Best of Ourselves

Life with uncertainty can feel like riding a seesaw with a 1000-pound gorilla—hope one moment, despair the next. In this episode, I share how “widening the lens” through simple practices like breathing, noticing beauty, or reaching for connection helps us find a space of grace. Resources Living in Uncertainty Should Shower Resilience or What? The post BOO487 – Widening the Lens appeared firs...

Resilience isn’t about being tough — it’s about living the “both/and.” When life brings hard news, can we let sorrow and joy share the same moment? In this episode, I reflect on how we adapt, what keeps us present, and why resilience might mean, as Joseph Campbell said, “joyfully participating in the sorrows of the world.” Resources Living in Uncertainty The Should Shower The post BOO486 – R...

The Should Shower  💦 Ever find yourself standing under a downpour of “shoulds”? I should be doing more. I should be feeling more. I should be… well, different than I am. In this week’s episode, I share what it’s been like navigating my husband’s health crisis while my inner critic offers constant commentary — and how I’m learning to step out of the should shower long enough to find what’s ac...

Life has a way of reminding us that uncertainty is the only thing we can count on. This week’s show is raw and real — no tidy answers, no “5 easy steps” — just what it’s like to live through sudden change and not know what’s next. As Pema Chödrön writes: “We think that the point is to pass the test or to overcome the problem, but the truth is that things don’t really get solved. They come together...

Conversations about race and other uncomfortable subjects require us to do our own work, to build capacity in ourselves to listen to learn. Resources The Mindtrap of Rightness Podcast Resmaa Menakem Interview The post BOO483 – Encore – Building the Capacity for Uncomfortable Conversations appeared first on Marcia Hyatt .

It was a retreat I will never forget. It was a precious time of connection and growth.  It reminded me of a core truth, we are all “Walking around shining like the sun.” Resources Grounded Presence Healing the Inner Divide The post BOO482 – Encore – Shining Like the Sun appeared first on Marcia Hyatt .

I recently came across a photo of myself as a Brownie—standing straight in my uniform, with this tight little smile on my face. I wasn’t carefree or joyful. I was trying hard to get it right. Even back then, I had already learned how to shape myself to be acceptable—to be “good.” Good as in quiet, helpful, not too much. I became a chameleon, tuning into what others needed and editing myself to fit...

It is important to find a way to take a stand for love and at the same time face our own shadows.   Resources Understanding Our Shadow Implicit Association Test – About Implicit Association Test – Take the Test The post BOO480 – Encore – Facing Hatred appeared first on Marcia Hyatt .

“What I think you should do is…”  These words are often intended to be helpful but may miss the mark. Resources Moving from Judging to Encouraging Listening Between the Words The post BOO479 – Encore – Advice on Advice appeared first on Marcia Hyatt .

Silence can be a refuge—or a hiding place. In this episode, we explore the ways silence shapes our inner and outer lives: when it helps us respond with clarity, and when it becomes a way to withhold our truth. What happens when we stay silent to stay safe? And what’s the cost of leaving our voice unheard? With reflections and a powerful quote from Audre Lorde’s daughter, this show invites us to li...

In this episode, the show takes a hard look at the power of words—how they shape our relationships, our communities, and the world we co-create. We challenge the old saying “sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me,” because we know that words do hurt—and they can also heal. From middle school memories to the courage of John Lewis, we explore how easy it is to mirror hate...