Below The Circle

This month Dr. Phyllis is doing something meaningful for National Family Caregivers Month with a three part series, and today’s episode is the second conversation in that series. Dr. Phyllis leans into a topic that so many people overlook when they are stretched thin and overwhelmed. Your attitude and the heart posture God calls you to hold on to in the middle of hard seasons. When life feels heav...

When life feels heavy and the days start to blur together, it’s easy to slip into survival mode without even realizing it. In this episode, Dr. Phyllis shares encouragement for anyone walking through a difficult season and wondering how to keep believing when life feels too much. God meets us in the hard places not to break us but to restore us. Faith is easy to talk about when things are going we...

You might notice something different about the podcast—new name, new season, new energy. Welcome to Awake and Aligned , where Dr. Phyllis guides you to step out of auto-pilot and start living fully present in your life and purpose. In this episode, Dr. Phyllis shares her own journey of being out of alignment and what it taught her about living awake. Purpose isn’t about striving or checking off bo...

We all have those days where nothing goes according to plan and life feels messy and out of rhythm. But what if those moments are not setbacks, but invitations to shift your focus? In this episode, Dr. Phyllis reminds us that sometimes the most spiritual thing you can do is keep showing up. It is not about being perfect, it is about being persistent. She shares how she had to let go of perfectioni...

When life feels heavy, our heads naturally bow. Our shoulders tense, our hearts race, and we try to push through. But what if the most sacred thing you could do in that moment isn’t to keep going — it’s to pause and look up? In this episode, Dr. Phyllis invites you to take what she calls a  holy pause  . A simple act of releasing control and reconnecting with peace. She shares her person...

Ever felt like you’re doing all the right things, serving, praying, showing up, and still feel spiritually tired? Like your faith is running on autopilot? You’re not alone. Many of us find ourselves moving through the motions, doing for God but forgetting to simply be with Him. In this episode, Dr. Phyllis shares what happens when faith becomes performance driven instead of presence filled. She ta...

Have you ever sat down, ready to rest — maybe with your coffee and Bible in hand — and before you know it, you’re scrolling through your phone, your mind already chasing the next thing? You wanted peace, but somehow ended up feeling more restless. In this episode, Dr. Phyllis opens up about a struggle so many high-achieving women face: wanting stillness but finding it hard to stop. She shares how...

Have you ever woken up already exhausted, wondering how you’ll make it through a day that feels heavier than the one before? Have you ever felt like you’re walking in the shadows, carrying more than your soul can handle, and wondered if God even sees you there? Dr. Phyllis shares a deeply personal message about walking through the valleys of life and leaning on God’s presence when the weight feels...

​​In this episode, Dr. Phyllis opens up about navigating a season of life that looks very different from what she once imagined—balancing the care of a loved one, managing her household, stepping into retirement after decades in medical practice, and tending to her own personal and spiritual growth. With so many demands pulling her in different directions, she’s faced the reality of an ever-growin...

Ever feel like a past season of life was wasted? On this episode of the Own Your Yes Podcast , Dr. Phyllis reminds listeners that nothing is ever wasted when a yes is placed in God’s hands. What felt like a detour, delay, or dead end may actually have been preparation for a future breakthrough. Dr. Phyllis shares a story about a dying key fob battery that became a powerful example of how past “fai...

Have you ever walked into a room and immediately wondered if you belong there? In this episode, Dr. Phyllis shares how embracing your God-given worth allows you to show up confidently—without waiting for anyone else’s validation. She takes you through her personal story of feeling out of place and the moment it clicked: belonging isn’t about permission; it’s about recognizing the value God has alr...

What if the stories that once held you back could actually become stepping stones toward healing and growth? In this episode, Dr. Phyllis shares how rewriting old narratives doesn’t require a grand moment—sometimes it starts with something as simple as trying avocado toast after decades of avoidance. Through her personal story, Dr. Phyllis shows how small acts of courage, curiosity, and self-compa...

Ever notice how heavy life feels when everything on your list turns into a “have to” ? I have to get up early. I have to go to work. I have to make dinner. I have to take care of everyone else. When life is framed this way, it can start to feel exhausting and joyless. In this episode, Dr. Phyllis invites you to flip the switch —to shift from living in obligation to living with opportunity. Instead...

Life doesn’t always go as planned, and it’s so easy to get stuck in frustration, discouragement, or regret. But joy isn’t something you have to wait for—it’s something you can choose today. In this episode, Dr. Phyllis shares how to say yes to joy and gratitude, even in the middle of the chaos. She talks about what it looks like to anchor yourself in joy when everything feels overwhelming, how to...

In this 100th episode, Dr. Phyllis explores the truth that joy is not found in perfectly executed plans, but in presence, purpose, and flexibility. Drawing on decades of experience in medicine, personal reflections, and wisdom from her late mother, she shares how to release control and adopt a “flex and flow” mindset that creates space for authentic joy—even when life goes off-script. Through stor...

​​In this episode, Dr. Phyllis dives into a powerful message about the difference between good intentions and purposeful action. She explores how good intentions, while well-meaning, can sometimes pull us away from our true purpose—especially when they start to drain our energy, disrupt our finances, or take us off course. Dr. Phyllis shares how to honor your good intentions without letting them o...

In this episode, Dr. Phyllis opens up about her personal journey from constantly running on a treadmill of doing, achieving, and chasing the next crisis—toward a life that feels more peaceful, grounded, and fulfilling. She talks about the moment she realized work is just a means to an end, not the core of her identity, and how learning to slow down changed everything. When we’re always striving, w...

You can be loyal and still feel lost. Faithful but unfulfilled. Stuck in something that once felt right—but now just feels heavy. In today’s episode, Dr. Phyllis is talking about the quiet discomfort of staying in a role, relationship, or responsibility that no longer fits. When your “yes” begins to drain you instead of energize you, it may be time to pause and ask: Is this still aligned with what...

Have you ever felt completely drained—even while doing everything “right”? You’re showing up, checking all the boxes, and still feel off. Dr. Phyllis calls this what it is: depletion. But depletion doesn’t always come from doing too much. It often comes from giving too much to the wrong things. We slowly get pulled into other people’s priorities, needs, and timelines—sometimes without even realizi...

You’re the hero in everyone else’s story… but somewhere along the way, you became a ghost in your own. In today’s episode, Dr. Phyllis is sharing a message that so many women need but rarely give themselves permission to hear: You are allowed to matter in your own life. When you spend your days caring for everyone else—your family, your team, your friends, your community—it’s easy to forget that y...

Dr. Phyllis speaks to the woman who’s craving real connection but feels guarded after being let down, overlooked, or even wounded by past friendships. When trust has been broken, it takes courage to open up again. But staying isolated only deepens the ache. Dr. Phyllis invites listeners to look honestly at their relationships and ask: Who is in my inner circle? Are these friendships rooted in fait...

Presence doesn’t show up on its own—we have to create it. That’s something Dr. Phyllis knows deeply, both personally and professionally. In this episode, she shares why making presence a daily priority is one of the most powerful shifts we can make in our lives. For a long time, Dr. Phyllis was going through the motions. Life felt like a loop—autopilot routines, passive days, and that quiet questi...

Guilt can be subtle, but its impact is heavy. It clouds discernment, distorts priorities, and often pushes people into cycles of overdoing. It convinces high-achieving women that more effort means more value. But God never asked for hustle. He asked for trust. Dr. Phyllis reminds us: Presence begins where guilt ends. Letting go of what God didn’t assign makes space for peace, clarity, and joy. Tru...

“Let it go.” “Shake it off.” “Don’t let what they said get to you.” We’ve all heard these lines. Maybe we’ve even said them to ourselves. But what happens when the words don’t bounce off? When they actually stick—and quietly start shaping how we see ourselves? Dr. Phyllis unpacks the unspoken agreements we make with hurtful words. The ones we don’t even realize we’ve internalized. Maybe someone at...

When Dr. Phyllis started this podcast, she didn’t have all the answers or perfect timing. What she had was a tug on her heart—a quiet knowing it was time to begin, even without feeling fully ready. Now, after 90 episodes, one truth stands out: progress begins before perfection. Many believe they must wait until everything is perfect. But showing up in the mess moves you forward. Dr. Phyllis’s jour...