In this foundational episode of The Western Hippie Podcast, Michaela lays out one of the core principles behind everything she teaches, shares, and stands for: learning how to think is far more important than being told what to think.
Drawing from her background in horse training, home building, health, and personal healing, Michaela explains why foundations matter — and how the habits, beliefs, and thought patterns we build early on determine whether something can withstand pressure over time.
This episode explores why values matter, how discernment works, and why blindly following information (even well-intentioned information) can quietly lead us away from where we actually want to go. Michaela shares how she learned to stop outsourcing her authority — in health, dog care, spirituality, and life — and instead build what she calls bumper lanes that allow for experimentation without losing sovereignty.
You’ll hear about:
This episode is for anyone who wants to feel more confident in their decisions — whether for themselves, their dogs, or their horses — without outsourcing their intuition or authority.
This is the episode Michaela will continue to point people back to as they enter her world, because everything else builds on this foundation.
🔗 Referenced Episode
Why I chose NOT to take Ozempic: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1968454/episodes/16290788
What’s Coming Next
An upcoming interview with Danielle from Detoxify to Purify, sharing how her 18.5-year-old dog is thriving — and what happens when we’re willing to question mainstream narratives and test what actually works.
Keywords / Tags
discernment, critical thinking, holistic health philosophy, western hippie podcast, intuition and logic, thought audits, values and identity, animal health advocacy, sovereignty, healing foundations
