In this episode of Life Beyond B.S., Heather sits down with life coach and cancer survivor Dr. Alissa Esposito, founder of The Make It Happen Project and The Modern Manifestation Academy. They dive into how your identity — not just your desires — drives what actually shows up in your life. Alissa shares the belief systems she had to dismantle to step beyond a traditional medical career, how her cancer journey became one of the best things that ever happened to her, and why manifestation is really about science, nervous system regulation, and everyday choices (not wishful thinking). You’ll hear how to start dreaming again, what to do when you’re “stuck but doing the work,” and how a vision board and determined “why not me?” energy helped Alissa dance at a duchess-level ball at Versailles.KEY THEMES & TAKEAWAYS✅ You can outgrow an identity — and that’s a good thing.You’re not meant to stay stuck in your college major, first career, or old version of you.✅ Manifestation = making ideas real, not magic spells.It’s the process of taking something from thought into the 3D world through belief, identity, and aligned action.✅ You don’t manifest what you want — you manifest who you’re being.Your dominant thoughts, energy, and self-concept are what create your repeated results.✅ Awareness is always step one.You can’t change what you don’t recognize. Becoming aware of your dominant thought loops and belief systems is the starting point.✅ Your primitive brain wants safety, not expansion.Fear and “I can’t” are often just your nervous system trying to conserve energy and keep you in the familiar, not evidence that you’re incapable.✅ Vision boards are identity tools, not just art projects.They help you clarify what you want, confront feelings of unworthiness, and measure your growth over time.✅ Cancer was a defining moment, not her identity.Alissa chose to let cancer awaken her to the value of time, intentional living, and true priorities.✅ Change doesn’t require a crisis — but most people wait for one.HEATHER’S REFLECTION❤️ Heather shares her own evolution from “I can’t” girl to “Why can’t I?” woman — and how noticing that pattern was her “brick in the face” moment.❤️ She reflects on how much of her self-hatred and self-sabotage came from internalized beliefs that weren’t even hers — they belonged to parents, culture, and old conditioning.❤️ The dynamic vision board process with Alissa became a critical turning point:❤️ It moved her dreams out of her head and onto a board she saw daily.❤️ It forced her to confront where she was still playing small.❤️ It gave her a visual standard she didn’t want to ignore for six months or a year.❤️ Today, she’s living so many of the things that once felt “for other people”: a podcast, a book chapter, speaking, her coaching work, and more.❤️ Her big invitation: don’t wait for the diagnosis, breakdown, or final straw to wake up. You can choose differently now.CALL TO ACTION:Reflection prompt🔍What is one belief about yourself or your life that might just be a thought you’ve repeated — not an actual fact?🔍What’s the next believable thought you could choose instead? (e.g., from “I can’t” → “Maybe it’s possible for me.”)Micro action:💡Tonight, before bed, name 3 things you’re grateful for and 1 thing you’re looking forward to.💡Notice how you feel after one week of this simple practice.Dr. Alissa EspositoCheck out The Make It Happen Project and The Modern Manifestation Academy: Work with Heather:🌟Book a free 60-minute call to explore life coaching and what “life beyond B.S.” could look like for you: 🌟 Join Heather’s email list at heathermcnally.com for updates on the Happy, Healthy, Whole program and new episodes: If this episode helped you breathe a little deeper or whisper “Why not me?”, please rate, review, follow, subscribe, and share it with a friend who needs it.