The Power of Language

I’ve been listening to Martha Beck talk about how anxiety builds in the left side of the brain—through language and imagination.
That hit home.

Because in my work, I’ve seen this firsthand: women often lack imagination for good, joyful, life-giving things—but they’re masters at imagining worst-case scenarios. We lock ourselves in prisons made of language and a lack of imagination, not bars.

And the thing is…

Language matters.

It has taken me 15 years to break away from the kind of language that was debilitating, heavy, limiting—and keeping me stuck. Not just personally, but professionally, in an industry I found to be more harmful than helpful for many. If they weren’t alcoholics, when they explore their concerns, they often adopt the commonly held beliefs.

When Language Becomes a Box

I remember attending a coach training in Portland, Oregon.

It was in-person, raw, and eye-opening. I got so much pushback—especially being one of the few Christians in the room. I was probably also the least “woo-woo,” New Age-y, or even “whole person-ish.”

During one of those group sessions, we were sitting in a circle being peppered with questions. At one point, I felt ganged up on.

“Why don’t you go to church?”

“Why not tap into your Christian identity?”

“You have a built-in group and community!”

I remember thinking:

That feels gross.

When I went to church, it was to worship—to connect with like-minded, like-spirited people. Not to collect leads. Not to “build a following.” That felt slimy.

And while I tried going to church in the early years of my sobriety, it honestly just left me feeling the same way I felt in AA: like I was being told who I had to be and what I had to do to be “good.” A good Christian. A good woman. A good anything.

It Was Never Just About the Alcohol

I also resisted the recovery industry.

Even though I knew it was my “natural market,” having overcome alcohol misuse in a very public and powerful way. My story was unique. My message was different.

But I couldn’t have imagined the years I’d spend banging my head against a wall—trying to communicate that it’s not just about the alcohol.

Even some of the people I worked with, who claimed to love my message, couldn’t release the “alcoholic/addiction/disease-has-the-power” mindset. It is true for them.

And maybe… for a long time, I wondered if I was the one who had it wrong.

But now I know I wasn’t.

Because here I am—finally in alignment.
I’m here to help women reconnect to their light.
The light that was born in them. The light of possibility.

If you’re still breathing, there’s still time.
Time to show up in your purest form.
To say the words you want to say.
To do the things you want to do.
To live life on your terms—not in a box, not by a checklist, not by someone else’s script.

Just breathing.
Enjoying.
Finding peace in who you are.

Let’s Talk About Desires

Everything I was taught about business told me to be strategic.

Leverage your story. Lean on what you’ve overcome.

But I’ve overcome so much more than alcohol.

And I spent years trying to make it all about alcohol, when it was never just about that.

It’s about her.
It’s about you.
The woman reading this who feels like something’s missing.

When you connect with your deepest desires—not just for pleasure, but for meaning—the need to numb starts to fade.
No, life isn’t perfect.
There aren’t rainbows and unicorns every day.
But you can move through the hard times with more grace and a lighter heart.
That’s what it means to reconnect to your light.
That’s what it means to love yourself back to light.

What If…

What if you woke up every morning with great anticipation?
Not fear. Not dread. Not planning for pain.

I’m not saying life is easy. I’m saying it’s full of opportunity.

And we get to choose what we pull from each day.
Do we reach for joy and hope?
Or brace for the worst and carry dread like armor?
Because if dread is your default… is that really living?
Or is it a slow, miserable death?
Maybe that’s what hell on earth really is.
But it doesn’t have to be your story.

You get to write a new one.
With the language that frees you.
The imagination that uplifts you.
And the light that was always yours to begin with.

About the Author

Teresa Rodden is passionate about helping women find their voice and embrace their freedom through writing. As the author of Wholly Sober and a coach for over fifteen years, she has guided countless women in escaping limiting labels and beliefs. Utilizing a proprietary writing assessment process, she empowers women to explore their stories, reconnect with their truth, and learn to love themselves first—so they can love fully and live with purpose. Through her work, she helps women break free from destructive narratives and step into the limitless possibilities of their own becoming.

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