Finding Joy in the Hard

Do you find that you're feeling more impatient lately? Have you ever asked yourself where are you rushing to? In today's episode, Suzanne shares a story of waiting in line at a French café and how she found herself getting more and more impatient — despite not needing to get anywhere. She shares how she settled herself, other common examples of where impatience shows up, what we can do a...

Is there something you're yearning to do — a dream that maybe others think is a little crazy, but you know you have to do it anyway? In this episode, I share how to go for it, using an example of my own: the beginning and ending of the foundation I started in honor of my little boy Christopher. Over 16 years, we worked with over 1000 kids! We touched and were touched by 10 times that number. ...

What led you to say yes?  Recently a mentor asked me – what was it that had you say yes to living in Seoul, Korea when it wasn’t common to do so. Fun? Curiosity? Intuition? A call? For me, it started with a high school internship, a decision my parents made (without my consent) and one moment in a room at the Blue House in Seoul where a Korean student said something I couldn't argue with — an...

Are You Putting Yourself First? If that question made you cringe, this episode is for you. I share a small but revealing moment from my own week — a meeting, a 15-minute ask I wouldn't let myself make, and what happened when I got to campus anyway. It's a story about how quickly and automatically we abandon our own needs without even realizing it. In this episode: Why putting yourself fi...

When Annie lost her brother Ben to a suicide bomber in 2009, she went to a bookstore looking for a book about sibling grief. She couldn't find one. So she wrote it. Always a Sibling: The Forgotten Mourner's Guide to Grief is a practical and compassionate guide for one of the most overlooked groups in grief — the sibling. In this episode, Annie shares: The story of her brother Ben — his s...

Would You Talk That Way To A Friend? You know that voice in your head — the one that says "that was so dumb" or "you said too much." But would you ever say that to a friend? In this episode, Suzanne walks you through a simple but powerful experiment to help you become aware of your inner critic — and start replacing it with something kinder. Because the way you speak to yoursel...

Do you ever wake up feeling agitated, heavy, or triggered — and can't figure out why? In this episode, Suzanne shares what she discovered after waking up unsettled one morning: the culprit wasn't stress or worry. It was a TV series she'd been watching the night before. What follows is an honest, relatable exploration of what it means to be someone whose nervous system absorbs the em...

I recorded this episode literally from my car right after an all-day Feng Shui Art Workshop — still in the energy of it. Here's what I discovered: judgment isn't something to shame yourself for. It's a signal. A clue that your nervous system is feeling unsafe, closed off, or resistant to something new. I also talk about what happens when beauty is still developing — how messy and di...

Some days are harder than others. They can start to seem all of the same. But this simple message is a reminder that today will be amazing because you are in it.  Be well.  And remember you are so much stronger than you think you are.  The information presented on this podcast is for educational purposes only and is not intended to diagnose or prescribe for any medical or psychological condition,...

In this episode, I share a real-life moment from a cold winter morning — a missed phone call, unexpected traffic, and the familiar urge to spiral. Instead of bracing, I practiced something different: breathing, noticing, and staying in the moment. This episode explores: How the body often braces before the mind starts spiraling Why familiar patterns of worry and fear feel so automatic How to inter...

Most of us don’t think we complain very much — until we actually pay attention. In today’s episode, I share what I discovered when I started noticing my own complaints, and why these seemingly small moments matter more than we realize. Complaining isn’t just a habit — it creates a subtle contraction in the body that makes it harder for joy to land and stay. You’ll hear: why we rarely notice when w...

In October, I said goodbye to a very special part of my life—the foundation I created in honor of my little boy, Christopher. This episode is different. I recorded our closing celebration on my phone that night, not knowing exactly why—only that it mattered. What you’ll hear is the magic of that evening: voices, laughter, reflection, and what becomes possible when we honor an ending instead of rus...

Our habits often consume us more than our wants do. We stay up late, scroll, tell ourselves "just a few more minutes"—even when we'd rather go to bed. It sounds simple to just stop, but our habits feel like they have a mind of their own. That's because many of our habits once helped us. They soothed our nervous systems, which is why they're so hard to break. For me, stayin...

Whatever you might be feeling this Christmas - it’s okay.  And it might be different than what your mind is telling you.   I wish you a blessed day.   The information presented on this podcast is for educational purposes only and is not intended to diagnose or prescribe for any medical or psychological condition, nor to prevent, treat, mitigate or cure any such conditions. 

That was me this morning.  I was driving to meet family for a holiday breakfast about an hour away. The roads were covered in snow – from last night’s storm – and the visibility wasn’t great.  I missed a few turns, and it felt like I was driving in circles as the GPS tried to autocorrect. Panic set in, and my heart rate picked up. But before i could go too far into story, I paused and reset knowin...

Today is the anniversary of my dad's death - December 4th. And I have felt off all day long - only I didn't make the connection until about 20 minutes ago. I may feel fine mentally, but physically my body feels the loss. It's really quiet incredible.  In this episode, I share a sweet story about how my dad helped me in difficult time and also how we need to meet ourselves wherever w...

Some days even coming up with what you’re grateful for feels like too much effort. If that’s you today - listen to this.   The information presented on this podcast is for educational purposes only and is not intended to diagnose or prescribe for any medical or psychological condition, nor to prevent, treat, mitigate or cure any such conditions. 

Thanksgiving holds so many feelings — missing and love, joy and sadness, longing and gratitude. I created this Thanksgiving meditation to help you feel supported, grounded, and held in whatever rises for you.  Inside, you'll be guided through gentle breath, presence, and a reminder of the love and support that surrounds you, both visible and invisible. And if this meditation brings you a litt...

Have you ever thought about it? It's okay to admit. It's actually very freeing and we give ourselves a break. We don't have to figure everything out. Admitting we sometimes get tired of being with ourselves is a form of disassociation - in a good way.  Once we recognize it and admit it to ourselves, we don't have to escape via distraction. We can choose that direction if we wan...

So much of the judgement we receive comes from our own head. In this episode, I recorded while driving—because I just had to share it—I explain how when we're in the present moment - fully in the present, we can be mindful and kinder to ourselves. It's when we go unconscious, that a younger version of us starts to judge our actions.  The information presented on this podcast is for educa...

Not the space in your home but the space in your mind, in your schedule.  Do you give yourself a chance to ponder, explore or dream? Do you allow yourself to sit and do nothing and simply receive the gifts from God.  Or do you leave just enough time to get somewhere so you can do one more thing? I'm not judging you. I do this too. But after meditating one morning, I had the aha what if I don&...

What if you don't have to understand?  Our minds want to make sense of everything - that's what minds do. But sometimes we don't have to understand.  In this episode, I share how my not needing to understand helped me in a stressful situation.  Our mind chases answers - any answers - to find a solution. But our mind can only draw answers from our past or lack - our past experiences...

Whatever loss or unexpected life change you might be going through right now - remember you are stronger than your worst fear.  Often we tell ourselves, we won't survive. We can't do it. We won't make it.  But if you're listening to this, you are doing it. You are so much stronger than you think you are. In this episode I share with you a short story on surviving my worst fear....

A lot of us worry or fret about what might happen in the future. We try to figure out in our heads how we'll get through it.  Here's the thing we can't think our way through a future fear.  We have no idea where we'll be, what our circumstances will be like or even if it will come to fruition.  In today's episode, I share about something that happened this morning, somethi...

What are you fretting about that won't matter tonight or even later today?  In the moment. it's so hard to decipher. It feels like it will matter always. Some things naturally work themselves out, e.g. worrying about being late to a meeting or why someone isn't responding to our message. But other times, we stay so attached to the worry or concern that it's still with us for ho...