The Space In-between - 3 Ways to Navigate the Mush and Find Your Wings
When life puts you in the space in between, pause in the shock, play in the unknown, and give yourself permission to emerge.
We're diving into the squishy, gooey space of transformation this week, where life feels like a giant bowl of mush!
Join me, Heather Masters, as we chat about those awkward moments when everything seems to be falling apart, and you’re just left floating around like a confused snowflake in a snow globe.
From the gut-wrenching “Oh my God” stage to embracing the mush and finally emerging with shiny new wings, I’ve got three pathways to help you navigate this wild ride. Plus, I’ll share a personal story about my fur baby who recently crossed the rainbow bridge, reminding us all that change, while tough, is also a place of new beginnings.
So, grab your favourite beverage and settle in—there’s a little gift of a webinar waiting for you at the end!
The Detail
Life can be a bit of a rollercoaster, can't it?
One minute you’re flying high, and the next, you’re stuck in the mush between what was and what’s next.
This week, I’m getting real about that transformative journey we all go through — yeah, it’s not just you!
I’ll share how losing my loyal pup threw me back into the depths of change and how we can all navigate these squishy times.
We’ll uncover the three stages of transformation that can help you through the chaos:
first, the shocking ‘Oh my God’ stage, where the ground shifts beneath your feet.
Then, we’ll explore the mush stage, where it feels like you’re caught in a swirling snow globe, and finally,
The emerging stage, where you get to spread those wings and embrace the new you!
I promise it’s not all doom and gloom — there’s humour, hope, and a sprinkle of light-heartedness to guide you through the mush.
So, let’s dive in together and find the joy in the transformation!
Chapters:
- 00:14 - Navigating the Space in Between
- 04:17 - Navigating Transformation: The Journey Through the Mush
- 05:53 - Navigating Grief: Steps to Survive the Shock
- 07:55 - The Mush Stage
- 11:27 - Emerging into a New You
Takeaways:
- Navigating the mush of transformation is a wild ride, but trust the process!
- Heather dives deep into the emotional chaos of change and how to find grounding.
- Discover the three stages of transformation: the shocking 'OMG' phase, the mushy void, and the inspiring emergence!
- Grieving and change can feel like a snow globe, but it's all about finding calm amidst the chaos.
- Allowing yourself to feel all the feels is crucial—don't rush the healing process!
- Embrace the uncertainty of the mush; it’s where new possibilities and versions of yourself can emerge!
Podcast Details and Links
Heather Masters
Copyright 2026 Heather Masters
If you are enjoying the podcast and would like to donate you can do so here: (Thank you in advance)
Subscribe & Review
New episodes drop every week. Subscribe so you never miss one, and if this episode helped you, please leave a review—it helps other women find the podcast when they need it most.
Remember: Keep choosing happy. Not by coping… but by coming back to life.
How You Can Connect with Heather and Support This Independent Podcast:
Please like, share with someone who may need to hear this today, and/or leave a review and support the podcast. I really appreciate it.
Want to dive deeper? Drop me an email: heather@heathervmasters.com
Join the conversation: Community | https://buymeacoffee.com/choosinghappy
If this episode resonated with you, please: • Subscribe to Choosing Happy wherever you listen • Leave a 5-star review (it helps other women find this work) • Share with someone who needs to hear: "You're not unforgivable" • Visit heathervmasters.com to learn about working together
© 2026 Heather V Masters | Choosing Happy Podcast All rights reserved.
Transcript
Welcome to the Choosing Happy Podcast.
Speaker A:I'm Heather Masters, and this week I'm talking about the space in between, three ways to navigate the mush and find your way.
Speaker A:When we're going through change and transformation, it's often the space in between that is the most uncomfortable.
Speaker A:It's like the caterpillar analogy turning to mush.
Speaker A:And it doesn't know that there are wings and flights on the other side.
Speaker A:When we're in the mush and even when we're breaking through, not only do we have little choice but to trust the process we have to push in order to be strong enough for the other side.
Speaker A:And I don't know about you, but I've been in the mush a number of times in my life and I feel that right now the world feels like it's going through this transformation, this mush.
Speaker A:So that's what I'm exploring today in this week's Choosing Happy Podcast.
Speaker A:And stay tuned till the end because I have a gift for you.
Speaker A:My dog died a couple of weeks ago, very unexpectedly, and I thought I was through the mush after the last couple of months.
Speaker A:And then I found myself thrown back in the deep end.
Speaker A:My standard line of self defense is to retreat, to lick my wounds, eat the ice cream, watch the movies, regroup.
Speaker A:So I've been absent from socials, from my podcast, from my newsletter for a while, and I've been pondering the miracle of transformation during that time that the transformation that occurs for that caterpillar on its way to becoming a butterfly, and what we can learn from the three main stages to help us when we find the ground being shaken around us and we have no idea of what comes next.
Speaker A:First, my dog.
Speaker A:I'd like to take a moment to explain.
Speaker A:How would my dog dying throw me into the mush?
Speaker A:I rescued, rather, she rescued me her on my birthday 13 years ago.
Speaker A:And I took her while committing to my parents, who I was caring for in their final years, that I would keep her, care for her, and do everything in my power to give her the best life possible beyond their passing.
Speaker A:And I believe I did that.
Speaker A:Now, what I hadn't realized was that there were a whole bunch of beliefs, values and other commitments that hung from that one commitment to my parents that I hadn't seen, I hadn't anticipated, and I hadn't realized I'd signed up for that were related not just to those beliefs, but also they shaped my identity over the last three years and what I would and wouldn't do, my values.
Speaker A:So losing her was really like losing that part of myself.
Speaker A:Whatever the trigger, there may be times in our lives where we are unexpectedly thrown into the mush, into the void, the in between, where the old is falling away.
Speaker A:What we thought was true is now outdated.
Speaker A:And yet we have no new map or foundation to stand on, to operate from.
Speaker A:And it can be scary, it can be disconcerting.
Speaker A:And it could be an adventure in trust.
Speaker A:So let's have a look at those three stages of transformation.
Speaker A:There's stage number one, what I like to call the oh my God stage.
Speaker A:Omg.
Speaker A:When you realize your life has shifted, it's been tipped over and will never be the same again.
Speaker A:This can move in gently until it hits a tipping point, because we've chosen to ignore the signs.
Speaker A:For example, the job that's taken in your energy and your identity, that's getting more demanding, unrewarding and impacting on your values until out of the blue, we believe they let you go.
Speaker A:Or the partner whose small yet impactful behavior changes.
Speaker A:You choose to justify.
Speaker A:She's working late.
Speaker A:He needs the space.
Speaker A:They're tired and don't mean to hurt me over and over again.
Speaker A:Or there's the sudden impact.
Speaker A:A death, a disaster, a shift you didn't see coming and you're sitting in the shock, reeling in the grief and surprise, watching your world tilting where everyone else carries on with their day.
Speaker A:Understand that your neurology, your beliefs, your values and your identity are in a shaking snow globe at this point that leads you nicely into the mush, the unknown, the void.
Speaker A:How do you survive the OMG stage?
Speaker A:Here's three potential steps.
Speaker A:One is allow the emotions.
Speaker A:Find a safe space.
Speaker A:Do this safely.
Speaker A:Cry.
Speaker A:Scream.
Speaker A:Allow the anger, the grief, the distress, the sadness.
Speaker A:Allow it to flow through you so that you're releasing it, that you're letting it go, that you're letting it move through and away in a healthy way.
Speaker A:You can book yourself into a wrecking room, grab the ice cream and your favorite sad movie, find a punch bag or go for a run.
Speaker A:Whatever works for you in terms of releasing.
Speaker A:And don't put a timer on it, allow it.
Speaker A:And understand that grief works in its own time.
Speaker A:And number two, know there's nothing to decide at this point.
Speaker A:Avoid all decisions.
Speaker A:Watch the thoughts, the logic, the emotions being expressed in your internal dialogue.
Speaker A:Watch that little hurricane of thoughts and know none of that is true until you decide it is.
Speaker A:Leave the decisions until later.
Speaker A:Park them and breathe.
Speaker A:And that's number three.
Speaker A:Breathe.
Speaker A:Try yoga.
Speaker A:Mindfulness.
Speaker A:Just get into your body and help you find that space of inner calm.
Speaker A:Calm in the chaos.
Speaker A:Breath is everything.
Speaker A:It's your friend, it's your anchor.
Speaker A:It's your center, your connection with the truth of who you are.
Speaker A:The truth of source.
Speaker A:So let's move on to number two.
Speaker A:The mush stage.
Speaker A:The void, the in between.
Speaker A:In this place, you feel like a speck of snow in that snow globe, floating with no sense of landing or where you are.
Speaker A:You don't know whether you're in Paris or la, or you're in a winter scene with Santa Claus.
Speaker A:You can't see the territory because your map has been torn up.
Speaker A:You're in the land of the unknown, uncertainty.
Speaker A:And if you like, control, this can freak you out.
Speaker A:So how do you navigate?
Speaker A:Number one, allow.
Speaker A:Understand that pushing and trying to shape things from here can have unwanted consequences.
Speaker A:Like the child who wants to help the butterfly by opening the cocoon.
Speaker A:For them to understand that this is actually a wonderful place to be.
Speaker A:It's a place of new possibilities, going beyond the limits you may have had in the past.
Speaker A:The things you've never imagined for yourself can come into view, into play.
Speaker A:So let yourself play here.
Speaker A:And that's number three.
Speaker A:Let your imagination free.
Speaker A:Allow yourself to acknowledge the desires you've always pushed away as unlogical, unpractical.
Speaker A:You've pushed them away in the past, but they're surfacing now.
Speaker A:And let the true you, free of the past and free of any shoulds and constraints, reveal themselves and again breathe.
Speaker A:Soon you'll be emerging.
Speaker A:And that's number three, the emerging stage.
Speaker A:You find your footing.
Speaker A:You've let go of the past things that no longer serve you.
Speaker A:You've played with new possibilities and visions of yourself and your future.
Speaker A:You've had a chat with your true self about your true desires.
Speaker A:And now you get to choose to try your wings as a new you in a new way.
Speaker A:Remembering that the first attempt to fly may not be, and most likely will be, unsuccessful.
Speaker A:And you get to try again because you know you're meant to fly.
Speaker A:You have that certainty in your future.
Speaker A:You have certainty in who you are, and you have certainty in uncertainty.
Speaker A:So there's no failure, only feedback, adjustments and play along the way.
Speaker A:So number one for the emerging stage is to give yourself permission.
Speaker A:It's so important to grant yourself the permission to be who you know yourself to be.
Speaker A:And no one else can do this for you.
Speaker A:Number two is to allow.
Speaker A:To allow yourself to receive all the good.
Speaker A:To step into the new version of you, to allow your gifts and your resources to shine, to allow all of the angel like people who arrive unexpectedly to help and support you, to allow joy, allow love to and from others and most importantly for yourself.
Speaker A:Now I'm still in the void and I'm looking forward to emerging.
Speaker A:Where are you today in this process?
Speaker A:And I've decided to run a webinar around all of this for those of you who might be finding it challenging going through this transformation whatever stage you're at and you'll find the details in the show notes.
Speaker A:Remember to breathe and to flow and I'll see you in the next episode.
Speaker A:Thank you so much for taking the time to listen to this week's episode.
Speaker A:If you enjoyed it or think it would be valuable to others, please do share.
Speaker A:And if you really enjoyed it, please leave me a review.
Speaker A:It really helps the podcast.
Speaker A:All of the links are in the show notes and I look forward to seeing you next week on the Choosing Happy Podcast.
