Stop Performing. Start Living. (Your Future Self Will Thank You)
Tune in for the audio version—plus some unscripted Laura riffs that didn't make it to the newsletter!
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There comes a moment — often quietly, often inconveniently — when the question surfaces:
"Is this it?"
You’ve hit the milestones. Built the résumé. Achieved the success you once dreamed of. But instead of fulfillment, there’s a faint, persistent hollowness.
If you’ve felt this, you’re not broken.
You’re just misaligned.
After interviewing over 30,000 professionals, I've seen the hidden pattern again and again:
The higher people climb, the more they're celebrated for what they do — and the easier it is to lose touch with who they are.
The Real Costs of Misalignment
Misalignment doesn’t always announce itself with fireworks. Often, it creeps in quietly:
● The tension headaches that no amount of Advil can fix.
● The digital leash that keeps you tethered to work even during "vacation."
● The dinners with family where you're physically present... but mentally 1,000 miles away.
● The relationship that feels increasingly surface-level, even though you desperately crave a deeper connection.
● The inner critic whispering, "You should be grateful. Why isn’t this enough?"
● The chronic fatigue that no amount of sleep ever seems to solve.
And perhaps the greatest cost?
The fear that you might wake up one day and realize you’ve been productive, but not truly present.
That was Emily's story — a brilliant marketing executive who had everything on paper, but quietly wondered why joy felt so elusive. It wasn’t until her company shuttered that she realized:
Her success wasn’t sustaining her. It was draining her.
But here's the truth nobody talks about:
There’s another way.
You Don’t Need to Burn It All Down. You Just Need to Realign.
Through my work with high achievers like Emily, I've found a simple, powerful framework for transformation — what I call The 4 A’s: Awareness, Attitude, Action, and Alignment.
Let’s break it down:
🌟 Awareness:
Misalignment hides in the noise of "shoulds."
Start by noticing:
● When you're in "performer mode" vs. authentic presence.
● What energizes you vs. what drains you.
● What invisible rules you’ve been living by ("I’m only valuable if I achieve," "Rest is lazy," etc.)
🌟 Attitude:
Awareness without compassion leads to shame.
Shift your lens:
● Instead of "What’s wrong with me?" try, "What is this trying to show me?"
● Replace self-criticism with curiosity.
● Meet yourself not with judgment, but with radical self-kindness.
🌟 Action:
Insight without action = stuckness.
But action doesn't mean a grand overhaul overnight.
It means small, consistent steps like:
● Scheduling sacred "device-free" time with your family.
● Saying "yes" to opportunities that align — and "no" without guilt.
● Investing 10 minutes a day reconnecting with what lights you up (journaling, creating, meditating).
🌟 Alignment:
This is where the magic happens.
It’s when your outer life starts matching your inner truth.
● Your leadership no longer demands perfection — it models presence.
● Your work becomes an extension of your soul, not just your skillset.
● Your relationships deepen because you’re showing up fully — not just playing a role.
Emily's Realignment Story
When Emily stopped tying her worth to her title and started reconnecting with her true gifts, everything changed. In just four months, she:
● Launched a business aligned with her natural genius.
● Became more present with her family (her daughter even helped with her branding!).
● Hit personal and professional milestones that felt meaningful, not just impressive.
Success stopped being something she had to chase. It became something she embodied.
Here’s what I want you to remember today:
You don’t have to perform your way to worthiness.
You don’t have to live a beautiful life that doesn’t actually feel like yours.
You can define success on your own terms — and live it from the inside out.
Start by asking yourself one question: What feels true for me right now?
Trust what you hear.
Even if it’s just a whisper.
Especially if it’s just a whisper.
Your real life — the one you’re here to live — is waiting for you.
With deep belief in your magnificence,
Laura
P.S. If today’s message stirred something in you, honor it. You don’t have to figure it all out right away. Sometimes the most powerful move you can make is simply pausing long enough to listen. And if you ever want a guide for the road ahead, you know where to find me.