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Throughout my last series, Reclaiming Your Bold Life, we looked inward. We did the hard, sacred work of meeting our inner child and reclaiming our autonomy. But it's a new year -- Hello, 2026! -- and here we stand, our new, whole selves, we might find ourselves looking at the landscape of our lives -- maybe a past relationship, our current jobs, or the spiritual organizations we once called home -- and now we're asking a terrifying question: “How did I stay in that for so long?”

Or at least that is what I have been asking myself this last year...

So, welcome to the first installment of my new series, The Blueprint of Bold Liberation. This series is designed to help you move from the "what" to the "why," exploring the systems that shaped you and the courageous process of walking away from the wreckage to build something entirely new -- OR NOT. The choice really is ours.

When the Air Becomes Too Thin to Breathe

For years, many of us lived in a state of normalized hurt. We told ourselves that high-stress environments are just "fast-paced," that a partner’s emotional withdrawal is just a "rough patch," or that a spiritual organization’s control is "discipline." BUT -- now we see this wasn't entirely true. It was what we told ourselves to keep us safe and comfortable because we knew what to expect.

But why did we stay so long in these situations, really?

We stay because we are Fixers. We believe that if we are just a little more patient, a little more excellent, or a little more vulnerable, we can repair the blueprint of the relationship or the organization.

And this pattern eventually pushes us to feel closed in, the air thins, and we hyperventilate toward burnout.

That is when we are faced with the ultimate choice of stay or go. Neither is easy. And in my personal experience, going was one of the hardest choices I have ever made.

My Story: The Excellence Trap

There was a time in my life when I found myself in a harmful organizational culture. I could see the cracks in the foundation from a mile away. Authentic communication was null, the expectations were moving targets, and leadership above me relied on the exhaustion of its best people to stay afloat.

My response? I worked harder.

I thought, "If I can just create the perfect system, if I can lead with enough integrity, if I can be the one person who doesn't burn out, I can fix this. I can show them a better way." I spent months (maybe even years) "performing" excellence, thinking I was being a leader. Thinking I was just "leaning into my giftings." I believed I was making a difference that would change things for the better for everyone.

In reality, I was just a "Fixer" trying to renovate a building that was designed to be a prison. I was suffocating, but I told myself I just needed to breathe more deeply. Rest a little more efficiently. Believe a little harder. Wait a little longer.

The moment the fog lifted wasn't a loud explosion; it was a quiet realization -- one that changed my life in a myriad of ways.

I realized: This system isn't broken. It’s functioning exactly how it was designed to. It’s designed to consume me.

Awareness is often the most uncomfortable stage of healing because it ends the safety of the "known" pain. Once you see the machine, you can no longer pretend it's a garden.

It will change your life. It certainly changed mine.

The Fixer's Final Stand

In intimate relationships, professional roles, and spiritual communities, we often mistake the intensity of the struggle for the depth of the connection. We think that because we are fighting so hard to make it work, it must be worth saving. We mistake "hard work" for loyalty.

This is the Fixer’s "Final Stand." It’s the desperate, final push where we try to "vulnerability" our way into changing a harmful dynamic.

But here is the bold truth: You cannot repair a system that requires your diminishment to function. Whether it's a patriarchal marriage where your voice is a threat, or an organization that demands your identity in exchange for belonging, the "fix" isn't more effort.

The "fix" is awareness.

The First Step of the Blueprint: Observing the Structure

As we begin this journey, I want you to look at the areas of your life where you feel most depleted.

Don't try to fix them today.

Just observe.

Are you breathing thin air? Are you trying to renovate a structure that was never designed for your flourishing?

Awareness is the catalyst for liberation. It’s the moment you stop asking, "What is wrong with me?" and start asking, "Why was this blueprint designed to fail me?"

It's a BOLD pivot -- and it's the first step of healing!

I'm looking forward to sharing with you next week how we move from awareness/acceptance of the structures that hurt us into the next phase of healing.

Bold Challenge Questions

1.Think of a relationship or organization (past or present) that left you exhausted. What was the "one more thing" you kept thinking would finally fix the situation? Write it down. Now, ask yourself: "If I had succeeded at that one thing, would the system have actually changed, or would it have just consumed that effort and asked for more?"

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2. Identify a situation in your life right now where you feel a constant "tightness in your chest" or a need to walk on eggshells. Without trying to change the situation, name the "system" at play. Is it a culture of perfectionism? A patriarchal expectation of silence? A corporate demand for "loyalty" or "faith" over health?

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3. What is the one truth you are currently "ignoring" because acknowledging it would mean you have to change your life? Give yourself comfort by placing your hand over your heart and then speak that truth out loud to yourself. How does your body feel the moment the words leave your mouth? (Do you feel a sudden weight, or a sudden release?)

(Remember, you are JUST observing at this point. NOT trying to FIX anything about yourself or the systems you have named.)

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💋If you've been thinking about working with me in 2026...

​Book a Complimentary Clarity Call​

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💪🏻Craving More Challenge?💪🏻

Enjoy a Boldly Driven Conversation with Bri.

This project will be on hiatus for a bit as I work on my newest project: Life Coaches In Love Podcast. (More info coming soon, early 2026!)

Be sure to subscribe to my YouTube Channel so you don't miss an episode when it returns.

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❤️‍🩹Helpful Resources for your Personal Growth Journey! ❤️‍🩹

​Emotional Health Digital Products found on my website​

​Emotional Healing journals on Amazon​

Your favorite, most radiant self is waiting for you to discover just how amazing you are!

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Brianna L. George

Boldly live out loud as your authentic self.💋

​BriannaLGeorge.com​

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Clarksville, TN 37040