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Awakening Isn’t Blissful—It’s Brave (Lessons from The Awakened Brain)

Awakening Doesn’t Always Feel Blissful—And That’s Backed by Science

Have you ever felt like something inside you was shifting… but instead of clarity and peace, all you got was confusion, fatigue, or emotional chaos?

That’s exactly why The Awakened Brain by Dr. Lisa Miller made it into our book club this month.

This isn’t just another inspirational book about spirituality—it’s a neuroscience-backed exploration of how our brains are wired for meaning, and how awakening often feels like unraveling before it feels like peace.

Dr. Miller calls it “the birth canal of meaning.”
And if you're there right now—squeezed between who you were and who you're becoming—please know:

You're not broken.
You're not behind.
You're just waking up.

The Myth of the Blissful Awakening

So many of us imagine spiritual awakening as a mountaintop moment—radiant, clear, and effortless.

But real awakening?

It often starts with grief.
🌀 Grief for the version of you that could no longer survive.
💔 Grief for the beliefs you outgrew.
🌑 Grief for the dreams that no longer feel true.

And according to Dr. Miller, that ache isn’t failure.
It’s transformation.

Your Brain On Awakening: Why It Feels So Uncomfortable

In the book, Dr. Miller breaks down why spiritual and emotional transformation can feel like emotional whiplash.

Here’s what’s actually happening:

• Your brain’s neural pathways are reorganizing (yes, literally rewiring through neuroplasticity).

• You’re shedding old self-concepts that no longer align with who you are.

• You’re experiencing a shift in what psychologists call identity disequilibrium—a disorienting space where your old identity dissolves, but your new one hasn’t fully landed.

Sound familiar?

If you’ve felt like you’re in limbo right now… like you’re floating between what was and what’s next… this is your confirmation:

That’s not a setback.
That’s the sacred in-between.
It’s not regression.
It’s reassembly.

Journal With It: Anchor Your Awakening

If The Awakened Brain is your science-backed permission slip to trust the discomfort, then the LTS Journal: Know is where you make sense of it.

This is the tool I used to track my own identity shift—to notice the patterns, honor the grief, and celebrate the quiet returns to self. Inside, you’ll find space to:

• Reflect on what’s falling away

• Process what your energy is trying to say

• Rebuild trust in your inner knowing—slowly, softly, truthfully

✨ Journal Prompt:

What part of me is dissolving so something truer can emerge?

Ready to Move from Chaos to Clarity?

If you’re resonating with this book and blog post, it might be time to go deeper.

That’s exactly why I created the Quantum Leap Course.
It’s not about becoming a “better” version of yourself.
It’s about becoming the version that actually feels like you.

Inside, we walk through:

• Identity shifts with neuroscience-based tools

• Nervous system regulation during transformation

• Sacred daily rituals that bring you back to alignment

If you’re ready to stop surviving and start becoming—this is your next step.

Want to Listen Instead?

🎧 Listen to Episode 11 – Awakening Doesn’t Always Feel Good

In this episode, I share:

• My own story of awakening from performance and perfectionism

• The psychology behind identity disequilibrium

• Why spiritual clarity often begins with emotional chaos

• How to trust the in-between (even when it doesn’t feel good yet)

This episode and Dr. Miller’s work belong together.
Both remind you: You are not too late. You are not too broken. You are simply becoming.

Final Thought: Your Awakening Is Working (Even If It Doesn’t Feel Like It Yet)

If your “glow-up” looks more like grieving…
If your spiritual awakening feels more like emotional exhaustion than enlightenment…
If your truth feels tender and quiet, not loud and clear…

That doesn’t mean you’re off track.

It means you're doing the most sacred work of all—
💗 Rewiring your mind
💗 Softening your spirit
💗 Returning to your truth

Keep going.

Your awakened brain knows the way home.

With you always,
xo, Melissa
@lovethyselfies