#TheActionLife

Welcome back to The Authentic Life Podcast!

Season 1 was all about awareness — learning how to set boundaries without apologizing, recognizing when assumptions shape our reality, and checking our ego before it drives our decisions. But awareness by itself is not enough.

👉🏽 This first episode of Season 2 kicks off a new journey: moving from awareness to action. Because knowing your patterns, your triggers, and your growth areas means nothing if you don’t actually shift how you live.

In this episode, I dive into:
 ✨ Why awareness without action is just observation
 ✨ The hidden cost of staying stuck in awareness mode
 ✨ Strategies for moving from knowing → doing → becoming
 ✨ Everyday authentic actions you can take right now
 ✨ Reflection prompts to help you move differently this week

🔑 Key Takeaway:
Awareness tells you who you are. Action shows the world who you’re becoming.

Reflection Prompts for You:

• Where in my life have I confused awareness with progress?
• What am I proud of recognizing but haven’t actually changed?
• What’s one micro-action I can take this week to prove I’m moving forward?

Transcript

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Welcome Back & Season Reset

SPEAKER_00 0:01

Hey, hey, hey, it's your girl Keisha, and this is The Authentic Life. This isn't your typical podcast. It's your go-to space for real talk, bold moves, and unapologetic living. Together, we'll laugh, we'll reflect, and we will uncover what it really means to embrace your truth. So grab your favorite drink, get comfy, and let's dive into all the magic that is waiting for you on The Authentic Life. Hello, hello, hello, and welcome back. Your girl has missed you. Welcome to Hashtag the AuthenticLife. It has been a minute. My last episode was in May, y'all. So just a little refresher and a little reminder. Hashtag the AuthenticLife is a space where we explore what it really means to live fully, to live freely, and most importantly, to live unapologetically as your true self. It's your girl Keisha. I'm your host, I'm your guide, and most importantly, I might just be your accountability partner by the end of this journey. So whether you're here tuning in from your car, your office, the gym, or your favorite cozy corner at home, you know your girl is just glad that you decided to be here with her today. And if you've been rocking with me since season one, I want to start by saying thank you because you didn't have to do that. If you bought merch that came out of season one, thank you. I so appreciate you. And you already know what it is. You already know that this podcast is more than just listening. We grow over here, we learn over here, and then we apply what we have learned in an effort to make sure that we are growing daily.

From Awareness to Action

SPEAKER_00 1:37

Season one was a deep dive into awareness. It was all about who's gonna check me, boo. And it was you checking you. We asked ourselves tough questions about how we show up in the world. We unpack what it meant to set those boundaries that we keep saying that we want to set, but do them without apologizing. How do we recognize when assumptions shape our reality? And how we check that ego at the door before it drives any of our decisions. But here's the thing awareness by itself, that's not enough. You can know something all day, know your patterns, know your triggers, know your growth areas, and still never shift how you live. Awareness without action, well, that's just observation. And that's why season two is about moving from awareness to action. Because family, observation won't change your life, action will. So let's start this new journey of season two together. Your girl has experienced a lot, your girl has done a lot. You know, you know, I say doing the absolute most, but the one thing that I have tried to do over these last couple of months is move from being so self-aware of self and putting some stuff into action. So we're gonna kick this off about talking about moving from awareness to action before we jump into a whole bunch of topics this season. So grab your notebook, grab your cognac, grab your wine, grab your juice, your soda, whatever you drink. Grab it, sit down, listen to me. If you're in the gym, get your workout on, take some notes, do all the things because now it's time for us to move to action and actually do something. So let's jump this thing off.

What Awareness Really Is

SPEAKER_00 3:27

Okay, so now let's talk about what awareness really is. Awareness, it's like turning on the light in a dark room. Suddenly, you can see where the chair is, where the table is, where the walls are. You can see all the things you were tripping over before. But here's the kicker. The chair won't move itself, the table won't shift out of your way. You have to decide what to do with what you now see. And here's where I need to be honest. I've had whole seasons of my life where I thought awareness was enough. I'd walk away from therapy or a conversation with a mentor, even journaling, and saying to myself, girl, you know what, you're growing. You've named the thing, you see the pattern, you got clarity. And while, yes, naming and seeing matters, I'd still walk into another room, another meeting, another relationship, and repeat the same behavior. And that wasn't growth, that was just observation. I was just a reporter taking notes on my own life. Now, don't get me wrong, awareness is powerful, but if we're not careful, we can make it, we can mistake it for progress. Awareness feels good. It gives us language, it makes us feel like we're moving forward. But without action, it's like buying a gym membership and never going. You feel proud that you've joined, but the work hasn't even started. I remember a time early in my career when I noticed I shut down in certain spaces. I'd be in a meeting with leaders who were who may be a little bit more seasoned, more outspoken, and I may be a little quiet. I leave those meetings aware that I shrank myself, aware that I had ideas that I never spoke out loud. And every single time I'd say, Well, at least I recognize it. That's progress. But was it? Because six months later, a year later, I may was I may have still been walking out of meeting silent, still watching my ideas get spoken by somebody else, or still shrinking. Awareness gave me a mirror, but I was just staring back at it. Here's the psychology of it. Awareness lives in your mind, action lives in your body. And until you connect the two, until you actually do something different, awareness can turn into another form of procrastination. It's a comfortable place to hide because you feel like you're working on yourself without actually risking change. Think about it. How many times have you said, I know I need to eat better? Look, I'm saying that every day. Your girl has gained some weight and she got to get it off. And I say that every day and every Monday I'm starting a diet, but I digress. Or I know I need to set boundaries, or I know I need to stop checking my email first thing in the morning. You're aware. But unless you change the plate you put in front of you, unless you actually say the word no, unless you leave your phone in the other room, that awareness hasn't shifted your life one bit. It's like knowing there's a leak under your sink. You're aware of it. You've seen the drip, drip, drip. But unless you tighten the pipe or call the plumber, awareness won't stop the water. Eventually it's going to cost you more. It may lead to warped floors, mold, a bigger mess than it was before. I want you to take a deep breath with me right now. Inhale, exhale. Now ask yourself, where in my life have I confused awareness with progress? What am I proud of recognizing but haven't actually changed? Say it out loud if you can, and if you're in a place where you can't say it out loud, whisper it to yourself. Because sometimes hearing your own voice, admit it, that's the first step to action. Then pause for a beat and let the silence do the work. Here's something I've learned.

Awareness vs. Procrastination

SPEAKER_00 7:30

Awareness without action eventually turns into guilt. Because the more you see something in yourself and ignore it, ignore it, the heavier it becomes, the heavier it starts to feel. It's like carrying a backpack that gets heavier every day. You don't do something about it. So when people tell me, Keisha, I've been aware of this for years, my first question is, okay, but what have you done about it? Because awareness is only the beginning, it's the invitation, it's the starting line, not the finish line. Awareness is a gift, but it's not the goal. The goal is what you do with it. The goal is how you move differently because of it. And in this season, we're not just celebrating the fact that we can name it, we're pushing ourselves to change it. All right, let's go deeper. We've talked about how awareness is only the beginning, but I want to sit with something we don't talk about enough. The cost of actually staying still. Here's the truth inaction is not neutral. It feels neutral, but it's not. You think you're just waiting, just processing, just sitting with it, but the reality is you're paying a price. For me, another cost was my peace. I remember a time at work when I became aware that I was saying yes to everything. And you know me, I say yes to a lot of stuff, but it was probably stuff I was saying yes to that I should have been saying no to. Every project, every request, every can you just and I knew I was overcommitting. I knew I was running myself into the ground and could even name it. Keisha, you're doing too much. But here's the truth: I didn't change anything. I kept saying yes because I didn't want to disappoint people. And every yes chipped away at me. I was exhausted, um, tired, irritated, a little frustrated, right? When really I just needed to look in the mirror. Awareness without action was costing me my peace of mind. I go home at night and still try to do red, still try to do work instead of resting. Um, I replay the day sometimes. And the story I told myself in those moments is you can't say no, because if you do, you'd be letting people down. You lose their trust. And for some people, you may feel incapable. And that's where that you're trying to prove yourself comes early in your career. And this was earlier in my career. Um, but that's the thing about awareness without movement. It doesn't just leave you stuck, it builds a narrative in your head, a narrative that robs you of peace and convinces you that the cage you're sitting in is locked, when in reality, the door was open the whole time. You just had to walk through it. So here's some everyday things that we can think about when we're thinking about awareness to action or the cost of sitting still when we're thinking about awareness to action. So think about your health. You're aware your body feels tired, but you don't change your habits. The cost is burnout, maybe even illness. Your career, that job drains you. You don't like it, you don't want to be there, but you stay. The cost is those missed opportunities and stagnant growth, and then you're sitting there mad at everybody, but you should really be mad at yourself. Relationships, you are aware of a friendship that's toxic, or a relation, romantic relationship that's toxic, but you keep giving. The cost is emotional exhaustion and resentment, and I know this one old all too well. Dreams, you're aware you want to start your business, write that book or go back to school or whatever it is, but you never begin it. You never begin to do it. The cost is regret. We don't always measure those costs in the moment, but over time they add up like debt. So here's the psychology behind it. When you stay in awareness mode without action, your brain builds a comfort zone around inaction. It starts to feel safer to know than to do. The brain actually rewards you with a little dopamine hit when you gain insight, that aha moment. But then it tricks you into thinking you've done the work. So you stay put. And staying put slowly eats away at your energy,

The Hidden Cost of Staying Still

SPEAKER_00 11:47

your peace, and your belief in yourself. Think of it again like a leaky faucet. Drip, drip, drip. You hear it, you know it's happening. That's awareness. But if you never tighten the pipe or call the plumber, what happens? Your water bill goes up, the cart, the cabinet starts to rot. Eventually, you're paying way more than if you acted when you first notice it. Stillness cost always. So take a deep breath for me. Now ask yourself: where am I paying the cost of staying still? Is it costing me peace? Is it costing me opportunities? Is it costing me relationships? Is it costing me my health? What bill is in action sending me right now? Answer those questions. What you come what did you come up with? I once worked with a woman in leadership who knew she avoided conflict. She could name it. Every time I talked to her, she could name it, and she was proud that she was aware of it, but she never acted on it. Do you know what it cost her? Her team stopped respecting her, issues went unaddressed, talent walked out the door. And when she finally looked back, she realized she had been losing trust little by little, all because she stayed still. That's what stillness does. It steals from you quietly, piece by piece, until you wake up one day and wonder, how did I lose myself? How did I get here? Family, let me tell you this. Stillness is not safety. It feels safe because it doesn't require risk. But the longer you stay, the heavier it gets. And one day you'll realize that staying still was the riskiest move you could have ever made. Because nothing changes until you move. So here's the bottom line: awareness without action will cost you. It might cost you your joy, it might cost you your health, it might cost you your opportunities that you don't even know you missed. The question you need to sit with is Am I willing to keep paying that price? Or is it time to take the risk of moving? Alright, family, we've named it. Awareness is the spark, but staying still comes with a cost. Now let's shift gears a little bit because I don't want you to just sit in guilt or shame about the areas where you've been stuck. That is not what hashtag the authentic life is about. This is where we move from knowing to doing, from seeing to shifting, from awareness to action. And I want to give you four strategies that have helped me and that I've coached others through. These are simple, not easy, but if you work them, they work. Strategy number one is name it. Awareness starts with honesty. You can't act on what you won't admit. For me, it was saying out loud that I shrink myself sometimes. I don't want to do that. Period. Full stop. I'm not gonna do it anymore. It's like calling a leak a leak, not a drip, not a little moisture, a leak. Because when you name it clearly, you can deal with it clearly. Right now, I want you to name one thing you've been circling around. Say it out loud. Don't water it down, don't dress it up. If you're alone, shout it out. If you're around people, whisper it, name it. That naming, that's the first step toward action. Strategy two is frame it. Once you've named it, the next step is reframing it. Because how you talk about a thing shapes how you approach it. If I say I'm terrible at boundaries, guess what? My brain shuts down. I've declared it permanent. But if I say I'm learning to say no with confidence, my brain says, okay, we're on a journey. Framing shifts from guilt mode to growth mode. Think of it like this: a picture looks different depending on the frame you put it in. Same picture, but a goal, but a bold goal frame brings out one thing, while a thin black frame brings out another. Your words are the frame around your awareness. Take that thing you just named and reframe it. Instead of saying I procrastinate, try, I'm trying, I'm learning to take small steps consistently. Instead of I avoid

Four Strategies: Name, Frame, Claim, Account

SPEAKER_00 17:12

conflict, try, I'm practicing having braver conversations. Say your reframe out loud or write it down if you can. Strategy number three is claimant. Here's where awareness turns into action. Take one small immediate step, not 10, just one. If your awareness is I avoid hard conversations, then claim it by scheduling one conversation this week. If it's I procrastinate, then claim it by setting a timer and working for 10 minutes. If it's I don't prioritize myself, claim it by saying no to one thing this week and resting instead. Action doesn't have to be huge to be holy. The small steps build the muscles. Think about a baby learning to walk. It's not about running a marathon. It's about taking one step, wobbling, and trying again. So, what's one small step you can take today before the sun goes down? Not tomorrow, not next week, today. Say it out loud, write it down, tell somebody. Strategy four is accountability. And here's the last one. You don't have to do this alone. In fact, you probably shouldn't. Everybody needs an accountability partner. When I'm working on my stuff, I have to talk to my friends because I need people to hold me accountable, right? And sometimes you don't want to have those conversations because you don't want people to call you out and call you on it. But when you do, little by little, it can help train you to hear it yourself, right? So find you someone. Accountability doesn't always have to be heavy, it can be simple, simple as telling your friend, ask me if I went to the gym this week. Like I said earlier, I need to lose 20 pounds, y'all. I've gained 20 pounds in probably eight or nine months. Even though I don't really look like it, I need to go, I need to be at the gym. I need to be eating lettuce, I need to be drinking liquids. I don't probably even need to be chewing nothing. I be need to be eating some things, right? So ask me if I went to the gym this week. So if you, my friend and you listening to this, ask me, did I go to the gym? Or text a coworker, hold me to send in that email by Friday. And let me say this: if you don't have someone in your circle to hold you accountable, let me be that person. Send me a DM, tag me, send me a LinkedIn message, tell me what action you're claiming, and I will celebrate with you when you move. You can let me know because accountability is just community in action. So, who can hold you accountable this week? Name one person, and if no one comes to mind, commit to tagging me or sharing it online. You are not alone in this, right? These four strategies name it, frame it, claim it, accountability, they're not a one-time thing, they're a cycle. You'll repeat them over and over in different seasons of your life. But every time you do, you will notice something. Action builds confidence, action builds momentum, and momentum makes the next step easier. So if awareness is the light switch, these strategies are the steps you take once the lights are on. Don't just stare at the room, move the chair, shift the table, walk through the space, live in it differently. Okay, we almost done. We're getting there, we're getting there, right? So we've talked about awareness, the cost of staying stuck, and I gave you all a couple of strategies to move forward. But let me tell you something. I had to learn this the hard way. Transformation that doesn't just live in big moments, it actually shows up in your daily actions. You don't need a major life overhaul every single week. Sometimes it's the tiniest shift that rewires how you show up. Everyday actions become

Everyday Authentic Actions

SPEAKER_00 21:14

everyday authenticity. So let's walk through three everyday authentic actions you can take right now. And I'm gonna give you an example from my own life because you know I'm never gonna ask you all to do something that I'm not willing to do myself. So the first one is practicing micro moments of honesty. Sometimes authenticity isn't a grand declaration, it's a small correction. I remember once being a meet in a meeting where someone said something that didn't sit right with me. The old me would have smiled, nodded, and carried that frustration home. But instead I said, actually, I see it a little different. It was simple, it was clear, it was respectful, and do you know what happened? The whole conversation shifted. That was a 10-second act of authenticity. And the takeaway was look for one small place today to be a little more honest with yourself or with someone else. And here's a little reflection prompt I want you all to think about. Where in your day-to-day life do you tend to go quiet, nod along, or shrink back? What's one sentence of honesty you could try instead? Number two, build tiny boundaries. We often think boundaries have to be these huge confrontations, like cutting people off or having a dramatic talk. But some of the most powerful boundaries are the smallest ones. For me, it's sometimes setting my phone on do not disturb at a certain time. That one action can give me peace in the middle of my day or at night, better rest and more energy for my day or the next morning. Nobody announced it. Nobody clapped from me. I felt it. Boundaries aren't just walls to keep people out, they're fences that protect your peace. Ask yourself, what's one small boundary I could build today? Maybe it's not checking email on the weekend. Maybe it's saying I need a minute to think about it before giving an answer. Your reflection for this one is what's one of what's one area of your life that feels leaky? Like your energy, your time, your peace is spilling out. What boundary could you build to hold that energy better? The last one, which is one of my favorites, celebrate the small wins. Here's the truth. Many of us are experts at self-critique, but rookies at self-celebration. We will replay a mistake 50 times, but give our victories a two-second nod. I had a season where I kept a little jar, and I actually still do, on my desk at work and on my desk at home. Every time I did something I was proud of, big or small, I would write it on a slip of paper and I would drop it in. At the end of the month, I read them back. Do you know how much perspective that gave me? Things I would have forgotten suddenly look like evidence of growth. Celebration reminds your brain, I'm not just aware, I'm advancing. So this is what you should need to be doing. Celebrate something small every single day. It could be you spoke up when you wanted to stay silent, you went for a walk instead of scrolled, you said no without apologizing. So pause. So later on, as a reflection for this one, is name one win from the rest of the week, no matter how small. From the past week, I'm sorry. Say it out loud, smile when you say it. That's your celebration. Authenticity is not a one-time event, it's a daily practice. And the more you practice, the more, the stronger it gets. Think of it like brushing your teeth. Nobody claps for you, but if you skip it for too long, everybody notices. Authenticity is the same way. It's the everyday actions that add up to a life that feels real, rooted in yours. So here's what I want you to carry with you: honesty in small moments, boundaries that protect your peace, celebration that reminds you of your growth. Those are everyday authentic actions. They're small, but they compound over time because awareness may be the beginning, but action, daily intentional action, is the bridge to the life you've been praying for, working for, and waiting for. Y'all, that was good. We are now at the end. So let's take a moment to breathe all that goodness in. We open today by revisiting where we came from. Season one, all about awareness. We dug into boundaries, assumptions, ego, and the ways we trip ourselves up. And listen, if you haven't gone back to season one or you're new,

Recap, Commitments, and Community CTA

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I want you to not just to listen, but to reflect, to journal, and maybe even re-listen if you're not new here with some fresh ears. Because that's the foundation of all of this. That's the groundwork. That's where we started. But this season, season two, we are all about the action, about what it looks like to move differently because you know differently. Today we sat with the truth that awareness is only the beginning. We asked ourselves some hard reflection questions like where have I confused awareness with progress? What do I know but haven't yet shifted? We talked about the cost of staying stuck, that every single time you recognize but don't respond, you're training yourself to tolerate less than you deserve. And then when we got practical with strategies, it helped you move from knowing to doing. Tiny actions, accountability, breaking those real big goals into micro moves. And then we close with everyday authentic actions, honesty in small moments, boundaries that protect your peace, and the celebration of your growth. Family, that's the blueprint. Awareness plus action equals transformation. Say it with me. Awareness plus action equals transformation. Now, I want you to do three things before we meet again. Choose one action from today's episode and actually do it this week. Doesn't matter how small, write it down, put it in your phone, whatever works for you, but commit to it. The next thing I need you to do is share the episode with someone you love. This isn't just for us. If you know someone who's been circling awareness but hasn't stepped into action, send this to them. Be the nudge that they need. And lastly, if you haven't already, subscribe, review, and support. If this podcast spoke to you, subscribe so you never miss an episode. Leave a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Your words help me help more people find us. And if you want to rock with me in a deeper way, you know you can check out that merch. Every piece is designed with hashtag the authentic life in mind to remind you daily of the work you're doing. You can find that on all of my socials. And for those supporters, I have something coming for you all this fall, right in time for the holiday season. So look for early no early to mid-November for your opportunity to order some of our new things that I'm going to talk about in our next episode. And listen, when you get your merch, tag me on Instagram or LinkedIn using hashtag theAuthenticLife. I want to see you. I want to celebrate you and share you with this community. And for all of those that have already purchased merch and have been supporting, thank you. I really, really, truly appreciate it. Now let me leave you with this. Awareness tells you who you are. Action shows the world who you're becoming. Season two is about that becoming, about shifting from knowing to living. And I am so honored to walk this journey with you. So until next time, keep learning, keep growing, keep taking those everyday authentic actions. This is Keisha, and you're listening to hashtag the Authentic Life. I'll see you in the next episode. Peace, love, and blessings.

Closing Reflections & Subscribe CTA

SPEAKER_00 29:37

Well, folks, the episode has come to an end. Thank you for hanging out with me on The Authentic Life. If you love today's episode, don't forget to subscribe because subscribing is just like an instant invite to more fun, to more inspiration, and to more authentic vibes. I could also use a review. So leave a review or share this with someone that you feel needs a little inspiration. But whatever Whatever you do, let's spread the joy of the authentic life. Remember this your authentic self is your greatest gift to the world, and no one should ever make you feel like you aren't. Until next time, stay true, stay bold, and keep living the authentic life. Peace, love, and blessings from your girl, Keisha.