How to Build Your Dream Life Without Burning Out

This one’s for the girlies building their dream life without sacrificing their peace.

In this episode, I’m sharing the real-life rituals, mindset shifts, and energetic tools I’m using to design my 23rd year around alignment, abundance, and rest!

We’re talking:

✨Releasing hustle culture

✨Using Human Design + my 28-day cycle to plan my life

✨Calling in soul-level connections

✨Reprogramming scarcity with fridge-door affirmations

✨And showing up from overflow, not obligation

So, if you’re craving a softer, richer, more you-shaped way to live, this episode is your permission slip!

Follow the pod on IG + TikTok @divinebydesignpod & come say hi on my personal page @alexusmariahh🩷

Transcript

SPEAKER_00: 0:00

Hello friends, this is your host Alexis Morai and I'm so happy that you're here sharing this moment with me. Welcome to this week's episode of Divine by Design. Mmm. Hello, hello, my loves. Welcome back to Divine by Design, or if you're new here, welcome. Hi, baby. I am so glad that you found this space where we talk all things spirituality, mental health, healing, and self-worth. I turned 23 a couple of weeks ago, and I feel like I am just now settling into it. Has anyone else ever felt like it just takes some time to really become the new age you turn? You don't just wake up. your next age. You grow into it. And honestly, I've been thinking a lot about aging, how when I was a little kid, I used to be so eager to get older. I couldn't wait to be older. And then around 18, 19, 20, I actually feared aging and I wanted to stay young forever. I even remember I had this little witchy moment a few years ago where I was like, wait, If I just don't celebrate my birthday and claim my new age each year, then maybe time can't touch me and I'll just be eternally young. But now I honor aging. I honor growth. I honor becoming because there is so much beauty in getting older. and wiser especially when you're living on purpose you know i i'm not in a rush anymore but i'm also not afraid so today i want to share the energy that i am bringing into my 23rd year my affirmations my manifestations the magic i'm inviting in the vision i am claiming and how you can do the same no matter what age you are okay so if you're ready to receive this moment with me baby I invite you to take a few deep belly breaths, allow yourself to arrive fully here in this present moment with me. And if you're not driving, you can go ahead and grab whatever you need to feel cozy and comfortable, maybe a warm drink, soft blanket, you know, the vibes. And let's dive into today's episode.

UNKNOWN: 2:39

So

SPEAKER_00: 2:46

okay let's talk about the vibe of 23 because she's not fresh out of the gate like 18 she's also not loud like 21 and she's also not like milestone-y like 25 she is something else she is the girl who's done some healing done some unlearning she's kind of mysterious kind of like i don't need to prove anything okay i just am 23 to me feels really transitional she's that in between she's the becoming i feel like it's the year where you start to realize like you're not who you used to be but you're also not quite who you're becoming, but you're also like exactly where you're meant to be, if that makes sense. And the numerology, I love numerology. You know me, I love astrology. I love all the ologies. 23 reduces down to five, and five is the number of change, adventure, freedom, curiosity, and chaos, but like sacred chaos. Fun fact, five is actually my favorite number as well. So everything about it just feels divine. I feel like 23 is about letting your life stretch to make room for who you're becoming. 23 is like a trust fall with the universe. It's learning to let go of the old blueprint of your life. It's flirting with all the possibilities, all the different paths you could take. It's asking, what if I just... Let it be easy and then actually like letting it be. I feel like 23 is a year that you say yes to your own timeline. You start choosing alignment over approval and get radically curious about what you actually want. Now, This might not be universal. I feel like we all are on our own journeys and our own timelines and things just happen in divine timing for each and every one of us. But for me, this is just what 23 is giving. She's giving deepening self-trust, trusting the nudges, the whispers, the knowing in my belly. She's giving tuning out outside noise, letting go of the shoulds. the timelines, other people's projections. She's giving, creating a timeline that actually feels like me, one that's not performative, one that's not aesthetic even, just soul aligned and real and juicy. Okay. I feel like 23 for me doesn't need to like scream to be important or to be seen. She feels soft, but like quiet and like potent and powerful, like I was, the image that I was getting with 23.2 is like wildflowers, like growing through the cracks of the pavement. It's giving like quiet mornings and... Yeah, 23 is not here to impress, okay? She's here to embody. So I feel like this, for me, is a shake things up year. It's a trust my gut year. It's a try something new and see what happens year. And I'm so fucking ready and excited for it. Now, I want to get into some of my core... affirmations and intentions for 23, how they're showing up, how I'm living them, and how you too can embody these beautiful intentions. So the first one that I was reflecting on now, Let me back it up a second. I spent the few days leading up to my actual birthday, or I would say the week leading up to my actual birthday, reflecting on my intentions and affirmations and the energy surrounding my 23rd year. Now, this I feel like is very important because I... Personally, I'm going through like such a huge death and rebirth moment. I think so many of us collectively are. And this just didn't feel like another birthday. It felt like something really huge was shifting. So I really sat with this for probably about a week before my actual birthday. And I figured out what my core intentions were. So the first one is I know my worth. I don't have to prove it. This is a big one. For me, because I used to over-explain, over-give, over-think everything. But 23, my 23rd year, baby, it's about being rooted. I know my energy is powerful. I know I bring magic to every space that I'm in. I know my worth. I know my value. And... Something I have had to surrender over and over is that imposter syndrome, right? For me, it shows up quietly. It's not always like loud self-doubt. It's more like these little moments where I catch myself over explaining myself or trying to like prove something, prove my worth. Or sometimes I hold back from posting something because I start being overly critical, right? I sometimes question if I'm qualified enough to do what I know that I was born to do. If you haven't been following along the past couple of episodes, I fully just quit my nine to five and am going all in on my own businesses. Like I am a whole business woman at 23 years old and I did not go to college. Like everything that I'm doing, I am figuring out how to do on my own. And I do feel so grateful. I live in an age where I have so much access to knowledge and wisdom and, you know, a lot of it is intuitive as well. And so I know I'm fully capable, but that doesn't mean I don't have moments where I question like, wait, Like what? I feel like imposter syndrome is that little voice that says, who do you think you are to do this? And my remedy for this is so simple, you guys. It's literally just awareness, catching myself in the thought and a hand over my heart, a deep breath, and just a moment where I anchor deeply into my truth. And I remind myself like I didn't come This far by accident, okay? My magic is not up for debate. My value, my worth is not up for debate. My presence is the qualification. My lived experience is my expertise. And then I do my thing. I do it anyway. I feel the fear. I feel the imposter syndrome sometimes. And I do it anyway. Not because I'm trying to prove that I'm worthy, but because I already am. Next time you feel that not enough energy creeping in, I want you to pause and ask yourself, what part of me feels like it still has to earn love or approval right now? Then I want you to affirm out loud, I am safe to be seen. I am enough as I am. I don't have to perform for anyone. I belong. This year is about living that truth in every single room that I walk into, okay? No more shrinking. No more shape-shifting. No more people-pleasing. Just me in my full magic, okay? And that's when I become the most magnetic. Because when I'm not performing, I'm present, baby. When I'm not overthinking, I am overflowing. And when I am not hustling for validation, my energy does the attracting for me. I've seen it happen countless times, you guys. When I let my guard down and show up as my realist self... in person, online, whatever it is. People feel that. And then the clients come through. The opportunities find me, okay? Not because I chase them down, but because I let myself be seen in my fullness. That's the magic. You... Stop contorting yourself to be digestible and you become undeniable. You stop trying to be chosen and you start choosing yourself. And when you do that, you literally vibrate differently. You literally become a mirror for others who are ready to do the same. Okay, being in your full magic is the best marketing strategy on the planet. You guys, not the perfect content, not the algorithm hacks, okay? But alignment, authenticity, energetic integrity. And every time I come back to that, things just click. Doors open, people reach out. Not because I begged, but because I believed. Okay, my next affirmation slash intention is I build at my own pace. Okay, no more urgency. No more panic productivity. This year, I am letting slowness be sacred. I am leaving behind a version of myself that equated my worth with exhaustion. I have had to unhook myself from the idea that hustle equals success i have had to detox from urgency culture okay where everything is a race and rest is seen as laziness this year i choose my peace i choose to build something real something that's rooted in intention and not anxiety and that means learning how i actually work best that is where human design and my 28 day cycle comes in baby as a projector and human design i am not wired for the grind like literally i am here for alignment and invitations and deep intentional bursts of energy followed by sacred rest that's literally how my body and my energy and my brain is wired So now I plan my schedule around my human design, my projector energy, and also my 28-day cycle as a woman. So during my follicular phase, I brainstorm, I plan, I dream. This is when my mind feels most creative and I have the most energy. When I'm ovulating, I show up, I record podcasts, I create content, I connect with people, I want to be seen more because I just feel like on top of the world. In my luteal phase, I slow down, I edit, I wrap things up, I tune inward, and then during my bleed, I reset. That is for reflecting, receiving guidance, and giving my body full permission to just be, okay?

UNKNOWN: 13:54

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00: 13:54

When I honor that rhythm, I actually get more done too with way less effort because I'm not pushing against myself anymore. I am moving with myself and everything flows so much better when I do. Slowness is sacred because it allows me to be so intentional. It makes space for my intuition to come through too. And this isn't just a strategy. It's literally self-respect. It's listening to my body. It's choosing to trust divine timing over toxic productivity. Like imagine waking up and actually knowing what to do with your day. Not because your to-do list or your Google calendar yelled at you, but because your body and your energy told you what to do. Like imagine no longer beating yourself up for needing rest. Imagine creating content, running your business and living your life and in a way that feels like an exhale and not like sprinting. That is literally how I hacked my life and that's why I created the Sacred Schedule Guide so you can do the same thing, baby. Now, this is not a generic planner, but a completely customized, energetically aligned, zero guilt schedule made just for you. And it's designed through the lens of your human design and your 28-day cycle because forcing yourself to hustle when your body is literally begging for rest, like, yeah, no thanks. We're done with that. You'll get a full daily, weekly, and monthly schedule tailored to your energy. So you know when to rest, when to create, when to launch, when to reflect, when to hang out with friends, and when to say, yeah, no, not today, hustle culture, okay? You get a schedule that actually matches your magic. You get a workflow that honors your cycles, not capitalism's. You get overflow without the burnout, which makes you so magnetic. You get freedom with structure because it's a balance You get peace in your nervous system and a life that feels so intentional and one that you are so excited to wake up for. This is your permission slip, baby, to do it your way, to stop performing, to stop hustling your way to burnout and to trust your timing and to hack your life. It's literally right there. Our human design, all the tools we need are literally sitting right there. it's time we use them to literally hack our life. I don't know how else to explain it. It's not just a planner, right? It's a return to self. It's life-changing. So DM me sacred schedule on Instagram at divine by design podcast. Send me your birth info, baby date, time, place, and a quick little note on your current schedule, your goals, your dream life. And I will create your fully customized sacred schedule PDF delivered straight to your inbox. Okay. You can print it out and put it up or you can revisit it digitally at Anytime you need to see it and need a little reminder, all for$22 because, you know, alignment shouldn't cost your peace, baby. This guide is more than just a schedule. It's a sacred reclamation of your time and your energy, your enoughness, okay? Because when you stop performing for the systems that were never built for you, you start attracting everything that is. Which brings me to my next core intention for this year. I attract soulmate connections. Not just surface level, small talk, we should totally hang out sometime energy. Not the kind of friendships where you're performing for belonging, you know, not partnerships where you have to shrink or explain or convince someone of your worth. No. I am calling in the kind of connections that feel like sunshine on your skin, that feel like deep exhales, and thank God I can be myself here, where being real is the requirement, okay? This year, I only say yes to relationships that see me, that meet me, that hold me, that celebrate me, not just tolerate me. That includes friendships. That includes clients. That includes my partner. If it's not rooted in mutuality and presence and love, I'm just not interested. Because I have spent too many seasons of my life shapeshifting and people-pleasing and overgiving and performing my way into rooms where I was never meant to stay in. But not anymore, baby, okay? I want connections that meet me in my light, not ask me to dim it. I am not here for confusing energy. I am here for clarity, for conversations that stimulate me, for relationships that nourish because my energy is sacred. And this year only soulmate energy gets access. Okay, so how do we actually call in these soul level connections? Let me tell you, you start by being the version of you that your soul friends are looking for. I mean, embody the energy that you're looking for in friends, in partnership. Take up space as the real you. Messy, magical, brilliant, bold. And then set your intention. Write it down. Speak it out loud. I'm ready to be met in my fullness. And then you just let the universe do her thing. Also, if you want to just start now and meet some like-minded souls, you can start here and follow the podcast on Instagram and TikTok at Divine By Design Podcast. Let yourself be seen, baby. Engage. Share what's coming up for you. You never know who's watching, who's resonating, who's meant to find you in this little corner of the internet. I've honestly been dreaming of creating a space for us to actually gather virtually for now and eventually... in person in the 3d you know just a little place to chat drop juicy ideas share stories go deeper beyond the podcast and if that's something that you are interested in and would love to definitely dm me and let me know because this community is ours to co-create your people are out there okay but it starts with you showing up as you that's the secret that's the spell My next intention is I choose peace over overwhelm. Okay, 23 is a clarity era. It's about clearing out the noise, cleaning the energetic house. I am saying no to confusion, no to over committing just to feel worthy, no to timelines that aren't mine, no to trying to do all the things all the time. This year, peace is my priority. And peace for me is structure that supports me, okay? Not controls me. And again, that's why I use my human design and my 28-day cycle to organize my time because I'm not meant to be in go mode 24-7. None of us are. And yet we're conditioned to feel like if we're not constantly moving, then we're falling behind. But I've learned that my peace lives in my pattern, not in a rigid routine, but a natural rhythm that honors the way that I flow. It's not about being less productive either. It's about being more aligned. Even just knowing your type and your current cycle phase can help you stop judging your energy and start honoring it. Also, you can start asking yourself what feels like a full body yes. What feels heavy? Release what isn't aligned, even if it is quote unquote good, okay? No more productivity pressure. Remember, peace over pleasing every single time, okay? You can also pick one day a week where you just have no obligations, okay? Just space to breathe, integrate, rest, make it a ritual, and then constantly affirm, I choose peace over pressure. I trust my rhythm. I don't need chaos to be worthy because your clarity is sacred and choosing peace is literally the boldest power move that you can make. It's underrated, but it's powerful. My next intention is intuition over indecision. And this one's a game changer because I used to spiral a lot. I used to overthink every little decision trying to predict the quote unquote right move like my life was one big test I had to pass. But now I just tune in. I just pull tarot. I just let the first whisper of my intuition be enough. I listen to my body, my gut, my guides, and that's where I move from. Because indecision is usually just self-doubt in a cuter outfit, baby. It's fear of choosing the wrong thing, fear of disappointing someone, fear of being too much or not enough. But intuition, she's clear. She doesn't always scream, but she knows. And when I listen to her, I move with ease even when it feels scary. I trust that I'll always be redirected if I veer off path. I trust that clarity doesn't always come before the leap. Usually it comes after. And I trust myself to make decisions that are rooted in alignment and not anxiety. So some actionable steps for you. I would say ask your intuition instead of asking five different people. I remember when I was at a time in my life when I needed everyone's permission or confirmation around me to do something, to make a decision, big or small. But I honestly don't ask anyone anymore. I just ask myself. Literally pause, put your hand on your heart, and ask, what do I already know? Your inner voice is wiser than you've been led to believe and you can trust it, okay? You could also get into tarot or oracle. Like I love pulling tarot cards. You can ask, what am I being guided to do or understand right now? Tarot is literally just confirmation of what you already know and it's so helpful to see it like right there in front of you sometimes. Also use your body as a compass. You can literally ask your body yes or no questions and feel your body's response, okay? If you feel light and open, it's a yes. If you feel excited, it's a yes. If you feel heavy, intense, or confused, that's a no. Your body knows. You just aren't asking. You can also practice intuitive action. I think I have an episode on this. But even if it's small, send the DM. Say the thing. Book the trip. Take the nap. Flex that trust muscle and watch it work out. You just have to do it. And then... For affirmations, you could say, I trust my inner knowing. I don't need proof to act on my truth. The more you honor your intuition, the louder it gets, baby, and the less you need outside validation to trust your next step. This is how you stop spiraling, and this is how you start leading yourself. Next intention is I choose ease. I build from devotion, not urgency. This is the grounding force of my year. Everything flows from here. Ease, trust, alignment, rooted self-worth, no more pushing, no more proving, just becoming, okay? And those are all my core intentions. Now, one of the most healing, grounding, and joyful things I did before my birthday was make a full-on art piece for my 23rd year. I call it my 23rd year intentions or manifesto, but honestly, it's like a little love letter to myself, a spell, a mirror. Yeah, like I said, a manifesto. And it's hanging on my fridge like a sacred reminder of who the hell I am and where I'm going. I wrote affirmations over every single aspect of my life, my relationships, my my work, my art, my abundance. I wrote the truth that I want to embody, that I am embodying, not as a fake it till you make it thing, but as a reprogramming thing, okay? Now, anytime limiting beliefs have been popping up, I just walk to my fridge, I read my affirmations out loud, and I interrupt the pattern. I speak those affirmations like a spell because I'm remembering who I am and because I know what I build from fear will drain me. But what I build from trust will be sustainable and magnetic, okay? So... Here's your invitation. Get a little artsy. Create your own art piece for your next chapter. You can call it whatever you want, whatever makes your soul feel seen. Decorate it, doodle it, add affirmations, symbols, colors, quotes, dreams, manifestations, numbers, totems. Make it fun. Make it you. Channel your inner child and your higher self at the same time. Then hang it up somewhere sacred, somewhere that you're going to see it every day, okay? On your fridge, your mirror, your altar, your closet door. Let it anchor you, baby. And every time you feel small or stuck or scattered, go back to it. Read it out loud. Let it remind you that you're becoming the woman you once prayed to be. This is art as alchemy. This is your reminder that you are the magic. You are the creator of your own reality, okay? So yeah, that's everything I have for you. 23 is that girl. She is soft and strong. She is rooted and radiant. She builds slowly and receives abundantly. She moves from self-trust, not from self-doubt. She creates from overflow, not from obligation. And so do I. And if you're listening to this, whether you're 23, 33, 19, 42, or rebirthing at any damn age, let this be your reminder. You are not behind. You are not too much. You're not too late. You are becoming exactly on time. And this life you crave... You're not chasing it. You're remembering it. You're rooting into it. You are ready for it. And this is your invitation to build a life that feels like sunshine on your skin. To move at the pace of your peace. To let alignment be the strategy. To only say yes when it is a full body hell yes. welcome to my expansion era baby i hope it sparks the beginning of yours okay and if you want to keep growing together you know where to find me at divine by design podcast we're rising let's rise softly let's rise slowly but let's rise okay i love you thank you for being here i'm sending you all my love and gratitude so deeply grateful for you so happy to be back on the mic All right, that's it. That's all. Have a good rest of your day, a good rest of your week. Goodbye.