Click here to listen to Episode 144 of the Minutes on Growth Podcast on Spotify, or on Apple Podcast.
Hi Soul Friends, it’s Tannaz Hosseinpour, and welcome back to another short solo episode of Minutes on Growth.
Before we begin, I just want to share a quick announcement.
The Self-Worth, Self-Care, and Sisterhood Retreat in Tuscany is officially live—and we now have only 4 spots left!
It’s happening August 18–23, and it’s going to be a truly sacred experience for those looking to embody their Divine Feminine, heal in safe sisterhood, and reconnect with their inner wisdom through practices like yoga, breathwork, nervous system regulation, and energy healing.
If this is calling to you, check out the link in the show notes. It really is first come, first served—and I would love to hold space with you there.
Now let’s shift gears to our topic of the week. Today, I want to talk about something that’s been coming up a lot lately—in client sessions, in my personal reflections, and in collective energy—
Authenticity.
Not the curated, aesthetic version of authenticity.
But the real, raw kind.
The kind that asks us to be seen as we are.
To stop editing.
To stop shrinking.
To stop performing for a life we don’t actually want.
There’s a powerful quote in the Bhagavad Gita that says:
“It is better to live your own destiny imperfectly than to live an imitation of somebody else’s life with perfection.”
Just let that sink in.
We live in a world that’s constantly telling us who we should be.
And if we’re not deeply rooted in who we are, it becomes way too easy to start living for someone else’s expectations.
Society’s expectations.
Our parents’.
And sometimes, we’re not even aware of the parts of us that are doing this.
There’s often a part of us that’s been conditioned to fulfill the unmet desires of our parents—to live a life that gives them peace, pride, or protection.
And I want to be clear: so much of this comes from love.
Parents want the best for their kids. They want to protect them from the pain they went through.
So they give in to societal standards, hoping it’ll provide safety and success.
But somewhere along the way, that well-intentioned conditioning can interfere with the unique song that lives inside us.
And without realizing it, we start suppressing parts of ourselves—
Parts that, if brought to the surface, would actually guide us toward the highest version of our destiny.
The Parts Within Us (IFS Perspective)
This is why I love working with Internal Family Systems—or IFS.
IFS teaches us that we’re not just one single identity—we are made up of many parts.
We have parts that want to be liked.
Parts that want to protect us.
Parts that are scared.
Parts that still carry the wounds of our past.
None of these parts are bad.
They all exist for a reason.
They helped us survive.
But authenticity means learning how to see these parts.
To listen to them.
To integrate them—not to exile or shame them.
And when we lead from Self—with a capital S—we lead from a place that is calm, curious, confident, connected, and compassionate.
That Self lives beneath all the noise. And it’s always been there.
Your work is simply to return to it.
Your Unique Blueprint
And here’s the thing—you were never meant to look or sound like anyone else.
You came into this world with a unique blueprint.
Your birth chart, your human design, your lived experiences, your gifts—none of it is a coincidence.
Nothing about you was random.
So trying to squeeze yourself into someone else’s version of success or happiness will always leave you feeling disconnected.
You weren’t meant to imitate.
You were meant to express.
Why It’s Hard—and Why It’s Worth It
Now, showing up like that? That takes courage.
Because it’s asking us to step out of our comfort zone.
And our comfort zone is where our brain feels safest.
Your brain isn’t trying to sabotage you—it’s trying to protect you.
It says, “Let’s stay where it’s familiar. Let’s not be too visible. Let’s not take up too much space.”
But the truth is—when we choose authenticity…
When we say yes to our full expression, to our truth, to our gifts…
That’s when life starts to feel nourishing and expansive.
That’s when the people, opportunities, and experiences that are truly meant for us begin to align.
You Don’t Need to Be Perfect
And as cliché as it sounds:
You don’t need to be perfect.
You just need to step out of your own way and allow yourself to be… you.
One of my favorite quotes is from Sophia Bush:
“You are allowed to be both a masterpiece and a work in progress, simultaneously.”
Let that be your reminder today.
You can love who you are now and still be evolving.
You can be proud of where you are and still want more.
You can hold the both/and with grace.
Your Invitation
So I’ll leave you with this:
What part of yourself have you been hiding?
What would happen if you let it be seen?
Your authentic self—the real you—isn’t something you need to become.
It’s something you return to.
Again and again and again.
Thank you for spending this moment with me.
If this episode resonated, please share it with someone who needs a reminder that they’re allowed to take up space and be fully, beautifully themselves.
And don’t forget to hit subscribe, leave a quick review, and check the show notes for more tools on this journey.
Until next time, keep choosing you.
