Journal Entry: Becoming Through Change: Learning to Stay Open, Grounded, and Positive During Life Transitions

Becoming Through Change: Learning to Stay Open, Grounded, and Positive During Life Transitions

Life rarely grows us through comfort.
 Sometimes change arrives quietly.....through new opportunities, evolving relationships, healing, motherhood, career shifts, burnout recovery, or simply realizing the version of you that once fit no longer aligns with who you’re becoming.

And while change can feel uncertain, it can also become one of the greatest invitations to grow.

In this episode, we explore:

✨ Why change often feels emotionally uncomfortable even when it’s necessary
 🌱 How resistance to change can keep us emotionally stuck
 🤍 Learning to release control and trust yourself during transitions
 🕊️ Staying positive without pretending everything feels perfect
 🌙 How mindset, nervous system regulation, and self-awareness help you adapt with peace
 💫 Giving yourself permission to evolve without guilt
 🌸 Understanding that growth may require new boundaries, new habits, and new perspectives
 ☀️ Choosing optimism even while navigating uncertainty

This conversation is a reminder that positivity is not about ignoring hard emotions;  it’s about believing that change can still lead somewhere meaningful.

You do not have to fear becoming someone new.
 Sometimes the next version of you is waiting on the other side of your willingness to adapt.

Thank you for spending this moment with me inside The Art of Becoming.
If this journal entry resonated with you, I invite you to pause, breathe, and carry one gentle intention with you into the rest of your day.

You can support the podcast by following, leaving a review, or sharing this entry with someone who may need it this season.

Until our next journal entry....
 move slowly, choose softly, and trust who you are becoming.

🤍 Maison d’Alchimie

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:08

Welcome to Maison de Alchemy, a space where transformation meets intention and healing becomes a lifestyle. Here, we slow down, we reflect, and we realign, blending wellness, mindfulness, and everyday living into something beautifully intentional. Each week we'll explore the alchemy of transformation from wellness and mental health to beauty, business, and intentional living. Together, we'll uncover what it means to care for your mind, your body, and your spirit every single day. So take a deep breath. Let's begin your journey home to yourself. Hello, hello, hello. Welcome to Maison Dale Chamie. My name is Dr. Natasha, and this is the art of becoming. It's been such a while. I haven't chit-chatted or journaled, as we call it, in a while. And that's because, you know, so much was going on, and I just wasn't in the right headspace. And I'm human, so I took some time off. This episode is going to just reveal a lot and dive deep into becoming, you know, who you need to become through change. Learning to stay open, grounded, and positive during life transitions. You know, change can feel uncomfortable because it asks us to release what's familiar before we can fully see what's next. In this journal, let's talk about how to stay emotionally grounded while life is shifting around you, beneath you, above you. And how openness, faith, and mindset can completely transform the way you move through change. You know, why is change so hard? Whether it's through relationships, life, it's hard. And humans, we naturally resist change because we like to be comfortable, snuggled, swaddled. One of the most important things to understand about change is that resistance to change is deeply, deeply human. Most people assume they struggle with change because they are weak, unprepared, or even sometimes negative. But the truth is the brain is biologically wired to seek familiarity and predictability. The nervous system interprets familiar patterns as safety. Even if a situation is exhausting, limiting, or even unhealthy, the brain often prefers what is known over what is uncertain because familiarity feels emotionally controllable, even the negative. That's why people sometimes say they stay in career they've outgrown, they stay in relationships they no longer align with, in routines that drain them in survival mode long after the crisis has passed, long after the threat has disappeared, not because people want to suffer, but because uncertainty can feel emotionally changed. Uncertainty can feel emotionally unsafe. And what makes change even more confusing is that even positive change can create anxiety, a new opportunity, a new relationship, a new level of success, a new identity, a healing season, a healthier lifestyle. All of these things can still trigger fear because growth often requires stepping into unfamiliar territories before confidence catches up. Now many people expect clarity to arrive first and courage second, but often growth works in reverse. You move first, you trust first, you release first, and clarity unfolds later. That in-between stage where you no longer fully fit your old life but haven't fully adjusted to the new one can feel emotionally disorienting. Change also activates deeper fear. The fear of failure, the fear of judgment, the fear of disappointing people, the fear of making the wrong decision, the fear of losing identity or control, the fear that things won't work out. Sometimes people are not afraid of change itself. They're afraid of who they'll have to become in order to sustain the change. Now that's a whole word. Because I know a lot of people that their whole existence is built on trauma that they feel like they are no longer who they need to be if they were to change themselves, and it's quite interesting. No judgment. This is a judgment-free zone, and yet almost every meaningful transformation in life requires discomfort before expansion. You know, our friend Growth, our friend Growth says, can you remain open even while uncertain? Can you trust yourself before you even feel fully ready? Our friend Growth wants to know can you allow life to evolve without needing immediate reassurance? Because healing, success, leadership, peace, and emotional freedom often becomes the moment you stop resisting necessary change. Now let's let's get to the meat, right? The meat of the meat of this situation. The difference between forced positivity and grounded positivity. Forced positivity, often called toxic positivity, dismisses real emotions. It pressures people to just stay positive while ignoring grief, the feeling of overwhelm, exhaustion, fear, or disappointment. It sounds like everything happens for a reason. Just think positive. Others have it worse. Don't cry. Good vibes only. And if you're African, it sounds like everything happens for a reason. Think positive. Life could be worse. While these statements may sound encouraging, they can unintentionally make people feel emotionally unseen. And believe me, I've said that to people numerous times. Because sometimes there's nothing else to say, right? But we're gonna we're gonna break those toxic behaviors. We're gonna learn how to become the person that's waiting for us on the other side. Grounded positivity is definitely different. Grounded positivity says, this is hard, and I still believe I'll get through it. I'm allowed to feel uncertain while continuing forward. I don't need to deny my emotions to remain hopeful. Healing and discomfort can exist at the same time. True emotional strength is not pretending you'll never struggle. It's learning how to remain connected, to hope without abandoning honesty. You can feel anxious and still move forward. You can feel emotional and still be resilient. You can feel uncertain and still trust yourself. You can feel overwhelmed and still be growing. Emotional resilience comes from flexibility and not from perfection. People who navigate change well are not necessarily fearless people. They are people who've learned how to bend without breaking. People who've learned how to feel without becoming consumed by them. People who've stopped expecting themselves to always have everything figured out. Grounded positivity creates emotional safety because it allows room for both truth and hope. So what we need to do is stay open during life's transition. Because life transition often reshape more than our circumstances. They reshape identity. Sometimes the hardest part about change is not the external adjustment, it's realizing that you're becoming someone different internally. Career changes may challenge your confidence, burnout recovery may force you to slow down after years of overfunctioning. Relationship changes may alter how you view love, trust, connection. Becoming a parent may completely redefine your priorities and sense of self. Entrepreneurship and leadership growth can feel especially isolating because growth often requires making decisions that others may not fully understand. The more responsibility you carry, the more important emotional adaptability becomes. So healing. Healing will change identity. Let me say that again for my people in the back. Healing also changes your identity. When someone spends years surviving, people pleasing, overworking, and staying emotionally guarded, healing can feel unfamiliar at first. Peace itself can feel uncomfortable because the nervous system becomes used to chaos, urgency, hypervigilance. That's why many people unintentionally sabotage healthy seasons. Not because they want dysfunction, but because dysfunction is home to them. It feels familiar. Spiritual and emotional healing often requires grief. You hear me? Let me say again. Spiritual and emotional healing. It often requires grieving. You hear me? Grieving the old version of yourself. Did that settle in you? I gave you a little pause. I would say it again, but I think you got the point. The version that tolerates less, or should I say, let's talk in past tense because we're moving forward. The version that tolerated less, the version that stayed small to keep others comfortable, the version that believed exhaustion was normal, the version that survived but never fully rested. And during these transitions, it's important to remember the version of you that got here may not be the version of you that takes you where you're going. Let me say it again. Because I feel like we don't understand this, right? It's easy for me to say this, but it's deeper. It's deeper than you think. Because it's not talking about a new job, it's talking about the work you need to do within yourself. And I may sound judgmental right now, but that's because there's a mirror in front of me, and I'm talking to myself. Okay? I'm judging myself because this affects me as much as it affects you. So I'm gonna repeat for the people in the back. The version of you that got here, not may, but will not be the version of you that takes you where you're going. Growth requires evolution, and growth, growth requires a new you. Growth requires you to do the work, and evolution requires you to be open. What did Erica Badu say? Bad lady, you gonna miss your bus. Now, if you don't know Erika Badu, you better go find her album because she would discipline you and rebuild you in the same what two-minute song or less. Sometimes becoming healthier means becoming unfamiliar to people who benefited from your burnout, your silence, your overgiving, your self-neglect. And that's lonely. It feels cold. Because the one thing I know about um humans is that we take and take and take and take until there's nothing else left. Don't you know people that will come and take and take and take from you and not blink like they're entitled to you, your life, your money, your happiness, your peace. And no one understands how you feel. You're isolated, you're by yourself. Well, that's your sister, you gotta help her out. Well, that's your brother, well, that's your man. So let me say it again. The loneliness during growth is often temporary. Abandoning yourself, it lasts way longer. Way, way longer than the loneliness you will feel from growing. So let's let's figure out how to stay emotionally balanced during change. Change becomes easier to navigate when you create emotional practices that help regulate your mind and nervous system during uncertainty. And some of the things we can do is journaling. I mean, after all, you guys, I'm journaling to you, the world. Journaling to the world. Journaling through transitions is one thing you can do. Writing allows emotions to move instead of remaining trapped internally. Journaling it helps clarify what you're grieving, what you're afraid of, what you're learning, what you're becoming. Sometimes clarity arrives after expression, not before it. It's called journaling, it's not a diary. You're not writing their diary and keep it moving. No, you're journaling and you're going back to reflect. Okay? Breath work and mindfulness is another thing you can do. When the nervous system feels overwhelmed, the body often reacts before the mind fully processes what's going on. Breath work slows the stress response and helps the body return to safety. Mindfulness teaches you to stay present instead of catastrophesizing the future. Not every uncomfortable moment is an emergency. Another thing is to limit negative self-talk. During change, the inner critic often becomes louder, and you have to tell that bitch, shut up. You may begin thinking, I'm behind. What if I fail? Should I have figured this out already? Maybe I'm not capable. Let me tell you something. So, as you know, I own or should I say, I've opened, and I've closed one business, but I've opened numerous businesses, right? I have a home care agency, I have my um aesthetic and wellness. And as I was building my CRM, I realized that I've never had a CRM for any other business. Yeah, yeah, I know. That's probably priority, right? I've always used the website and the the things that came with the website. Did I know about CRMs? Yes, I did, but it never really resonated with me that hey girl, you really need this. So I had my website and I had my marketing people and I had all these things, and I decided to actually purchase a CRM and connect it to my website. I sat there in silence after purchasing it and watching all these videos on what I can do with it, and I was like, oh my god, something mentally wrong with you? Like, you could have done this to your other businesses, you could have been so much further in business than you are. Why are you now doing this? Why are you now implementing this when you should have had it should have been the first thing you did? Right? Like negative self-talk. The point is, I figured it out, I've implemented it, I'm utilizing it, and we're moving forward. Can't cry over spilled milk. But these are the thoughts. These are the thoughts that keep you stuck, these are the thoughts that make you feel like you've been a failure. These are the thoughts that make you not value growth. And I say that with my hands and my face. Growth. Okay. The thoughts are not always the truth. And in my case, it pretty much is. But, you know, I'm working through it. I figured it out. I'm doing what needs to do. And there's gonna be another day in three months from now or two months from now when I learn about something else that I should have been doing. And I'm gonna be like, oh, what's wrong with you? You know, speak to yourself with the same compassion you would offer someone you deeply love. Growth already requires enough emotional energy. Self-criticism only makes the transition feel heavier. Another thing is reframing from certainty as possibility. Most people automatically interpret uncertainty as danger. But uncertainty can also mean new opportunities, new relationship, new peace, new alignment, new experiences, a new version of yourself. Not knowing everything does not mean something bad is happening. Sometimes uncertainty is simply the space where transformation begins. Allowing yourself to rest while adjusting is a must. Not every season is meant for constant productivity. And that's what I was doing a few weeks ago. Transitions are emotionally demanding. Even positive growth requires adjustment. Rest is not laziness. Rest is nervous system recovery. You do not need to earn rest by reaching exhaustion first. Let me say that again. You do not need to earn rest by reaching exhaustion first. Protecting your environment and energy is definitely something else we need to do. Because during vulnerable seasons, your environment matters deeply. All seasons. Pay attention to what conversations drain you, what spaces increase anxiety, what people constantly project negativity onto you, what habits disconnect you from yourself. Because your growth is going to require protection, protection of your peace, your energy. And not everyone deserves access to your energy while you're rebuilding. Because as I'm getting older, I've I'm longing more connection, right? So I reach out to people, people I knew, people I grew up that I haven't spoken to out of guilt. Because now I'm getting mature, I'm getting older, and I have an understanding of value, right? Value of loved ones, friends, and you know, such things. Let me tell you. Circling around the block and picking up all the people that I felt fell to the waistline as I had a baby and went to school and got overwhelmed with life reminded me why I dropped them to begin with. Some people are stuck where they are. Now hear me out, I'm not better than anyone. Some people are stuck where they are, and you have nothing to discuss with them. You have nothing, nothing to discuss with them. Yes, they're your friends, and yes, you're keeping your friendship. You can keep your friendship without contacting people every day. You can keep your friendship without feeling a need to go out with people that you know no longer serves you. And I'm not saying take, take, take. I'm saying that if people don't grow to a point where you can meet them at where they are and understand where they're coming from and have a mutual beneficial relationship, then it's definitely not for you. Understand and let them go. And I have such a hard time letting people go. Like, even though I may let them go, in reality, internally, I'm still holding on to them. So what happens is that I reach out to people, right? Because I feel bad, right? Even what even if they did me bad, causing me to let them go. And now I let them treat me bad because they feel like, oh, look at her coming back. And they do. I've had people not respond to my text message, I've had people respond to my text message a week later, like, bitch, I don't need you. I've had people just do weird, cold things that at this age, it's like, what? What? Or I've had people respond to try and like say toxic things to me. And the question is, what, and I'm not saying people haven't grown. What I am saying is that sometimes you grow in different directions, and you have to understand that it's okay to let people go in the direction that they choose to go in, and you don't need to lower your standards or lower your self-esteem to fit in their mold or to walk their path, I should say. It's okay to let people go because life is a book, and there's so many chapters, and you don't know who you're gonna meet in the next chapter, right? And I I don't want to sound cold because I can sound cold sometimes, but this is me telling you it's okay to let people go and not let them go like you see them in public, you can't even say hello to them. But understand that they're not walking the journey or the path, or they're not going to the destination you're going to, and that's okay. You can be there for them when they need you, you can be there for them, you know, but it doesn't mean you have to endure trauma or sacrifice who you are to walk someone else's path, or you get what I'm saying. I'm beating a dead horse. So I say this again. Growth requires protection. Not everyone deserves access to your energy while you're rebuilding. And if I didn't say that before, forgive me. You'll hear me say I'm saying this again because I've said it to myself over and over again. And it seems like it's just familiar, right? Now, staying connected to supportive people is a must, and that's a totally different feeling. Healing in isolation can often feel heavier. Supportive relationships provide perspective, encouragement, emotional grounding, reminders of who you are during difficult moments. You do not need to navigate every transition alone. Sometimes strength looks like allowing yourself to be supported to those who want to support you. And as I said before, it's not you getting supported and walking away, it's you receiving support to that person that you're connected to and providing support to them when they're in need, right? It's a two-way street. Sometimes we forget that. But ultimately, that's what it is because we're all living our lives and we're during and experiencing so many emotions and life hardship and difficulties. So we have to be understanding to others, releasing the need to control every outcome. Yes, that's me. That's me all day. Yes, that's me. Because we struggle with control because control feels emotionally protective. If I can predict everything, maybe I can avoid pain, maybe can I maybe I can avoid failure, maybe I can avoid disappointment, but life does not always grow through certainty. You know something? Life definitely doesn't grow through certainty at all. Sometimes the healthiest thing you can do is loosen your grip enough to allow life to unfold differently than you planned. Control often becomes done out of a place of fear, right? It it's often it often comes from fear, right? It brews and grows from fear. Trust comes from self-connection. When you trust yourself, you stop needing guarantees for every step forward. And trust me, this is all me. I call my friend and I'm like, what do you think? What do you think? What do you think? What do you think? What do you think? What do you think? And I fail to understand that we're living two different lives. Sometimes I just need to trust myself. Because you begin to understand, you can adapt, you can recover, you can learn, you can pivot, you can survive discomfort without collapsing. Right? So just take a step forward without looking for other people's opinion, without questioning every move. Openness creates room for possibilities that you can never force. Some of the best things in life arrive unexpectedly, like opportunities, relationships, purpose, healing, alignment, hell, redirection. Sometimes what initially feels like rejection becomes protection, and sometimes detours becomes a divine alignment. And sometimes the life you were trying to control was too small for who you're becoming. So don't cry about spilled milk. There's something better waiting for you. Positive mindsets shift during change is something we all need to do. Because mindset shifts do not instantly remove discomfort, but they can change how you emotionally carry yourself through this process. Instead of everything is falling apart, try. Things may be reorganizing for my growth. Instead of failing, try. I'm learning how to navigate something new. Instead of I need certainty, try. I need self-trust. Instead of I should already know what I'm doing, try. Growth often begins before confidence arrives. Powerful reminders during transitions are change is not punishment. It may be redirection. I can be uncomfortable and still be growing. I do not need all the answers to take the next step. Every season of my life does not require the same version of me. I can trust myself while learning something new. What feels unfamiliar today may eventually feel aligned. I'm allowed to evolve. These are the reminders from me to you. So change can feel uncomfortable because of transformation. Transformation asks you to release familiarity because you fully understand what's next. But some of the most beautiful seasons of life begins with uncertainty. Growth often starts quietly through small decisions, new boundaries, uncomfortable honesty, emotional healing, deeper self-awareness, and a willingness to believe that your future can be different from your past. You do not have to navigate your change perfectly. You do not have to have every answer. You do not need to become fearless before moving forward. You simply need to be willing to remain open. Open to healing, open to evolving, open to resting, open to learning, and open to becoming. Because sometimes the greatest transformation in your life begins the moment you stop resisting the person you are meant to grow into. Until next time, talk to you soon.