Shownotes
There comes a moment after trauma when survival no longer feels like living. In Mind Over Matter, hosted by Nazish, this conversation with Shannon Michelle gently explores what it means to rebuild yourself when everything feels paused.
This episode is for anyone carrying emotional or physical pain and wondering if healing is even possible. Shannon shares her deeply personal journey of recovery, offering a grounded perspective on resilience—not as strength or speed, but as presence, kindness, and daily choice. You’ll walk away with a softer, more human understanding of healing and a reminder that your story is still unfolding.
About the Guest:
Shannon Michelle is a speaker, workshop leader, and author of Step Into Your Miracle (2025). She helps people transform trauma into clarity, resilience, and purpose through her platform and personal story.
Episode Chapters:
00:00 – When survival stops feeling like living
04:10 – What resilience really means after trauma
08:30 – Living with pain without losing yourself
13:45 – Breaking cycles of survival mode
18:20 – Finding joy in the present moment
23:10 – Redefining identity after trauma
27:40 – A simple truth: be kind to yourself
Key Takeaways:
- Resilience is about presence, not perfection
- Healing includes both ease and difficulty
- Small daily awareness builds emotional strength
- Repeating patterns can keep you stuck
- Kindness toward yourself is foundational
How to Connect With the Guest:
Website: https://stepintoyourmiracle.com/
Also available on Instagram
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Transcripts
00:00:06 Nazish: That there's a moment after trauma where you realize survival isn't same as living your functioning, but something inside feels paused. What if that pause isn't the end of your story, but the beginning of deeper becoming? Tonight we are talking about how pain can cause pain. Cause it become purpose and how resilience is built, not born.
00:00:30 Nazish: Welcome to Mind over matter where we explore strength of human spirit and psychology behind real transformation. I am Nazish and today I am joined by Sharon Mitchell, speaker workshop leader, best selling author of Step Into Your Miracle, released in May twenty twenty five, show that your Miracle Shannon empowers people to transform trauma into resilience, clarity, and purpose, guiding them from surviving to true, true living. If you have ever wondered whether your pain could become your power, this conversation is for you. Welcome, Shannon.
00:01:11 Shannon Michelle: Ah!
00:01:11 Shannon Michelle: Hello.
00:01:14 Shannon Michelle: Hello, hello, hello, hello. Yeah.
00:01:19 Nazish: Shannon. Many people believe resilience means being strong or moving on quickly. In your experience, what is the biggest misconception people have about resilience after trauma?
00:01:33 Shannon Michelle: That's a that's a beautiful question. Um, what comes to the present moment for me is that we have to find a way to navigate through all the windy roads that life deals us in a way. Um, and the things that we are shown within this human existence that we happen to be in at this point. Um, and I know that for me personally, I had to find my way out of a lot of trauma to, to find myself again and to find strength within the pain and guidance within finding a brighter light and a more joyous day because the, my trauma was beyond severe. And, um, and I've, I, I lowly excuse me, I had slowly had to find my way out of the darkness, but also be comfortable in the darkness and pain to find my way out.
00:02:52 Nazish: that sounds so powerful, So when someone is feeling triggered or emotional or months or for years later, does that mean they are failing at resilience? Or is or is that just a part of process?
00:03:08 Shannon Michelle: No, it's, it's, you know, I think the beautiful thing that I learned in this second phase of my life is that, um, there's always, there's always a level of cause and effect that helps us grow and helps us expand and see ourselves and see the world a little differently. In, in. And sometimes you don't see the clarity of that within the trauma or the pain. You, you you just you can decide. I believe for me, what I needed to do was decide. Decide to wake up each morning, whether it didn't matter the day. It just it was me staying present and waking up and finding a way to put a smile on my face. And that could be something as basic as for me. I had to learn to walk again and and see the world a little differently with a lot of brokenness. And I would wake up and some days I wake up and a lot of pain, physical pain, and I would have to be okay with that physical pain and just look out the window and say, oh my gosh, those are beautiful birds. And that brings me joy. And I had personally to see the strength within the pain and in, in the chaos that I sat within for a very long period of time post my very severe motorcycle accident. Um, and, and so there's always, I think if you want to have faith in yourself and belief in why you struggle, there's, there's, there's a, there is a guidance within that how to see yourself in the mirror or through other people's eyes with, with brightness, with light, with joy. How do I, how do I wake up today and find joy that that that is a goal every day for me. And some days are easy and some days are not. And it's okay that some days are easy and some days are not. And that's what people have to get comfortable with that the days are easy and then they're not. And how do I get comfortable in the yin and yang of that? Um, is a good way to wake up each morning. Yeah.
00:05:45 Nazish: Absolutely. I couldn't agree more with you. And you know, what I am hearing is that resilience isn't about speed or suppression. It is about integration. And it is less about pretending you are okay, but more about building capacity to hold on to your story.
00:06:04 Shannon Michelle: See to see it, and also to see yourself differently. It's okay that your story changes and that your life adjusts, but can you wake up and see within that change? Can you still see the true you? Can you still like what you see? That can be empowering. That can be strength from wherever you stand or sit or sleep. It all helps abundance. It helps growth. It helps kindness. It helps. Clarity. Um, how do you see the clarity within the chaos? Is sometimes messy, you know? And you don't necessarily always have an answer to that. And that's okay. I don't have an answer every day. I, I have, I have an answer to how I can live through this present moment and this day. And that's all I do. That's, you know, I wake up, I'm like, okay, new present day, new new moment. And how am I going to live my day today? That's always a goal for me.
00:07:20 Nazish: that sounds like such a beautiful goal, you know? Trauma often shapes identity, how we see ourselves and what we believe we deserve. What tends to happen internally when someone stays stuck in survival mode?
00:07:35 Shannon Michelle: HMM.
00:07:36 Shannon Michelle: I think I think when you stay stuck in survival mode, you tend to cycle in circles and you keep repeating the same things over and over again. And I think when you are not able to let your personal self see yourself differently, then you go in and you go in and out of circles and then it just there's no growth and there's no abundance from going in in the same path all the time. Sometimes we have to take a different road, sometimes we have to, it's windy, sometimes it's different. But when you sit in the same place all the time, physically, mentally, spiritually, you get you get caught up in cycles and cycles of the same thing every time. Every day is no growth. It's no expansion. And how. How is it that you personally can grow up and get up today and not not go in the same circle, in the same repeat? How can you see yourself differently? How can you travel down a different path? I would, I would suggest that everybody ask them myself that how do how to not cycle and circle round and round. Let's get out of this circle. Let's let's move on. Let's grow.
00:09:10 Shannon Michelle: Yes.
00:09:11 Nazish: You know it. The work isn't about the heat, about healing the wound. It is about reclaiming authorship of your life. And that feels incredibly empowering.
00:09:23 Shannon Michelle: It can be if you let it. Yeah, but you also have to learn to let it right.
00:09:29 Shannon Michelle: You have to learn to allow it to learn to let it. Mhm.
00:09:33 Nazish: So, um, in everyday life, how does unresolved trauma quietly show up? To think like, I'm thinking about relationship, work or even self-worth.
00:09:43 Shannon Michelle: Yeah.
00:09:45 Shannon Michelle: I think that, again, it goes in the path of repeat that you keep thinking you're going to be able to know better or do better. Um, is again, that cycle of repeat. And if you can try to be guided by not always knowing and not always having the right answer and knowing that the, that the truth and the strength will come through you. And to you, I always say it comes through my heart. Um, you know, everybody has different words to put around where their strength comes from. But if you can sit and, and think about what fills your heart, what gets spoken to you through you, what is the Intuitive way that you can lead your life. Um, and try not to just guide by doing what you're told, but actually have a bigger. Bigger abundance, bigger influence is, is the words that come to me right now what I'm saying that but you, you know, you, you don't sit, um, and think you know it all, but you actually realize that you are, um, abundant in each present moment and each day it's going to feel different. And it'd be okay with feeling different each and every day and each in the morning versus the evening. How does it feel to you? What brings you abundance? Can you ask yourself what brings you abundance and then follow that path? It's it, it's I don't know, you tell me, do you think that sounds easy and simple?
00:11:35 Shannon Michelle: It does.
00:11:35 Nazish: It does sounds easy and simple. And actually, to be really honest, it sounds like awareness is the bridge and not a shaming ourselves for coping, but understanding why we learned those coping strategies in the first place.
00:11:51 Shannon Michelle: Exactly.
00:11:51 Shannon Michelle: And and and are they are they is the coping leading yourself to a new place? Are you allowing yourself to open the door to new environments, to new people, to new visions? You know, how how can you personally open your door? Um, in each, in each thing that you're taught or you learn and then you decide, is this something worth keeping or repeating? No, no it isn't. Okay. Or oh, this feels good. I'm going to do this again. And you can continue to find, find that that joyous place within each moment. And, and I, I always ask somebody in this present moment, what brings you joy? Like, I want to know what brings you joy in this present moment? Like, if you could think of one word, what word would you or what sentence would you say brings you joy today in this present moment?
00:12:53 Nazish: Absolutely. Asking yourself that is very important, I must say. And you know, it is actually important for us to know how we can work on it. And just like I said, awareness is very important. And I believe your platform called Step in Your miracle and the phrase feels intentional. You know, if someone listening feels stuck between surviving, surviving and living, what is the one step that they can take today.
00:13:25 Shannon Michelle: To, to, to me, what works is, um, Within. Survival is is a place where you find strength. And if you can, try to remember that no matter where you're at in this present moment, it it's an, it's an important moment. It's an important it's an important insight. It's an important conversation. It's an important walk. It's an important word. Whatever it is for you, it's important. And find yourself important in this present moment and and hold on to that for a while throughout the day. Doesn't mean that it lasts for a year. Just hold on to it today. Hold on to your present moment and see yourself beautiful and see yourself. Spoken to in a way that is hard to put words around. See yourself. See that? See the true you.
00:14:34 Nazish: Absolutely. And, you know, it is such a you know, healing isn't the solo climb. It is supported growth. And it is a structured reflection. Safe spaces encourages honesty.
00:14:49 Shannon Michelle: True. Yeah.
00:14:52 Nazish: Yeah.
00:14:52 Shannon Michelle: Truth is that truth is very empowering. If you allow it to be. Like it's not easy all the time. But it is. It is the best place to be is sit within your truth and who you are, not who somebody else is, but who you are. So my hope is that I can help others. See themselves clearly and smoothly and beautifully and so that they can remember who they are is, is to me, the most important thing you can do in your day.
00:15:32 Nazish: And, you know, uh, healing isn't linear. So what happens when someone feels like they have regressed or when old emotions resurfaces?
00:15:42 Shannon Michelle: That's a good one because mine continue to and did, um, have and everybody, I think the other part of that is everybody goes through the cycles of pain and sorrow and forgiveness and sadness. It doesn't, it doesn't matter who we are in this, in this human world, like everybody goes in and out of feelings of positive and negative and strength and, and brokenness. Like for me, I was very physically and mentally broken. And I had to, I had to find my way out, but I'd say within, I had to find a way to get comfortable with brokenness. Like I wear an eye patch now and I look in the mirror and I. I had to find joy in this newness that I was looking at. And so. How can you. Whoever is listening. How can you personally see yourself with beauty and kindness, even if you look different, even if it feels different and, and, and give yourself that kindness of. I can see the beauty in myself. I can see the strength in myself. Ask that question.
00:17:15 Nazish: Absolutely. I couldn't agree more with you. And you know, how can we reframe setbacks as a part of resilience instead of evidence that we are broken?
00:17:26 Shannon Michelle: True. I mean, and it's all different for everybody. You know, it might be the shoes you wear. I always say like, my eye patches are my new shoes. Like whatever all of us are, all of us equally go through struggle, all of us equally go through joy and, and, and try to make sure you remember to see the equalness within one within us all and not not the differences. That again is strength. Don't look at the differences. Look at the similarities. Look at the. Look at the. I can't even think of a word right now. The abundance within the similarities is what is coming to me right now.
00:18:16 Nazish: Yeah, absolutely.
00:18:17 Shannon Michelle: I also yeah, yeah. And I, I am, I struggle. You know, I post my traumatic brain injury. I, you know, I was in a coma for a few months and my body and my brain was so I call it deleted like a computer. I woke up and I didn't know where I was or who I was. And, and I had to find my way out of what? Continually waking up and not knowing what I what had happened or who I was. And I had to find a way to see myself differently. I had to find my a way to remember differently. Um, and it, it, it's again for everybody. It's different, but stay present, please. Everybody, everybody that's listening right now, stay present in your moment. Who you are today. Not yesterday, not tomorrow. Just right now. Who are you today? And sit within that person. Stay with that person and find kindness for that person who you are today.
00:19:32 Nazish: Absolutely. I couldn't agree more with you. And you know, Sharon, this has been an absolutely amazing conversation with you. You have reframed so many things with such beauty for us. And, you know, tell us for someone listening in right now who feels exhausted from carrying their trauma and who feels like their miracle is out of reach, what would you want them to remember tonight?
00:20:02 Shannon Michelle: Be kind to yourself. Be kind to yourself. Be kind to yourself. Um, that's what I hope for them to, to do in this present moment is show some kindness to others, to yourself. But be kind. First and foremost to yourself. Um, and if you are looking for any guidance, please take a peek at my book or my website and reach out. Email me. Ask me a question. Ask. Ask a question. If you have a question that comes to you, ask me. I've been through it all. I know it's not funny when I laugh. I have to find humor within my sorrow sometimes. You know.
00:20:51 Nazish: It is. It is funny. I was laughing with it as well.
00:20:55 Shannon Michelle: Good.
00:20:55 Nazish: Yes, absolutely. And you know one thing, that one truth that I am going to take from today's conversation is that resilience isn't about erasing your pain. It is about transforming it into clarity, strength and purpose.
00:21:11 Shannon Michelle: True. Yeah. Do that. And to do that today, not to. Not yesterday, not tomorrow. Just today. Just stay within that strength today. And if you like it, do it. Do more. You know, and then you again, you find your your baby steps into a new life if you allow it. Yeah.
00:21:32 Nazish: Yes, absolutely. I so Shannon, where can our listeners find you and learn more about your work? Like learn more about step into your miracle and connect with you?
00:21:44 Shannon Michelle: Yes. Um, they created a beautiful website, step into your miracle dot com. And there's all kinds of links of what I'm doing today. My book, um, some of the speaking engagements that I continue to do. And, um, and I, I hope that people see some hope for themselves within seeing how everybody's journeys are equal to each other. And mine was very severe that you put the words around it. And, and people think, I don't want to have to walk down that road. But it brought me strength in a different way. And I found abundance in a in a new way. So allow within what you read and what you see about me. If that brings you joy, if that brings you clarity. Let it please. So step into your miracle dot com and um, yeah, reach out.
00:22:49 Nazish: Thank you so much for sharing that with us. I will make sure to include all these details into the show notes so that a lot of people can reach out to you and thank you so much.
00:22:57 Shannon Michelle: Oh, also there's yeah, I forget also there's like the Instagram and Facebook and all that too. Step into your miracle. There's all the different. Oh, LinkedIn, it's all the layers are out there. If you, if you Google step into your miracle, you'll find me somewhere.
00:23:14 Nazish: Yeah. I will make sure to include all these details so that a lot of people can reach out to you. So Shannon, thank you so much for reminding us that survival is just the beginning, not the destination. And to everyone listening, your story is not over. Your pain does not disqualify you from the purpose. Sometimes the very thing that to break you becomes the bridge to your miracle. This is mind over matter. Until next time, take care of your mind because it shapes your matter.
