#MentalHealthMonday - Identity, Self-Worth, and Life’s Shifts

#MentalHealthMonday  - Identity, Self-Worth, and Life’s Shifts

Welcome back to The Meredith Patterson Podcast. It’s Mental Health Monday, and today’s episode is going to be a little different. It’s just you and me, and I’m going to get real and vulnerable about something I’ve been walking through — and how it connects to the larger conversation around identity, self-worth, and the changes life throws at us.

 

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The Body and Identity

Our bodies are often the first thing people see. They carry our history, our culture, our presence in the world. And because of that, many of us attach so much of our identity and our self-worth to them.

When something about our body changes — whether through age, illness, accident, or even something as simple as dental surgery — it can shake us. We start asking ourselves: Who am I now? Do people see me differently? Am I less worthy, less beautiful, less me?

 

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My Tooth Story: Losing My Smile

Let me share something personal. Recently, I had to have an adult tooth pulled. And let me tell you, it shook me to my core.

I’ve always thought of my smile as one of my defining features. It’s part of my career, part of my stage presence, part of how people know me. When that tooth was gone, suddenly my whole smile felt gone. I looked in the mirror and thought: I’ve lost my smile. I’ve lost me.

I started speaking differently, laughing differently, even holding back in conversations. I felt ugly. I felt diminished. I thought everyone who looked at me could only see what I had lost.

But here’s the twist — hardly anyone noticed. My kids still saw their mom. My husband still saw me. My friends didn’t blink.

What I thought was this glaring flaw was invisible to most people. And that was a huge wake-up call. It showed me how different perception is from reality. We are the ones who obsess over our flaws. Most people are just seeing us — our energy, our presence, our love.

 

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Disfigurement and Self-Worth

And while my story is “just a tooth,” it’s a reminder of what so many people face when it comes to body changes — scars, amputations, burns, surgeries, illnesses, aging. The emotional toll is real:

• Anxiety about being judged.

• Grief for the body we once had.

• Loss of confidence and self-expression.

And yet, the truth is: you are not your scar, your missing piece, or your changing body. You are so much more.

 

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Beyond the Body: Career Loss and Identity

But identity shifts don’t only happen with our bodies. I’ve lived through it in my career, too.

I remember losing jobs I thought would define me. I remember when Broadway wasn’t part of my daily life anymore. For someone who had lived for the stage, the applause, the bright lights — that loss felt like losing part of my soul.

I asked myself: Who am I if I’m not Meredith the Broadway actress? Who am I without the stage?

It was terrifying. And yet, it was also liberating. Because it forced me to rediscover the truth: that my worth wasn’t in the roles I played. My worth was in me.

 

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Motherhood: Identity Rewritten

Then came motherhood. Becoming a mom stripped away so much of the old me and rebuilt me into something new. My time, my body, my energy, my dreams — they weren’t just mine anymore.

Motherhood cracked me open. It made me raw. It made me strong. It made me vulnerable in ways I didn’t know I could be. There were days I grieved the “old me,” but there were also days I realized the “new me” was so much more powerful. Motherhood showed me how infinite love really is.

 

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Moving and Reinventing

And let’s talk about moving. Leaving New York and Los Angeles — places that shaped me, places that held my career, my memories — and coming to Montana. At first, it felt like walking away from everything.

But moving gave me something unexpected: space. Perspective. Community. Nature. A chance to write new chapters. I learned that home isn’t about the city lights or the stage doors — it’s about love, family, and the life you create right where you are.

 

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The Human Condition: Shared Struggles

Here’s the thing: none of us get through life unchanged. We all lose things — teeth, jobs, roles, opportunities, even versions of ourselves we thought were permanent. And in every loss, there’s also an invitation.

An invitation to grow. To rediscover. To redefine who we are.

That’s the human condition. We’re all connected in this cycle of loss and reinvention.

 

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How To Heal and Move Forward

So how do we combat the stress of change? How do we move forward when the ground feels shaky?

• Allow yourself to grieve. Whether it’s a tooth, a job, a relationship, or a dream — your grief is valid.

• Shift your focus. Write affirmations that remind you of your inner worth. I am resilient. I am creative. I am love.

• Share your story. Shame thrives in silence. Speak it aloud, and you’ll often find compassion instead of judgment.

• Reclaim your body and your voice. Move. Create. Sing. Dance. Reconnect with what your body can do.

• Take perspective. Remember: others don’t see you the way you see yourself. They see your light.

 

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Final Reflection: The Journey Is the Joy

Here’s what I’ve learned through teeth and Broadway, through motherhood and Montana:

Life is not a straight line. It’s chapters. It’s seasons. It’s reinvention after reinvention. And every chapter matters.

The journey is the joy. Not the perfect smile. Not the perfect career. Not the perfect life plan. The shifting, the growing, the rediscovering — that’s the beauty of it all.

So as you walk through your own changes, remember this:

✨ Bliss is your birthright.
✨ Have vision for what you want and be grateful for where you are.

That’s the path forward. That’s the joy of being human. And that’s the reminder we all need from time to time.

Thank you for letting me share this piece of my heart with you today. If this episode resonated, please share it with someone who might need encouragement. And remember — you are never alone. We are all connected, walking this journey together.

Until next time, I’m Meredith Patterson, reminding you that your next chapter is waiting — and it’s going to be beautiful.