A single joke can carry a lifetime of weight.

Michelle opens up about the mother-in-law comments that seemed playful on the surface but hit a deep nerve, reigniting shame around sexuality, identity, and belonging. What starts as a family story becomes a blueprint for how high-achieving women can stop performing for approval, listen to their bodies, and draw boundaries that protect dignity.
We walk through the uncomfortable middle: when a partner doesn’t notice the harm, when “respecting elders” becomes self-erasure, and when the urge to be the good wife and good daughter-in-law demands too high a price.

You’ll hear how silence enabled small cuts to stack up, why indirect aggression can be more corrosive than overt conflict, and how one honest conversation can change the climate of a relationship. Along the way, we unpack the psychology of tolerating, attachment to roles, and the nervous system signals that tell you it’s time to step back.
This conversation is equal parts confession and toolkit. We talk practical boundary-setting, from naming the harm to taking a pause from unsafe spaces, and we explore how one shift at home can ripple into work, friendships, and self-talk. Most of all, we consider legacy: what our daughters learn from the way we handle disrespect, and how modeling self-trust can rewrite a family pattern.

If you’ve ever laughed along to keep the peace, felt small in rooms you were told to honor, or wondered whether you’re “too sensitive,” this is your reminder: your feelings are data, not drama.
If this resonates, follow the show, leave a review, and share it with someone who needs language for their own no. Your stories help us reach more women ready to unmask and choose a life that actually feels like theirs.

Message from Dr. Michelle Chanda Singh

I’m Dr. Michelle Chanda Singh, born in Jamaica, raised in a traditional Indian household where I never quite fit the mold. For over 40 years, I chased every expectation family, culture, society, collecting degrees, titles, and accolades. I had purpose and security, yet something was missing. I was achieving, not thriving.

As an award-winning global educator, Michelle finally realized that fulfillment doesn’t come from perfection, it comes from alignment. Today, she help high-achieving, culturally diverse women educators recognize how disengagement quietly steals their joy. Together, we break those patterns so you can redefine success on your own terms and lead with purpose, from fulfillment, not sacrifice.

That’s why I created this podcast, to tell my story honestly and unfiltered. The truths I buried, the patterns I tolerated, the lessons that set me free. But this isn’t just about me, it’s about you. Through these stories, you’ll see reflections of your own journey and uncover what’s been holding you back.

Join me as I disrupts disengagement, break the cycle of busyness, and learn to lead and live from a place of true joy and wholeness. It’s time to reclaim your power and thrive, not just survive.