The Adult Chair Podcast with Michelle Chalfant

Episode Summary
Self-worth is an inside job, but so many of us were taught to look outside of ourselves to feel valuable. In this episode, I'm talking about what self-worth really is, where it comes from, and how appearance, performance, perfectionism, people-pleasing, codependency, and outside validation can shape the way we see ourselves.
I also share part of my own story of growing up with my worth tied to beauty and appearance, and how that eventually led me on a deeper journey of building real self-worth from within.
You'll learn how to come back to fact and truth when comparison or self-judgment starts to spiral, how to practice self-validation in small everyday moments, and how to help children build healthy self-worth by validating who they are, not just what they do.
Key Takeaways
Self-worth is not something you have to earn
Looking outside of yourself for your worth leads to unhealthy patterns and relationships
Appearance, performance, helping, perfectionism, and people-pleasing can all become ways we try to feel worthy
Codependency can make our identity and self-worth feel tied to helping others
Children build self-worth through what is modeled and reflected back to them
Validating children for who they are is more powerful than only praising what they do
Comparison is not always the problem. The problem is when comparison turns into self-judgment
Stories are not fact and truth, and they can send us into anxiety, overwhelm, and awfulizing
You have the power to choose which thoughts you latch onto
Changing your physical state can help interrupt a negative emotional spiral
Small daily validations matter, even if no one else sees them
Healthy self-worth is built from the inside out
Resources from this Episode:
Free Self-Worth Masterclass:
https://theadultchair.com/selfworth
The Adult Chair® Metamorphosis Live Event:
https://theadultchair.com/liveevents
 
MORE MICHELLE CHALFANT
Website: https://www.michellechalfant.com
Membership: The Adult Chair® Collective
https://www.michellechalfant.com/collective 
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/themichellechalfant
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheMichelleChalfant
The Adult Chair® Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/theadultchair
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/Michellechalfant

Episode Summary
In this episode, I'm talking about empty nest syndrome and what it really feels like when one or more of your children leave the nest.
So many people talk about this season of life, but nothing can fully prepare you for the grief, quiet, sadness, and identity shift that can come when your child moves out, goes to college, or begins building a life outside your home. 
Today, I'm sharing seven ways to navigate empty nest syndrome from your Adult Chair. We talk about allowing yourself to feel the grief instead of numbing or avoiding it, validating yourself for the job you did as a parent, trusting your children to figure life out, and learning how to let them make mistakes without rushing in to save them.
I also talk about why this season can become the beginning of your "act three." After years of raising children, driving carpool, making meals, showing up at practices, helping with school, and focusing so much energy on your family, the focus begins to shift back to you. This can feel uncomfortable at first, but it can also become a beautiful opportunity to rediscover who you are now.
This episode is a reminder that empty nest grief is real, but it does not last forever. There is a light at the end of the tunnel. When we allow our emotions to move through, trust our children, honor the wisdom we have earned, and create space to reconnect with ourselves, this new chapter can become a powerful season of healing, freedom, and rediscovery.
Key Takeaways
Grief is a healthy part of the empty nest process
From the Adult Chair, we do not avoid grief. We feel it, journal it, walk with it, cry it out, and allow it to move through
Grief may come in waves, especially when you think about your child or notice the quiet in the house
You do not have to be a perfect parent to acknowledge that you did a good job
Trusting your child means allowing them to make mistakes, figure things out, and learn resilience
When we constantly save or fix things for our children, they do not learn how to trust themselves
Empty nest can be the beginning of "act three," a new season where wisdom catches up with freedom
Boredom can be powerful because it creates space for inspiration, intuition, and new ideas
Getting quiet allows you to hear the deeper nudges and downloads that can guide your next chapter
Resources from this Episode:
The Adult Chair® Live Event: Metamorphosis
https://theadultchair.com/liveevent 
 
MORE MICHELLE CHALFANT
Website: https://www.michellechalfant.com
Membership: The Adult Chair® Collective
https://www.michellechalfant.com/collective 
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/themichellechalfant
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheMichelleChalfant
The Adult Chair® Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/theadultchair
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/Michellechalfant

Episode Summary
We're talking about money and abundance today, and this is such a powerful topic because the word "money" alone can bring up so much contraction, fear, shame, and emotion for people.
In this episode, I'm joined by Shanna Stevens, a holistic master life coach through The Adult Chair, for a vulnerable and transformational conversation about money blocks, receiving abundance, and the unconscious beliefs that can keep us stuck.
So many people are doing all the "right" things. They are visualizing, affirming, meditating, making vision boards, taking wealth consciousness courses, and trying to manifest abundance. But sometimes, no matter how much we consciously desire something, there is an unconscious belief underneath that is blocking us from receiving it.
Shanna shares that she had been doing all the things to call in more money and abundance, but instead of money flowing in, she was feeling scarcity, fear, embarrassment, and stress around paying bills, buying food, and finding income. During one of our coaching calls, she vulnerably raised her hand and asked for help, and we began listening for the patterns and keywords underneath what she was saying.
As we worked together, we traced her money block back to a childhood memory of being five years old and watching her mother cry as boxes of donated food and clothing were being dropped off for their family. As a child, Shanna took on the embarrassment she felt from her mother and unconsciously formed the belief that receiving abundance was embarrassing.
Once we found that taproot, we were able to work with her inner child, update the old belief, and help her see the truth: her family was actually receiving abundance. It may not have looked the way the ego thought it should, but support, food, clothing, and care were coming in.
After that shift, Shanna felt lighter, softer, more open, and more able to receive. Within days, money and opportunities began flowing in, including refunded fees, new clients, paid-in-full sessions, an invitation to present, and more ease in her body and energy. 
Key Takeaways:
The word "money" can bring up contraction, fear, shame, and triggers for many people
Abundance blocks are often connected to unconscious beliefs formed in childhood
Manifesting, affirmations, gratitude, and vision boards can be helpful, but they may not work if an opposite core belief is running underneath
Our unconscious beliefs often create the reality we are living in now
Triggers can reveal the hidden beliefs that are blocking what we want to create
Owning your current reality is the first step to transformation
Shanna's money block was connected to embarrassment, worthiness, and receiving
As a child, Shanna took on her mother's embarrassment around receiving donated food and clothing
The old belief that emerged was: "To receive abundance is embarrassing"
Inner child work helps us update old programs and release beliefs that are no longer true
Receiving abundance can include money, support, opportunities, love, friendship, care, and ease
When an old belief shifts, the body and energy field can feel lighter, softer, and more open
Money and opportunities can begin to flow more easily when the energetic block is removed
Abundance does not have to feel forced or heavy. It can feel easy, aligned, and natural
Resources from this Episode:
Shanna Stevens Website:
https://shannastevens.com
The Adult Chair® Metamorphosis:
https://theadultchair.com/metamorphosis
The Adult Chair® Coaching Certification:
https://theadultchair.com/certification
 
MORE MICHELLE CHALFANT
Website: https://www.michellechalfant.com
Membership: The Adult Chair Collective
https://www.michellechalfant.com/collective 
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/themichellechalfant
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheMichelleChalfant
The Adult Chair® Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/theadultchair
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/Michellechalfant

Episode Summary
Feeling stuck can feel overwhelming, hopeless, and frustrating, but you are more powerful than you think.
I'm sharing six simple tools to help you get unstuck and begin creating real movement in your life. Whether you feel stuck in a relationship, a job, a friendship, a pattern, or the way you feel about yourself, these steps can help you shift your energy, change your thoughts, and start moving toward the life you truly want.
I talk about the importance of accepting where you are right now, not because you like it or want it to stay that way, but because acceptance creates movement. When we stop avoiding what is right in front of us, we can begin to make new choices.
I also share how to get clear on where you want to go, how to stop giving energy to what you do not want, and why your thoughts and spoken words are so powerful. We talk about gratitude, journaling, emotional release, and the choice we all have between staying in the victim seat or stepping into empowerment.
Key Takeaways
Accepting your current reality does not mean you like it, approve of it, or want it to stay the same
Avoiding what is happening in your life takes a lot of energy
Getting clear on what you want helps you move toward a new reality
Visualization and feeling into your future self can help you create change
Your thoughts are powerful, but your spoken words are even more powerful
Talking constantly about what is wrong can keep you anchored in the reality you want to change
Gratitude helps shift your energy and move you from stuckness toward possibility
Journaling is a powerful way to purge thoughts, emotions, and energy from the body
You can choose the victim path or the empowered path
Intentional thoughts and conscious choices help you reclaim your power
MORE MICHELLE CHALFANT
Website: https://www.michellechalfant.com
Membership: The Adult Chair® Collective
https://www.michellechalfant.com/collective 
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/themichellechalfant
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheMichelleChalfant
The Adult Chair® Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/theadultchair
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/Michellechalfant

Have you ever wondered if you are an empath, a highly sensitive person, or both?
I'm breaking down the difference between an empath and an HSP, which stands for highly sensitive person. I explain what empathy is, what makes someone an empath, and how empaths often absorb the emotions and energy of people, groups, and places. When we do not understand this about ourselves, it can lead to overwhelm, fatigue, anxiety, depression, mood swings, and the feeling that something is wrong with us when really, we are picking up on energy that may not even belong to us.
I also share common traits of empaths, including sensitivity to light, sound, crowds, other people's emotions, nature, animals, and authenticity. Then, I explain how highly sensitive people are similar to empaths, but with one key difference: HSPs may sense and feel deeply, but they do not absorb other people's emotions in the same way an empath does.
Key Takeaways
Empathy is the ability to feel with another person, but being an empath takes this sensitivity to another level
Empaths are deeply attuned to the energy and emotions of people, groups, and places
Many empaths do not realize they are absorbing emotions that are not their own
Unaware empaths may experience overwhelm, fatigue, anxiety, depression, or mood instability
Empaths often feel deeply connected to nature and animals
Crowds, noise, bright lights, television, news, and chaotic environments can feel overwhelming to an empath's nervous system
People are often naturally drawn to empaths and may share deeply personal things with them
Empaths can often sense when someone is being inauthentic or hiding behind a mask
Alone time, or "cave time," helps empaths recharge
Self-care, nature, grounding, boundaries, and micro moments of peace are essential for empaths
Highly sensitive people and empaths share many traits, but HSPs do not absorb other people's emotions in the same way
You can be both an empath and a highly sensitive person
MORE MICHELLE CHALFANT
Website: https://www.michellechalfant.com
Membership: The Adult Chair® Collective
https://www.michellechalfant.com/collective 
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/themichellechalfant
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheMichelleChalfant
The Adult Chair® Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/theadultchair
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/Michellechalfant