169: Let Your Experience Be Your Power Move | Reinventing Your Life With Confidence

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Let Your Experience Be Your Power Move | Reinventing Your Career With Confidence | MaryAnn Walker

Whether you're returning to a wellness routine, navigating dating after a breakup, or shifting careers, this episode will help you reframe your "restart" as a continuation of your growth.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

✨Why your inner critic gets loud when you're doing something new (or returning after a break)
✨How to recognize the wisdom and experience you're already bringing with you
✨Why discomfort is not the enemy
✨Practical examples for reframing self-doubt in areas like wellness, dating, and career changes
✨How to rewrite the story of “starting over” and own your progress with compassion

Challenge for the Week:
Pick one area of your life where you've been telling yourself, “I’m starting from scratch.” Then write down three ways you’re actually starting from experience:

-What have you learned?
-What mistakes won’t you repeat?
-What strengths are you bringing with you now?
*Give yourself credit. You’ve come further than you think.*

Work With Me:
If you’re stepping into a new chapter and want support—whether in your relationships, career, or healing journey—I’d love to walk alongside you. I currently have one 1:1 coaching spot available this month. Click below to claim it!

✨ Additionally, my small group program for empaths and highly sensitive people is opening soon. You can join the waitlist below.

*Don’t Forget to Subscribe:*
Make sure you’re following the podcast so you don’t miss upcoming episodes. And if this one spoke to you, I’d love it if you shared it with a friend or left a review—it helps more sensitive souls find the support they deserve.

Links Mentioned in This Episode:

Interested in coaching with me?  Inquire about availability here:  https://maryannwalker.life/contact-me

🔗 Join the Waitlist for my Empowered Empath Course here:  https://maryannwalker-life.kit.com/93175104be


*Looking for more ways to engage? Come find me on my other platforms!*

Follow on my Social media:
💟Website: https://maryannwalker.life/
💟Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/maryannwalker.life/
💟Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/maryannwalker.life
💟TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@maryannwalker.life


You might also like:
✅ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W8jJW0xqY7c
✅ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bvoZAEDKHiQ
✅ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RH4e1gdHTFg

My playlist :
▶️ https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLlsP5RjLfyymgAOKQP7HZMo-9xHNXDTJH

Episode Transcript

(00:00):
Hello and welcome back.

(00:01):
So today I wanted to share withyou something that came up for
me this past week, and it allstarted honestly with something
really simple.
Yoga Now.
I hadn't done yoga in severalweeks because let's be honest,
life has just been lifeing.
We've had house guests, we'vebeen on road trips, traveled to
a wedding, we've had homerepairs going on, contractors
coming in, and it's kind of beena lot.

(00:23):
And so finally this last week,then I thought, oh, I have an
opportunity to go and do yoga ina lavender field.
You guys, it was so magical.
They had a yoga instructor comeout to the lavender field.
We put our mats down between therows.
And did yoga at sunset.
I'm not gonna lie.
It was pretty magical.
But what was also interestingwas to notice that even when I
was there and all of thatbeauty, it was interesting to

(00:45):
notice how much I was getting inmy own head.
You guys, I'm gonna be honestwith you, doing yoga again after
that many weeks of not, it was alittle bit rough.
I noticed that my body wasstiff, my right hamstring felt a
lot tighter than usual.
My balance was a little bit off,and as I moved through those
familiar poses, then my brainstarted getting really loud.
My brain started saying thingslike, well, what's the point?

(01:08):
It was saying, oh, you've lostit.
Now it's use it or lose it.
And you've lost it It wassaying, you're really outta
shape.
You're starting from scratch allover again.
This is just who you are now.
You're just somebody who's notflexible.
And to top it off, I also foundmyself comparing.
My husband, bless him, he hasbeen getting up early, even in
the desert heat of St.
George, Utah while we were onvacation to run.

(01:29):
He has been consistent.
He has been committed, he hasbeen disciplined, and he's
currently planning to run theSt.
George Marathon next year.
And I've been noticing how trimhe's been looking, how strong
he's been looking, and then thateven was feeding my inner critic
even more so then the innercritic was saying things like,
well, he's fit and focused andyou are not.
He stuck with it.

(01:50):
You didn't.
He's fit.
You are fluffy.
My inner critic was really beingunkind.
But here's the thing is justbecause I thought those things,
then it actually wasn't truethat I was as far off from my
fitness goals as my brain wastrying to tell me that I was.
The truth is I wasn't startingfrom scratch.
I was starting from experience,and there may be places in your

(02:11):
life where you are also notstarting from scratch, but
starting from experience.
And maybe for you it's not yoga.
Maybe for you it's getting backonto the dating scene after a
divorce or a breakup and you'refeeling really vulnerable, like
you're back at square one, youhave no idea how to date
anymore.
You think that maybe your pickeris off and you're going to pick
the wrong partner again.

(02:32):
You think that you don't knowwhat you're doing, but you're
not starting over.
You have learned so much aboutyourself.
You've learned a lot about yourboundaries.
You've learned about what it isthat you want in a relationship
and what it is that you will nolonger tolerate in a
relationship.
You have a better knowledge whenit comes to what qualities
you're actually compatible within a relationship.

(02:52):
Your eyes are actually more opento those things now than they
ever have been before.
Or maybe for you, it's goingback on that wellness journey,
trying again to nourish yourbody in the way that feels
really good to you.
And you might be thinking, well,why bother?
I always fall off of the wagon.
I'm in this situation because Ican never stick with anything.
But you are not starting over.

(03:13):
You already know what has andhasn't worked for your body.
You know better now how yourbody responds to certain foods,
what workouts leave you feelingdrained, and which ones leave
you feeling energized.
You already know all of thatfrom experience.
You also know about the mindsettraps.
For example, maybe now you knowthat it's usually on week three,
that you start to losemotivation and that you could

(03:34):
use some external support, maybeeven a coach.
You know that you need to havehealthy snacks on hand so that
you don't cave and find yourselfjust hanging out in the pantry,
eating all of the candy andchips and calling it carb
loading, when really it's justthat you were too tired to make
yourself a salad.
You already know all of thesethings about yourself, and you
have more tools now than you'veever have before.

(03:56):
Or maybe for you, you'rechanging careers or going back
to school and there's this fearinside of you around being a
beginner Again.
But the truth is that you'rebringing so much experience from
your life so far into this nextchapter.
You have so much more wisdomthan you're actually giving
yourself credit for.
You are not the same person thatyou were when you first tried

(04:18):
these things.
You are not starting from zero.
You are starting fromexperience.
So now let's be real about thatlittle voice of self-doubt.
The one that tells you thatyou're behind, that it's too
late, that you're not cut outfor this, that voice, if we're
being totally honest, that voiceis just trying to protect you.
It wants to keep you safe fromany form of discomfort or any

(04:39):
form of disappointment.
It doesn't actually have a lotof wisdom, not that part of your
brain, okay?
That's not your higher mind,that's your fear mind, all that
that part of your brain knows.
Is that okay, well we need toavoid discomfort at all costs.
And so your brain actually wantsto encourage you to not even
try.
Don't go to the gym.
It's a waste of time.
It's a waste of money.
You're gonna be uncomfortableworking out.

(05:01):
Everybody else is stronger thanyou, and they're more
knowledgeable about thosemachines than you are.
It's just not worth thediscomfort.
It's way better to just stay athome, stay at your current
weight, and just don't show up.
It's not worth it.
It wants to tell you that thediscomfort of changing careers
or going back to school or evenstepping out of your comfort
zone to make new friends isgoing to be uncomfortable, and

(05:23):
therefore it isn't worth theeffort.
And your brain isn't wrong aboutit being uncomfortable, but it
is wrong about it not beingworth it.
Remember, Right now, you'realready uncomfortable.
Discomfort is not the villain inthis story.
It's your negative thoughts thatare the villain in your story.

(05:44):
You are proving to yourselfright now that you can tolerate
discomfort because you're doingexactly that right now.
You're uncomfortable right now.
That's probably why you'relistening to self-help books.
You're hoping to alleviate somediscomfort.
You are uncomfortable right now,but the current form of
discomfort that you'reexperiencing, then that form of
discomfort is keeping you stuck.
You're going to be uncomfortableeither way.
One form of discomfort's goingto keep you stuck.

(06:06):
One form is going to help you toreally thrive in life.
The brain thinks that anythingthat's familiar is safe.
Even if it's a familiar form ofdiscomfort, the brain doesn't
want to change.
It's easier not to change.
And I get it that leaning intodiscomfort is easier said than
done.
And I've experienced thatfirsthand.

(06:27):
I think I've shared this on thepodcast before, but there was a
time when a bulge disc preventedme from walking.
I was in excruciating pain.
I couldn't get outta bed on myown.
My husband had to carry me tothe toilet, and it was
absolutely humiliating.
And when I went to physicaltherapy, it hurt.
My body did not want to do thethings that the physical

(06:47):
therapist wanted my body to do.
My body said, this is causing mepain.
And my brain said, uhoh, it'scausing pain, therefore this is
bad.
But that wasn't the truth.
The truth is that when I leanedinto the discomfort of physical
therapy, that's when mydiscomfort was eased.

(07:08):
And let me say that again.
My discomfort was only easedafter I leaned into the
discomfort of creating changefor myself, of going to physical
therapy, of starting a yogapractice, of doing things that
felt uncomfortable in thebeginning, but they were also
vital for my health and mywellness.
Lean in.

(07:29):
Your brain might try to tellyou, but right now it hurts and
therefore it's bad.
But the truth is, it's just adifferent kind of discomfort.
So choose your hard, choose yourlevel of discomfort.
Do you wanna choose into thediscomfort that comes from not
knowing how to use your body andbeing limited by a bulge disc?
Or do you want to choose intothe discomfort of physical
therapy that will ultimatelylead to relief?

(07:52):
Do you want to choose into thediscomfort of being alone?
Or do you want to choose intothe discomfort of putting
yourself out there and meetingnew people, which will
ultimately bring an end to yourloneliness?
Do you want to choose into thediscomfort of not progressing in
your education or your career byavoiding being the oldest in
your class or the oldest in thatposition?

(08:14):
Or do you want to lean into thediscomfort of going back, trying
again, and ultimately findingfinancial security?
Because all of those forms ofdiscomfort are a choice.
Today doesn't have to beforever, and you can start over
again at any time, even if it'suncomfortable.

(08:35):
Remember that you've alreadydone hard things.
You've grown, you've gainedinsight, and this time you're
not fumbling in the dark.
You're walking a path thatyou've walked before.
Only now with a little bit moreclarity, a little bit more
experience, a bit morecompassion, and a bit more
resilience.
So I really want you to hearthis: you are not starting over.

(08:56):
You are starting fromexperience.
Choose into the form ofdiscomfort that will ultimately
lead to relief, to connection,to personal security.
You might feel a little bitrusty, unsure, and even yeah, a
little bit scared, and that'sokay.
But don't rob yourself of theprogress you've already made,

(09:16):
just because it looks differentthis time, you're stronger than
before.
You're wiser than before.
You are more you than you'veever been before, and that
matters.
So here's what I want you towork on for this week.
I would like you to pick onearea of your life where you've
been telling yourself, Ugh, I'mstarting over.
I'm starting from scratch.

(09:37):
And then write down three waysthat you're actually starting
from experience.
What is it that you've learnedover time?
What mistakes are you dedicatedto not repeating?
What strengths are you bringingwith you into this current
situation?
What discomfort are you willingto embrace to get what you
actually want out of life?

(09:59):
Give yourself some credit forhow far you've actually come.
You are not behind, you are notbroken, and you are definitely
not starting from scratch.
You are learning.
You are growing even when you'refacing a setback.
You are starting again.
Yes, but this time you'restarting from experience and I
cannot wait to see what it isthat you're going to do next.

(10:23):
Now if this episode hasresonated with you and your
craving support as you step intothe next chapter, whether that's
in relationships, work,self-worth, or boundaries, I
would love to work with you.
I'm currently offeringone-on-one coaching.
I have one more spot availablefor this month, so if you would
like to snag that spot, come andapply to work with me.
And I also have a small groupprogram coming up for empaths

(10:44):
and highly sensitive people thatwill be launching soon.
You can learn more about thatand join my wait list by
clicking the link in the shownotes, or send me a message on
[e-mail] that even when it feels
like you're starting over,you're really just stepping
forward with all of the wisdomthat you've already gained.
Up to this point, I am cheeringyou on and I can't wait to see

(11:04):
what you do next.
All right, well, I hope you takecare and I'll see you next time.
Bye now.