The Courage to Be Seen — Vulnerability, Grief, and the Path Back to Love (with Mae-Ling)
Podcast Recap: Do You Feel Heard? – Episode 38
Guest: Mae Ling
Hosts: Ian Mychal & Derrick Douglas
Theme: Healing through vulnerability, grief, and reconnecting with your authentic self
What does it really mean to be seen?
In this deeply heartfelt episode of Do You Feel Heard?, Ian and Derrick sit down with Mae-Ling, a spiritual mentor and healer, for a raw and illuminating conversation about grief, love, and the courage it takes to show up fully as yourself—especially after loss.
Together, they explore how life’s hardest moments can become sacred invitations to soften, surrender, and rediscover the love that’s always been there.
When Loss Becomes a Teacher
Mae-Ling opens up about her personal journey through grief and how it stripped away everything she thought she knew about control, safety, and identity.
Instead of turning away from pain, she chose to face it—moment by moment, breath by breath. That choice, she says, changed everything.
“Grief cracked me open. It showed me what love really is—because love doesn’t disappear when someone leaves. It just changes form.”
Her story becomes a meditation on surrender—how pain can dismantle the ego’s need to “hold it all together,” and how allowing yourself to break is often the first step toward becoming whole again.
Healing as Remembering
As the conversation unfolds, Mae-Ling describes healing not as something to achieve, but something to remember.
“We’re not becoming something new. We’re remembering what’s always been true underneath the pain.”
Ian reflects on how grief can reveal deeper truths about connection and purpose, and Derrick adds that so much of healing work isn’t about trying harder—it’s about finally allowing yourself to be seen without performing.
They talk about the illusion of “having it together” and the quiet relief that comes when you admit, “I’m not okay right now.”
The Power of Presence
One of the most beautiful themes in this episode is the simplicity of presence.
Mae-Ling shares how her healing work—and her own self-care—revolves around slowing down enough to listen: to the body, to emotions, and to the subtle wisdom underneath words.
“When you’re present, you can finally hear what life has been trying to tell you.”
Ian and Derrick echo that so much of modern culture teaches us to bypass discomfort, to “move on” quickly—but true healing asks us to linger. To stay with what’s tender until it transforms.
Vulnerability as Strength
Throughout the conversation, Mae-Ling models what embodied vulnerability looks like. She speaks openly about moments of fear, doubt, and resistance—but also about how those emotions become gateways to self-trust.
“Every time I let myself be seen, I find another layer of freedom.”
Her words invite listeners to consider vulnerability not as weakness, but as the bridge that connects us back to ourselves and to others.
Coming Home to Love
As the episode draws to a close, Mae-Ling, Ian, and Derrick reflect on what it means to come home to love—to see yourself not as broken or behind, but as someone returning to their natural state of compassion and openness.
“Love isn’t something you chase. It’s what’s left when you stop running from yourself.”
Their conversation feels like a collective exhale—a reminder that healing doesn’t always need to be loud or dramatic. Sometimes it’s found in stillness, in breath, and in the gentle honesty of saying, “I’m here.”
Favorite Quotes from Episode 38
- “Grief cracked me open—it showed me what love really is.”
- “We’re not becoming something new. We’re remembering what’s always been true.”
- “Every time I let myself be seen, I find another layer of freedom.”
- “When you’re present, you can finally hear what life has been trying to tell you.”
- “Love isn’t something you chase—it’s what’s left when you stop running.”
Listen to the Full Episode
This episode is for anyone who’s:
- Moving through grief or heartbreak
- Learning to be seen and held in vulnerability
- Reconnecting with their authentic self
- Exploring love beyond romantic or external forms
- Ready to slow down and listen to their inner voice
Final Reflection
This conversation isn’t just about grief—it’s about aliveness.
It’s about how loss can open us to love in ways we never knew were possible, and how vulnerability isn’t the end of safety, but the beginning of truth.
Do You Feel Heard? continues to be a space for those who crave real connection—the kind that begins when someone finally says, “I see you. You’re not alone.”