S6 EP31: Michael's Story - The Choice Trauma Can't Take Away

Send us Fan MailTrauma has a way of convincing us that what happened to us will always define who we become. For years, Michael Rodriguez, believed many of the fears, insecurities, and survival instincts he carried were simply part of who he was. His childhood was shaped by addiction, domestic violence, and periods spent in women's shelters with his mother as they escaped an unsafe home. As an adult, life brought different challenges. The loss of his father to cancer, years of financial hardship while sleeping on the floor of an attic to keep his first business alive, burnout, anxiety, divorce during COVID, and the constant responsibility of leading a growing business while raising a family.What Michael has learned is that adversity changes us, but it doesn't have to define us. Healing wasn't a single breakthrough moment. It came through thousands of small choices: learning to forgive without excusing, choosing purpose over resentment, replacing survival habits with healthier ones, and recognizing that resilience isn't something we are born with, but is something we intentionally develop over time.Michael wrote a book, Become Unshaken: Joy, Regardless. And today he helps individuals, leaders, parents, and organizations understand that while none of us gets to choose every chapter of our story, we all have the opportunity to influence the chapters that come next.What an amazing conversation! Thanks Michael!Website: Home - Become UnshakenPodcast: Become Unshaken Podcast | Podcast on SpotifyBook: Become Unshaken: Joy, Regardless: Rodriguez, Michael: 9781632969477: Amazon.com: BooksSupport the show