Stuck in the Middle

Welcome back to Mind by Fire.

There’s a point in every transformation where life feels blurry.
You’re no longer who you were — but not yet who you’re becoming.

And the only way across that middle ground is to begin living like the person you’re growing into — now, not later.
Identity shifts through action before it ever shows up in your life.

This “middle” season feels shaky for a reason.
You’ve outgrown the old version of yourself, but the new one hasn’t strengthened enough to feel natural yet.
Your identity feels suspended between two worlds — and that tension is exactly where deep change begins.

Neuro-wise, this is where the real rewiring happens.
This is the season most people rush through — and the exact one you need to learn how to stand inside of.

Brain-Based Insight: The Science of Becoming

This “middle” season is what researchers call the liminal space — a threshold between identities.
It’s the psychological doorway between your former self and your future self.

The hardest part of transformation isn’t the beginning — it’s the middle.
That strange stretch of time where your old habits no longer fit, but your new ones haven’t fully settled in.

In this liminal space, neuroplasticity peaks.
Your brain is literally updating its wiring — pruning old pathways and strengthening new ones.
But the tension you feel?
That’s your predictive mind struggling between what was and what will be.

The brain prefers familiar patterns — even painful ones — because they’re predictable.
So when you step into change, your default mode network (the system that runs self-stories and identity loops) fires up old narratives:

But that discomfort isn’t regression — it’s rewiring.
It’s the neurological sign that your old identity is being replaced by the one you’re becoming.

To stay stuck is to keep looping yesterday’s reward prediction.
To grow means training your brain to emotionally invest in future-based evidence — feelings, habits, and images that come from your next chapter, not your last one.

And here’s what most people never realize:
The moment you notice the loop is the moment change begins.
Awareness flips the switch.
That’s when neuroplasticity activates, updating your internal model of who you are — from survival mode into becoming mode.

Reset Ritual: Daily Rehearsal for the Future You

Transformation doesn’t happen from hope or information — it happens through clarity, structure, repetition, and purpose.
This ritual wires your brain to become the person you’re growing into.

1. Visualize your future self — with specificity.

Picture the version of you you’re working toward:
How do they think?
How do they carry themselves?
How do they handle stress, conflict, or uncertainty?
The clearer the image, the stronger the neural imprint.

2. Create a habit structure that aligns with that identity.

What habits can you build today that support who you want to be tomorrow?
Include self-care habits that ground you in patience, gratitude, and emotional regulation — so you’re not reactive when adversity hits.
Identity is built through consistent, aligned behaviors.

3. Speak affirmations that rewire your subconscious for growth.

Use statements that reinforce the identity you’re stepping into:

• “My actions reflect the person I’m becoming.”

• “I stay grounded under pressure.”

• “I’m building discipline one choice at a time.”

4. Reconnect with your why.

Why do you want to become this version of yourself?
Your why is the emotional fuel that keeps you steady when motivation fades.

5. Set a specific goal — but more importantly, build a process for it.

Anyone can set a goal.
Very few build a system to reach it.
Define the steps, routines, and checkpoints that will carry you forward.
Process is what turns intention into identity.

Grounded Reflection: Honor Who You Were, Shape Who You’re Becoming

When growth starts, it’s easy to look back and cringe at who you used to be.
The choices.
The patterns.
The seasons where you drifted or got stuck.

But that version of you was the bridge, not the barrier.
Every habit — even the ones you outgrew — was your brain’s best attempt to survive with the information it had.

Regret slows growth.
Understanding accelerates it.
Your former self built the foundation your future self is standing on.

Now, in this discovery period, the way you shape the next version of you comes down to alignment — what you focus on, what you consume, and what you allow into your mind.

We live in a world where content is constant. Trends, reels, opinions, noise.
And in this in-between season, your attention becomes one of your greatest tools.

You can move through this phase as a consumer, letting the algorithm pull you back into who you were…
or as a creator, choosing content that supports who you’re becoming.

This isn’t about judgment — it’s about direction.
I want to consume what pulls me forward, sharpens my habits, and helps me bring value to others.
Because the content you feed your mind becomes the environment your identity grows inside of.

You’re not just outgrowing your past — you’re intentionally building your future.
Honor the version of you that got you here…
and direct your attention toward the version you’re becoming.

That’s where becoming truly begins.

I hope this sparked something in you today —
the reminder, or maybe the nudge, you needed to keep moving forward.
You’re not stuck. You’re becoming.
And every step you take in this middle season is building the version of you you’ve been searching for.

Disclaimer: This newsletter is for educational and informational purposes only. It is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.