To The Heights

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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 as a training ground 
• naming real hard things like grief, health worries, and family stress 
• accepting life as 50-50 so we stop assuming disaster 
• praying for relief while also a...

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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 and character 
• why understanding deepens relationships more than fixing 
• why questions that uncover fear, pain, unmet needs, and deeper desires 
• how to ask “why” with the right tone so it invites connecti...

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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 a mom braces for a two-week visit from her son, daughter-in-law, and grandkids. The details are familiar to so many of us: shar...

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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 into the heart of “You Can Have Peace Or You Can Be Right” and why being right is rarely about facts and more about priorities in...

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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 parent then provider 
• why moms skip “person” and how that creates burnout 
• the difference between authentic sacrifice and people-pleasing 
• how serving and fixing can become a way to avoid...

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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 
• Releasing control through trust and a short prayer of surrender 
• The guilty reflector pattern and choosing grace over rumination 
• Making amends when ne...

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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 simply because we are too close to it? 

We take that idea beyond home routines and into the places that matter most. I talk...

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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 and how it fuels loneliness 
• awareness versus urgency and why urgency creates tension 
• the trap of seeking validation so we can feel relief ...

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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 before we can think 
• regulated state versus survival state in relationships 
• fight responses like arguing lecturing defending and criticism 
• flight responses like avoiding changing the...

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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, thought, feeling, action, result 
• why the same event produces different emotions in different people 
• how anxious thoughts lead to withdrawal, control, preaching, and pressure 
• how these react...

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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 actually seek from parents
• shifting roles from authority to mentor
• the three-step framework: listen, validate, ask
• reading body language and respecting no
• checking your emotional state before speaking
• choosing connection over be...

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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 parenting right, we unpack the deeper need for belonging that sits beneath the surface of everyday complaints.

We explore how the brain reacts when it senses you’re an outlie...

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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, Sharon pulls back the curtain on what it really takes to build momentum and keep going.

We unpack why confidence shows up after the reps, not before; how comm...

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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 personal life
• why we drift: overload, fear of disruption, gratitude confusion
• fixed mindset versus growth mindset and why it matters
• four reflection questions to regain agency
• living with intention: align choice...

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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 that honors both neuroscience and the soul, and she explains how to recognize spiritual attacks without fear or drama.

Across our conversation, we map five common traps—intensified crav...

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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 emotional eating, binge scrolling, and overspending mimic drunkenness
• why temperance creates financial, time, and physical margin
• pillars of temperance: sobriety, fasting, continence, restraint, control
• practical steps: boundaries, fasting from one com...

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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 heap shame, but to show how awareness and small choices can transform the emotional climate at home.

We break down the many faces of anger...

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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 faith harms discernment and desire
• costs of sloth: regret, lost confidence, stalled growth
• diligence as steady stewardship, not striving
• perseverance, dedication, fortitude, resilience, toughness
• routines, accountability, prayer, and remembering your w...

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We explore why humility sits at the root of spiritual growth and how pride quietly fragments our lives. Practical tools, scripture, and real habits show a path toward character that influences home, work, and community with integrity.

• defining virtue as habit and vice as distortion
• culture of self-promotion contrasted with holiness
• catechism insights and the aim of becoming like God
• beyond avoiding sin toward practicing virtue daily
• faces of pride: ambition, presumption, vanity, stubbornness, pretension
• marks of humility: do...

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We explore how fast, confident decisions reduce anxiety and create momentum, from the chaos of new-parent choices to the pressure of big life moves. We break down six practical skills to defeat decision fatigue, stop stalling, and choose from hope rather than fear.

• modern choice overload and why time feels faster
• decision fatigue from constant micro choices
• the high cost of indecision and self-doubt
• the myth of right vs wrong when both align with values
• choosing from hope and desired outcomes
• setting deadlines and building criteria lists
•...

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Resolutions fade when they’re built on pressure instead of purpose. We offer a calmer way to start 2026: five simple questions that reveal what to release, what to keep, what to learn, what to explore, and what to create more of. Rather than chasing another crowded checklist, we guide you to a reflective reset that aligns with your values, faith, and season of life.

We begin by naming the hidden costs of post-holiday stress and why January promises so often collapse by February. From there, we map a practical life audit ac...

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We explore how old home videos exposed the tiny choices that shape family memories and identity. As holidays approach, we choose presence over perfection and practice small habits that turn chaos into connection.

• series focus on who you are across hustle, waiting, and memory
• cozy family night triggers a home video deep dive
• forgotten details reveal mood, tone and micro-moments
• noticing impatience and missed bids for attention
• why small gestures carry long emotional weight
• practical ways to choose presence at gatherings
• imagining a red light to guide respo...

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We explore how waiting is a neutral space shaped by our thoughts, from holiday lines to life’s bigger delays, and how Advent invites expectant joy over impatience. Practical reframes and preparation steps turn delays into growth in relationships, home, work, and faith.

• waiting seen as neutral time shaped by thought
• examples from checkout lines, traffic, and a four-hour theme park line
• impatience, annoyance, and frantic urgency traced to specific thoughts
• reframing toward empathy, trust in timing, and expectant joy
• preparation during waiting for relationships, marriage, home, and work

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We open a three-part December series by naming the holiday hustle and offering a path to peace. We reframe stress by shifting thoughts, set kinder boundaries with family, and build simple practices that protect joy, gratitude, and presence.

• emotions arising from thoughts rather than events
• replacing have to and should with choose to
• trying on supportive thoughts for calm and agency
• listing obligations that drain energy
• honest conversations with spouse and family
• prioritizing what truly matters and calendaring it
• keeping prayer, movement, sleep, and hobbies
• daily gr...

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We explore ten unexpected places where thanks took root, from back surgery and Wisconsin winters to thrift choices, long road trips, and a peaceful goodbye at a father’s bedside. The conversation invites you to pan out, reframe hard memories, and practice deeper gratitude with intention.

• lessons from back surgery on compassion and health
• rhythms and beauty of Wisconsin’s four seasons
• stewardship, thrift, and modeling money wisdom for kids
• road trip chaos turning into family legacy and lore
• the grace of a peaceful death and presence at the bedside...

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We explore why life’s messiness catches us off guard and how shifting expectations and practicing surrender build true resilience. Stories from family, work, health, and finances ground a simple two-part framework to move through hardship without blame, guilt, or panic.

• redefining hidden expectations about “how life should be”
• common stressors across family, work, money, and health
• the childbirth analogy to normalize pain with purpose
• avoiding blame, shame, and comparison that compound pain
• resilience through mindset shifts and trust-filled surrender
• hope without doom, boundaries without becoming a doormat
• ho...

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We explore how play opens the heart, wonder opens the eyes, and awe opens the soul, weaving stories, science, and faith into a simple path back to joy. Practical steps help us slow down, laugh more, and meet God in ordinary beauty.

• laughter on the lake and the freedom of aging lightly
• clear definitions of play, wonder, and awe
• how play leads to wonder and wonder matures into awe
• why adulthood replaces curiosity with efficiency
• imitation thrills versus nourishing delight
• childlike faith as purity of heart, not immaturi...

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We reflect on a missed moment with a student and uncover how assumptions, vague labels, and fast advice block real connection. Practical scripts show how clarifying questions deepen understanding at home, at work, and in faith conversations.

• the problem with assuming shared definitions
• how labels replace facts and distort meaning
• simple clarifying questions that open people up
• shifting from advice to curiosity for connection
• examples for kids, partners, and coworkers
• using reflection to repair missed moments

If you have any questions or would like to go deeper...

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Ever try to shame yourself into a habit only to feel stuck and tired? We explore why guilt can force short-term compliance but rarely creates the deep, steady motivation that sustains prayer, health, and order. Drawing on a faith-centered lens and practical psychology, we unpack how curiosity and acceptance become catalysts for lasting change—and how that same posture can transform the way we motivate our kids, spouses, and teams.

We start with a relatable morning misstep and use it to reveal the inner scripts that keep us stuck: shoulds, harsh se...

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We explore why overwhelm is a thought problem, not a schedule problem, and how to shift into calm through mindset, boundaries, and simple tools grounded in faith and practicality. We share reframes, stories, and steps to help you choose the next right thing with peace.

• defining overwhelm as an emotion created by thoughts
• personal story of survival mode and powerlessness
• hidden causes: perfectionism, people pleasing, “it’s all on me”
• lack of priorities, negative self-talk, unmanaged mind
• faith lens: focus on one thing and let go
• mindset reframes t...

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We explore the quiet ways spiritual warfare shows up in daily life and how to respond with truth, intention, community, and hope. We name four common tactics—deception, diversion, division, and discouragement—and offer practical, faith-filled counters to each.

• the Four D’s of spiritual warfare and why awareness matters
• how subtle lies distort identity and God’s character
• practical ways to root yourself in Scripture and sacraments
• why busyness is a strategy and how to choose silence
• repairing unity with humility, forgiveness, and community
• spotting shame’s pull and run...

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We draw a clear line between self-doubt that questions ability and self-judgment that attacks worth, then offer tools to break both cycles. We share a simple framework—pause, identify, replace—to help you build courage, practice compassion, and take steady action.

• difference between doubt (ability) and judgment (identity)
• how they show up as procrastination, perfectionism, and shame
• why courage reduces doubt and compassion disarms judgment
• collecting small wins and borrowing belief for confidence
• reframing with curiosity and “I wonder” language
• prosecuting harsh thoughts and shifting to growth
• the pau...

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We explore why peace feels scarce in a fast world and how to build lasting inner stillness through prayer, mindset, and simple daily choices. We share practical tools for family conflict, future uncertainty, and perfectionism, and invite you to choose one practice this week.

• defining peace as more than calm circumstances
• scripture’s promise of unshakable peace
• common peace stealers: overthinking, perfectionism, comparison
• disconnection from God as a root cause
• prayer and surrender as daily anchors
• thought management that changes emotions
• grounding practices to settle the body
• b...

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We explore one of the simplest yet most powerful principles for living a meaningful life: showing up consistently for yourself and others. The quality of our relationships and personal growth depends not on grand gestures or perfection, but on our willingness to be present when it matters most.

• Showing up means being present - it doesn't require perfection or having everything figured out
• The power of showing up was demonstrated when family members supported each other during marathon races
• You can't consistently show up for others if you're not first...

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We explore the balance between creating and consuming in our lives, examining how modern lifestyles often tilt toward overconsumption and the resulting impacts on our fulfillment and growth. This episode challenges listeners to evaluate their own balance while offering practical strategies for incorporating more intentional creation and mindful consumption.

• Creating means bringing something into existence—cooking, writing, gardening, or sharing knowledge
• Consuming means taking in—food, information, products, or media
• Both activities are necessary but become problematic when significantly imbalanced
• Overconsumption leads to stagnation, keeping us comfortable but unfulfilled<...

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We explore how our relationship with the future shapes our present and discover ways to find purpose in every season of life. The key is balancing present awareness with purposeful vision for tomorrow, rather than constantly waiting for the next phase to bring happiness.

• Your perspective changes as you "climb the mountain" mentally, emotionally, and spiritually
• Small decisions today create ripple effects that shape your entire future trajectory
• Different areas of life may evoke different feelings about the future (excitement vs. anxiety)
• Life will always be 50-50 - challeng...

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Sharon Murphy, certified life and mindset coach, explores the transformative power of living in the present moment and how it creates a foundation for peace and purposeful action.

• Being stuck in the past or anxious about the future robs us of our power in the present
• Like a hiking map that marks "You Are Here" rather than where you've been, our focus should be on our current position
• Past trauma deserves healing, but we must choose what meaning we assign to our experiences
• Mindfulness is not "woo-woo" but rather t...

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Are you trapped in stories from your past? That painful conversation from years ago, the mistake you can't forgive yourself for, or even those "better times" you wish you could return to? This episode dives deep into how our thoughts about past experiences—both traumatic and wonderful—can keep us from fully experiencing our present lives.

When we continuously revisit past hurts or disappointments, we're not just remembering them—we're actively recreating those emotional experiences in our present moment. Each time we think those familiar thoughts, we strengthen the neural pathways that m...

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Do you start enthusiastic projects only to abandon them weeks later? Feel repelled by rigid schedules despite knowing structure helps achieve goals? You're not broken—you're wired differently.

This episode challenges the one-size-fits-all approach to discipline that dominates personal development culture. For those who thrive on variety, spontaneity, and excitement, traditional productivity systems often feel like straitjackets rather than tools for success. Instead of viewing your distractibility as a character flaw, I invite you to see it as pointing toward your natural strengths.

The tendency to seek novelty and ex...

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Have you ever desperately wished for a do-over in life? That childhood plea of "I want a redo!" still echoes in our adult lives when we fall short of our expectations. While true redos aren't possible, something more powerful is: the reset button.

Just as IT professionals suggest restarting your device when things malfunction, we too can restart our minds, habits, and intentions at any moment. This episode explores how summer's carefree nature gradually eroded my carefully constructed routines and disciplined habits from January. Rather than dwelling in disappointment, I'm choosing...