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In a world where AI is ever-present, information never stops, and external opinions flood our feeds, it’s easy to lose touch with the one voice that truly knows: your own.
Return to Intuition is a podcast for conscious leaders, working parents, creatives, and seekers who are ready to pause the noise and tune back in. Hosted by Erin McMahon—marketing executive, mother of two, and intuitive seeker—this show explores how reconnecting with your inner voice can transform the way you lead, parent, create, and live.
Each episode offers grounded insight, personal reflection, and meaningful conversations with founders, intuitive leaders, and thoughtful creators navigating growth, ambition, and soul-aligned choices in a fast-changing world.
Let’s face the future knowing our greatest guide is within—and talk to each other about how to use the world around us to build the best every day and an even better future.
00;00;00;00 - 00;00;23;01
Unknown
Hello, this is Erin. Welcome back to Seek the Magic. Today is a solo episode and I am so excited to talk about stories. Storytelling. This in our life, whether we like it or not, it's the stories we tell ourselves is what we hear on TV here, on the news, hear from other people. It is an integral part of how we communicate and how we think.
00;00;23;04 - 00;00;54;05
Unknown
And it's top of mind for me because my son is an adamant storyteller and stories become much more prominent when a little kid is telling them and getting you involved in them and really playing through throughout the day. And that's the that's the stage that Lucas is in now. So the stories will be often fantastical, often spur the moment literally just off the cuff and development.
00;00;54;05 - 00;01;19;24
Unknown
And I, of course, while, you know, playing with him and listening to him and thinking about what is the deeper meaning, how is he coming up with these stories, what is the significance of what he's saying, what he's building? And of course, you know, in I'm being in the moment with him as he's thinking about it, but I'm also fascinated by what drives certain threads, what drives certain thoughts.
00;01;19;27 - 00;02;06;18
Unknown
So typically these stories right now he's really in the car. So that involves some sort of motor, you know, dilemma like a traffic jam or a car stuck at the top of the mountain. And, you know, maybe a scary animal, like a dragon or lions in a cave or some sort of trap. And so there's always a main character or character's, some sort of dilemma and then some character or, you know, something that will come to the rescue often involving him or the people he's playing with, or if you know, he's would be nice, then, you know, sometimes we will come and be part of it, and then there will be, resolution.
00;02;06;19 - 00;02;35;10
Unknown
So as he develops these, there's always tension. There's a moment about what? What happens, what are we going to do? And quite often when he presents the moment of tension dilemma, then I say, you know, oh, no, what's going to happen? What are we going to do? And he will inevitably say, you know, this person is going to come to the rescue, or this person is going to come in and and save, you know, the current victim of the story.
00;02;35;10 - 00;03;05;20
Unknown
And it struck me not only how imaginative it is, but he's also playing with not only what he's learning, elements of how to how to solve a problem no matter how fantastical, and the guarantee that there will be a solution, and the trust that something will be done to, get, you know, whatever that main character is out of the situation or someone will come in and save the day.
00;03;05;23 - 00;03;34;04
Unknown
And I love that you know, that innocence, but and that innate human capacity at a young age to trust and know that things are solvable and things will be okay. And I feel like that's something that I can definitely learn from. And, adults can learn from. Because as we evolve, we tend to tell ourselves stories, but we think in terms of what's going to happen, what's the worst case scenario?
00;03;34;04 - 00;04;00;06
Unknown
Can something be done about this? You know, there's not always the the search for the resolution or the trust in the resolution and that something is going to turn out in, in a positive way. And I think we can learn from our kids to lean into solving a problem, lean into the trust that there will be a resolution and and the things will turn out okay.
00;04;00;06 - 00;04;34;09
Unknown
And I realize that not everybody agrees with that philosophy of, you know, thinking things will be okay. And there's lots of lots of issues in the world that are certainly tragic. But I think, looking back as children, we can take a lot from that philosophy. And he tells stories over and over again and not not 100% of the time, but most of the time he completes that narrative story arc and he doesn't stop in the middle.
00;04;34;09 - 00;05;04;23
Unknown
There's always, triumphs again. What stories are we telling ourselves, either knowingly or unknowingly? And why do some of them just seem to get stuck? Or are we stuck in some stories? And can we help resolve some of them? Or think of ways to reframe what we're telling ourselves? So there is more of a resolution in our lives so we can develop and be more caring and hopeful individuals.
00;05;04;23 - 00;05;34;16
Unknown
So as evidence of young kids telling stories, we are story making creatures. From the moment we're born, we think of how things fit together. Our brains are wired to see patterns, narratives, how things begin, transform, and resolve. And it is children. The stories are crazy. There's less frameworks and filters in our mind. We don't have a developed free prefrontal cortex.
00;05;34;23 - 00;06;06;05
Unknown
So the imagination is just wild and creative and amazing. And I think as we develop, we lose that, and we would benefit us to try to benefit adults, to try to take some of that back and take some of that creativity back. And that would help us be all the better. As we grow, our story shifts, they become more grounded, in truth, in patterns and things that we're told.
00;06;06;08 - 00;06;29;26
Unknown
And they're not. The words invent a story. It's not. It's not that the stories go away. It's that they become patterns. They become ingrained in our subconscious. And maybe we're not as interested anymore in developing those wild stories about, kangaroo, a track in the mountain and, you know, being rescued because practically, it just doesn't make sense to us.
00;06;29;28 - 00;06;53;01
Unknown
Memorial Day weekend. So tell ourselves stories. And I think older children certainly do that, too. They're more grounded in reality. But, you know, again, as we did our more and more and our, you know, faced with the things, the practical things we have to do, goals in reality that we have to focus on, we're less likely to look at stories.
00;06;53;01 - 00;07;17;05
Unknown
And I want to make a concerted effort for, you know, our children to, maintain a sense of that creativity, that storytelling, because that can develop, and make a difference in how how they see the world. We tell ourselves stories like, I'm late. I miss my window. This isn't for for for people like me. I'm being selfish.
00;07;17;08 - 00;07;44;24
Unknown
I can switch careers. Right now. I can't play basketball. I can't do this. I you know, they that it's not. Those aren't facts that we're telling ourselves. They're they're narratives and, they're explanations that we've gathered based on our experiences. But then or what other people told us or what we've observed. But then that that can limit our capacity and our scope for what is possible.
00;07;44;26 - 00;08;19;24
Unknown
These stories are so deeply ingrained, we don't even realize they're optional. They feel like they feel like reality. They're assumptions. There we go, there we go on. And, they're repeating ideas with emotion. I'm backing, in some cases with careers, if we're on a certain path, we feel like we can change in relationships. We may not, you know, we may feel like we need to, put on a certain persona or, you know, with a group of friends, we might feel like we have a certain identity that we can, change.
00;08;19;26 - 00;09;02;07
Unknown
And so our adult stories don't have scary things like, like dragons, but they might have equally, if not more, detrimental things like shame, fear and invisible cages. So think about that and think about that. Stories can be magical and they can also be constraining. But the opportunity is to reflect on the stories that are spoken and the stories that are unspoken, and to decide which ones you want to change and think about which ones, that which ones have held you back.
00;09;02;10 - 00;09;29;04
Unknown
So the the magic in this is that we have the power to tell and create stories and that that can hold us back, but then it can also lead us in new directions. So think about what stories you are telling yourself, or you know what stories the world is has impressed upon you that you might want to change.
00;09;29;06 - 00;09;53;26
Unknown
In my own life, the one that is dominant right now is, you know what? What can moms do? How can moms, you know, hold a career and be good moms? And how can they balance it all? And there's like lots in the news about what, you know, that moms have it really hard and that it's difficult to do and balance everything.
00;09;53;26 - 00;10;28;10
Unknown
And yes, that is absolutely true. It is. There's a lot that is going on in in my mind. But I could take that story and I could become a victim of it. Or I could say this is also a wonderful gift to be able to care for my children and have a career and, how can I use that to my advantage to either help other people or, you know, grow in ways that I didn't know I was growing before?
00;10;28;13 - 00;10;53;20
Unknown
How can I take that and and think of how that will help me grow. And, you know, I do. I do feel the difficulties every, every day. I certainly feel I certainly feel tired. But at the same time, I, I feel like because, I'm a mom, I'm a better businessperson. I'm more, honest and connected with people.
00;10;53;20 - 00;11;21;16
Unknown
I'm more efficient with my time because I am a business person and, you know, marketing leader. I feel like I bring my focus off to my kids when I'm with them. And so I don't, you know, those two things together, while difficult and, you know, not necessarily create the the easiest at this moment right now for moms, there's two ways that I can think about it.
00;11;21;16 - 00;11;44;14
Unknown
And there's two, story explanations that I can choose to tell myself. And I choose to tell myself that it's a great gift and that it allows me to develop in ways that I have never encountered before, and I wouldn't have been able to do otherwise. Think about if you could write your own story. What would that be?
00;11;44;14 - 00;12;13;09
Unknown
If you're in a middle chapter right now, where did it start? Where are you going? And, what do you see for yourself in the future? The creative narrative arc in, you know, that's then identified and literature and also can be seen in real life as the hero's journey, which is a, ancient map seen in myth, literature or film.
00;12;13;11 - 00;12;51;02
Unknown
And Joseph Campbell talks about it, quite frequently. So I want to walk through it together, because once I learned about it and started to dive more deeply into it, I found more meaning in, the things I was watching and learning about. And then, I just like to reflect upon it because it, it is a beautiful arc that that traces all the individual stories that we see and hear and experience, and it brings them all into one universal experience that we all have, which I think is a beautiful thing.
00;12;51;05 - 00;13;21;28
Unknown
So stages of the hero's journey. First is the ordinary world. This is the life before change, often comfortable but sinners and sizzling. So examples of this Frodo and the Shire, Moana on her island. You know, you're in a job. That's fine. But you know, you you there is a part of you that says there is a more second stage is the call to adventure, which the part of you that saying there's more a nudge or a longing to grow, explore and shift.
00;13;22;00 - 00;13;49;20
Unknown
So this is when one hears the ocean, Simba and the Lion King is called home. You feel a an inclination to do something different or, you know, write or sing or, you know, be a teacher or any variety of things, completely switch careers, go back to school. That call to adventure, that innate feeling is scary, uncertain.
00;13;49;23 - 00;14;16;19
Unknown
So after that, the third stage is the refusal of the call. Doubt or fear. It keeps you stuck. It is very hard for our minds and our egos who want to protect us, for us to override those, because the what you're doing now is known and it is safe and it feels comfortable. So the refusal to call is the moment when doubts and fears keep you stuck.
00;14;16;19 - 00;14;37;03
Unknown
I can't it's not the right time in The matrix, when Nero resists whether he should take the red pill or the bluebell or more, and it turns back from the island. Does it sound familiar? I feel like we go through these experiences all the time. Because we do get a lot of nudges for things to do.
00;14;37;07 - 00;15;00;13
Unknown
The forest stages, meeting the mentor a guide appears. Someone who sees your potential. So in in the mythical world, that would be someone like Yoda or Glenda, or in real life, it could be a therapist or a friend that cracks you open. But it could be something as simple as a podcast episode or a book or, you know, something like that.
00;15;00;13 - 00;15;28;07
Unknown
So as much as I would love for Glenda to float in every, you know, every time I am trying to make a decision and she's like this line as to what I should actually do. Sometimes the nudge is much more subtle, and then we need to go into ourselves and figure out whether to follow it. But you know that that is a magical moment because you know, the the truth to follow is really in you.
00;15;28;07 - 00;15;59;17
Unknown
As much as we would like for that answer to be external, the the most beautiful part is that it is coming from you. Which is also the scary part too, because then you are dealing with that uncertainty and that the external validation of uncertainty. So five crossing threshold deciding, yes, I'm going to write, I'm going to I'm going to switch careers, I'm going to go back to school in literature.
00;15;59;17 - 00;16;32;25
Unknown
Frodo Lee's in movies, Moana sales. You commit to doing something, you say, yes. The good thing about taking this step is that it doesn't necessarily have to be, you know, quitting my job completely, doing something else. If that is what you know, you're you're called to do that, that is, a great and a beautiful thing. But in order to, I guess, lessen the impact or the fear or something, you can take a small step forward.
00;16;32;27 - 00;17;01;15
Unknown
I think it was Oprah who said, you know, when she was earlier on in her career and she had all these great ambitions like she didn't need, you know, every step. She just needed to know the next step. And so that is that crossing the threshold moment. What is this next step, step that I'm taking towards this nudge that I'm feeling towards the dream that I have and that will lead you in directions maybe you haven't imagined, but it will, you know, put you.
00;17;01;15 - 00;17;37;21
Unknown
It will serve that greater calling that you're feeling. So stage six test allies and enemies. So in the absolute story arc, going back to, you know, drama and truly facing conflict is challenge builds in you. Allies emerge, old patterns arise. So once you've accepted that threshold, you you begin growing in ways that you didn't anticipate you would have because you do have, the parts of you that are that are, that are old, that needs to change and you have to faces challenges.
00;17;37;21 - 00;18;07;25
Unknown
So you face imposter syndrome. But, you know, you meet friends and people who support you and who have been there before. All these things are very important and are key to recognize that the challenges, both internal and external, are an innate part of this hero's journey. Stage seven is approach to the inmost Cave. So this is the emotional and spiritual core, the mere moment going into frozen.
00;18;07;26 - 00;18;36;04
Unknown
This is when Elsa enters her ice palace. You face the part of yourself you've been avoiding. So again, that call for growth, the the positive part of it, the reason why you have that initial urge is to get to that calling. But in order to get there, you do have to face yourself and create change. Eight the ordeal the big test often painful or is transformative.
00;18;36;06 - 00;19;18;08
Unknown
This is in the matrix. When neo dies and is rewarded, mana questions her worth. You had burnout, loss, grief. You think you have failure. And I've heard from many people that the moment that they feel failure, quite often after that moment, there's there is success. And it is the ability to push through and to remain committed to your vision, your calling, and to listen to your inner, your inner voice that can lead you to that ultimate resolution.
00;19;18;11 - 00;19;48;21
Unknown
So that is the next seeds reward, the insight gained while you're going through fire. Mine. I realized this year it shows chosen. When you discover your truth, you discover something greater about yourself and then the road back. You return to your life and you are changed and it brings back our heart. You reenter your family. Work or art are differently and then step 11 is the resurrection final challenge the test.
00;19;48;21 - 00;20;20;18
Unknown
Your embodiment. You speak up, you desire path. You find your true self. Dorothy learns where, that whatever she had was really within herself the whole time. Then, you know, returning you the 12 step. You share what you gained and you become the guide in the teacher for others. And thus the story goes over and over in every country, culture generation that we have.
00;20;20;21 - 00;20;53;14
Unknown
So this journey is certainly is in linear for us, is individual for generation after generation. We cycle through it again and again in different parts of our lives with work, with, parenting and creativity and love. And it is here to stay, so it is beneficial to learn it. Listen to these stories and, you know, absorb how how others have, reflected and gone through them.
00;20;53;16 - 00;21;29;18
Unknown
And that will help give you strength to carry through your own journey. So let me leave you with this. Maybe my son's stories. About flying kangaroos or track start in the mountain, aren't are just, you know, silly and fantastical things. Maybe. Maybe it's a reminder for us to think about our stories, to think about how we can creatively build our stories, that we can identify what what the problem is, what the the big scary, you know, lions in the cave are or what?
00;21;29;18 - 00;22;10;21
Unknown
We're stuck in the mountain. How we can be our own heroes to come to the rescue. Or how we can ask for help of others to come to the rescue. And how then we can we can dig out from there, because it's in that it's in that period of conflict where the hero comes. And unlike kids and in these stories where my son is, you know, automatically building the resolution and someone definitely comes to the rescue, let's trust and let's know that we have the power to come to the rescue, to build a resolution and to be stronger people for it.
00;22;10;21 - 00;22;38;08
Unknown
And it is in those moments of challenge where we grow. And those are really moments of magic because they are helping us become better people and better humans for ourselves, for the people around us and for the world we have. So I invite you to think of moments of challenge as new ways of seeking magic and finding magic.
00;22;38;11 - 00;22;59;10
Unknown
And I hope you can find the magic in your day today. Thank you. Take care.