Episode 7

When You Do Not Recognize Yourself Anymore

Have you ever looked up in the middle of your everyday life and felt like a stranger to yourself? Not because of one dramatic moment but because of a slow quiet drift that happened so gradually you did not even notice until you were already far from shore.

In this episode Marilyn opens up an honest conversation about what it actually looks like to lose yourself. Whether it happened through chasing goals that were never really yours, pushing through a long hard season, or spending time in work and relationships that did not align with your values, the drift is real. And so is the way back.

This episode is not about shame or starting over. It is about recognition, compassion, and taking one small step back toward the person you have always been underneath everything else.

In this episode:

  • Why we lose ourselves gradually not all at once and why that makes it so hard to notice
  • What happens when we chase goals that were never really ours to begin with
  • How stress and burnout quietly pull us away from the things that make us feel like ourselves
  • Why misalignment in our work and business life bleeds into everything else
  • How to use the bubble method to release the pressure of who everyone else expects us to be
  • Five gentle ways to start finding your way back to yourself

This week's takeaway: Ask yourself one honest question. Who am I when nobody is watching and nothing is expected of me? That answer is your compass. And no matter how far you have drifted it has been there all along waiting for you to come back to it.

Connect with Marilyn: www.MarilynBarker.com

Hashtags: #PutItInABubble #MentalHealth #FindYourself #YouAreNotLost #MindsetShift #LiveInAlignment #PersonalGrowth #MentalWellness #ComingBackToYourself #LetItGo #SelfDiscovery #GrowthMindset #EmotionalHealth #TrueToYourself #BePatientWithYourself

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Put it in a bubble
Life, Mindset & Everything In Between

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About your host

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Marilyn Barker

Marilyn Barker is an author, speaker, business consultant, motivational coach, and the creator of Put It in a Bubble™. Through her books, podcast, workshops, and coaching, she helps people create space, shift their perspective, process difficult moments, and take intentional steps forward.
Put It in a Bubble™ is built around a simple idea: you do not have to carry everything at once. Marilyn encourages listeners to pause, decide what deserves their energy, take action where needed, and release what they no longer need to hold onto.
Her approach is practical, encouraging, and grounded in real life. The goal is not to ignore hard things or force positivity, but to handle challenges with more awareness, stronger self-talk, greater resilience, and a clearer sense of what comes next.
Marilyn is the founder of Barker Business Services LLC, which serves as the umbrella for her consulting, speaking, educational resources, books, and the Put It in a Bubble™ brand.

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