March 11, 2025 • 16 mins
What if every past version of you wasn’t something to fix, but a love letter guiding you home to yourself?
In this episode of Midlife Butterfly, we dive deep into the illusion of brokenness and the truth of our wholeness. Midlife often brings a reckoning—old wounds, past identities, and beliefs resurface, making us feel fragmented. But here’s the truth: you have always been whole.
Key Points:
- How society conditions us to believe we are broken—and why it’s a lie.
- Shifting from a mindset of separation to one of oneness and self-acceptance.
- The powerful reflection on past versions of yourself, inspired by Branden Collinsworth’s soul-stirring piece, Versions of Me. @BrandenCollinsworth
- Learning to listen, honor, and integrate all parts of yourself—the dreamer, the healer, the one who struggled, the one who loved, the one who lost.
- Why embracing every past version of you leads to deep self-love, healing, and empowerment.
- A simple yet transformative practice to step into your wholeness and reconnect with your authentic self.
Your journey is not about fixing yourself—it’s about embracing yourself fully.
Reflection Questions:
- What past version of you is asking to be seen, heard, and honored today?
- How can you offer love and gratitude to the parts of yourself you’ve outgrown?
- What shifts in your life when you accept that you have always been whole?
If you’re ready to integrate all parts of yourself and step into your full power, book a free Empowerment Session with me: http://www.wellbeingproject.ca/empowersession. Let’s reclaim your joy, worth, and self-love together!
Find the written piece of Branden here: https://www.instagram.com/p/DGFDjHcxOgh/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==
CLARITY: For the woman who feels lost and is ready to come HOME to herself.
Join me from July 22-24, 3 pm ET.
Sign Up Now: https://midlifebutterfly.ca/clarity
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Download the Midlife Butterfly Guide with 5 Radical Practices to Heal, Take Your Power Back & Rise
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Join the Midlife Butterfly Community: http://www.facebook.com/groups/midlifebutterfly
For Coaching, Courses & More Visit Kena's Website: http://midlifebutterfly.ca/workwithme
Request a Free Empowered Call with Kena if you're interested in working with her: https://midlifebutterfly.ca/empoweredsession
Song: Reborn by Alexander Nakarada
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
What if every past version of you wasn't just a
chapter but a love letterguiding you home to yourself?
Welcome to Midlife Butterfly,where transformation gets real
through every twist and turn ofyour journey.
When you are empowered andfully love yourself, you'll
embrace the messy, magicalprocess of transformation with
(00:24):
open arms.
I am Ken Asu and this is yourspace to feel seen, heard and
inspired by real talk.
So you don't just create a lifeyou love, you live it every
single day with unapologetic joyand freedom.
Welcome to this episode, toMidlife Butterfly, beautiful
(00:44):
soul.
Today we're diving deep intosomething that touches us all of
us the illusion of brokennessand the truth of our wholeness.
We've been conditioned tobelieve we are fragmented, that
parts of us need fixing, butwhat if we saw ourselves as a
(01:10):
whole instead?
What if we embraced everyversion of who we've been with
love and gratitude?
That's what we're exploringtoday.
So take a deep breath.
Let's do it now.
Exhale through the mouth, openyour heart and let's journey
together.
(01:30):
So let's get real.
For a while, the collective,the matrix society, whatever you
want to call it it hasconditioned us to believe that
we are broken, isn't that true?
But here is the truth, the realtruth.
We are not broken.
We are whole, always have beenand always will be.
(01:57):
We are souls having a humanexperience, each of us unique
and navigating our own journey,yet united in one thing we all
feel the same emotions.
Our minds, shaped by thecollective narrative, naturally
seek to separate and divide.
(02:18):
That's the way it's made.
What can I say?
That's the default mode.
But what if we shifted ourperception?
What if, instead of seeingseparation, you embraced oneness
?
What about that?
That simple shift changeseverything.
(02:39):
I've seen it in my life.
Truly, I witnessed it in others, and today I want to invite you
into that transformation.
I recently came across a post toa powerful piece of writing by
Brayden Collinsworth.
It's a beautiful, soul-steeringcomposition that speaks
(03:03):
directly to all the versions ofyou.
I already read it multipletimes and let me tell you, I've
never sobbed this much over aninstagram post and I can promise
that I won't tear up againwhile I read it to you, because
it's word reading.
(03:23):
His words are just.
I won't tear up again while Iread it to you because it's
worth reading.
His words are just soulful.
That's what it is.
So, as you listen, I invite youto pay close attention to each
word.
This is about you, all theversions of you, the parts of
you that have fought, struggled,laughed, loved and carried you
(03:50):
through life.
When you listen to them, honorthem, integrate them and welcome
them with the love that you areand transform your relationship
with yourself on a profoundlevel.
So here it goes.
(04:12):
Versions of Me by BydrinCollinsworth.
I don't remember calling thismeeting, but here we are, a
table I never sat at, filledwith faces I know too well.
(04:33):
Some I haven't seen in years,some I try to forget, some I
thought I'd never become.
But tonight no one is turnedaway.
We are all here facing other,ready to finally listen.
The child who dreamed withoutfear.
The teenager who ached to beunderstood.
(04:53):
The one who loved too hard, theone who swore they'd never love
again.
The one who made mistakes, theone who would have done more.
The one who made mistakes, theone who have done more.
The addict, the healer, thefighter, the ghost, the one who
forgave and the one who didn'tmake it.
(05:13):
They all arrived.
The younger me swings theirlegs wide-eyed.
Is this what we became, theyask.
Did we make it?
I want to say yes.
(05:37):
I want to say we got everythingwe ever wanted, but I have
learned not to lie to myself.
We are still becoming, I say,and for some reason that answer
is enough.
The one who made mistakes looksdown we messed up.
They say we should have knownbetter.
(05:58):
Across the table.
The one who paid the priceanswers we didn't know until we
knew.
The silence between them isthick.
I hold them both in my gaze.
Maybe we are meant to be both,I say the ones who tried and the
(06:19):
ones who failed.
Neither of them speak again.
The one who could have donemore watches from the corner we
held back.
They say we played small wherewe could have been great.
The one who was too afraid toleap lowers their head.
(06:42):
I was scared, they whisper.
I know.
I say but we are not done yetand something between them
softens.
The one who loved and lost gripsthe edges of the table.
(07:03):
I give everything they say andit still wasn't enough.
The one who swore they'd neverlove again tightens their jaw.
That's why I built the walls.
I look at both of them.
We had to love and we had tolose.
(07:23):
We had to break and we had torebuild.
Neither answers, but they arefinally looking at each other.
The one who almost didn't makeit.
It is quiet.
How did we survive?
They whispered.
(07:43):
I was sure this was the end.
I reach across the table, taketheir hand Because of you.
I say Because you broke, butyou never stopped breathing.
They close their eyes, exhalingyears of silence.
(08:09):
The one who died and never cameback sits in the shadows.
They say nothing, they arebarely there.
I miss you.
I whisper, we all do.
They don't speak, they only nod.
Some losses are too deep forwords.
(08:31):
The addict slouches in theirchair, arms crossed, tapping
their fingers.
You hated me, they say.
You still do.
I check my head.
I never hated you, I justdidn't understand.
(08:54):
They scoff.
I was trying to numb the pain.
I know I whisper.
I see you now.
Their hands stopped shaking.
The one who lost everythingstarts at the table.
(09:16):
We had to let it go.
They say it was killing us.
The one who held on too longwon't meet their eyes.
I wasn't ready, they whisper.
Neither was I, I admit.
And for the first time theygrieve together instead of alone
(09:38):
.
The one who forgave speakssoftly you can't stop punishing
yourself now, they say.
You can't stop punishingyourself now.
They say I hesitate, you didthe best you could.
They continue.
And when you knew better, youdid better.
Their voice is steady.
(10:02):
It does not ask for permissionto be believed.
I close my eyes.
I, finally, I let it go.
The one who knew the streetsleans back, arms crossed.
You forget about me?
They ask Never.
I see them sharp, fast, asurvivor.
(10:24):
I remember the nights we barelyslept, the hunger, the hustle,
the instincts that never left.
I did what I have to do, theysay, and I never said thank you.
I reply.
They nod.
Once Joan, clenching the futureme, sits at the head of the
(10:51):
table watching.
They are older, wiser, lighter.
They have seen it all.
What do I need to know, I ask?
They smile like they've seenthe ending.
Stop fighting the becoming,they say.
(11:11):
Everything that felt likedestruction was just making room
for you.
I exhale.
Something inside me unlocks.
All of me is here, the fearlessand the fearful, the wise and
the reckless, the broken and thewhole.
(11:34):
No one is missing.
No part of me is left behind.
I see them, I honor them, Iwelcome them home and for the
first time, I feel completely,entirely here.
How was that for you?
(11:59):
It's deep, isn't it?
Lately I've been reflecting onthe different versions of me,
how each one has played, hasplayed a role, served a purpose
and carried me through differentseasons of life.
(12:19):
Some of those versions areoutdated, no longer aligned, but
I honor them because withoutthem I wouldn't be here now.
That's the truth and that's myinvitation for you.
Just like these wordsbeautifully expressed, have a
conversation with your pastselves, listen to them, feel
(12:42):
what they need to express,whether it's frustration, guilt,
blame, pride or joy and journal.
If you need to, let them speakup, let them be seen and, most
importantly, welcome them backto your heart, because when you
(13:07):
do that, something magicalhappens you step into your
wholeness.
You recognize that all thosepast versions of you were never
mistakes.
They were stepping stones andfrom that space, a deep, deep
(13:30):
self-acceptance happens, whereyou keep stepping into your
future self.
So which is the version of youthat already exists within?
It is already there, and it'sso much easier when we get to
accept and understand them.
So here I have some reflectionquestions for you.
(13:54):
What versions of you or versionis asking to be seen, heard and
honored by now?
How can you offer love andgratitude to the part of
yourself that you've grown?
What shifts when you embracethe truth that you are whole?
(14:19):
What shifts in there.
Are you ready to embrace it all?
Stop seeing yourself fragmentedbecause you are whole.
Understand that you are whole.
You are one and if you wish todo this together, you can book a
(14:43):
free Emp session with me.
I'll be honored to guide youand to serve you into welcoming
all that wholeness that youalready are, all that oneness
Coming back to your soul.
Have a beautiful day.
Much love to you.
(15:05):
Thank you for tuning intoMidlife Butterfly.
If this episode lead a spark inyou, hit that subscribe or
follow button on Apple Podcasts,spotify or wherever you love to
listen, so you'll never missthe magic.
If you're feeling generous,drop a review on Apple Podcasts.
It helps this empoweringcontent reach more souls ready
to transform their lives.
And don't forget to take aphoto of you while listening and
(15:28):
share it on your socials.
You can tag me at KenSU so Ican celebrate you and your
expansion.
Until next time, keep spreadingthose wings and living in joy,
growth and pleasure.
What if every past version of you wasn't just a
chapter but a love letterguiding you home to yourself?
Welcome to Midlife Butterfly,where transformation gets real
through every twist and turn ofyour journey.
When you are empowered andfully love yourself, you'll
embrace the messy, magicalprocess of transformation with
(00:24):
open arms.
I am Ken Asu and this is yourspace to feel seen, heard and
inspired by real talk.
So you don't just create a lifeyou love, you live it every
single day with unapologetic joyand freedom.
Welcome to this episode, toMidlife Butterfly, beautiful
(00:44):
soul.
Today we're diving deep intosomething that touches us all of
us the illusion of brokennessand the truth of our wholeness.
We've been conditioned tobelieve we are fragmented, that
parts of us need fixing, butwhat if we saw ourselves as a
(01:10):
whole instead?
What if we embraced everyversion of who we've been with
love and gratitude?
That's what we're exploringtoday.
So take a deep breath.
Let's do it now.
Exhale through the mouth, openyour heart and let's journey
together.
(01:30):
So let's get real.
For a while, the collective,the matrix society, whatever you
want to call it it hasconditioned us to believe that
we are broken, isn't that true?
But here is the truth, the realtruth.
We are not broken.
We are whole, always have beenand always will be.
(01:57):
We are souls having a humanexperience, each of us unique
and navigating our own journey,yet united in one thing we all
feel the same emotions.
Our minds, shaped by thecollective narrative, naturally
seek to separate and divide.
(02:18):
That's the way it's made.
What can I say?
That's the default mode.
But what if we shifted ourperception?
What if, instead of seeingseparation, you embraced oneness
?
What about that?
That simple shift changeseverything.
(02:39):
I've seen it in my life.
Truly, I witnessed it in others, and today I want to invite you
into that transformation.
I recently came across a post toa powerful piece of writing by
Brayden Collinsworth.
It's a beautiful, soul-steeringcomposition that speaks
(03:03):
directly to all the versions ofyou.
I already read it multipletimes and let me tell you, I've
never sobbed this much over aninstagram post and I can promise
that I won't tear up againwhile I read it to you, because
it's word reading.
(03:23):
His words are just.
I won't tear up again while Iread it to you because it's
worth reading.
His words are just soulful.
That's what it is.
So, as you listen, I invite youto pay close attention to each
word.
This is about you, all theversions of you, the parts of
you that have fought, struggled,laughed, loved and carried you
(03:50):
through life.
When you listen to them, honorthem, integrate them and welcome
them with the love that you areand transform your relationship
with yourself on a profoundlevel.
So here it goes.
(04:12):
Versions of Me by BydrinCollinsworth.
I don't remember calling thismeeting, but here we are, a
table I never sat at, filledwith faces I know too well.
(04:33):
Some I haven't seen in years,some I try to forget, some I
thought I'd never become.
But tonight no one is turnedaway.
We are all here facing other,ready to finally listen.
The child who dreamed withoutfear.
The teenager who ached to beunderstood.
(04:53):
The one who loved too hard, theone who swore they'd never love
again.
The one who made mistakes, theone who would have done more.
The one who made mistakes, theone who have done more.
The addict, the healer, thefighter, the ghost, the one who
forgave and the one who didn'tmake it.
(05:13):
They all arrived.
The younger me swings theirlegs wide-eyed.
Is this what we became, theyask.
Did we make it?
I want to say yes.
(05:37):
I want to say we got everythingwe ever wanted, but I have
learned not to lie to myself.
We are still becoming, I say,and for some reason that answer
is enough.
The one who made mistakes looksdown we messed up.
They say we should have knownbetter.
(05:58):
Across the table.
The one who paid the priceanswers we didn't know until we
knew.
The silence between them isthick.
I hold them both in my gaze.
Maybe we are meant to be both,I say the ones who tried and the
(06:19):
ones who failed.
Neither of them speak again.
The one who could have donemore watches from the corner we
held back.
They say we played small wherewe could have been great.
The one who was too afraid toleap lowers their head.
(06:42):
I was scared, they whisper.
I know.
I say but we are not done yetand something between them
softens.
The one who loved and lost gripsthe edges of the table.
(07:03):
I give everything they say andit still wasn't enough.
The one who swore they'd neverlove again tightens their jaw.
That's why I built the walls.
I look at both of them.
We had to love and we had tolose.
(07:23):
We had to break and we had torebuild.
Neither answers, but they arefinally looking at each other.
The one who almost didn't makeit.
It is quiet.
How did we survive?
They whispered.
(07:43):
I was sure this was the end.
I reach across the table, taketheir hand Because of you.
I say Because you broke, butyou never stopped breathing.
They close their eyes, exhalingyears of silence.
(08:09):
The one who died and never cameback sits in the shadows.
They say nothing, they arebarely there.
I miss you.
I whisper, we all do.
They don't speak, they only nod.
Some losses are too deep forwords.
(08:31):
The addict slouches in theirchair, arms crossed, tapping
their fingers.
You hated me, they say.
You still do.
I check my head.
I never hated you, I justdidn't understand.
(08:54):
They scoff.
I was trying to numb the pain.
I know I whisper.
I see you now.
Their hands stopped shaking.
The one who lost everythingstarts at the table.
(09:16):
We had to let it go.
They say it was killing us.
The one who held on too longwon't meet their eyes.
I wasn't ready, they whisper.
Neither was I, I admit.
And for the first time theygrieve together instead of alone
(09:38):
.
The one who forgave speakssoftly you can't stop punishing
yourself now, they say.
You can't stop punishingyourself now.
They say I hesitate, you didthe best you could.
They continue.
And when you knew better, youdid better.
Their voice is steady.
(10:02):
It does not ask for permissionto be believed.
I close my eyes.
I, finally, I let it go.
The one who knew the streetsleans back, arms crossed.
You forget about me?
They ask Never.
I see them sharp, fast, asurvivor.
(10:24):
I remember the nights we barelyslept, the hunger, the hustle,
the instincts that never left.
I did what I have to do, theysay, and I never said thank you.
I reply.
They nod.
Once Joan, clenching the futureme, sits at the head of the
(10:51):
table watching.
They are older, wiser, lighter.
They have seen it all.
What do I need to know, I ask?
They smile like they've seenthe ending.
Stop fighting the becoming,they say.
(11:11):
Everything that felt likedestruction was just making room
for you.
I exhale.
Something inside me unlocks.
All of me is here, the fearlessand the fearful, the wise and
the reckless, the broken and thewhole.
(11:34):
No one is missing.
No part of me is left behind.
I see them, I honor them, Iwelcome them home and for the
first time, I feel completely,entirely here.
How was that for you?
(11:59):
It's deep, isn't it?
Lately I've been reflecting onthe different versions of me,
how each one has played, hasplayed a role, served a purpose
and carried me through differentseasons of life.
(12:19):
Some of those versions areoutdated, no longer aligned, but
I honor them because withoutthem I wouldn't be here now.
That's the truth and that's myinvitation for you.
Just like these wordsbeautifully expressed, have a
conversation with your pastselves, listen to them, feel
(12:42):
what they need to express,whether it's frustration, guilt,
blame, pride or joy and journal.
If you need to, let them speakup, let them be seen and, most
importantly, welcome them backto your heart, because when you
(13:07):
do that, something magicalhappens you step into your
wholeness.
You recognize that all thosepast versions of you were never
mistakes.
They were stepping stones andfrom that space, a deep, deep
(13:30):
self-acceptance happens, whereyou keep stepping into your
future self.
So which is the version of youthat already exists within?
It is already there, and it'sso much easier when we get to
accept and understand them.
So here I have some reflectionquestions for you.
(13:54):
What versions of you or versionis asking to be seen, heard and
honored by now?
How can you offer love andgratitude to the part of
yourself that you've grown?
What shifts when you embracethe truth that you are whole?
(14:19):
What shifts in there.
Are you ready to embrace it all?
Stop seeing yourself fragmentedbecause you are whole.
Understand that you are whole.
You are one and if you wish todo this together, you can book a
(14:43):
free Emp session with me.
I'll be honored to guide youand to serve you into welcoming
all that wholeness that youalready are, all that oneness
Coming back to your soul.
Have a beautiful day.
Much love to you.
(15:05):
Thank you for tuning intoMidlife Butterfly.
If this episode lead a spark inyou, hit that subscribe or
follow button on Apple Podcasts,spotify or wherever you love to
listen, so you'll never missthe magic.
If you're feeling generous,drop a review on Apple Podcasts.
It helps this empoweringcontent reach more souls ready
to transform their lives.
And don't forget to take aphoto of you while listening and
(15:28):
share it on your socials.
You can tag me at KenSU so Ican celebrate you and your
expansion.
Until next time, keep spreadingthose wings and living in joy,
growth and pleasure.
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