It's my 51st birthday, and I'm doing what I do best, speaking from my heart. In this solo episode, I get straight to the three things I most want you to know at this stage of my life: the tools that actually accelerated my healing, what fourteen-plus years of sobriety has made possible, and why the last five years have been the most transformative (and most brutal), of my life. I also have an exciting announcement: registration is open for The Words You're Here to Write Masterclass, a six-week live mentorship program I've co-created with my friend and  bestselling author Shannon Kaiser. Whether you're thinking about a memoir, building a body of work, or just ready to finally write the thing you've been talking yourself out of–  this one's for you! What you’ll hear in this episode: Plant medicine, astrology, and writing don't create the truth, they surface it. Your nervous system has to be ready to hold a story before you can tell it. Sobriety didn't just mean abstaining from alcohol, it made everything else possible. Staying present for the hard stuff, instead of running from it, is what allowed me to move through it. Perimenopause, a second divorce, Chiron return, and this cultural moment hitting at the same time is no fucking joke. A dark night of the soul isn't failure, it means you said yes to becoming someone new. If you've been waiting for permission to feel the weight of what you're carrying and keep going anyway, consider this it. Happy birthday to me! 🎉 Resources from this episode: The Words You're Here to Write Masterclass Last year’s Birthday series, Coming Home to Yourself, episode 1 on Self-abandonment Book recommendations:I love a good personal development book, and you do too, right? I’ve compiled a list of book recommendations, as mentioned in past episodes. Check out these amazing book recommendations here. Happy reading! MSN is supported by:We love the sponsors that make our show possible! You can always find all the special deals and codes for all our current sponsors on our website: andreaowen.com/sponsors/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices