Meryl was told she was "too ugly" for Hollywood, but now she’s the most respected actress of all time.
When Meryl Streep was just starting out, she auditioned for King Kong, a major Hollywood film that could have launched her career.
The producer took one look at her and said, in Italian, assuming she wouldn’t understand, "Why did you bring me this ugly thing?"
Instead of breaking down, Meryl calmly responded in perfect Italian:
"I’m sorry you think I’m too ugly for your film."
She left, determined never to let someone else define her worth.
But instead of chasing traditional beauty roles, she built a career on something else entirely: her ability to transform.
In Sophie’s Choice, she had to learn Polish and German from scratch.
For The Devil Wears Prada, studied the mannerisms of some of the world's most intimidating characters.
In Julie & Julia, she captured the essence of Julia Child so perfectly that even Child’s closest friends were stunned.
Meryl Streep never played it safe. She never stuck to what she already knew.
She mastered one powerful mindset shift:
"What if I allow myself to learn?"
This is the path of the Learned Fool archetype, the part of you that dares to step into the unknown, trusting that growth happens in the experience, not before it.
Early in her career, Meryl faced not only rejection but the constant expectation to prove herself.
Some actors build their careers on playing the same type of role over and over. But Meryl was different.
This is the lesson of the Learned Fool archetype: wisdom doesn’t come from knowing all the answers. It comes from daring to learn through experience.
The Learned Fool is the part of you that embraces the power of not knowing.
It’s about learning through experience, rather than waiting to feel “ready.” It thrives on curiosity, growth, and adaptability.
But here’s the challenge: most people fear looking unprepared. They want to appear capable, certain, and in control.
The transformation comes when you realize that true confidence isn’t about avoiding mistakes. It’s about allowing yourself to learn from them.
When healed, the Learned Fool doesn’t resist the unknown. It leans into it, trusting that every misstep leads to mastery.
Before we go any further, take a moment to reflect:
Your answers reveal where your Learned Fool archetype is ready to grow.
Your Learned Fool archetype knows that growth comes from stepping into the unknown. But fear of failure, judgment, or looking “unprepared” can keep you stuck.
Inside you is a space where curiosity, play, and growth replace self-doubt. A place where you don’t have to “prove” anything—you just allow yourself to learn.
This is where your story shifts—where hesitation gives way to exploration, where mistakes become stepping stones, and where wisdom is built not through certainty, but through experience.
Press play and step into your guided journey. This meditation will help you embrace curiosity, trust the learning process and release the fear of not knowing.
If it is safe to do so, press play and close your eyes…
Give the Soul Directed Relationships Meditation a go, even if you’ve never done meditation before – just follow the words.
When the Orphan energy is active, you wait for the rescue that never happened, you feel lost, don’t know where you fit in, you settle for less than you want and you desperately want to go ‘home’ but you don’t know where home is.
The Orphan energy chooses you to create the ultimate rescue, the connection to the self, beyond self-abandonment and into interdependence, the safe, secure world of true self-esteem and value.
When the Lover energy is active, your soul is at odds with your careful ego. You live a life switching between conquering fear, taking risks and the excitement of your consciousness expanding, followed by flopping back into the safety of what you know.
The Lover energy chooses you to connect with your personal source of power that’s not a climb for position or authority, not a power over another but real power - the power within.
When the King energy is active, your inner world is conflicted. Each time you step into your own rules, you hear the voice of the King’s shadow – the tyrant suggesting you are less than, how you’ll never live up to expectations and the weakling ‘prince’ who doesn’t protect your new path.
The solution is to step into the energy of the true King, the matured ‘male’ energy offering centred, confident direction from deep within. The unconscious pressure to ‘fit in’ evaporates as you step into your own leadership. .
You’ve looked around, decided what you like, made judgements and now you’re going out on your own. Does what you want match with others or should you just become what you think they want?
This stage is answered through the process of Creating Your Own Values, by using your Queen Energy.
Meryl was told she was "too ugly" for Hollywood, but now she’s the most respected actress of all time.
When Meryl Streep was just starting out, she auditioned for King Kong, a major Hollywood film that could have launched her career.
The producer took one look at her and said, in Italian, assuming she wouldn’t understand, "Why did you bring me this ugly thing?"
Instead of breaking down, Meryl calmly responded in perfect Italian:
"I’m sorry you think I’m too ugly for your film."
She left, determined never to let someone else define her worth.
But instead of chasing traditional beauty roles, she built a career on something else entirely: her ability to transform.
In Sophie’s Choice, she had to learn Polish and German from scratch.
For The Devil Wears Prada, studied the mannerisms of some of the world's most intimidating characters.
In Julie & Julia, she captured the essence of Julia Child so perfectly that even Child’s closest friends were stunned.
Meryl Streep never played it safe. She never stuck to what she already knew.
She mastered one powerful mindset shift:
"What if I allow myself to learn?"
This is the path of the Learned Fool archetype, the part of you that dares to step into the unknown, trusting that growth happens in the experience, not before it.
Early in her career, Meryl faced not only rejection but the constant expectation to prove herself.
Some actors build their careers on playing the same type of role over and over. But Meryl was different.
This is the lesson of the Learned Fool archetype: wisdom doesn’t come from knowing all the answers. It comes from daring to learn through experience.
The Learned Fool is the part of you that embraces the power of not knowing.
It’s about learning through experience, rather than waiting to feel “ready.” It thrives on curiosity, growth, and adaptability.
But here’s the challenge: most people fear looking unprepared. They want to appear capable, certain, and in control.
The transformation comes when you realize that true confidence isn’t about avoiding mistakes. It’s about allowing yourself to learn from them.
When healed, the Learned Fool doesn’t resist the unknown. It leans into it, trusting that every misstep leads to mastery.
Before we go any further, take a moment to reflect:
Your answers reveal where your Learned Fool archetype is ready to grow.
Your Learned Fool archetype knows that growth comes from stepping into the unknown. But fear of failure, judgment, or looking “unprepared” can keep you stuck.
Inside you is a space where curiosity, play, and growth replace self-doubt. A place where you don’t have to “prove” anything—you just allow yourself to learn.
This is where your story shifts—where hesitation gives way to exploration, where mistakes become stepping stones, and where wisdom is built not through certainty, but through experience.
Press play and step into your guided journey. This meditation will help you embrace curiosity, trust the learning process and release the fear of not knowing.
If it is safe to do so, press play and close your eyes…
Healing the Learned Fool archetype isn’t about avoiding the unknown, it’s about learning to trust yourself through it.
Now, I’d love to hear from you:
What did you experience during the meditation?
👉 Come share your experience with me here:
>>Click here to discuss this episode with me in the Private Facebook Group
Healing the Learned Fool archetype isn’t about avoiding the unknown, it’s about learning to trust yourself through it.
Now, I’d love to hear from you:
What did you experience during the meditation?
👉 Come share your experience with me here:
>>Click here to discuss this episode with me in the Private Facebook Group
Give the Soul Directed Relationships Meditation a go, even if you’ve never done meditation before – just follow the words.
When the Orphan energy is active, you wait for the rescue that never happened, you feel lost, don’t know where you fit in, you settle for less than you want and you desperately want to go ‘home’ but you don’t know where home is.
The Orphan energy chooses you to create the ultimate rescue, the connection to the self, beyond self-abandonment and into interdependence, the safe, secure world of true self-esteem and value.
Here's how:
The first one is arguably the most important
My 2025 & YOU course offers powerful meditation processes specifically designed to help sensitives and empaths navigate these profound energetic shifts. Through guided inner work, you'll learn to:
Go here for more details on the 2025 & YOU course and discover how to work with 2025's transformative '9' energy rather than feeling overwhelmed by it.
In this content-packed, free On-Demand Workshop, you will learn:
In this content-packed, free On-Demand Workshop, you will learn:
In this content-packed, free On-Demand Workshop, you will learn:
Even if you’ve been feeling lost or overwhelmed by your emotions, this workshop will guide you to a place of emotional stability and strength.
When the Magician energy is active, you have the ability to transform reality. It’s as though a magnetic field draws you to experiences that match your inner reality.
The Magician energy chooses you to connect with your healing potential and give you access to the unconscious world of wonderment, charm and the deeply connected spiritual self.
When the Lover energy is active, your soul is at odds with your careful ego. You live a life switching between conquering fear, taking risks and the excitement of your consciousness expanding, followed by flopping back into the safety of what you know.
The Lover energy chooses you to connect with your personal source of power that’s not a climb for position or authority, not a power over another but real power - the power within.
When the King energy is active, your inner world is conflicted. Each time you step into your own rules, you hear the voice of the King’s shadow – the tyrant suggesting you are less than, how you’ll never live up to expectations and the weakling ‘prince’ who doesn’t protect your new path.
The solution is to step into the energy of the true King, the matured ‘male’ energy offering centred, confident direction from deep within. The unconscious pressure to ‘fit in’ evaporates as you step into your own leadership. .
You’ve looked around, decided what you like, made judgements and now you’re going out on your own. Does what you want match with others or should you just become what you think they want?
This stage is answered through the process of Creating Your Own Values, by using your Queen Energy.
Drawing from nearly three decades of experience, Heidi Sawyer has guided over 75,000 Intuitive-Sensitive individuals across 121 countries to access their inner wisdom. As the creator of the Unconscious Resonance Method, she brings profound understanding to the unique needs of soul seekers through her bestselling book "Highly Intuitive People" (Hay House), transformative online courses, and personal consultations. Her insights have reached millions through her YouTube channel, podcast, and international media appearances, establishing her as a trusted voice in intuitive development and personal transformation.