The Daily Ascent

In today's episode, I'm talking about why it's okay to need help — even when you're the strong one. I share a story about how easily we forget that the people who give the most often need help too — and how asking for support is actually one of the most honest, human things we can do. We'll explore why strength isn't about doing it all alone, how humility opens the door to grace, and how rememberi...

In today's episode, I'm talking about the difference between helping and fixing — and how discernment turns giving into true compassion. I share the story of a well-intentioned moment when I almost organized a meal train for my friend Michelle — only to realize that she didn't need it. What she needed was presence and honesty. We'll explore how to recognize when our desire to help is actually anxi...

In today's episode, I'm talking about how a simple reframe can soften everyday overwhelm and open the door to a more grounded, empowered way of meeting your life. I share the story of bringing my full, human swirl to my coach, Jayne, and the reminder that sometimes the shift we need is not in the situation, but in the way we're holding it. We'll explore how a change in belief can change your exper...

In today's episode, I'm talking about the lifelong journey of healing the parts of us that learned to shrink. I share a story about growing up as the fat kid, how those wounds still whisper in new rooms, and the surprisingly emotional moment when karaoke brought up all my old fear - and all my new boldness. We explore self belonging, identity expansion, and what it means to rewrite the story of wh...

In today's episode, I'm talking about the kind of old grief that rises out of nowhere and asks to be felt. On Veterans Day I found myself pulled into a wave of sadness about losing my father at age three. A friend's loving response opened something deep inside me and reminded me that healing follows truth, not time. We explore emotional recovery, spiritual growth, and how permission can soften old...

In today's episode, I'm talking about how to stop sending worry - and start sending love. I share the story of a friend who was spiraling in fear for her son and how a single line from Tosha Silver's Outrageous Openness changed everything about how I see worry, love, and the energy we send to the people we care about most. We'll explore how worry and love carry different frequencies, what it reall...

In today's episode, I'm talking about what happens when heartbreak meets service — how turning your love outward can become the very thing that heals you. We'll explore how self-centered pain softens when we reach for connection, how generosity refills rather than drains us, and why giving — especially when you feel empty — brings you back to life. Question to carry into your day: Where could you...

In today's episode, I'm talking about the permission to rest — how letting yourself stop, even briefly, can open the door to healing, balance, and grace. I share the story of my friend Michelle, who finally gave herself the gift of a break during our monthly IntenSati class — and what it taught me about control, help, and humility. We'll explore how letting go of "doing it all" can become an act o...

In today's episode, I'm talking about the kind of grief that surprises you — the kind that arrives even when you think you've already "processed" it. I'll share what happened after a recent breakup, why grief humbled me in ways I didn't expect, and how being honest about my shame and vulnerability helped me reconnect with myself. We'll explore how grief and love are intertwined — and why tendernes...

In today's episode, I'm talking about the art of receiving — and how letting in love, help, or abundance can sometimes be the hardest spiritual practice of all. I share a story about my amazing assistant Kathy, and how her generosity became a mirror for the parts of me that still resist being helped. It reminded me that receiving isn't weakness — it's sacred balance. We'll explore how to soften th...

In today's episode, I'm talking about the power of leading with heart — how sharing your truth honestly and courageously can connect even the most divided spaces. I share the story of Congressman David Trone, who turned his grief into purpose and united Congress around the addiction crisis by speaking straight from the heart. His story reminded me that we don't create change by convincing people —...

In today's special Thanksgiving episode, I'm talking about vulnerability — the quiet, brave kind that shows up when we stop pretending and start telling the truth. I share the story of saying yes to an expensive weekend trip because I wanted to be liked, then avoiding the truth for months — until I finally sent a shaky voice memo that changed everything. We'll explore how vulnerability, especially...

In today's episode, I'm talking about the spiritual power of presence — how witnessing instead of fixing can be one of the most healing acts of love we can offer. I share the story of a client who was so overwhelmed by the suffering around her that she was hurting herself through food — until she realized that witnessing was even an option. It changed everything. We'll explore how presence isn't p...

In today's episode, I'm talking about the power of perseverance — how to stay open when life humbles you, and how to turn humiliation into humility. I share the chaotic, funny, and (yes) mortifying story of The Daily Ascent's first launch and the deeper lesson it taught me about being seen in your humanness and not giving up. We'll explore how courage, humility, and self-compassion are the real fo...

In today's episode, I'm talking about what happens when love gets tangled with ego — how even our most caring relationships can stir up fear when we're not chosen or needed in the way we expect. When Molly's best friend decides to hire a babysitter instead of asking her to stay with the kids, she's hit with a wave of hurt — and a surprising lesson about what love looks like when we stop gripping a...

In today's episode, I'm talking about one of the most powerful shifts we can make — the moment we realize that what feels like darkness might actually be our rise. I share a story about a brunch with my longtime spiritual advisor, Francesca, who helped me reframe a time of deep uncertainty in my life. What I thought was a dark hallway was actually an ascent — and her words changed the way I see gr...

In today's episode, I'm talking about the sacred and humbling experience of being forgiven — what happens when shame meets empathy and we finally let ourselves be seen. We'll explore the courage it takes to tell the truth, the healing that comes when we stop running from our mistakes, and how forgiveness — especially when it's offered to us — can dissolve shame and bring us back into connection. Q...

In today's episode, I'm talking about the fear of success that can appear just when life starts moving forward. This episode explores spiritual growth and what it really means to trust the process when expansion feels uncomfortable or overwhelming. We'll look at how to get out of your own way, meet growth with faith instead of fear, and remember that the stretch is proof you're evolving. Question...

In today's episode, I'm talking about those moments of spiritual growth when life looks perfect on the outside, but something inside feels off. I share how I went searching for a burning-bush kind of miracle — the big training, the faraway teacher, the five-figure mastermind — only to find the real answer was small, tender, and right in front of me. We'll explore how receptivity helps us move from...

In today's episode, I'm talking about what real strength looks like when your body asks you to stop. We'll explore the journey from treating our bodies as enemies to learning to cooperate with them, and why honoring your limits isn't weakness - it's wisdom. Sometimes healing doesn't look like pushing through; it looks like the humility to walk when others run, to leave early, to choose integrity o...

In today's episode, I'm talking about one of the most overused phrases in spirituality - "It's all happening for a reason" - and how we can reclaim it in a deeper, truer way. We'll explore how this saying can sometimes become a spiritual bypass - a way of tidying up mystery or avoiding pain - and how to instead expand our definition of what "for me" really means. Because sometimes "for me" looks l...

In today's episode, I'm talking about the practice of noticing the small moments of safety and peace that help us regulate when the world feels like one long trigger. We'll explore how our nervous systems search for safety in all kinds of ways - from food to scrolling to control - and how recognizing "glimmers," a concept from Deb Dana's training in Polyvagal Theory, can bring us back to gratitude...

In today's episode, I'm talking about one of the hardest lessons for helpers and healers - how to love others without losing yourself. We'll explore the difference between caring and caretaking, why overgiving often comes from fear, and how including yourself in the circle of care makes your love steadier, kinder, and more sustainable. Question to carry into your day: Where in your life are you ov...

In today's episode, I'm talking about what happens when something that started from the heart starts to feel heavy — and how choosing smaller, slower, and simpler can actually open us to the biggest kind of freedom. We'll explore how ego can sneak into even our most soulful projects, why "making it big" isn't always the answer, and how letting go of control can bring back joy, connection, and ease...

In today's episode, I'm talking about the quiet power of alignment — those moments when your head, heart, and actions finally agree. We'll look at how easy it is to make choices from fear or scarcity (especially around money), what it feels like when you act from truth instead, and why peace is the best sign that you're right where you're meant to be. Question to carry into your day: Where in your...