Letting The Water Carry You: Shifting From Exploring Possibilities To Creating A New Reality
Episode 30: Letting The Water Carry You
This episode explores the tender part of the in-between where anything feels possible. I share my personal experience navigating that space and how I’m letting go of potential and possibilty in order to create a new reality. I talk about how my grief has gifted me an acute clarity on the kind of life I want to build and what is next for me.
Episode Details
Summary
In this episode, I’m reflecting on how to find grounding and balance while moving through change. After last week’s conversation about impermanence, I’ve been sitting with the reminder that the present moment is truly where life happens. The past has already passed, the future is still unknown, and all we can really return to is what is here right now.
I share more about what it means to be in an in-between space where anything feels possible, while also recognizing that not every possibility is meant to come with us. Sometimes making space for what is next means lovingly releasing old dreams, identities, and versions of ourselves that no longer feel aligned.
This episode explores the grief that can come with letting go of dreams that may never be fully realized. Whether it is an old career path, a past version of yourself, a season of travel, or memories you wish you could still create with someone you love, release can bring sadness and clarity at the same time.
I also reflect on how my curiosity and adventurous spirit have shifted. While I may not be in a season of outward travel, that energy is still alive in me through writing, storytelling, and the worlds I want to bring to life. Some dreams fall away so the ones that matter most can receive more of our devotion.
This is an invitation to come back to the present moment and let it be enough. To notice the birds, the sky, the smell of summer, the feeling of being here. To hold your dreams like a north star while still allowing yourself to be carried by the flow of life.
This episode is for you if…
You’re going through a major life change and shifting your identity
You’re on a grief journey and navigating complex emotions
You’re ready to step into a new reality and create an aligned future for yourself
You’re trying to make sense of where you are right now and feeling lost on your path
You’re a writer or creative who wants to pursue their dream career
Related Episodes
-
Welcome to The Shoreline, where we explore the tender in-between seasons of the human experience. My name is Kim, and I'm here to support you as you navigate your next becoming. Here, we don't fix, we listen, we don't rush, we allow. Hello and welcome. Whether you're new or returning, I'm so happy you've made your way to The Shoreline. So lately, I've been really thinking about how I find grounding and balance while going through change. And last episode, I spoke about just how everything is really impermanent. We're always growing and changing. And I think one of the many gifts of grief really is that you come back to the present and you realize that all you really have is the present moment. And so that's really been with me over this last week. And I've been focusing on letting go and really just creating space for what's next, as I've been trying to just ground myself as I'm going through so many different changes. And we don't know what will happen in the future, what's happened in the past is already in the past. And it's really about coming back to the present moment. So when I've felt anxious, when I felt unsure or afraid, I always just come back to what do I need right now? What's happening for me right now? And when you're in an in-between space, a period of transition where you've kind of let go and made a big change, or maybe the change was made for you, and you haven't really found what's exactly next, you're in this beautiful kind of middle ground where really there's a moment in the in-between space where anything feels possible. It's such a beautiful space to be because I think, especially after you've gone through a big transition, it can feel really hard to kind of dream about the future or to think about what's next or to really believe in possibility. And when you've been in the in-between space for long enough, this dreaming comes back to you. And I've found myself here many times before, and it's a really it's a cozy space to be when you're kind of out to sea. I like to imagine myself just out to sea where you can't see any land around you. It's just you on your little boat in the water. And anything feels possible. You can go anywhere. You can do anything. You can be anyone. And I love being in that space. And I think that I always reach a point where it's time to kind of come out of the dream space and really start to build in my actual life. And it's necessary to kind of let go and release some of these dreams that may never come to be so that you can make space for what's next, even if you're not exactly sure what's coming. And I feel like that's kind of the space that I've been in. Last week, last episode, I spoke about just kind of being with my dog, Cauchy and her moving into the senior dog phase and just kind of anticipating what will inevitably happen, having to let her go. And the reality is I don't know when that will be. All I can do is come back to the present moment and create beautiful memories for us and have these beautiful experiences in the present. And I think it's important to go through that period of feeling the feelings, feeling the grief of what's down the pipeline, what's coming down the path, but also just letting it go. And I think that I've been trying to just let that go and be really present with her and in my life and kind of simultaneously, a lot of grief about... My dad has come up too, especially with it just having been Father's Day. I think just a lot of unexpected grief came up for me. And I started to just think about all these things that I'll never get to do with my dad and all these memories that we will never get to create in the future. And I think I really needed to feel that and feel the sadness and also let it go. And I think that it's a really important process to kind of just acknowledge what's present, right? And lovingly release it and say like, that's okay that I won't get to do these things with my dad. I had all of these beautiful experiences and I can still feel connected to him without building, you know, memories here in the physical reality. And that's also sad and that's okay too. You know, it's complex. And I think, you know, along these same lines, I've, as I'm getting older, I've been having to kind of release dreams and goals that may never come to be. I think when you're younger, all the doors feel open. Anything feels possible. And as you start to go through life and figure out more who you are and establish yourself, you know, some of those doors close. And that's okay. I think that as you learn more about who you are and what you want and you align more, especially if you're on a spiritual journey and you're getting to know yourself on a deep soul level, you start to realize that you don't want to do everything. And the dreams that are most important to you start to become more clear. And it's not that you can't do everything. You know, all of those possibilities are available to you. I think it's about discernment. You, as I've noticed as I get older, as I've had more life experiences, and as I start to face my own mortality, I realize what is most important to me and those things that I really just feel like I need to do while I'm here. And part of that process is letting go and releasing dreams that may never come to be. And that is a special kind of grief in and of itself to realize like these things that I once wanted to do don't really align anymore and I may never do them and I have to let it go and make space for what I do want. And then there's dreams that maybe you really didn't ever explore, but you know they're not for you, or maybe they're not for you right now. And I think it's important to to acknowledge that and release it as as what you do want becomes more and more clear. And for me, I've been really thinking about this in terms of the life I'm building here in Seattle, and also what I'm wanting for my career. And I've been in kind of a transitional place when I left my jewelry company, when I closed it down, I went on a journey and I was just hopping from thing to thing. And I kind of was like, I'm going to use the skills that I had from that career to keep myself afloat. And I was just trying different things. I did like freelance marketing. I taught bar classes. I pursued a Pilates certification as I've talked about here. I did coaching. I did lots of different coaching certifications. I revisited my tarot practice. And as I kind of experimented, I started to really see what excited me, what made me feel passionate, what I wanted to return to over and over, even with podcasting. This is, I think, the third iteration of the podcast. I started with The Floating Experiment, and then I shifted into the Kim Kogane show, and now we're here on The Shoreline. And so sometimes it does take kind of exploring and looking at all the possibilities, and then what you want becomes more clear. And part of that process is learning to lovingly release what may never fully be realized. I think I learned that with my jewelry company as well. I had a vision of exactly what I wanted it to be and how I wanted it to grow. And I had that company and I built it for 10 years, but the dream never became fully realized. And I think that was a big thing that I grappled with when I was trying to decide whether or not to continue. And ultimately, I let it go because it wasn't my dream anymore. And I had to really be honest with myself and say, you know, I could stick it out. I could fully realize this vision in my mind of what I want this to be, but at what cost, right? And it just felt like I was being pulled in a different direction. And so I closed it down. I let go of that dream and that vision and moved on. And I think that it's a really important part of the process. And so lately, I've just been thinking about all different parts of myself and these things that I thought that I wanted, and especially, I think, with traveling. And I always thought that I would live abroad or explore. I did a lot of traveling in my 20s and in my early 30s. And I really just am not in a season of travel anymore. And I've shared that before. I felt like I really needed to just say goodbye to that person and to really just tell myself, you know, maybe I won't ever feel like traveling again. Maybe I will. I don't know. All I know is that where I'm at in the present moment, I want to be at home. I want to be in the city that I call home. I want to be with my animals and close to family and friends. And that's just where I'm at right now. And I had to kind of grieve letting go of that part of myself, especially because the part of me that is adventurous and a traveler, it was part of me that I really was proud of. And I felt like it was part of me that was really interesting. And I love that I'm a curious person. And also I just, I want to acknowledge that, like that curiosity doesn't go away. It's just manifesting in a different avenue, a different part of my life. And so I felt like I really needed to fully let that go and grieve that era of my life, that part of me that is such a big traveler to make space for what's next. And for me, it's really that inward journey of, maybe I'm not like traveling in this physical realm, but being a writer, wanting to bring my novels and my projects into the world, I'm traveling in a different way. I get to build a world and travel there and explore there and get to know the characters. And it's still that curiosity, that adventurous spirit is still with me, but I'm kind of redirecting that energy somewhere else to something that's really important to me. And I would be so sad if these stories never came to be. I think that's what I'm realizing more and more, is that it's so important to me and it feels like part of my calling. So I'm needing to let go of these distractions or things that feel like distractions now so that I can really focus my energy on bringing these stories to life because that's where I'm at and that's what I care about. And it's so interesting, I think, that if you're on a growth journey, if you're in an in-between space, if you've gone through grief, it's almost like having to get to know yourself again and again. And that's part of change, right? And that's part of what's exciting about being human and living, is that you get to evolve and grow and get to know yourself on a whole different level. And to me, that's just so beautiful. You know, I don't know what's going to happen in the future, and the past is in the past. And all I can do is come back to the present moment. And I think through this all, I'm really learning to embrace the impermanence of it all and to really embrace change and welcome it in. And it's almost as if I've always kind of seen a vision of being on my path, like going on a hike and walking on a trail. And it almost feels like I'm not on a trail anymore. I'm not on solid ground. It's like learning to be on the water. And when you're on a boat or a paddle board, when you're kind of moving on water, it's always moving. You're never stagnant. Even if you're anchored, the boat's always moving because the water is always shifting. And I think that's kind of this new place that I find myself in, of even when I'm stopped or I'm taking a break, the water is always moving beneath me. And it's learning how to kind of move with the flow of life and not be afraid of it. I think that there have been many times recently where I just have thought like, I just want to press pause. Like I just, I want a break without everything moving forward without me. Like, can I just press pause? And taking a break is always available to me, but there's no real like pressing pause in life. Like time is always moving forward, the world is moving. And I think it's more like learning to flow with life and with change, like the water. And that's kind of what The Shoreline is about to me, that transitional space of like, okay, you were once on solid ground and you thought that everything was, you know, neat and solid and you had a nice foundation underneath you. And now you're shifting to be kind of more on the water. And you can go back and forth for a while. And I think you get to this place where you're like, okay, I'm really ready to embrace the flow and I'm going to learn to, to kind of work with the tide and the flow of life. And can I let it carry me even when I'm taking a break, right? I think that's the true mastery of like letting the water carry you where you need to go. While you take the breaks that you need or the time that you need to go inward or do what you need to do. And that's where I feel like now as much as I want to just stop time and press pause, I really can't. But what I can do is not think too far ahead or too far behind and come back to the present moment. And I think that whenever I do that, it almost feels like time is slowing down. When I can take a moment, go outside, listen to the birds, look up at the sky, spend time with Cauchy, that's when life feels truly rich. And it's not about racing from thing to thing and packing it all in. It's really about coming back to the present moment and soaking each and every second in and just being in the here and now and letting go of needing to know exactly what's going to happen next. And that's not to say you shouldn't have dreams and goals. I think that's so important to have your North Star. Like I am someone who is very intentional and I like to have a vision for my future. And I think it's really like, allow yourself to have that vision, to have that North Star and let it be your guide while you're in the present moment and just enjoying the process of it all. Like enjoying the ride and just being here and coming back to your senses. I think about that a lot and especially with grief. And when my dad first passed and I was really deep in grief, I would think about like, what are the things that I would miss most about being here on earth? And it was interesting. It wasn't having, you know, a big career accomplishments. It wasn't even like my house or anything. It was like I would miss sunsets. I would miss the smell of summer, the sounds of the birds, that very specific moment where you can feel the transition from summer to fall. Those are the things that I would miss. I would miss, you know, those sensory details about living here on earth. And those are always available to us. We can always come back to the present moment and soak it in. And so I hope that wherever you're at, however you're feeling, you can take a moment for yourself and come back to the present moment and do something sensory that really fills you up and makes you happy. So that's what I have for you today, friends. If you want to dive deeper into your own inner landscape or you're navigating a big transition and you're not really sure what's next, I offer guidance and support through The Shoreline private coaching sessions. So in those coaching sessions, we meet one on one every week for an hour over six months with support available in between sessions for you. If that's something that you're curious about or you're interested in, you can find more information or schedule time to chat with me on my website. The link is in the show notes. And so I hope that you take good care while the waves carry you closer and know that your next version is already waiting on the shore.
UNKNOWN · UNKNOWN
Unknown
Unknown
Welcome to The Shoreline, where we explore the tender in-between seasons of the human experience. My name is Kim, and I'm here to support you as you navigate your next becoming. Here, we don't fix, we listen. We don't rush, we allow. Hello, and welcome to today's episode. If you're new here, I'm so glad that you've made your way to The Shoreline, and if you're returning, welcome back. I'm so happy that you're here. Last week, I mentioned that there was a lot of frustration present for me, and I just was in a mood. There has been some shifts. I've been really thinking about what's been present for me, and where I'm at, and what theme is being brought forward for me, and what feels most present right now is impermanence, to be honest with you. I think that I'm feeling really in tune with how everything is always changing and how I'm personally in a big transition, and it also feels like the world around me is trying to figure it out too. And I've noticed that grief has been really with me as it is now, but this feeling of anticipatory grief. And I first started noticing it with my dog Koshy, and she's eight and a half now, so we've moved into senior dog territory. And a couple of years ago, I had to say goodbye to one of my cats, she was the first pet that I got as an adult. And pet loss is really interesting because when you bring an animal into your life, you already know that at some point you'll have to say goodbye. The expectation is that you will outlive your furry companion, and it's part of what you sign up for. And so I think with Koshy shifting into a different phase in her life, I've just been a lot more present with how precious and how limited our time together really is. I think I've always wanted to just be with her as much as possible and really soak it all in and take it all in. And now this anticipatory grief has really been coming forward for me of, like, how many more walks do we have? How much longer is it going to be like this? When will she not be able to do this? Like, how many more times can we go to the beach? Like, how much longer is she going to live? And I think it's a very natural part of grief. When you lose someone you care about, you start to see everyone around you and the limited time that you have. And I think it's just been intensified lately and it's become just like part of my life. I'm starting to see just how I think the more present I am, the more I realize like there's no time to waste. Like each and every moment is unique and special. And I think that looking at it through the lens of this anticipatory grief, it's causing me a little bit of worry and fear and some anxiety. But I think it's also allowing me to really focus on what is most important to me. And it's helping me let go of what I actually don't care about. And I'm noticing in myself, I'm learning to say no to things that I actually don't want to do. Because I want to spend as much time with Koshy as possible. I don't want to waste my time doing something that is a maybe, when I could be with her and we could be creating memories and experiencing unique moments. And so, yeah, the gift of grief in general is like, it really helps all of the kind of junk just fall away. And I feel like I'm seeing things really clearly and just wanting to make the most of every moment. And I think that the kind of learning and the struggle about this is working through that fear and understanding that our time is limited here, and we're always moving forward, and this human experience is really unique. And I feel like I've really had to just learn to accept that there is impermanence. Like nothing is permanent. And to just really be adaptable and to, as my inner voice has said to me in what I shared last week, roll with the punches. Like every moment is different. And when you're present, you know that every moment is unique. And things might not happen the same way in the future. And you create stability within yourself. You don't need permanence to feel grounded and stable. And I think that's really been the learning for me. Like, yes, I know that someday I will say goodbye to Koshy and it'll be really hard. And I don't know when that is. It could be tomorrow, a week from now, 10 years from now. I have no idea. And that's actually part of what makes life really beautiful is that we don't know. All I can do is be in the present moment and really savor it and live my life. And I think that I like to say that, you know, I've mastered it and everything's great. And I'm like totally OK with nothing being permanent and time always moving forward. And I think that it's just not how it works. And I think it's learning to find that balance of like, how can I be present and let go of the fear and worry that each moment is changing and that someday things might be different. And so that's what's been really coming forward for me is like, how can I how can I really detach and let go from this desire to to have control over everything and to craft like the perfect schedule, the perfect sequence of events to maximize everything. And it really is kind of just productivity culture, finding a new way to be expressed. And I think what I really hope for myself is that I can learn to kind of let go and trust more and let my intuition and my inner wisdom guide me and just trust that I'm supported and I'm where I'm supposed to be and really just allow myself to enjoy the ride. I think when I was first kind of getting into inner voice work, I would ask my inner voice, my intuition about fear a lot, and it would show me the same image and it would show me a roller coaster and I would always be in the front car of the roller coaster. And you think about that moment where you're kind of slowly making your way to the top of that first peak and that fear and that excitement and you're anticipating what's going to happen. And when you get to the top and the roller coaster is shifting and it's about to go down, you have a choice. You can hold on and try to be in control or you can recognize that you have no control at all. And you chose this and to kind of lift your arms up into the air and just enjoy the ride. And my inner voice is always encouraging that sensation of just like letting go and letting it be a joyful, exciting experience and to acknowledge that like you chose this. You made the choice and you don't have to be afraid, right? Like you trust in the roller coaster to bring you back to where you started. And I think about that a lot, and how fear can be such a driver and it can be misunderstood. And I think, you know, there's real fears, real worries in life. And I wonder how I might be able to to approach my real life fears with a little bit more of that roller coaster energy, right? And just, like, really allow it in, instead of trying to find ways to control what might happen. Like, how might things shift if I just let go of control and really allowed the fear in and allowed myself to just go on the ride, right? And I think about that in terms of grief, in terms of, you know, Koshy and also other people in my life. I think, like, after losing a parent, you realize that your time is limited with the parent that you do have, and I want to really spend time with my mom and take it in and with everyone in my life. Grief doesn't just happen when someone dies, right? It could be the ending of a partnership, a romantic relationship. You could move to a different place and let go of friends that you've had, and your friendship shifts into something different. I've had that happen a lot where I have friends, and then they move away, and our friendship shifts from being whatever it was in person to now being a long-distance friendship. And sometimes, you know, that distance means like letting go of that person completely. And so grief can show up in lots of different ways. And I think it's really important just to honor where you're at right now and to just enjoy those moments and also know that it could change. And that's okay, too. I think that anticipating the change and that fear that comes with it, not holding that too tightly, like really welcoming it in and saying, wow, like I have this anticipatory grief. I'm anticipating this change because I really care about who is in front of me, right? Like it's coming from a place of love and a fear of change. And I wonder how we can just accept, like, I don't know how long this is going to last, how long this person or animal is going to be in my life, or even it doesn't have to be a living being, it could be a job, a hobby, whatever it is that is really important to you, just honoring that however long it's here, I want to enjoy it and I accept that something can change, and then I'll shift and allow that to be. And I just wonder for myself, like how that would kind of shift how I experience the worry and the grief and the fear. If I really kind of go down to like the root of where it's coming from and think of it as like, oh, this means that I really care about this and I love this a lot, versus like, oh, I'm just like afraid of change, right? Because it's both and, and just really taking a moment to dive a little bit deeper. And so that's what I've been working through. I think that kind of sharing this with you has brought a little bit of an aha moment to me. And I'm curious to see how things unfold and what shifts happen. Now that I have this kind of deeper understanding of, of what's going on and where this grief is coming from. Somewhat related, I feel like in, in my grief journey of losing my dad, lately I've, I've been really just missing all of the things that I'll never get to do with him. I think that's, that's what's been coming up for me. And it's been a little bit unexpected and interesting to kind of think about, you know, all those things that, that may never come to be, that will never come to be because we're not creating new memories. All I have are kind of the ones that I have. And, you know, I've spoke about still having a relationship, a connection with him. I connect to him through signs that I receive through nature, through aligned numbers, through football and the Seahawks. And, you know, that's beautiful too. And I think that it is, it's very, you know, it's part of the human experience to want to create those tangible physical realm memories. And I just share it to, to share it and to say, I don't know what you're going through, but I just want to normalize that, you know, all of it is welcome. And I'm on this grief journey and I'm going through all these phases for the first time. And I just want to really share my experience in hopes that you can just take what you need from it. And yeah, it'll be interesting to see how my grief continues to integrate deeper into who I am now and how it shows up for me and how it all unfolds. So that's what I have for you today. I want you to know if you're feeling stuck in the foggy middle, if you're feeling exhausted from having to always figure it out alone, or maybe you're looking for that space and that accountability to really check in with yourself and have that kind of weekly cadence. If any of that is of interest to you, I want to invite you to explore the Shoreline private coaching sessions. You can find out more information or schedule time to chat with me on my website. The information is in the show notes. And that's where I'll leave you today, friends. I hope that you take good care while the waves carry you closer and know that your next version is already waiting on the shore.
UNKNOWN · UNKNOWN
Unknown
Unknown
Welcome to The Shoreline, where we explore the tender in-between seasons of the human experience. My name is Kim, and I'm here to support you as you navigate your next becoming. Here, we don't fix, we listen, we don't rush, we allow. Hello and welcome. If you're new here, I'm so glad that you've made your way to The Shoreline. And if you're returning, welcome back. I'm so glad that you're here. So let's just get into it. I'm going to be real with you. This last week, I have really been in quite a mood. I feel like last week when I shared, I was kind of building momentum and excitement around my novel, and this idea of self-publishing. I talked about kind of just the complexity of grief and really wanting to let go of needing to work an effort to earn things and letting go of, yeah, it needing to be hard in order for it to be valuable. So I felt like I was kind of on this upward trajectory, and for whatever reason, I've just been kind of in a mood. There's no real rhyme or reason for it. I think part of it is that I have been going through a lot of expansion and growth. And as I mentioned before, I've been kind of in a season of completion, letting go of my leadership coach, kind of wrapping up some loose ends. And I think that part of it is that my nervous system is really just adjusting and recalibrating. So I've been kind of working through some feelings of anxiety and just needing to kind of support my body and my nervous system as it kind of finds a new homeostasis and as it recalibrates. And I think as a result, it's kind of shifted my mood and how I've been feeling. The weather has been really up and down. And so I've just been kind of a little bit cranky, which is not the most fun to share. I think that I really want to show up here and be a light and be positive. But what's more important to me is to be real and true and authentic and honest with you. So that's where I'm at. I've been just in kind of a funk and a mood over the weekend. I really tried to move through some of the feelings I was having and just kind of like get out of my environment. So Koshy and I went on some adventures to different parks here in Seattle. And I got to see her run on the beach, which always makes me really happy. And it was nice to really be out in nature and just kind of put my phone away and just be really present and take in the landscape, the birds and the sounds they make, and really just kind of take in all of that goodness for my nervous system. Which I think between that and continuing to like move my body and go to Pilates and strength train and just walking, that has really helped. And also like it's really, I just want to like normalize, like it's okay to be in a funk and to be in a mood. I think that's a very real part of the human experience and being on a growth path and on a spiritual path. Like it's not always love and light. And I never want to portray that it's only good. Because at the end of the day, like we are having a human experience. And part of that is feeling all the feelings, not just the fun ones, you know, annoyance, frustration, anger, like it's all part of it, right? And so I just want to be really honest and true with you about like, what is actually happening in my life. And emotional landscapes are complex. I've talked about this before, especially as it relates to grief. And I think I've really spoke about it in terms of like holding joy and sadness together. But frustration and anger are there too. It's part of the grief journey. And I think that is really important to share. Like sometimes I just feel as much as I do feel that I'm right where I'm supposed to be. I'm on my path. Like some days I wake up and I just feel really annoyed and frustrated and I kind of wish I could go back or just wish that things were different or easier. And I really just want to honor those desires that I have in the moment because it's all part of it and it's all really welcomed. And so it doesn't always feel exciting and fun to share that. But I think it's important to talk about the frustration, to talk about feeling kind of agitated and just moody. And what I noticed in myself is that I wanted to really place it somewhere. Like I wanted to say like this happened and that's why I feel this way. But really like nothing happened. I think that it's just part of the larger shift that I'm going through and the understanding that yes, while I'm kind of wrapping up an in-between season, I really am in a longer transition and a longer in-between. There are some loose ends that are related to my dad's passing that are going to take time. And I really won't be through it for at least a few years. And I think that that contributed to just feeling frustrated of wanting things to be different or wanting to feel more free or like I can focus all of my energy on what I want to focus on. And my reality is that I have a lot on my plate and I'm focusing on a lot of different things right now. So nothing really gets my 100 percent. I think that sometimes I wish that all I could do is, you know, just wake up and like focus on my novel and put everything that I have there. But that's not really how life works. And I think especially when you are a creative person and multi-passionate, or you're an adult who's juggling a lot, you don't always get to give something 100 percent. And I think what's frustrating is that you can, when you care about something, you want to give it your all, and sometimes you just can't. And that's okay. I just want to say like, that's okay, and like you're doing a great job, and what you can give is what you can give. You have to really meet yourself where you're at, right? And so that's what I'm going through right now is like, there are things that I want to give 100% to, but I'm being pulled in a lot of different directions, and all I can give is all I can give, and that's enough, and I just want to really honor that. While also continuing to create space for joy, for ease, for flow, I remember my intuition, my inner voice, a few weeks ago just randomly told me to roll with the punches, and it was talking about that specific day, or at least that's how I took it in the moment, and it really helped me navigate that day that was full of a lot of unexpected twists and turns. Like nothing really went according to how I planned it, and there were things I wanted to do that didn't get done, and I think that had my inner voice not said that, I would have been really frustrated by the day and really annoyed that I didn't get more done. But because I kind of knew already that things were not going to go the way that I intended them, because my inner voice had roll with the punches, I was able to approach it from a lighter perspective and just kind of hold it with humor and be like, well, yep, my inner voice was right. It said roll with the punches and that's what I'm doing. And it does feel like maybe I'm in like a season of that, of just my goal is to be really consistent with my projects, with the podcast, with my novel. But that may not always be able to happen. And I think consistency really is about returning again and again, even when you're derailed. It's not about having a perfect routine and everything going according to how you planned it. I think consistency really is about integrating that flexibility and saying, like, you know, sometimes life will get in the way, and that's okay. But consistency means I will come back to this, and I will not forget about it. And there are times when I'll be able to execute a perfect routine and revisit it over and over, and other times I won't. But I have that longer term vision in my mind, and I'm holding that, and I will return again and again. That's all we can do, right? Is just try to be consistent and remain flexible, and hold ourselves with compassion, and trust that you're on your path, and I'm on my path, and we're all just doing our best, right? That's all you can do, is show up and honor where you're at, and, you know, time will pass, and things will shift, and already I can feel myself kind of coming out of my mood, and I'm noticing that as much as I didn't want to share this with you, sharing it is making me feel lighter, and it really is this beautiful release. So thank you so much for listening and for holding this with me. I really appreciate you, and just want to honor your capacity to hold what I'm going through as well. And yeah, it just feels really nice to have this space and to have this connection with you. And I am so grateful for the consistency that I've built with The Shoreline. And it's actually been something that has been bringing me so much joy. Like, I genuinely get excited to sit down and record. And I've been really excited about just figuring out ways for more people to join us. And it's just it's honestly the highlight of my week. So I just, again, want to say thank you so much for listening, for being here with me, for navigating the in-between with me. It feels like such a special and sacred place. So thank you. And I hope that you feel that connection as well, and that it adds to your life, because that's what my intention is. I really want to just be a space, and for The Shoreline to be something that really adds value to your life. And I think that more than ever, I've been really focused lately on local community, and you're a part of that as well. I think that community building is something that is so important and so needed. And especially when it feels like life and technology is moving really fast. I've just been feeling more and more like I want to be mostly offline, and I'm just focusing on how I can build real human connections. That's what is important. I've been really lucky to be in a neighborhood that is really community focused, and I feel grateful to know all my neighbors. And even if that weren't the case, I think that I would try to make an effort to build those connections wherever I'm at. And so I hope that you can take that in, and maybe you're starting to build connections wherever you're at and build that community, because that's what's important. I think it is really important that we, as humans, can all connect and share our experiences with one another, because there's so much richness there. To have your experience witnessed, and to be able to learn from someone else, it's this really beautiful exchange. And as I just mentioned, with feeling so much lighter, just sharing where I'm at, like there is such a value in just allowing someone to witness you and your experience. And I want to acknowledge that it can feel really scary and vulnerable to do that sometimes. And I think we all have a tendency to gloss over what we're really going through, what we're really going through. But I promise you that whoever is in front of you wants to genuinely know how you're doing and what you're going through. And vulnerability is such a gift. I always feel so honored when someone shares their heart with me and when they are open and honest about what they're going through. It just means so much to me. I remember earlier this week, I was texting my friend, and when I was really in the depths of my mood, I was like, I don't always feel like I can be myself, or I was like, I just I don't feel really seen. And she shared that it was our friendship. And, you know, I'm one of very few people in her life where she can be 100 percent unfiltered. And I just felt so honored that she. Felt comfortable enough to be completely herself with me. And it felt like such a gift that I will not take for granted. And I hope to to be that for other people as well. And I want to lead with vulnerability and openness and just share, share my heart and share like the truest part of me, because that's where true connection really forms. And so again, thank you for allowing me to show up as I am. And I hope that you have those spaces where, where you feel like you can be 100% yourself and be the most authentic, unfiltered version of you. And if you don't feel like you have those spaces yet, I would encourage you to, to try out leading with your heart and with vulnerability and to see where it takes you. Because I'm sure that there are people in your life who really do want to get to know you and who want to see all of you. I hope that we can all continue just to be more ourselves in this world as we navigate this experience. And yeah, that's, that's what I have to share with you. I was hoping to kind of wrap everything up in a really nice message and a bow, but it doesn't always happen like that. And I just want to be real and myself. And this is where I'm at in this moment in time. And so I hope that you have enjoyed listening and you're taking something away from this conversation. And I just want you to know that if you're feeling stuck in the foggy middle or you're exhausted from having to always figure it out alone, you can explore The Shoreline private coaching sessions. You can find more information or schedule time to chat with me on my website. All of that information is in the show notes. And truly, I just want you to know that you're not alone. I'm here with you. And I hope that you take good care of yourself while the waves carry you closer. Know that your next version is already waiting on the shore.
APRIL 28, 2026 · 17 MIN
Who Are You Without the Chaos?
Kim Kogane
In this episode, I'm taking time to reflect on the closing of a season as we move out of April and into something new. There has been a strong sense of completion in my life lately, and I've been sitting with what it means to move forward after a period of deep transformation. I share how grief over the past year has reshaped my life in profound ways. In its intensity, it stripped away anything that didn't feel essential, forcing me to focus only on what truly mattered. Now, as I begin to rebuild, I'm stepping into a new phase that feels more grounded, intentional, and rooted in what I want to create moving forward. One of the biggest themes that has surfaced is my relationship with chaos. For much of my life, growth and creation have come from pressure, urgency, and external validation. Now, I'm exploring what it means to live and create from a place of calm, stability, and spaciousness, and learning how to trust that I can still move forward without the constant presence of disruption. I also reflect on how easy it can be to unconsciously create chaos, even when it's no longer needed. Whether through overcommitting, seeking intensity, or filling space that could otherwise remain open, there is a tendency to recreate what feels familiar. This episode is an invitation to notice where that might be happening in your own life. This conversation is about allowing things to settle, honoring transitions, and creating space for something new to take root. Growth does not always have to come from upheaval. Sometimes it comes from stillness, presence, and the willingness to let things be simpler than they once were. Kim Kogane is a writer and intuitive guide helping you navigate the tender in-between seasons of life. She lives in Seattle, Washington, with her dog Cauchy and three cats. Learn more about Kim. Newsletter Work with Kim Instagram –– ✦
APRIL 22, 2026 · 21 MIN
Letting It Be for You
Kim Kogane
In this episode, I'm reflecting on what has unfolded since letting go of teaching and how that decision has created more space, clarity, and gratitude in my life. What once might have felt like a failure now feels like an essential part of the journey, a path I needed to walk in order to fully understand what is and isn't meant for me. I share how this experience has led me into a deeper period of self reflection, where old patterns and questions have begun to surface. One of the biggest realizations has been noticing how easy it is for me to show up when something is in service of others, and how much more challenging it can be to stay committed to something that is just for me, especially when it comes to my writing practice. Rather than rushing to fix or solve this pattern, I'm allowing myself to sit with it, to get curious, and to explore what it might be asking of me. I'm also leaning into a new intention of practicing both devotion and detachment. Devotion in showing up consistently to what matters, and detachment in releasing the need for a specific outcome. I also open up about my relationship with intuition and the moments where I find myself wanting to disconnect, even when I feel deeply connected. This push and pull has led me to think more about how we relate to the different parts of ourselves, especially the ones that feel protective or afraid. This episode is an invitation to hold all parts of yourself with compassion. The parts that feel aligned and open, and the parts that feel uncertain or resistant. They all belong, and they all have something to offer as you continue to grow. Kim Kogane is a writer and intuitive guide helping you navigate the tender in-between seasons of life. She lives in Seattle, Washington, with her dog Cauchy and three cats. Learn more about Kim. Newsletter Work with Kim Instagram –– ✦
APRIL 14, 2026 · 22 MIN
Path That Was Meant to End
Kim Kogane
In this episode, I'm reflecting on a recent experience that challenged my understanding of alignment. We often think of alignment as something that feels easy, flowing, and forward moving, but sometimes it leads us down a path that ultimately comes to an end. And that, too, can be part of the process. I share my journey of returning to teaching through Pilates after stepping away from being a barre instructor. What initially felt aligned and supported quickly shifted into something that no longer felt true. Even with external validation and positive feedback, I found myself feeling drained, disconnected, and out of alignment with how I wanted to spend my time. Through this experience, I realized that the lesson wasn't to push through or prove something to myself. The real growth came from recognizing when something was no longer right and having the courage to walk away. Choosing to leave, even when I was close to finishing what I started, became an act of self-trust and self-respect. I also reflect on how revisiting this path gave me the closure I didn't have before. Without stepping back into that role, I might have always wondered if I had made the wrong choice. Instead, I now feel a deep sense of clarity and peace, along with a renewed appreciation for the space and rhythm of my life as it is now. Kim Kogane is a writer and intuitive guide helping you navigate the tender in-between seasons of life. She lives in Seattle, Washington, with her dog Cauchy and three cats. Learn more about Kim. Newsletter Work with Kim Instagram –– ✦
APRIL 7, 2026 · 21 MIN
Stepping Into Your Intuitive Gifts
Kim Kogane
In this episode, I'm building on last week's tarot reading and exploring a deeper layer of what it means to step out of hiding. While the raccoon card often speaks to creativity and artistic expression, I felt called to focus on another aspect of that message, the intuitive gifts we carry and the ways we sometimes keep them hidden. I share more about my own journey with intuition and how that connection has evolved over time. While I've always been sensitive and tuned in, it took years of exploration, practice, and openness to fully acknowledge and trust that inner wisdom. Tools like tarot became a bridge, helping me understand how that connection speaks and how to receive it more clearly. In this episode, I walk through some of the ways our inner wisdom communicates with us. For some, it shows up through visuals, like images or scenes unfolding. For others, it comes through words, whether that's an inner voice or through writing and journaling. And for many, it's felt through the body, in subtle sensations, emotions, or physical signals that guide and affirm what is true. I also reflect on how important it is to build a relationship with your own intuition before trying to share it outwardly. Strengthening that connection creates a sense of trust and grounding, which makes it easier to step forward and express what you are receiving in a way that feels aligned and authentic. This episode is an invitation to gently explore your own intuitive gifts, whatever form they may take. You don't have to rush or have all the answers. It can begin with curiosity, with openness, and with allowing yourself to acknowledge that this part of you exists. Kim Kogane is a writer and intuitive guide helping you navigate the tender in-between seasons of life. She lives in Seattle, Washington, with her dog Cauchy and three cats. Learn more about Kim. Newsletter Work with Kim Instagram –– ✦
X
Welcome to The Shoreline, where we explore the tender in-between seasons of the human experience. My name is Kim, and I'm here to support you as you navigate your next becoming. Here, we don't fix, we listen, we don't rush, we allow. Hello and welcome. Whether you're new or returning, I'm so happy you've made your way to The Shoreline. So lately, I've been really thinking about how I find grounding and balance while going through change. And last episode, I spoke about just how everything is really impermanent. We're always growing and changing. And I think one of the many gifts of grief really is that you come back to the present and you realize that all you really have is the present moment. And so that's really been with me over this last week. And I've been focusing on letting go and really just creating space for what's next, as I've been trying to just ground myself as I'm going through so many different changes. And we don't know what will happen in the future, what's happened in the past is already in the past. And it's really about coming back to the present moment. So when I've felt anxious, when I felt unsure or afraid, I always just come back to what do I need right now? What's happening for me right now? And when you're in an in-between space, a period of transition where you've kind of let go and made a big change, or maybe the change was made for you, and you haven't really found what's exactly next, you're in this beautiful kind of middle ground where really there's a moment in the in-between space where anything feels possible. It's such a beautiful space to be because I think, especially after you've gone through a big transition, it can feel really hard to kind of dream about the future or to think about what's next or to really believe in possibility. And when you've been in the in-between space for long enough, this dreaming comes back to you. And I've found myself here many times before, and it's a really it's a cozy space to be when you're kind of out to sea. I like to imagine myself just out to sea where you can't see any land around you. It's just you on your little boat in the water. And anything feels possible. You can go anywhere. You can do anything. You can be anyone. And I love being in that space. And I think that I always reach a point where it's time to kind of come out of the dream space and really start to build in my actual life. And it's necessary to kind of let go and release some of these dreams that may never come to be so that you can make space for what's next, even if you're not exactly sure what's coming. And I feel like that's kind of the space that I've been in. Last week, last episode, I spoke about just kind of being with my dog, Cauchy and her moving into the senior dog phase and just kind of anticipating what will inevitably happen, having to let her go. And the reality is I don't know when that will be. All I can do is come back to the present moment and create beautiful memories for us and have these beautiful experiences in the present. And I think it's important to go through that period of feeling the feelings, feeling the grief of what's down the pipeline, what's coming down the path, but also just letting it go. And I think that I've been trying to just let that go and be really present with her and in my life and kind of simultaneously, a lot of grief about... My dad has come up too, especially with it just having been Father's Day. I think just a lot of unexpected grief came up for me. And I started to just think about all these things that I'll never get to do with my dad and all these memories that we will never get to create in the future. And I think I really needed to feel that and feel the sadness and also let it go. And I think that it's a really important process to kind of just acknowledge what's present, right? And lovingly release it and say like, that's okay that I won't get to do these things with my dad. I had all of these beautiful experiences and I can still feel connected to him without building, you know, memories here in the physical reality. And that's also sad and that's okay too. You know, it's complex. And I think, you know, along these same lines, I've, as I'm getting older, I've been having to kind of release dreams and goals that may never come to be. I think when you're younger, all the doors feel open. Anything feels possible. And as you start to go through life and figure out more who you are and establish yourself, you know, some of those doors close. And that's okay. I think that as you learn more about who you are and what you want and you align more, especially if you're on a spiritual journey and you're getting to know yourself on a deep soul level, you start to realize that you don't want to do everything. And the dreams that are most important to you start to become more clear. And it's not that you can't do everything. You know, all of those possibilities are available to you. I think it's about discernment. You, as I've noticed as I get older, as I've had more life experiences, and as I start to face my own mortality, I realize what is most important to me and those things that I really just feel like I need to do while I'm here. And part of that process is letting go and releasing dreams that may never come to be. And that is a special kind of grief in and of itself to realize like these things that I once wanted to do don't really align anymore and I may never do them and I have to let it go and make space for what I do want. And then there's dreams that maybe you really didn't ever explore, but you know they're not for you, or maybe they're not for you right now. And I think it's important to to acknowledge that and release it as as what you do want becomes more and more clear. And for me, I've been really thinking about this in terms of the life I'm building here in Seattle, and also what I'm wanting for my career. And I've been in kind of a transitional place when I left my jewelry company, when I closed it down, I went on a journey and I was just hopping from thing to thing. And I kind of was like, I'm going to use the skills that I had from that career to keep myself afloat. And I was just trying different things. I did like freelance marketing. I taught bar classes. I pursued a Pilates certification as I've talked about here. I did coaching. I did lots of different coaching certifications. I revisited my tarot practice. And as I kind of experimented, I started to really see what excited me, what made me feel passionate, what I wanted to return to over and over, even with podcasting. This is, I think, the third iteration of the podcast. I started with The Floating Experiment, and then I shifted into the Kim Kogane show, and now we're here on The Shoreline. And so sometimes it does take kind of exploring and looking at all the possibilities, and then what you want becomes more clear. And part of that process is learning to lovingly release what may never fully be realized. I think I learned that with my jewelry company as well. I had a vision of exactly what I wanted it to be and how I wanted it to grow. And I had that company and I built it for 10 years, but the dream never became fully realized. And I think that was a big thing that I grappled with when I was trying to decide whether or not to continue. And ultimately, I let it go because it wasn't my dream anymore. And I had to really be honest with myself and say, you know, I could stick it out. I could fully realize this vision in my mind of what I want this to be, but at what cost, right? And it just felt like I was being pulled in a different direction. And so I closed it down. I let go of that dream and that vision and moved on. And I think that it's a really important part of the process. And so lately, I've just been thinking about all different parts of myself and these things that I thought that I wanted, and especially, I think, with traveling. And I always thought that I would live abroad or explore. I did a lot of traveling in my 20s and in my early 30s. And I really just am not in a season of travel anymore. And I've shared that before. I felt like I really needed to just say goodbye to that person and to really just tell myself, you know, maybe I won't ever feel like traveling again. Maybe I will. I don't know. All I know is that where I'm at in the present moment, I want to be at home. I want to be in the city that I call home. I want to be with my animals and close to family and friends. And that's just where I'm at right now. And I had to kind of grieve letting go of that part of myself, especially because the part of me that is adventurous and a traveler, it was part of me that I really was proud of. And I felt like it was part of me that was really interesting. And I love that I'm a curious person. And also I just, I want to acknowledge that, like that curiosity doesn't go away. It's just manifesting in a different avenue, a different part of my life. And so I felt like I really needed to fully let that go and grieve that era of my life, that part of me that is such a big traveler to make space for what's next. And for me, it's really that inward journey of, maybe I'm not like traveling in this physical realm, but being a writer, wanting to bring my novels and my projects into the world, I'm traveling in a different way. I get to build a world and travel there and explore there and get to know the characters. And it's still that curiosity, that adventurous spirit is still with me, but I'm kind of redirecting that energy somewhere else to something that's really important to me. And I would be so sad if these stories never came to be. I think that's what I'm realizing more and more, is that it's so important to me and it feels like part of my calling. So I'm needing to let go of these distractions or things that feel like distractions now so that I can really focus my energy on bringing these stories to life because that's where I'm at and that's what I care about. And it's so interesting, I think, that if you're on a growth journey, if you're in an in-between space, if you've gone through grief, it's almost like having to get to know yourself again and again. And that's part of change, right? And that's part of what's exciting about being human and living, is that you get to evolve and grow and get to know yourself on a whole different level. And to me, that's just so beautiful. You know, I don't know what's going to happen in the future, and the past is in the past. And all I can do is come back to the present moment. And I think through this all, I'm really learning to embrace the impermanence of it all and to really embrace change and welcome it in. And it's almost as if I've always kind of seen a vision of being on my path, like going on a hike and walking on a trail. And it almost feels like I'm not on a trail anymore. I'm not on solid ground. It's like learning to be on the water. And when you're on a boat or a paddle board, when you're kind of moving on water, it's always moving. You're never stagnant. Even if you're anchored, the boat's always moving because the water is always shifting. And I think that's kind of this new place that I find myself in, of even when I'm stopped or I'm taking a break, the water is always moving beneath me. And it's learning how to kind of move with the flow of life and not be afraid of it. I think that there have been many times recently where I just have thought like, I just want to press pause. Like I just, I want a break without everything moving forward without me. Like, can I just press pause? And taking a break is always available to me, but there's no real like pressing pause in life. Like time is always moving forward, the world is moving. And I think it's more like learning to flow with life and with change, like the water. And that's kind of what The Shoreline is about to me, that transitional space of like, okay, you were once on solid ground and you thought that everything was, you know, neat and solid and you had a nice foundation underneath you. And now you're shifting to be kind of more on the water. And you can go back and forth for a while. And I think you get to this place where you're like, okay, I'm really ready to embrace the flow and I'm going to learn to, to kind of work with the tide and the flow of life. And can I let it carry me even when I'm taking a break, right? I think that's the true mastery of like letting the water carry you where you need to go. While you take the breaks that you need or the time that you need to go inward or do what you need to do. And that's where I feel like now as much as I want to just stop time and press pause, I really can't. But what I can do is not think too far ahead or too far behind and come back to the present moment. And I think that whenever I do that, it almost feels like time is slowing down. When I can take a moment, go outside, listen to the birds, look up at the sky, spend time with Cauchy, that's when life feels truly rich. And it's not about racing from thing to thing and packing it all in. It's really about coming back to the present moment and soaking each and every second in and just being in the here and now and letting go of needing to know exactly what's going to happen next. And that's not to say you shouldn't have dreams and goals. I think that's so important to have your North Star. Like I am someone who is very intentional and I like to have a vision for my future. And I think it's really like, allow yourself to have that vision, to have that North Star and let it be your guide while you're in the present moment and just enjoying the process of it all. Like enjoying the ride and just being here and coming back to your senses. I think about that a lot and especially with grief. And when my dad first passed and I was really deep in grief, I would think about like, what are the things that I would miss most about being here on earth? And it was interesting. It wasn't having, you know, a big career accomplishments. It wasn't even like my house or anything. It was like I would miss sunsets. I would miss the smell of summer, the sounds of the birds, that very specific moment where you can feel the transition from summer to fall. Those are the things that I would miss. I would miss, you know, those sensory details about living here on earth. And those are always available to us. We can always come back to the present moment and soak it in. And so I hope that wherever you're at, however you're feeling, you can take a moment for yourself and come back to the present moment and do something sensory that really fills you up and makes you happy. So that's what I have for you today, friends. If you want to dive deeper into your own inner landscape or you're navigating a big transition and you're not really sure what's next, I offer guidance and support through The Shoreline private coaching sessions. So in those coaching sessions, we meet one on one every week for an hour over six months with support available in between sessions for you. If that's something that you're curious about or you're interested in, you can find more information or schedule time to chat with me on my website. The link is in the show notes. And so I hope that you take good care while the waves carry you closer and know that your next version is already waiting on the shore.
If you’re feeling stuck in the foggy middle and exhausted from having to always “figure it out” alone, I want to invite you to…
Download this FREE audio experience to invite more calm and peace into your life and reconnect with your inner wisdom
Explore The Shoreline Private Sessions to find aligned support as you navigate a significance life transition
Read my 5 favorite books to inspire a creative life
Read this essay about embracing a new identity to shift your perspective
Kim Kogane is a writer and intuitive guide helping you navigate the tender in-between seasons. She lives in Seattle, Washington with her dog, Cauchy, and three cats. Learn more about Kim.
