Today we’d like to introduce you to Michelle Madrid
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I was born in the United Kingdom of British, Spanish/Middle Eastern heritage. My biological parents weren’t married to each other; my mum was a wife and mother to three children and my father was a single man. Their affair produced me and I was secreted away into foster care as a baby, and became a ward of the state. Inside of foster care, I was given many limiting labels like “difficult to place,” “dark”, “illegitimate.” Social workers did not hold high hopes that I could be adopted into a permanent family due to my “ethnic appearance” and “undesirable circumstances.” Yet, I was adopted by an American family who brought me to the US to be raised. I grew up in a house where my adoptive father struggled with alcohol addiction. He never hit me but he used words like a weapon. His harsh comments and outbursts would strike me to my core. I endured verbal and emotional abuse all of my growing up years. My mother never came to my defense. I used to beg her to leave him and she would say, “I married him for better or for worse. This is the worst, but I won’t leave.” Somehow, the limiting beliefs of being “not worthy of protecting,” “never ever enough,” and “disposable,” became the framework through which I viewed myself. We moved often and those moves, without real parental support, furthered the internal trauma of being removed without choice and without voice. I found myself becoming smaller and smaller — hiding away inside of myself — in order to lessen the chances of being disapproved of and rejected “again.” I didn’t know who I was. I feared exploring the thoughts and questions about my own adoption and identity that kept swirling through my mind. I held a tremendous amount of guilt about having those thoughts in the first place. I felt sad but would remind myself to smile in front of others, pretending that everything was okay. It took many years of self-exploration and self-awareness to understand that I was grieving a loss that no one in my immediate world recognized. I had lost my first parents as a baby, my name was changed from Julié to Michelle upon adoption, my identity and nationality shifted, and I was told that none of that really mattered — I should just be grateful and move forward. There was a deep and gaping whole inside of me and I didn’t know how to fill it. I tried to please everyone around me yet the hole remained. I tried controlling relationships so that I could leave before being left, yet the gap grew. I felt so far removed from any sense of internal knowing. Disconnected. Rejected. Unloveable. I believed I was innately flawed. Innately wrong. I must have done something to make my first parents leave; I must have done something to make my adoptive father drink. It was all my fault. The burden of guilt was carried on my young shoulders; it was a heavy weight to carry. I didn’t know that the weight was never mine to bear. I didn’t know, for a very long time, that I had the power to put that baggage down. I didn’t know that I was worthy of showing up for myself and participating in my own rescue. That changed when I visited a Maori Healer from New Zealand. Inside of his care, on a transformational afternoon, I learned that “dis-ease is housed in the bones.” We have to go deep to excavate those hurts and wounds in order to free ourselves. I was deeply buried in pain and — finally — began to recognize the importance of starting the journey of self-love and self-acceptance so that I could begin to put down what was never mine to carry and liberate my life toward that empowering place of authenticity and, yes, happiness. I began to craft “my life.” As I did, I held compassion for the girl who (for so long) was living everyone else’s version of what that meant. I shed those former false identities. I let go of regret and shame. I took back what felt right and true for me. I began to understand that it’s okay to show up for yourself in this way. Self-permission was key. I started saying “yes” to me. I learned the power of positive psychology and mastering my mindset. I learned that I held the choice to change my life and I would choose a growth oriented perspective. These tools helped me reignite a light within myself that had felt dimmed down for far too long. I took back my happy, connected to my truest identity, and reframed any thought or belief that was holding me back. That has all led me to where I am today as I serve and support women in reclaiming their happiness and electrifying their true potential, through my coaching practice and programs. And, I released a new book in October of 2023, through New World LIbrary, titled, Let Us Be Greater: A Gentle, Guided Path to Healing for Adoptees. This book truly is my love letter to the adoptee community and it infuses my personal journey, my coaching, and the modalities that have helped heal my spirit and transform my life. I have an insatiable appetite for personal growth and that has led me to learn from the best teachers and healers in the world. Shedding the limiting labels of my past, stepping into my truth, and living my life out loud — no longer small and silenced — has been the most liberating gift I could offer myself and it is an honor to help others create a path to this self-honoring, as well.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
The path of personal growth is not easy. If it was, everyone would do it! Healing is not linear. Healing can be messy. Healing takes time and effort. It hasn’t been a smooth ride, but it’s a worthy one! I think my greatest struggle along the way has been trusting in my own voice, in my own vision for my life, and not apologizing for staying true to what feels good and right for me. Aligning with my values, unique qualities and strengths, and believing (with all that I am) in those things that make me, ME. People have stepped out of my life and people have stepped in. I trust this process! I remind myself daily to be in the flow of transformation — to let go of the things that no longer serve me and to receive all the things that lead me toward the next great version of who I’m here to be.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I am the Founder and CEO of The Electricity of You, LLC. It’s there where I create a space for empowerment through my 1:1 coaching, coaching programs, and writings. I am passionate about helping women reconnect to their inner light (the very core of who they are) through positive psychology techniques, mindset mastery, self-love, self-acceptance, and strategies for finding success that’s rooted in their values, unique qualities, and strengths. There are so many ways that life and the hard experiences in this life can disconnect us from our place of power within. Yet, I know (because I’ve lived it) that we can reconnect to our innate power and begin to electrify our lives (both personally and professionally) and live with a renewed sense of unstoppable fulfillment and — yes — happiness! Women who come to me for coaching most often describe themselves as having a growth-oriented perspective in life, but struggle with limiting and disempowering beliefs. They feel challenged to make decisions and often question themselves. They don’t feel clear about their direction in life. Here’s the thing: each of these women desires change! They want to reignite those places within themselves that currently feel doused, dimmed down, or extinguished. I help them plug back in!
What has been the most important lesson you’ve learned along your journey?
The most important lesson that I’ve learned along my journey has been that I don’t have to allow the opinions of others to dictate my life. Allowing the opinions of others to control your life can be dangerous because it leads to loss of personal identity and autonomy. When you prioritize external validation over your own values and desires, you risk losing your sense of self. This can come with experiencing stress and anxiety, feeling unfulfilled, stifling your personal growth, and eroding your self-esteem. Utimately, these things will hinder your ability to lead a meaningful and authentic life. You deserve so much more!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.themichellemadrid.com
- Instagram: @themichellemadrid
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/themichellemadrid?mibextid=LQQJ4d
