Breaking Free: My Journey from the Music Industry to True Devotion

Hello, beautiful ones!

I never thought I would be here, writing to you in this way, sharing a path so different from what I once imagined for myself. For most of my life, I believed my greatest contribution to the world would be through music. It was my devotion—at least, that’s what I thought. I spent years honing my craft, believing that raw talent, hard work, and passion would open doors. And in some ways, they did. I was offered six record deals, invitations to step into the world of fame, success, and everything I had once thought I wanted.

But something never sat right with me.

The Cost of "Success"

The deeper I got into the industry, the more I saw the unspoken truth: talent wasn’t the real currency—it was the willingness to conform. To shape yourself into an image that someone else decided would sell. To play a role, often one that stripped you of your intelligence, depth, and sovereignty.

For women, especially, the mold was clear: be desirable, do whatever we ask (particularly sexually), be sellable, and—above all—be easy to control. I was told, directly and indirectly, that my value wasn’t just in my voice but in my willingness to embody the culture of the industry. The game wasn’t just about making music; it was about selling an identity of a lifestyle that I would never want, be or admire. An identity that required pretending to be less intelligent, hypersexualized, and—at times—deeply misaligned with my soul.

It wasn't just in the music industry. I even was offered a role in a reality TV show, and the producers openly discussed whether I should play “the bitchy girl” or “the sexy, slutty girl.” They were crafting a character, not representing a person. And I was supposed to play along.

I walked away. No I ran. 

Not just from that role, but from the entire industry, deal after deal. Because the price, for me, was too high—not just in contracts but in the unspoken agreements of who I was expected to become and the very straightforward demands that i was supposed to DO with the gatekeepers. I couldn’t perpetuate the lie. I couldn’t sell the illusion. I couldn't and wouldn't compromise on my core values.

The Awakening: What Truly Mattered

For a long time, walking away felt like failure. I had worked relentlessly, pushed past impossible barriers, and accomplished so much—despite the gatekeepers’ attempts to control me. I had devoted everything to perfecting my craft, embodying my work, and proving that talent and dedication mattered. But if success required me to betray my own soul—if it meant surrendering my values, my dignity, and my truth—was it really success at all?

How could I face myself, or anyone, knowing that I had agreed to things that would leave me stained with shame and regret? How would playing this role, perpetuating the illusion, ever contribute to the healing or betterment of the world?

It became painfully clear: the world didn’t need another woman sacrificing her essence to fit into a mold—a glamorous, rich prisoner in the entertainment ward, performing a script written by those who saw her as nothing more than an object. We’ve seen this story played out time and again, and has it truly made anything better?

The industry didn’t need another artist willing to trade her soul for its definition of success. What it needed—what I needed—was authenticity. And that authenticity could only begin with healing.

I had to confront the real reason I felt compelled to "fix" the world. The truth was, the world itself wasn’t broken. It is an exquisitely designed, divinely intelligent system. The only thing that needed healing was inside me—my traumas, my wounds, the stories I had believed about who I needed to be in order to be worthy.

The deeper I went into this healing, the clearer it became: my devotion was never about music. It was always about transformation—about holding space for something much greater than an industry-approved image.

Freedom and the Mystic Path

Now, I stand in a different kind of devotion. A devotion that has nothing to do with being what others expect and everything to do with embodying the essence of God that is uniquely mine.

Archangel Michael, in my upcoming book Devotion: The Power to Create, speaks about how being yourself is really being the essence of God that is unique to you. That is your gift to the world. And it is far more powerful than a culturally determined and perfected imaging of what people want you to be or think you should be.

That is what I walk in now—freedom. The freedom to be myself, to speak what is true, to create without limitation. And as I embrace this path, I invite you to do the same.

If you’ve ever felt torn between what the world expects of you and the deeper truth calling from within, know this: your essence is enough. You don’t have to fit into a box someone else has designed. You don’t have to play a role to be accepted.

Your path, your truth, your devotion—that is your greatest gift to the world.

Join Me on This Journey

This is what Devotion Rising is about. It’s why I built this space—to hold conversations that matter, to break through illusions, and to walk the path of devotion that leads not to an image, but to the essence of who we truly are.

I hope you’ll join me in this journey. Not just in reading the book but in discovering what devotion means for you. Because when you align with your true essence, the world doesn't just change—you do.

With love and devotion,
Shanti