Showing Up Without the Filter, Without the Mask

How to show up authentically — from quiet knowing to unapologetic presence in a world that prefers the mask

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(Part 2 of 3 in the “Truth-Telling in a World That Pretends” series)

No filter. No stage. Just showing up—fully and unapologetically.

There was a time I thought I was really putting myself out there. But looking back, I can see that I was playing small, unintentionally. I was staying in the lane I thought I was supposed to be in, in my niche, with my people. What I didn't know was that there was a larger collective waiting for me to step into their world.

I truly believed that anyone who needed what I offered would find me. They’d follow the signs, land on my website, recognize the resonance, and just get it. They’d show up at psychic fairs or workshops, already seeking clarity, truth, and the kind of healing that goes deeper than words. I assumed if they were meant to find me, they would.

And I still believe that, to a certain degree. But the truth is, many didn’t know this kind of service existed—let alone that it might be what they were looking for. And truthfully, the people in my own life weren’t much different.

My friends didn’t ask for readings. My family didn’t ask about Reiki. Even those closest to me only knew the version of me that fit neatly into our shared routines: the mom, the REALTOR®, the Zumba instructor, the one who cracked jokes at the right time.

And so I stayed in that role—showing up appropriately in all of my identities and responsibilities, doing the work quietly behind the scenes, fully aware of its sacredness, even if no one around me could see it.

Sure, there were moments I stepped out in small ways. I hosted classes. I led meditations and cacao ceremonies. I shared insights when it felt safe. But I didn’t yet understand that most people didn’t even know this kind of support was possible—let alone that it might be exactly what they’d been longing for.

I remember offering holistic life coaching after I receiving my certification in 2019, and at the time I didn't even have language for what I now understand was deeply intuitive work. I offered intuitive readings with crystals from the back of my friend’s crystal booth at a few local shows. And by the summer of 2020, I was doing readings in my backyard.

One of the earliest public events I did was at a metaphysical fair in Colorado Springs. A woman walked up to my booth with her arms crossed and a skeptical look in her eye. “How do I know you’re not making it all up?” she asked. “How do I know you’re not faking it?”

I looked her straight in the eye and said, “You don’t.”

I wasn’t there to convince her. If she didn’t trust me or the process, she didn’t have to sit down. And I was completely okay with that. Yes, I was offering $25 readings, but I wasn’t there to push anything and I certainly wasn't desperate. I knew the power of the work. I knew what could happen.

As fate would have it, she sat down.

Ten minutes later, she was silent, jaw slack, with tears rolling down her face—the kind of tears that say, “That’s it. That’s the truth I needed to hear.”

That’s the thing about this work. It doesn’t need to be flashy or salesy. It speaks directly to the part of someone that’s been waiting—often quietly—for years to be seen.

Ironically, not long before that, I was the one that needed to be convinced. After an undeniable wave of nudges and in-my-face signs from my guides, I finally signed up for my first Reiki course. From the very first day, I knew—I had found it. This was the thing I had always done without knowing it had a name. The thing I’d been waiting for, even when I didn’t know I was waiting. It came in perfect timing, as these things often do.

Not long after, I began volunteering with LifeSpark Cancer Resources. And a few months later, without any real advertising, my first paying Reiki clients began to show up—each one a confirmation that I was exactly where I was meant to be. Word quietly spread, and I kept showing up, trusting the momentum even when it moved slowly.

As a two-time cancer survivor, offering Reiki through LifeSpark became a powerful way to offer heartfelt support to others going through treatment.

Some of my early classes—especially Empath Empowerment and Journey to Crystals—were surprisingly well-attended and helped grow my little community. But over time, attendance became less consistent. I started wondering why I wasn’t busier. I questioned whether I should get a part-time job. I didn’t have a marketing budget or a fancy sign out front. No billboard announcing, “Energy Healer Lives Here.” Just me, doing what I could, trying to be visible, and confident that the people that needed to find me, somehow would.

But behind the scenes, my guides were already orchestrating things. They nudged me toward Reiki, toward healing work, toward building something deeper. Opportunities kept showing up—synchronicities, invitations, uncanny moments of alignment. And eventually, after being asked two or three times, I finally said yes to attending my first business networking event, expecting—well... everything you would expect from a business networking event. I had no idea at the time, but that one yes cracked something wide open.

I used to assume that people who needed this work would somehow already know where to find it. That those interested in healing had access to the same language and resources I had. But I’ve come to understand that most people don’t even realize this kind of support is available. They don’t know their anxiety might be energetic. That ancestral wounds can be cleared. That they’re carrying fears, patterns, and emotions learned in childhood and/or passed down from their parents or grandparents. That intuition is real—and that they have it, too.

They didn’t need convincing. They needed permission. They needed language. And they needed someone to go first.

So I did.

People expect intuition to come with lightning bolts or elaborate rituals. They expect the person doing the work to look mystical. But most of the time, intuition shows up in jeans or leggings—not robes and mist. I look like someone who shops at Costco and lives in the suburbs. I teach dance fitness. I’ve raised kids through divorce. I’ve survived cancer. Twice.

I’m not saying others can’t do what I do. They absolutely can. But they aren’t. And I am. Leave it to an Aries to volunteer as tribute!

Still, not all resistance came from others. The louder challenge was the one I carried within. I was raised by a mother who couldn’t really see me, no matter how hard I tried. Achievement didn’t lead to connection. Being impressive didn’t equal love. So I stopped trying to be seen.

But visibility kept calling. And eventually, I answered.

There wasn’t one singular moment when I realized I couldn’t keep watering myself down. There were hundreds. The tearful clients. The messages I delivered that I couldn’t have known. The deep validations. The soul-level yeses. The remembering of past lives—both mundane and spectacular—sacred lands, ancient teachings, and mystical healing work I’ve done before. This isn’t just work. It’s purpose.

According to my Human Design chart, I’m a Projector—and in my case, the kind who is meant to wait for the invitation. And maybe, in a way, that’s what I’d been doing all along. Not hiding. Just waiting to be seen. And when the invitations started to come, I finally realized I was ready to say yes.

Because this world doesn’t shift through magic alone. It transforms when we live the magic—out loud, in public, with hands on hearts and feet firmly on the earth.

This isn’t about ego. It’s about embodiment. It's about living the truth so others feel safe to live theirs.

Permission for others to step forward.

Permission for healing to ripple outward.

Permission for someone else to whisper, “I thought I was the only one.”

So here I am. Still grounded. Still human. Still psychic.

Ready or not, I’m visible. And if you’re standing at the edge of your own truth, wondering whether it’s time—only you can decide that. Either way, I’m here to walk with you.

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Up Next:

You just read Part 2 of my 3-part blog series: Truth-Telling in a World That Pretends.

If you haven’t read Part 1 yet, go back and start there—it sets the stage for this journey of visibility, intuition, and choosing to be seen.And don’t miss Part 3, where I share what it really means to say yes to this work without watering it down.

If something here spoke to you, I’d love to hear about it. Leave a comment, share your story, or let me know what came up as you read. You’re not the only one walking this path—and your voice matters here.

Let’s keep weaving this together. One truth at a time.

Showing Up Without the Filter

how to show up authentically