[MTM] What 3,000 people taught me about how change REALLY works

November 11, 2025 | Issue Archive

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How Change REALLY Works—Lessons from the Road

This year, I’ve had the honor of speaking to thousands of people—and guiding more than 3,000 of them through one simple but life-changing process: Choose Your Ending™.

Now that I’m back home for a bit after a run of 10 events in the last 15 weeks, I’ve been taking some time to reflect on the pattern that has showed up everywhere I went:

People aren’t stuck because they lack motivation.

They’re stuck because they haven’t given themselves permission to end.

  • To end a habit that no longer works.
  • To end a story that’s run its course.
  • To end the Comfort Loop that quietly keeps progress on pause.

Let’s take a closer look...


This Ends Now

After more than two decades in the “speaking” business, I’ve realized this work has really always been about one thing: behavior change.

And this year confirmed something the science of change keeps telling us—

The brain doesn’t resist change. It resists uncertainty.

That’s why motivation alone isn’t enough.

Change doesn’t start with a plan. It starts with safety—helping the brain feel calm enough to let go of what’s familiar.

In every room, I’ve watched people discover that moment.

The moment they stopped trying to add something new—and finally gave themselves permission to end what no longer fits.

That’s the turning point.

That’s how real change begins.


This Moment Matters

If there’s something in your life or work that’s been draining your energy or dulling your joy, maybe this is your moment to let it end.

Not as a loss.

But as a beginning.

Because every breakthrough starts with an ending—and every ending is just the beginning of something better.

I wrote more about this in this week’s new article, where I unpack the psychology and neuroscience behind lasting transformation:

👉 How Change REALLY Works


Until next week:

Remember, endings aren’t failures.
They’re invitations to your next beginning.

Up we go—

P.S. If you’ve been part of the 3,000+ people who joined me for a Choose Your Ending™ workshop this year—thank you. You’ve reminded me that change isn’t something we wait for. It’s something we choose.

P.P.S. If you know someone who knows it’s time for a change, yet they’re still struggling to make the choice, this blog post might speak to them—please share if you’d like.


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Mastering the Moments: Helping You Reclaim Peace and Power Through Intentional Endings

I’m Shawn Ellis—Resilience Strategist, keynote speaker, and creator of the Choose Your Ending™ method and the 5 C’s of Radical Adaptability. My newsletter, Mastering the Moments, delivers bold, heartfelt insights to help you let go of what’s no longer working—so you can lead with clarity, courage, and purpose in a world that won’t slow down.