What if the praise you chase is the very thing keeping you empty?

Michelle opens up about the quiet loop many high achievers know too well: join to feel accepted, deliver at full speed, collect the applause, then crash into overwhelm and numbness. When slowing down triggers cold shoulders or silence, old stories about worth flare up and disengagement becomes the only shield that feels safe.

We explore why quick fixes feel so good at first. Validation masquerades as love, busy calendars look like belonging, and a mountain of tasks feels like purpose. But when output becomes identity, the cost is steep: burnout, resentment, and the painful sense that your value disappears the moment you set a boundary.

Michelle names the root causes beneath the rush for approval unmet needs for safety, acceptance, and real connection and shows how to swap performance for alignment without abandoning your drive.

You’ll learn simple, honest tools to break the cycle: an audit for your yeses, boundary scripts that protect capacity, and reflective practices that help you catch stress before it flattens your joy. We talk about building communities that honor your humanity over your utility, asking for reciprocity upfront, and defining appreciation as more than another task. The result isn’t louder applause; it’s steadier peace and contributions that actually last.

If you’ve ever felt used by your own ambition or loved only when you’re useful this conversation offers relief and a path forward. Subscribe, share with a friend who needs it, and leave a review with one quick fix you’re ready to retire.

Your worth isn’t up for debate; let your choices reflect it.

Message from Dr. Michelle Chanda Singh

I’m Dr. Michelle Chanda Singh, born in Jamaica, raised in a traditional Indian household where I never quite fit the mold. For over 40 years, I chased every expectation family, culture, society, collecting degrees, titles, and accolades. I had purpose and security, yet something was missing. I was achieving, not thriving.

As an award-winning global educator, Michelle finally realized that fulfillment doesn’t come from perfection, it comes from alignment. Today, she help high-achieving, culturally diverse women educators recognize how disengagement quietly steals their joy. Together, we break those patterns so you can redefine success on your own terms and lead with purpose, from fulfillment, not sacrifice.

That’s why I created this podcast, to tell my story honestly and unfiltered. The truths I buried, the patterns I tolerated, the lessons that set me free. But this isn’t just about me, it’s about you. Through these stories, you’ll see reflections of your own journey and uncover what’s been holding you back.

Join me as I disrupts disengagement, break the cycle of busyness, and learn to lead and live from a place of true joy and wholeness. It’s time to reclaim your power and thrive, not just survive.