory—it's about breaking cycles of silence and shame that perhaps you recognize in your own life. Maybe you're carrying your own version of boxed-up trauma, thinking if you just keep moving, you'll never have to open it. But those unopened chapters wait for us, and I'm discovering they don't always destroy us—sometimes they set us free. Join me page by page, truth by truth, as we explore how family secrets shape us and how confronting them might be our path to healing. If you're holding something heavy, perhaps this is your sign to open it too.

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Have you ever dimmed your light because someone else couldn't handle your shine? In this raw, powerful episode, I'm taking you behind the scenes of what happened when my celebratory weight loss reel went viral – and not always in the kindest corners of the internet.

When the comments started flooding in, some supportive but many cruel, I discovered something fascinating: the version of me from five years ago would have crumbled, deleted the post, and apologized for taking up space. But the woman I am today? She stood tall, unfazed, and even more determined to shine. That transformation isn't just about confidence – it's about understanding the psychology of projection and finally freeing yourself from the exhausting work of managing other people's discomfort with your growth.

I'm sharing the hard-won lessons that changed everything for me: why you must stop shrinking yourself to fit inside someone else's comfort zone, how to recognize when someone's reaction has nothing to do with you, and why "let them" (inspired by Mel Robbins) might become your new power mantra. Through my own story of being silenced for years after being called a narcissist for speaking up, you'll see how healing doesn't mean you stop triggering people – it means you're finally okay when you do.

Whether you're healing your relationship with your body, your voice, or your right to exist unapologetically, this episode is your permission slip to take up space. Your truth, your growth, and your joy are not up for debate. Tag me and let me know what this episode unlocked for you, and share it with anyone who needs to hear that their light isn't meant to be dimmed.

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The constant pressure to adjust who we are for the comfort of others is a silent drain on our authenticity and energy. In this raw and vulnerable episode, I take you on a deeply personal journey through my own pattern of shapeshifting – that exhausting habit of becoming whoever the room needs me to be.

This pattern didn't emerge in adulthood. It took root in my childhood as an only child in a sometimes chaotic home, where I learned to read rooms, anticipate needs, and make myself smaller for survival. What looked like maturity was actually a sophisticated performance that would take me 42 years to recognize. The wake-up call came unexpectedly through a simple photo of calm waters taken on a cruise ship balcony – a rare moment when I wasn't performing for anyone, just existing as myself.

When we stop shapeshifting and honor our true nature, everything changes. I discovered that needing alone time doesn't make me antisocial, and craving space doesn't mean I don't value connection. Two seemingly contradictory truths can coexist within us. The real transformation happens when we stop apologizing for our authentic needs and recognize that we don't need to earn stillness or explain our existence. You don't need to shrink to belong. You don't need to perform to be safe. You already belong to yourself.

What version of stillness brings you back home to yourself? Where are you still shapeshifting in your life? What parts of you are you muting? This isn't about reinventing your life overnight – it's about honesty. If you've ever felt like the version of you that received the most praise wasn't the real you, you're not alone. Share this message with someone who needs to hear it. We need more people showing up as they truly are, not as watered-down versions designed to keep others comfortable.