"Is This It?" : Part 3 — The Aftermath of Arrival
- Michael Sundell
- Jun 1
- 3 min read
Updated: Jun 2
In the high-performance world of music, arrival is everything.
We spend years in pursuit — of positions, recognition, perfection.
But what no one talks about is what comes after.
The strange silence that follows applause.
The question that lingers when the dream comes true, when your soul whispers:
Is this it?
Somatic Practice: Meeting the Void
Find a quiet space. Sit with your spine supported and your eyes gently closed.
Bring to mind a moment of “success” — something you achieved through great effort.
How did it feel immediately afterward, in your body?
Now scan: Is there a hollowness? A stillness? A tightening around the heart? A drop in the belly?
Just observe. No need to interpret or fix. Just be with what’s there.
What we often label as emptiness is sometimes just uninhabited space.
It’s not a flaw. It’s a pause. An opening.
Reframe: Success Is Not the Summit
One of the hardest truths to digest is that no external accomplishment can fully satisfy the deeper need to feel aligned, expressed, and connected.
Titles and applause can feel gratifying — but only for a moment.
They can’t answer the deeper question:
What am I really here to create?
That question doesn’t live at the summit.
It lives in the long descent — in the quiet spaces after the achievement, when there’s no audience left to impress… only yourself to meet.
Reflective Inquiry (Parts-Based Prompt)
What did I hope this success would prove about me?
What part of me still doesn’t feel seen — even now?
If I didn’t need this title or recognition to validate my worth… what would I be free to pursue?
Let the answers arise from your body, not your intellect.
This is less about clarity and more about truth resonance.
You may discover a part that still longs to be chosen.
Or a part that never felt enough unless it was winning.
Emotional Truth
The emotional void after success can bring a quiet shame:
“I should feel proud. I should feel grateful. Why do I feel… nothing?”
You’re not alone in that. Many feel it. Few speak it.
The part of you that worked so hard may not have been chasing only a goal —
it may have been seeking validation, acceptance —a sense that you're enough .
But those can’t be permanently granted from the outside.
That part of you isn’t broken.
It’s simply ready to stop striving for approval —
and begin anchoring your value from within.
Permission
You’re allowed to feel what you feel — joy, grief, relief, disappointment, emptiness, or all at once.
You’re allowed to want more — more meaning, more depth, more truth… or even more success.
You’re allowed to ask: What now?
You didn’t fail.
You arrived.
And now, it’s time to ask...
What wants to emerge next?
Want to go deeper?
This work doesn’t have to stay on the page.
If you’re a musician navigating burnout, identity shifts, or creative uncertainty, I offer 1:1 coaching designed to support you from the inside out.
My approach is rooted in presence, trust, and curiosity — not analysis or judgement.
Together, we create space to reconnect with what’s true, alive, and still unfolding in you.
Stay connected.
Want to receive future reflections, somatic tools, and quiet prompts to support your next chapter — all delivered at a human pace?
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