The Dissonant Phase: Becoming Me
Inspired by the book “Becoming You” by @SuzyWelch
📍 Mental Brain Food Blog RetroMental.org
🔍 Realizing the Disconnect
After taking the Value Bridge test from Becoming You by @SuzyWelch, one thing became very clear:
I’m living in a space of dissonance - where my core values don’t yet align with my current reality.
And while it’s not a crisis, it is a wake-up call.
Not a breakdown. A breakthrough.
Not a failure. A flashlight.
The test didn’t tell me anything I didn’t already feeMental Brain Food Blog RetroMental.orgg discomfort, that subtle frustration, that deep “something’s off” feeling?
It was me, living out of alignment.
🧭 What It Means to Be “The Dissonant”
Being a Dissonant means your values are known, but not lived yet.
According to the results, I’m still navigating significant misalignments in key areas like:
Radius (my desire to change the world)
Eudemonia (my need to enjoy life and find joy now)
Workcentrism The test didn’t tell me anything I didn’t already feel in my gutit
Familycentrism (my deep love for family vs. the tension with work)
I want to be a builder, a changer, a present father and partner, a dreamer who’s also grounded in daily joy. But right now, those values are competing instead of complementing. The tension is real.
⚖️ Conflict Isn’t Failure, It’s Feedback
This assessment didn’t tell me I’m broken. It told me I’m becoming.
And becoming doesn’t always feel smooth.
There’s tension when you outgrow who you’ve been
but haven’t yet stepped into who you’re becoming.
The top value conflict between Radius and Eudemonia hit me the hardest.
How do you try to change the world and stop enjoying it?
How do you build for tomorrow without neglecting today?
And then there’s the push-and-pull between Workcentrism and Familycentrism
That constant tug-of-war between purpose and presence.
This isn’t just theory. It’s my real, daily experience.
🌱 What I’m Learning
Awareness is the first breakthrough
You can’t change what you’re unwilling to name.
This phase isn’t shameful.
Dissonance isn’t a failure. It’s a transition zone.
Values aren’t meant to compete
They’re meant to collaborate,but it takes time, intention, and grace.
Joy isn’t a distraction from the mission
It’s the fuel for the journey.
You can’t do it all at once
But you can start where the pain is loudest and make one aligned decision at a time.
✨ Final Thought: Becoming Me
This season is about closing the gap between who I am and how I live.
It’s not about pretending to have it figured out.
It’s about choosing alignment over autopilot.
Presence over perfection.
Becoming, not performing.
If you’re feeling that same discomfort…
That quiet voice inside saying “this ain’t it” listen to it.
Your values aren’t lying to you.
They’re inviting you to return to yourself.
🧠💙
RetroMental | Mental Brain Food Series
Inspired by Suzy Welch’s @ValueBridgeTest from her book Becoming You
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