Below The Circle

Are you chasing success, or are you running from the pain you have not named? In this honest and deeply personal episode of Below the Circle , Dr. Phyllis invites you to look at the “buffet” of life, where titles, roles, achievements, and endless yeses can start to feel like proof that you are enough. Through her own story of high achievement, imposter syndrome, betrayal, leadership pressure, COVI...

Why does slowing down feel more terrifying than the burnout already wearing you down? In this heartfelt episode of Below the Circle , Dr. Phyllis speaks to the woman who keeps pushing, serving, leading, and holding everything together while quietly feeling empty inside. She names five fears that keep women stuck on autopilot, including the fear of losing identity, being replaced, appearing weak, l...

What if the life you’ve been searching for is right below you, but you’ve been too busy circling to see it? In this powerful opening episode, Dr. Phyllis speaks to the woman who is exhausted from always showing up for everyone else while feeling disconnected from herself. Using the image of a pilot stuck in the same sky, she explains how many women live on autopilot, calling it strength while quie...

What if the woman everyone depends on is not the real you? In this heartfelt episode, Dr. Phyllis speaks to women who have spent years being strong, dependable, and needed, yet feel disconnected from themselves. She explains how constant performance can become a place of safety, while slowly burying your true desires, joy, and identity. Through honest reflection, a personal story, and the truth of...

What happens when staying busy becomes the only way you know how to function? In this episode, Dr. Phyllis unpacks the pattern so many of us live in without questioning. We keep moving, managing, and showing up, but rarely slow down enough to actually feel our own lives. Over time, constant motion starts to feel normal, and stillness begins to feel uncomfortable. This conversation gets to the root...

Have you ever caught yourself asking, is this really where I’m supposed to be? Or do you keep moving forward simply because it feels easier than stopping? Some seasons are spent reacting instead of pausing, seeking fulfillment in roles and routines that never truly feed the soul. Decisions stop being brought to God, and life runs on auto pilot, letting habit guide the way. Repeated outcomes often...

What happens when you realize you’ve been living on auto pilot? In this episode, Dr. Phyllis shares her personal story and draws a powerful connection to the story of the prodigal son. It’s an honest look at what it feels like to drift, to lose sight of who you really are, and what it takes to come back. She opens up about the moment she knew something had to change. The moment she realized that i...

In this episode, Dr. Phyllis shares a deeper look into her personal journey of breaking out of autopilot and reconnecting with her true self. She opens up about the pressure of trying to live up to the idea of the Proverbs 31 woman, focusing on what that looks like from the outside while never really considering what’s happening internally. There’s so much emphasis on her attributes and how she’s...

In this episode, Dr. Phyllis talks about what it really looks like to move forward when you feel stuck. Not through big, overwhelming changes, but through small actions that actually build momentum. If you’ve been avoiding your next step or sitting in overthinking, this is your reminder that enough is enough. We can’t let our thoughts run the show. At some point, you have to shift your focus from...

In this episode, Dr. Phyllis shares her experience of realizing she had been living in a state of emotional autopilot. While managing the many roles and responsibilities of life, she found herself feeling disconnected and unsure how to step off the constant treadmill of expectations. Our conversation explores how easily parents can become overwhelmed by responsibilities and begin operating on auto...

Clutter is not always about being messy or disorganized. Sometimes it is a signal that something deeper is asking for our attention. In this episode, Dr. Phyllis talks about the connection between clutter and avoidance. The overflowing inbox, messy closet, or tasks we keep putting off can often point to emotions we have not slowed down enough to face. Instead of seeing clutter as a failure, she en...

Feeling isolated is easy, and sometimes it seems like you’re the only one facing life’s challenges. But what makes life meaningful are the small moments of connection. You don’t have to say much to make a moment matter—sometimes just showing up is enough. In this episode, Dr. Phyllis shares how intentionally reaching out to others can transform relationships and create lasting bonds. She walks us...

Have you ever felt like life is just rinse and repeat? You wake up, move through the day, go to bed, and do it all over again. It can feel like you’re circling the same runway, never quite taking off. In this episode, Dr. Phyllis shares a recent experience that made her pause and pay attention to what was really happening around her. Sometimes we move so quickly through our routines that we stop n...

In this episode, Dr. Phyllis reflects on what she describes as God’s wake up calls. She shares about a season when she was moving quickly, focused on doing all the right things and being the kind of mom she believed she should be. In the middle of that pace, she began to realize that God had been gently signaling that something needed to shift. Sometimes those signals are subtle. A sense of unease...

In this episode, Dr. Phyllis explores what it means to remain rooted rather than rattled when others do not understand your decisions or the season you are in. As priorities shift and life changes, standing firm without external approval can be challenging. Drawing from her own experiences, Dr. Phyllis emphasizes the importance of developing deep roots that provide stability and clarity, even when...

Ever feel like life has slipped into autopilot and you’re just getting through the day? This episode is a reminder that surviving doesn’t have to be the baseline. Thriving can start with small, intentional shifts. We talk about the importance of continuing to learn and staying curious, finding moments of laughter as a way to release pressure, and allowing emotions to move instead of holding everyt...

In this episode, Dr. Phyllis joins us to explore what happens when faith, exhaustion, and the pressures of real life all show up at once. You can be faithful, tired, and frustrated at the same time—and still lead with love. We dive into the importance of authentic presence and why growth and transformation aren’t about perfection. It’s about showing up as your real self, allowing yourself to feel...

In this episode, Dr. Phyllis explores what happens in the space between the urge to say yes and the decision to follow through. She shares a personal story from her caregiving role, along with an unexpected lesson that came from caring for her dogs. What began as small, reactive moments turned into a deeper realization about how often we move straight from impulse into action without checking in f...

As the new year begins, this episode is an invitation to pause. Dr. Phyllis shares why she made the intentional decision to slow down instead of adding more. Less running around. Fewer new responsibilities. More space to tend to her own health and to simply live, grow, and experience life as it unfolds. We talk about what happens when you stop worrying about what other people think and start liste...

In this episode, Dr. Phyllis explores the shift from living on autopilot to stepping into agency and trusting God with your next step, especially when the path forward feels unclear. She reflects on her years as a physician, the fear she experienced when retiring, and the realization that medicine was not her final destination. Stepping away required more than belief. It required action, surrender...

In this holiday episode, Dr. Phyllis explores the idea of presence over performance, especially for high achieving Christian women who feel pulled into “Martha mode” during the holidays. She shares how the pressure to host, fix, and keep everything running smoothly can crowd out meaningful connection. Drawing from her own experiences as a physician and coach, Dr. Phyllis reflects on how problem so...

In this episode, Dr. Phyllis talks about something many people struggle with: being kind to themselves when they fall short. So many people are juggling a lot while still showing up with a smile, acting like everything is fine. But mistakes happen, plans fall apart, and things do not always go the way we expect. Dr. Phyllis shares a personal story about being late and openly admitting she had a lo...

In today’s episode, Dr. Phyllis talks about something we all need more of in our day. A pause. She opens up about what it has looked like to be in the thick of caregiving, how much growth has come from this season, and how it pushed her to take an honest look at herself. She shares how slowing her life was never the answer, but slowing the moment was. Dr. Phyllis walks through a story from her own...

In this episode, Dr. Phyllis invites you to pause and look at your alignment—not just your schedule, but the way you’re moving through life. When you choose presence on purpose, even in small pockets of time, you start to see where you’ve been running on empty and where God is nudging you back to center. She shares a recent moment when she reclaimed a few hours in her week and realized how much a...

Life can feel overwhelming when you’re juggling a lot and running on auto-pilot. In this episode, Dr. Phyllis shares a moment that shook her and helped her realize the importance of being fully present. Presence is where strength is restored, and God sees every moment you choose to slow down rather than just push through. Dr. Phyllis shares three ways God renews you in the hard places. First, spir...