February 24, 2025 • 19 mins
What if embracing life's chaos could actually bring you peace? Join me, Melynda, as I guide you on a quest to find balance and joy amid life's ups and downs. Through personal reflections and spiritual grounding techniques, you'll discover how centering yourself can lead to stability and calm, no matter how tumultuous the times. Whether it's placing a hand on your body to feel your presence or learning from upcoming guests like an author on motherhood or an Enneagram coach, this episode is filled with insights on redefining midlife with grace and understanding.
Let's explore the art of finding joy in the everyday moments that often go unnoticed. Imagine savoring a cup of French press coffee, tending to your garden, or journaling with colorful pens—simple acts that can transform your week by nurturing your sense of grounding and intentionality. By fostering a positive relationship with our bodies and embracing joyful activities, we enhance our ability to contribute meaningfully to others and tackle life's challenges creatively and compassionately. Listen in to learn how embracing these practices isn't merely self-indulgent but a necessary step to maintain the energy and capacity to support those around you.
We want to hear from you! Reach out to us on socials or at emptynestquestpod@gmail.com to share how our conversations are landing with you! xo-Melynda and Jennifer
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Welcome to the Empty Nest Quest, the podcast where we
redefine midlife and embracethe journey ahead.
Join your hosts, jennifer andMelinda, as we share inspiring
stories, helpful hints,entrepreneurial advice and tips
that will have you thriving notjust surviving, during this
transformative time of your life.
Speaker 2 (00:18):
Whether you're approaching the empty nest phase
or already navigating it, we'rehere to support you every step
of the way.
Let's embark on this questtogether.
Speaker 1 (00:35):
Hello friends, welcome to the Empty Nest Quest.
Okay, so it looks a littledifferent today.
It is just me, melinda, as I'msure is true for many of you,
because we hear from you andhear you tell us things like
this when you text us or emailus or we see you in the grocery
(00:55):
store or at school or whereverwe're out and about that this
year has had a bumpy start forsome of us, and that is true for
Jennifer and for me, and so thebeautiful thing about us having
chosen to partner for thispodcast is so that weeks like
this, when we can't both gettogether, we can't both show up,
(01:17):
that one of us can take thelead and come here to speak for
both of us.
So I'm really grateful thatJennifer was able to do that
last week when we couldn't gettogether, and then this week,
some of the things that we spenda ton of time talking about and
(01:39):
I'm sure it comes through inthe podcast is that we're just
in a season of offeringourselves and others a ton of
grace, a ton of mercy, justreally understanding that we all
have things that we're goingthrough and that we need to kind
(02:02):
of honor where each other are,kind of honor where each other
are.
So, with that said, how is yourheart today?
Maybe just put your hand.
Even if you're driving down theroad, don't close your eyes,
but just put your hand somewhereon your body.
It can be on your heart, it canbe on your throat, it could be
on your forehead, it can be likeon your belly.
(02:22):
If you're not driving, you canjust pause and put a hand on
your heart, a hand on your bellyor your sternum, and just take
a breath Just to acknowledge.
Sometimes it's really nice justhow we put our hand on someone
we love, just to say I'm here.
Just put your hands somewhereon your body and remind yourself
(02:43):
I'm here, I'm here, I'm here.
And sometimes it can be helpfulto say like I'm Melinda, it is
February, I am at home in mystudio.
(03:03):
That I love on a Saturdaymorning.
You know you can do that.
Just that is like one of thosegrounding.
It brings you back to your body, out of the anxious thoughts of
your mind.
So today I just wanted to talkto y'all briefly about
especially when things arefeeling a little tumultuous,
(03:24):
about coming back to center andif you really look at like well,
you can look at any faithtradition but like, let's say,
if you look at the bible and youlook at jesus, and he goes to
the mountaintop and he comesback to his quiet, stillness,
solitude, just that, settlingthe silence, and he comes back
(03:47):
to himself, he's centering,right, he's so centered he can't
feel the waves that are aboutto toss the boat over when
everyone else is panicking.
If you look at other practicesthroughout the world that come
they maybe they don't call itprayer, but like they come back
(04:07):
to a place they sit, not modules, but what am I trying to say?
Different types of movement,Y'all my brain perimenopause.
(04:32):
Here we are.
Woo peri just took my brain.
But anyway, you have all thesedifferent styles and these
different philosophies ofexercise and fitness, but all of
them honor this midline, thiscentral channel down the middle
of us, whether it's talkingabout our nervous system,
whether it's talking about ourspine, like the bones of our
spine, whether it's talkingabout the muscles that support
(04:54):
us, coming back to center.
So there's a lot of this likelanguage around balance and
centering and core, and that isall because it is so essential
for us to have this steadinessdown our midline.
And I say steadiness becausethe word you know what is it
with us where we take a word andwe we just dirty it all up.
(05:17):
So this word balance like nowwe're scared to say the word
balance, because we've madebalance equal perfection.
Like you stick it, you know,like you get a 10 out of 10 on
your floor routine.
Okay, no, it's just aboutbalance is usually wobbly, right
, like, try to balance on onefoot, you won't be a statue,
you'll have a little wobble.
(05:37):
And so balance is just aboutbeing present enough.
Centering is about being presentenough that you can feel
yourself, come back to yourselfand notice where you're wobbly
and support yourself so thatthat wobbly place doesn't tip
(05:58):
you over.
And if it does tip you overbecause it will from time to
time you can come back tostanding, come back to center,
come back home to yourselfbecause you know where your
center is.
Yeah.
So for some of you you're like,yes, I know what you're saying,
and some of you are like, girl,I just need something practical
(06:21):
.
That is so woo, woo out there.
So what are some ways to comeback to center?
Feel like that exhale in yourbody, that sense of here I am,
and you kind of feel like thelight can come in.
(06:44):
For some people that you know I,a lot of us what I hear us say
is like oh, we just need to getoutside a little bit, we need
some sunshine, we need, you know, just to cuddle with our pet,
hug someone we love, make surewe get exercise, meditate, get
(07:05):
up in the morning and readsomething that fills our cup
spiritually and reminds us of,like, that not only are we
designed to be devoted, but thatthere is a God that is devoted
to us, like just whatever it isthat you can see that are kind
of those.
Oh yeah, this brings me back tocenter.
This brings me back to centerand then.
(07:27):
So think about that this weekas you go through your week.
Just pay attention, move aroundin the world and being like,
what moved me back to me today?
What kept me present with me?
What helped me not lose myselfwhen I saw something triggering
in the news?
What helped me not lose myselfwhen that person in my life said
(07:49):
the thing that really upset me?
How, how do I stay with myselfinstead of abandoning myself and
like shooting off down all therabbit holes that the external
world will pull us into?
It is so, it is so important nowmore than ever, with all the
distraction and all the waysthat we are pulled in a million
(08:10):
different directions, that weare able to come back to
ourselves.
It's kind of like when you'replaying chase as a kid and
you're running all over the yardand every so often you just do
you remember you'd get so windedYou're like, oh, I just got to
go back and sit on base for aminute so I can catch my breath,
and then I'm going to go catchthose suckers.
So we need to come back to homebase, we need to come back to
ourselves.
(08:31):
So and that is not, that is notlike a self-centered me first,
in a selfish way Y'all we aredesigned.
We are here in this life, inthis body.
This body is your home base,this creation that you get to
live inside of.
(08:51):
That is your body, is your homebase.
Now, do some of us need to dosome remedy repair work with our
relationship with our home base?
Yes, do some of us need to dosome remedy repair work with our
relationship with our home base?
Yes, we do.
And if and if that is you, yes,please, like, choose that,
because the one thing we havefor sure that we will have this
(09:13):
whole life is this body.
So if we could just value theopportunity to come back to
ourselves and then refuel, fillour cups, really take care of
this vessel, then we can givegraciously, we can show up with
(09:35):
energy, we can be creative insolving things that we see as
the problems, like maybe at workor maybe in the way that we
show up, as you know, servantsfor those who need us, when
we're volunteering, when we'rejust seeing like a need and we
(09:57):
want to be able to fill it, wewon't be so tired that we'd be
like, oh, I'd love to takedinner to that family, but I'm
just too tired.
Like if we keep coming back toourselves and refilling our cups
, then we will have that energyto give, so graciousness and
mercy towards yourself, the sameway you give it to others.
And so I just want to proposebefore we go, I just want to say
(10:22):
to you that, yes, there aresome of those things, like the
basics, that we think feel niceto do for ourselves, like, oh, I
love when I can get up in themorning, go for a walk, exercise
, like those are sort of likethose essential, like, of course
you know, but I really want usas women.
(10:43):
And we're going to talk aboutthis again because I feel like
I'm going to say this to you andsome of you are just going to
groan and be like girl who doesthis.
But I'm telling you, when youlook around you and you see
those women that you really loveand admire and you're like,
how's she doing that?
(11:03):
Or you might think aboutyourself I don't know how, in
that one season, I was able tojust be so joyful in my
mothering.
I was so joyful in my work.
I was so joyful in the way Itook care of that loved one.
How did I do that?
Was so joyful in the way I tookcare of that loved one.
How did I do that?
Maybe you were doing somethingthat also took care of yourself,
(11:23):
just out of delight.
So what is it that you're doingin your life that is just for
the fun of it?
You know, what are you doingjust because it brings joy.
Now it doesn't serve any otherpurpose and I would encourage
you to just start jotting thosethings down, like if it's like
oh, I know that, like one of myfriends, she makes herself a
(11:45):
French press coffee everymorning instead of doing the
coffee pot or a Keur and sheloves the taste of it.
She and her husband have like awhole ritual for how they do
their French press coffee in themorning and she's like I just
(12:07):
love when I have the leisure todo that.
It just feels like such a gift.
Okay, little things like thatthat serves no purpose for her
except to get her coffee right,so it's just a little delight.
So for you, maybe it'sgardening, maybe it's that you
just love to like ride your bikewith your child.
It could be you know that youdance with, you know like
(12:33):
nobody's watching.
It can be anything.
But I just encourage you tostart thinking of little things
during your day that you can dojust for the delight of it.
To put those things back inyour day Like.
One thing I do is I just havelike cups of markers, cups of
pens all over my house, journalseverywhere, um, because I just
like to be able to from time totime pick one up, one up, draw,
(12:58):
jot down my thoughts.
I love color on the page, so Ilove to write in like bright
blue or pink or green.
It's so little but it can justdo so much to transform my day.
One example is.
Last week I went to the coffeeshop and I love a coffee shop
where they will give me coffee,serve me coffee in an actual mug
(13:18):
instead of the.
I hate drinking coffee out of apaper cup with a plastic top,
like when I say, like Jenniferand I did a pet peeve episode a
long time ago, this could havebeen one of mine.
I cannot stand coffee out of aplastic cup with or a paper cup
with those plastic tops, cannotstand it Like.
Watch me at the drive-thru whenI get my cup, pour it into the
(13:40):
mug I already have in my car, ifyou know.
You know who else Raise yourhand if you have a mug fetish.
So anyway, I went to this coffeeshop that served me my coffee
in a mug and sat down and I tookmy pens and my journal and read
I'm reading this reallybeautiful book called no Mud, no
(14:01):
Lotus by Thich Nhat Hanh and Iprobably just said his name.
I probably just killed that,sorry, but it is so beautiful.
It's just about how we addressour suffering.
Another book along the verysimilar lines if you are a
Catherine Wolfe fan, catherinehas a book called Treasures in
the Dark.
I'm reading it at the same timeand it is totally similar, and
(14:23):
she has so many examples of herlife story and how, just paying
attention and leaning in andlistening and letting her
suffering be a teacher, then shefinds this like route to
happiness, which is exactly whathe's talking about in his book.
So I just sat in the coffeeshop with these books and
journaled and, um, leisurelyread and it was it literally
(14:48):
like impacted the whole rest ofmy week y'all.
So what are some little thingsyou can do just for the joy of
it?
And it will bring you back tocenter and you will find
yourself then having moreintention, more grounding, more
awareness.
You'll find yourself notdeliberating so much over what
(15:11):
to do.
You'll kind of be able to bestill enough to know your next
step.
So there's such a, there's suchrichness in this practice.
So send your questions, sendyour comments.
If you're like Melinda, yeah,but girl, no, I this, this is a
(15:31):
problem for me.
I want to hear from you.
So does Jennifer, because thisis just something we talk about
over and over again.
Y'all heard Jennifer on one ofour last episodes.
She and Mike are into somecandle making right now and I
just love that.
It's just for the fun of it.
It's just because they hadtheir favorite candle vessel
that they wanted to refill andit just kept spiraling and
they're having the best time,just like with this new little
(15:53):
hobby.
So so what is it that you do?
Just for the joy of it, justfor the love of it?
And let me know what it feelslike when you touch back in,
feel yourself laying back atcenter, even if it's just for a
moment, and take a breath andreach out to us.
So have a great week.
We can't wait to see you againsoon.
(16:14):
We have some really awesomeguests coming up.
We have Anna MacArthur thatwrote she's just written her
first book, which is so exciting.
She is just one of my dear,dear friends and it's called
Hope for Moms.
I cannot wait for her to come.
She is Anna, is so real.
She will not Pollyanna and tellyou all the ways that you
(16:36):
should just love being a mom.
She will tell you the real dealabout motherhood with so much
humor and anyway, she's just thebest.
She's just the best I'll.
We'll share more when she comes, but I can't wait for you to be
introduced to Hope for Momswhen it comes out, and I think
it will apply to any of us atany age and stage.
(16:57):
We also have a guest coming thatis an Enneagram coach to talk
about the Enneagram.
So if you have Enneagramquestions, if you're already an
Enneagram enthusiast and youhave questions that you've been
wondering about since you'velearned, maybe of your type or
your loved one's type, send usthose.
If you are brand new to theEnneagram and you're like what
the heck?
I've heard weird things, askall those questions to y'all.
(17:19):
This is a safe community.
Fire away and then, after a fewmore episodes, we get into April
and we can't wait because wehave our menopause,
perimenopause series coming withsome really amazing voices that
are going to answer yourquestions that I know you all
(17:42):
have, because over and over andover, I find myself sitting
across from women and Jennifertoo that are really struggling
with this season Me too, us too.
So I cannot wait.
These, these women have meantso much to me figuring out the
steps in this season, and I knowthat they will be just like a
(18:03):
blessing and a gift to you too.
So, until next time, have thebest week you can and listen.
If you're having a tough time,having the best week, you can
just look for some light in themoment.
Come back to center, even ifyou have to do it laying in your
bed, you know, curled aroundyour coffee for an extra hour.
(18:26):
We love you.
We are so encouraged by you andwe hope that you're encouraged
by the Empty Nest Quest Bye.
Speaker 2 (18:34):
Thank you for joining us on the Empty Nest Quest.
We hope today's episode broughtyou inspiration, insight and a
sense of community.
Remember, this is your time tothrive.
If you enjoyed the show, besure to subscribe, leave a
review and share it with friends.
Speaker 1 (18:49):
Stay connected with us on YouTube and Instagram at
Empty Nest Quest Podcast formore resources and updates.
Until next time, keep embracingthe journey and thriving on
your empty nest quest.
Welcome to the Empty Nest Quest, the podcast where we
redefine midlife and embracethe journey ahead.
Join your hosts, jennifer andMelinda, as we share inspiring
stories, helpful hints,entrepreneurial advice and tips
that will have you thriving notjust surviving, during this
transformative time of your life.
Speaker 2 (00:18):
Whether you're approaching the empty nest phase
or already navigating it, we'rehere to support you every step
of the way.
Let's embark on this questtogether.
Speaker 1 (00:35):
Hello friends, welcome to the Empty Nest Quest.
Okay, so it looks a littledifferent today.
It is just me, melinda, as I'msure is true for many of you,
because we hear from you andhear you tell us things like
this when you text us or emailus or we see you in the grocery
(00:55):
store or at school or whereverwe're out and about that this
year has had a bumpy start forsome of us, and that is true for
Jennifer and for me, and so thebeautiful thing about us having
chosen to partner for thispodcast is so that weeks like
this, when we can't both gettogether, we can't both show up,
(01:17):
that one of us can take thelead and come here to speak for
both of us.
So I'm really grateful thatJennifer was able to do that
last week when we couldn't gettogether, and then this week,
some of the things that we spenda ton of time talking about and
(01:39):
I'm sure it comes through inthe podcast is that we're just
in a season of offeringourselves and others a ton of
grace, a ton of mercy, justreally understanding that we all
have things that we're goingthrough and that we need to kind
(02:02):
of honor where each other are,kind of honor where each other
are.
So, with that said, how is yourheart today?
Maybe just put your hand.
Even if you're driving down theroad, don't close your eyes,
but just put your hand somewhereon your body.
It can be on your heart, it canbe on your throat, it could be
on your forehead, it can be likeon your belly.
(02:22):
If you're not driving, you canjust pause and put a hand on
your heart, a hand on your bellyor your sternum, and just take
a breath Just to acknowledge.
Sometimes it's really nice justhow we put our hand on someone
we love, just to say I'm here.
Just put your hands somewhereon your body and remind yourself
(02:43):
I'm here, I'm here, I'm here.
And sometimes it can be helpfulto say like I'm Melinda, it is
February, I am at home in mystudio.
(03:03):
That I love on a Saturdaymorning.
You know you can do that.
Just that is like one of thosegrounding.
It brings you back to your body, out of the anxious thoughts of
your mind.
So today I just wanted to talkto y'all briefly about
especially when things arefeeling a little tumultuous,
(03:24):
about coming back to center andif you really look at like well,
you can look at any faithtradition but like, let's say,
if you look at the bible and youlook at jesus, and he goes to
the mountaintop and he comesback to his quiet, stillness,
solitude, just that, settlingthe silence, and he comes back
(03:47):
to himself, he's centering,right, he's so centered he can't
feel the waves that are aboutto toss the boat over when
everyone else is panicking.
If you look at other practicesthroughout the world that come
they maybe they don't call itprayer, but like they come back
(04:07):
to a place they sit, not modules, but what am I trying to say?
Different types of movement,Y'all my brain perimenopause.
(04:32):
Here we are.
Woo peri just took my brain.
But anyway, you have all thesedifferent styles and these
different philosophies ofexercise and fitness, but all of
them honor this midline, thiscentral channel down the middle
of us, whether it's talkingabout our nervous system,
whether it's talking about ourspine, like the bones of our
spine, whether it's talkingabout the muscles that support
(04:54):
us, coming back to center.
So there's a lot of this likelanguage around balance and
centering and core, and that isall because it is so essential
for us to have this steadinessdown our midline.
And I say steadiness becausethe word you know what is it
with us where we take a word andwe we just dirty it all up.
(05:17):
So this word balance like nowwe're scared to say the word
balance, because we've madebalance equal perfection.
Like you stick it, you know,like you get a 10 out of 10 on
your floor routine.
Okay, no, it's just aboutbalance is usually wobbly, right
, like, try to balance on onefoot, you won't be a statue,
you'll have a little wobble.
(05:37):
And so balance is just aboutbeing present enough.
Centering is about being presentenough that you can feel
yourself, come back to yourselfand notice where you're wobbly
and support yourself so thatthat wobbly place doesn't tip
(05:58):
you over.
And if it does tip you overbecause it will from time to
time you can come back tostanding, come back to center,
come back home to yourselfbecause you know where your
center is.
Yeah.
So for some of you you're like,yes, I know what you're saying,
and some of you are like, girl,I just need something practical
(06:21):
.
That is so woo, woo out there.
So what are some ways to comeback to center?
Feel like that exhale in yourbody, that sense of here I am,
and you kind of feel like thelight can come in.
(06:44):
For some people that you know I,a lot of us what I hear us say
is like oh, we just need to getoutside a little bit, we need
some sunshine, we need, you know, just to cuddle with our pet,
hug someone we love, make surewe get exercise, meditate, get
(07:05):
up in the morning and readsomething that fills our cup
spiritually and reminds us of,like, that not only are we
designed to be devoted, but thatthere is a God that is devoted
to us, like just whatever it isthat you can see that are kind
of those.
Oh yeah, this brings me back tocenter.
This brings me back to centerand then.
(07:27):
So think about that this weekas you go through your week.
Just pay attention, move aroundin the world and being like,
what moved me back to me today?
What kept me present with me?
What helped me not lose myselfwhen I saw something triggering
in the news?
What helped me not lose myselfwhen that person in my life said
(07:49):
the thing that really upset me?
How, how do I stay with myselfinstead of abandoning myself and
like shooting off down all therabbit holes that the external
world will pull us into?
It is so, it is so important nowmore than ever, with all the
distraction and all the waysthat we are pulled in a million
(08:10):
different directions, that weare able to come back to
ourselves.
It's kind of like when you'replaying chase as a kid and
you're running all over the yardand every so often you just do
you remember you'd get so windedYou're like, oh, I just got to
go back and sit on base for aminute so I can catch my breath,
and then I'm going to go catchthose suckers.
So we need to come back to homebase, we need to come back to
ourselves.
(08:31):
So and that is not, that is notlike a self-centered me first,
in a selfish way Y'all we aredesigned.
We are here in this life, inthis body.
This body is your home base,this creation that you get to
live inside of.
(08:51):
That is your body, is your homebase.
Now, do some of us need to dosome remedy repair work with our
relationship with our home base?
Yes, do some of us need to dosome remedy repair work with our
relationship with our home base?
Yes, we do.
And if and if that is you, yes,please, like, choose that,
because the one thing we havefor sure that we will have this
(09:13):
whole life is this body.
So if we could just value theopportunity to come back to
ourselves and then refuel, fillour cups, really take care of
this vessel, then we can givegraciously, we can show up with
(09:35):
energy, we can be creative insolving things that we see as
the problems, like maybe at workor maybe in the way that we
show up, as you know, servantsfor those who need us, when
we're volunteering, when we'rejust seeing like a need and we
(09:57):
want to be able to fill it, wewon't be so tired that we'd be
like, oh, I'd love to takedinner to that family, but I'm
just too tired.
Like if we keep coming back toourselves and refilling our cups
, then we will have that energyto give, so graciousness and
mercy towards yourself, the sameway you give it to others.
And so I just want to proposebefore we go, I just want to say
(10:22):
to you that, yes, there aresome of those things, like the
basics, that we think feel niceto do for ourselves, like, oh, I
love when I can get up in themorning, go for a walk, exercise
, like those are sort of likethose essential, like, of course
you know, but I really want usas women.
(10:43):
And we're going to talk aboutthis again because I feel like
I'm going to say this to you andsome of you are just going to
groan and be like girl who doesthis.
But I'm telling you, when youlook around you and you see
those women that you really loveand admire and you're like,
how's she doing that?
(11:03):
Or you might think aboutyourself I don't know how, in
that one season, I was able tojust be so joyful in my
mothering.
I was so joyful in my work.
I was so joyful in the way Itook care of that loved one.
How did I do that?
Was so joyful in the way I tookcare of that loved one.
How did I do that?
Maybe you were doing somethingthat also took care of yourself,
(11:23):
just out of delight.
So what is it that you're doingin your life that is just for
the fun of it?
You know, what are you doingjust because it brings joy.
Now it doesn't serve any otherpurpose and I would encourage
you to just start jotting thosethings down, like if it's like
oh, I know that, like one of myfriends, she makes herself a
(11:45):
French press coffee everymorning instead of doing the
coffee pot or a Keur and sheloves the taste of it.
She and her husband have like awhole ritual for how they do
their French press coffee in themorning and she's like I just
(12:07):
love when I have the leisure todo that.
It just feels like such a gift.
Okay, little things like thatthat serves no purpose for her
except to get her coffee right,so it's just a little delight.
So for you, maybe it'sgardening, maybe it's that you
just love to like ride your bikewith your child.
It could be you know that youdance with, you know like
(12:33):
nobody's watching.
It can be anything.
But I just encourage you tostart thinking of little things
during your day that you can dojust for the delight of it.
To put those things back inyour day Like.
One thing I do is I just havelike cups of markers, cups of
pens all over my house, journalseverywhere, um, because I just
like to be able to from time totime pick one up, one up, draw,
(12:58):
jot down my thoughts.
I love color on the page, so Ilove to write in like bright
blue or pink or green.
It's so little but it can justdo so much to transform my day.
One example is.
Last week I went to the coffeeshop and I love a coffee shop
where they will give me coffee,serve me coffee in an actual mug
(13:18):
instead of the.
I hate drinking coffee out of apaper cup with a plastic top,
like when I say, like Jenniferand I did a pet peeve episode a
long time ago, this could havebeen one of mine.
I cannot stand coffee out of aplastic cup with or a paper cup
with those plastic tops, cannotstand it Like.
Watch me at the drive-thru whenI get my cup, pour it into the
(13:40):
mug I already have in my car, ifyou know.
You know who else Raise yourhand if you have a mug fetish.
So anyway, I went to this coffeeshop that served me my coffee
in a mug and sat down and I tookmy pens and my journal and read
I'm reading this reallybeautiful book called no Mud, no
(14:01):
Lotus by Thich Nhat Hanh and Iprobably just said his name.
I probably just killed that,sorry, but it is so beautiful.
It's just about how we addressour suffering.
Another book along the verysimilar lines if you are a
Catherine Wolfe fan, catherinehas a book called Treasures in
the Dark.
I'm reading it at the same timeand it is totally similar, and
(14:23):
she has so many examples of herlife story and how, just paying
attention and leaning in andlistening and letting her
suffering be a teacher, then shefinds this like route to
happiness, which is exactly whathe's talking about in his book.
So I just sat in the coffeeshop with these books and
journaled and, um, leisurelyread and it was it literally
(14:48):
like impacted the whole rest ofmy week y'all.
So what are some little thingsyou can do just for the joy of
it?
And it will bring you back tocenter and you will find
yourself then having moreintention, more grounding, more
awareness.
You'll find yourself notdeliberating so much over what
(15:11):
to do.
You'll kind of be able to bestill enough to know your next
step.
So there's such a, there's suchrichness in this practice.
So send your questions, sendyour comments.
If you're like Melinda, yeah,but girl, no, I this, this is a
(15:31):
problem for me.
I want to hear from you.
So does Jennifer, because thisis just something we talk about
over and over again.
Y'all heard Jennifer on one ofour last episodes.
She and Mike are into somecandle making right now and I
just love that.
It's just for the fun of it.
It's just because they hadtheir favorite candle vessel
that they wanted to refill andit just kept spiraling and
they're having the best time,just like with this new little
(15:53):
hobby.
So so what is it that you do?
Just for the joy of it, justfor the love of it?
And let me know what it feelslike when you touch back in,
feel yourself laying back atcenter, even if it's just for a
moment, and take a breath andreach out to us.
So have a great week.
We can't wait to see you againsoon.
(16:14):
We have some really awesomeguests coming up.
We have Anna MacArthur thatwrote she's just written her
first book, which is so exciting.
She is just one of my dear,dear friends and it's called
Hope for Moms.
I cannot wait for her to come.
She is Anna, is so real.
She will not Pollyanna and tellyou all the ways that you
(16:36):
should just love being a mom.
She will tell you the real dealabout motherhood with so much
humor and anyway, she's just thebest.
She's just the best I'll.
We'll share more when she comes, but I can't wait for you to be
introduced to Hope for Momswhen it comes out, and I think
it will apply to any of us atany age and stage.
(16:57):
We also have a guest coming thatis an Enneagram coach to talk
about the Enneagram.
So if you have Enneagramquestions, if you're already an
Enneagram enthusiast and youhave questions that you've been
wondering about since you'velearned, maybe of your type or
your loved one's type, send usthose.
If you are brand new to theEnneagram and you're like what
the heck?
I've heard weird things, askall those questions to y'all.
(17:19):
This is a safe community.
Fire away and then, after a fewmore episodes, we get into April
and we can't wait because wehave our menopause,
perimenopause series coming withsome really amazing voices that
are going to answer yourquestions that I know you all
(17:42):
have, because over and over andover, I find myself sitting
across from women and Jennifertoo that are really struggling
with this season Me too, us too.
So I cannot wait.
These, these women have meantso much to me figuring out the
steps in this season, and I knowthat they will be just like a
(18:03):
blessing and a gift to you too.
So, until next time, have thebest week you can and listen.
If you're having a tough time,having the best week, you can
just look for some light in themoment.
Come back to center, even ifyou have to do it laying in your
bed, you know, curled aroundyour coffee for an extra hour.
(18:26):
We love you.
We are so encouraged by you andwe hope that you're encouraged
by the Empty Nest Quest Bye.
Speaker 2 (18:34):
Thank you for joining us on the Empty Nest Quest.
We hope today's episode broughtyou inspiration, insight and a
sense of community.
Remember, this is your time tothrive.
If you enjoyed the show, besure to subscribe, leave a
review and share it with friends.
Speaker 1 (18:49):
Stay connected with us on YouTube and Instagram at
Empty Nest Quest Podcast formore resources and updates.
Until next time, keep embracingthe journey and thriving on
your empty nest quest.
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