Chapter 3: The Beauty of Becoming

The journey of reinvention, growth through discomfort, and the strength of showing up authentically

"Becoming isn't about arriving somewhere or achieving a certain aim. I see it instead as forward motion, a means of evolving, a way to reach continuously toward a better self."— Michelle Obama

Becoming is a sacred unfolding—a quiet rebellion against the culture of instant arrival. In a world that rewards certainty and completion, choosing to be in process is both courageous and radical.

To become is to evolve. It’s to shed the skin of outdated roles and reveal the self that is ready to step forward. It’s to allow new dreams to rise from the ashes of old ones. It’s to say, “I’m still discovering who I am—and that’s something to celebrate.”

The Power of Choice: Becoming Marilyn

There’s a famous story shared by Susan Strasberg—and echoed by Marilyn Monroe’s friend Amy Greene—about walking with Marilyn through the streets of New York. Dressed down, with her scarf and sunglasses on, she moved unnoticed through the crowd as just another woman on the street. Susan observed to Marilyn that she was astonished that no one recognized one of the most beautiful and famous woman in the world. Marilyn turned to her and asked, “Do you want to see me become her?”

With the smallest shift—loosening her posture, revealing a bit more of her face, softening her walk—something intangible yet magnetic changed. In an instant, people began to turn, whisper, follow. Marilyn Monroe had entered the street.

What changed? The same woman was standing there. But she had stepped fully into her essence—into her becoming. It was never about the costume. It was about the conscious choice to embody her power.

I learned this story directly from Susan Strasberg many years ago, and it deeply impacted me. In that moment, I realized we all have the capacity to shift our presence—not to become someone else, but to become more fully ourselves. I practiced this in my own life, shifting from the shy woman who could easily go unnoticed in a room to someone who could turn on her presence with intention.

I’ll never forget when my daughter was quite young, she looked up at me with wide eyes and said, “Mom, have you ever noticed that everyone comes up to talk to you?”

It wasn’t magic. It was embodiment. It was choice. And it’s something you can do, too.

You have the power to step into your presence. To shift your energy. To let your light be seen. Not by becoming someone else—but by becoming more of who you truly are.

Growing Through Discomfort

Transformation can often feel uncomfortable while it’s happening. It often feels like confusion, loss, fear, or chaos. But growth disguised as discomfort is a sacred invitation to expand.

The most powerful moments in your life may be the ones where everything felt like it was falling apart—only for you to realize later that it was falling into place.

Discomfort sharpens us. It reveals what matters. It forces us to release what no longer serves. It invites us to trust what we cannot yet see. That moment you resign from a job. Left a relationship. Started a business or sat in the unknown. Those weren’t failures. They were thresholds.

The Gift of Reinvention

Reinvention is not a departure from who you are—it is a return to your core, expressed in a new form.

We are meant to evolve. The world asks it of us. Each season of life offers us the chance to grow into a fuller expression of ourselves.

Your title may change, your surroundings may shift, but your essence remains. And when you follow that essence—when you let it lead—you begin to shape a life that reflects not who the world wants you to be, but who you truly are.

After leading in technology and business, I found myself longing for something quieter, more intuitive, more nourishing. I returned to my roots as an artist. That wasn't a retreat—it was a homecoming. It was a deeper form of leadership—one that creates beauty, invites reflection, and tells the truth in color and form.

Becoming as a Lifelong Practice

There is no final version of you. You are a work of art in motion. An unfolding masterpiece. Becoming isn’t something you do once—it’s the essence of life itself.

The Strength of Authenticity

Becoming is not about impressing others—it’s about embodying your truth.

Wabi-Sabi reminds us that authenticity is more valuable than perfection. The cracks in your story are not blemishes to hide; they are the very places where your light gets in.

To show up authentically is to risk being seen. But it is also the doorway to real connection.

When you tell the truth about who you are, you give others permission to do the same. You stop performing, and start belonging.

Each day, you are invited to ask: Who am I today? What am I releasing in my life and letting go of? What am I becoming more of?

Some days the answer will be clear. Other days, it won’t. But every step—every choice, every pivot, every breath—is part of your becoming.

Don’t wait until you feel "ready." You are already worthy. You are already becoming.

Your Golden Takeaway

You are not a fixed identity—you are a living, breathing becoming.

Let yourself evolve. Let yourself be seen. Let yourself make art out of your life, again and again.

Fill your cracks with gold—and keep going.

Not perfect. Not finished.

But beautifully, gloriously becoming.