178. Identity Reconstruction After Outgrowing Who You Once Were cover art

178. Identity Reconstruction After Outgrowing Who You Once Were

178. Identity Reconstruction After Outgrowing Who You Once Were

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About this listen

If you’ve been feeling like the old version of you doesn’t fit anymore (but the new version hasn’t fully landed yet) this episode is for you.

Ash records a powerful riff on identity reconstruction: the messy, stretchy middle that happens when you’ve outgrown the version of you that worked… the one you secretly miss… the one you keep trying to force yourself back into.

This is a conversation about evolution, self-rejection, the nervous system’s need for certainty, and why confidence isn’t something you “find”... it’s something you rebuild through action, curiosity, and willingness to be the scientist of your own life again.

TOPICS WE EXPLORE:

• What it feels like when you’ve outgrown an old identity (and why it feels like loss)
• The trap of romanticizing the “productive version” of you
• Why trying to go backward creates self-rejection (even if it’s subconscious)
• Identity shifts after children, big life transitions, and major seasons of growth
• The “2-year-old vs 1-year-old” metaphor that will change how you see evolution
• What happens when you stop having someone else’s blueprint to follow
• The discomfort of not knowing who you’re becoming (and why it’s normal)
• Why confidence only comes through action... not overthinking
• Inactivity as a sneaky form of self-protection (and what it costs)
• Beginner mindset, experimentation, and becoming the scientist of your life
• The myth that you need the map to move forward
• Releasing control as part of becoming who you actually are now

POINT OF THE EPISODE:

You can’t be who you used to be…because you aren’t her anymore. And the more you try to force yourself back into a previous identity, the more you reject the version of you that’s emerging. Identity reconstruction isn’t about “fixing” yourself. It’s about accepting who you are now, letting evolution be messy, and rebuilding confidence through curiosity, action, and play.

MENTIONED:

Ash on the Hot Talks podcast with Danielle Laura: a conversation on over-functioning as a trauma response, control as a nervous sy

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MORE ABOUT ASH
I am the definition of duality — I swear like a sailor and break rules like it’s my job, but I also hold incredible space for my clients and work my ass off to help them achieve the success they’re after. But I'm also here for the non-preneur woman, too. My background in counseling gives me a unique perspective on what it means to show up, serve, & create connection for those who feel like they've never belonged before.

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