Happy Wednesday!

I woke up feeling light today; the kind of light that doesn’t come from sleep, but from clarity. I was in the car doing what I do every morning: dropping off my children, moving through the rhythm of responsibility. And then one of my favorite songs came on. I’m a 90s music lover, an 80s baby, and outside of gospel, my soul leans toward soul. Indie soul. Music that speaks instead of performs. Artists like India Arie, Erykah Badu, Musiq Soulchild, Angie Stone… may she rest in peace. That kind of music doesn’t just play; it tells the truth. And when Erykah Badu’s “Bag Lady” came on, it stopped me in my tracks.

If you’ve never listened closely to the words & I mean really listened; you should. Because that song isn’t just music. It’s a mirror.

“Bag lady, you gon’ miss your bus

You can’t hurry up

‘Cause you got too much stuff…”

Every woman understands that line. No matter your race. Your background. Your beliefs. Your relationship status. Your bank account. Your past.

We are carrying bags.

Some of us are carrying childhood trauma.

Some of us are carrying shame from decisions we made while trying to survive.

Some of us are carrying the invisible weight of being a mother; a single mother, a married single mother, a caretaker, a protector.

Some of us are carrying mental health struggles, body image battles, financial stress, toxic work environments, broken relationships, unanswered prayers.

All of it is baggage.

And when you really visualize it; all the worry, all the fear, all the responsibility you replay in your mind then you realize something sobering: We are weighing ourselves down.

That “bus” Erykah sings about?

To me, it’s not literal.

It’s your blessings.

Your purpose.

Your next season.

Your calling.

The vision God has already prepared for you. (Jeremiah 29:11)

And you miss it.. not because it wasn’t coming; but because you were too busy carrying what you were never meant to hold.

Here’s the truth I had to sit with this morning:

Just because something exists in your life doesn’t mean you have to carry it.

Yes, bills exist; but worry doesn’t have to live in your body.

Yes, responsibility exists; but anxiety doesn’t have to rule your nervous system.

Yes, pain happened; but shame doesn’t get to stay.

This year, I made a decision:

I am no longer carrying unnecessary weight.

Not obligation. Not guilt. Not fear disguised as responsibility.

I’ve learned… and I’m still learning; that freedom starts in the mind.

There’s a quote often attributed to Gandhi about being free even in prison. And whether the quote is exact or not, the principle is undeniable: true freedom is internal. If you can retrain your nervous system, rewire your thoughts, and anchor yourself in faith, you can be free in any circumstance.

That’s what releasing baggage really is.

I meditate. I journal. I self-talk. I envision.

I see myself sitting in a larger office than the one I have now, signing copies of my books.

I see myself running again; even after blood clots in my lungs tried to take that from me.

I see myself closing a chapter on the home I bought during my marriage and stepping into something new; something that reflects who I am now.

I see my book, Unveiled: The Secrets That Saved Me, released into the world this March.

None of that happens if I’m weighed down by yesterday.

And this message isn’t just for women; but if you are a woman, you already know how hard this is.

I struggle most when it comes to my children.

I want to protect them from everything. I want to shield them from pain, from mistakes, from struggle. After my divorce, I spent so much time making sure they had life jackets that I didn’t realize I was drowning. Then one day, my daughter Chloe left me a note. She does that sometimes, little reminders tucked into my office or on my bed.

It said:

“Mom, you are a star. You are doing a great job. But sometimes you do too much, and you don’t have to. Love, Chloe.”

That stopped me in my tracks of trying to do a million things at once.

Because worrying constantly about your children is baggage.

Worrying constantly about money is baggage.

Worrying constantly about relationships, outcomes, timelines, and opinions is baggage.

Care is not the same as carrying.

And when you release the baggage, something powerful happens:

You make room.

Instead of replaying what you hate about your job, you improve your resume.

Instead of obsessing over a failing relationship, you invest in healing.

Instead of sitting in fear, you start preparing for what you’re praying for.

That’s mindset.

I know this deeply because I once worked as a mindset life coach, and because I had to save my own life with it. That’s why I wrote my mindset workbook back in 2020, during one of the most uncertain seasons the world has ever known.

So much of life comes down to what you believe.

I believe I am an excellent author.

I believe my words matter.

I believe my obedience will outpace my fear.

And I no longer put deadlines on God.

If something doesn’t happen this year, it doesn’t mean it isn’t happening. It means I’m being prepared.

That’s why Unveiled: The Secrets That Saved Me matters so much to me.

This book is my baggage; laid down.

For the first time, I share my story uncut. Unfiltered. From age nine to nineteen; and then through the chaos of my twenties and thirties. The things I was once too ashamed to say out loud.

Shame is baggage.

And I carried it for years.

When I wrote Trusting God in the Storm, I wasn’t ready to tell everything. I was careful. Guarded. Healing in layers.

But this book?

This is release.

If one young woman reads it and decides to choose herself sooner; it’s worth it.

And I want to be clear: Unveiled: The Secrets That Saved Me builds on my previous work. That’s why I strongly encourage you to read The Healing Journey and Trusting God in the Storm first. They lay the foundation. They tell the earlier chapters so I didn’t have to repeat myself, because growth deserves progression.

Right now, I have a limited number of signed copies of Trusting God in the Storm (ONLY 9.99!!!) When you purchase one directly from me, you’ll receive:

• A signed copy
• A personal message from me
• A free eBook copy of The Healing Journey

It’s first come, first served; and last time, they sold out in four days.

More than anything, I want you to know this:

You are not weak for carrying bags.

But you are powerful when you put them down.

Release what you can’t control.

Protect your peace.

Read. Pray. Journal. Heal.

Watch what you listen to. Watch who you allow access to you.

This is the season of lightness.

And I believe… deeply; that God is doing something major.

I’m almost done editing. I’m grateful. I’m favored. I’m ready.

And if you are too; it might be time to put the bags down and catch your bus.

With love,

Michelle 💛