The Book You Were Born to Write: Where Ego Meets Soul, Part 2 of 3 (Ep194)

Main Topic:  Today’s episode is all about Ego Meeting Soul (the inner vs outer world of writing)

In our last episode of the mini podcast series The Book You Were Born to Write, we listened for the first whispers of the book inside you.
We honored that quiet knowing — the call to finally write the book that’s been circling your spirit.
And today… we’re stepping into the next phase.
The moment when the whisper gets louder…
And fear shows up, too.

Because the truth is:
Wanting to be seen… and fearing that visibility…
Often live side by side in the writer’s heart.

 

PATREON:

Thank you to our existing patrons for believing in our work offline and here in the podcast. 

Become a patron of the arts at Patreon.com/valerieihsan for books, writing instruction, coaching, and planning. Also, the Planner Plays and Monthly Reflections are always free for all members on my Patreon page. But I don't list them as Public", so click correct tier for updated links, dates, and cancellations. 

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Segment 1 (Announcements/Author Updates):

• (Valerie): hard stuff at home (sharing that with my patrons, and a little on social media) 
• (Erick): 

• What are you reading?

• Valerie: Just finished: Austin Kleon's Keep Going: 10 Ways to Stay Creative in Good Times and Bad
• Creative Act (Rick Rubin) and Anne Abel's new book High Hopes (out in September .. She'll be on the podcast again in October).
• (Not ready to give up on them, but struggling to finish them:) Four Thousand Weeks: Time Management for Mortals by Oliver Burkeman; The Year of the Puppy (Alexandra Horowitz) ;  The Teller of Small Fortunes Julie Leong 
• Erick:  
• Segment 2 (Resources/Tips/Tidbits):

• Tidbit #1: • Tidbit #2: 

 

Segment 3 (Main Topic):  

Notes:

Let’s talk about what really stops us from writing.

It’s not usually time.
It’s not lack of talent.
It’s not even discipline.

It’s the shadow voices that rise up when we start getting close to something real.

Things like:

• “What if people think I’m full of myself?”
• “Who am I to write this?”
• “What if I pour my soul onto the page and nobody cares?”

That’s not laziness.
That’s vulnerability.
That’s ego doing its job — trying to protect you from pain, rejection, exposure.

And I want to say this with all the tenderness I can:
Your ego is not the enemy.

 

Your ego is trying to keep you safe.
It’s the part of you that learned to please, to perform, to protect.
And when you start writing something true — something sacred —
That part gets nervous.

Because soul-led writing isn’t just about ideas.
It’s about embodiment.
And embodiment means being seen.

But here’s the secret:
You don’t need to kill the ego.
You just need to give it a new job.

Let it become the steward of structure.
Let it help you organize your message.
Let it take care of the outline, the deadlines, the goals.

Let your soul guide the content.
Let your ego support the container.

This is what I call writing from alignment.
Structure + spirit.
Mastery + mystery.
Ego + soul.

 

Let me tell you a quick story.

Earlier this year, I was working on creating content for my audience.
I felt alive while think about it — raw, truthful, exposed.
But every time I sat down to finish it or thought about posting it, I froze.

I wasn’t stuck because of the craft. I was stuck because I was afraid.
Afraid of what people would think.
Afraid it would change how I was seen.
Afraid it would change who I was allowed to be.

So I did what I now teach my clients to do:
I paused.
I lit a candle.
I asked:

“Who is this content for?”
“What do they need to hear?”
“What am I protecting by staying silent?”

And my soul said:

“This story is medicine.
But only if you let it be seen.”

So I finished it. I sent the email; I've been posting the content. And the response?
Emails. Messages. Tears. Connection.
Not because it was perfect.
But because it was true.

That is the power of writing from soul.
It’s not about proving.
It’s about revealing.
And when ego and soul are in right relationship, your book becomes unstoppable.

So I’ve created a little tool to help you check in with where you are in that dance.

It’s a simple quiz — part journal worksheet, part self-discovery ritual — called:
“Where Is Your Ego Helping… and Where Is It Hijacking?”

It’ll help you recognize:

• When you’re over-editing out of fear
• When your visibility blocks are in charge
• When your ego is actually your greatest asset

You can download it for free at valerieihsan.com/soulwhisperpages

 

And if you’re feeling ready to move deeper into this work —
If you know the book inside you is real, but the fear feels louder than the fire right now —
I’d love to offer you a Soul Strategy Session.

It’s a 60–90 minute sacred space, just you and me.
We’ll talk about what’s calling to be written.
What’s standing in your way.
And what aligned next step will open the gates.

You’ll leave with clarity, a custom plan, and a little magic.

You can book that now at valerieihsan.com/scheduler

 or send me a DM @valerieihsan.

 

You’re not behind.
You’re unfolding.

Your story is sacred.
Your fear is human.
And your book is waiting — not for your perfection, but for your yes.

Next episode, we’re talking about legacy.
The kind that lives in hearts, in hands, in pages passed down like medicine.

Until then…
Be gentle.
Be honest.
Be listening.

Next episode: is about legacy.
Not the legacy of awards or bestseller lists.
But the kind of legacy that changes hearts. That shifts the field. That ripples out long after you’re gone.