#TheLearnGrowGoLife – Learning, Growing, and Letting Go

In this episode of The Authentic Life, we’re exploring one of the most powerful cycles of personal transformation—learning, growing, and letting go. Life is constantly offering us lessons, but are we paying attention? Growth isn’t always comfortable, but it’s necessary for becoming who we’re meant to be. And sometimes, the most powerful move we can make is embracing the gift of goodbye.

Through personal stories, reflections, and actionable strategies, we’ll dive into:
✅ How to recognize and embrace life’s lessons
✅ Why growth requires intentional action (and how to take the first step)
✅ The freedom that comes from letting go of what no longer serves you
✅ Practical strategies to help you Learn, Grow, and Go

Reflection Challenge:
Where are you in this cycle? Are you in a season of learning, growing, or letting go? Take a moment to reflect and share your journey with me on Instagram @KeishaJones or tag me with #TheAuthenticLife.

💡 Shoutout to everyone rocking #TheAuthenticLife merch! Thank you for being part of this movement and spreading the message of living fully, freely, and unapologetically. If you haven’t grabbed yours yet, check out the link in my bio!

🎧 Listen Now: On all platforms!
📲 Let’s Connect: Instagram @KeishaJones @TheAuthenticLifeInc | #TheAuthenticLife

#Podcast #PersonalGrowth #MindsetShift #LettingGo #Healing #TheLearnGrowGoLife

📚 #TheAuthenticLife: Inspiring Book Pick
Explore #TheAuthenticLife picks! Inspiring reads to spark growth, self-awareness, & authentic living

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.

Chapters

• 0:02 Embrace the Authentic Life Journey
• 12:11 Practical Strategies for Personal Growth
• 21:18 Navigating Growth Through Small Steps
• 27:57 Embracing the Gift of Goodbye

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:02

Hi, it's your girl, keisha, and welcome to the Authentic Life. Each episode, I'll guide you on the journey to living fully, freely and unapologetically. Together, we'll dive into real stories, practical insights and steps you can take to embrace your truth and show up as your most authentic self. So guess what? I am glad that you are here with me. Let's get started. Hello, hello, hello and welcome back to the Authentic Life, the space where we explore what it really means to live fully, to live freely and, most importantly, to live unapologetically as our true self. If you're new here, I'm Keisha, I'm your host, I'm your guide and, by the end of this, I might just be your accountability partner on this journey. So, whether you're tuning in from your car, your office or your favorite cozy corner at home, your girl is just glad that you decided to be here with her today. Now, before we dive in, I want to do some thank yous. I have to take a moment to thank every single person who has embraced hashtag the authentic life journey with me. So, whether you've downloaded the podcast, you shared it with your friends or you just tuned in and listened, you are incredible and I am so grateful and I am so appreciative and I want to give a special shout out to those special people who actually took this a step further and purchased some hashtag the authentic life merch. Seeing you wear and share the message of living authentically fills me with so much joy and so much gratitude. You're not just listening, you actually are living it. So thank you for showing up and showing out for yourself and for this community. Now remember this this wasn't again the launch of just the launch of the authentic life. It's the launch of something that just might change your life.

Speaker 1: 1:55

Okay, so let's dive into what we're going to talk about today. Last week, we talked about and explored the power of boundaries and hashtag the boundary life. We uncovered how setting healthy boundaries creates the freedom to live authentically, and I share some practical strategies for navigating the guilt that often comes with just saying something as simple as no. Well, today we're shifting gears to focus on something equally foundational. Now, I know last week I said we were going to talk about hashtag the freedom life, but I changed that. This week is actually going to be hashtag the learn, grow, go life.

Speaker 1: 2:30

This idea is all about embracing life's lessons, growing through challenges and knowing when it's time to move forward, even when that means saying goodbye. Let's be real Learning, growing and letting go are not always easy, but they are essential parts of living authentically. So grab you some coffee, grab you some tea, or maybe grab you a glass of wine. Hey, you might even want to pick up your journal, because you know I give some tips and strategies and some nuggets. Whatever you may do, let's dive into how to embrace hashtag the learn, grow, go life. Let's dive into how to embrace hashtag the learn, grow, go life. Okay, so today we're diving into hashtag the learn, grow, go life.

Speaker 1: 3:13

This is a concept rooted in three powerful actions Learning from life's experiences, growing from those experiences and knowing when, to what I like to call have the gift of goodbye, aka letting it go. Each of these actions are deeply interconnected. They create a cycle of reflection, transformation and renewal. So to truly live hashtag the authentic life, we must lean into these moments, even when they challenge us. And, believe me, I know firsthand how uncomfortable growth and especially letting go can feel. But they're the key to unlocking your purpose and living in alignment with your truth. So we're about to break these three things down. We're going to break it up in three parts the power of learning, the power of growing and the power of the gift of goodbye. So let's start with the learning.

Speaker 1: 4:16

Life is constantly teaching us lessons, but the real question is are we paying attention to what it's teaching us? Learning isn't just about acquiring knowledge. It's about that thing. I keep talking about self-awareness and curiosity. It's about observing how you show up in situations, how you respond to others, how others respond to you, and what patterns keep repeating in your life. For example, I want you to think about a time when you kept facing the same problem over and over and over again. It might have been a relationship, it might have been at work, it might even have been within yourself work, it might even have been within yourself. What I want to ask you is did you stop to ask yourself what is this situation trying to teach me? Why do I keep experiencing the same thing over and over and over? Am I learning what I need to be learning? Am I paying attention what I need to be learning? Am I paying attention?

Speaker 1: 5:29

For me, one of the biggest lessons that I have had to learn, that I am continuing to learn, is to let go of the need for control. I used to think, if I planned everything perfectly. If I showed up the way I needed to show up, if I poured into everybody's cup but my own, nothing could go wrong. But this is the spoiler alert that I got. Life doesn't work that way. I had to learn that sometimes the lesson that I was supposed to learn was in the surrendering of not doing the thing, and surrendering doesn't mean giving up. It means trusting that, even when things don't go my way, they are working for my good.

Speaker 1: 6:21

Another lesson I've learned is about overcommitting. Remember I talked about that in my bound hashtag, the boundary life. I used to say yes to everything at work, everything, everything and sometimes I still do. I mean, but you know it's definitely because I want to, not because I feel like I need to, but I was doing that because I was trying to prove my value. Remember I said I was trying to prove my value as a team player, not only at work. I was doing that in relationships too, saying yes to stuff. I didn't want to say yes to doing stuff I didn't want to do, trying to prove my value to the people that was in my life, but instead it left me feeling drained and resentful and ultimately unable to give my best in either of those situations, not the best best of me. So what was the lesson? What was I supposed to learn? What was the real lesson?

Speaker 1: 7:16

Overcommitting doesn't make me valuable. Overcommitting just makes me somebody that over commits and show shows people that I will over commit, so that they will then ask me to over commit. Knowing your limits and showing up fully where you're needed does show your value, though. That's the lesson that I had to learn. Not that I need to over commit to prove my value to anybody, but that I that I need to overcommit to prove my value to anybody, but that I don't need to overcommit because I know my limits and showing up fully when I'm needed to show up fully, I'm able to do that.

Speaker 1: 7:56

The beautiful thing about learning is that it doesn't require perfection. It just requires presence. Are you present enough in your own life to see the lessons unfolding in real time? Are you willing to ask yourself what is this teaching me, instead of just reacting to what's happening and saying why is this happening to me? What is the lesson you're supposed to be learning if you keep going through the supposed to be learning, if you keep going through the same thing, and even if you're not going through the same thing. Something just happens. What is this teaching me? What am I supposed to learn from this thing, instead of reacting to what's actually happening? So here's some practice you can try this week.

Speaker 1: 8:46

Reflect on one recent experience that didn't go as planned. Write down three things you learned from it, even if it was hard or messy. What wisdom can you take from it? Because learning doesn't erase pain, it just gives you purpose. Now here are some additional ways that you can cultivate a mindset of learning.

Speaker 1: 9:12

First, practice reflection. Take a few minutes at the end of each day to reflect. Ask yourself questions like what went well today? What challenged me today? What did I learn from the things that went well or that challenged me today? What challenged me today? What did I learn from the things that went well or that challenged me today? Write your thoughts down in a journal and what that can do is help you see patterns and track your growth over time, because a lot of times we don't notice our patterns because we're in the midst of the thing. We don't take time to see what to do, reflection or to see what lessons we were supposed to learn. We're just trying to figure out. Why is this happening to me right now. Why am I dealing with this? Why am I going through this, all the things, and we don't ever really notice our patterns right. That's that self-awareness. That's that self-reflection.

Speaker 1: 9:59

The next is seek some feedback. Sometimes the best lessons come from the people around us. Don't be afraid to ask trusted friends, mentors or colleagues for their honest perspective. Their insights can shine a light on things that you may not have noticed on your own or that you've paid attention to. Next, stay curious. Approach life with curiosity instead of judgment. When something unexpected happens, instead of saying why me? Try asking what's here for me to learn. That's a shift in perspective that can open the door to deeper understanding. And this is my favorite one. I have said this in hashtag the boundary life Celebrate your small wins.

Speaker 1: 10:40

Learning doesn't only come from challenges. Pay attention to what you're doing well and celebrate those moments. Recognizing your strengths help you build confidence and reinforce positive patterns. So let me leave you with this thought in the power of learning. Life is a classroom and every experience, may it be good or bad, is the teacher. The question is are you ready to be the student? Remember, I want you to take some time to reflect on a moment in your life that felt challenging or disappointing. What did you learn from it? How has the lesson shaped you? If you paid attention and figured out what the lesson was, then share your reflections with me on LinkedIn, on Instagram, or send a text and I'll post it to the podcast website so that we can begin to build this community Now.

Speaker 1: 11:39

Next up, we're going to start talking about the power of growing. Ok, so now let's talk growth. Growth is where the magic actually happens. But let's be honest, it is not always glamorous. Growth stretches you, it challenges you and sometimes it feels like it's breaking you. But you see, here's the truth. Growth is shaping you into the person you're meant to be. It's like pruning a tree cutting away what's no longer needed to make room for new growth.

Speaker 1: 12:11

One thing I've had to learn about growth is that it requires action. It's not enough for me to just learn the lesson. I have to apply it. So think of it like planting a seed Learning is the seed, but growth is the care and effort you pour into nurturing that seed, watering it, giving it sunlight and, most importantly, protecting it from harm. So without action, that seed won't grow into anything meaningful. Sometimes growth means doing the hard, uncomfortable things, like setting those boundaries that we don't like to set, or that we've been avoiding Stepping outside of our comfort zone to pursue a new opportunity, or having a difficult conversation that we keep putting off and keep putting off because we keep shrinking ourselves to fit into somebody else's square.

Speaker 1: 13:14

Whatever the case may be, growth happens when you take what you've learned and you use it to make changes, even when it feels scary, so I want to give an example about the workplace when you think about growth. So, when I do coaching, I use this learn, grow, go concept in every coaching session that I have. I even use it with my employees, so we talked about the learn. The learn is you learn as much as you can in that space, in that place that you occupy on a regular basis. Then you grow. You grow as much as you can in that work environment that you are in.

Speaker 1: 13:56

The issue that we have, though, is that we always look at growth as positionality. It's positional for us. If we're not moving positionally within an organization, we're not growing, but when I think about this learn, grow, go concept, I'm talking about growing as a person growing individually, professionally, personally, mentally, spiritually, physically, emotionally that over time in that organization, you are growing that who you were your first day of work and who you will be on your last day of work at that place is not the same person. It's a better version of the person that walked in that door on the first day. But we get so caught up in not learning what we need to learn and then growing as much as we can in that space, getting as much knowledge, as much power as we can, and power is not always about telling somebody what to do. You can tell somebody what to do all day and still have no power. Boo. So how do we grow in these spaces?

Speaker 1: 15:16

The thing that I tell people and I'm gonna try real hard not to get to goodbye, because growing and goodbye for me are go hand in hand, so I talk about them, because growing and get by for me go hand in hand, so I talk about them interchangeably. However, this is what I tell people when I coach people when you work in an organization. We are so loyal to the organizations in which we work and you should be to an extent. We just take it to an extreme. We are so loyal that we don't leave a place. We stay there forever. We mad, we sad. We make everybody's life miserable. Don't leave a place. We stay there forever. We mad, we sad. We make everybody's life miserable because we're not growing positionally, or we're not growing in the way that we feel we should be growing, or our pockets ain't growing the way that we want them to grow.

Speaker 1: 15:58

What I tell people is, in that learning and that growing phase, you should be so committed and so loyal to what your purpose is and what you're supposed to be doing in your life that you're going to learn as much as you can, you're going to grow as much as you can and then you're going to go. But that's not what we do. We stay in places and in spaces, specifically in the workplace, way too long and we're not growing. We're not nurturing ourselves, we're nurturing that organization, we're pouring into that organization, we're watering that organization. We're giving that organization sunlight. We're protecting that organization sunlight. We're protecting that organization from harm. But when we think about our own selves, we're not doing the same thing because in our mind is not positional, so I'm not growing.

Speaker 1: 16:56

I've been here for five years and I haven't grown. If you've been somewhere for five years and you haven't grown and I'm not even talking about positionally. Just, you haven't grown. That's something that you need to be thinking about with yourself, not that company that you work for. So I say, all that to say is that we're so loyal to these organizations that we forget to be loyal to ourselves, and then we don't grow in these spaces. And so growing is about knowledge. How can I get more knowledge? People ask me all the time how I've been able to progress the way that I have. It's because I take advantage of the spaces in which I occupy. I learn as much as I can learn, whether it's in my lane or outside my lane, and because I choose to learn things outside my lane, it puts me in position to be able to grow outside my lane. What people have to understand when you're thinking about growing? We get so caught up because we're so loyal to organizations and we want organizations to be equally loyal to us that when we think about growing and we think about the growth journey within our careers and within the organizations in which we work, it always has to be inward.

Speaker 1: 18:02

I will tell anybody that growth is not always about growing within something. It can be growing outside of something, and sometimes it's more important for you to grow outside that thing than it is for you to grow inside that thing. But you got to be willing to plant your seed. Learning is the seed. Care for that and put some effort into nurturing the seed, the learning, and you are the seed. Water. You give you sunlight, protect you from harm, and you will see greater difference.

Speaker 1: 18:39

When you think about that Now, that's the workplace. Now, when we think about the relationships that we have with people, may they be family, their friend, may they be friends, partners, whatever the case may be, use the same concept because just as loyal as we are to organizations, we'd be too loyal to people that ain't loyal to us back. It's the same concept. And may it be your workplace or in a relationship with someone, may it be a friend, a partner or whatever the case may be, you should be growing in spaces and places. So if you got a partner, you with somebody, you got a group of friends that you with on a regular basis, you should always be growing. If I move this way, y'all move this way. If you move this way, I move this way, we should always be growing.

Speaker 1: 19:26

What is the added value of me being in this space, of me occupying this space, of you occupying my time of me, of me occupying your time. How am I growing in those spaces? Right, how are we getting to a place of learning and growing at the same time? So growth isn't always about something big and dramatic. Sometimes growth is those small, consistent steps that we take every day, because growth doesn't have to be perfect, it just has to be intentional. So be intentional about your stuff. Don't be in a situation where, oh, I'm just ready to be in a leadership role, but I don't like the people with the people and I got a bad attitude. Be intentional about that. Or I'm ready to lead this place because these people getting on my nerves.

Speaker 1: 20:19

Then you start applying for every job that there is under the sun and you're not being intentional when you're thinking about growing and you're thinking about your life and upward mobility and forward movement, you have to be intentional. We have to embrace growth in a practical way. So with that, I'm going to give you a couple of strategies to help you take some meaningful steps into growth. The first is identify an area that you need to grow in. Start reflecting on where you feel stuck or challenged in your life. It could be in your relationships, your career, your health or even your mindset. Ask yourself what's one thing I've been avoiding because it feels uncomfortable, or where do I see an opportunity to improve or evolve? Write that thing down. Name of the area where you want to grow gives you clear starting points on how to start that process. Number two break it down into small, actionable steps.

Speaker 1: 21:18

We try to do too much. Growth doesn't happen overnight, and trying to tackle too much at once can lead to burnout. Growth doesn't happen overnight and trying to tackle too much at once can lead to burnout. Instead, think about the smallest step you can take this week to move closer to your goal. So, for example, if you want to improve your relationships, reach out to someone and schedule a meaningful conversation. If you're focused on career growth, spend about 30 minutes updating your resume or LinkedIn profile. If you're working on self-care, commit to one thing this week, like going for a walk or saying no to something that you don't want to do or that feels overwhelming. The key is keeping it manageable. Small steps lead to big changes over time.

Speaker 1: 21:57

The last one, same like the learning practice reflection. Growth requires self-awareness, and self-awareness comes from reflection. At the end of each day, ask yourself what went well today, what challenged me? What did I learn about myself through these experiences? Writing your reflections in a journal can help you do what? See your patterns and track your process. You see, or your progress. You see.

Speaker 1: 22:22

Learning and growing is not that different. I'm giving you similar strategies. Next is seek accountability. We've already talked about that. Get feedback from other people and continue to celebrate those small wins. So here's your growth challenge. What's one area in your life where you know you need to grow? Identify it and then take one step towards moving that thing forward this week. It doesn't have to be perfect, but it does have to be intentional. Remember, growth might feel messy and uncomfortable, but it's about shaping you into the person that you're meant to be, okay.

Speaker 1: 22:59

So, finally, we're in the end part where we are talking about embracing the gift of goodbye. We're finally talking about letting that thing go. This is the part that trips most of us up, because saying goodbye, whether it's to a person, a job or even the old version of ourselves, can feel like a failure. But let me tell you, letting go is absolutely not a failure. It's actually freedom. It can be in some cases. Peace is actually freedom. It can be, in some cases, peace.

Speaker 1: 23:34

Letting go isn't about erasing the past, so you shouldn't be trying to erase what was. It's about making space for what's next. Every time we hold on to something that no longer serves us, it's taking up space that could be filled with something better, but we can't. A lot of times, we can't see the better. So, whether it's a job, a toxic relationship, a limiting belief or even some outdated goal that is holding you, that's holding on too long and it's keeping us stuck, we got to understand and this is something that I have had to work on myself over time is that letting go is a form of self-love, and trusting yourself that you're making the right decision is trusting that what's ahead is worth more than what you're leaving behind, no matter how much you want to stay in that thing.

Speaker 1: 24:44

So let's take the job scenario. You've been on your job for 10 years. You come to work, mad every day, got attitude. Somebody asks you how your day going? I'm good. You so angry because you stuck in that growing space. Right, because you are viewing growing as positionality. It's positional. I haven't. I've been working here for 10 years and all these jobs have posted and I haven't gotten a job. Well, this is what I will challenge you with on that. Why are you still there If you've been somewhere for 10 years and you feel like you should have grown? Why? Why you feel like you got to grow inside something? Why haven't you had the gift of goodbye? What's holding you there? What's keeping you there? Why haven't you?

Speaker 1: 25:51

This is what we like to say to people. When somebody shows us who they are, believe them the first time. Y'all have heard that quote, right? Y'all seen it on social media. You've probably said it to somebody. When somebody show you who they are, believe them the first time. Y'all don't do that with y'all friends and families and y'all romantic partners. But why y'all don't do that with y'all jobs? Because partners. But why y'all don't do that with y'all jobs? Because I guarantee you, in 10 years, they showed you who they was the first time, meaning you may have applied for multiple jobs and you never got an interview.

Speaker 1: 26:27

One thing that I can always appreciate is someone that has worked in a place, has applied for several positions and either has not gotten an interview or has gotten an interview but hasn't gotten a job, and takes the initiative to follow up with the hiring manager to say hey, keisha, I've been working here for 10 years and I keep applying for jobs in the division, but I'm not getting an interview. Or I'm interviewing but I'm not getting the position. Can you tell me what's going on or why I may not be progressing? That's growth. Progressing, that's growth and that's putting you in a position to might not have to say the gift of goodbye, because that conversation can very well provide you with information that can help you grow within that organization. Or if you have someone like me that will be honest and say, hey, you have the job knowledge, but this position requires leadership, and right now I don't have any positions that can get you the leadership experience that you need. Now we can look to see if there are other spaces on campus where you can potentially volunteer or do some other things that can get you the leadership experience.

Speaker 1: 27:57

However, if you can't get the leadership experience and you have a desire to be in a leadership role, then that means that you may have to leave this place, go to another place and get said experience and come back to this place If you choose to after you have left. You may or may not want to, but what we need to understand, especially in our jobs, is we control our happiness. It is not your job's responsibility to make you happy every day. It is their responsibility to create an environment where you can thrive.

Speaker 1: 28:39

The moment that you're not happy in a space, in a place, you need to determine whether or not what you're doing on a regular basis aligns with those values that I told you to write in the first episode, and if they don't, then you may need to be intentional about what your next steps are and you might have to ultimately give them the gift of goodbye and go somewhere else. But no, that's not what we do. What we do is we stay in places and we're mad and in our feelings all the time and we make everybody around us miserable because we don't have the gift of goodbye. Now, I'm not saying this to judge anybody that operates and functions in that way, because we all have done it at some point in our careers. But what I am doing is trying to get you to understand that it is your responsibility to determine what your path is and intentionally live along that path, and sometimes that comes with the gift of goodbye.

Speaker 1: 29:39

That doesn't mean that you stay in a place forever, that you stay in a place for 20 years and hope they give you the job that you want. When they done showed you already yo, we not hiring you for this. We might not hire you for nothing, and it doesn't hurt to leave a place. You don't have to leave a place angry. You don't have to leave a place like I hate that place. I never worked there again. This isn't the place that I was meant to grow in. So I need to go and be okay with that. There's nothing wrong with that. I get wanting to stay in an organization and grow and be there forever. I get that. I understand, 100% understand that the thing with that. When you decide that that's what you wanna do, that you wanna retire from this place, if that's what you choose to do, then you also have to understand that there is the possibility that where I sit right now, I may never be go beyond that space and I can't be mad at nobody but me, because if I'm not taking the time to learn as much as I can learn, grow as much as I can go, grow and remember that is not always positionally and I choose to stay in this place because I'm not progressing the way that I should. That's on you, not on the employer.

Speaker 1: 30:58

And then let's think about personal relationships. A lot of times, one of the hardest goodbyes is walking away from a relationship that does not align with your values. We hold on to those things way longer than we should, out of various reasons. It can be afraid of the unknown, whether or not you can find something better. Are you making the right choice or the wrong choice? These questions will keep you clinging on to something that you should not be clinging on to. And the the funny thing is is when we decide to let go of stuff, may it be a job or relationship, we discover peace, clarity and a deeper connection with ourself, because we're so consumed with that thing that we can't see clear. Our heads are so far up in the clouds that we can't see nothing, and we end up holding on to something that doesn't serve us, and I wholeheartedly believe that it blocks our blessings and opportunities that are waiting on the other side. Ultimately, we're fearing the unknown, false evidence appearing real, instead of embracing something new and something powerful.

Speaker 1: 32:16

I know letting go is hard because it forces us to confront our fears. It makes us question what we're afraid of losing and whether that fear is rooted in reality or just our imagination. And oftentimes it's not the loss itself that holds us back, it's the fear of change, the fear of discomfort, the fear of stepping into the unknown. But here's the truth Having the gift of goodbye is less about losing something and more about gaining space for what truly aligns with your values, your growth and your purpose. Every goodbye, I promise you, creates room for a new beginning.

Speaker 1: 32:51

So here's a reflection exercise for you. Think about something you're holding on to that no longer serves you. Maybe it's a habit, a mindset or relationship. Ask yourself these two questions what am I afraid of losing if I let this go, and what do I gain if I release it? Write your answers down and sit with them, because sometimes just naming the thing you need to release is the first step towards getting you closer to your freedom. And this exercise isn't about rushing the process. It's only about creating awareness and opening the door to the possibility, because sometimes letting go takes time, and that's on your time not nobody's time, but yours. So don't let me sit on this podcast and tell you to go, quit your job or leave your boo. That's not what I'm saying. What I'm saying is you need to take the step towards creating that awareness on whether or not you need to leave that job or leave that boo. Now here's some practical ways on how you can embrace the gift of goodbye.

Speaker 1: 33:53

Reflect regularly and I will keep saying this Set aside time to reflect on what's working in your life and what's not. Do these people in these things align with my value? Does this job align with my values? Does this relationship align with my values? Is this job or is this relationship helping me grow or holding me back? Reflection helps when you recognize when it's time to let go. Remember I said change is about acknowledging what you have to change, and sometimes we got to sit in that for a minute before we have forward movement, and that's okay. The other thing is start small.

Speaker 1: 34:37

Letting go doesn't have to be big and dramatic. Determine what you need to change, what's no longer serving you, and then build your confidence to let that thing go. Focus on the gain, not the loss. Instead of dwelling on what you're leaving behind, think about what you're making room for. Maybe it's a healthier relationship, more clarity or the opportunity to pursue a passion that you've been neglecting. Whatever the case may be, take some time to think about that Letting go is about embracing uncertainty.

Speaker 1: 35:15

It's trusting that, even though you can't see what's ahead, it's going to be worth it. Growth often comes from stepping into the unknown and trusting that you have what it takes to navigate whatever comes your way. Remember the gift of goodbye isn't about failure, it's about freedom. It's about freedom. It's about creating space for what truly aligns with your values, your purpose and your authentic self. So I challenge you to think about one thing you're ready to release it could be as simple as a mindset that's holding you back, or as big as a relationship that is no longer serving you and take one small step towards letting that thing go and see how it feels.

Speaker 1: 35:59

I would be the first one to say that embracing the gift of goodbye is difficult. Letting things go, especially letting things go that you love, is difficult, but the one thing that I have constantly been telling myself is you can't love that thing more than you love yourself. So get the confidence and the strength that you need to say goodbye, because it's light on the other side. I promise you it's light on the other side. It's peace there, it's clarity there, there's freedom there. All right, folks. Well, that's the end. That's the hashtag learn, grow, go life right.

Speaker 1: 36:48

For me, as I've mentioned, it is truly about learning as much as you can from your life's experiences and growing as much as you can through those life experiences. And remember growing is not always positional. We always feel that we have to positionally be growing in order for growth to be occurring, and that is not the case. And last but not least, please embrace the gift of goodbye. Take it from someone who has struggled specifically in her personal life with the gift of goodbye. Take it from someone who has struggled specifically in her personal life with the gift of goodbye In my career. I will leave a job in a minute and let me tell you something. My son has definitely my son's generation. He's 24. Their gift of goodbye is real strong. We could all take a lesson from their gift of goodbye in employment. Because let me tell you something, boy, you do one little thing that he don't like. He out of there, he gone. But I digress. But embrace the gift of goodbye.

Speaker 1: 37:54

I know it takes a lot, but determine what that thing is. Sit in that thing for a minute and then begin the journey. But give yourself grace. Do not beat yourself up if you are not letting things go on other people's time. It is not about other people, it's about you. But make sure that you're taking care of you in those moments where you are not letting go, when you need to let go, that you're not learning from life's experiences, you're not growing through those experiences. Right, give yourself grace. Be nice to yourself Just as nice as you are to other people. Do that for yourself. You know those 50 chances that you give other people that you ain't let go of yet. Give yourself a couple of those chances, too, when you're trying to let them go. Remember, this process is not linear, so some days you're going to feel like you're thriving and on other days, trust me, you're going to feel like you're just out here surviving, but that's okay.

Speaker 1: 38:58

This week I challenge you to reflect on where you are in the cycle. Are you learning? Are you growing? Are you at the stage where you need to give cycle? Are you learning? Are you growing? Are you at the stage where you need to give somebody the gift of goodbye? I so appreciate you all for showing up for yourself and showing up for this community. Your support will always mean everything to me and, like I said earlier, for those people that actually took it a step further and purchased them some hashtag the authentic life merch. Thank you for spreading that message of living fully, freely and unapologetically.

Speaker 1: 39:35

One thing that I will say that this podcast has done for me is really refresh me and refresh my mind on living hashtag the authentic life and really thinking through when I do these episodes, there's so much that go on in my head and so much that goes on in my mind about my life, about where I am personally, where I am professionally and how am I living. Hashtag the authentic life. Hashtag the authentic life. Because the one thing that I need everybody to take away from this is that me doing this podcast isn't about me telling somebody what to do, because I have this perfect life and I don't have no problems and I don't have no struggles and I I do have things that I'm going through, that I do have struggles, but that you can always come out on the other side of those struggles and those things that you're going through, and that this is a journey.

Speaker 1: 40:33

It is not a final destination. We are all works in progress. We will always have things that we are working on, that need to shift and change, and we will be doing good one day and we will just be surviving the next day, but that's okay. So always remember that, yes, I'm here and I'm giving guidance and I'm telling you stuff. Yes, I am, but at the same time, a lot of times I'm talking to myself while I'm talking to y'all and I'm recording this. Sometimes I am talking to myself, I am a reminder to myself to love myself, embrace myself, think about what part of the cycle I am in. So I am on this journey with you.

Speaker 1: 41:16

You are not alone. You are not. I'm not going to say, I can't say, but nonetheless you are not alone. So I appreciate you Until next. I appreciate you until next time. You keep learning, you keep growing and don't be afraid to let go, but give yourself some grace if you can't. You got this. 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.