70. Unlocking Your Inner Power: Embracing Self-Growth and Overcoming Fear for Personal Transformation with Hazel Atkinson-Brown

Ever wondered how the narratives you tell yourself shape your life? In this episode of the Human Experience Podcast, I, Hazel Brown, unravel the empowering journey of unlocking your inner power by embracing personal growth and alignment. Drawing from my own story of moving to Georgia and facing the universal fear of the unknown, I share insights into how these experiences can guide us toward resilience and self-discovery. You'll learn how our self-talk can either become a barrier or a bridge to achieving our dreams, and how the resources around us can be harnessed for personal transformation.

Discover the pivotal role self-awareness and intentionality play in aligning with your true purpose. Together, we'll explore how overcoming self-doubt through daily practices such as setting intentions, practicing gratitude, and establishing boundaries can lead to a more fulfilled life. Through personal anecdotes and practical advice, I'll guide you in shifting your self-narratives and taking bold steps toward your goals, whether you're looking to start a new project, build stronger relationships, or further your education. This episode is an invitation to embrace the journey of personal growth, to stand tall against uncertainties, and to unlock your inner power one step at a time. Join our community, share your stories, and let's grow together.

Chapters

• 0:00 Unlocking Inner Power
• 13:51 Embracing Personal Growth and Transformation

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:00

Welcome to. It's the Human Experience Podcast Hosted by Hazel Brown, a healthcare leader, wife, mom and career coach. If you're big on authenticity, personal development, perseverance and transparency, you're in the right place. Get ready to be uplifted, inspired and empowered as you become fearless in pursuit of the life you desire and deserve. Our goal is to help you level up by creating a safe space to learn and reflect, while listening to transparent stories from our host or successful professionals and business owners who've agreed to share the parts of success that typically gets X'd out on social media, because that's the part you need to see and hear the process. Go ahead and subscribe. You don't want to miss out on these transparent stories and discussions that reveal highs, lows, aha moments and nuggets that'll help you to grow and glow.

Speaker 2: 1:13

You are now tuned in to the it's the Human Experience podcast. I'm your host, hazel Brown. Today we're going to unlock the power within. We're talking transforming your life with inner alignment and making sure that we dive deep into the essence of what it means to grow, heal and thrive. Today's episode is for anyone who feels stuck, uncertain, simply ready for a new chapter, ready to live their life to the fullest right. Its full potential is for those who know deep down inside that they are called for more. There's so much more to live for. There's so much more to do. There's just so much more to feel in terms of feeling our best, feeling like we're living a life that is aligned to our best self. We are creating our life with intentionality and I'm so here for that. Listen.

Speaker 2: 2:06

If you're not following the podcast already, please go ahead and scroll up to the top. Hit that follow button and subscribe so that you don't miss out on episodes. Share it with your bestie when you're done listening, rate the podcast. If you're listening from Apple, scroll down to the bottom and hit that rating five stars. Leave a comment so we know your greatest takeaways. Send us some fan mail.

Speaker 2: 2:27

Listen, I love hearing your takeaways through text and all the things. And if you're not following us on Instagram, you can follow us at workplace therapy experience or redefine the future. You, or it's the human experience. I really want you to bet on yourself. I really want you to get out of your way. I really want to be a part of your journey. I really want to help you win. I really want you to win, and I know you want that for you also. All right, let's jump into the episode. All right. So I want to talk about really recognizing your inner power Because, listen, we all have untapped potential, but the problem is sometimes getting out of our own way, and I really want you to start by asking yourself this question what is the story you're telling yourself about who you are?

Speaker 2: 3:16

Is it empowering you or is it really holding you back? I'm going to pause because sometimes our story is not really helping us get to the next level. Our story is creating sentiments of self-sabotage. It's really causing us to not get to where we need to be, and we're blaming it on what we don't have, but what we do have is the ability to sit still. What we do have is the ability to sit still. What we do have is the ability to take action. What we do have is the ability to pray and take action. What we do have is the ability to use the resources we currently have within our hands, within our reach, because we all have some sense of resources considering. We have people all around us neighbors. We have people we know that are doing certain things. We have YouTube University. We have Google, dr Google. Let's not forget that there's just too many free resources for you to tap into for you to feel like you can't do this or you can't do that. The reality is you can.

Speaker 2: 4:22

I recently moved to Georgia. Let's not want to sing that song, georgia. I haven't sung to you guys in so long. Oh, my God, I got to bring that back. Anyways, I brought into a new space good energy, knowing that it was completely aligned with God, praying for clarity, seeing signs from God, and then getting here and feeling like, okay, god, now what? And I was like really trying to figure out, like what the next step was.

Speaker 2: 4:53

I talk a lot about how the formula is the same Every time we're going after a new goal, every time we're starting something new, every time we're in a new situation. I'm trying to frame it in so many ways so you could pick up the gems right. Every time there is some sense of unfamiliarity, you are going to feel like what do I do next? And I'm no different. It really doesn't matter how far we are on our personal development journey, how much we've grown, listen, how many miles and reps we put in. We all have the same human experience to where, when we are starting something new, it's like okay, now am I sure that the skills that I got before are going to be good enough for what I'm about to do now?

Speaker 2: 5:40

The sharpest of the sharpest of the sharpest go through these feelings, and so I think that it's very important to disclose that so that you good enough for what I'm about to do now. The sharpest of the sharpest of the sharpest go through these feelings, and so I think that it's very important to disclose that so that you can get out your way and realizing like we all go through this. So, whether it's your first rep, your 50th rep, your 390th rep, you go through it every time you're about to get into the ring, and so I just wanted to make sure I sat there for a little bit to make sure you recognize that, even if it's your first rep, don't worry, go through the feels, because you're going to feel it again. It's not one and done. Get your practice in. You're going to go through it again. I really wanted to talk about my own experience because this move just kind of had me like ooh child, like your community is over there in.

Speaker 2: 6:28

Vegas. I miss them. It is so hard to find those people in real life, like, let's be real. And so I really had to get out my way and it's like, okay, sweetheart, they don't live in another continent, they don't live in outer space. Like, you can still go visit them, you're still doing events there. Like, can you please calm down? Yeah, I had to make myself calm down because I was really feeling like I lost something, when the reality is I built something. It didn't demolish. We didn't blow it up like they just blew up the Tropicana. It is a leg that is still strong, and so sometimes you just got to shake yourself up, like for real, for real, and be like homegirl. You didn't lose nothing.

Speaker 2: 7:20

Like, why are you telling yourself that? Why are you pretending that you're alone? Like, why are you pretending that you have to figure it out? And you have no way of figuring it out? Like, cut it out.

Speaker 2: 7:31

Because those stories that we tell ourselves really hold us back and if we're not the person that's kicking ourselves in the butt and giving ourselves empowering, wise, what you are a yes for so that you can get out your way and get to the next level, you are simply holding yourself back and the emphasis on you. So I had to really get to a point where I started applying the same formula, like sitting still thinking through what it is I want for my next level putting towards the actions to make it happen, taking bite sized pieces and baby steps. So it's digestible Listen. Go back to the last episode and I'm back on digestible. Listen, because that's the only way sometimes you're going to be able to get to where you're trying to be, and only you can gauge that. Only you know if you're willing to eat a whole five-course meal and you're like you know I might not be able to get myself to eat a full meal. When I say full meal, like doing all the things you know you're supposed to be doing this on your to-do list. It needs to get done for you to actualize your goals and the life you're trying to live. But you may be able to make a smoothie. You may be able to make a acai bowl. Can I pronounce that wrong? I know you may be able to get a brownie in there. Listen, I'm here for whatever you get in. Go ahead and get it in and pray about it later, but realize that you have to be the person that knows yourself. You have to take the time to know who you are so that you can better assess what you're going to do, to psych yourself out if you need to, so you can get out of that self sabotage, so you can work on becoming the version of you. And that is where you're tapping into your inner power, because you know yourself best.

Speaker 2: 9:21

Because here's the thing I knew I was smart, I knew I was capable. I knew I was capable. I knew I had it in me, but I felt like I didn't have enough resources. I didn't have enough money. My family didn't come for money. I didn't know where to turn, because I was the first in my family to go to college. I didn't know how to get a really good job. I didn't know how to start a business. I didn't know how to do anything and I had to really get out my way and realize, like, so what?

Speaker 2: 9:44

No one starts off knowing everything. We all were babies with no knowledge. Some of us came equipped with families that knew a little bit more, but the reality is so what? Like? You are not your family's dream, you are your dream, and in order to tap into your dream, you have to be in the know of who you are, and I think the reality is we give ourselves false information by telling ourselves that, oh my God, they have family members that have done this and done that and could teach them, but no one could teach you about what you're meant to be and who you are and your next steps and where you're going to go. That takes leaning into God. That takes leaning into the Holy Spirit, being still and tapping into your gut and intuition and actually following the steps necessary to get things done.

Speaker 2: 10:30

So the reality is we are telling ourselves things about what we don't have, when that person doesn't have that either, because the reality is that they follow the formula of what their family members did, what their family members say they're behind you because you're going from your intuition, you're following your gut and God, you're following the Holy Spirit. So you're already ahead because you've let go of what everybody else was and you're only focusing on what you feel that you are and what you're doing, where the other person who you think has all these things they gotta declutter. You ain't gotta declutter, you're at ground zero and they have to unpack, declutter and come down to ground zero and then build. Let's let that marinate. Let that marinate because the reality is we can't keep giving ourselves these stories and telling ourselves these things that are only holding us back. They're only in the way.

Speaker 2: 11:26

Like I need you to shift your mindset and realize that you have what it takes. You can get there, and the only way for you to get there is for you doing the work. And doing the work by asking yourself things like what if I could achieve it? What if I don't fail? So what if I do fail? Who really cares if you fail? If failing gives you more information about your strengths, your weaknesses, what you need to do different next time, then is failing really a bad thing? You can't be concerned about what other people think, because the reality is we're all human, it's the human experience, and so we're all failing. And if we're not failing, it's because we're in our comfort zone. It's because everything that we've done or we are doing, we've done it before.

Speaker 2: 12:19

And let's be real even when you've done a thing a time or two, you still can mess up. For all my girlies listening, I don't know how many times you've probably flat ironed your hair and this time you can't get one side of your hair to flip the way you want it to. That's why you're having a bad hair day, and so that's the example I gave. But you've said in so many instances so what? Even when you have done it before, you can fail and then give yourself grace because if you haven't done it before, honey, you gonna bump that little knee a couple of times, you're gonna feel some kind of way.

Speaker 2: 12:50

But the point of doing it is to learn, is to grow, is to see your strengths, your weaknesses, so that you can get better. And I can tell you that if you're doing it for you and you're in your lane, so what if people see you fail? So what? We have to get out of our way when it comes to shame. We don't want people to know we're struggling right now because I'm supposed to have it all the way together. Well, who the hell are you that you're supposed to have it all the way together when everybody across the world is dropping, getting back up, dropping, getting back up? We're all up and down in the way that we proceed through life, and so let go of that shame and own your self-worth, because the reality is we have to be vulnerable. We have to make sure that we're being honest about the struggles that we face and I just want you to take some time to ask yourself what if you succeed? What if things work out?

Speaker 2: 13:51

You won't know that if you don't put in the work. You won't know that if you don't get out your way. You won't know that if you don't communicate and ask for help. You won't know that if you don't journal and figure out what it is you truly want to do and what's blocking you. You won't know that if you don't look to see what resources you need and then find the resources, be the resource, do what you have to do to make it happen.

Speaker 2: 14:16

The reality is, we hear so much about finding your purpose, but what does that really mean? Like, how does that really align with your life? Like, how does your true purpose align with your life? I was listening the other day to someone who talked about the definition of passion, and they talk about how passion, when it comes to definitions, really talk through the struggle that you have to go through when you're passionate about something. Get out the gray area and come on over into the darkness, work through the darkness, get to the light and then go back to the gray area and come on over into the darkness, work through the darkness, get to the light and then go back to the gray again.

Speaker 2: 14:54

Don't just sit at ground zero with the idea, wondering if you can make it happen. Because I promise you, if you put in the work, you go through the dark, you face the light, it's going to be bright and you're going to wonder was the light better than the dark? Was the gray worse than the dark? So I'm all confused. All I know is I made it happen. But I want you to feel that. I want you to feel through the different phases and recognize that life is beautiful and the more we stretch ourselves to experience the different things that come up for us in terms of how we want to live our life is, the better that life is. Really being able to see the things that you're capable of is such a beautiful thing, and I want you to experience the beauty that comes from using your mind, using your capabilities, using your resources, your knowledge and all of the gifts and greatness that God put in you in actualizing that life for yourself. Follow that small nudge in you.

Speaker 2: 15:57

I know you're called for more. Maybe it's a project you've been wanting to start, a new skill you're eager to learn. Maybe you just want to improve your relationships, your friendships. Maybe you just want to go out more. Whatever the case may be, maybe you'd want to improve your relationships, your friendships. Maybe you just want to go out more. Whatever the case may be, maybe you'd want to stay in more. You want to be more still. You want to go after that degree. You want to go after that title. You want to start going to networking events. You want to make sure that you are not the reason you feel stuck, whatever that looks like for you. I just want you to know that there are some practical tools that you can start using to transform your life, like today.

Speaker 2: 16:33

I've used these tools to truly align my life and feel more fulfilled, more empowered. And it's real simple. Really. It's taking time to reflect daily, like taking five minutes for yourself to really think about what you want for your day, how do you want to show up and then work towards it. It's just important to figure out and write down what you're grateful for. Then, every day, you're going to need to set some boundaries. You can't align with purpose if you're constantly drained. You have to set boundaries with your time, your energy, your relationships, all the things and then really look back at where you were and give yourself credit for how far you've come. I've had listeners to share just how amazing the conversations that they've had with themselves have been when it comes to setting intentions to start their own business. After years of self-doubt, that listener shared that she's now thriving. She's more aligned with her purpose than she's ever been. I had another listener tell me how she's incorporating gratitude into her life and how it really helped change her perspective in her relationship and on her job.

Speaker 2: 17:42

I just want to leave you with this. You are more powerful than you think. You can create the life you want, but it starts with shifting the stories that you tell yourself. I want to hear from you what are you working on? What shifts are you making? Send me those stories, tap in, reach out to me on Instagram at itstohumanexperience or at Workplace Therapy Experience, dm me. Share the episode with your besties and your friends. Listen, scroll down to the bottom. If you're on Apple Five stars. Rate the episode with your besties and your friends. Listen, scroll down to the bottom. If you're on apple five stars. Rate the episode and leave a comment so I can hear your greatest takeaways. I just want you to know that I'm on this journey with you to unlocking your inner power, and it's really one step at a time, one decision that can change your story. So make sure you follow us, leave a review, subscribe and don't miss out on our episodes. Listen, let's go, let's grow together.

Speaker 1: 18:34

We hope you caught all those gems. So here for all of it. Be sure to subscribe so that you don't miss a gem. Write a review so that we know to keep bringing you episodes like this. And check us out online at itsthehumanex human experiencecom to keep up with us. Keep growing and glowing. Catch you on the next episode.