The Stories That Shape Us: Healing Trauma and Creating a New Reality w/ Melissa Monte | Ep. 68
Melissa's Website:https://www.mindlove.com/In this powerful and deeply honest episode, Melissa Monte, host of the “Mind Love” podcast, shares her incredible journey from trauma and rock bottom to healing, entrepreneurship, and personal empowerment. She opens up about surviving sexual assault, addiction, toxic relationships, and a felony charge — and how these moments became stepping stones on her spiritual and professional path.Melissa reveals how storytelling is not only a tool for healing but also a technology for personal transformation. Together, we explore the relationship between trauma, nervous system states, and belief patterns, the paradox of control versus surrender, and how small choices shape our lives.Whether you’re on a path of healing, entrepreneurship, or self-discovery, this conversation will inspire you to reclaim your power and rewrite your story.Timestamps00:00 - Intro: Welcoming Melissa Monte from Mind Love00:41 - Melissa shares her powerful backstory: trauma, bulimia, and jail02:41 - How childhood trauma shaped her identity and survival strategies03:41 - A toxic relationship, stolen jewelry, and a life-altering arrest05:41 - Moving to LA and the unexpected path to entrepreneurship07:41 - The power of intentional creation vs. default programming08:41 - Healing the body through yoga and breaking old patterns10:41 - Self-awareness, new relationships, and nervous system rewiring12:41 - Shifting the lens: how stories shape our identity and choices14:41 - Religious deconstruction and the hero’s journey framework17:41 - Melissa's 7-step process to rewriting your personal narrative20:41 - Trauma, somatics, and the importance of feeling to heal23:41 - Healing as a spiral, not a straight line26:41 - How to identify your core beliefs and hidden stories29:41 - Creating yourself vs. finding yourself31:41 - Free will, discipline, and the power of small decisions34:41 - Why input choices (friends, food, content) matter so much36:41 - Life design through intentional living38:41 - Marketing, manipulation, and staying sovereign in a capitalist world41:41 - Becoming the hero of your story through self-reflection44:41 - Purifying the heart and tuning into your inner voice46:41 - How to discover your true desires and purpose48:41 - Fast action over perfection in personal growth51:41 - Reframing mistakes as part of the path53:41 - Balancing control and surrender: trusting the bigger picture58:41 - Personal story: miscarriage, trust, and spiritual surrender01:05:41 - Real-life parables: when losses become protection01:06:41 - Where to find Melissa and her free reframing tool01:07:00 - Outro: reflections and gratitude