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MIND. BODY. PURPOSE.

MIND. BODY. PURPOSE.

By Michelle Stevenett, April Judd

Each episode provides three actionable take-aways: one to nourish your mind, one to connect to your body, and one to live in your purpose. Nurture these areas to access inner wisdom, discover strength, own life experiences, and fail with enthusiasm. For the woman juggling it all, this is where you find confidence to-go, so you can have confidence to-be.


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Currently playing episode

Ep. 89 Feeling on Purpose (Part 1)

MIND. BODY. PURPOSE.Mar 04, 2020

00:00
23:03
S2 Bonus 2: Matching the Pace of the Season

S2 Bonus 2: Matching the Pace of the Season

Last week we announced an upcoming workshop that we are SO excited to offer and to have a live experience with you!

This week, however, we are announcing the postponement of this workshop until the fall.

We have both been feeling a pull to be engaging in all the things that come with season changes and summer time with our families as well as a desire to engage in some internal work of learning and creating before sharing everything we want to share with you.

So, we are intentionally choosing to match the pace of our lives with the nature of this particular season, and we hope you also are offering yourself the same space for whatever your circumstances or season may be.

We might publish something small again next week, or we might not-- just be sure to be subscribed if you're not already so that when new episodes drop, you’ll know.

We have some incredible plans coming up for the fall and hope you will join us then!

Jul 14, 202101:36
S2 Bonus: Centered Workshop! LIVE EVENT July 27, 2021

S2 Bonus: Centered Workshop! LIVE EVENT July 27, 2021

In lieu of weekly episodes during the month of July, we are curating a LIVE event just for you! 

Tuesday July 27th, 7pm. (Location announced soon; it will be held in the South Jordan/Sandy Utah area.)

Register today by Venmoing $50 @MindBodyPurpose.

Come enjoy an evening of workshop-style learning, yummy treats, and a take-home gift we think you will love.

Space is limited, so this will be first come first served. Bring your friends for a memorable girl's night!

Jul 07, 202101:28
S2 E53 Be Here Now
Jun 30, 202109:49
S2 E52 Burning Both Ends
Jun 23, 202109:06
S2 E51 Kick Your Comfort Zone

S2 E51 Kick Your Comfort Zone

It's all about courage! How might you be harming yourself by living from fear instead of practicing courage? 

Listen to hear our real-life examples of how we are shifting into courage and therefore preventing tiny acts of harm toward ourselves.

Jun 16, 202109:21
S2 E50 Treat Yo'Self
Jun 09, 202129:05
S2 E49 Ten Jewels
Jun 02, 202113:18
S2 E48 Press the Fast Forward Button
May 26, 202120:42
S2 E47 Self-imposed Barriers

S2 E47 Self-imposed Barriers

Today we are discussing the BODY takeaway for this month: choose unity over comparison. 

We are continuing the conversation on instagram, so join us there! @mind.body.purpose

May 19, 202117:33
S2 E46 Knocked off My Center

S2 E46 Knocked off My Center

This month we are taking time to assimilate all three takeaways from last week's episode, week by week. Today we are diving into the MIND takeaway: Trust in who you are.  

April shares a real-life, every day scenario illustrating the struggle of feeling inadequate and what to do when it shows up. Much of this skill involves trusting in our capacity and our Heavenly Parent's capacity to help us navigate what comes.


May 12, 202116:11
S2 E45 I’m Inadequate

S2 E45 I’m Inadequate

Do you have a social media account? How about friends? Family members? Neighbors? Do you have colleagues? Do you go to church events? Attend things for your kids? Grandkids? Do you have eyes? Ears? If you said yes to any of these questions, chances are you are keenly aware of the lives and paths others are on. You're also probably sizing yourself up. Which brings more questions-- is my life good enough? Am I good enough?

Feeling Inadequate is something we have all felt. I seem to have lived most of my life in this space. I have seen a lot through the lens of "I'm not enough." and maybe you have too. So, this month we are discussing takeaways to help us remove the power and sting of inadequacy.

MIND: Trust in who you are.

Who am I? Have you had that existential crisis moment where you take off your many hats and strip away all the titles only to wonder who you are? " I am a beloved daughter of Heavenly Parents with a divine nature and eternal destiny."

A truth that is spoken to us over and over again. Our divine nature gives us a straight and narrow line to our Heavenly Parents by nothing other than birthright. We can strengthen it, but it’s always there.

When we doubt who we are, we have a tendency to look at others for validation, for a sense of where we should be, and a glimpse into what our path should look like. “For strait is the gate, and narrow the way that leadeth unto the exaltation and continuation of the lives, and few there be that find it.” (D&C 132:22.) Instead of a one-size -fits-all path, we each have our own straight and narrow path, connecting us with our Heavenly Parents. We each have the same destination- eternal life, and hold to the gospel, companionship, and example of Jesus Christ- but, our paths will be as different as we are.

BODY: Choose unity over comparison

“The fact of the matter is, we really and truly need each other. Women naturally seek friendship, support, and companionship. We have so much to learn from one another, and we often let self-imposed barriers keep us from enjoying associations which could be among the greatest blessings in our lives.” (Bonnie L. Oscarson)

With people you can connect or compare, but you can't do both.

PURPOSE: Experience every phase as sacred

Sacred means to be connected to God or dedicated to a religious purpose and so deserving veneration (great respect or reverence).

If we can view each phase of our lives as being sacred, and as an opportunity to further connect with our Heavenly Parents, it puts the phase we are experiencing right now in a new light. Instead of wanting to push the fast forward button on some of our painful moments and phases, can we can just allow what is? If we know that everything is for our good, can we trust in ourselves to have the capacity to weather the storm? And trust that our Heavenly Parents will help us? 

May 05, 202151:55
S2 E44 Let's not go there

S2 E44 Let's not go there

Our topic for the past few episodes has been Loving Boldly-- (E42 Loving Boldly with Jessica Frew, E43 Double Down: Give yourself some credit)

The takeaway for the MIND was to Open your mind to the possibility of seeing ways to love in a new light.

This week, in a normal, everyday conversation with her mom, Michelle was able to draw from the things we talked about with opening our minds to see the situation in a new light. Remembering the concept "if you can't find compassion toward someone else, you are just messing around with the ego"-- she realized she could open her mind to compassion, and subsequently open her heart to a loving experience.

Apr 28, 202111:51
S2 E43 Double Down: Give yourself some credit

S2 E43 Double Down: Give yourself some credit

Double Down application:

Takeaways from the feature episode-

MIND: Open your mind

BODY: Listen to your body when setting boundaries

PURPOSE: See the love around you

Each relationship we are in throughout our lives will have a different dynamic. And, that may change and evolve as we ourselves experience change and personal growth.

However, just because a relationship may feel different than it used to, it doesn’t mean that it can’t feel loving.

Feeling guilty that I’m not as close with certain people--

Instead: What does loving this person look like? What does deep care and concern actually look like?

Giving myself “credit” for actually caring, and dropping the guilt as if there’s something wrong in the amount I care -- which is not true. -- relief to realize that I do care, and this relationship can look different and still be just as loving.

When we find a relationship changing or evolving, here are a few things we have found that can help us navigate that relationship with love.

  1. Give yourself credit
  2. Drop the guilt
  3. Open your mind to what love might look like now (Gratitude for the season of good you may have had with them or/and Gratitude for what this person is teaching you -- still being love at all times)
Apr 21, 202114:31
S2 E42 Loving BOLDly with Jessica Frew

S2 E42 Loving BOLDly with Jessica Frew

We had such a great time talking about LOVING BOLDLY with Jessica Frew of the Husband-in-law podcast.

On her podcast, she is a co-host with her ex-husband, and her current husband. They talk about marriage, ex-marriage, divorce, ex-divorce, coming out, and living boldly. You can find Jessica on instagram @husband_in_law or listen to her podcast of the same name wherever you listen to podcasts! (It's sooo good, we highly recommend it.)

One of Jessica’s super powers is definitely loving boldly-- she has worked to understand that and uses her experiences to help others. She discovered this power when she found out her first husband was gay 6 months into their marriage. They continued to be happily married for 5.5 more years after that point.

Through all of this, she learned how to give him the love that he needed and how to give herself the love that she needed at the same time. She has continued to learn to love him in a new way-- through infidelity, divorce, and post-divorce.

Takeaways to help us LOVE BOLDLY:

MIND: Open your mind

You will be in situations where you could never imagine loving someone.

But, when we open our minds to seeing love in a new way and in a new light, we become open to the possibilities of what love can look like and how different it can be.

It sounds simple, but if you can find a new perspective and see a relationship differently, you can love differently.

Love can be found everywhere-- it can be in different phases, in different shapes, and all encompassing.

BODY: Listen to your body when setting boundaries

Our bodies tell us so much about what we are feeling. Our bodies have so much power in telling us our boundaries and where we feel, or don’t feel safe.

If it is a situation or relationship that we do not feel safe in, a boundary has been crossed, and we need to adjust to make sure we are being loving to ourselves.

If we need to walk away from the conversation or situation, we can. We can be very clear. Oftentimes we need space to process our emotions, and it’s not the best time or place to do that when our bodies are telling us that our boundaries have been crossed.

Sometimes the most loving thing we can do is acknowledge that our relationship looks different and has different boundaries, and that’s ok.

PURPOSE: See the love around you

We were sent to this earth to learn to love ourselves and to love each other.

When we learn to love ourselves, we can learn to love others in ways we didn’t even imagine.

Open yourself up to see love in personal and unique ways.

When we open ourselves up to love in each unique person, we are able to live, not only in our purpose, but also see others’ and their purpose.

Apr 14, 202138:41
S2 E41 Double Down: Circle of Trust

S2 E41 Double Down: Circle of Trust

Tangible application from our interview with Meg Tilton: 

1. Identify the small group of people in your life that have earned your trust; these are the people who's feedback we give some weight to (not the people giving feedback from the "cheap seats").

 2. Feel the feelings that may have come up (rather than pretending that their words didn't hurt, acknowledge the pain in a way that simultaneously keeps worth intact). 

3. Listen to your inner knowing, your intuition, to make the decisions that feel right to you (despite what others may say).

Apr 07, 202112:38
S2 E40 Solving Self Doubt with Meg Tilton

S2 E40 Solving Self Doubt with Meg Tilton

Today we are interviewing an amazing woman who is passionate about helping women find their self-assurance in life--

Meg is extending SUCH an generous offer to our listeners! It's a PDF download to assess where you are in regards to self-assurance in four main areas: Self-assurance with ones self, with God, with others, and in going after dreams and goals. 

Here is the link:

https://mandapril.megtiltoncoaching.com/podcast

In addition, Meg is offering a FREE hour long session to the first 5 listeners!!!! You'll go over the worksheet and see where you are, where you want to be, and how to get there. I promise you'll want to take advantage of this offer!

Meg Tilton is a certified life coach working with women in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints since 2017. Meg has a deep belief that in order for the women of the church to accomplish all they want to, and that God intends for them to, they need to be rooted in their own self-assurance. To Meg, self-assurance is more than confidence. 

Self-assurance is an internal belief in oneself to be able to accomplish and face any situation that comes your way. When you believe in yourself, you are unstoppable. She loves being able to help women see this potential in themselves and then go and live by it.

When Meg isn't coaching, she is spending time with her amazing husband, five kiddos, and adoring standard poodle "Nestle".  She lives outside of St. Louis, Missouri and loves any form of good chocolate and a good movie. If they happen to come together, that's a bonus.

You can follow Meg on Instagram @megtiltoncoach and Facebook @megtiltoncoaching as well as her website at www.megtiltoncoaching.com.

To Solve for Self Doubt: 

Mind: Own your decisions. 

To be self-assured, we need to stop letting other people’s feelings and emotions drive our decision making process.

Body: Embrace the discomfort of decision making. 

Decisions often force us to be uncomfortable--but that process is needed for our growth.

Purpose: Know Your “Why”. 

Not everyone is going to like our decisions. But if we can clearly know our “why”, we will be able to keep moving forward toward our goal.


Mar 31, 202130:10
S2 E39 Double Down: I don't know

S2 E39 Double Down: I don't know

We're adding a new feature to our podcast episodes, and are SO excited to share this with you--

Introducing our new Double Down Episodes, where we do a shorter, mini episode of sorts, diving a bit deeper into the topic from the last week. Giving you 2 weeks to apply each episode in your life, AND an episode that is completely dedicated to integrating one of the takeaways into your life in a meaningful way.


This week we are doubling down on "If you are alive, you are a leader."

Thinking about the opportunity for leadership in our lives, one attribute of a good leader is someone who is able to admit when they have made a mistake. In digging a bit deeper into our ability to lead where we stand, here is a little 3-step process to practice when we make mistakes in our "leadership" roles.

1) Admit the mistake (knowing it does not affect our worth)

2) Speak it to whoever needs to hear it

3) Do it with sincerity

Doing this on whatever level of leadership doesn't discount all the effort and amazing things we are doing. It also doesn't give us a free ride to not do our best and just fall back on "oh well! I make mistakes" 

But, what it does do is create that trust and vulnerability to show others that we know that we make mistakes sometimes, and we aren't afraid to own them, to voice them, and to do our very best to learn and move forward.

Is there someone you have stewardship over that would benefit from you taking these steps? 

Mar 24, 202111:49
S2 E38 If You're Alive, You're a Leader

S2 E38 If You're Alive, You're a Leader

This week we are discussing leadership, which, is sometimes a topic that seems irrelevant to many, but, listen up, because we are about to argue that!

MIND: In what areas am I a leader?

“If you have a voice, you have influence to spread. If you have relationships, you have hearts to guide. If you know young people, you have futures to mold. If you have privilege, you have power to share. If you have money, you have support to give. If you have a ballot, you have policy to shape. If you have pain, you have empathy to offer. If you have freedom, you have others to fight for. If you are alive, you are a leader.” Abby Wombach (From the book, Wolfpack)

We are all leaders in some form at some time, sometimes more obvious than others (like positions and titles), but there is an element of leadership in everyone’s life experience. Even if our leadership role is one where we are the leaders of ourselves. (ex of leadership: parenting, friendship, church volunteering, coaching, work, social media)

We agree with Abby-- if you have a voice, if you have relationships, if you know young people, if you have privilege, if you have money, if you have the chance to vote, if you have experienced pain, if you have freedom of any kind, or if you are alive right now--- you are a leader.

To take it one step further in recognizing leadership in ourselves, Brene Brown defines a leader as “anyone who takes responsibility for recognizing the potential in people and ideas, and has the courage to develop that potential.”

You have the opportunity to look around yourself-- even right this moment-- and see where in your life you are leading. It might be a daily role, it might only happen now and again, but you are leading. 

BODY: How can I take care of myself physically in order to show up?

Being a leader is less about who you are, and more about how you behave and show up in difficult situations.

True Leaders don’t need to be experts, they don’t need to have all the answers, they just need to be brave enough to use their influence and ideas for good.

A lot of times we are giving our all to the places and people we are leading without even knowing it. If we are constantly living our lives from a place of depletion, we will not be able to take care of ourselves the best way possible. It’s the empty cup analogy-- you cannot pour from an empty cup.

If we do not take care of ourselves, our physical well-being, our mental health, our self-care and self-love, we will not be able to show up the way we want in difficult situations.

PURPOSE: What can I offer today, and to who?

We have probably all experienced the goodness of another person and benefitted from the contributions or love of someone around us; every one of us has the same capacity to share goodness and love. We already are sharing something just by being on this planet-- might as well be intentional about it because then we get to experience it too in the giving of it!

“Those who bring sunshine to the lives of others cannot keep it from themselves

Mar 17, 202124:12
March 12, 2021

March 12, 2021

Mar 12, 202100:32
S2 E37 Women Supporting Women

S2 E37 Women Supporting Women

We believe that women helping each other is paramount in our lives. Listen to hear why and how to have more of this experience in your life:

MIND: Seek support, ditch competition

When we are playing and truly having fun --laughing, dancing (the kind when you’re not self-conscious), sharing, bonding, giving a shoulder or a foot massage-- there’s no hierarchy. No one is better than or less than.

We need people (women) that we can have fun with.

We need people (women) that we can feel safe with, that we can share with.

When we are sharing our love and our stories and our insights and our struggles, there’s no better than, less than, it’s just love. And it’s simultaneously humbling and ennobling.

If we find ourselves in a "one up, one down" or "hierarchy" mode (thinking we are better-than or less-than), chances are we haven't had enough serotonin, or feel-good hormones, in our bodies. This is a natural default that our brains tend to fall into when we are low on serotonin.

BODY: Make contact, be seen

If we are going to support each other and feel supported, we have to have contact with each other.

Find ways to boost serotonin!  This could be through physical contact like hugs, foot rubs, swapping massages. Or it could be phone calls, texts, conversations, questions, being interested, listening-- simply making the effort to have contact in some way.

Feeling alone or isolated has serious physical and mental health consequences. We aren’t intended to go through life alone; we need each other.

PURPOSE: Give love, receive love

Ask yourself if you are needing to work on giving more love, or practice receiving more love? When we give genuinely, and the receiver is a graciously receives, the exchange can be beautiful and somewhat magical. The same is true for being a genuinely gracious recipient. We can only give as deeply as we can receive.

Mar 10, 202129:12
S2 E36 Overwhelmed and Underqualified

S2 E36 Overwhelmed and Underqualified

We recently did a little post on instagram, asking what are things ya'll would like to listen to discussed in a podcast, or which problems you were currently facing in life at the moment.

One of the responses was a listener who felt unprepared for a new calling/ volunteer position in their church congregation. 

So...we did some digging, soul searching, and memory sharing, and came up with a few takeaways for when we're feeling overwhelmed and underqualified.

MIND: Remember that it’s not a reflection on you

Our inadequacies come from fear-- fear of not being good enough, fear that others will see us as what we are...which is messy and imperfect, or worse-- fear that they will judge us for being human. When we allow fear to take over, it usually means that we are in our own heads. 

Yes, you are the one in the position, but at the end of the day, it’s about the people we are serving and developing connections and relationships with. If everything we do in that capacity is a reflection on us, it’s not going to go well. If it's all about us, there is no room for mistakes, and that sets us up for failure.

BODY: Fit it into your life

Maybe set up a reminder for yourself to keep it on your radar. Fit whatever it is into YOUR life. It doesn't need to completely take over. We can find a balance that works for us individually.

Also fit it into your personality. What is one way I can approach this situation that is unique to my talents and personality? We each have strengths and the ability to contribute in a way that is personal to us. Remember that what YOU have to offer--whatever that looks like, in any capacity, is needed.

PURPOSE: Be open-minded

Your way might look different, and it should because we aren’t cookie-cutter people. Just because something has always been done one way, doesn’t mean that’s the way it needs to keep going. You might see things differently, and that is awesome! Bring your perspective. 

Sometimes we think “this is going to be hard-- a huge commitment” etc. without the open-minded freedom to believe it will fit in my life with my personality and abilities, AND I can do it.

Try to wrap your head around being open to the discomfort that might come along with growth. Most things that are worthwhile will in some way, shape, or form, stretch us. There may be some difficult relationship moments as we work with other people and have differing opinions, but there might also be amazing moments where we are able to interact with people from different perspectives that enhance ours.

Hopefully today's takeaways can help us when we feel unprepared for something we are facing. Hard things require a lot of courage and vulnerability...which aren't usually fun to feel, but worth the endeavor. You've got this.

Mar 03, 202121:48
S2 E35 Ninja Skills

S2 E35 Ninja Skills

We have discussed a little bit in previous episodes about being an energy ninja of sorts--

Energy is a compilation of your body language, attitude, and frame of mind.

We all have a set of energy skills, and similar to an unmanaged mind, when we don't manage these skills, it can be problematic, but when we manage them well, they can enhance our life experience. Noticing other people's energy, and taking on their energy are both skills we (most likely) naturally have.

This is where the ninja skills comes in-- Sometimes we want to mirror the energy we perceive from a person or situation, and other times we need to protect our energy with a bubble and dodge the energy we don't want to walk away with or absorb. We can become aware of ourselves in these situations and hone these skills by:

MIND: Take responsibility for the energy you bring

We carry energy with us-- and being aware of that fact is huge! Whether we like it or not, we influence one another. Sometimes it's mild, subdued and close to you, and sometimes it might be bigger and broader. It doesn't have to always be extra positive energy, but it can be good energy filled with hard and heavy emotions. 

Have you ever interacted with someone who is suffering under the weight of a really difficult trial, but still has a peaceful or loving energy about them? Energy is the underlying current. You can sense there is something maybe different, like maybe they are processing hard emotions, but the energy they are responsible for isn't draining or negative. 

No matter the energy we have, we are responsible for the energy we bring to any given interaction. 

BODY: Practice energy adaptability

In some situations, it will serve us to mirror or match the energy of the interaction, and other times it definitely is more beneficial to use those ninja skills and dodge that energy. 

You may not want to match the energy of a gossipy friend, a tantruming child, a grumpy spouse, a complaining co-worker, or a family member who has a victim mentality.

On the opposite side, you may want to match your partner's energy in an intimate situation, a friend's energy in mourning or frustration, the calming energy of a sleeping baby, or the excitement of a concert.

By being aware of energy, we get to decide when it is most beneficial for us to adapt to the energy we are sensing. We can ask ourselves-- Is adapting to the energy in this situation more helpful, or is holding my energy more helpful?

Another way to observe and use our agency in a powerful way.

PURPOSE: Let love radiate

Empathy is best experienced when we can match someone's energy, being able to tap into that energy and being in the moment. Empathy is an outward expression of love. 

Allowing your energy to radiate love allows us to "mourn with those who mourn, and comfort those who stand in need of comfort." If love can be the driving force, the underlying energy, we will show up the way we want to. A loving energy is an energy that benefits everyone. Love always wins. 

“As you dissolve into love, your ego fades. You’re not thinking about loving, you’re just being love. Radiating like the sun.” (Ram Dass)

Feb 24, 202125:03
S2 E34 Talking Bodies

S2 E34 Talking Bodies

Talking about our bodies tends to be a vulnerable topic, and as women, we are conditioned from a very young age to be concerned about our bodies. Which poses the question, is there a time that you can recall, where you realized bodies were something we should be concerned with? 

We tend to live at odds with our bodies, thinking they aren’t enough (not fit enough, not functioning how we want it to, not pretty enough, not healthy enough, not strong enough, not enough energy, not the right shape or size etc.) Or maybe we have been taught that our bodies are carnal, of the world, not to be trusted, impulsive, need to be tamed and controlled, full of appetites and passions etc that we are supposed to overcome or suppress, or else we are sinful. 

Today we are hoping to shift the concentration from the shapes and proportions of our bodies to how our body functions, realizing all the things we can do in and because of our bodies, and acknowledging the magnitude of the brilliance of our physical form.

MIND: Allow your relationship to evolve.

The way we feel about our body is a relationship-- and relationships change over time. Our body has evolved as we have evolved. We learn and grow and stretch, and oftentimes our body does too. Like any relationship, we can strengthen the relationship we have with our bodies. The more we get to know our bodies, the more time we spend with our bodies, the more we learn how to best care for that relationship, the better it will be.

When I think back to times I have been happy and proud of my body, it was when it looked and functioned the way I expected and wanted it to. When it looked the way I thought it should, I was happy with it. And when it doesn’t-- does it deserve less of my love and appreciation? Is that how an important and meaningful relationship should work? Just because we have felt pressured to look a certain way and to be sorely disappointed with ourselves when we don’t before, does not mean we have to continue that. We can allow our relationship to expand as we do.

BODY: Show up for your body everyday.

How do you balance being grateful and at peace with the way something is right now, and also want to change for the better? This question can be related to our bodies. Our answer is this-- The motivation to continue to grow, love, and deepen our understanding of who we really are comes from being grateful and at peace with who we are right now.

Make sure your body has a voice that you listen to, and you show your body that you value that voice by responding to it's signals and giving heed to it's direction. Do what you can to listen to your body everyday. Then show up for it.

PURPOSE: Focus on the union of body and spirit

When we care for our bodies, we enhance our spiritual abilities. We are not just a body and a spirit-- we are embodied human beings.

When we just focus on the body, we become a slave to the way society dictates that we function and appear. We rely on opinions and viewpoints outside of ourselves. When we ignore our bodies, there is so much harm that is done there.

What does it look like when I am glorifying (to praise and worship) my Heavenly Parents with my body? Our bodies are a place where the presence of our Heavenly Parents can be known and experienced. 

We share a quote from author Ruth Haley Barton who illustrates the fact that when the Savior asked us to remember him, He gave us something to do with our bodies- partake of the bread and water- to remember His body. "And the metaphor for the presence of the living Christ here on earth is, of all things, a body!”


Feb 17, 202135:49
S2 E33 On the Brain

S2 E33 On the Brain

Introducing an episode of things we that we've got rolling around in our heads-- On the Brain is a peek into real time experiences and thoughts where we are oftentimes inspired to discuss topics for the podcast.


MIND: Be with your Experience

A lot of times when we are in the middle of something, we are wanting-- usually more pleasure or less discomfort.

In order to just be with the current experience, we can actively concentrate on something that will keep us in the experience we're having.

Michelle has been diagnosed with Covid-19, and instead of wanting to escape the discomfort, she is concentrating on allowing herself to be in the (albeit awful) experience of sickness. She is finding firsthand that resisting the sickness isn't the same as fighting the sickness. Allowing her mind to be in the experience is giving her body the best environment for fighting the illness. 

One way to almost automatically be present in an experience is to... breathe.

April has found that the practice of yoga has brought her awareness to her breathe in any given situation enhances her ability to find access strength in each experience, whether it’s pleasure or discomfort. 


BODY: Add the simple good 

We live in a culture that is always trying to cut things out. Less calories, less sugar, less fat, less carbs, less screen time, etc. Rather than obsessing about cutting the bad, shifting to adding more nourishment is helpful and healthful!

Instead of cutting diet coke, April has begun adding in more water. 

Michelle tries to put the good in first with a drink and/or apple before a sugary treat. We aren't depriving ourselves, but giving a bonus chance to nourish our bodies! Many times it can be simple-- fruits & veggies first, use the stairs, walk from the back of the parking lot, or hydrate with water.

By default, our bodies will soak up the nourishment and we can see what adding the simple good can do to enhance our physical experience!


PURPOSE: Bring Spirituality into Physical parts of our lives. 

April is starting to listen to the book Everything is Spiritual (if you want to join in on the fun, go to audibletrial.com/mindbodypurpose.)

Notice how our Physical and Spiritual health coincide, they have the potential to enhance one another, which can be amazing for fully experiencing life. 

A lot of times, when April considers her health, she thinks of doing things now that her future self will thank her for. In doing that, she tries to tap into her ability to operate as the highest version of herself. Not because she is avoiding regret, but because if she can combine treating her physical body well right now, she will increase her wellness, and that will enhance her spirituality.

Instead of physical beings having a spiritual experience, we are Spiritual beings having Physical experience.

“Please remember that one of the essential objectives of our earthly existence is for our spirits to take control of the physical elements of our lives so both can work in harmony to serve higher and eternal purposes. It is one of the conditions we must fulfill to find true happiness in this life and inherit eternal glory.” (Gerald Causse)

If we can intertwine our spirituality with each physical experience, the present moment (along with the memory of that moment), will be more meaningful.

Feb 10, 202122:06
S2 E32 Us Versus Them

S2 E32 Us Versus Them

Having a divisive mentality that puts us on opposing sides has become a norm for us. We are used to categorizing ourselves as polar opposites, and subsequently, are having a hard time finding a middle ground of unity.

Looking at things in an "Us vs Them" frame of mind keeps us stuck. It stunts our growth, our creativity, and our ability to have compassion for others. It oversimplifies issues, people, and causes. How many times are we trying to be “not them” that we end up becoming like “them” through our judgment. An Us vs Them approach will almost always expose our hypocrisy. 

It can also have a tendency to make things appear more dire. We begin to alter our mindset into thinking ourselves we need to stay away from “them”, saying things like “they” are so wicked, “The world” is so awful. Etc

So, today we are exploring ways to help us dissolve this mentality and move toward unifying frame of mind by concentrating on the only things we can do to contribute to the cause, which is to thoughtfully examine ourselves.

MIND: Practice “Intervism”

The term intervism comes from author Elizabeth Lesser. To define intervism, we must first look at activism. Activism is an action you take to support or oppose one side of a (usually controversial issue). An action outside yourself. If we only focus on what is happening outside of us, we can miss the glaringly obvious that can be happening internally. That's where intervism comes to play!

Intervism is looking inside at our own personal prejudices, judgments, and biases. If we are only engaging in activism, we are losing sight of the importance of being able to take responsibility for how WE think ad behave. (Activism is equally as important, because it elicits change outside of us, however, in an Us vs. Them frame of mind, it's typically much more comfortable to be able to see problems outside of us-- with the "other side" rather than facing the uncomfortable truth of how we are contributing from our position.)

BODY: Find interest in new perspectives

If we are finding ourselves deep in Us vs Them, chances are we can't even begin to fathom seeing the "other side's" point of view. Which means we are probably living in some sort of an echo chamber... and our biases are getting deeper and deeper.

We aren't meant to all have the same thoughts on everything. We are not cookies cutters, we are human beings with different experiences, families, cultures, and knowledge. To come closer to a place of understanding, we need to expand our viewpoints. 

This might look like: reading a book, listening to a podcast, talking to someone new, seeking to understand, asking questions our of curiosity-- leaving the judgment behind!

Be open for finding truth in something that you don't immediately agree with. Allow yourself to become an extreme listener. Listening to the experiences of someone you consciously or unconsciously believe to be different than you can open your mind and heart to them.

"It's hard to hate close up." (Brene Brown)

PURPOSE: Remember our common humanity

We are all much more alike than we are different. A lot of times, even if we are on opposite sides of a topic, we both want the same thing ultimately-- what is best for our families, to feel accepted, loved, and heard. To know that we matter.

“Connection heals, separation causes pain.”

Seeing ALL people as humans worth and equally loved by Heavenly Parents will help us look for understanding with neighbors, friends, and family members that are not on the same side as we perceive ourselves to be. Before we are ____________________ (insert any political party, religion, etc) We are human beings. My voice does not carry more importance than someone with different circumstances, thoughts, viewpoints than my own.

We really are all one and the same.

Feb 03, 202128:49
S2 E31 Owning our humanness

S2 E31 Owning our humanness

This month we've been discussing systems to put into place to help us achieve the goals we desire. 

One of the identities we want to take on, is one of someone who is compassionate-- able to see things from others' perspectives, and understand their experiences from a place of love. In our search for ways to practice compassion, we found that compassion is best practiced first on ourselves.

Oftentimes we are willing to accept the happy, positive parts of ourselves, but genuine compassion is being able to understand ALL parts of who we are...and that includes our mistakes and shortcomings. Self-compassion is not a way of judging ourselves positively, but is a way of relating to ourselves kindly, embracing ourselves as we are, flaws and all. By honoring the limitations of our own human imperfection, we can be more forgiving of others' mistakes. 

MIND: Make friends with yourself

True friends strive to understand one another. We can deepen our relationship with ourselves by seeing ourselves in a softer light.

Thing about trying to understand yourself the way you would a close friend, or someone you love unconditionally. 

BODY: Gift comfort to your body

As women, we naturally give comfort to others. I can think of so many times that I have comforted a child or spouse-- rubbing their back, wiping tears, pushing hair behind their ears, or pulling them close. Are we showing that same comfort to ourselves?

Anything we can do to improve how we feel physically gives us a dose of self-compassion.

We need physical compassion. Maybe we ask a spouse or loved one for a hug when we're feeling down, or make time for a pedicure or a mid-day nap. Cook or order ourselves a nourishing meal, massage our feet or go for a walk. Any way we can use supportive touch to help us feel calm, safe, and showing self compassion in a physical manner.

PURPOSE: Embody charity as a state of being

Offering love to ourselves and others will always sustain us.

If we can offer ourselves compassion, by extension, charity is what we will experience. We will embody the pure love of Christ as a state of being, rather than something we do.

A former prophet of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, President Thomas Monson, teaches: “Charity is having patience with someone who has let us down. It is resisting the impulse to become offended easily. It is accepting weaknesses and shortcomings. It is accepting people as they truly are. It is looking beyond physical appearances to attributes that will not dim through time. It is resisting the impulse to categorize others.”

The more we are able to keep our hearts open to ourselves, the more we are able to open them up to others.

We can embody charity by being generous with our acceptance of ourselves, by offering compassion and understanding to our human qualities, and seeing value in all of who we are.

Jan 27, 202131:40
S2 E30 Fall in Love with the Process

S2 E30 Fall in Love with the Process

In this episode we are diving in a bit deeper to discuss the PURPOSE takeaway from S2 E27- New Year Solutions, Remember it's a process, not an outcome.

--The past couple of episodes, including this one, have been based on principles we have learned from listening to Atomic Habits by James Clear. If you don't already have an audible account, you can go to audibletrial.com/mindbodypurpose and listen for free! We highly recommend it!--

1) Win over and over again

If you focus on the outcome, you win one time. But, if you optimize on the process, you win over and over again.

There is a lot of satisfaction to be found in the the pursuit of something. 

As long as we are “pointed” in the direction we desire, or are on the “path,” then we get to feel how we want to feel right now. We get to experience in advance the feelings we are hoping to feel once we have accomplished the goal at hand. We don’t suddenly feel the way we want to when we achieve something. Rather, we feel it in advance and then once we achieve it, it feels normal. Because we are on the path to achieve our goals, actively engaged in the process, we are already going to be experiencing those feelings along the way. If we are only focusing on the goal, we miss on so much that is in the lead up.

By focusing on the process, or the pursuit, it keeps us in the here and now. Having the ability to stay present and utilize mindfulness will help us see the everyday victories in our processes. By definition, mindfulness is experiencing the present while you are in it. Often we beat ourselves up for something we did, or didn't do in the past, or we are looking too far ahead to realize what is happening in the here and now. Being mindful keeps us in a safe space, allowing us to take things one habit and one step at a time. If we concentrate on the process, it forces us to take one step, one habit, one moment at a time.

Trust in the process.

2) Make peace with making mistakes

 If we're focusing on the process, we get to win over and over again, but we also might find that we are failing over and over again as well. And that is to be expected! Every time we fall short of where we anticipated, it is an opportunity to show ourselves that we are capable of being resilient. We will be building the habit of getting back up again.

Failures and mistakes are lessons and opportunities for growth, not a negative reflection on our abilities or self worth. If we are focused on the process, we will be able to see that clearly and view setbacks as a challenge, not a paralyzing event.

Our inner dialogue matters-- if we believe that we cannot start again, we will find a way to prove ourselves right. 


3) Celebrate others’ success

As we are creating these processes, and doing our best to focus on them, it can be tempting to compare our process to someone else's, especially someone who we perceive as already succeeding at what we are trying to accomplish. If we can replace the temptation to compare, with the inspiration to cheer them on, it will transform us!

If we can genuinely celebrate others, it allows us to feel secure in our process and our life. It will take us out of competition, and help us practice our belief in the possibility of our own success.

Seeing success in others, and celebrating them can shift our energy into abundance and gratitude.
We'll be able to see our potential and be grateful for the process. There is beauty in the becoming.

Jan 20, 202119:22
S2 E29 Systems Simplified

S2 E29 Systems Simplified

In this episode, we're breaking down the BODY takeaway from (s2 e 27) New Year Solutions-- Create a system to make it easy.

This episode is largely inspired by the book, Atomic Habits, by James Clear.

--Download it now, for free!  Got to audibletrial.com/mindbodypurpose-- (We HIGHLY recommend it!)

Systems are the HOW in achieving goals. Everyone can have the same goal, but it’s the execution of the systems in place to support those goals that really make the difference.

It’s much easier to make change in the “energy” world first (meaning the intangible, the thoughts, the feelings, the identity) and then bring it into the physical world, than to try to elicit change the other way around.

If we are trying to change things in the physical world and we don’t have the identity in place or the belief or the “energy” part in alignment, it will be like swimming upstream. You might make some progress, but it will be a lot of effort and resistance and struggle. Rather, if we first genuinely believe and take on the identity and feel it energetically, then the physical part comes much more naturally; it’s just a matter of pulling it into the physical world.

“Our success already exists on a spiritual level; it’s a matter of bringing it into the physical world.” -Sarah Ban Breathbach

Today’s takeaways are designed to support your beliefs that we talked about last week (taking on the identity, gathering evidence, and taking pride).

1. Set both a Minimum and a Maximum
These are things than can be done on a daily basis.

Ex: Minimum: I was my face with cleanser every day. Maximum: I was my face with cleanser, then apply toner, serum, moisturizer, etc.  The minimum effort is something that you will realistically accomplish on any given day. The maximum is the highest potential you can possibly think to reach.

This helps us celebrate the small victories, and place "votes" for the habits and identity we want to create!

“You do not rise to the level of your goals, but fall to the level of your systems.” James Clear


2. Be adaptable

Keep the goal in mind, but be flexible in the system that will feel most right for you.

If your goal is to exercise, but the system you've put into place is running, and maybe you decide you don't enjoy running, you won't continue with that system. Be adaptable in finding the system that is satisfying for you, and pay attention to the timing of your system-- Consider when you're most likely to be successful. 

This will help you stick with that system, and ultimately achieve the same goal that you set out for!


3. Take advantage of habit stacking

Stacking Habits is identifying a current habit you already do, and then stacking a new behavior on top.
“After (insert current habit), I will (new habit).” 

Your current habits and behaviors are already built in your brain, and is familiar territory strengthened over time. Adding a new habit or behavior onto a already established habit will reinforce the new habit.

Habit stacking builds a natural momentum and jump-starts the systems that will ultimately help us achieve our goals.


Jan 13, 202124:51
S2 E28 Identity from the Inside Out

S2 E28 Identity from the Inside Out

This week's episode is a continuation of E27 (New Year Solutions), delving deeper into the takeaway for the 

MIND-- which is to Take on the identity of someone who already does what you want to do. Largely based on the book "Atomic Habits" by James Clear.

-- Listen to the audible version of "Atomic Habits" for free by going to audibletrial.com/mindbodypurpose--


“The process of building habits is the process of building yourself” -James Clear.

Building our lives one habit at a time feels doable, and breaking that thought down even further to trying on habits as a suggestion, ultimately deciding "Maybe this is who I am?!" with each habit we try.

These 3 takeaways will help us take on the Identity we want:


1- Access Creativity

A lot of times we like the idea of taking on a new identity, but we also resist fully embracing that identity. For example, if you are trying to nourish your body with healthier foods, you may think, "I should eat these vegetables." Thinking you should do something isn't taking on the identity. However, if you can access a little creativity and ask yourself, "What would someone who is intentionally choosing healthy eating put in their body?" you can assume the identity. Either way, you're placing more nourishing food on your plate and in your body, but the frame of mind you have in getting to that result can compound. One approach leads to an identity shift, one tells you what you should do, and the latter isn't a long term frame of mind. 

Using creativity in finding a way to hold ourselves accountable for a shift in identity is so helpful to our ultimate success. If we can surround ourselves with people who will support our identity in lifestyle, words, or being a partner in creating that system, we will more naturally move into taking on that identity.


2-Generate New Evidence

A new identity in a particular areas requires new evidence. If you do what you've always done, you'll get the same result you've always gotten.
When looking to find new evidence to support your identity, each habit is a vote for the identity you'll ultimately create.

But, just like an election, the winner doesn't need to have every single vote in their favor. "...there are going to be votes for both sides. You don’t need a unanimous vote to win an election; you just need a majority. It doesn’t matter if you cast a few votes for a bad behavior or an unproductive habit. Your goal is simply to win the majority of the time.”


3- Take Pride

The more pride we have in a particular aspect of your identity, the more motivated we will be to maintain the habits associated with it.

Ex: If I take pride in my hair, the more motivated I am to maintain the habits associated with supporting the habits of hair care--coloring, cutting, washing, styling, product researching and purchasing, etc.

Another area to take pride in, is knowing that even if the goal isn't achieved, or the habit isn't accomplished yet, things are moving!

A shift in energy feels good, and momentum is powerful.

Jan 06, 202123:58
S2 E27 New Year's Solutions

S2 E27 New Year's Solutions

Instead of resolutions or goals, we are talking about SYSTEMS. 

"Put your energy into building better habits, not chasing better results." -James Clear


MIND: Take on the identity as someone who already does what you want to do.

If we don't think of ourselves (really truly) as someone with the capacity to be or have the result we want, then we won't actually get there. We might see some progress here and there, but if we are actually going to experience a result we want, we have to believe that it's even a possibility.

If the identity seems like too big of a stretch, we can mentally "massage" the idea or the identity until we get to something that feels more true and is also moving us in that direction.  April gives the example of wanting the identity of someone who likes to exercise, which feels more true than the identity of someone who is disciplined, getting up early for 6am workouts. 


BODY: Create a system to make it easy.

Constantly "swimming upstream" isn't the way to get what we want. If it feels like a lot of effort, or there's lots of obstacles, there's a better way. Taking the time to create a system removes the obstacles and sets us up for success and makes it easy. When we have a system in place, the rest takes care of itself.

For example, if you want to get up to workout, your system might include signing up in advance for a class, planning it with a friend, letting your spouse or family know what to expect, and setting out your clothes and shoes the night before. 


PURPOSE: Remember it’s a process, not an outcome.

Progress is never perfectly linear. We logically probably understand this, but then when we feel a "dip" or a setback, it's easy to think it's' not working or that we'll never get the result we want. Remembering that lifestyle is what delivers results, not goals, helps keep our perspective in a healthy place. 

Dec 30, 202018:00
S2 E26 Doing the Holidays Right

S2 E26 Doing the Holidays Right

Today is all about experiencing the holidays how we want to; we're talking expectations, family dynamics, indulging,  communication, non-tangible parts of Christmas, and even some on how to give and receive gifts

MIND: Rehearse your experiences mentally in advance.

Taking the time to create in our minds our own experience helps us to create the feelings and the energy we bring into situations. If we know we will be seeing someone who is difficult or if we are simply wanting to be our most loving self, we can visualize and mentally create that experience in advance for ourselves, making it much easier to show up in the demeanor and presence and awareness that we want to.


BODY: Make your physical well-being a priority.

As we tend to take on additional tasks during the holidays, it's easy to let our regular regime shift in favor of less supportive behaviors. If we can keep our physical well-being a priority, we are more likely to have the energy, the patience, the presence, the intentionality, and the supportive choices that we really want.


PURPOSE: Reflect on what is important to you during the holidays.

Communicate clearly to yourself and your loved ones what is important to you. We behave as though physical tasks are the most important, but in reality the reasons behind them is what helps us to feel and experience the things we want to. Spending time with people we love, showing love and appreciation to those who mean so much, cultivating connection, helping others feel seen and loved, and ultimately looking for ways to emulate the Savior.

Dec 23, 202026:17
S2 E25 Conquering Overwhelm

S2 E25 Conquering Overwhelm

Feeling the overwhelm of things to-do and/or other mental noise? Today we are sharing three strategies to help bring more enjoyment into our everyday life experiences, and less of the chaos we feel in overwhelm.


MIND: Find a way to make the task more enjoyable.

This us were we intentionally choose a way to shift energy:  we add music or movement or a friend or a drink --just something that "sweetens the deal." Remember that enjoyment is always an option. Tasks can get accomplished wether we are feeling stressed or not. The stressful part is actually optional.


BODY: Transfer the mental clutter.

When our minds get filled up, it's easy to get lost and not even know where to begin. It's like being in a room full of piles and not being able to move around. Moving the mental clutter out of our heads and onto paper gives us mental space to move around in our head. It frees up precious brain activity for our higher thinking mind, and helps us consolidate or find better solutions, simply by getting it all out of our spinning brain and onto paper. 


PURPOSE: Remember your higher purpose.

Taking a higher perspective helps us to gauge what we really value most, and let that steer our decisions. For example, at times our values might be in conflict and we need to choose what reflects our highest purpose best: Maybe the laundry can wait. Maybe it's okay to be late to an event.  Maybe we can be peaceful and productive at the same time. 

Dec 16, 202021:46
S2 E24 Mastering Messy Emotions

S2 E24 Mastering Messy Emotions

Life is full of messy emotions.

Today we are sharing real-life examples and breaking it all down to see exactly how we can handle the messiness with grace, capacity, and confidence. 

Every emotion serves us as long as we interpret it in a way that adds a powerful meaning to our life; something that moves us forwards instead of backwards. 

MIND: Aware - Identify the emotion as it comes

Expanding our emotional vocabulary can make all the difference in understanding what's really going on inside of us. Rather than feeling "mad" or "hurt," maybe we are actually feeling jealous or inferior.  Identifying the emotion when it comes up can be very instructive and help us gain a better understanding of ourselves.

Click HERE for a downloadable Feeling Wheel from the Gottman Institute.


BODY: Allow - Sit with the Sensation

There is power in experiencing emotions. It’s part of our human experience, and we are supposed to feel.

So often we push our messy emotions down or away or pretend they aren't the truth, and then they rear up causing problems later. If we can learn to sit with the uncomfortable sensations, knowing that they aren't a sign of weakness and our value is not at stake, then we can learn a lesson from the uncomfortable messenger of messy emotions.


PURPOSE: Assess - What is the underlying wisdom?

Assessing our messy emotions is not about punishing ourselves or justifying ourselves. Rather, it’s about coming to the center of compassion, curiosity and understanding.

Generally, when we truly gain a new perspective or new wisdom surrounding a messy emotion, there is an element of increased love. There's a new way of understanding ourselves and each other, and new way we get to practice love-- and that's actually what we are here on earth for-- to practice our capacity to love.



Dec 09, 202031:00
S2 E23 The Remedy

S2 E23 The Remedy

We are all about gratitude over here-- in fact, we do a gratitude segment on our instagram page every Thursday (AND last year, we recorded episode 74 on how gratitude cures-it-all.) We will shout it from the roof-tops because we are such big believers in the power of gratitude! 

Science shows that people who are grateful:

  • sleep better
  • experience more joy
  • are mentally and physically healthier
  • have higher self-esteem
  • are more resilient in challenging life circumstances

Gratitude boosts all that is good, and takes the edge off of all that is difficult; we like to think of it as  "emotional ibuprofen."


Today's takeaways:

MIND: Know that being grateful and wanting more is not a conflict.

Being grateful for what we have and simultaneously wanting more is how we are designed to progress (in fact, it’s how we are taught to pray).

When we want from a place of gratitude, our desires can be a guide, or a pointer in the direction of what we can offer the world. It can steer us in the toward our natural talents, instincts, or gifts that we can both enjoy and share with the world.

Feeling guilty for wanting something only keeps us where we are. It prevents progress.


BODY: Practice creating the physical feeling of gratitude.

Gratitude has the potential to become a habit; the more we practice, the stronger the neural pathways become and it gets easier to “default” to gratitude.

Consider how it feels in the body, and how we are the creators of that feeling (whether it comes intentionally or not). 

I feel gratitude largely in my heart or chest area-- it’s where the tangible parts of life and the non-tangible parts meet. (Earth and heaven come together here.)

Listen to hear as April shares her experience getting to a sincere place when needing to offer an important apology; she has found herself making a list reasons why she's grateful for the other person, shifting thoughts and feelings to an entirely different experience.  It takes mental effort, but it  tangibly shifts the experience in the body and makes all the difference in the world.


PURPOSE: Start today becoming the person you eventually want to be.

(Quote from Dieter Uchtdorf)

Rather than thinking we'll eventually have more wisdom or eventually be "that" kind of person, gratitude helps us begin now to experience the future  version of ourselves, as we simultaneously experience our current circumstances. 

It's like having "one foot" in our current experience and another "foot" in the grounded place of peace and love and gratitude, aware of who we are being. It brings perspective wether we are experiencing something beautiful or something difficult.

Dec 02, 202024:11
S2 E22 When I Feel Judgy

S2 E22 When I Feel Judgy

Part 2 from last week's episode on feeling judged!

When we feel judged, we often will simultaneously find ourselves in a space of judging. Whether we are the "judgor" or the "judgee," we end up experiencing judgement. We are calling this the "pit of judgement."


MIND: What am I revealing about myself with this judgement?

When we judge another, we aren't defining them, rather we are defining ourselves. It can reveal to us something that we are judging ourselves about, or something that is unhealed in us, or something that we feel insecure or shameful about. Being curious and even amused by our own judgments of others can be instructive because it's like showing ourselves a mirror --it can teach us something about what is going on inside of us.


BODY: How can I re-write this story to feel compassionate?

Rather than judging ourselves for be judgmental, this is an opportunity to re-wire our thoughts or re-write the story that we have created. It's an intentional shift in our minds to find compassion.  I like to think of people in terms of their future self --the version of them that has learned all the lessons and has become wise and glorified, because it helps me see the current moments with less judgement and more understanding and patience and love. Whatever we are in judgment about, is actually just a moment in their story, a blip in the eternal scheme of things. Having this perspective feels a lot better and gives space for me to feel better about myself too. 


"Don't judge me because I sin differently than you." -Dieter F. Uchtdorf


PURPOSE: How can I shift from judgement to discernment?

I used to believe that loving and accepting all meant to allow all into my space. Over the years, I discovered that there's a difference between being loving and accepting and simultaneously using wise judgement or discernment to choose what influences to allow into my life space. It's totally possible to love and accept other people who we don't agree with. We don't have to hate or shun or push away in order to choose not to have something as an influence in our lives. 

Nov 25, 202030:38
S2 E21 When I Feel Judged

S2 E21 When I Feel Judged

Part of the human experience is judging and feeling judged. When we feel judged, our instinct is usually to either fight back, be defensive, prove our case and justify, OR to turn our back, build a wall, discredit the source, and feel divided.

Rather than responding to judgement with "fight" or "flight," today we are discussing other ways to address judgement, so that we can experience our lives more intentionally, more peaceably, more connectedly, and more in line with who we want to be.

MIND: Know that your worth is not at stake.

Regardless of feedback or judgement we might receive from others (or even from ourselves), the truth is that our value is constant. Even though we might feel terrible or we might think that we have done something wrong and we are deserving of judgement, at the core we are still of worth. Always.

If we feel defensive and like we need to build a case for our choices, we are probably feeling fearful or shameful, and looking for validation. If we are already sure of our innate goodness, our well-intendedness, our love, then we don't need to fear or defend or explain, but rather we can sit in peace, knowing the truth of who we are. Don't fight back, don't defend, don't judge back. 

BODY: Choose what to let in to your space.

Visualize a "bubble" of protection and know that the energy of other people's feedback doesn't have to internalize in your space. Give yourself the gift of choosing what to consider and what to let slide away. Be an "energy ninja," capable of staying grounded and at peace no matter what is coming your way, because you can gracefully move and dodge and shift to let foreign energy pass on by. 

This is also an opportunity to practice feeling amused; being able to "sit back" and be an observer brings some lightness instead of unnecessary gravity to perceived judgement. Amusement helps us to forgive ourselves as well as others.

PURPOSE: Do something kind.

When we feel judged, kindness is not typically our default. BUT it is a powerful place to direct ourselves, because kindness has a way of shifting our current experience into something that feels nourishing and beautiful. It takes us out of our "lower" brains and into a higher place where we get to experience more of who we really are. 

The best example we have of someone who dealt with being judged is Jesus Christ; he knew who he was, and therefore wasn’t shaken by other people’s judgements or opinions. Kindness was his default. Judgements didn’t enter and influence his spirit; he had the personal authority to see the truth, and stay in a place of love.

Nov 18, 202023:37
S2 E20 The Power of Femininity

S2 E20 The Power of Femininity

In this episode, we discuss why nurturing the feminine is so powerful and important, no matter your gender.

All humans have both masculine and feminine energy. 

“Both energies exist within each of us in varying amounts. Learning how to engage both fully is what ends up making a person psychologically, emotionally, and physically well. Just as you wouldn’t operate a remote control with only one battery, you need both of these energies as your power sources. They’re necessary tools for shaping your life.” (Alissa Vitti)

Our world tends to value thing associated with masculinity because it is results based.  It's what our physical world reminds us of-- work to do, things to accomplish, and goals to achieve. 

Feminine energy on the other hand is experiential. It's soothing, nurturing, connecting, compassionate, rejuvenating, and slower paced. It's the space where creativity, spontaneity, and emotions live.

When we experience an imbalance of masculine energy, we find ourselves over-worked, under-rested, anxious, resentful, and critical of our lack of accomplishments.

Finding more of a balance with feminine energy and feminine traits helps us to live our best lives.


MIND: Silence the inner critic, and access the voice that encourages and celebrates you

Our inner critic will always point to our areas of lack. Rather than listening to this voice, cultivate a different inner voice that is your support, your inner wisdom, your inner cheerleader. 


BODY: Incorporate creativity: laughter, song, dance, art, music, soulful expression

“Laughter, song, and dance create emotional and spiritual connection; they remind us of the one thing that truly matters when we are searching for comfort, celebration, inspiration, or healing; We are not alone.” -Brene Brown


PURPOSE: Access femininity in roles of support and leadership

Roles of leadership are often associated with the masculine energy of power and accomplishment; when we can add to it the feminine powers of creativity, connection, transformation, and nurturing support, we create a more complete offering as leaders.

Nov 11, 202033:36
S2 E19 Women Helping Women

S2 E19 Women Helping Women

We believe that women helping each other is paramount in our lives. Listen to hear why and how to have more of this experience in your life:


MIND: Seek support, ditch competition

When we are playing and truly having fun --laughing, dancing (the kind when you’re not self-conscious), sharing, bonding, giving a shoulder or a foot massage-- there’s no hierarchy. No one is better than or less than.

We need people (women) that we can have fun with.

We need people (women) that we can feel safe with, that we can share with.

When we are sharing our love and our stories and our insights and our struggles, there’s no better than, less than, it’s just love. And it’s simultaneously humbling and ennobling.

If we find ourselves in a "one up, one down" or "hierarchy" mode (thinking we are better-than or less-than), chances are we haven't had enough serotonin, or feel-good hormones, in our bodies. This is a natural default that our brains tend to fall into when we are low on serotonin. 


BODY: Make contact, be seen

If we are going to support each other and feel supported, we have to have contact with each other. 

Find ways to boost serotonin!  This could be through physical contact like hugs, foot rubs, swapping massages. Or it could be phone calls, texts, conversations, questions, being interested, listening-- simply making the effort to have contact in some way. 

Feeling alone or isolated has serious physical and mental health consequences. We aren’t intended to go through life alone; we need each other.


PURPOSE: Give love, receive love

Ask yourself if you are needing to work on giving more love, or practice receiving more love? When we give genuinely, and the receiver is a graciously receives, the exchange can be beautiful and somewhat magical. The same is true for being a genuinely gracious recipient. We can only give as deeply as we can receive. 

Nov 04, 202034:20
S2 E18 Personal Authority

S2 E18 Personal Authority

For purposes of this episode, our definition of personal authority is: the right to know, choose, speak, and act what is true for yourself and live it in the world.  (Very much agency related.)

Versions of personal authority discussed in this episode:

  • believing what you feel is good and right and true (even if it doesn’t align with the beliefs of others who you love and respect)
  • making life choices, even if others don’t understand or agree
  • having the ability to hold space for your feelings, and simultaneously offer space for other people to have theirs (and recognizing the difference between my thoughts and feelings and other people's thoughts and feelings)
  • being able to say no, peacefully and lovingly
  • choosing to make your (authentic and loving) inner voice the most important one for you
  • having “seniority” in your life experience; other people, other influences may only enter your experience  if and when you want them to

MIND: Trust in the most authentic version of your voice.

Notice what "voices" in our life are the loudest, and what voices we are giving “authority” to, knowing that we can choose. Is the voice that we are giving authority to kind and loving?

BODY: Trust that your body always knows best.

Honoring our body signals will always always always serve us. Practice being aware of body signals and learn to understand what our bodies really need; maybe we need a deep breath, a minute to close our eyes, a drink of water, a change of scenery or body position, a stretch, or some time outside.

PURPOSE: Trust in your ability to create and live a purposeful life.

Rather than waiting to be needed or waiting for someone else to see our gifts or talents, we have the ability (and even the responsibility) to contribute and create and serve and share in the ways that we can. We all have the capacity to create and live a purposeful life. 

Oct 28, 202031:33
S2 E17 Flexible Beliefs

S2 E17 Flexible Beliefs

Fixed beliefs might seem “comfortable” because they feel stable and secure and predictable. BUT if we get overly dogmatic about our beliefs, our ability to grow and progress can be seriously limited, and the world can feel very scary and unpredictable. It can also cause us to be stuck and defensive when we are overly concerned with our "rightness." 

Today we are talking about how having space for flexibility in our beliefs can be really fun and expanding and provides increased understanding and growth. 

  • Flexibility in our beliefs doesn't mean we are un-tethered or that we get tossed to and fro with whatever ideas come our way. What it does mean is that we are open to deeper understandings and new perspectives.  
  • It’s much easier to be flexible in our beliefs WHEN we feel stability, predictability, and confidence in ourselves rather than in ideas or beliefs.
  • Flexibility in beliefs deepens our perspective, our creativity and our capacity to love.
  • Rather than feeling fearful of a different belief or perspective, having flexibility invites love.
  • You don’t have to abandon your beliefs to be flexible about them
  • Taking a look at your beliefs helps us deepen the ones that are useful and “edit” the ones that aren’t.

Today's takeaways:

MIND: Ask "are my beliefs useful?"

BODY: Ask "what do I want to believe about my body?"

PURPOSE: Ask "in what way can I allow myself to shine?"



Oct 21, 202034:20
S2 E16 Energy Exchange

S2 E16 Energy Exchange

Energy is involved with E.VE.RY.THING we do! There's the finite kind of energy that is associated with our physical bodies, and there's another kind of energy that is less tangible and has more capacity for ebb and flow. Of course both kinds of energy will influence the other, but today we are talking about noticing it all, and how to be more intentional in how we choose to channel or use our energy.


MIND: Begin to notice what aspects of your life are energy GIVING and what aspects of your life are energy ASKING.  Gain this awareness around food, relationships, activities, service, work, hobbies, or projects. All of these can be either energy giving or energy asking; being aware of the energy implications of all these parts of our life can help us be more intentional in how we choose to conduct our lives. You might be surprised maybe a task like tidying up the house is actually energy giving to you; maybe hanging out with friends is actually a big energy ask for you. Notice also that too much of anything (even good things that normally give you energy) can become depleting.


BODY: "Stack" your day with alternating between energy asking activities and energy giving activities. Instead of finding quick energy with sugar or caffeine, there might be something that feels much more nourishing and energy giving. Perhaps it's a change of scenery or change of body position (try putting your feet up the wall and notice the shift of energy). Maybe you get energy from music or taking a short walk or getting a drink of water or calling a friend. When you have awareness of things that are energy-giving for you, start adding them into your day instead of living each day giving your energy to task after task that deplete you.


PURPOSE: Cultivate gratitude and joy as part of your everyday energy.  “Joy and Gratitude are spiritual practices bound to a belief in human interconnectedness and a power greater than us.” -Brene Brown   This quote speaks to the energy part of us, the intangible part of us. As we cultivate gratitude and joy as part of our everyday energy, we naturally feel more connected and more confident.

Oct 14, 202029:01
S2 E15 Navigating Political Discussions

S2 E15 Navigating Political Discussions

Are you swimming in political noise? Today we are talking how to navigate your experience with politics in a way that feels good and true to who you are, and builds your confidence. Today's takeaways:


MIND: You don't have to be an expert to have a "seat at the table."  One big reason we may avoid political discussions is because we feel under-informed or unable to speak confidently with a chosen position. It's absolutely okay to admit that you don't know enough about a subject and ask for perspectives to deepen your understanding. Having a conversation doesn't require expertise; in fact, it might be a more productive and unifying experience to simply be curious, even if you don't agree entirely.


BODY: "Don't shrink, don't puff up, just stand your sacred ground." -Brene Brown   This quote refers to situations where we might feel vulnerable;  political discussions can certainly be one of those occasions. Choosing to stand your sacred ground might feel a bit scary, but it's a great way to practice being loving rather than the alternative of hiding or puffing up with the intention to "win" in some way. Instead of avoiding discussions to "keep the peace," our challenge is to keep our internal peace in the midst of having these kinds of conversations.


PURPOSE: Don’t underestimate your “power to remove prejudice and build unity” - Sharon Eubank  The most important place to do this is within ourselves; as it infuses in our life personally,  it can trickle out into our homes and families and friends, and ultimately ripple out beyond us.

Oct 07, 202031:50
S2 E14 Finding Confidence in Your Closet: Interview with Wardrobe Stylist Delee Cox

S2 E14 Finding Confidence in Your Closet: Interview with Wardrobe Stylist Delee Cox

Today's interview with Wardrobe Stylist Delee Cox has completely changed how we look at our closets! Here's the three main takeaways:

MIND: Approach your closet with the mindset of possibilities.

The thought that "I have nothing to wear" is super defeating and extremely common. Instead, Delee teaches how to re-purpose items from our current closet to find outfits that we love.


BODY: Make peace with dressing your body in it's current state.

Instead of thinking our bodies need to be different in order to feel confident, we can find clothing that we enjoy and feel really good in right now. 


PURPOSE: Begin aligning your consumerism with your values.

We tend to be very disconnected from the source of our purchases; Delee will do the research for you on the brands you like to buy so we can understand more fully what we are supporting when we make our purchases. (Message her on Instagram @thestylistnextdoor_ut)

"Slow fashion" instead of "fast fashion" as well as thrifting are additional ways to be more intentional in our consumerism.

Sep 30, 202041:16
S2 E13: Celebrating an Intentional Life

S2 E13: Celebrating an Intentional Life

It's been one year since April joined the podcast! Today's episode we talk about areas of growth that we have experienced, and how to be more intentional about living the life you want to live. Takeaways today are in the form of questions: 


MIND: How am I treating myself, and how does that reflect in how I treat others? “If you are a taskmaster with yourself, others will feel your whip. If you are critical of yourself, others will feel your high expectations of themselves as well. If you are light hearted and forgiving with yourself, others will feel the ease and joy of being with you. If you find laughter and delight in yourself, others will be healed in your presence.” Deborah Adele, Yamas and Niyamas p. 29-30 “We are mugs filled to the brim, and we keep getting bumped. If we are filled with coffee, coffee will spill out. If we are filled with tea, tea will spill out. Getting bumped is inevitable. If we want to change what spills out of us, we have to work to change what’s inside us.” - Glennon Doyle, Untamed 


BODY: What am I building in my life that is taking longer than I want it to? "Allow yourself to be both a masterpiece and work in progress." 


PURPOSE: What are you needing permission to pursue that would add to your life? I used to have a fear-based to-do list, and I didn't dare do anything outside of my designated duties and responsibilities for fear of judgement (which was really coming from myself). Learning to add space for creativity and things that nurture my soul was a life-changing shift that serves me and everyone around me.

Sep 23, 202026:25
S2 E12: Creation: One Dimension at a Time

S2 E12: Creation: One Dimension at a Time

Understanding how we create is crazy powerful because it opens up possibilities for our life that we might not have realized was possible. Being creative is having the ability to think new thoughts. It's something we are all capable of. Wether we want to create something tangible like a project or we want to create a different life experience, either way we are using the same creative power to think new thoughts. Here's how it works, one dimension at a time:

MIND: Start with your thoughts. Creation begins in the mind (it's one-dimensional). It might be an idea, a belief, an identity shift, as well as desire. This is the most significant part of all creation, therefore our energy and attention is arguably best used in this space.

BODY: Deepen your intention through your body. This is where we go two-dimensional, and begin to take our thoughts into the physical world through writing them down, making plans, or simply shaping our thoughts into words and sentences. This is where details begins to become more real, and the "ball" is starting to really roll.

PURPOSE: Practice and celebrate the little wins! Once we have 2D plans, the next phase (if we have really done all the thought-work and have the desire and the feelings all up and going) is for the result to manifest in the physical world. This is the really fun part where we see the results of our work in the 1D and 2D world. Even small wins are to be celebrated!

Sep 16, 202026:03
S2 E11: Deepening Discomfort: Courage

S2 E11: Deepening Discomfort: Courage

MIND: I can transform my fear into courage.

If you find yourself fearful to try anything that might take courage, know that it's not only possible to shift the feeling inside you, but there's also a huge internal pay-off if you do.  

BODY: I can transform my fear into courage through excitement.

If you think about it, fear and excitement actually feel very similar in the body. If we are experiencing fear and want to have courage, one way to shift it is to get curious about how it might be exciting instead of scary. Using music or movement or posture to get really present in the body helps us to act more skillfully and move into the courage it takes to do the thing that we want to do.

PURPOSE: I can transform my fear into Courage through trust.

Trusting in your intuition, your Heavenly Help, and faith in a plan that is set up for your success, can make all the difference in shifting our fear into courage. There is safety for each of us. There is hope and possibility; we just have to have the desire and the belief to move in the direction of progress.


Sep 09, 202028:29
S2 E10: Deepening Discomfort: Empathy

S2 E10: Deepening Discomfort: Empathy

Today we are talking about why you might want to choose this kind of discomfort in your life, the difference between sympathy and empathy, and how this skill adds depth and fullness to our lives. Here's the three takeaways to help you become confident in choosing empathy:

MIND: assume the mantra "I can handle this." 

Often we avoid getting into this powerful emotion because it's uncomfortable and inconvenient, and we choose sympathy instead so we can move along with our day. Choosing to experience empathy requires intentionally choosing discomfort, and giving ourselves the time and space to be there, instead of moving along to the next thing. 


BODY: Breathe into the discomfort. 

This is the exact same tool that people inherently go to when we experience physical pain (stubbing a toe, passing a kidney stone.... you know what we mean), but when it comes to emotional pain, we generally default to a form of avoidance, because we can. Rather than avoiding the uncomfortable emotions, if we choose to breathe into them and actually experience them in the body, we gain the capacity to feel and experience and process, which becomes something sacred, especially when shared.


PURPOSE: Focus on expanding love.

The Savior is our example of this. In John 11:35, "Jesus wept." He wept with Mary and Martha as they grieved the passing of their brother Lazarus. He knew the outcome (He was about to raise Lazarus from the dead), and yet he experienced the grief right alongside them. He didn't try to talk them out of it or offer advise. He felt with them.  As we practice loving and accepting ourselves (knowing who we are, just like the Savior knew who He was), we gain confidence in our ability to feel-- feel compassion and acceptance and love for ourselves as well as for others. This ability is an expansion of love.

Sep 02, 202032:46
S2 E9: Connecting with Your Spouse (or anyone, honestly)

S2 E9: Connecting with Your Spouse (or anyone, honestly)

Wether or not you have a spouse, the principles shared in this episode can apply to any relationship that is important to you. Listen to hear each of these takeaways in detail (there's so much more  in the full episode)!

MIND: Connect like it's all you (because it is).

The feeling of connection comes from what's going on inside our own minds, not from how other people treat us or behave etc. Wether or not our spouse is behaving in ways that make it easy for us to feel connected, it's still an option available to us through our thoughts; we can use our imagination to find compassion and understanding, we can access gratitude, we can find the ways we are more alike that we thought (like noticing that we are both doing what we think is best).

BODY: Play together! 

Adding levity and playfulness helps our energies feel cohesive and aligned. "Laugher is the shortest distance between two people."

PURPOSE: View marriage as an opportunity for growth. 

No other relationship requires the same degree of vulnerability, compassion, and continual repentance and forgiveness. It's the one relationship where if we are open to it, we can see the most clearly who we are being.

Aug 26, 202032:30
S2 E8: Connecting with Friends

S2 E8: Connecting with Friends

Today we discuss lots of reasons why we may struggle to connect to friends, and some ways to make our experiences with each other so much better. The takeaways from this episode are:

MIND: Accept them as they are. Don’t try to change them. Don’t prove them wrong. Don't have an agenda or expectations. (Lose all the "shoulds.")

BODY: Show Up. Be Seen. Be involved in some way - physically show up to support. (Attend an event, drop by for a visit, go for a walk, listen, ask questions.) Make time to nurture relationships. Support. Encourage. Share in their joy.

PURPOSE: “Mourn with those that mourn.” The scriptures don't say “give a pep talk to those that mourn” or “try to help them feel better.” It says to mourn. We are supposed to MOURN. We are supposed to feel discomfort together. Imagination is the way to compassion for things we haven’t experienced.

Aug 19, 202045:12
S2 E7: Connecting to Yourself

S2 E7: Connecting to Yourself

Most of us identify or feel connected to ourselves through one of two things-- what we do and how we feel. This is understandable but can also be problematic because it builds our sense of self on shifting ground. If our sense of worth or sense of self is tied to what we or to wether or not we have positive emotions, we will find undue hardship when those two things inevitably change through life circumstances. 

Today's three takeaways to help build our sense of self:

MIND: Empty your thoughts onto paper. 

Gaining awareness of what is going on inside our minds helps us understand more our role in our experiences, and ultimately helps us to choose more intentionally who we are being in any given moment.


BODY: Have a conversation (or ongoing dialogue) with your body. Maybe write it a letter, and let your body write a letter back to you.

If we can think about our bodies as our partners or our allies, it's much easier to offer them support, that in turn allows our bodies to support us more fully.


PURPOSE: Give someone the gift of you. 

Each of us has a unique soul, and the worth of souls is great. The most generous gifts we can give or receive is the gift the fills the hunger for human  connection. 

Sharon Eubank quote: "If we change our perspective so that caring for the poor and the needy is less about giving stuff away, and more about filling the hunger for human contact, then the Lord can send us someplace... and remember that in the same way as the Savior, you yourself are one of the best gifts that you can give to other people in need."

Aug 12, 202043:19