What do you do when you’ve lost yourself (or parts of yourself) in love? In this heartfelt conversation Megan Walrod, author of It’s Always Been Me, explores how to reclaim your voice, stop giving away your power, and stay true to yourself in your relationships.
Find out how to have the best love and sex of your life!
What to Do if You’ve Lost Yourself in a Relationship: Show Notes
A common experience my clients share is this: somewhere along the way in love, they lost themselves.
Maybe you can relate — setting your needs aside to seem more lovable, avoiding being “too much,” or working overtime to hold a relationship together. I know I can. I did it in my marriage, and after my divorce I promised myself I wouldn’t lose myself again.
But as I quickly learned… it’s not something you can learn outside of relationships. It’s something you have to practice inside them.
That’s why I’m so excited to share this week’s Practicing Love podcast episode with my dear friend and colleague Megan Walrod — women’s empowerment coach and author of the new novel It’s Always Been Me.
This beautiful debut is more than fiction. It’s a heartfelt story of a woman reclaiming her voice, creativity, and truth after the end of her marriage. And it echoes so much of what I see (and support) in clients — whether they’re rebuilding intimacy or navigating the pain of letting go.
In our conversation, Megan and I explore:
- How we give away our power without realizing it
- What it takes to stay true to yourself in love
- Why choosing yourself doesn’t have to mean choosing against someone else
- How to stop disempowering ourselves through the stories we tell
- The dance of control in relationships — and what to replace it with
- How both partners can be supported in pursuing their dreams
- The power of reconnecting with your own intuition and preferences
I recently heard Hinge’s relationship scientist Logan Ury say one of the best things a man can do to better understand women is to read novels with complex female characters. Stories like Megan’s let us experience a woman’s inner world — something that no advice column can match — and build a deeper kind of empathy.
And if you’re a woman 40+ looking for love:
If you’ve done the inner work and are ready for a relationship that’s soulful, secure, and real — I’m teaching a free class next week:
How to Attract Your Conscious, Commitment-Ready Man After 40.
I’ll show you how to enjoy dating again, how to spot emotionally available men, and be cherished, supported, and fully seen.
Read more and save your spot in the free class here
Links:
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Connect with Megan
Bio:
As a Women’s Empowerment Coach, Megan support women to “author their lives” and create audacious, authentic lives that light them up. How? By changing the WORDS and STORIES they tell themselves about themselves to be more empowering and uplifting.
Megan is dedicated to helping women break free from codependent patterns and cultural conditioning so they can follow their hearts and prioritize their dreams. Her passion for this work stems from her own experience with overcoming codependency and people-pleasing.
Transcript:
Shana James, M.A. (00:07)
Hello and welcome to this episode of Practicing Love. I am your host Shana James and I’m thrilled to be here with a dear friend, Megan Walrod, who is an author and an empowerment coach for women and her debut novel is coming out. And we’re here to talk about Megan’s love life and some of her struggles and what she’s practicing and how to not lose yourself in love
If you have not heard this podcast yet you may not know that the point of practicing love and how to have the best love and sex of your life after 40 is that we don’t just overcome our struggles, we practice with them. And so we make lots of headway. And we can slow ourselves down and have less traumatic responses or explosive responses, or we hide less or run away less.
But it doesn’t mean that it’s just easy, or things just happen without our putting some attention on them. So thank you so much, Megan, for being here today to get vulnerable. And I’m excited that we get to hear about your book: It’s Always Been Me. And I’m so happy to have you.
Megan Walrod (01:15)
Thank you. I’m so happy, honored to be here so much. I’m a big fan.
Shana James, M.A. (01:27)
Good, me too, I’m a fan of you.
Can you give us a sense of your current relationship status and what’s brought you to where you are right now?
Megan Walrod (01:37)
Yeah, I’m currently single and celibate and living in Bali. So there’s that, as I really, really practice… I heard someone recently say that writing is her soulmate. And I was like, wow, I really resonate with that because writing, as an author and an obsessive writer, is a soulmate. It’s a practice of co-creating with the divine.
I was married in my thirties, divorced, got into a relationship with my best friend right away, and repeated similar patterns. We know how that ends up. I got to practice working through those old patterns. That ended up not working out. We’re still friends, but that ended up dissolving.
Shana James, M.A. (02:09)
Mm-hmm. It is so common to live out those patterns again.
We have to see them a couple of times before we realize, the common denominator is me.
Megan Walrod (02:38)
Exactly. And I repeated it again and again, and it was practicing, right?
And so and bringing more consciousness to it. So that was in my 30s. And my novel is actually based on that story…we can get into that. Right now I’m single and celibate and really enjoying the single life and also sensing partnership on the horizon and looking forward to how that might be so different given the work that I’ve been doing now, for over a decade, to really change some patterns.
And of course there’s the healing we do on our own, and then only the healing we can do in relationship.
Shana James, M.A. (03:15)
You can practice love being single and celibate. And your soulmate doesn’t have to be human, like you said, right? Your soulmate could be writing right now, or your soulmate could be nature, or whatever that is. And you can see a relationship potentially in the future. For some people maybe not. You can still practice love even if not.
And then also to your point, I was thinking, I remember after my divorce thinking I’m not gonna get into another long-term committed relationship until I’ve healed the part of me that loses myself with other people. And then I came to realize I can’t practice if I’m alone.
It just wasn’t happening. But it did guide me to not commit too soon. And to have a kind of relationship where I got to be honest and say, I actually don’t know what I’m capable of, because I don’t know beyond where I’ve been. So, all of these things inform our journeys.
Megan Walrod (04:16)
Absolutely. And for me too…I totally resonate with that and I laugh with that because yes, there’s that fear of losing ourselves and actually that had been causing a major block in my own acknowledgement that I desired partnership.
I had a friend call me out on that and say, you’re putting in the green light and then the red light.
So there’s the awareness of that – how is that getting in the way of actually calling in?
And the work of being single to help me not lose myself in love, in a relationship has been a few things. One of cultivating that relationship with myself where I can really hear my intuition and my preferences. What am I guided to? What is it that I am dreaming of and desiring?
And being so clear about that, and devoted to that, because in the past, I orbited around him.
Shana James, M.A. (05:36)
Yeah, and I’m curious if you can say a little bit about that before we get into how it looks now. So if someone was listening, and they were to hear you talk about it, they could see if this happens for them too.
Megan Walrod (05:49)
So losing myself in my marriage… if you had asked me at the time in my late 20s, early 30s — I was getting my master’s degree in transpersonal counseling psychology. I was feeling wise and smart and strong as a woman on my path. But unconsciously, I was playing out this story that I couldn’t survive on my own, that I needed a man.
We were both in the same program together. We graduated. I went into this dark night of the soul, not knowing what the heck to do with this degree, because it hadn’t trained me on how to build a business out of these skills. It trained me how to be a great therapist with a dark night of the soul.
And then the only path that seemed like a path of something, was to get married. So, I got married..
And then there was the, “okay, what is your dream honey?” to my man, to my partner. Cause I want to support you with that. Cause I don’t know what I want, was the thing that I was perpetuating.
I’m lost. I don’t know what to do with my life, but I do know that I could be a good wife.
So if I can help you figure out what you want and support you in that and help us create a life based on what you’re saying you want, then I’ll be taken care of.
Shana James (07:51):
On the one hand, there’s something beautiful about being someone who loves to nurture and support others’ dreams. That’s a gift. But when you do it at the cost of your own dreams, your own vision — that’s when things become unbalanced.
Megan Walrod (08:10):
Absolutely. That kind of support could be beautiful — if I had also been asking myself, “Honey, what’s your dream?” And if we were having conversations together about how to support each other. Then it would be a conversation about how to not lose yourself in love! But instead, we were acting out old patterns. For me, it was codependence, people-pleasing, and not being able to find my authentic voice in the relationship. I was playing out the dynamics of my dysfunctional upbringing, and he was acting out his own patterns. It all fit together so well — and so painfully.
Shana (08:53):
It amazes me how many strong, independent women I know — and I include you in that — still find themselves lost in this dynamic. Even though you were going through this, you were still out in the world kicking ass, learning, growing. You’ve always had this incredible depth and capacity to support and care for others. You’re also an amazing writer.
That’s one reason I love romantic relationships — they bring our wounds and old patterns right to the surface. It’s painful, yes, but it’s also how we get to heal and grow into more love and support than we’ve ever known.
Megan (09:39):
Yes. Yes.
Shana (09:42):
So you were asking him, “What’s your dream? How can I support you?” Can you say more about what that felt like for you? What was painful about that dynamic?
Megan (09:59):
We used to joke that I was his number one fan. He was a musician, and I’d sit front row at his shows cheering him on: “Go, babe!”
But I’m a Leo — astrologically or not, I’m here to be seen, to shine, to share my voice and my gifts. And I was stifling this huge, creative, expressive part of myself just to play a supporting role.
I started to contract in on myself. I felt resentment. I was jealous of his big light, his charisma, the way people were drawn to him. And it’s awful to feel that way toward someone you love.
Shana (11:03):
Yeah. But those feelings can be such an important signal — if we don’t make ourselves wrong for having them. They show us what’s been missing.
Megan (11:27):
Totally. I didn’t have that awareness at first. Even though I was studying and learning, it took a while before I could really see that when I was connected to my path and feeling confident, those things didn’t bother me as much.
But at the time, I didn’t realize it: I was abandoning myself. That disconnection is so painful — I could feel it physically, from my heart down through my gut. This aching, this deep emptiness and yearning for something that was missing. And what was missing… was me.
Shana (12:01):
Yeah. Your gut knew.
Megan (12:25):
I didn’t know how to bring that part of me — my full self — into the relationship.
Shana (12:29):
And sometimes that ache is so vague and hard to name, right? You don’t even know what you want or need, so how can you explain it to a partner? It’s not that you don’t want them to live their dreams — you just want to live yours, too.
Megan (12:50):
Exactly.
And it probably won’t surprise anyone that eventually there was a big implosion. He came to me and said he wanted to explore something with another woman. I was devastated.
But over time, that became a wake-up call — a painful invitation to unpack how I had really abandoned myself first. Not with blame or shame, but with clarity.
I’d been leaving myself — little by little — the way we’re trained to as women: through the “good girl” conditioning. Every time I said yes when I meant no, or silenced my dreams and desires… I gave away a piece of myself.
Shana (13:59):
Yes. It’s so painful. And even when we do realize we’ve been leaving ourselves, it’s not like we instantly know how to stop. It’s a practice.
Even now, I still have to catch myself when I start to slip.
Megan Walrod (14:28)
Yeah, yeah. And that’s the thing that can be so frustrating because I know your listeners are savvy, right? Like, I know you are a seeker, a learner, a grower, a mentor—you’ve been doing your work for decades. And so it can be frustrating to realize, ugh, I just said yes without really checking in with myself. Or to be in that place of, “Why is it so hard to figure out what I really want here?”
Shana James, M.A. (14:45)
Mm-hmm.
Megan Walrod (15:02)
I just had a client recently share this dynamic with her partner—she really wanted to be working on her book, but she had said she’d do something with him. So she went along with it, kept prioritizing those activities with him. And he’d come in and be like, “Hey babe, let’s go have dinner or do that thing,” and she’d be standing there, looking at her book on her desk, and be like, “Okay…”
And then she started getting sick. Because some part of her was disconnecting—her actions weren’t fully aligned with what she really wanted. But it felt confusing, because she did want to spend time with him…
Shana James, M.A. (15:38)
Right. She was losing herself in love.
Megan Walrod (16:03)
Totally. And what that can bring up is not only confusion and frustration, but this deeper struggle—it’s still hard, even after all this time, to choose ourselves.
We’re so deeply conditioned to believe that choosing ourselves means choosing against someone else. That it equals conflict. And we’re taught to avoid conflict because it means damage, destruction, rejection, rupture beyond repair.
Shana James, M.A. (16:21)
Right.
Megan Walrod (16:33)
So there’s this internal tangle: “If I stand for me, I’m being selfish. I’m going to cause disconnection.” And so it becomes this whole unraveling of: choosing for me isn’t against you.
And that’s a practice. A real practice of self-advocacy.
Shana James, M.A. (16:45)
Yes.
Yeah.
Self-advocacy…
I’m just feeling into situations in my life recently where I’ve felt like a bitch for standing up for myself, or asking for what I need. And I’m like—ugh—it’s so ingrained. Working through those moments is real.
So, okay—tell us a little bit about how this shows up in your book.
Megan Walrod (17:12)
Totally.
And first, I just want to normalize this—because I literally just wrote a Substack piece called Am I Being a Bitch?
It was about me advocating for myself while signing my book contract. I had a colleague who said, “Oh, I just signed it as is—I trust them.” And I was like, “I trust them too, but… I still want to know what all this legalese means.”
So I hired a lawyer. I’m building a business around this book—it’s not just the book, it’s programs, coaching, a whole ecosystem. I needed to make sure I had the rights.
So I’m going back and forth with the publisher. And at one point I’m out walking, feeling all contracted, thinking, “Am I being a bitch? Are they going to think I’m high-maintenance? Will they pull the contract?”
Shana James, M.A. (17:50)
Right, because I’m asking questions…
Megan Walrod (18:15)
Exactly. So I’m walking, watching my mind spin this story. And then I literally had a Moonstruck moment—the Cher and Nicolas Cage scene—where she slaps him and says, “Snap out of it!”
I had one of those moments with myself—like, SNAP OUT OF IT. That is a trance of conditioning.
You are not being a bitch.
You are standing for yourself.
You are using your voice.
You are in your power.
We are not buying this old story.
Shana James, M.A. (18:53)
Yeah. And sure, you could stand for yourself in a bitchy way—but the reality, for you and for me, is we don’t actually do that. Not with blame, or resentment, or attack. It’s from the depth of our hearts.
Megan Walrod (19:04)
Exactly. Exactly.
It’s like—the truth of this really matters to me. I want those rights. I want this clarity in the contract.
Shana James, M.A. (19:21)
Yeah. And you deserve that. You have every right to have those rights.
Megan Walrod (19:28)
Exactly. Yes.
It all ties back to self-worth, voice, power—cultivating that in ourselves.
So you asked about my book. Here’s a little show-and-tell moment: my advance reader copy finally arrived in Bali after five weeks!
This is my baby. It’s called It’s Always Been Me.
It’s based on my real-life marriage experience. So it’s Sabina’s story—but it’s also my story. And probably the listener’s story too.
It’s that deeply personal but universal arc of how we bury our dreams to support someone else’s, and then that wake-up call—the reckoning moment—of:
I abandoned myself. I gave up something so important. How did I do that? Why? When? Is it too late to reclaim that dream? Can I forgive myself? Can I find myself again and bring her forth?
Shana James, M.A. (20:29)
Yeah…
Megan Walrod (20:45)
Because we’re not taught to do that, right? So the book follows Sabina on that journey—her own explosion of self. Chapter One mirrors a real conversation I had with my husband. And the story unfolds from there: her dream was to be an artist. And just after she gets the news that her husband wants to leave the marriage to explore something with someone else, she gets a call that her Nana’s had a near lethal stroke, which is her favorite person on the planet. So she drives to Santa Cruz, California to be in the ICU with her Nana. And there she reconnects with her passion for painting and ocean swimming.
Shana James, M.A. (21:21)
It is often those moments where everything starts to fall apart.
Megan Walrod (21:37):
Totally. It’s in those moments we look for our lifelines—process painting, ocean swimming… and a long-lost love shows up. There’s a Celtic myth that threads through the story—the myth of the Selkies. These magical, shape-shifting seal folk. In the water, they’re seals. But they can shed their fur and walk on land as humans.
Shana James (21:40):
Yes. Mmm.
Megan Walrod (22:05):
They love to come ashore under the full moon to dance. But there’s a myth—you’ll find it woven through the story—about what happens when a man takes possession of a Selkie’s fur. How she can end up trapped in a world that isn’t truly hers.
Shana James (22:24):
Interesting. Mmm.
Megan Walrod (22:32):
When a man holds something essential to our life—our soul-skin—we can forget who we are. Sabina, my character, starts to see herself in this myth. The Selkies call to her. Writing this story was healing in itself—owning my experience, rewriting it.
Shana James (23:03):
Mm-hmm, I can imagine that. That’s so beautiful. I know rewriting your story is something you often explore with clients—and in your own life. You’ve said a few times now, “the story I’m spinning.” It’s such a powerful insight—how the same experience can be spun in two completely different ways: one that empowers, and one that disempowers.
Megan Walrod (23:26):
Yeah.
Shana James (23:34):
And when we ask, “Is it too late?”—the answer is clearly no. I mean, here you are: in Bali, sharing your light, publishing your book, following your heart. It’s never too late.
Megan Walrod (23:55):
It’s not too late. And I’m thinking of your listeners too, wherever you are—single, celibate, partnered. There are takeaways from this myth and this story. Some tips. Some optional home play you can try.
Shana James (24:16):
Yes—and let’s also name: this isn’t gendered. I work with a lot of men, too, who’ve been stuck in that “nice guy” role. So whatever gender you are, just know this could be your story too.
Megan Walrod (24:26):
Thank you. Yes, absolutely. Thank you for presencing that. Because the losing ourselves, and then asking: what story am I telling myself about this? That was huge for me.
When my then-husband told me he wanted to explore something else, I felt like a victim. For a long time. I wanted people to know my pain—to see that I’d been wronged. “Who does he think he is?” I’d ask. “Poor me, bad them.” That was the narrative.
Shana James (25:11):
Mm-hmm. Yeah. Can you believe it?
Megan Walrod (25:28):
Eventually I reached my “enough” moment. Enough. I’m not doing this anymore. I don’t want to repeat this pattern again. This was before I got engaged and repeated it—but still, I was beginning to ask: What is it in my relationship with men that I need to understand, so I don’t keep living the same story?
Shana James (25:45):
Yes. That’s a brilliant question.
Megan Walrod (25:59):
It was a turning point. And it wasn’t immediate—it was a practice. But that was the moment I started moving from victim to responsibility. What was my role in this?
Shana James (26:10):
Exactly. When people reach out to me about working together, I have them fill out a worksheet: “What have I been unsatisfied with in my love life?” and then—“What was my role in that?” We can’t change anything we’re not willing to own.
Megan Walrod (26:40):
Totally. And without judgment. If I’m not blaming them, I might turn it on myself: “bad me.” But that doesn’t help either. What we need is curiosity and compassion. “Ohhh—I see why I was doing that.” We buried some of these patterns so deep. Sometimes it takes time, therapy, coaching, process work to even begin seeing them. And then the next step: Who am I when I’m not the victim? Who am I when I don’t need to be rescued? Who do I get to be?
Shana James (27:40):
That’s such a beautiful question. It’s a shift from blame to possibility. Because yeah, sometimes the word “victim” doesn’t feel good—we may resist it. But reframed: Who do I become when I’m not living from that role?
Megan Walrod (28:01):
Exactly. Because it’s not just about “not wanting to feel powerless.” It’s about, “What do I want instead?” As a writer, I love to talk with clients about this: You are the author of your life. Pen in hand. So what do you want to create?
Shana James (28:33):
Mm-hmm. Yeah.
Megan Walrod (28:46):
How do you want this to go? And then of course, comes the practice of surrender—letting go of control. I can voice my desires…
Shana James (29:02):
Right. Oh my God. That’s one of the hardest parts, isn’t it? Letting go of control?
Megan Walrod (29:11):
We get to practice that one for decades!
There are so many layers. After my marriage ended, I jumped into a new relationship with my best friend. And I was so controlling. We joked about it—his nickname was “the Know-It-All Kia,” because he’d share some deep insight and I’d say, “How do you know that?”
And my nickname? The Inner Critical Bitch.
Shana James (30:04):
Good thing you two could name it and laugh about it.
Megan Walrod (30:22):
Yeah. But underneath the control was fear. My husband had left me for someone else—I didn’t feel safe. So now with this new man, I was always asking: Where are you going? What are you doing? There wasn’t trust.
Shana James (30:26):
Yeah. So hard to trust again.
Megan Walrod (30:51)
The letting go was like really, ultimately what I came to see was it was about, trusting myself and trusting my intuition. Ultimately, yes, trusting him, but I couldn’t trust him if I wasn’t trusting myself and I couldn’t trust when I was controlling. Control comes from fear.
Control was coming from this place, from an illusion that I could control. And so the letting go was this over time a willingness to feel uncomfortable, to feel vulnerable, because there was a nakedness, you know, a nakedness to being willing to surrender and to be vulnerable. And it required me to be brave, not fearless.
I think that’s BS when someone says, be fearless.
Shana James, M.A. (31:50)
We are going to have fear. I think I recently heard the definition of courage is experiencing fear and doing it anyway. And I was like, that’s what I do. That’s how I live.
I’m afraid a lot, but it doesn’t stop me. And control can seem like I have this power. And yet that underbelly, that vulnerability beneath the surface is actually more powerful. It’s that kind of soft power or connected power. Yeah, beautiful.
Megan Walrod (32:25)
Totally, totally.
And I’m just aware too that it can feel so conceptual – control – and how do we let go of control, and letting go of control is coming up again in my book. I’m starting to share more about how I was noticing feeling really vulnerable.
Because at the time of recording, I’m doing this big pre-order and I’m noticing I’m going to be releasing the book out into the world and the vulnerability comes in not of how are people going to like, I have this full faith in this book, this book is magic. I don’t doubt this. It’s more of getting to let go of control of how people receive it, how it will resonate with them or not.
So part of letting go of control is letting go of the expectations, noticing where I have those expectations of how this should look and then unpacking it. And where even more of the power comes in too is that softening, that surrendering, and yet also redefining what success looks like in this case. So success for a lot of people with a book launch could look like a bestseller.
But again, owning our power for me has looked like I am redefining and undefining success. Success to me looks like X, Y, and Z. And it looks like someone I don’t know coming to me and telling me, I read your book. And it’s changed the way I see myself in relationships.. And me having a chance to meet with women face to face – that to me is going to be success.
It’s not about the numbers. It’s not about some bestseller status. So for those listening, how that can relate to love and sex? We can ask ourselves what that undefining of success and redefining of success looks like?
So if we’re not controlling, we’re getting to be a leader in our lives and in our relationships and speaking up about what I really desire and here’s what feels really juicy for me. Then we are not losing ourselves in love.
And then we get to let go of control though for how it shows up. That’s a way of claiming our power.
Shana James, M.A. (34:55):
I love that—what you said about naming what would feel good to you, without trying to control the outcome. That’s such a different energy. And sometimes in a relationship, there is disappointment—something didn’t happen the way we hoped. It can feel vulnerable to say, “I wish this had gone a different way,” or “I didn’t feel prioritized.” But if we’re always trying to control things and never let the truth come through, we miss the chance for that deeper, intimate conversation where we actually get to know each other more.
Megan Walrod (35:42):
Totally. And I also love asking, How might this unfold greater than I can imagine? Because when we try to control, we often limit what’s possible. Instead, if I express a desire to the universe or a partner and allow them to respond, there’s room for magic—something beyond what I could’ve scripted or planned.
Shana James, M.A. (36:09):
I love that. Did you say you have a piece of home play for the listeners?
Megan Walrod (36:19):
Yes. One of my favorite practices is journaling—it helps me hear myself more clearly, including the guidance from within and from beyond. So the home play could be starting with the prompt:
“What is asking for my attention now?”
Use that as a jumping-off point. Just start writing. As Natalie Goldberg says, “Go for 10 minutes. Don’t edit. Don’t stop.” If you don’t know what to write, write “I don’t know” until something shifts. You can also ask yourself:
“What do I really desire?”
Shana James, M.A. (37:52):
That’s such a powerful question. And if you’re in a relationship, it can feel risky to name your desires—but so powerful. You could even invite your partner into a shared practice: “Let’s both write down some things we desire and see where they overlap, where we both win.” And if you’re single, share it with a trusted friend—or just hold it privately for yourself.
Megan Walrod (38:27):
Exactly. It can just be for you at first. And I call this Brave Writing, Brave Living—because the braver we are on the page, the braver we tend to be in life. Writing down a fantasy, or acknowledging “we’ve been doing this thing I don’t like anymore,” opens the door to authenticity.
Another journaling prompt I love is about reclaiming your voice and power:
Where have I said yes when I meant no, or no when I meant yes?
Just write those down. Start to notice patterns. Then ask yourself:
What can I say yes to today that I truly want? What can I say no to that I don’t?
That’s what it means to live honestly and not abandon yourself.
Shana James, M.A. (40:05):
Yes. That’s the foundation—actually knowing what you want, what feels like a “yes” or “no” in your body. My partner is doing a meditation lately where he feels into what yes and no feel like physically. That’s such an important practice because it’s not just intellectual—it’s embodied.
Megan Walrod (40:38):
Totally. That body wisdom is so key.
Shana James, M.A. (40:49):
Thank you for being here, for writing this book, for being such a bright light. Is there anything else you want to say before you share how people can get the book?
Megan Walrod (41:02):
Yes—just a reminder to be patient with ourselves as we come home to ourselves. We all lose ourselves sometimes in relationships. But we can return. Just like the dance of intimacy with a partner, we can leave and come back to ourselves—again and again. So let’s meet that with compassion, not judgment. Celebrate the moments you notice you’re leaving yourself. And have practices—like journaling, meditating, reaching out for support—that help you return.
Shana James, M.A. (42:14):
Yes, even after decades of doing this work, things can still catch us off guard. And that’s okay.
Megan Walrod (42:27):
Totally. So, the book is available at meganwalrod.com/book.
You can pre-order or order it there, and you’ll find some beautiful extras too. Since I love journaling, there will be reflection questions included to help you explore how Sabina’s story might mirror your own. It’s healing fiction—a novel meant to awaken something in you, not just entertain.
Shana James, M.A. (43:24):
I’m so proud of you. “Healing fiction”—what a beautiful phrase. Is that a real category?
Megan Walrod (43:30):
It is! And it feels so right for our times. One woman on my launch team told me she devoured it in a weekend—it gave her an escape, and a mirror. She didn’t expect the self-discovery that came along with the story. That’s my hope: that it gives people both comfort and clarity.
Shana James, M.A. (44:01):
It’s so beautiful. Of course you would write a healing novel—you’re both a writer and a healer. Thank you for bringing those gifts together.
Megan Walrod (44:22):
Thank you. Ultimately, I believe we’re all capable of healing ourselves. May this book be a catalyst for that. It’s been such an honor to be here.
Shana James, M.A. (44:37):
Thank you for being here.
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