I'm El Michael Burt, the host of the Throuble
Journey podcast. And you know, we're doing the
Alignment Reset series this month and we had
David on last week and next week, this Monday,
or actually this week, right? And then next week,
Monday, we're gonna have Courtney McDermott on,
all right? And so I got two people in this studio
that can see a chat here. All right. All right,
perfect. So we're good to go, y 'all. And I just
want to say thank you for being here. And so
we do this live, and then we record it, and then
we put it up on all the RSS feed to show on all
of the podcast forms. platforms. So you get to
watch or listen to this after this live show.
And once again, we're starting to market this
day, Friday Night Lives, because we want a lot
of audience here so that we can engage in what
it takes to live successfully as a human being.
There's a lot of things that we're facing with
today. be it politics, be it personal life, be
it all of that, right? And so this is a community
in which you get to ask questions, experience
things, and right now I'm doing the alignment
reset for the next two weeks, and then we're
gonna have guests, and then I'm still gonna come
up and do solos and all that kind of good stuff,
okay? So you can come here and be a part of the
live studio. You could be on Facebook, you could
be on YouTube, and then we send links out to
be on Riverside so that I can see you right here
in the chat, and we could ask questions, answer
questions, and some of the people that will be
in the community will actually talk to you and
actually bring you up to be on an actual video,
all right? So. Let me just make sure everything
is good. So, yeah, man, you know, this is an
interesting time for us, you know, as human beings
and we're as we're moving into 2026. This is
the second going on the third week of 2026. And
we've been talking about the alignment reset,
the alignment reset. And it's a great topic,
you know, so. What I really want to talk to you
about Tonight is The space that most people they
really don't talk about right and it's not because
that space is rare rare but because It's uncomfortable.
All right, it's the space You end up when the
version of you that you use that used to work
no longer fits but the next version of you really
hasn't fully taken shape shape yet and You know
I have a client that I coached, and we're actually
maneuvering through that space right now. And
if you're in that space, what usually gets triggered
in that space first is not wisdom, which we talked
about today. It's kind of a panic, right? Because
we're taught directly and indirectly that we're
supposed to always know who we are. And that
identity is something is supposed to be solid,
stable, and definable. So when that solidity
starts to loosen, I would assert that the mind
immediately goes to work trying to fix the filling.
And it starts to asking questions that sounds
reasonable, but I would say that it's actually
rooted in fear. And the questions would be like,
who am I now in this space? where I know where
I'm going, where I think I know where I'm going,
but what behind me, it feels comfortable, right?
So it's like, who am I now? Why don't I feel
like myself? Why can't I get back to how things
were or how things used to be or how comfortable
I used to be? And the thing those questions all
have in common is the assumption that you're
supposed to go back. But what if what's actually
happening is simpler and more honest than that?
What if an identity expired, not dramatically,
not all at once, but quietly? So what I'm asking
or saying is the way you use to organize yourself,
stop working overtime without consciously deciding
it. So most people, I would assert, don't notice
identity change while it's happening. Like when
you're in the middle of it all, you don't notice
the change. So the strategies that used to carry
you don't have that same energy anymore. There's
a difference that you're experiencing, right?
The motivations that once drove you don't move
you anymore the same way. The way that you used
to show up starts to feel heavy. It's forced.
you know like you're wearing uh something that
like truly no longer fits right so naturally
naturally people reach for familiarity they try
to rebuild the older version of themselves because
it's you know it's known people feel familiar
right so here's here's the jewel okay familiar
doesn't mean that you're aligned All right, so
you're not aligned with the familiarity of things.
It's just what's What you're used to it's what's
practiced and This is where I think where people
will continue operating from what's familiar
because it provides stability not because it's
true They try to decide who they are before they're
they've allowed who they were to fully release
and They try to skip the in -between but the
in -between It is an empty space. It's not a
void. I would say that's like, it's incubation,
right? It's a space or a working space. And here's
what I'll say. Like I'm somewhat in an incubation
space. I'm getting to grow who I am in this space.
And it's where, you know, something real starts
to organize itself into the person and the places
where I'm going. So I've been living in that
space for quite some time and you know Here's
the amazing thing. There's there's a space of
creativity that happens there as well If you
just sometimes if you just let it be you're not
trying to force an outcome That's a it's a beautiful
space to be in Okay, so when you're aligned to
the purchase future self that you're becoming
You're not forcing anything So, right now, I'm
building a media company called Fei Wei Media
under the Orients Group. And that's where, you
know, where moments where I wanted to find, there
were moments where I wanted to find it early,
but let me explain what Fei Wei means, the word
Fei Wei. Fei is the middle of my mother's name,
right? So the funny thing is I called it El Michael
Productions, so vain, right? It was very vain,
but it didn't give me a heart to move things
forward. And so I just changed the name. I changed
it to Fei Wei. And Fei Wei is the middle of my
mother's name. My mother's no longer on this
plane. But once I did that, it was like something
aligned. And in the realignment of the alignment,
I was trying to define it. And it's still really
defining, defining itself. So as much as I can
explain it, it's just what I just showed you.
And I don't have to lock it down right now before
it's actually becoming what it is. And it's becoming
something that's beyond my idea. And so I love
that the space of the in -between, it's up and
down, left and right. It gets crazy. but there's
a space of creativity, right? And when you try
to force an outcome, there's something, you know,
it feels off and you get to experience that in
that space, okay? And when you're trying to force
something, like I said, it feels off and it's
not because, you know, you know, I don't really
know what I'm doing or, you know, It was just,
I was trying to force a certainty. But what changed
for me was the slowing down. Like I said, slowing
down in that space. And slowing down enough to
let my system settle and actually identify with
the person I'm becoming. Not the one who needs
to control or control the outcome. And when I
did that, as I'm doing that really, things started
showing up. A possible partnership is showing
up. A possible funding is showing up. And there
is work to do in all of that. But I don't have
to grind. I don't have to grind. I don't have
to force outcomes anymore. I just do what I'm
really aligned with and meant to do. Do what
I need to do in the work of it all. get out of
the way and let the universe, God, spirit, whatever
you call it, do the rest, okay? And when I'm
aligned like that, like I said, partnerships
show up, conversations open up, opportunities
come to surface that I couldn't have planned
or controlled or tried to control. And these
doors are opening that I didn't even know existed.
And it's not because I stopped working. But because
I stopped interfering and that's the difference
In the universe, you know, I would just say doesn't
respond to force it responds to coherence and
so when I stopped trying to make something happen
and focused on Staying aligned with what was
organizing. It was like the larger picture could
finally move forward right and I'm still practicing
this All right, I'm still practicing this. And
this is what I would love to have community here.
So we can have these kind of questions, see what's
showing up for you, see what kind of questions
you have, and see where you're in the space where
identity is showing itself to you from the past
or the one that you're becoming. And so I would
assert that the old identity In this space when
I as I'm trying to create something, you know,
it wants to push it wants to control it wants
to force Force results so it can feel secure
because that is the comfort spot right The identity
that's emerging though doesn't operate that way
It still takes action, but it doesn't try to
dominate the process and just do a check -in
with yourself Okay, is that identity that you're
living into? really making space for you while
you're still comfortable with the past identity.
Alright, that's the in between that I'm talking
about. You're still moving. You're still working
and creating. You're still but you know, you're
just no longer, you know, trying to overpower
the overpower the moment and in that space. Sometimes
you feel like it's passive, but it's not passive
being passive. Alright, it's the alignment with
responsibility. I would say and this is why demanding
certainty from yourself in this season the season
that's like in the in the in between It's a season
that you may feel like yourself it's like you
feel like you're thrown off But that's just a
reemerging of the future identity coming forward.
So certainty belongs to the old identity It already
knows how to operate. It already has language.
It already has habits. But the identity that's
forming doesn't have that yet. So when you're
trying to force clarity too early, you default
back to what's practice instead of allowing what's
true to organize and bring you forward to the
future, the future reality that you're creating
for yourself. And I have to watch myself here
because you know, not rushing fey way media into
a definition just because people feel like I
need to have a definition or it should be done
by now or not rushing my own identity just because
the old label doesn't apply cleanly anymore,
right? That pause, it isn't confusion. The pause
that I'm in that I keep finding myself in is
a discipline, right? And it's the same discipline
that I'm inviting you into, really. In that discipline,
it's just like, so the old identity is just really
a force of habits that you've practiced over
and over again. And the new identity doesn't
have those habits yet. And so it's a discipline
to begin to create the future that you're living
into, all right? So. That's the in between All
right, and I really want it out man. I wish people
were here So I'm inviting you come on. Let's
have this conversation. Okay, so let me just
kind of land this cleanly The discipline I'm
inviting you to right It the discipline I'm inviting
you to in between now and next Friday It isn't
about doing more It's about interfering less.
It's about paying attention to where you're trying
to force outcomes, rush clarity, or explain yourself
before something actually settled. So this week,
I invite you to notice where you're still operating
from what's practiced instead of what's aligned.
And I'm right along with you. I'm going through
the same thing. because something bigger is being
formed, and the old identity cannot move forward
into the future that I'm living into. So notice
where you're trying to control timing instead
of staying coherent with what's forming. That's
awareness all along by itself, and the awareness
is the work. That's the work. So I invite you
to do that. I encourage you to do that because
like I continue to say over and over again, we
don't want to recreate a 2024 or 2025. There's
purpose for us to live and there's a purpose
that we can live into. And so forcing something,
when you're trying to force something, there's
a resistance there that occurs and that's just
not where we want to live. We don't want to live
in the resistance. All right, be non -resistant
to the greatness of you that is that is for me.
OK, so let's see. We went about 18 minutes, which
is cool, man. This is cool. So I'm trying to
see if I want to say more, but but I think I'm
OK. So look, I want you to be connected. And
if you want to stay connected with what we're
building here, there are two ways to do that.
Right. So first is through the newsletter. And
that's where you'll get updates on, you know,
upcoming episodes when we're going live and how
to stay connected with, you know, with the work
as it unfolds. Again, you know, we're kind of
really in the beginning stages of this of the
new stage of the podcast. And that's how you
stay connected. So if you want the links, the
schedule and to stay in the loop, that's where
to go. So I actually I'll share the link here
now so that you can. Let's see what we got here
so that you can Go and be So you can go so go
to that website Thriveworldjourney .com you can
sign up for the newsletter And you can stay in
touch with you know what we're doing what we
got going on All right, and the second way is
the studio you know that's a separate experience
okay and if you want to join us live in the studio
ask questions be part of the real -time conversation
uh you can sign up and we can send you i think
we'll probably be seeing this studio link directly
through the newsletter um that's a way into the
studio uh through the newsletter all right uh
because we can we can communicate you know the
access of all that kind of stuff and the timing
all right Um, so the other part is let me see
here. Do I have the link here? All right. All
right. All right. Show it to you one more time.
There we go. And so that is the link. All right.
And if this conversation, if it resonated, with
you and you want to, you know, something to work
with in between sessions, I want to invite you
to spend time with the Empowered Path. There's
a book, Empowered Shift, and then there's a workbook,
The Empowered Path. And it's not a shortcut,
you know, it's not a fix for what we're talking
about here. It's truly a companion. Empowered
Path is a companion to the Empowered Shift book.
It's a way to give structure to what we're talking
about, which is the in -between. So you can stay
oriented while things are organizing themselves,
while the unknown is organizing itself. So the
first chapter is available for you and is there
to support the work. And like I said, it's not
a rush process, right? It's not like I read this
and I get like everything answered overnight.
So let me share that link there. Oh, let's see.
Give me that. There we go. Show that link right
there. There it goes. It's a bitly link. It's
not a fake link. It's a bitly link. You won't
get spammed or anything like that. So that is
the first chapter. All right. And get that workbook.
Get the first chapter. Read through it if you
want more. There's a link at the end where you
can get the rest of the book there. OK. So on
Mondays. the podcast at 7am this Monday coming
up is going to be an amazing conversation with
Courtney McDermott. That conversation really
goes directly into what it looks like to lead
and create from alignment when the old ways no
longer work. It's a strong continuation of what
we're doing right here, especially if you're
sensing the pull to evolve but haven't had the
language that it requires. Check out the podcast
on Monday morning 7 a .m. So between now next
Friday Don't try like don't try to resolve anything,
you know, just don't resolve right just don't
rush to define, you know, what's happening to
you in the in the middle space and Just realize
that something new is for me Don't try to get
ahead of the process like we talked about discipline
stay discipline and Awareness stay aware right
stay aligned with what's true? Instead of what
you feel is familiar. That's a big thing like
we We fall back into familiar familiarity right
and we then look at the word or the The psycho
and we use the word Stuck and I hate that word
because humans don't get stuck. We don't We don't
get stuck a truck get stuck, right? But we don't
get stuck. We just live on we live in old familiar
patterns, right? Like I said, listen, i'm going
through this too, right? I'm going through this
with you with you and you know It's a it's just
a human condition and nothing's wrong right?
It's all okay so Just stay aligned stay aligned
with what's true to you instead of you know,
a thing that's familiar to you. Okay, and We're
all at our own level alone that our own levels
of understanding All right live in the trust
that the universe is working for you God is working
for you. All right, and just realize that your
life is It's happening and it can happen in the
way that that you're aligned with, either the
one that you're becoming or the old one that
you're living. Okay, so we'll be back next Friday.
Continue the conversation. We have two more episodes
of the alignment series. I just want you to know
I love you and hope that you are getting your
life out of what we're doing here. And I'm glad
that, you know, either let's see nobody's here.
So Let me see. I don't know actually because
I can't I can't see any of the The chats, but
listen if you're gonna watch this on the after,
you know the recorded session Comment, you know
share what you've gotten out of this conversation
or what I've been shared with you and Just know
that Friday 7 p .m. We're live you get to come
and have the conversation about what's what's
true to you What's happening in your life and
how you're lining? with your future self and
get questions answered and just begin to live
your life newly in 2026. Again I love you and
I wish the best and I'm excited that you know
we're just creating newly into who we're becoming
in 2026. So I have so much more to say but I'm
going to end it there and we're going to continue
next week Friday. Make sure that you connect
with us on Let's see LinkedIn YouTube Facebook
Instagram all the things right and Make sure
you get in that newsletter Again, I love you.
I will see you next Friday And I'm looking for
a thousand people to show up in the studios.
All right Y 'all take care and we'll see you
next Friday be well