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The kind of success we don't talk about: choosing what matters.

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Hey Reader,

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Today is my mother's birthday.

I haven't missed either of my parents' birthdays in over ten years.

Not from guilt or obligation, but because I shaped my life around what actually matters to me.

This is an example of what I mean by 'quiet rebellion':

Living in alignment with your values when the world tells you to prioritise everything else.

If you’re tired of performing.
Of saying yes when you mean no.
Of building a life that looks fine but feels hollow.

You're not broken. You're not failing. You're simply human, living in a system that profits from your disconnection from what truly matters to you.

But you're allowed to choose differently.

What Alignment Really Looks Like

It’s not flashy. It doesn’t always trend. But it feels good.

Living in alignment looks like:

• Saying no without guilt
• Protecting your energy as a form of self-respect
• Measuring your life by how it feels, not how it looks
• Showing up for what (and who) matters - consistently

For me, it’s meant birthdays. Laughter. Collecting experiences.

Showing up fully, again and again, for the people I love - without burning myself out in the process.

That’s not luck. That’s design.

And it's deeply unbound.

The 4-Step Alignment Audit

Try this:

Step 1: Values Archaeology (5 minutes) Think of three moments when you felt most alive. What values were you honouring? Write them down. These are your non-negotiables.

Step 2: Energy Audit (1 week) Notice what energises versus drains you. Your body knows before your mind does.

Step 3: Life Inventory (10 minutes) Which current commitments align with your values? Which don't? No judgement, just awareness.

Step 4: One-Degree Shift (this week) Choose one small change to move closer to alignment. Not a life overhaul, just one degree closer.

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Aligned living is in the daily choices that reflect what matters most; it starts with just one, aligned, choice.

And your version of success doesn’t have to make sense to anyone else. You just have to live it.

If you'd like to dig a little deeper into how to get back into alignment with what matters most, check out my 14 day guided reset here.

We're in This Together

i-Unbound is approaching six months' old and so I just wanted to check in and make sure that the content is still valuable for you.

I started with the idea of writing under three content pillars: life design, personal branding and wellbeing so that, combined, the proven methods would help you get unbound - mentally and practically.

I've been sharing my own journey as well as proven tools and it would be SUPER helpful to understand what works - and what doesn't.

Select your preference:

What would you like from your emails? My own experiences and learnings Tools and/ or exercises Case studies Shorter emails Other (hit reply)

Please do also hit reply if you have any specific feedback. I really want to build something that has you running to your inbox each week!

In your corner always,

Sam 💛

​ Sam Sheppard Let's connect! You can find me on LinkedIn, Instagram, TikTok and Threads. ​