The Karen Kenney Show

On this episode of The Karen Kenney Show, I talk about what it really means to have the courage to be loved.

By taking a look through the lens of the one-and-only Dolly Parton’s life, legacy, faith, humor, and big-hearted generosity.

I share how Dolly managed to be wicked authentic, outspoken, and spiritually grounded!

All while still being one of the most beloved humans on the planet (a recent poll out of UMass Lowell gave her ...

On this episode of The Karen Kenney Show, I talk about how the internet has trained ​so many people to believe that every thought ​they have deserves a comment, ​their ​opinion, or a post​...

And why that ​shit doesn’t ​really fly in real life.

I ​t​ell a ​couple of stories about unsolicited opinions (​given both online and in person)​ and the emotional impact they can have​ on the receivers.

I​ also share how ​you can start usi...

My guest today is legendary, bestselling author Steven Pressfield, who's known for his work on creativity, self-discipline, and how to overcome the inner force of what he calls, "capital R" - Resistance.

He’s written 25 books including the wildly popular - The War of Art, Turning Pro, Do The Work, and Put Your Ass Where Your Heart Wants to Be - which have influenced tons of successful writers, thinkers, artists and entrepreneu...

On this episode of The Karen Kenney Show, I talk about what I call spiritual roadmaps - those​inner ​"TripTiks" that help us ​to move from where we are ​-to​- where we really want to be​.

I share a​ story about driving cross-country with ​one of those old-school, highlighted, AAA paper maps and how that kind of customized route is wicked similar to spiritual mentoring, coaching, and doing your own inner work.

We dive into why ​readin...

On this episode of The Karen Kenney Show, I talk about why it’s so important to come to your own conclusions - instead of blindly believing what the so-called social media influencers, armchair experts, critics, or even your loved ones say.

I share a fun story about going to see Christopher Nolan’s new movie The Odyssey, and how the internet lost its mind with opinions about it.

From there, I dive into the dangers of on...

On this episode of The Karen Kenney Show, I talk about what happens when we walk through life with only one “tool”.

Which is usually our default reactions like - anger, shutting down, the silent treatment, judgment, or trying to fix everyone but our damn selves – and how that keeps our world and our relationships wicked small.

I tell a story about my love for Swiss Army knives and Leatherman tools when I was a kid a...

On this episode of The Karen Kenney Show, I​'m exploring ​​what it means to “talk​ to younger you” ​- by ​l​ooking through the lens of Internal Family Systems (IFS) and “parts work”. (#notatherapist)

I also ​tell a story about a middle-of-the-night moment where I woke up ​heard myself say, “I’ve got you,” ​several times and how that ​sparked a deeper conversation about exiles, protectors (ma...

On this episode of The Karen Kenney Show, I talk about what I call “the conveyor belt” in our relationships.

That sneaky belief that we’re somehow more evolved, more spiritual, or doing “more work” on ourselves than our partner or the people around us.

I get into how, if we're not careful, this mindset can create hierarchies of “specialness”, insidiously erode connection, and block the love f...

In this episode of The Karen Kenney Show, I talk about the ​"missing pieces​" in our live​s.

Not just the painful things that happened to us​, but ​also the love, protection, ​witnessing, or tenderness ​that we didn’t get​, ​but should have.

W​e get into how that silent absence ​of what was missing, can become its own kind of ​not often talked about trauma.

I share about a recent death in ​t​he family​ and why I’m ​sad abo...

On this episode of The Karen Kenney Show, I talk about what it really means to “hold on loosely, but don’t let go” - not just in our relationships with others, but in how we treat ourselves.

I share stories about a band, baby birds and bugs, a fantastic new book, and my own body - to explore why over-controlling, pushing too hard, and demanding “magic fixes” can actually slow down our healing.

We dive in...

On this episode of The Karen Kenney Show, I talk about what it really means to “worry a little bit” - especially about the people in your life who always look like they’ve got their shit together.

I tell a personal story about being considered the “strong one” and why those folks often don’t get checked on.

I also share why asking a simple, “Hey, how are YOU doing?” - can actually mean ...

On this episode of The Karen Kenney Show, I talk about 6 powerful things that my therapist, Daphne Rose Kingma, taught me back when I was in my 20’s and living in California - that totally changed how I relate to myself and other people.

I share the story of finding an old journal from my early yoga teacher training days and the little “love note” cards Daphne wrote for me that have stayed with me for nearly 30 yea...

On this episode of The Karen Kenney Show, I talk about how to stop abandoning yourself.

Self abandonment shows up in lots of ways, like:

When you say yes when you mean no (like going out even though you're exhausted), or by people-pleasing, joy sucking perfectionism, and always putting yourself last.

If you’re ready to build better boundaries, deepen self-trust, and practice more self-compassion, then this episode of The Karen K...

I recently overheard a conversation (yeah, there’s no denying it - writers are serial eavesdroppers) - where someone was struggling with a previous verbal commitment they had made.

They'd given their word to someone about something… but then the facts and situation changed, and they were grappling with what to do.

I’m paraphrasing - but they said something like, “I gave my word, but now that relationship and ...

Do you ever just catch yourself feeling a little extra cranky, nitpicky, or just sort of over it… even though nothing is technically wrong?

Yeah, me too. 🙋🏼‍♀️

It occurred to me the other day (as I was falling asleep) that maybe I could use a little "attitude adjustment". 😳

And I'm pretty sure that that’s exactly what sparked this week’s episode of The Karen Kenney Show where I share a simple practice that came t...

On this episode of The Karen Kenney Show, I talk about what it really means to make a positive contribution in your life - especially when you’re feeling stuck, scared, or like you’re falling behind.

I share a little bit about working on my memoir and why author Ryan Holiday says that chasing word or page counts can backfire, and how shifting to small, doable daily actions can change everything.

We revisit Kaizen (continu...

On this episode of The Karen Kenney Show, I talk about why simply showing up for the people you love - matters more than you might think.

I share the story of my first-ever art exhibition (eeeek!), the friends who showed up to surprise me there (“We got you, Motherfucker!” 😆), and how that moment healed an old part of me that had gotten used to “going it alone.”

We dive into what I call your “Balcony Pe...

On this episode of The Karen Kenney Show, I talk about the powerful difference between sympathy, empathy, and compassion and why it matters in how we move through the world.

I share a personal story about my mixed media art piece that I created for “The Mothership” Exhibition - in honor of my mother on the 45th anniversary of her murder - and how watching strangers interact with my work revealed, in real time, the shift ...

On this episode of The Karen Kenney Show, I talk about what it really looks like to say yes before you’re ready… even when your nervous system is wanting to hold out for certainty.

I share the wild, kismet kind of story of how I unexpectedly ended up invited into my very first art show, “The Mothership,” and why I said yes - even though I had no piece made, no plan in place, and a whole lot of self-doubt.

I w...