Embracing Change: The Journey of Letting Go and Growing

What if the word "evolve" could completely transform your life and business? As we wrap up seven incredible years of The Charging Station, I recount the emotional journey since our launch on August 27, 2017. This season finale is a heartfelt thank you to our loyal listeners, both new and returning. I open up about the divine message I received, propelling me towards growth and challenging me to potentially close my coaching business, Living My EmPOWERed Life. Join me as I share the trials and the triumphs of embracing change, and the liberating philosophy that letting go, as directed by God, makes room for something even greater.

Let's continue this inspiring journey together.

Chapters

• 0:23 Season Finale
• 17:01 Charging Station

Transcript

Tracey: 0:23

What's good everybody. Welcome to the Charging Station. It's your girl, racy Massey, of Living my Empowered Life. Hey y'all, I'm sad a little bit. I'm a little bit sad because this is the season finale. Season seven has come to a close, and what a season it has been. Thank you so much for rocking with me. In August, we will celebrate seven years of the Charging Station.

Tracey: 0:54

I released my first episode on August 27th of 2017. Wow, what a time. What a time. And before we get into this episode, I just want to welcome everyone. If you're new here, welcome. We're so glad to have you here.

Tracey: 1:14

I hope you stick around for season eight and the seasons to come. You know I'm gonna do this thing until God says otherwise or until He calls me home. And make sure you're following me on all the socials. This is for everybody. Whether you're returning or new here, everybody follow me on all the socials so you can see what's going on in my life and behind the scenes. You can find me on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube at Living My EmPOWERed Life. I'm also on threads at Living My EmPOWERed Life, so make sure you stay connected during this break off of the podcast and, baby, if you have been rocking with me for a whole seven years. I love me some you for real. If you are a returning listener, welcome back. Thank you, boo. Thank you, boo.

Tracey: 2:00

Y'all know the shenanigans that have been happening in my life and so because of these shenanigans I've just kind of been looking at my life a little differently and I'm changing a lot of things. You know, in my prayer time God gave me the word evolve and it messed me up. I ain't gonna lie, it messed me up because I know when usually God gives me those one word, things that I have to do a deep dive. It's a shift that is happening in my life. It's a shift that is happening in my thinking. Basically, everything just changes, and change sometimes can be very hard, it can be very scary and it can be difficult because you get comfortable, you get used to things being a certain way.

Tracey: 2:55

And I was talking to a friend of mine the other day and I was telling her about what was going on, because she was asking me about coaching and I think I shared on the last episode how I just may not have been the last episode I shared on one of the episodes where I was really thinking about closing, living my Empowered Life. And God said not so. But he also told me that things were going to be a little different around here, and when I was talking to my friends and telling her about this change and everything, she said you know what? That's really brave of you, because she admitted that she would be one to think about the money that she's put into it, the time that she's put into her business, the tears, the blood, sweat and tears that you put into the business, and I was like you know what? But yeah, that's all true, but if God tells me to let go, I have to let go, because one thing that I've learned on this thing called life, this journey called life trying to hold on to stuff that God says to let go will not go over well for me. So I have to let go. I'd rather honestly, I was about to say I'd rather lose it, but it's really not a loss, because I don't look at things as losses anymore. Everything that God strips me of, he replaces it a hundredfold and it's so much better than what I had before. And so right now I feel like I'm being stripped. I feel like living, my empowered life is being stripped, and I'm here for it. I'm here for the ride. Is it scary? Yeah, yeah, is it exciting. Yeah, you know, two things can exist at one time. So I'm going to take this opportunity in the season finale just to give you guys some insight into where I'm headed. And if you want to stay on this journey with me, you are more than welcome. I mean, you stuck it out this long. Will I get off the train now, unless the Lord tells you to do that? You know I'm not going to usurp whatever God says for you to do, but here we go.

Tracey: 5:14

So I shared this with my email list. I mean, if you don't know, if this is your first time joining, hi, my name is Tracey. I am a Certified Grief Coach. I am also a Certified Life Coach and, aside from The Charging Station podcast, I run this company called Living My EmPOWERed Life, where we teach people impacted by tragedy how to disrupt the cycle of grief and thrive in a new normal. And I also share my life. I am a firm believer in "I can show you better than I can tell you.

Tracey: 5:49

So I shared this email with my email list and when I tell you I was terrified to send this email, it wasn't because I was afraid of people unsubscribing. That happens every day. It's like okay, I never want people to be on my email list or be on my social media or in any kind of capacity in the presence of me, in any kind of capacity, and it's not serving them, they're not being fed, they're not being challenged, they're not being pushed. I don't want you to be here. If we're not vibing, okay, I don't want you to be here. I would rather you spend your time, your precious time, wisely and into things that better serve you.

Tracey: 6:36

So it wasn't because I was afraid of what people were going to say or think, or even you know, just leaving the email list or socials or whatever. That wasn't it. I was terrified because once I put it in writing and put it out there, it was real. It was real. I have to do this now. There's no hiding. And when I tell you I'm a good hider, I'm a good hider and I know that God says that we are lights on hills that cannot be hidden, I really do challenge God. I'm like you sure. Like you sure Because I'm really good at hiding. He's like yeah, I never meant for you to hide, I never meant for you to fit in, so why are we doing this? You know why are we doing this? Why are you trying to do the opposite of what I'm telling you to do? This is why you've been struggling, so finally surrendering.

Tracey: 7:35

But I sent this email and I shared some of the things that I am going to transition into. Well, I don't even know if it's really transitioning, because it's not new to me, it's not a transition to me, it's going to be a transition for everybody else that sees it. But this is something that I've been doing since March. This is something that really honed in once. I found my sister and found out we got there's seven of us at least that are walking this earth. So, yeah, I don't know if I shared that with y'all. Oh yeah, we got seven siblings Like it's myself, robin, that you heard on the podcast. We found another sister and then we found out that our father had four other kids that we know of. So it's seven of us. Yeah, it's seven. Seven is the number of completion. So maybe I am the baby, I don't know. We're not talking about DNA today. We're talking about, we talk about this pivot and everything.

Tracey: 8:39

So A couple of things that I'm going to share and, by the time that this podcast airs, airs, releases, it's going to be on my social media. So I'm taking that deep breath, that sigh, because it's really going to be real, because I have not shared this with my mentor, I have not shared this with the majority of my audience. So, yeah, here we go. I'm evolving. And let me just read the definition of the word evolve. Let me make sure I can pull this up without this thing blasting, because I did post something on my social media. I am the queen of dropping a hint and then leaving y'all hanging. So I did post something, and with a definition of the word evolve, evolve means to develop, gradually, grow. Progress of evolution. Progress of evolution, natural growth. So, being that I am still alive, I'm growing, I'm changing. Things are different about me.

Tracey: 10:00

I'm going to tell you, you know, finding that I'm one of seven, finding out that I'm one of seven, finding out my DNA results, that really threw me for a loop, that really changed me. And in my caption I said this season of my life has caused me to reflect and reevaluate many things. The woman I knew two months ago is no more. She has served me well, although I grieve her. It's time to move forward in life, business and ministry that last word, ministry is the thing that really has been the challenge for me. I'm getting emotional. I'm getting emotional. I know that God has a calling on my life. Matter of fact, I know God has shown me a glimpse of what my future looks like. He showed me this years ago. I'm 48 years old. At the time of the recording of this podcast, I'm 48 years old. He showed me this.

Tracey: 11:07

So, knowing that I have made some tough decisions, some wrong decisions, I've made bad choices, I've made good choices. I've tried to rush the process of what God is doing in my life because I was excited about the end result, not thinking, not thinking that the process in the middle may get murky. And with every decision that I make to not be obedient, to not follow his lead, to not do what he says and move quickly. It was costing me time, even though God is the redeemer of time. I was putting myself in a cycle that I wasn't even supposed to be in, and so now I feel like God has broken me again, and I feel like this is a rebirth. And when I say broken, I don't mean in the literal sense, I don't mean like oh, you know, don't take it like I'm losing my mind or nothing like that. No, I am the healthiest mentally that I think I've ever been in my life, like everything is just flowing all cylinders. Mentally I'm good. Spiritually I'm good Financially. I'm good Physically, I'm good Spiritually, I'm good Financially, I'm good Physically, I'm good. But I feel like God has taken it up a notch. So, with that, my evolving, these are the things that I'm going to be focusing on.

Tracey: 12:46

Focusing on ministry Teaching the word of God, edifying the word of God, lifting up God's people, leading people to Christ. I am an intercessor and a worshiper at heart. Going back to the things that I love, going back to the basics Ministry for me is more than just standing in a pulpit and preaching a sermon. I know God has given me a unique gift. I know that he has anointed my vocal cords. I know my voice is anointed. It's time for me to use it in the way that he has intended for me to use it. So don't think that I'm going to be one of those Christians that's beating you over the head, because that you know that word Christianity, right now it's. Some people out here are not displaying Christ's character and his love and things like that. You can see that what's happening in the United States right now, it's just like, yeah, god will spew you out for the way that you're acting and the things that you're doing and trying to do. Anyway, not being political. As for me, I have to do what thus says the Lord, but I'm going to do it in the way that he uniquely designed me to do it. If you ever get the chance to meet me in real life, a lot of people, when they meet me in real life, they tend to say there's something different about you. They tend to say I feel so calm when I'm around you, like your voice is soothing.

Tracey: 14:30

When I worked in healthcare, I literally had patients to tell me that my voice calmed them. And when I was in healthcare, I worked in transplant. So these were some really sick people. These are some people who were having life-saving surgeries or waiting to have life-saving surgeries, but when it got to me, I gave them a sense of peace, a sense of hope, and I owe that all to God, because without him I wouldn't have been able to do that.

Tracey: 15:05

So we're focusing on ministry, focusing on serving, focusing on you know all the things that what ministry means to me Another thing that I'm going to be. My values are centered around, you know, god, jesus is my center, but these are like the branches of what my life is going to be displaying. So, when it comes to living my empowered life, when it comes to business, when it comes to the charging station, these are the things that you're going to see more from me, in my own way. So, of course, I am a mental health advocate. I plan on going back to school to finish my degree in psychology, because I feel like, if I'm going to do this thing, I'm going to do it right, and I want to be able to be even more knowledgeable in a thing that I'm passionate about. So we're going to be focusing on mental health because, baby, let me tell you something, when the mind goes, everything goes with it. Everything goes with it. We can sit here and try to eat right, get some sleep, drink all the water and mind our business, but if your mind is running 100 miles an hour, all day, every day, when that mind goes, everything goes along with it. So I will continue to be a mental health advocate, I will continue to offer tools and resources in that area and I will continue to share my journey with my mental health, which is good right now, praise God.

Tracey: 17:01

Of course, the podcast will still be here. The charging station will continue to go on. I feel like there's so much more growth that can happen with this podcast. There's so many more people we can reach. I'm still blown away at the fact that there, my voice is heard in places that my foot has yet to touch, just like God said he was going to do. I'm still blown away by that, but there's still more people who need to hear it. I'm still blown away by that, but there's still more people who need to hear it. So I'm going to continue with the charging station. We will still have episodes once a week. That may change once I get back into school and in classes and things like that, but the charging station will be here. You know, I thank God for seven beautiful years of being able to do this. I don't take it lightly. I don't take it lightly. So the charging station will continue and, of course, I'm going to be living. I'm going to be living and what that means, and what that means, what that entails, is.

Tracey: 18:09

You'll see things about my life. I'll be sharing things like what I'm reading, what I'm watching, what I'm listening to, places I've traveled. You know lifestyle content. You know I don't want to call myself a lifestyle influencer no, no, but lifestyle content because you guys have shown me that you find my life pretty interesting. I think it's boring because I guess I'm in it every day, but you guys tend to enjoy the shenanigans of my life, so I'll be sharing those things and going a little bit deeper about you know my favorite things. I'll be sharing those things and going a little bit deeper about you know my favorite things. I'll be sharing my faith and how grief has changed my relationship with God and how I incorporate faith into my life every day, like some of my practices that I do as far as like praying and fasting and meditation and things like that what I do to stay connected and even get deeper connected to God.

Tracey: 19:18

I'm also going to be sharing and this is one that's going to be a little challenge for me, but I'm turning 50 in about a year and a half now. I'm turning 50 in about a year and a half now. So I started this thing called Fit, fine and Fabulous by 50, where my goal is to drop 100 pounds by my 50th birthday or be the fittest in my life. So I want to be healthy, I want to feel good, I want to look good. You know all those things. And by the time I turn 50, I really want to be celebrating my 50th birthday at a villa on an Island with my cheeks out. Okay, my friends can't stand it when I say I'm having my cheeks out, but y'all going to get one day, like, if you go on this trip with me, you're going to get one day when I'm in a thong all right, because I have been worked, literally working my booty off, so you gonna get these buns. But I'll be sharing the things that I'm doing with Fit, fine and Fabulous. I really don't like having a camera in my face when I'm working out because it's ugly. It's really ugly, like my workouts be ugly, so I don't want to. I don't want to put those out there, but there may be a couple of days when I do. But I'll be sharing what I'm doing. For that I'll still be sharing my DNA journey when we find things.

Tracey: 20:48

Right now we're at a standstill because we're just trying to reach out to people and get some more information, but right now I have a beautiful relationship with my big sister, robin, and I love it. I love it. I love being a baby sister. There are a couple of things that I want to do as far as building a community. We have a great community right now, but I want to do more. I want to do more.

Tracey: 21:16

So I'm not saying that this is going to be in the next year or so I don't know when, but I would love to have some meetups. I would love for us to be able to get together and go to dinner sometime, like if you're in the Charlotte area. I would love for us to get together and go to dinner sometime, like if you're in the Charlotte area. I would love for us to get together and go to dinner sometime and support each other. Just build that community, because I know how lonely grief can feel. You always feel like you're by yourself in this thing and you're not.

Tracey: 21:38

So I really want to bring us together, because when I tell y'all y'all be in my DMs, you be in my DMs and you be in my emails and all y'all are saying the same thing, I feel so alone. I don't know who I am. Listen, listen and hear me clearly. You're not alone. You're not the only one that goes through this. But I feel like if we have people face to face where we can hug, we can cry it out, we can support each other, I feel like that will make things a little bit better. And that's a stretch for me, y'all, because I am very much the introvert. I am not a networker, I'm shy, I am. People don't believe me when I say that, but it is so true, it is very true. So, me wanting to build community, I know that's God, honey.

Tracey: 22:25

Because, yeah, and of course, because I am trained in this, I will still be talking about grief. All right, I'm not going to leave you out here hanging to try to navigate the waters of grief by yourself. Are you serious? Did you really think that? I know you didn't think that. I know you didn't think that. Well, if you thought it, I'm thinking. But I will still be sharing the ebbs and flows and the plot twist of grief.

Tracey: 22:53

Even in my own grief, I'm still, you know, I still deal with grief. I tell people all the time grief is going to be there. It's like life, grief and life go hand in hand and grief isn't just about death. You know I, like I said at the top of the episode, I am grieving the woman that I was two months ago. I'm a totally different person than I was two months ago. God has brought up a lot of stuff that I did not know was there, or maybe I have subconsciously buried them, but all of that stuff had to come out in order for me to drop that weight. So I grieve the Tracy from a couple months ago. She served me well, like I said, but she can't go where God has taken me. But I will still provide strategies and resources to help you disrupt grief. I'm still going to help you thrive in your new normal. This is my calling. I can't just put it down.

Tracey: 23:59

So on this journey, again, I want to thank you for being here with me. If any of those things piqued your interest, stay along for the ride. Matter of fact, I'm going on a girl's trip next weekend. So this time next week, at the time of the recording of this podcast, I will be on a beach. I will be on a beach getting all of the sun Lord, I hope it doesn't rain, but getting all of the sun in the sand and just relaxing and resetting and evolving even there. So thank you for being on this ride. Thank you for being on this journey. More things are to come. I'm looking forward to getting back in the classroom and learning. I'm looking forward to meeting some of you. I'm looking forward to traveling. I'm looking forward to hopefully meeting my siblings more siblings.

Tracey: 25:03

It's just I'm in a great space, y'all this peace that I feel and I have, I can't explain it, and I think this is what God is talking about in the Bible. He says he'll give you peace beyond your own understanding. I don't understand this peace that I have, even in the midst of the craziness of this world. I have a peace that goes beyond my own understanding and I can't tell you how grateful I am for that, and I wish that same peace upon you. So, as we close out season seven, I want you of course you know I gotta leave you with a challenge I want you to evaluate your life.

Tracey: 25:51

Look at what has worked in the past season. Look at what has not worked in the past season. Set some goals for yourself, because this time is going to go by, with or without you. You might as well make the most of it, but evaluate, evaluate your friendships, evaluate. You know what can change, what must change. Look at yourself. Where do you see yourself, not even in five years? Where do you see yourself within the next week? What are your hopes? What are your dreams?

Tracey: 26:29

If you journal, go back through those journals and just look back, remember those dreams. I want you to walk in a childlike faith, because I'm doing that too. And whenever the challenges come up, just know that God has you, because I'm doing that too. And whenever the challenges come up, just know that God has you. God is with you. You will not fail. Failure is not an option. I remember my mentor, big Sis, saying that years ago and that has stuck with me Failure is not an option. It's not that you won't reach the mark, because you know that's human nature, that's life. You're going to make mistakes, you're going to fall, but you're never a failure as long as you get back up and try it again. The only time you fail is if you don't try. And don't worry about how crazy you look. Don't worry about the people laughing in your face, child, let them laugh. Let them laugh, because most of the time their laughing isn't a result of you. You can be an open rebuke to them because they didn't try or they're too afraid to try. You just keep treading water, baby. And when you got to float, float and I'm saying all this to you as I say it to me Let them talk, let them laugh, but you keep moving, just keep swimming, just keep swimming.

Tracey: 28:31

No-transcript. You are a part of the Charging Station family, so don't think that you can't say, hey, I would love for you to talk about this or what do you think about this? So, yeah, just send me those. You can text um, just click the link in the show notes, or you can. If you're on my email list, you can respond to the email when the podcast episode comes out, or if you're following me on socials, as you should be. If you follow me on socials, you can just DM me, all right. So, with that being said, again, thank you for an amazing seven years. Thank you for giving me your ear and your time. I sure enough love me. Some you. I sure enough appreciate you, some you, I sure enough appreciate you, and I sure enough want to see you back for season eight and y'all.

Tracey: 29:32

I'm over here killing time because I can't find what I'm looking for, but I don't see it. I don't see what I'm looking for, so we just going to close out the episode and also at the recording of this podcast y'all, I was tired. I went to the gym and I swam, but I'm still doing swimming lessons and all that stuff. So I'm going to go home and lay down, but before I do remember God loves you. I love you, and ain't nothing you can do about it. Boo, until next season, season eight. I love you. It ain't nothing you can do about it. Boo, until next season, season eight. I love you. Bye.