A note from Wanda:
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A Letter, Not an Intro
Hey Friend,
Have you ever left a conversation and thought, “Why did I say yes to that?”
Not because you’re flaky. Not because you’re indecisive. But because, in the moment, something in you froze. Your mouth said yes before your spirit had a chance to answer.
I’ve noticed those moments often come with a little body signal first: a tight throat, a shallow breath, a sudden heaviness. My body knows I’m about to override myself before my mind does.
Sometimes the room feels warm and welcoming. Other times it feels like if I don’t blend in, I’ll be pushed out. Either way, that old script can rise up: “Don’t make it awkward. Just agree. Just go along.”
But I’m slowly learning that my body isn’t the problem.
It’s the alarm system trying to get my attention.
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Why This Matters
The Quiet Practice of A.L.I.G.N.
There’s a moment, often just a few seconds long, where you and I get to choose:
Will I collapse into what’s expected, or will I stay rooted in what’s true?
I like to think of that moment as an invitation to align—not with other people’s comfort, but with my own God-given center.
Alignment, for me, doesn’t look like a perfect, polished decision tree. It feels more like pausing long enough to ask some gentle questions:
Awareness: Did I just make myself smaller just now?
Listen: What is my body whispering beneath the noise? Tight? Tired? Calm? Strong?
Inquire: Who benefits if I stay silent? Who pays the price if I do?
Ground: What do I actually know to be true here? What values do I want to stand in?
Nurture: Where can I be with people who don’t need me to vanish in order to be loved?
Not as a checklist, but as a way of turning back toward yourself, again and again.
Conscious belonging isn’t about finding the one perfect circle where everybody agrees on everything. It’s about learning to stay present to your own soul—even when the room is moving in a different direction.
You’re allowed to breathe, to wait, to say, “I need a moment.”
You’re allowed to change your mind once you realize, “That yes wasn’t honest for me.”
You’re allowed to choose relationships and spaces where your voice is not merely tolerated, but welcomed.
Alignment is not urgency. Alignment is unhurried. It listens. It waits until things settle inside before it moves.
If you’re sitting with something similar, you might simply ask yourself this week:
“Where am I being invited to align instead of agree?”
Maybe it’s a conversation you’ve been postponing, a habit you’ve outgrown, or a “role” you’ve been performing in a family or community that no longer fits.
Let that question walk with you for a few days. See what rises.
If you want to hear more of the story behind this, you’re welcome to revisit Episode 12—I share how an old psychology experiment helped me see my own patterns clearer.
That’s it for this week.
May you have the courage to pause before you perform.
May your nervous system feel just a little safer each time you tell the truth.
May you find, or build, circles where your honesty is an asset—not a threat.
Keep showing up for you. Keep flowing in freedom! 💜
Liberating Living Weekly
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