Triggers Are Trailheads
“Creatives, when you go back home, you will face resistance.”
I spent last weekend teaching at the most beautiful songwriting retreat (shoutout to Fathering Artists Retreat in Redding, CA), and at the end someone mentioned that resistance would be waiting for the attendees when they got home.
Of course it will.
But I see resistance differently than how it was taught to me.
I see it as a trailhead.
Having creative dreams can feel like being lost in the woods but longing to get home. Without a path, all you can do is hope you’re rescued, fantasize about freedom, or…look for a trailhead.
A trailhead is a beginning—a sign, a map, an opening to a cleared path.
Your life is full of these invitations. Dreams, inspirations, and visions are all paths trying to lead you home. They won’t leave you alone because the fullness of who you are wants out.
At almost 42, truly middle-aged by any standard, I feel the momentum of my own dreams pulling me forward. I’m stepping into one of the biggest projects of my life—a culmination of years of healing, work, support, and collaboration. It’s thrilling, but not surprising. Looking back, I can see I was always headed here. (More on that soon.)
And yet…big dreams still feel scary. They still reveal parts of me that think this new chapter is dangerous because of old wounds. I’ve never been healthier, more aligned, or helping more people—and I still get triggered all the time.
That’s the work of dreams. They demand your healing. And honestly? What a beautiful way to heal—in pursuit of what matters most to you.
Back to trailheads.
In the woods of your brain, nervous system, and all the programming, shame, and pain you’ve collected, your dreams are the vision calling you forward. And your triggers are the trailheads—the paths home.
Triggers show us where there’s fear that needs soothing, pain that needs tending, and stories that want rewriting. And they almost always show up when we get closer to our goals.
For example, I’m about to make myself much more visible in this new project—more videos, more photos, more eyes on me—and guess what showed up immediately?
Deep insecurities about how I’m perceived. Second-guessing. Self-doubt. Old protective stories.
It’s been crystal clear this year that the part of me who was bullied for how she looked and acted as a little girl needs gentleness, mothering, and protection. And that’s exactly what I’m giving her.
I even created a meditation series for this process, in case you’re noticing oddly specific triggers popping up as you pursue your own dreams. It’s called The 10 Gifts Meditation Series, and it’s designed to help you turn your triggers into trailheads.
Emotional health begins with understanding what’s happening when we feel stuck or scared—and choosing courage as we move through it.
If you’re tired of being hijacked by the same triggers — overreacting, shutting down, people-pleasing, spiraling — and wondering why insight alone hasn’t changed it, The 10 Gifts Meditation Series was created for you.
These guided visualizations help you trace each trigger back to the unmet childhood need underneath it and actually experience that need being met. Over time, your nervous system learns safety instead of survival — and you begin responding to life from a place that feels steadier, softer, and truly supported.
Stay loved,
Courtney