Burnout doesn’t always show up as exhaustion—it can appear as impatience, numbness, or a heart that quietly tightens to get through the day. In this episode, Marcia Hyatt reflects on recognizing her own signs of burnout while navigating her husband’s medical care and life’s constant demands. Through the image “It’s hard to hold hands with a tight fist,” she explores how stress can close us off and how gentleness, awareness, and small acts of care can help us soften, recover, and reconnect—with ourselves and those we love.



Resources



Breathe



Living in Uncertainty

Building our capacity to observe ourselves, builds our capacity to grow and change.  It can be uncomfortable to wake up to our the ways we limit ourselves.  And if you do, the quality of your life changes.



Resources



Freeing Ourselves From Our Stories Podcast



Tuning In Vs Changing the Channel Podcast



Anthony DeMello

How much do we share — and with whom? In this week’s Best of Ourselves episode, I explore the fine line between privacy and authenticity… and what it means to let a little more light in through the cracks in our lives.



Resources



Help, Please: Lessons From An IKEA Box



The Should Shower

Life doesn’t come in neat categories of good or bad. In this reflection, I explore how staying open to the mystery can transform how we meet whatever arrives.



Resources



Living in Uncertainty

We are stronger when we work together.  Reflections on finding community all around me.



Resources



Habits of the Heart by Parker Palmer



Full Parker Palmer Interview



Power and Love show on building community



How to Call a Circle by Christina Baldwin

Some Assembly Required.Turns out that’s not just a warning on an IKEA box—it’s a reminder about life. In this week’s show, I confess to my habit of saying “We’re fine” when we’re really… not. From sleepless nights to bolts and Allen wrenches, I discovered that asking for help isn’t weakness—it’s actually a gift to both giver and receiver.



Because maybe the real self-care isn’t doing it all ourselves, but remembering we were never meant to—life is always better assembled together.



Resources



Living in Uncertainty



Kindness Changes Everything

I used to think “living one day at a time” meant glowing serenity. But lately it looks more like noticing my cranky, overtired self and walking her home before she has a meltdown. This show explores the messy, human side of being present in the moment.



Resources



Living With Uncertainty



Resilience or What

Creating art has been shown to support healing. It has been shown to reduce loneliness, anxiety and mood disorders.  Art and beauty have also been correlated with reduced need for pain medication an reduced recovery times.  We all have access to this powerful and fun way to grow and heal.



Resources



What Have I Mythed? Stories for Reflection



Art and Healing Foundation



The Art of Healing

In this episode, I share how unexpected gestures of kindness have touched me more deeply than I ever imagined. From potatoes harvested to simple words of encouragement, these acts have softened old walls around my heart. Together we’ll explore how the heart opens—not by force, but by tending the conditions of worthiness, courage, and compassion.



Resources



Kindness in Action



How to Open the Heart by Jeff Foster



Taking a Stand for Kindness

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?

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 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 actually true for me.



We talk about:🌧 The tug-of-war between productivity and permission🌧 Why outside advice can sometimes drown out our inner knowing🌧 One simple question that can help you cut through the noise🌧 How grace can wash away the shoulds



If you’ve ever felt like you can’t get it “right” no matter what you do, this one’s for you.



Resources



Living in Uncertainty



Identifying the Inner Critic



Disengaging from the Inner Critic

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 and they fall apart. Then they come together again and fall apart again. The healing comes from letting there be room for all of this to happen: room for grief, for relief, for misery, for joy.”




If you’re navigating your own uncertain world, I hope you’ll find a little companionship here.

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

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

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 the part. And for a long time, that worked. Until it didn’t.



In this episode, I reflect on how those early survival strategies—being the pleaser, the fixer, the peacekeeper—can leave us feeling disconnected from our truest selves.But it’s not about shame or blame. It’s about noticing. And softening.And beginning to choose something different.







Resources



Grounded Presence



Acceptance



Tuning In V Changing the Channel

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

“What I think you should do is…”  These words are often intended to be helpful but may miss the mark.



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Moving from Judging to Encouraging



Listening Between the Words

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 listen deeply—to ourselves and to the world—and speak what’s waiting to be heard.



Resources



Words Matter



Using My Voice

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 and how radical it is to respond from love. The episode invites reflection on how we use our words—especially when tensions rise—and what it means to stay grounded in our values.



Call to action:Notice your words this week. Are they building bridges or walls? Choose one moment—just one—where you pause, breathe, and speak from your better nature. That’s how we begin to shift the world.



Resources



Kindness in Action



Creating Stories of Kindness



Grounded Presence