The Power of Authenticity blog

Welcome!
Do you wish you had more power and purpose in your life? Are you feeling burned out in a job that doesn’t fit who you are? Do you long to lead an authentic life but don’t know how?
If you answered “yes” to any of these questions, you probably suffer from “Suppressed Superpower Syndrome.” To fit in with others, you buried your unique gifts in the unconscious and forgot who you truly are. I’m here to help you to take your power back!
This blog will take you on a journey to reclaim your one-of-a-kind superpowers and succeed in life by being the total rock star you were meant to be.

After teaching creativity workshops for 20 years, I know for certain that you were born with a unique purpose and special gifts to fulfill it that no one else in the world can express like you. Your innate skills and passions are your superpowers. When you dance to your own music, you naturally develop these intrinsic talents and excel in work and life.
But when you’re forced to conform to someone else’s idea of who you should be, it throws off your groove.
Using psychology, music, and client success stories, I will help you shake off your self-limiting beliefs, discover your unique talents and skills, build the courage to go after your dreams, persist through setbacks, and rock your career and life.
Yeah, it’s a big promise, I know, but I think we can do it! Don’t you?
I have a good track record.
From Professor to Rock Star
Years ago when I was a psychology professor, I felt deeply empty, despite my success. I loved my students but the truth was, I wanted to sing in a rock-n-roll band.
“Ridiculous,” a voice that sounded a lot like my mother’s screamed inside my head. For one, it would mean I had wasted four years at Princeton getting my Ph.D. in psychology. For another, I was too old. How could I change now, wasn’t it too late?
I kept thinking about how happy my students were whenever I gave them permission to be their true selves. Within a year, I left my solid teaching position to follow my dream to be a rock star! My songs have been on the charts, and I’ve helped thousands of participants find their superpowers and rock their lives too.
Now that’s my superpower. What’s yours? Not sure? That’s OK – that’s what this blog is for!
Posted by Michelle Chappel on February 11, 2014 in True Self | 19 comments
Valentine’s Day is right around the corner. Many people remain single, some of us settle for less, and a few “lucky” folks thrive in good relationships. What makes the difference? In my experience, true love comes knocking at your door when you stop looking for it outside of yourself, and focus on accepting yourself for who you are—warts and all—instead.
Do you remember Gina from our “Embrace Your Inner Weirdo” blog? She was the frustrated receptionist who collected stuffed animals and watched “Beauty and the...
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Posted by Michelle Chappel on January 30, 2014 in True Self | 15 comments
How do you know when the time is right to follow your dreams and ditch your day job? Our last blog discussed how it’s possible to stay employed AND find joy and contentment in your after-hour activities, and pursue your passions full-time once you retire. But sometimes you need to leap into the unknown to follow your heart.
Jack Topalian is a perfect role model. I met him while I was taking acting classes with the renowned Kay Kostopoulos and Marty Pistone at Stanford University. I knew there was something different about Jack right...
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Posted by Michelle Chappel on January 9, 2014 in True Self | 9 comments
Even though the goal of this blog series is to help you find your true calling, the truth is that most people are too afraid to change. They have mouths to feed, bills to pay, and fear that if they follow their dreams, someone will get hurt. The old saying “leap and the net shall appear” does not comfort them. Because they hesitate to plunge into the unknown, they stay stuck. Can you relate?
Dan was such a case. A dignified-looking attorney, he came to my workshop because he felt something was missing from his life. He dearly loved...
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Posted by Michelle Chappel on December 31, 2013 in True Self | 16 comments
How to Reach Your Dreams
Every year millions of us pull our collective hair out by making New Year’s Resolutions we don’t keep, as is evidenced by all the near-empty gyms in March. Rather than make goals, why not develop a good habit to help you reach your dreams? Any one of these can change your life.
1. Accept yourself for who you are, warts and all. Yes, I know I ended my Christmas blog with this thought, but it’s important enough to start with it again. Those little things you want to improve about yourself tend to...
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Posted by Michelle Chappel on December 19, 2013 in True Self | 10 comments
The Christmas season can be a truly joyful time of year, but it can also be stressful for those of us spending the holidays with families who push our buttons.
According to Charles Whitfield, author of “Healing the Child Within,” 80 to 95% of us grew up in dysfunctional families. Well, pour yourself some eggnog, snuggle up under a warm comforter, and read on to learn how to keep from going crazy this Christmas.
Do you remember the island of misfit toys in the TV special “Rudolf the Red-Nosed Reindeer?” This sanctuary of unwanted...
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Posted by Michelle Chappel on December 4, 2013 in True Self | 8 comments
How do you know when you’re following your true calling? Time disappears. No drugs necessary!
My True Calling Tip
Whenever I write a song, I close myself in my studio, pick up my guitar, and emerge several hours later feeling content and spaced-out. Typically, I don’t know what I did during that time—it’s just a glorious waking dream—but I usually have a recorder handy to capture it for me. A pleasing side effect of this experience is that I often write enough coherent pieces of music to put a song together later. But,...
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Posted by Michelle Chappel on November 20, 2013 in True Self | 5 comments
Thanksgiving can be a tricky holiday for those of us who are going through tough times. It’s hard to muster up feelings of appreciation when there doesn’t seem much to be grateful for.
My dad died in May, and a few weeks later my beloved cat Izzy was diagnosed with stage 3 kidney disease. We lost his brother Ollie to cancer the year before. I was devastated. How much back-to-back loss can one woman take? And yet, it’s one of the best things that ever happened to me.
Growing up I had to fend for myself most of the...
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Posted by Michelle Chappel on November 19, 2013 in True Self | 6 comments
One of the easiest ways to find your true calling is to do things that fill you with passion. Not your parents, or your teachers, or your friends—but you. It may take some time to discover what truly excites you… so don’t give up too soon. Perhaps you’ve never engaged in your true passion before, or only tried it once. Be open to the possibilities, and for goodness’ sake, don’t settle for less.
Jane’s True Calling Tip
For example, “Jane” was a successful Fortune 500 executive with a PhD from...
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Posted by Michelle Chappel on November 13, 2013 in True Self | 6 comments
To answer your calling, honor what makes you different from others. Yes, it can be scary to express your true self, but it’s the best way to create a successful meaningful life, and it’s easier to do than you think.
A few years ago a friend and I went to the Mojave Desert. We were astonished to find all these wild-looking Joshua trees around us. Their branches were bent in a million different directions. After inspecting several of them closely, my traveling companion and I came to the conclusion that no two were...
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Posted by Michelle Chappel on November 4, 2013 in True Self | 10 comments
Many of us don’t “hear” our callings because our true talents and abilities come so naturally to us.
While I was writing this blog, I took a break to get a bagel at a local coffee shop. As the guy behind the counter was ringing me up, one of his coworkers was trying to solve a crossword puzzle and called out, “Hey Jeff, what’s a four letter word for ‘harvest?’” Without missing a beat, Jeff responded, “Reap.” I was astonished. He was a natural. It’s often difficult to discover what we’re...
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