The Many You's You've Been

When was the last time you stopped to really notice how far you’ve come?

In a world obsessed with “what’s next,” we rarely pause to honor the growth we’ve already lived through. But here's the truth: you've been more than one version of yourself—and every one of those “you’s” deserves recognition.

In this episode, we explore why reflection is more than just looking back—it's a scientifically supported tool to regulate your nervous system, release stress, and reconnect with the version of you that made it through. You’ll learn how pausing to reflect creates emotional safety, boosts oxytocin, reduces cortisol, and strengthens your confidence to keep going.

Whether you're navigating change, healing from loss, or feeling stuck between who you were and who you're becoming—this conversation will help you:

In this episode you'll discover:

-Why self-reflection is key to long-term personal growth

-How your body literally regenerates itself every 7–10 years—and what that means for your identity

-The neuroscience of “maintaining the gain”—and how reflection shifts your perspective

-A practical, soulful framework to feel good about how far you've come (even if you’re not where you want to be yet)

This isn’t about being stuck in the past. It’s about finding power in what you’ve already lived through.

If you’ve ever felt like you’re “starting over,” this episode will remind you:
You’re not starting over. You’re starting again—with everything you’ve gained.

Subscribe now for weekly episodes on healing, identity, self-trust, and becoming the next version of you—without shaming who you used to be.

About Your Host, Megan Nolan: Helps People First, Purpose Driven Companies That Want To Build Emotionally Resilient Teams That Perform At Their Best Without Time Consuming Strategies By Using Practical Science-Based Strategies That Work In Just Minutes A Day

With 20+ years as a yoga instructor & personal trainer, she teaches mind-body tools to break free from stress and thrive with impact, freedom, and joy.

📚 Bestselling Author | 🎙 Podcast Host | 🌎 Stress & Resilience Coach

Check Out Her Website: https://www.megan-nolan.com/
Follow Her On LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/iammegannolan/

#selfgrowth #reflectionpodcast #mentalhealthtools #personaldevelopment #neuroscience #healingjourney #growthmindset #identityevolution #maintainingthegain #nervoussystemregulation

Please find the show notes below. Since it is a transcription there may be spelling errors and/or weird grammar. Ignore that and enjoy!

 The many you's you've been Did you know you are literally not the same person that you were seven or even 10 years ago?You're literally biologically not the same. And by no means are you energetically or spiritually or mentally even close to the same person you were back then. Today we're talking about the importance of taking a power pause periodically in our life and looking back. To reflect on the many yous that you have been. I kind of feel like a little Doctor Seussie and I'm loving it. Welcome, welcome, welcome, welcome back to the Movement, Mind and Meaning podcast. I'm your host, Megan Nolan. And this week we are talking about that. We're talking about the importance of reflection and how you are constantly evolving and changing and literally. At the level of your bones and your cells and your blood and the lining of your guts and inside your muscles, you are literally not the same person that you once were. So what inspired this? Well, you may or may not be surprised to know I'm moving. Yes, I am very excited about this and I have literally been living in this house for 10 years. I'm moving up country with my partner to an incredible, amazing Unicorn of a house. We are so fortunate. I am so excited. I'll tell you more about it after. It's not an actual Unicorn, but Unicorn in the sense that it's very special and beautiful. And I know in my heart and in my soul that I have been energetically sitting in this house as we've been manifesting this house for. Quite some time, right?As long as I've started about started thinking about living with Justin, I have felt into this place. And when we went into it the first time, just what's it today?It's Wednesday, 3 weeks ago today. This is literally happening at rocket speed. When we went into it three weeks ago today to see it for the very first time, I could feel that who I've been here before and I'm getting goosebumps right now and. It was such an incredible experience to to be in the house and realize I get it now because in my visualizations and in that those experiences that I had in the past before I before we even went to the house for the first time. In the visualizations I could tell that it was on the 2nd floor and I could tell there was a big spacious kitchen and there was an island in the kitchen and I could see white slats and I didn't know what the white slats were. I thought maybe they were those cupboard doors. So it's on the 2nd floor. There's an incredible kitchen with a big island and there's literally white slats on every window of this house. I know my my goosebumps just got even stronger. It's amazing. Anyways, so we're moving. Yay. So you you've moved before, you know, you know it's a good time, right?It's a good time. It's a lot of work. I'm just checking that the mics are on. OK, great. So I've lived in this house for 10 years and. You know when you start to go through and you're starting to look into the shelves and I don't know about you, but I I like to take the opportunity of moving to do a little bit of a cleanse and a purge, if you will. And although I'm not great at it and my therapist and I talked about it yesterday and we're gonna talk about that part of me that's reluctant to let go of things, which I think is in inherited after we, you know. Moved up everything out of my father's house out of as after he passed. I was like, why does he have all this broken stuff?And then I'm I'm in my house now and I'm like, why do I have all this stuff I can't seem to get rid of?Anyways, it's an interesting thing. And so I like to do an use it as an opportunity to let go right and to clear some space and to to share things that are. Of value and still in good shape and to share them with other people or to gift them, to donate them, etcetera, etcetera. But so you know, as you're going through the boxes and the shelves and all the things, inevitably you start to have memories, you start to think about all the yous that you've been right and so. This weekend I spent most of the weekend literally inside my closet. OK, my closet, because the shelves are these metal bars, tiny metal bars, probably like 100 per shelf, these little squares all along the front. So that's a project. And then it's the wooden slats of the doors and each one you gotta get in there and do the little thing and it's like flossing teeth. But in between these wooden slats, it took a long time. So I'm in the closet. Where are my N 95? You know, I'm like the whole shebang, got the fan going. And I'm thinking about all of the different clothes that I've put in this closet, all of the me's that have come to this closet to get dressed for events. And I'm thinking about that, right?And I'm seeing old clothes and I'm like, why do I still have this?Or Oh my goodness, I love this shirt. Or, you know, I have a little mini sticker company and it started with whales make me happy and and like pulling out one of these shirts or or pulling out the one that I had gifted my dad that I took back, you know, after he passed away. And so anyways, it got me into thinking and into feeling really, because I was in the feels, I was definitely in the feels of how important it is for us to periodically pause and look back. And oftentimes we do this, you know, maybe at the midpoint, which it is now, it's mid-june right now, June something 19th ish. 18th And sometimes we do it here, sometimes we do it at the beginning of the year or the end of the year. But it's such an important practice for you to pause and to look back and to reflect because you are literally constantly changing. What's so incredible is that your blood rejuvenates about every 120 days. The lining of your gut rejuvenates every two to five days. Your your muscle cells. Switch over if there's any sort of tearing or healing that needs to be done. Your bones rejuvenate every 10 years. Your liver, interestingly enough, can generate up to 70 percent 70 of its mass in a few months if it's needed, right?It's like the MVP right there. It's it can completely rejuvenate itself. Your brain doesn't necessarily replace the old brain cells that are, you know, degenerating, but it can grow new brain cells, which is equally impressive, right?Especially in areas of the brain that are affected by the natural process of aging. And your skin rejuvenates in about 27 days. So literally, you're constantly becoming someone new, right?You're constantly becoming someone new. And what's interesting is that. In our society and for many of us that are very driven or who experience, you know, high, high levels of that ambitiousness, we're we're constantly seeking, right? We're seeking, we're striving, we're growing, we're pushing ourselves and we're constantly like setting new goals and and and setting our sights a little bit higher. And that's always really important. It's super important for you to have goals. Right. It's super important for you to do that. But The thing is, is that it's important for us to question too, are we, are we addicted to that constantly seeking and striving, the dangling carrot syndrome, I call it, right. And so is it hard for you to slow down, right?Is it uncomfortable for you to rest without feeling you quote UN quote deserved or earned the rest? Well, that's actually potentially a sign of a dysregulated nervous system if we're not able to. Relax and slow down without completely shutting down, right?That means that we're very hyperactive in the sympathetic stress response, and it's hard for us to regulate enough that we come back into that nice, steady, grounded state of the ventral vagal aspect of our nervous system where we are connected, where we are socially engaged, where we are present, where we are able to slow down and be OK with it, right?Which is what this is. And so it's an interesting thing for us to look at of like, are you always in go mode?Are you always striving?Are you always pushing? Are you always trying to get to the next level and up level, if you will, which I don't love, right?It's always like that. We have to be somewhere else or be someone else, right?But the truth is, which the ancient practices know and what we what we understand when we look at the inner workings of ourselves is that. The true self, you who you really are, is always there and it always has this knowing and it always has this guidance for you and it it's always seeking homeostasis or regulation. But the mind, in its constant pursuit of quote UN quote greatness or better or more, is what can limit our ability to be willing to pause and reflect on the many yous that you've been. And so it's a beautiful practice, right?It's a beautiful practice of being able to downshift our nervous system and take some time for reflection and integration. And so as I, you know, have been unpacking and pulling things out and and and looking at all of these beautiful things, so much of it has been bringing me into a tender space in the heart, right?You know, it's. I don't know how long you've been listening, but in January we let our our Bailey boy, our sweet, sweet, sweet, sweet, goodest boy, goodest boy in the world. He needed to go over the Rainbow Bridge. He was 16 years old. He had congestive heart disease. He he was ready. And there's been many moments. Oh, here to here to come. There's been many moments of love. With him, you know, and and he wasn't, he was very furry. He was a cockapoo, so he had hair, not fur. So he didn't shed a lot, but he would get groomed and he'd get groomed here. And so, you know, he would get to the point where he looked like the cutest, fluffiest sheep and he had the curls and you know, and so the groomer would shave, you know, cut him down and shave him. And so periodically and it's windy here on Maui and sometimes little tufts would blow. And I kept them. I mean, even when he was a young pup, I was like. I loved, I loved everything about him. So I'd have his little tufts of fur on my altar and what have you. And so I would find those, you know, and I would find those on the altar and and or you know, they things as they do, they navigated behind the bookshelf, whatever and pulling that out and it's instantly like right into the heart, you know, and you me, I like loved his smell and so I'd smell it and I put it on my face and like. It instantly would take me to a place of deep, deep love, so much love, you knowAnd I would think about moments with him walking and being on the beach and when he was in his prime, you know, and. That's how I remember him. I remember him leaping through the yard like some sort of Bunny gazelle with this cute little nub of a tail and just leaping, you know, and that's it would take me to that because at the end he was 16 and he was struggling, you know, and that's not how I want to remember him. And so it's like to find these little tufts of fur and it took me to that love and then it took me into the the remembrance of like when I was. Really desiring a partner and and manifesting a partner, which was Justin and how I wanted my partner to have a dog. And so that's what, you know, Bailey came with Justin and like just all of these beautiful moments of reflection and looking at how the tapestry of your life weaves together, you know, and at first the threads of it may not make sense, but when we look back, we have such a different perspective and we have such a different ability to. Look back in reflection and look at how this led to that and then this and then this person, you know, and all of these, what might seem to be redirections and zigzags are all part of the journey. And we think it's gonna be this like straight line and here we go. But wouldn't that be boring? That would be boring, right?We want the interesting twists and turns and ups and downs. We love that in movies. Right. We don't necessarily love it in ourselves when we're in the midst of the ups and downs, right?But when we look back, it makes for such a rich tapestry of your life. And the Buddhist symbol is the unalom. So the unalom, you know, starts as a as a a spiral and then it goes zigzags and then goes straight. Or if you look at it from the other way and you think, oh, OK, well, I think it's gonna be straight and then it's like up, down, here we go and then and so. That's the the representation of life, right?We think it's going to be this straight line and up we go off to the top of the mountain, but inevitably, no. And wouldn't it be boring if it was just a straight line, right?And so how many versions of you have you been, right?You the version of you that. Started to do the work that you're doing and then you left to a different career or maybe you did a certification or whatever, right. Or maybe the you that moved somewhere, right. The me that moved to Maui is not the same you that's talking to you now, right. And and the the me that moved into this house 10 years ago, certainly not the same me that moved to Maui. And so it's like it's an interesting thing and really looking at how these. These moments when we look back, when we find the tuft of fur, or when we pull out the plaque that I got from the blue zones. When we Maui became a blue zone, which is integrating these different practices of longevity, right?Blue zones are different areas in the plant on the planet. You can look it up. It's cool. National Geographic researcher. I'm forgetting his name, but he uncovered that these certain areas of the planet where people were more likely to live to 100 or more, like Okinawa, for example, in Japan, there's these different core principles of their life that he would see were common between people in Okinawa and people in Santorini, Greece, for example. Or where's another one?There's a place in California that I think there's a place in Italy. Anyways, so they were taking these principles and implementing them in areas of the world that were not doing as well health wise. So Maui became a blue zone and one of the core principles is moving more throughout the day and and having more more movement just naturally built into our day and specifically into our work day. So me, I was like, well, I can help with that, sure. And so I was able to help many different businesses here on Maui. And organizations to integrate more movement into their work day, right. And so I got recognized as a Wellness advocate. And so I pulled out the plaque and I was like, oh, instantly taken back to being in the mayor's conference room and receiving the plaque and feeling so grateful and feeling so proud, you know, and so these emotional. Charges are so important. You've likely heard of the book by Vessel. Wait, I'm blanking. Vessel Brandor. No, I'm not. I'm not saying it right. I know the title of the book. Vessel Bessel Van Derk. Anyways, I'm not. Stop trying to say it, Megan. The name of the book is called The Body Keeps the Score. You've probably heard of it. You have every memory. Every experience that you've had is stored in your nervous system. It's stored in your nervous system. So that is why when you see these cues like the tuft of the hair or the plaque, or you smell the smell that reminds you of your grandmother's perfume or cookies that you would make, it's almost like you're in the moment. And the amazing thing about your nervous system is it has no concept of time because it's eternal. And it doesn't know that you are not standing in the Mayor's conference room anymore if you are now fully immersed in the experience in your body, right?If you're you're feeling that feeling, you can feel the cool, the temperature of the lay that was around my neck and and I could, you know, get a sense for all the noise and the bustle like I literally was back in the moment in the Mayor's conference room of receiving that award, right. And so. It's really interesting to have these experiences and observe and take a look at how it really brings that opportunity for reflection and healing and acknowledgement and really looking at how in those moments when we look back and we reflect on how far you've come, it's helping you to maintain the gain, maintain that sense of perspective on the progress that you have made. On the growth, on the lessons, on the the time, the love, the energy, the blood, the sweat, the tears that you have poured into it and really honor that. And being in the gain, maintaining the gain actually nurtures the nervous system. It shifts us into a down regulated state, right?Because we're in a state of reflection, we release oxytocin, we release more dopamine. So that we are really open-hearted, right. And we are in that place of acknowledgement and it's a a reflection on the growth that you have made compared to the gap. Being in the gap is looking at like, OK, yeah, great. Well maybe I did this award but you know it's it was this and that and and then downplaying it right and and reckon and. Looking at it from a more critical perspective of, Oh well, it wasn't an international award, you know, or whatever. It's like the brain wants to downplay it. And so when we're in that gap perspective, right. And So what that does is it actually up regulates the nervous system, can shift us into a more stress state. It releases cortisol, right. And it can release adrenaline cause it's like, Oh God, well, I better get started. Here we go, you know, and so then it's. It's a much different energy, right?And so it's really important that you be mindful of the tone when you're having these moments of reflection of the many use that you've been and just really looking at like it's a good thing that you have walked this path and that it's been zigzaggy and loop de loop, right? It's it's an evolution of you. It's an expansion of yourself and and really recognizing these different versions of your of you and how they. Served a purpose. They served a purpose, right?And and that part of you that became very present and became very real, and the many parts of you that showed up in that time frame or whatever it was or that helped you to achieve that, they have so much gold for you. And remember, gold is an acronym for the growth, the opportunities, the lessons, the direction, right?They've given you a direction. These many versions of you have taken you on the path to becoming who you are now. And it's a constant practice. It's an evolution, right?It's an unfolding like a flower. There's many petals. Each one of these yous that you've been is is a petal in the flower that is you. None of them are exclusively who you are, but they're all part of who you are. OK. And so the core of who you are, the root of that flower, is your true self. And these are expressions of that true self, of these different chapters, if you will, along the way. And so. You can look back and you realize that not only have you grown, not only have you learned, but those past versions of you, you're not them anymore. Probably for a good reason, because you've grown past that, right?And you've you've evolved, you've learned, you've received the gold of those past moments, and it's allowed you to nurture the you that you are now. The many yous you've been have led you to the you that you are now. And the vision that you have that is pulling you forward like the golden thread is allowing you to have these opportunities, these encounters, these moments, these challenges, so that you can continue to evolve into the version of you that you get to be, to make that vision that you have in your heart your reality. Because the truth is, for many of us, and this is what I came to realize that for many of us. The you that you are now is someone that you long to be in the past. The you that you are now is someone that you wanted to be at some moment in the past. Isn't that incredible?Like that deserves a whole massive power pause of reflection and acknowledgement and journaling and and celebration. Because that's it. That's what we're doing all of this stuff for, right?Is to recognize. What you have accomplished, what you have done, and just more importantly than the the ticks on the To Do List is the you that you are now and that's freaking incredible. And I think that's the true reward, right? And and Jim Rohn, and I may not quote this exactly directly, so apologies Jim, he said something to the effect of setting the goal and accomplishing the goal. Is not really the the best part of it, but the best part of setting a goal and the most the deepest reward for setting the goal is the you that you become on the journey and the you that you become in the process. It was a slight remix. I know that. So there you go, Jim, but I hope you get the idea. And so isn't that beautiful?Isn't that beautiful that you're not the same version of you that you were?And that's a good thing because you probably wouldn't want to be anyway. I certainly wouldn't want to go back to like my grade 713 year old self. That was a while ago. I don't know how long. Decades. Anyways, really taking a moment to really acknowledge that this pausing, this slowing down, this, this reflection that you can do at any point. You don't have to be packing your house. OK, you don't have to be packing your house and reading your old journals. This is an opportunity. This is an opportunity for reflection and acknowledgement of the wisdom that you have accomplished and accumulated. And really, we grow stronger when we look back with compassion. And you know that one of our core core principles here in this power pause movement, this community. Is compassionate curiosity and looking back from that perspective and that loving curiosity to maintain the gain and acknowledge your growth and allows you to bring in that other core tenant, which is nonjudgmental self-awareness. And isn't it interesting how this led to that?And isn't it interesting how this person introduced you to that person and whatever, whatever the like, oh wow, the reflections that come forth are for you. It's really a beautiful time and opportunity to really acknowledge yourself and really celebrate all of the ups, downs and all arounds, right?And so The thing is, is that you don't necessarily have to become someone new, but that's part of the evolution of life and the the journey of life is that inevitably. You evolve, you learn, you grow, you mature, you become, you go through these different archetypes, these different expressions, these different phases, if you will. But what you're doing by looking back is you're honoring yourself, right?It's a reflection. It's like you're looking back into the history of your life's journey. And I think it's a really beautiful thing to look back and think like, oh wow, that was really incredible. That was really incredible. And to look at it from that place of compassion and curiosity. Because The thing is, is oftentimes we look back and we, we don't really notice all of these beautiful things that you've done and accomplished and achieved and gone through and grown through, right?Because we're looking at it from the the, the gap and we're like, but I still have to go all this way. It really is that beautiful way of like, wow. You're you're doing, you're doing great. Life is not easy sometimes and you're doing it. Look what you've done. And it may feel like really big and massive, like writing a book or starting a podcast or whatever, right?It might feel like that. Or it might feel like, well, I I'm learning, I'm growing, I keep showing up. I I'm, I'm doing it. You know, it's like it's an interesting, beautiful opportunity to really love on yourself. Why not?Why not give it a go?I'd love to hear. And the interesting thing, I think that the reason why, you know, some of this stuff is really powerful as far as the reflection, right. And we do this in my communities, we we do this at the end of the year is that we want to acknowledge what we've done, what we've accomplished out over the course of the year, but also bring it to a completion, right. And so that we can continue to. Create the life that you're want for yourself. But we do it from that place of rejuvenation. We do it from that place of acknowledgement. We do it from that place of celebration. We do it from that place of of starting from that level ground and and bringing things to completion before we attempt to start to something new, like at the beginning of the new year, right. And So what we're doing here is we are. In these moments where you stop, right, where you're packing up one part of your life before you begin a new chapter, you're bringing it to a completion through this acknowledgement. You are celebrating your progress and you are recognizing the version of you that you have become, and you're letting all the rest of it go, right?And so, you know, to bring it full circle, when I was looking at this stuff and, you know, inevitably at 10 years, there's a lot of stuff, right?And and looking at like what gets to come up to Makawao, our new we live, we're not moving, we're staying on Maui, but we're moving up to Makawao, which is very lovely and 1500 feet. So it's going to be cooler up there, which is so exciting. What gets to come?What gets to come with me into this next chapter?So you get to decide when you look back and when you have these moments of reflection, like what are you going to take with you into this next evolution of yourself that you are being now?Right. You're co-creating your future today by the person that you're being today. That's why showing up for yourself. That's why having a morning routine. That's why taking power pauses throughout the day. That's so integral because it it determines how you show up each day, right?And how you show up each day determines the thoughts that you have, the emotions that you feel, the actions that you take, the results that you have. Therefore, the reality that you're co-creating with your with your higher power, whatever that means to you. Is really influenced by how you're showing up each day and the version of you that you're being, right?And that's why your energy matters. That's why taking care of your energy and prioritizing your energy matters. That's why having these rituals I just spoke about and taking power pauses like this moment of reflection. Oh, hello, like this moment of reflection. But also power pauses throughout your day, right? And inside the power pause movement, that's what we do, is really prioritizing your energy and how you feel by taking these little moments for yourself throughout the day. And so can you do that for yourself now and just take a look back and reflect at, you know, even this period of six months of 2025, you're not the same you that was ringing in the new year on my birthday, BTW, January 1st. You're a totally different being. So take a moment to reflect on that and and acknowledge your wins and what does that mean about who you are now and what you've become and who you've become in the process. And so I'm just looking at my notes to make sure I got everything. Yeah. So that's what I wanted to share with you today. And and you know, you've already become someone new over the course of these six months of the year, you've already become someone new. It's time to acknowledge that. It's time to remember that. And you don't necessarily need to pack up your house and move to do that. Please don't unless you have to. I mean, nobody wants to. So and well, I want to move. I'm excited to move. But the packing part and the moving part. Anyway, so that's the that's the thing. You've already become someone new. And so why not take a moment to acknowledge that and why not take this time to really sit into that and and reflect and I'd love to hear. I'd love to hear it. Maybe the course of these last six months, maybe last six years, maybe last six decades. I don't know. I'd love to hear from you. So feel free to reply to the e-mail that you received with the link or feel free to comment on the video or on the episode. I'd love to hear because this is the ultimate power pause, right?Which you know is the fastest way to cultivate that sense of connected awareness and centered and calm, present and and regulate your nervous system and take care of yourself. This is a beautiful way for you to do that. So let me. Let me know what landed for you and see you soon. I look forward to hearing your feedback on the many use that you've been. Thank you so much for being part of this community and this podcast and reach out to me. If you're curious about power pauses and how they can be part of your day because you feel like you're just constantly on that go, go, go, go, go in the in the must can't stop, won't stop mentality. Reach out to me. Send me a DM. They're incredibly powerful. They're fast and they're effective. They literally take two minutes at a time. And they are such an incredible tool for you to have. So yeah, send me a message. I'd love to chat more and I'll see you very soon. Take good care. Bye, bye.