Teresa is making her way through her backlog with the help of her daughter. James is having some struggles at work and he’s using mindfulness to help him navigate it. We talk about what mindfulness is and some ways to develop it in just a few minutes a day.

James had a rough week at work, but his conversation with Vicki Beeching for the Poema podcast turned him around. (Hi Vicki! Thanks for listening!) Teresa is feeling a little shaken up after we lost Kate Spade and Anthony Bourdain. We explore the interaction of faith, suicide, and mental illness and the messages that are sent. We get a little Christian-y in this episode because it is such a personal topic for us.

Teresa is starting to feel better about everything. She’s figuring out a path to getting back on track and getting more excited about her book coming out. James is doing some writing about mental illness and church and feels good about that, but he had a panic attack at work. He’s rethinking his professional life and getting some guidance on it, and realizing that he’s tied his identity up in his work. His experiences inspire us to explore the topics of identity and vocation.

James realized that he’s struggling with a minor bout of depression and Teresa is struggling to rediscover her motivation and get back into her regular groove. We run with these topics and explore the sources of motivation and how to get it back when you’re struggling.

James is having a decent week at work, and is realizing that busy-ness can be a cover for difficult emotions. Teresa is getting caught back up on her life after finishing the website and dealing with a major shoulder problem. She’s really excited about seeing her new book in person! We talk about loneliness, a topic which is especially dear to James.

Teresa got the new website launched! She’s also stepped back from writing and social media and wrestling with burn out. James is making some plans and working his way through some plans. Creatively, though, he’s struggling. Join us as we explore the topic of burn out and how to overcome it.

James had another good week. He got back to writing a bit and is feeling good. Teresa, however, is yawping. She is ready to be done with creating the new Wounded Birds Ministry website and having the project in her rearview mirror. She’s feeling burned out, but can see the finish line in front of her. This week, we talk about what it means to be a Highly Sensitive Person and some of the ways this diagnosis impacts lives.

James and Teresa have both had some struggles this past week. Teresa’s battling with feeling overwhelmed and prioritizing her work, and James has mindset struggles. We talk about perfectionism, what it looks like, and some tips on challenging it.

We all hear that the avenue of success is to “be authentic,” but what does that really mean? How do you know when you’re not being authentic? This week, we explore what authenticity is and why the advice is so prevalent.