#TheAuthenticLife

#TheStuck Life

Subscriber Episode • • Keisha Jones • Season 2 • Episode 2

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Stuck doesn’t always look like a standstill. Sometimes it’s color‑coded calendars, “one more article,” and a thousand tiny tasks that feel like motion but never move you forward. Keisha returns after a purposeful pause to unpack the difference between restorative stillness and the slow leak of staying in spaces you’ve outgrown—and why the price of not moving often shows up as less energy, less joy, and a fading trust in yourself.

We get honest about the fear beneath delay: fear of failing, succeeding, disappointing others, or shedding an identity that once earned applause. Keisha maps a clear path from awareness to action with seven practical steps to get unstuck without burnout. You’ll learn how to name what’s really off, separate facts from fear, take micro‑moves that rebuild confidence, and create accountability that supports rather than shames. Expect a reframe on permission—you already have it—and a reminder that discomfort signals growth, not a wrong turn.

Then we bring authenticity into daily life. Instead of chasing big, flashy changes, we practice small honesty, set boundaries that match our energy, and make choices guided by values over moods. We stop performing “okay,” listen to our bodies as data, and celebrate the wins that compound into momentum. Keisha also previews next month’s episode for Women’s History Month, centering real voices on getting unstuck, choosing themselves, and moving forward imperfectly.

If your peace, creativity, or clarity feel distant, this conversation offers a grounded way back—one honest step at a time. Subscribe, share with a friend who needs it, and leave a review to help others find The Authentic Life. What’s the next honest step you’ll take today?

This podcast is for informational and entertainment purposes only and does not constitute professional advice, coaching, or therapy. Always seek the guidance of a qualified mental health or coaching professional for your specific needs.


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SPEAKER_00:

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. Welcome back to hashtag TheAuthenticLight, the space where we explore what it truly means to live freely, to live fully, and most importantly, to live unapologetically as your authentic self. If you are new here, let me introduce myself. I'm Keisha. I'm your host, I'm your guide, I'm your mirror, and I might just be your accountability partner on this journey. So thank you for showing up, not just for yourself, but for the community. Remember, this wasn't just the launch of hashtag the authentic life. It was the launch of something that just might change your life. So let's get into it. Now, I need to kick off season two, episode two with a little bit of honesty. Now, if you follow me and you engage in all the things, you know the last episode you heard from me for season two dropped back in October of 2025. And here we are in February of 2026. Now, that was a pause for me, and it was a real one. And instead of rushing back with a bunch of excuses and pretending like that gap didn't exist, I really want to name what actually happened. I took my own advice. I paused, I reset, and I recalibrated. Because I've said so many times, I'm the definition of doing the absolute most. If you know me, you know my hands is in so many things. I have a full-time job as a vice president, I own my own consulting agency, I coach for nonprofits, I'm all over the United States doing all the things. I speak, I do the stuff, I release a coloring book in December. So it's just so much going on, right? But because hashtag the authentic life has never been about pushing through for the sake of productivity, it's always been about alignment. There was a moment where I had to ask myself the same questions I ask you. Keisha, are you moving from a place of awareness or a place of obligation? Are you acting from alignment or is this pressure? And the truth is, I needed a reset. Not because I was stuck, but because I was listening. And sometimes listening requires that you just take us take several seats or require stillness. Because what I've learned in this full year since we've been doing hashtag the authentic authentic life, whoop, whoop, we've been here a full year and some change, is this growth doesn't always look like speed. My favorite saying is you got to slow down in order to speed up. Sometimes growth looks like honesty, sometimes it looks like recalibration, and sometimes it looks simply like stopping long enough to make sure you're not just moving, but you're moving with intentionality. So if you're someone who's felt like you needed to pause, take a step back, or recalibrate, I want you to hear this clearly. Resetting doesn't mean failing. Sometimes it means you're choosing intention over impulse. And guess what? I'm back. Not rushed, not forced, but grounded. And what became crystal clear is this season one changed how we were supposed to see ourselves. Season two is about how we move because of what we saw. And what and that brings us to today's episode. This episode is called Hashtag the Stuck Life, the cost of staying still. Remember, I said, you know, I needed some stillness, but I can't stay there. Because if there's one thing that this last year taught me personally and professionally, it's that staying still doesn't protect you. It actually can drain you. So if you're listening right now and you feel like you've been paused, delayed, recalibrating, or just quietly stuck, this episode is for you. Let's talk about what being stuck really looks like and what it actually is costing us. So grab your cup of coffee, grab your glass of wine, or a cup of water, a protein drink, or whatever you sip on, grab that in a notebook and let's get into this thing. Okay, so let's slow this down for a minute because I want to be very clear about something. When people hear the word stuck, they usually imagine someone doing nothing, sitting on the couch, not trying, not moving, not caring. But that's almost never what stuck actually looks like. Being stuck can look like being very busy. It can look like productivity, it can look like you're planning, you're researching, you're preparing, you're organizing, or you're revising. Being stuck can look like movement without progress. You're doing things, but you're not advancing anything. And for a lot of us, being stuck sounds like I'm waiting for the right time. Look, I'm just trying to be a little patient. Before I can make that decision, I need a little bit more clarity. Well, let me get one more piece of information first. And listen, timing matters, wisdom matters, discernment matters. But there is a difference between intentional waiting and fear-based delay. And most of us know the difference when we're honest with ourselves. For me, sometimes being stuck has looked like laziness. I'm not lazy, I just don't want to move. It's looked like overthinking. It's looked like replaying scenarios in my head instead of actually acting and making a decision. It's looked like needing things to be perfect before I move. And perfection, a lot of times, is just fear in a really nice outfit. Because underneath being stuck is usually fear. Fear of failing, fear of succeeding, fear of disappointing people, fear of outgrowing spaces where you used to feel safe. Sometimes we say stuck not because we don't know what to do, but because we know exactly what doing will change. And that's uncomfortable. Here's something I want you to sit with. Being stuck is often a protective response. It's your nervous system saying, this feels risky. It's your mind saying, let's not mess this up. It's your heart saying, What if this costs me relationships, approval, or identity? So instead of moving forward, we kind of hover. We circle the same decision. We revisit the same conversation. We stay in the same pattern, hoping clarity will magically show up. But clarity usually comes after movement, not before. Let me say that again because somebody needs it. Clarity often comes after movement, not before. A lot of us are waiting to feel 100% ready before we move. And that feeling rarely comes. Readiness is built by doing, not by thinking. And this is where hashtag the stuck life really shows up. It's when you know what's misaligned, but you stay anyway. It's when you know you've outgrown a version of yourself or someone, but you keep performing because it's familiar. It's when you keep saying, This is fine, while your body, your energy, your spirit, everything is saying, girl, no, it's not. And here's the part we don't always talk about. Sometimes we say stuck because the version of us who would move forward would have to disappoint someone or challenge expectations or let go of an identity we've been praised for. Growth isn't just about gaining something, it's about releasing something old. And release can feel like loss even when it's necessary. So let's pause here for a second. Slow this down a little bit. And I want you to ask yourself, what does stuck actually look like in my life right now? Is it silence when I should be speaking? Is it staying in a space that no longer fits who I'm becoming? Is it procrastination that feels productive? Is it fear dressed up as logic? And don't rush that answer. Let the first honest thing come up. Because awareness is the invitation, but what you do with it is the decision. The rest of this episode, we're going to talk about what staying in that stuck place actually cost and how to start moving again without pressure, without perfection, and without pretending. Now that we've talked about what being stuck really looks like, let's talk about what it actually cost. Because staying steel is never free. A lot of people think I'm not hurting anyone by staying where I am, but that's not always true. You're hurting yourself. Staying stuck doesn't just delay your future, it quietly drains your present. And the tricky part is that the cost doesn't usually show up all at once. It shows up in pieces. It shows up in your energy, in your confidence, in your joy, in your clarity. You don't wake up one day completely depleted. You wake up a little more tired than before, a little less excited than you used to be, a little more disconnected from yourself. And it's because it's gradual. We normalize it. We tell ourselves this is just adulthood. This is just like this is just how life is. This is just how things are right now. But often the heaviness is the cost of staying somewhere you've outgrown. Here's something I've had to learn, and this is important. Staying still is not neutral. It's an active decision, even when it doesn't feel like one. Every day you choose not to move, you're reinforcing a belief, sometimes unconsciously, that change is too risky or that you can't handle what comes next. And over time, that belief starts to shape how you see yourself. I remember a season where I knew, deep down in my soul, that I needed to leave a situation that was draining me. On the outside, it looked good. It made sense. Shit, it checked all the boxes people expect you to check. But internally, I was exhausted. I was fully aware of the misalignment. Aware of how heavy my body felt walking into that space. Aware of how much it took and how much effort I had to give just to show up. And guess what? And still, I stayed. Not because I didn't know any better, but because staying felt safer than moving. I told myself, hey, maybe it'll get better. Let me just give it a little bit more time. I don't really want to disrupt everything. But here's what staying costs me. It cost me my peace. It cost me my spark. It cost me my joy. It even cost me my creativity. I've come home too tired to dream, too mentally cluttered to imagine anything different. And that's how staying stuck works. It doesn't just drain you physically, it drains you emotionally and spiritually. But one day I realized, girl, you're not resting, you're not being patient, you just slowly disappearing. And that's when I understood that staying still was more expensive than moving could ever be. So here's something else that we don't really talk about. When you stay stuck for too long, you start to lose trust in yourself. Because every time you recognize what needs to change and don't act on it, your inner voice gets quieter. You stop believing that you'll follow through. You stop believing that your discomfort means something. And that loss of self-trust is costly. It shows up as second guessing yourself, needing constant reassurance, over-explaining to people your decisions, your choices, feeling disconnected from your intuition. You start asking everyone else what they think instead of trusting what you already know. And let me say this clearly: if your body is tense, if your energy feels heavy, if your joy feels distant, all of that is data. It is not drama, it is not weakness, it is not ingratitude, it's data. So I want you to sit with these questions and don't rush them. What is my stillness costing me right now? Is it costing me my peace? Is it costing me confidence? Is it costing me connection to myself? Is it costing me opportunities I haven't even imagined yet? And here's the hardest one. What am I afraid will happen if I do move? Because usually that fear is the real reason we stay. Staying stuck doesn't protect your relationships. It doesn't protect your reputation, and it definitely doesn't protect your peace, but it does slowly erode all of them. And I want to be clear, this is not about forcing yourself into reckless action. This is about recognizing when fear is driving instead of wisdom. You see, there's a difference between a pause that restores you and stillness that drains you. And part of living hashtag the authentic life is learning how to tell the difference. So as we move into the next part of this episode, here's what I want you to hold on to. If staying still is costing you your joy, your peace, or your sense of self, it's time to reconsider the price you're paying. Because movement doesn't have to be loud. It doesn't have to be dramatic, it just needs to be intentional. And next we're going to talk about how to start moving again without pressure, without perfection, and without burning yourself out. Now let's talk about movement. Not pressure, not hustle, not forcing yourself into burnout, but intentional action. Because here's the truth most of us don't need more motivation. We don't need another podcast, another book, another journal prompt. We need permission to move imperfectly. So I want to talk you through what getting unstuck actually looks like step by step in real life. Not theory, not inspiration, but practice. So step one, name it clearly and specifically. The first way people stay stuck is being vague. We say things like, I feel off, I'm a little overwhelmed, not where I want to be. But vagueness gives stuckness room to hide. So instead, I want you to name it specifically. Not I'm unhappy, but I feel stuck in my job. I feel stuck in my relationship. I feel stuck in my confidence. I feel stuck making a decision. When you name it clearly, you take away its power. So here's a practical exercise. Say this out loud. I feel stuck in. Don't judge it, don't fix it, just name it. Because you cannot move what you refuse to locate. Step two, separate fact from fear. Every stuck place has a story attached to it. Usually it sounds like I can't because. What if? I should wait until. Here's the practice. Ask yourself, what do I know for sure? Then ask, what am I assuming? Fear loves to pretend is logical. So here's an example. Fact, the job drains me. Fear story, I won't find something better. Fact, this relationship no longer fits. Fear story, I'll be alone forever. Fact, I want something different. Fear story, I'm behind. So here's a practical reframe for you. Say, this fear, talking, blank, not truth. You don't have to argue with fear. You just have to stop letting it drive you. Step three, choose micro movement. This is where most people get stuck again. They think action has to be big, but it doesn't. Big moves are built on small, repeatable actions. So if you're stuck in your career, update your resume, have one informational conversation, look at a job posting without applying for it. If you're stuck emotionally, set one boundary, cancel one thing you don't have the capacity for. Say how you actually feel for once. If you're stuck creatively, work 15 minutes, write one paragraph, create badly on purpose. Confidence does not come before action. Confidence is built by action. So think about what is one small step I can take this week, not to solve everything, but to create movement, and then say it out loud. Step four, stop waiting for permission. A lot of us are stuck because we're waiting for validation, approval, a sign from somebody or something, someone else to go first. But part of living hashtag the authentic life is realizing no one is coming to give you permission. You don't need permission to change your mind. You don't need permission to want more. You don't need permission to rest. You don't need permission to leave. You don't need permission to start over. You definitely don't need permission to choose yourself. So what I need you to practice every day is I don't need permission to move and let that land. Step five, build accountability that supports you, not shames you. Accountability is not pressure, it's support, but it has to be the right kind. Choose someone who will ask how it's going, celebrate your progress, remind you why you started, not somebody that's gonna rush you, shame you, or compare you, compare your pace to their pace. So basically, what I'm telling you is that you need an accountability partner. So text one person this week and say, I'm trying to move out of a stuck place. Can I check in with you about it? That's not weakness, that's wisdom. Step six, expect discomfort and move anyway. Here's the truth no one likes to say. Movement will feel uncomfortable. If it didn't, you would have already done it. Discomfort doesn't mean you're wrong, it means you're doing something new. So instead of saying this feels scary, maybe I shouldn't do it, try saying this feels scary, which means I'm growing. Step seven, measure progress by alignment, not speed. Remember, you got to slow down in order to speed up. Getting unstuck is not about how fast you move. It's about whether your movement feels honest. Progress looks like I'm feeling lighter, I'm feeling a little clearer, I'm starting to trust myself again. I'm taking responsibility for my choices. Not I have immediate certainty about things, that there's perfect outcomes, that I'm getting this external praise. Your reflection should be: does this action move me closer to myself or farther away? If it moves you closer to you, it counts. So let me say this plainly: you don't need to blow up your life to get unstuck. You don't need to have everything figured out, you don't even need to feel fearless. You just need to be willing to take one honest step because staying still costs you, but moving, even slowly, gives you yourself back. So next we're going to talk about what everyday authentic action actually looks like. Not in theory, but in real daily life. Now let's bring this all the way home. Earlier I told you that getting unstuck isn't about one big movement, it's about everyday choices. So now let's talk about what everyday authentic action actually looks like. Because if awareness is the light and action is the movement, then everyday authentic actions is how this becomes a lifestyle. A lot of people think authenticity shows up in the big moments, the career leap, the breakup, the big decision, the public stand. But the truth is, authenticity is built in the small, quiet choices you make every single day. It's how you talk to yourself, it's how you manage your energy, it's how you decide what and who gets access to you. Everyday authenticity is less about bold declarations. And more about consistent alignment. So let's talk about what that actually looks like. The first thing I want to talk about is honesty in small moments. Authenticity starts with honesty, not the dramatic kind, but the everyday kind. It's the moment when someone asks, How are you? And instead of automatically saying, I'm fine, you pause and say, I'm a little tired today. It's the moment when you realize you don't actually agree, and instead of nodding along, you say, you know, I see that a little different. It's correcting yourself when you start minimizing what you need. These moments seem small, but they matter because every time you're honest in a small way, you would you reinforce trust with yourself. An example of that is there have been moments where I've caught myself about to say yes, that's fine, when it really wasn't. And instead, I said, actually, that doesn't work for me. No explanation, no apology, just honesty. That's an authentic action. So, where do you regularly override your truth to keep the peace? The second thing is boundaries that match your energy. Boundaries are one of the most practical forms of action and one of the most misunderstood. Boundaries are not about controlling other people, they're about protecting your energy. Every day, authentic boundaries look like, saying I need to think about that instead of answering on the spot. Not responding immediately just because you saw the message. Leaving when your body says it's time to go. Choosing rest without explaining yourself. And the truth is, if you don't set boundaries, your body will do it for you through exhaustion, resentment, or burnout. And let me say this clearly: you don't need to justify your boundaries to honor them. So here's a place of reflection. What boundary would support your peace right now? The next is around aligning actions with values, not moods. One of the reasons people feel inconsistent is because they make decisions based on mood instead of values. Authenticity is about asking, does this align with who I'm becoming, not just how I feel today? Some days you'll feel confident, some days you won't. But values anchor your anchor you when emotions fluctuate. An example of that is if you value peace, you don't stay in conversations that drain you. If you value growth, you take action even when it's uncomfortable. If you value authenticity, you stop performing for approval. So before making decisions, ask yourself, does this support the life I'm trying to build? If the answer is no, then you should pause. Next, stopping the need to perform. A big part of hashtag the stuck life is performance. We perform competence, we perform strength, we perform being okay. Everyday authentic action looks like letting yourself be real, even when it's messy. It's admitting that you don't have everything figured out. It's asking for help. It's not pretending to be unbothered when you know good and well you are. The truth, you don't owe anyone a performance at the expense of your well-being. So a reflection place for you should be where am I performing instead of being present. Celebrating the small wins. I say this all the time. If I'm consulting, coaching, it does not matter. You should consistently be celebrating the small wins. This is one of the most overlooked actions. So many of us are quick to critique and slow to acknowledge progress. But celebration reinforces movement. Everyday wins look like speaking up when you usually say quiet, saying no just one time, following through on a small commitment, or choosing yourself without guilt. At the end of the day, you should ask yourself, what did I do today that aligned with who I'm becoming? Say it out loud, celebrate it, because that's how you build momentum. And lastly, check in with your body. Your body is often more honest than your mind. Tension, fatigue, heaviness, those are all signals. Everyday authenticity includes listening to those signals instead of overriding them. So if your body tightens when you think about something, pay attention to that. And if your body relaxes when you imagine letting something go, really pay attention to that. And ask yourself, what is my body telling me that I've been ignoring? So here's what I want you to take with you. You don't need dramatic transformation to live authentically. You need daily alignment, small honesty, clear boundaries, value-driven decisions, less performance, and more presence. That's how you move out of hashtag the stuck life. Not by doing everything at once, but by choosing yourself consistently. And as we close this episode, I want you to remember, authenticity isn't something you achieve, it's something you practice every day. Okay, let's take a breath together. Breathe in. Breathe out. Because if there's one thing I want you to walk away from this episode, is this. Getting unstuck isn't about doing everything. It's about doing the next honest thing. Today we talked about hashtag the stuck life, what it looks like when fear dresses itself up as logic, what it costs when we stay still out of habit instead of intention, and how movement doesn't have to be dramatic to be meaningful. We also talked about everyday authentic action because that's where change actually lives, not in the big announcements, not in the perfectly timed decisions, but in the small, consistent choices you make when no one is watching. And I want to be very clear about something, especially since you're hearing this episode after a pause. There is a difference between being stuck and being still on purpose. My pause was a reset, not a retreat. It was alignment, not avoidance. And this episode exists because of what I learned in that space. So if you're listening and you've taken a pause too, I want you to check in with yourself gently and ask, did this pause restore me or drain me? Because restoration prepares you for movement. Drain keeps you frozen. As we move forward into the rest of this season, here's what I want you to remember. You don't have to rush your growth. You don't have to perform healing. You don't have to prove progress to anyone. You just have to stay honest with yourself. And next month in March, we're taking this conversation even deeper. Episode three will center the voices of women, real women sharing stories about getting unstuck, choosing themselves, finding their voice, and moving forward and perfectly. We're intentionally releasing that episode to kick off Women's History Month because these stories deserve space, amplification, and respect. This podcast was never meant to be a solo journey, it's a collective one. So before you go, I want you to choose one everyday action this week that aligns with who you're becoming. I also want you to share this episode with someone who's questioning their pace or their progress or is in a season of being stuck. And make sure you subscribe, review, and share. But most importantly, come back in March because the voices I'm going to share, those voices matter. Remember, awareness plus action equals transformation. And until next time, keep learning, keep growing, and keep walking in your authentic life. Peace and blessings, your girl Keisha. 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 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.

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Keisha Jones

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