Bending Reality: How Do We Bend the Odds in Our Favor? | Emily Paulsen & Victoria Song
What makes some people seem lucky, like the world tilts in their favor? And why do others, often just as talented, feel like they’re pushing against something invisible? These questions were at the center of my conversation with Victoria Song, leadership advisor, bestselling author of Bending Reality, and trusted guide to some of the world’s top performers. She has spent years helping people notice the beliefs that weigh them down, the ones that quietly bend the odds against them, and learning how to expand into possibility instead.
The Weight We Carry
One of the first things that struck me in our conversation was Victoria’s way of describing limiting beliefs. She said you can feel them in your body. The moment a thought makes you feel smaller, slower, or heavier, you’ve already closed off possibility. That description made me pause. I could feel the truth of it in my own life, in the moments I’ve told myself that growth can only come through struggle, or that success has to cost me something I love. Those thoughts don’t just shape how I think; they change how I feel in my body. And when I feel contracted, it’s almost impossible to imagine anything new.
Following What Opens Us
Victoria also reminded me that intuition isn’t mysterious or out of reach. It’s another form of information, data we’re not trained to value. She encouraged starting small, following those quiet pulls in low-stakes moments, like choosing where to eat or who to call. As we do, we begin to notice how often those choices open doors we never could have planned for. It left me reflecting on how quickly I’ve dismissed my own instincts in favor of what looked logical on paper, and how many times I’ve wondered later why I didn’t listen sooner.
Joy as a Compass
Another idea that stayed with me was Victoria’s description of joy as the language of the soul. We’re conditioned to see joy as optional, something to enjoy when the real work is done. But she framed it differently, joy is the signal that points us toward alignment. What lights us up, what makes us feel alive, is not frivolous. It’s guidance. Since our conversation, I’ve been asking myself more often: what feels expansive? What feels light? Even small shifts in that direction seem to create more energy, more clarity, and more creativity.
Curious About Expansion? Start Here.
If this episode sparked something for you, here are a few ways to experiment with expansion this week:
Notice the weight of your thoughts. When an idea feels heavy, ask yourself if it’s really true, or just inherited.
Give your intuition space in small choices. Let a nudge guide you to a place, a person, or a moment and see what unfolds.
Name your natural strengths. Write down what comes easily to you, even if you’ve dismissed it as unimportant.
Ask where joy shows up. Track the moments you feel most alive and consider how to make more room for them.
Choose one area of life to lighten. Replace a should with a want, and see how it shifts your energy.
Let’s Stay Curious Together
This conversation with Victoria reminded me that we are always shaping reality in one direction or another. The beliefs we hold, the instincts we follow, and the joy we allow all create the conditions for what’s possible. If we’re already bending reality without realizing it, maybe the real invitation is to start doing it with intention.
You can listen to the full episode of Curious Life of a Childfree Woman wherever you get your podcasts.
I’d love to hear from you: what’s one belief you’ve noticed feels heavy, and what happens when you set it down?
Share with me on Instagram @curiouslifeofachildfreewoman. Let’s stay curious together.
