Episodios

  • The Season Filter

    The Season Filter
    Dec 27 2025

    Not every good opportunity is a now opportunity.And the leaders who burn out aren’t chasing bad things.They’re chasing good things at the wrong time.

    Last episode, we talked about the Strategic Decline, how to say no without burning bridges.

    Today, Shawn introduces the filter that makes saying no clearer, cleaner, and far less emotional:

    Knowing what season you’re in.

    Through a personal story of declining a long-desired opportunity to protect his family rhythm and capacity, he names a leadership truth most people ignore:

    A good opportunity in the wrong season becomes a burden.

    This episode invites leaders to stop saying yes to fantasy seasons and start honoring the chapter they’re actually living. Because alignment isn’t about what looks good on paper. It’s about what fits now.

    In This Episode

    * Why good opportunities can still derail you

    * How chasing the wrong season leads to exhaustion and resentment

    * A personal story of saying no to protect family and rhythm

    * The difference between a “good” opportunity and a “now” opportunity

    * Why leaders say yes to fantasy seasons instead of real ones

    * A simple three-step Season Filter for decision-making

    ✦ Reflection Prompts

    * What season of life am I actually in right now?

    * What does this season require from me most: presence, focus, rest, or margin?

    * Where am I saying yes to opportunities that fit who I was, not who I’m becoming?

    * What am I risking by not honoring this season?

    ✦ The Boost (Action Step)

    Run the Season Filter Practice.

    Answer these three questions honestly:

    * What season am I in right now?

    * What does this season require from me most?

    * Does this opportunity fit this season or does it require one I’m not in yet?

    Write your answers down.

    Not what you wish were true. What is true.

    Because you can’t honor a season you haven’t named.

    If you’re unsure what season you’re in, or need help building a filter that protects it, book a No-Cost Identity Clarity Call. We’ll name the chapter you’re in and design decisions that support it.

    ✦ On the Next Episode

    The Protected List: The Non-Negotiables You’ll Never Sacrifice

    Because once you know your season, the next step is deciding what you will protect; no matter what opportunities appear.

    ✦ If Today’s Episode Sparked Something…

    * Share it with someone who’s exhausted from chasing the wrong season

    * Subscribe to Daily Power Boost for identity-driven leadership clarity

    * Join the R.E.A.L. Mastery™ Hub → realmasteryhub.com

    * Apply for Beyond the Boost live coaching

    ✦ Engage With Me Online

    * Instagram: @coachshawnmichael

    * TikTok: @coachshawnmichael

    * YouTube: @coachshawnmichael

    * LinkedIn: @coachinguatemala

    ✦ References & Influences

    * Greg McKeown – Essentialism on timing and disciplined focus

    * Jim Collins – Good to Great on aligning strategy with capacity

    * Parker Palmer – Let Your Life Speak on honoring life stages

    * David Whyte – Crossing the Unknown Sea on seasons of work and life

    * Joe Hudson – The Art of Accomplishment on alignment over ambition

    With strength and heart,

    ❤️🔥 Shawn Michael

    Stay close.



    Get full access to True North: Your guide to an intentional life at trunorth.substack.com/subscribe
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    7 m
  • The Strategic Decline

    The Strategic Decline
    Dec 24 2025
    You know you need to say no. But you don’t, because you don’t want to disappoint people.You don’t want to seem ungrateful. You don’t want to burn bridges.So you say yes. And resent it later.Yesterday, we talked about the FOMO Tax: what you pay when fear drives your yeses.Today, Shawn names the real reason most people stay stuck:It’s not that they don’t want to say no.It’s that they don’t know how to say it well.This episode dismantles the myth that saying no is rude, selfish, or career-limiting and replaces it with a skill every grounded leader must develop: the strategic decline.Through a real story of declining a high-potential partnership without excuses, over-explaining, or guilt, Shawn shows how clarity and kindness actually strengthen relationships instead of damaging them.Because the bridges that burn aren’t burned by honest no’s.They’re burned by a resentful yes and half-present commitments.✦ In This Episode* Why most people avoid saying no, even when they know they should* The hidden cost of saying yes and resenting it later* A real example of declining an opportunity without damaging the relationship* The difference between excuses and honest clarity* Why people respect integrity more than availability* A simple three-step framework for saying no well✦ Reflection Prompts* Where am I saying yes because I’m afraid to disappoint someone?* What commitment am I carrying that I don’t actually have capacity for?* How has avoiding a clean no created resentment or strain in a relationship?* What would change if I trusted honesty more than people-pleasing?✦ The Boost (Action Step)Run the Strategic Decline Practice.Think of one opportunity, request, or commitment you need to say no to, but haven’t.Write it out using this framework:* Thank you for thinking of me.* I’m at capacity / this isn’t aligned / I don’t have space to do this well right now.* I value this relationship too much to say yes and underdeliver.Say it out loud.Practice it.Because clarity is a skill.And the more you practice it, the less guilt it carries.If you want help deciding what to decline or crafting language that protects both your capacity and your relationships, book a No-Cost Identity Clarity Call. We’ll work through your real commitments and refine your no’s until they feel clean, grounded, and honest.✦ On the Next EpisodeThe Season Filter: Knowing What Fits This Chapter of Your LifeBecause not every good opportunity is a now opportunity. And discernment is knowing the difference.✦ If Today’s Episode Sparked Something…* Share it with someone who keeps saying yes and feeling resentful* Subscribe to Daily Power Boost for identity-driven leadership recalibration* Join the R.E.A.L. Mastery™ Hub → realmasteryhub.com* Apply for Beyond the Boost live coaching✦ Engage With Me Online* Instagram: @coachshawnmichael* TikTok: @coachshawnmichael* YouTube: @coachshawnmichael* LinkedIn: @coachinguatemala ✦ References & Influences* Greg McKeown – Essentialism on disciplined refusal* Jim Collins – Good to Great on saying no to preserve greatness* Marshall Rosenberg – Nonviolent Communication on honest, respectful boundaries* Joe Hudson – The Art of Accomplishment on clarity without self-betrayal* Parker Palmer – Let Your Life Speak on integrity over people-pleasingWith strength and heart,❤️🔥 Shawn Michael Get full access to True North: Your guide to an intentional life at trunorth.substack.com/subscribe
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    7 m
  • The FOMO Tax

    The FOMO Tax
    Dec 22 2025

    Fear of missing out doesn’t just make you anxious.It makes you overcommitted. Exhausted.And trapped in a life you never consciously chose.

    Last episode we talked about strategy being subtraction; choosing the best and releasing the rest.

    Today, Shawn names why that’s so difficult.

    It’s not that you don’t know what to subtract.

    It’s that you’re afraid of what you’ll miss if you do.

    Through a story of a coach who said yes to a “great opportunity” while already depleted, he exposes the real cost of fear-based decisions. The talk happened. The stage was big. But the presence wasn’t there.

    And that’s the insight that lands hard in this episode:

    FOMO doesn’t protect you from loss. It guarantees it.

    Because when you chase every opportunity, you stop being fully present for any of them. And presence, not access, is what actually changes everything.

    This episode challenges leaders to stop confusing scarcity with ambition and start protecting the one thing that makes leadership sustainable: presence.

    In This Episode

    * Why fear of missing out leads to chronic overcommitment

    * A real story of saying yes when the honest answer was no

    * How FOMO masquerades as ambition and strategy

    * The hidden cost of fear-based yeses

    * Why presence matters more than access or exposure

    * A practical filter for deciding when to say yes or no

    Reflection Prompts

    * Where am I saying yes out of fear instead of alignment?

    * What opportunities am I chasing that are costing me presence?

    * When was the last time I said yes even though I was already depleted?

    * What might open up if I trusted myself to say no?

    The Boost (Action Step)

    Run the FOMO Tax Practice.

    Think of the last three commitments you agreed to.

    Ask yourself honestly:

    “Did I say yes because this was aligned or because I was afraid to say no?”

    If fear was the driver, that’s the FOMO tax.

    And it’s costing you more than you think.

    If you want support applying this filter to your real commitments, book a No-Cost Identity Clarity Call. No pitch. Just clarity.

    On the Next Episode

    The Strategic Decline: How to Say No Without Burning Bridges

    Because knowing you need to say no is one thing. Saying it cleanly, confidently, and without guilt is another.

    ✦ If Today’s Episode Sparked Something…

    * Share it with someone who’s exhausted from saying yes to everything

    * Subscribe to Daily Power Boost for identity-driven leadership recalibration

    * Join the R.E.A.L. Mastery™ Hub → realmasteryhub.com

    * Apply for Beyond the Boost live coaching

    ✦ Engage With Me Online

    * Instagram: @coachshawnmichael

    * TikTok: @coachshawnmichael

    * YouTube: @coachshawnmichael

    * LinkedIn: @coachinguatemala

    ✦ References & Influences

    * Greg McKeown – Essentialism on the cost of non-essential commitments

    * Jim Collins – Good to Great on disciplined choice and focus

    * Joe Hudson – The Art of Accomplishment on fear-based decision loops

    * Parker Palmer – Let Your Life Speak on integrity and self-betrayal

    * Cal Newport – Digital Minimalism on protecting depth and presence

    With strength and heart,

    ❤️🔥 Shawn Michael



    Get full access to True North: Your guide to an intentional life at trunorth.substack.com/subscribe
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    7 m
  • The Good vs. The Best

    The Good vs. The Best
    Dec 18 2025

    You can do a lot of things well.Or you can do a few things exceptionally.But you can’t do both.

    Monday, we talked about the Opportunity Avalanche: how every yes quietly starts to bury you. Today, Shawn addresses the harder question that follows awareness:

    How do you choose?

    Through a mentor story about a successful business owner who was exhausted by “good” opportunities she didn’t actually want, this episode reframes strategy in a way most leaders resist.

    Strategy isn’t about adding more. It’s about having the courage to subtract. Because releasing something good doesn’t mean you failed.

    It means you’re protecting what’s best.

    This episode invites leaders to stop succeeding at things that drain them and start creating space for the work they’re actually built to do.

    In This Episode

    * Why releasing “good” opportunities feels like failure (and why it isn’t)

    * How addition without subtraction leads to dilution, not growth

    * A mentor story that reframed strategy as elimination

    * Why doing fewer things at 100% beats doing everything at 60%

    * The real cost of holding onto commitments that aren’t aligned

    * A simple filter for deciding what stays and what goes

    Reflection Prompts

    * Where am I saying yes to things that are good but not best?

    * What am I currently succeeding at that I don’t actually want to succeed at?

    * If I had to choose only three priorities this year, what would they be?

    * What would open up if I released what no longer fits?

    The Boost (Action Step)

    Run the Good vs. Best Practice.

    Write down this question:

    “If I could only do three things this year, what would they be?”

    Answer honestly.

    Not what looks impressive. Not what others expect. What actually matters most.

    Now review your current commitments. Circle what aligns with your top three. Cross out what doesn’t.

    That crossed-out list isn’t failure. It’s your strategy.

    If you’re struggling to let go of good things that are costing you focus, energy, or alignment, book a No-Cost Identity Clarity Call. We’ll identify what needs to be subtracted so your best work finally has room to breathe.

    On the Next Episode

    The FOMO Tax: What You Pay When You Can’t Say No

    Because once you know what to eliminate, the real challenge is releasing the fear that you’re missing out.

    If Today’s Episode Sparked Something…

    * Share it with a leader who’s overwhelmed by too many “good” opportunities

    * Subscribe to Daily Power Boost for identity-driven leadership resets

    * Join the R.E.A.L. Mastery™ Hub → realmasteryhub.com

    * Apply for Beyond the Boost live coaching

    ✦ Engage With Me Online

    * Instagram: @coachshawnmichael

    * TikTok: @coachshawnmichael

    * YouTube: @coachshawnmichael

    * LinkedIn: @coachinguatemala

    References & Influences

    * Jim Collins – Good to Great on disciplined focus and what to stop doing

    * Greg McKeown – Essentialism on less but better

    * Peter Drucker – strategic effectiveness through choice

    * Joe Hudson – The Art of Accomplishment on alignment over accumulation

    * Parker Palmer – integrity through saying no to what fragments the self

    With strength and heart,

    ❤️🔥 Shawn Michael

    Stay close.



    Get full access to True North: Your guide to an intentional life at trunorth.substack.com/subscribe
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    5 m
  • Beyond the Boost with Paula Washington:

    Beyond the Boost with Paula Washington:
    Dec 17 2025
    Most people think an encore means returning to what worked before.Paula Washington knows better.After decades of success in corporate leadership, consulting, and entrepreneurship, Paula reached a moment most high-achievers quietly fear. Not burnout. Not failure. Irrelevance. The deeper question of who am I becoming now?In this Beyond the Boost conversation, Paula shares the moment her life shifted from achievement to alignment, and why the second act isn’t about doing more. It’s about becoming truer.This episode is for leaders, entrepreneurs, and professionals standing at a threshold. The outer success is there. The inner pull won’t shut up.And the encore is already calling.In this conversation we talk about* Why the encore phase is an identity shift, not a career pivot* How loss, legacy, and mortality clarified Paula’s next chapter* The Encore Framework. Exit, Navigate, Commit, Opportunity, Relevance, Excellence* Why confidence doesn’t come from thinking, it comes from motion* The hidden cost of relevance anxiety in high-performers* How niche clarity creates authority instead of limitation* Why most business bottlenecks live in the leader, not the team* The difference between working in the business and for the business* Why time, not money, is the real currency of leadershipKey TakeawaysThe encore isn’t about starting over.It’s about integrating everything you’ve lived into a more honest expression of who you are now.Fear doesn’t disappear with experience.It changes shape. At this stage, fear isn’t about failure. It’s about wasting what’s left.Relevance isn’t earned by volume.It’s earned by clarity. Knowing who you serve, why you serve them, and what you stand for.Confidence follows action, not preparation.You don’t think your way into courage. You walk it out, shaking if necessary.Leadership always reveals itself in the mirror first.Teams, businesses, and systems reflect the self-trust and blind spots of the person at the helm.Reflection Prompts* If I stopped proving anything, what would I choose next?* Where am I still performing a role that no longer fits?* What part of my identity did success quietly eclipse?* What would relevance look like if it came from alignment, not visibility?* If time is my true currency, what am I overspending it on?The Boost (Identity Action Step)Take ten uninterrupted minutes today.No planning. No fixing.Write this sentence and finish it honestly:“If my encore was about becoming instead of achieving, it would begin with…”Then notice what shows up in your body before your mind tries to edit it.That’s where the real work starts.About Paula WashingtonPaula Washington, MBA, MS, is a strategist, speaker, and author of The Encore Playbook: Bold Strategies for Women Redefining Their Next Career Chapter. Her work helps high-achieving professionals clarify identity, reclaim relevance, and design purpose-driven second acts rooted in wisdom rather than urgency.Website: paulawashington.comLinkedIn, YouTube, Instagram: Paula WashingtonConnect with MeIf this conversation touched something quiet but persistent in you.That sense that your outer success no longer matches who you’re becoming.If you know you’re not done. But you’re also not meant to keep performing the same role.I offer a No-Cost Identity Clarity Call.Not a pitch. Not a plan dump.We’ll look honestly at where you are, what’s no longer true, and what your next chapter is asking of you.So the life you’re building starts to reflect the identity you’re ready to live from.When you’re ready to stop circling the question and start answering it.That’s the moment to book.You can also* Subscribe to Daily Power Boost for rhythm based identity shifts* Find me on Social Networks* Instagram: @coachshawnmichael* TikTok: @coachshawnmichael* YouTube: @coachshawnmichael* LinkedIn: @coachinguatemala With strength & heart,❤️🔥 Shawn Michael Get full access to True North: Your guide to an intentional life at trunorth.substack.com/subscribe
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    57 m
  • The Opportunity Avalanche

    The Opportunity Avalanche
    Dec 16 2025
    Just because opportunities are aligneddoesn’t mean they’re right.You can be clear on who you are. You can build strong rituals. You can surround yourself with people who tell the truth. And still get buried.Because growth doesn’t test your ambition first. It tests your capacity. And most leaders miss this moment.Today, Shawn names the leadership truth most people resist:not every good opportunity deserves a yes.Through a season of rapid visibility, live events, and constant momentum, he shares how success can quietly drain presence when opportunity goes unchecked.Not because the work is wrong. But because the life underneath it starts to thin.This episode reframes discernment as a form of leadership maturity. Not scarcity. Not fear. But protection of identity.Because the opportunities that cost you your presence will eventually cost you what matters most.In This Episode* Why growth brings options before it brings clarity* How leaders confuse alignment with availability* The hidden cost of saying yes too often* Why unchecked opportunity drains presence, not just time* How to tell the difference between a good opportunity and a right one* Why real strategy is subtraction, not addition✦ Reflection Prompts* Where am I saying yes out of fear instead of alignment?* Which commitments feel heavy because they no longer fit who I’m becoming?* What part of my life is running on leftovers right now?* If I were starting fresh today, what would I not choose again?✦ The Boost (Action Step)Run the Opportunity Avalanche Question.Look at your current commitments. Projects. Partnerships. Promises.Then ask yourself, without negotiating:“If I were starting from scratch today, which of these would I still say yes to?”Pay attention to what you hesitate to answer. The commitments you wouldn’t choose again are not neutral. They’re costing you presence.Opportunity doesn’t need to be rejected. It needs to be filtered.If you want support clarifying what’s truly aligned in this season, book a No-Cost Identity Clarity Call. We’ll identify where opportunity is pulling you off centerand what needs to be protected next.✦ On the Next EpisodeThe Good vs. The BestArc 2, The Sacred No, continues: You’ve rebuilt your identity. You’ve anchored your rituals. You’ve invited truth-tellers into your life.Now comes the real test. Can you protect it?Because alignment isn’t lost in chaos. It’s lost when you say yes to things that almost fit.✦ If Today’s Episode Sparked Something…* Share it with someone buried under “good” right now* Subscribe to Daily Power Boost for rhythm-based identity resets* Join the R.E.A.L. Mastery™ Hub → realmasteryhub.com* Apply for Beyond the Boost live coaching✦ Engage With Me Online* Instagram: @coachshawnmichael* TikTok: @coachshawnmichael* YouTube: @coachshawnmichael* LinkedIn: @coachinguatemala ✦ References & Influences* Greg McKeown – Essentialism on disciplined subtraction* Jim Collins – Good to Great on focus and leadership restraint* Parker Palmer – Let Your Life Speak on integrity and wholeness* Joe Hudson – The Art of Accomplishment on alignment over performance* Marshall Rosenberg – Nonviolent Communication on honest self-responsibilityWith strength and heart,❤️🔥 Shawn MichaelStay close. Get full access to True North: Your guide to an intentional life at trunorth.substack.com/subscribe
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    7 m
  • The Accountability Question

    The Accountability Question
    Dec 14 2025
    Just because you’re self-awaredoesn’t mean you’re self-correcting.You can audit yourself all day.You can reset when you notice drift.But blind spots are blind spots for a reason.Today, Shawn names the leadership truth most people resist:you are not always the best judge of when you’re off track.Through a moment when a close friend confronted him about becoming impatient and reactive, he reveals how easily drift becomes normalized when no one is willing or permitted to speak up.This episode reframes accountability as one of the highest forms of care.Not criticism.Not control.But protection of identity.Because the people who speak truth to you aren’t trying to correct you.They’re trying to keep you.In This Episode* Why self-awareness alone isn’t enough to prevent drift* How leaders normalize misalignment without realizing it* The real reason most people won’t speak truth to you* A story of being called out by someone who cared enough to risk discomfort* Why accountability isn’t policing behavior, but protecting identity* How to invite truth without creating defensiveness✦ Reflection Prompts* Who in my life sees me clearly enough to notice when I’m off track?* Have I actually given anyone permission to speak hard truth to me?* Where might I be rationalizing behavior that isn’t aligned with who I am?* If someone said “you’re not acting like yourself,” how would I respond?✦ The Boost (Action Step)Run the Accountability Question.Think of 2–3 people who know you well.People who’ve seen you at your best and your most depleted.Then ask yourself:Have I explicitly given them permission to speak truth to me?If not, reach out this week and say:“If you ever see me drifting from who I am, I need you to tell me. I trust you.”Accountability doesn’t happen by accident.It happens when you invite it.If you’re ready to surround yourself with the right voices and strengthen the inner authority you’re building, book your No-Cost Identity Clarity Call. We’ll identify where drift is most likely to sneak in and who should be part of your personal accountability circle.✦ On the Next EpisodeArc 2 Begins: The Sacred NoYou’ve rebuilt your identity.You’ve anchored your rituals.You’ve invited truth-tellers into your life.Now comes the real test.Can you protect it?Because alignment isn’t lost in chaos.It’s lost when you say yes to things that almost fit.✦ If Today’s Episode Sparked Something…* Share it with someone who values honesty over comfort* Subscribe to Daily Power Boost for rhythm-based identity resets* Join the R.E.A.L. Mastery™ Hub → realmasteryhub.com* Apply for Beyond the Boost live coaching✦ Engage With Me Online* Instagram: @coachshawnmichael* TikTok: @coachshawnmichael* YouTube: @coachshawnmichael* LinkedIn: @coachinguatemala ✦ References & Influences* Brené Brown – Dare to Lead on courageous conversations and trust* Joe Hudson – The Art of Accomplishment on truth-telling as care* Parker Palmer – Let Your Life Speak on integrity and wholeness* Jim Collins – Good to Great on disciplined leadership and accountability* Marshall Rosenberg – Nonviolent Communication on honest, compassionate feedbackWith strength and heart,❤️🔥 Shawn MichaelStay close. Get full access to True North: Your guide to an intentional life at trunorth.substack.com/subscribe
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    7 m
  • The Reset Ritual

    The Reset Ritual
    Dec 12 2025
    Just because you built strong rituals…doesn’t mean you’ll stay anchored.Drift isn’t a flaw in your discipline.Drift is part of being human.Yesterday we closed Arc 1 by building your anchor practice, the rituals that keep you grounded.Today, Shawn names the truth every leader faces but almost no one admits:you’re going to drift anyway.Life gets loud. Crises hit. Deadlines press in.And the practices that keep you centered quietly slip out of your hands.Through a story of slipping out of his own rituals during a season of strain, and the shame that followed, he reveals something essential:leadership isn’t the absence of drift.It’s the capacity to reset without self-punishment.This episode invites leaders to replace perfectionism with resilience.To build a reset ritual so they can return to center quickly, compassionately, and consistently.In This Episode* Why even disciplined leaders drift from their rituals* How shame turns drift into a downward spiral* Shawn’s own season of slipping and what brought him back* The difference between perfect consistency and resilient reset* What a reset ritual truly is (and what it’s not)* How small, simple practices reconnect you to your core✦ Reflection Prompts* Where have I drifted from my grounding rituals?* What shame story have I attached to falling out of rhythm?* What’s one small practice I can resume today that reconnects me to myself?* Do I treat ritual as an identity anchor or an all-or-nothing performance?✦ The Boost (Action Step)Run your Reset Ritual.Ask yourself:“Have I drifted?”If the answer is yes, don’t shame it.Just choose one anchoring practice.And do it today.Five minutes of journaling.Ten minutes of walking.Five minutes of silence.Not dramatic.Not perfect.Just reconnection.If you’re ready to build identity rhythms that bring you back to yourself without punishment or pressure, book your No-Cost Identity Clarity Call. We’ll map out the rituals, resets, and identity anchors that help you lead with steadiness through every season.✦ On the Next EpisodeThe Accountability Question: Who’s Speaking Truth to You?Because you can reset yourself when you notice the drift…but you need people who can name the drift you don’t see.✦ If Today’s Episode Sparked Something…* Share it with someone who feels like they’re slipping but can’t name why.* Subscribe to Daily Power Boost for rhythm-based identity resets.* Join the R.E.A.L. Mastery™ Hub → realmasteryhub.com* Apply for Beyond the Boost live coaching.✦ Engage With Me Online* Instagram: @coachshawnmichael* TikTok: @coachshawnmichael* YouTube: @coachshawnmichael* LinkedIn: @coachinguatemala ✦ References & Influences* Tara Brach – Radical Acceptance on compassion in the face of self-judgment* James Clear – Atomic Habits on identity-driven habit resets* Joe Hudson – The Art of Accomplishment (podcast) on emotional agility and returning to truth* Cal Newport – Digital Minimalism on protecting the space needed for realignment* Parker Palmer – Let Your Life Speak on coming back to your inner groundingWith strength & heart,❤️🔥 Shawn MichaelStay close. Get full access to True North: Your guide to an intentional life at trunorth.substack.com/subscribe
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    6 m