Turning Weakness into Wisdom

Part 1 of 4 – The Inside Work that Changes Everything

Over the next month, I’m inviting you into a deeper conversation — one that touches the heart of transformation, the inside work that changes everything. 

It’s the concept of turning your perceived weaknesses into wisdom — and it’s one of the most life-changing shifts I’ve experienced personally and witnessed in hundreds of clients over the years.

We often think our “problems” — fear, self-doubt, perfectionism, people-pleasing, overworking — are our weaknesses. But what if those patterns are actually the material we get to work with?

What if “problems and struggles” are the path?

What if your mess is not a mistake — it’s your mirror, your teacher, and your compass?

In my own life, the most profound external success — in leadership, business, love, and peace has always followed deep internal work. What people see on the outside has come from being willing to go inside first and take an honest look in the mirror at the MESSY and learn from it and love it. I woke up this morning feeling out of sorts, like something is wrong. Not a great way to start the day… unless I slow down and know that there is something for me to see (still in process!) 

So for the next four weeks, I’ll be sharing personal stories — three patterns I’ve had to work through (and still revisit!) that once held me back, but have since become doorways to clarity, confidence, and alignment. These aren’t just my stories — I see them every day in my clients, too.

Here’s what we’ll explore:

• Part 2: Releasing the Fear of Judgment (and what freedom really feels like)

• Part 3: From Perfectionism to Permission (the power of messy truth)

• Part 4: Allow Them To Be Angry (how I stopped being the harmonizer)

But first, let me offer one example — a story that ties them all together.

The Invisible Work Becomes the Visible Transformation

Many years ago, I realized I was living in a tension I couldn’t name.

I was showing up at work — achieving, helping, leading — doing all the things. But underneath the surface, I often felt like I was wearing a version of myself that wasn’t fully mine. I wasn’t lying… but I wasn’t free or fully honest either.

There were layers of self-protection:

Worrying about what others would think.

Trying to make things just right.

Avoiding conflict at all costs.

This example was at work. In meetings, especially when the topic turned technical — like secondary markets or risk management — I’d feel this wave of insecurity rise. Instead of saying, “Can you explain that?” or “I don’t quite follow,” I’d nod, offer some vague comment, and try to look smart. I was using smoke and mirrors, hoping no one would notice that I didn’t actually know what I was talking about.

And sometimes… they did notice. People would tilt their heads or give me a puzzled look. My words didn’t quite land, and it stung. Not because they were judging me — but because I wasn’t being real.

I didn’t realize then that I was still acting like the performer I had learned to be in childhood. I grew up in a household where conflict was loud and unpredictable. I became the harmonizer. The peacekeeper. The overachiever. And that worked — until it didn’t.

What looked like high performance on the outside was often fueled by anxiety on the inside.

What looked like leadership was sometimes a mask for fear.

The turning point didn’t happen overnight. It came slowly — through coaching, journaling, somatic work, and raw, honest conversations with people I trusted. I began to see that these patterns weren’t failures — they were survival tools. They had protected me. And now, it was time to thank them… and let them go.

That’s when the freedom started when I learned from my weaknesses.

The Invitation This Month

This work isn’t always glamorous (which I shared recently and you can read HERE). It takes courage to look at yourself with honesty and compassion.

But the reward?

You stop performing, and you start becoming.

And the life you build from this place?

It’s not only more joyful… It’s real. It’s yours.

So I invite you to walk with me through this series — read, reflect, journal, share. Let this be a month where you tune inward to clear what’s no longer serving you and claim what wants to emerge.

Coming Next Week:

Part 2: Releasing the Fear of Being Judged