To The Heights

Send us Fan Mail We make a case for play as a missing piece in strong, healthy family relationships, especially when life feels stressful and relationships feel strained. We share how to create fun without turning every gathering into a fixing session, and why joy can be both healing and holy.  • why families who laugh together tend to gather more often  • the difference between play time and prob...

Send us Fan Mail We explore why strong family relationships matter so much for happiness and flourishing, especially as more families face division and estrangement over differences. We share two research-backed habits that keep families connected over time: tolerating disagreements and choosing forgiveness.  • the rise of family estrangement and disconnection over beliefs, politics, lifestyles, e...

Send us Fan Mail We sit down with Teresa Matters to talk about finding peace when life feels chaotic, from divorce and grief to daily overwhelm and anxious spirals. We share how Catholic mindset coaching helps us manage our thoughts, invite Jesus into real moments, and move from fear toward clarity and freedom.  • Teresa’s background as a lifelong Catholic mom and coach  • Walking through divorce,...

Send us Fan Mail Regret has a way of sneaking into the quiet moments, replaying old conversations and parenting decisions like a loop you can’t turn off. I’m Sharon Murphy, a certified life and mindset coach, and today I’m speaking directly to mothers, especially moms of adult children, who feel the weight of “I should have done it differently” and wonder if it’s too late to make things right. We...

Send us Fan Mail Procrastination is not a character flaw or a laziness problem, it is often our brain’s way of avoiding an uncomfortable emotion. We break down the real cost of delay and share simple, practical steps to rebuild self-trust through action.  • procrastination as avoidance, not lack of discipline  • the short-term relief that creates long-term stress  • how broken promises to ourselve...

Send us Fan Mail Grief doesn’t disappear when you “accept” it and if you’ve ever felt overwhelmed by emotions you can’t name, you’re not alone. I’m joined by Catholic coach Emily Adams, who shares how six pregnancy losses reshaped her life and ultimately led her to help women and teens build emotional resilience grounded in Christ’s love and mercy. We talk honestly about what it feels like to carr...

Send us Fan Mail We name the quiet shift happening inside families where Gen X parents and Gen Z adult kids use the same words but mean totally different things about love, loyalty, respect, and boundaries. We hold both sides with compassion and talk about how to stay emotionally healthy without turning family relationships into something fragile and disposable.  • why many families feel careful,...

Send us Fan Mail Life feels heavy sometimes, and I remind you that hard seasons are not proof something has gone wrong. I share a faith-centered perspective that helps us accept life as a training ground, pray with honesty, and learn to hold hard and beautiful together.  • noticing how “life should be easy” thinking sets us up to panic  • changing perspective after confession and remembering earth...

Send us Fan Mail We unpack how instant answers train us to rush toward fixing and judging, and why that habit quietly erodes connection. We practice using one simple word, why, to replace assumptions with curiosity so our relationships feel safer and more understood.  • the hidden cost of information overload on reflection and attention  • how quick conclusions turn into assumptions about motives...

Send us Fan Mail Your adult child is coming home and you’re genuinely happy… so why does your body feel that quiet, low-grade stress? The real struggle usually isn’t the dishes, the food, or whether they pick up after themselves. It’s the mental spiral: Do I say something up front and risk awkwardness, or stay silent and risk resentment in my own home? I walk through a real coaching scenario where...

Send us Fan Mail The fastest way to lose closeness with your adult child is often the most innocent: trying to help by correcting, explaining, or proving your point. When I hear moms say, “I’m not controlling, I’m guiding,” I believe them and I also see the fallout. Those conversations can leave you feeling tense, unsettled, and confused about why connection feels harder than it used to.  We dig i...

Send us Fan Mail Denise Jelinick joins me to reclaim self-care as something holy, simple, and deeply Catholic rather than selfish or indulgent. We talk about boundaries, guilt, and the practical habits that help us stay peaceful and present in our real lives.  • self-care through a Catholic lens as stewardship of the body and mind  • the five P’s rule of life: prayer then person then partner then...

Send us Fan Mail We’re in a big transition when our kids become adults, and it can leave us wondering what our role even is anymore. We name four common “mom modes” that steal peace and share practical mindset shifts that help us show up with more trust, grace, and calm.  • The shock of moving from active parenting to guiding adults  • The anxious protector pattern and the love vs fear pause  • Re...

Send us Fan Mail I got back from spring break feeling refreshed and ready to dive back into real life and then I walked into my house and saw everything differently. The shower tile. The refrigerator drawer. The laundry room. Nothing “became” dirty while I was gone. I just finally had enough space to see what had been there all along. That moment sparked a bigger question: what else do we miss sim...

Send us Fan Mail We talk about the tension of lying awake worried about our adult kids while our husband seems calm, and how that can make us feel alone and pressured. We reframe what his “lack of concern” may mean and practice a calmer way to respond so we can be peaceful, grounded, and present.  • common differences in how mothers and fathers process concern  • the meaning we attach to his calm...

Send us Fan Mail I talk about why we can feel “triggered” and react instantly in parenting and family conflict even when we’re determined to stay calm. I break down nervous system regulation so we can bring our thinking brain back online, lead with peace, and create safer connection at home.  • why our reactions can feel instant and out of our control  • how the nervous system scans for danger bef...

Send us Fan Mail We explore why parenting triggers hit so hard and how the story in our mind creates the emotion we blame on our kids. We use a simple CBT based coaching model to help us choose peace, protect our relationships, and stay grounded in faith when our children make choices we do not control.  • the difference between circumstances and interpretations  • the coaching model: circumstance...

Send us Fan Mail We unpack why unsolicited advice, even when loving, often lands as criticism and pushes adult children away. We share a practical path to move from director to trusted influencer through listening, validation, consent, and emotional self-awareness. • the hidden impact of unsolicited advice on trust • intention versus impact in mother–adult child talks • what adult children actuall...

Send us Fan Mail Ever caught yourself whispering “Is it just me?” and feeling that sting of loneliness that follows? We dig into why our minds latch onto that question, how it quietly fuels isolation, and what to say instead so you can think clearly, act wisely, and feel supported. Drawing on coaching conversations with women navigating phones, church, sports schedules, and the pressure to get par...

Send us Fan Mail Ever notice how “I’ll start when I feel ready” quietly turns into never? We’re celebrating a full year of weekly publishing with ten hard-won lessons about choosing courage over comfort, plus a bonus that changes how we lead at home and at work. From battling resistance that looks suspiciously like reorganizing the laundry drawer to recording on the road with imperfect gear, Sharo...

Send us Fan Mail We explore why so many responsible, capable people slip into a quiet drift and how small, intentional practices restore clarity, purpose, and faith. Sharon shares simple questions, mindset shifts, and gentle steps to move from managing life to designing it. • defining drifting as reactive, comfortable living that dulls purpose • signs of drift in work, marriage, friendships, and p...

Send us Fan Mail What if the moment fasting feels hardest is the moment you’re closest to freedom? We sit down with Catholic weight loss coach Denise Jelinek to unpack why cravings spike, motivation dips, and self-judgment roars right when we try to detach from food, screens, wine, or the bathroom scale. Denise shares her journey from secret bingeing and shame to a surrendered, grace-led approach...

Send us Fan Mail We explore gluttony as modern overconsumption and show how temperance restores clarity, margin, and freedom across body, mind, and soul. Practical tools, gentle mindset shifts, and a simple invitation help us trade excess for peace as Lent approaches. • defining gluttony as excess used to seek comfort or escape • links between gluttony and sloth in a comfort-rich culture • how emo...

Send us Fan Mail Anger doesn’t only shout. Sometimes it slips in as a clipped tone, a snarky reply, or the tightness that creeps into your chest after a long day. We take an honest look at wrath as a habit—and why reacting feels easier than responding—then map out a practical path toward patience that actually holds under pressure. Sharon shares a vulnerable “Old Yeller” parenting moment, not to h...

Send us Fan Mail We explore sloth as more than laziness and show how diligence restores purpose, peace, and spiritual clarity. Practical tools, honest language, and simple habits help you move even when you don’t feel like it. • defining sloth as resistance to rightful effort • distinguishing rest from avoidance • faces of sloth: laziness, negligence, apathy, effeminacy, acedia • why lukewarm fait...