In Episode 234: Expectation Roadblocks, I'm diving into one of the biggest hidden barriers to connection—especially during the holidays, on the mission, and in our closest relationships: expectations. This time of year brings an avalanche of pressure—how we "should" show up, how others "should" behave, how family gatherings "should" feel. But in this episode, I unpack why expectations—spoken or unspoken—almost always create disconnection, frustration, resentment, and emotional distance. And more importantly, I show you how to shift from expectation to true connection, autonomy, compassion, and emotional maturity.

You'll learn why expectations feel like safety to your caveman brain, why they function as subtle attempts at emotional control, and how they create unnecessary pain—for both the person holding the expectation and the person living under it. I walk you through real-life mission examples, family dynamics, missionary companionships, and holiday interactions to show exactly how expectation roadblocks form—and how to move beyond them using supportive tools like boundaries, requests, intentions, emotional ownership, and unconditional Christlike love.

We'll talk about the signs you're stuck in expectation mode, the emotional fallout it creates, and the powerful mindset shifts that help you release pressure, drop resentment, and create genuine connection with the people in your life—companions, roommates, family members, mission leaders, friends, and even yourself. If you want more peace, more authenticity, and more connection this season (and always), this episode will feel like a breath of fresh air.

As always, if you found this episode helpful, I want to invite you to subscribe if you aren't already, share this episode with your friends and missionaries you know, and write a review. I know this work will help LDS missionaries around the world and it would mean so much to me if you did. Until next week my friends.

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5 Ways to Process Any Less-Than Happy Mission Memories Article: HERE

Get the Full Show Notes and Text/PDF Transcripts: HERE

Free PDF Download: Podcast Roadmap

Free PDF Download: Preparing Missionary Cheat Sheet

Free Training for Preparing Missionaries: Change Your Mission with this One Tool

RM Transition Free Video Series: 3 Tools to Help RMs in Their Transition Home

Free Guide: 5 Tips to Help Any Returning Missionary

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In Episode 233 – Not So Happy Mission Memories, I'm diving into a topic I know so many missionaries and returned missionaries quietly carry: the moments from the mission that didn't feel joyful, spiritual, or "life-changing" in the way we were told they would. In this episode, I talk openly about disappointment, unmet expectations, mission culture, emotional complexity, grief, and the real challenges that come when people—including mission presidents, companions, district leaders, roommates, or members—don't show up the way we hoped they would. I also share more about the new article I wrote for the Church and why this emotional work matters so deeply, especially with the recent age-change for sister missionaries.

I walk you through five gentle but powerful themes for healing: finding safe support, grieving unmet expectations, exploring your inner narrative, understanding others through compassion, and offering yourself the same gentleness that the Savior offers you. Together, we'll talk about reframing your mission experience, processing emotions instead of avoiding them, navigating disappointment, creating new meaning, and how faith, agency, and emotional resilience help you move forward with confidence. Healing doesn't mean condoning what happened—it means reclaiming your power, your peace, and your future.

Whether you're freshly returned, years post-mission, preparing to leave, or supporting someone who served, this episode will help you feel seen, validated, understood, and reminded that transformation often comes through the messiest parts of our story. You are not behind. You're not broken. And you're never alone as you sort through your not-so-happy mission memories.

As always, if you found this episode helpful, I want to invite you to subscribe if you aren't already, share this episode with your friends and missionaries you know, and write a review. I know this work will help LDS missionaries around the world and it would mean so much to me if you did. Until next week my friends.

Website | Instagram | Facebook

5 Ways to Process Any Less-Than Happy Mission Memories Article: HERE

Get the Full Show Notes and Text/PDF Transcripts: HERE

Free PDF Download: Podcast Roadmap

Free PDF Download: Preparing Missionary Cheat Sheet

Free Training for Preparing Missionaries: Change Your Mission with this One Tool

RM Transition Free Video Series: 3 Tools to Help RMs in Their Transition Home

Free Guide: 5 Tips to Help Any Returning Missionary

Schedule a Free Strategy Call: Click Here

Episode 232 — "Intentions and Attitudes." In this episode, I dig into why an attitude of gratitude actually works on your brain and your day-to-day experience. We talk about the lower "caveman brain" (seek pleasure, avoid pain, conserve energy), confirmation bias (what you focus on grows), and how setting intentions ahead of time can shape the attitudes you'll have later—in district meetings, at family gatherings, on the mission, and post-mission. I share simple ways to direct your higher brain to look for connection, faith, abundance, calm, and purpose—especially during Thanksgiving week when emotions and expectations can run high.

I also explore how prayer functions as powerful intention setting—expressing gratitude and asking for blessings tells your brain what to pay attention to while inviting divine help. We connect this with Doctrine & Covenants 29: creating things spiritually first (in thought and feeling) so they're more likely to appear physically in your life. Whether you're a preparing missionary, currently serving, a returned missionary, or a missionary mama, you'll get practical tools to train your focus, regulate emotions, and choose thoughts that fuel connection over comparison.

You'll leave with doable practices: pre-deciding what you want to notice, choosing language your brain understands ("I want more peace" vs. "I don't want stress"), and building a simple gratitude rhythm that resets perspective fast. If you're ready to experience more calm, clarity, and Christ-centered confidence this season, this conversation on intentions and attitudes will help you create it.

As always, if you found this episode helpful, I want to invite you to subscribe if you aren't already, share this episode with your friends and missionaries you know, and write a review. I know this work will help LDS missionaries around the world and it would mean so much to me if you did. Until next week my friends.

Website | Instagram | Facebook

Get the Full Show Notes and Text/PDF Transcripts: HERE

Free PDF Download: Podcast Roadmap

Free PDF Download: Preparing Missionary Cheat Sheet

Free Training for Preparing Missionaries: Change Your Mission with this One Tool

RM Transition Free Video Series: 3 Tools to Help RMs in Their Transition Home

Free Guide: 5 Tips to Help Any Returning Missionary

Schedule a Free Strategy Call: Click Here