RENEW: Returning to Truth

You can make the brave decision to leave what hurt you and still hear the old label in your mind. That’s the moment we focus on today: the gap between releasing the past and living like you’re actually free. We’re walking through “Renew,” the second phase of the personal rebrand method, and why mindset renewal is the bridge between who you were and how you begin to live differently.

We anchor the conversation in Ephesians 4:22-24 and break down the process: putting off the old self, being made new in the attitude of our minds, and putting on the new self. We talk about how identity gets tangled up in what happened to us (abandonment, rejection, divorce, failure) and in what we do (mother, leader, caregiver, dependable one). Roles change, seasons shift, and if your self-worth is built on a label, it can shake everything when life moves.

Then we get practical. We unpack how beliefs influence decisions, why motivation fades fast, and how to replace the lie underneath the behavior with truth rooted in God’s Word. You’ll hear a simple framework to identify the belief, trace where it came from, look at the fruit it’s produced, and practice truth with one clear action. We also talk values alignment, boundaries without guilt, and recovering your voice with quiet confidence that doesn’t need to perform.

If you’re ready to stop introducing yourself through everything that went wrong and start aligning with who God says you are, press play. Subscribe, share this with a friend who needs it, and leave a review so more women can find the reset.

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Why Old Beliefs Still Echo

SPEAKER_00 0:00

You can release an old belief and still find yourself going back to it. You can recognize that a label is no longer true and you still hear it in your mind. You can leave an unhealthy environment, set the boundary, make the decision, and still respond as though you are standing in the same place you worked so hard to leave. And that's because removing the old is only part of the work. Once you release what no longer belongs, you have to become intentional about what it takes, about what takes its place. Otherwise, I mean, God, we have a way of reaching right back for what is familiar, even when we already know it's no longer good for us. And that's where Renew comes in. So today we are moving into the second phase of the personal rebrand method, and we're talking about what it means to return to the truth.

Welcome And The Personal Rebrand Method

SPEAKER_00 0:56

Okay, amiga, let's talk. There comes a moment when growth calls you higher and you're trying to figure it out all by yourself. You're evolving, you're questioning, you're rebuilding. And maybe you're wondering, what's good? Girl, I'm so glad you're here. Welcome to Extreme Rebrand, a Mommy on the Mission podcast. A space for women ready to heal, rebuild, and walk confidently in their God-given purpose. If you're ready for your next level, then I'm your girl. I'm Mariana, founder of Mommy on a Mission and creator of the Empower Her program. And I'm ready to meet you right where you are. So for your Gapecito, sit with me for a while. This is your Gatecito hour. Welcome back to the Extreme Rebrand, a Mommy on a Mission podcast, the space where faith meets identity, healing leads to action, and we learn how to move forward without losing ourselves in the process. I'm Mariana, your personal rebrand strategist, certified biblical life coach, and your amiga for the next few minutes. So grab your cafecito, grab your lunch, and if you are listening during your break, settle in because this is your midweek reset.

Shed Creates Space, Then What

SPEAKER_00 2:13

So last week we talked about shed, the first phase of the personal rebrand method. We talked about identifying and releasing what no longer fits the woman you're becoming, right? But here is what I want you to understand. Releasing something creates space. And empty spaces don't usually stay empty for very long, right? It's like you empty out your closet, right? Of all the clothes that you don't wear anymore, you give it all away. And then next thing you know, you've already refilled it with new clothes. Isn't that crazy? But that's exactly what happens, right? We let go, we remove, we make the space only to fill it right back up. And if we're not intentional about filling that space with truth, we will often go right back to what is familiar. We may stop participating in the old behavior, but continue believing the thought that created it, right? Or we may leave the environment but continue carrying its labels. Or we may establish the boundary, but spend the next three days feeling guilty because we established it. Ironic, I know. So renew asks us a very important question.

Renewing Your Mind With Scripture

SPEAKER_00 3:29

What truth needs to replace what I have released? And today we're going to visit Ephesians 4, 22 through 24 that tells us that we are to put off the old self, be made new in the attitude of our minds, and put on the new self. And I really do love this passage because there is a process here. Scripture doesn't simply tell us stop doing the old thing. There is a putting off, a renewing, and then putting on. The middle part matters because renewal is the bridge between what you release and how you begin to live differently. And it's not enough for me to say, I'm not going to believe that anymore. If I've not decided what I'm going to believe instead. Okay. So you know that new me, new, no, that new you, new me attitude type of thing. I'm not talking about convincing yourself to become somebody you're not. Okay. Renewal is about returning to truth after years of experiences, expectations, labels, disappointments, and even survival patterns that have shaped the way you see yourself. And for some women, their identity becomes connected to what happened to them without even realizing it. That internal story becomes: I'm the one who was abandoned. I'm the one whose marriage failed. I'm the one who didn't finish. I'm the one who missed the opportunity, or I'm the one everybody overlooks. And yeah, sure, those things may have happened. They may be part of your story. And I'm not asking you to pretend that they didn't hurt or that they didn't impact you. But what happened to you cannot become the entire definition of who you are. Other women build their identity around what they do. I'm the mother, I'm the wife, I'm the leader, I'm the caregiver, I'm the business owner, I'm the one everybody calls when something goes wrong. And yes, those roles matter, but roles also change. Children grow up, jobs end, careers shift, relationships change, titles disappear. And if all of your identity has been wrapped around what you do for everyone else, it can be terrifying when that role changes or when you no longer have the capacity to perform it the way you once did. I can't tell you how many clients I have worked with. And if I ask them, tell me a little bit about yourself, always getting their labels and their titles, what they do at work. And I'm not taking any of that away, but you're more than those things, right? You're more than being a mom and a wife and all of those other things, right? You're more than that. And that's why Renew invites us to ask deeper questions. Who am I beneath the rolls? What remains true about me when the title changes? What does God say about me that disappointment, rejection, divorce, a layoff, a mistake, or somebody else's opinion cannot erase? So, as I mentioned the last two weeks, I wrote a new book called The Journey Back. And in that book, I share that what really shows how deeply labels can become attached to the way we see ourselves. I'm sorry, y'all. My dogs are barking up a storm right now because I think somebody was coming in as I'm recording the pause. So I'm going to pause for a moment.

When Labels Become Your Introduction

SPEAKER_00 8:28

Right. But I still remember what happened when I brought home my first failing grade. It didn't feel like I had simply received one bad grade. In my mind, it felt like evidence that maybe I was not who everybody thought I was. And over time, the labels became heavier. I started believing I wasn't good enough. I believed I was a failure. I believed my divorces made me damaged. I believed I was too old to go back to school. And at one point, I had convinced myself that no one would want a woman who had already been married twice and had three children. And if anybody of you, if any of you know my story, and if you don't, it's quite simple. I remember when I met my husband, my husband now, and I said, What do you want with me? I've got three kids, two ex-husbands, a stack of bills, and I can't be your sugar mama because I have no money. Yeah, that's exactly how I responded. And amiga, those labels didn't stay, did not stay as something somebody else said about me. Somewhere along the way, I accepted them and they became the lens through which I saw myself. I didn't realize how deeply those beliefs had settled in until I crossed paths again with a man who would eventually become my husband. Right? We had known each other before, but we had not seen each other in about three years. Okay. So when we reconnected, he asked for my phone number because he wanted to take me to dinner. Now, as I mentioned before, the simple answer would have been sure, yeah, let's go. But apparently, I could not just say yes and hand the man my phone number. No, I decided he needed the entire background check, credit report, relationship history, and a list of reasons why this was probably a terrible idea. I basically, like I said before, why do you want to go out with me? I'm 10 years older than you, I've been divorced twice, I have three children, I have a stack of bills, no money, and bad credit. And he looked at me, smiled, and basically said, I didn't ask you all that. I asked if you wanted to go out of dinner. You know, and when I look back at that moment now, it makes me laugh. But it also makes me a little sad for the woman I was at that time because I was not introducing myself. I was introducing my labels. And before he even had an opportunity to know Mariana, I handed him a whole list of everything I believed made me unworthy of being loved. And that is what labels can do when we carry them long enough. They become so familiar that we start presenting them as facts. Instead of saying this happened to me, we begin saying, This is who I am. Instead of saying I made a mistake, we start believing I am a mistake. A relationship ends and suddenly the conclusion becomes I'm unlovable. We experience failure, and somewhere along the way, that turns into I am a failure. But I mean, those were not the names God gave me. They were names and beliefs I had accepted. And the more time I spent in God's word, the more I realized that God was not describing me the way I had been describing myself. He was not introducing me through my divorces, my financial situation, or my failures, or every mistake I had ever made. He kept reminding me that I belonged to him and that my identity had to begin there. And that, amiga, is renewal. Renewal is recognizing when the way you describe yourself no longer agrees with what God says is true.

Beliefs Shape Choices More Than You Think

SPEAKER_00 12:09

And one of the reasons this work matters so much is because our beliefs influence our decisions, whether we realize it or not. A woman who believes she has to earn love may constantly overperform in relationships because deep down she is afraid that simply being herself will not be enough. A woman who believes conflict always leads to rejection may avoid conversation she desperately needs to have. If you believe your value comes from productivity, resting can make you feel guilty. If you believe you are always behind, you may rush decisions God is asking you to be patient with. And we usually notice that behavior first. What we don't always notice is the belief sitting underneath it. And that is why Renew goes deeper than motivation. Motivation can make you feel better for an afternoon. You can listen to an amazing podcast, hopefully, this one, attend a conference, write down a beautiful affirmation, put scripture on your mirror, and still find yourself going home to the same internal story you have rehearsed for years. And that doesn't mean those things are not helpful. It simply means inspiration alone cannot replace a belief you have practiced for 20 years. Renewal requires repetition. Truth has also truth also has to become something you hear, believe, and eventually practice until your response begins to change. And that's not easy. So how do we actually do that?

Identify The Lie, Practice The Truth

SPEAKER_00 14:12

Well, first we have to identify the belief. And I want you to go deeper than saying I struggle with confidence because that's very broad, right? I need for you to ask yourself what you actually believe about yourself when you enter a room. What do you do automatically? What do you automatically assume people are thinking about you? What story do you tell yourself when something doesn't work or work out? What do you immediately believe when somebody disagrees with you or doesn't choose you? And maybe underneath the confidence issue is I'm not qualified. Maybe it's I always mess things up. I have to prove that I belong. My needs are a burden. Good opportunities happen for other people, but not for somebody like me. And I'm gonna say this that last one, good opportunities happen for other people, but not for somebody like me. That was my lie. I believed that for a very long time. But once you identify the belief, get curious about where it came from. Was it something somebody repeatedly spoke over you? Did it form after a painful experience? Did it begin as a way of protecting yourself? Have you taken one person's opinion or one season of your life and turned it into permanent truth? Then look at the fruit. What has believing this actually produced in your life? Has it caused you to shrink, overwork, settle, remain silent, stay too long, leave too early, or reject an opportunity before anyone else even has the chance to reject you? And then we replace it with truth. And I'm not talking about choosing a sentence simply because it sounds encouraging. The replacement has to be rooted in truth. And eventually that truth has to show up in a way you live. Now, practicing that truth might look like sharing your opinion without spending five minutes explaining why you deserve to have one. If the old belief says setting boundaries makes me selfish, the truth may be that stewarding your time and energy allows you to serve from a healthier place. Practicing the truth could mean giving someone a thoughtful no instead of giving them an exhausted yes and then resenting them for it later. Maybe the belief is my past disqualifies me. The truth is that God can redeem every part of your story and use it for his glory. Practicing that may mean you stop hiding every imperfect part of your testimony because you're afraid somebody's going to decide you're no longer qualified. And the truth gets stronger when you begin living like you actually believe it. One of the hardest parts of renewal is realizing that your life can change before your mind catches up. God can open the door, and somehow you still feel like the woman standing outside of it, wondering whether somebody's going to come tell you that there's been some mistake. You may have earned the degree, received the promotion, started the business, healed from the relationship, stepped into leadership, or finally walked into the opportunity you prayed for, and still hear that old voice whispering, Who do you think you are? I talk about this also in the journey back. There was a season when I would sit in meetings at work every where everyone was invited to share ideas. And I would rarely say anything unless somebody specifically asked for my opinion. And it wasn't because I didn't have anything to contribute, because I did have the experience, I had ideas and I knew the work. But somewhere along the way, I had convinced myself that what I had to say was not important enough to be heard. And there were also opportunities for me to volunteer, lead projects, and take on different responsibilities. And instead of raising my hand, I would wait for somebody to notice me and invite me. And looking back, I can see that I was not lacking ability. I was allowing fear to keep me quiet. And that is what an old belief can do. It can have you sitting in a room God has already given you access to while you are still waiting for somebody else to give you permission to be there. And then there was another experience I'll never forget. I was co-co-hosting an event when a woman approached me and asked if I was the new maid. And I politely told her, no, I'm actually the co-host of the event. She smirked, chuckled, and walked away. Now, imagine if that had happened during the season when I had already convinced myself that I was not enough. One interaction like that could easily become evidence for every lie I had been trying to overcome. And for a moment, that old voice did try to come back. See, I told you you're nothing. They think you're the maid. But today I can recognize that voice for what it is. That was not God speaking to me. That was an old identity trying to use one painful interaction as an opportunity to reintroduce itself. And the enemy will absolutely try to take one person's opinion, one awkward moment, one rejection, or one disappointment, and use it as evidence for a lie. God has already been healing. Renewal means I stop giving somebody else's opinion more authority over my identity than the truth God has already spoken.

Values Alignment And Recovering Your Voice

SPEAKER_00 20:27

Renew is not only about the beliefs you have about yourself, it's also about reconnecting with your values. The things you say actually matter to you. Maybe your values include faith, family, integrity, peace, growth, service, courage, health, freedom, or wisdom. And here's where it gets uncomfortable sometimes. We can say we value one thing while organizing our lives around something completely different. You can say you value peace while saying yes to commitments that keep your life in a constant state of chaos. You can say family matters most while working continually receives, while work continually receives the best of your energy, and your family receives whatever is left over. That was mine. And you can say you value your health, but there's no room on your calendar for rest, movement, appointments, or even eating properly. And we can say we have faith. That's not about condemnation. This is about awareness. Sometimes renewal simply begins with noticing the distance between what you say matters and what you're Choices are currently reflecting. Then little by little you begin bringing those two things back into rhythm. Do my calendar, habits, relationships, boundaries, and decisions reflect the woman I say I am becoming and the things I say matter to me. This is a renewed question. This is also the phase where many women begin recovering their voice. Maybe you know exactly what you believe, but somewhere along the way you learn that expressing it made people uncomfortable. So now you soften your opinion, apologize before speaking, overexplain your decision and ask permission to have preferences. Having a voice doesn't mean you suddenly have to become harsh, argumentative, or the loudest woman in the room. It simply means you become honest enough to say, this does not work for me. Or I need some time to think about that. And maybe it sounds like I see this differently. I'm no longer available for that. Or this is the direction I believe God is leading me. And your voice does not have to be loud to be clear. And I'm gonna tell y'all something. I come from a long line of yellers in my family. The women in my life yell, including myself. And that is an area I have to work on because when I get put in a situation and I feel defensive, that is my go-to. I start to yell as if I need to be loud in order to be heard, and that's because it stems from moments of my life where I felt hidden. And renewed confidence is not a performance, it's that quiet assurance that I don't have to disappear in order to keep everybody else comfortable. And one of the most important things I want you to remember about renew is that this is not a one-time emotional moment where you hear a message, cry a little bit, write something in your journal and never struggle with that old belief again. I wish it worked that way. I really do. It would make coaching a whole lot easier. You can have a powerful realization today and hear the old thought again tomorrow. And that doesn't mean renewal is not working. It means you are learning how to recognize the thought and choose differently when it does show up. When fear tells you to shrink, return to the truth. When rejection tries to define you, return to the truth. When comparison has you questioning your value, return to the truth. When one mistake tempts you to call yourself a failure all over again, return to the truth. Renewal is not pretending the thought never came, it's deciding that the thought no longer gets the final word.

Three Questions To Start Renewal

SPEAKER_00 25:01

So this week I want you to spend some time with three questions. Okay. Here's the coaching part. Question number one What belief about yourself has influenced more of your decisions than you realized? Think about that belief beneath the behavior, not only what you've been doing. Question number two, whose voice have you allowed to become louder than God's truth? It could be someone from your childhood, in a relationship, a former boss, a family member, or maybe even your own voice repeating something that happened years ago. And then finally, question number three, what truth do you need to begin practicing, not just repeating? Write down the old belief and then write the truth that needs to replace it. After that, identify one action you can take that agrees with the truth. Because if you believe your voice matters, speak up once. If you believe your voice matters, speak up once in the meeting instead of waiting, be asked. If you believe your needs are not a burden, ask somebody for help. If you believe rest is responsible, protect an hour without explaining or apologizing for it. If you believe God has qualified you for the opportunity, then stop rejecting yourself before you even prayed about whether you should pursue it. And this is how renewal begins becoming real. Truth starts changing your response.

Prayer And The Habit Of Returning

SPEAKER_00 26:42

Let me pray with you, Amiga. Lord, thank you for the woman listening today. Thank you for my amiga. Thank you for thank you that you know every part of her story, the parts she is proud of, the parts she wishes she could rewrite, and the parts she's still learning how to understand. Father, renew her mind with your truth. Expose every label, belief, assumption, and old story that has distorted the way she sees herself. Remind her that she is not defined by rejection, mistakes, titles, financial circumstances or relationships, or the expectation other people have placed on her. Help her recognize the difference between your voice and the voices that have caused her to question her worth. Where she has called herself a failure, remind her that she is still growing. Where she has believed she is damaged, remind her that you are restoring her. Where she has overlooked, remind her that she is fully seen and fully known by you. Give her the courage to believe what you say about her, even when her emotions, memories, or experiences try to argue otherwise. Show her where her time, relationships, decisions, habits, and priorities need to come back into rhythm with what she says she values. Restore her voice, Lord. Teach her to speak with truth, grace, with wisdom, with confidence, and help her practice what you are showing her until truth becomes more familiar than fear. In Jesus' name. Amen. So I mean, I renew is not about having one inspiring moment and suddenly never questioning yourself again. Renewal is the repeated decision to return to truth until the truth becomes stronger than the story you used to tell yourself. So this week, I want you to choose one belief. You don't have to fix everything at once, but I want you to write that belief down. Ask yourself where it came from and look at what believing it has produced in your life. Then write the truth that needs to replace it and make one decision that reflects what you say you believe. Because we can't only say I'm confident and continue hiding every time it's our turn to speak. We can't say I deserve healthy boundaries and keep giving everyone access to us at the expense of our own peace. And we can't say my past does not disqualify me while continuing to introduce ourselves through everything that went wrong. And as I share in the journey back, those labels may have been spoken over you, but they were never spoken by God.

Book Update And What Comes Next

SPEAKER_00 29:28

The journey back, rediscovering the woman God created you to be is coming this fall, and I'm so excited. And I share so much more about the labels I carried, the moments God used to confront them and what it looked like for me to slowly learn how to see myself through his eyes. And yes, you will also get the rest of the story about the first dinner with the man who eventually became my husband because amiga, apparently, I eventually stopped giving him reasons not to take me out and just went to dinner. And yes, you will also get a glimpse of other phases of the personal rebrand method. And next week we're gonna move into the third phase build, turning discovery into structure. Because we can have all the revelation in the world, but if nothing changes in our routine, boundaries, communication, relationships, and environments, we can find ourselves standing in the same place, but with better vocabulary. So next week we're talking about what it looks like to actually build support around the woman you're becoming. So make sure you are subscribed to the podcast. And if this episode made you think about an amiga who has been introducing herself through old labels for far too long, send it to her. But until next time, remember your past may explain parts of your story, but it does not get to naming. You are becoming the woman God already sees. This isn't about fixing you, it's about aligning you. Amiga, you're not behind, you're not late, you're becoming the woman God already sees. I'll meet you right here next Wednesday for your midweek reset.