Have you ever gotten to that place in your life where you're carrying so much…plates are spinning in the air and at the same time, somehow you seem to be juggling all of them.

And then, one of them falls. Maybe you get an annoying email, maybe you have a minor inconvenience, or maybe someone cuts you off in traffic. Whatever it is, big or small, it's the quintessential “straw that breaks the camel's back”.

Then you fall apart. Perhaps a mental and emotional meltdown ensues. I found myself there last night, and wanted to jump on the podcast to record a short minisode to tell you if you're there, or it's recently happened, or even if you've ever been there in the past, I see you.

Being in that place reminded me of the quote, “Don't give up 5 minutes before the miracle happens”. 

It's not easy to do life, especially right now. There's so much stress and pressure upon us as humans, as women. 

Listen to this short episode as I talk more about this, and offer a couple of small strategies to help you walk through this type of fire when it happens. 

I see you, I understand you, and I love you. 

xoxo,

Andrea

Resources from this episode: 

How to Stop Feeling Like Shit Group Coaching Program

Coming Home to Yourself Private Coaching

Sign up to make sure you don’t miss any of my birthday episodes!

Lesson 2: The Four Holy Emotions: How Grief, Terror, Rage, and Shame Unlock Your Power

Book recommendations:

I love a good personal development book, and you do too, right? I’ve compiled a list of book recommendations, as mentioned in past episodes. Check out these amazing book recommendations here. Happy reading!  

MSN is supported by:

We love the sponsors that make our show possible! You can always find all the special deals and codes for all our current sponsors on our website: andreaowen.com/sponsors/

Episode link:

http://andreaowen.com/669

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Leaving people behind can be painful, but it’s often necessary when you’ve chosen growth, healing, and self-trust. There will be moments when you realize that not everyone will walk the path you’re on, and that’s okay. Even though it can feel like it, letting go doesn’t mean you’re too much; it simply means you’re stepping into deeper spaces that some people haven’t reached yet.

Also, the depth of connection is not just about what you bring. For a long time, I thought what I brought would be enough because I could make up for what the other person lacked, but it’s also about how deeply the other person has explored their own heart and soul.

Ending relationships while you're on a journey of finding yourself is one of the hardest things you'll ever do. It’s gut-wrenching, messy, and often feels like the universe is testing you. But it’s also a powerful lesson in choosing yourself, even when it feels impossible.

In this episode, I’ll explore how to navigate the grief of leaving people behind, adjust to relationships, or saying goodbye with grace, all while honoring your own healing.

Download the worksheet to dig deeper into this process at http://andreaowen.com/668

What you’ll hear about in this episode:

• Understanding the Pull to Let Go of Certain Relationships: Healing and aligning with your values leads to craving depth in relationships, revealing gaps; surrendering to the truth, not the fantasy; avoiding self-abandonment, and trusting yourself to let go when hope keeps you stuck.
• The Grief of Actually Letting Go: The grief of holding out hope that someone will change can feel easier than the grief of accepting them as they are.
• Creating Boundaries, Making Adjustments, and Saying Goodbye: How to adjust relationships, set boundaries, and say goodbye with love and clarity, while honoring your healing and not self-abandoning for someone else's comfort.
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Resources from this episode:

How to Stop Feeling Like Shit Group Coaching Program

Coming Home to Yourself Private Coaching

Sign up to make sure you don’t miss any of my birthday episodes!

Lesson 1: Self-abandonment, codependency, and self-trust

Lesson 2: The Four Holy Emotions: How Grief, Terror, Rage, and Shame Unlock Your Power

Lesson 3: The Magic of Surrender

Lesson 4: Life Purpose: Coming Home to Yourself

Lesson 5: What’s Important for a Long-Term Relationship

Lesson 6: Healing My Relationship with Love: From Heartbreak and Fear to Acceptance and Trust

Lesson 7: The Three Things We’re All Searching For - Freedom, Feeling Alive, and Wholeness

Book recommendations:

I love a good personal development book, and you do too, right? I’ve compiled a list of book recommendations, as mentioned in past episodes. Check out these amazing book recommendations here. Happy reading!  

MSN is supported by:

We love the sponsors that make our show possible! You can always find all the special deals and codes for all our current sponsors on our website: andreaowen.com/sponsors/

Episode link:

http://andreaowen.com/668

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

When it comes to life, we’re all looking for various things that will ultimately lead to our fulfillment. But what I’ve come to realize is that at the end of the day, for most of us, it comes down to three things we’re all searching for: freedom, feeling alive, and wholeness. 

And here's the truth: they’re not “out there.” These experiences come from within, and often, they require us to do the work. Whether it’s emotional freedom, reigniting your passion, or embracing your whole self, it’s a journey. By the way, this episode is part of a special series. There are six others you can check out (linked below) where I share the most impactful life lessons I’ve learned and lived, leading up to my 50th birthday.

You don’t need to cannonball into exploring what it means to be free, alive or whole. Start small. Try a moment of honesty, do something you love, or simply journal about it. These are inner shifts, daily choices that matter. As you listen to this episode or afterward, ask yourself these questions: Where do you feel most free, alive, and whole? Where do you need more of that? You’re allowed to claim it now, not later.

Download this episode’s worksheet at http://andreaowen.com/667

What you’ll hear about in this episode:

• What Freedom Really Means: Emotional freedom, freedom of choice, and freedom in relationships, what blocks it (like people-pleasing and perfectionism), and how to reclaim it through self-trust, surrender, and questioning your conditioning.
• What It Really Means to Feel Alive: I’m talking beyond just happiness, including passion, purpose, play, and intuition, what shuts it down, and how to reignite your aliveness through curiosity, embodiment, and saying yes to what lights you up.
• How to Embrace The True Meaning of Wholeness: Accept all parts of yourself without needing to be “fixed,” the ways we resist it through shame, regret, and perfectionism, and how to cultivate it through self-compassion, shadow work, and honoring your journey.

Resources from this episode:

🎉 Don’t forget! I’m giving away a copy of one of my books every Wednesday on Instagram! 🎉

How to Stop Feeling Like Shit Group Coaching Program

Private Coaching with Me!

Sign up to make sure you don’t miss any of my birthday episodes!

Lesson 1: Self-abandonment, codependency, and self-trust

Lesson 2: The Four Holy Emotions: How Grief, Terror, Rage, and Shame Unlock Your Power

Lesson 3: The Magic of Surrender

Lesson 4: Life Purpose: Coming Home to Yourself

Lesson 5: What’s Important for a Long-Term Relationship

Lesson 6: Healing My Relationship with Love: From Heartbreak and Fear to Acceptance and Trust

Tarot By Sky - Sky Bradshaw

Book recommendations:

I love a good personal development book, and you do too, right? I’ve compiled a list of book recommendations, as mentioned in past episodes. Check out these amazing book recommendations here. Happy reading!  

MSN is supported by:

We love the sponsors that make our show possible! You can always find all the special deals and codes for all our current sponsors on our website: andreaowen.com/sponsors/

Episode link:

http://andreaowen.com/667

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

I’m hitting pause on our Coming Home to Yourself series for a special conversation with a true kindred spirit and friend of the podcast, Shannon Kaiser. Shannon is back to talk about her newest book, 365 Happy Bedtime Mantras, and let’s be real, who doesn’t need better sleep these days? 

If you’ve ever struggled with winding down at night whether it be due to stress, anxiety or something in between, having a tangible tool on your nightstand can be a game-changer. Shannon’s book is exactly that, a beautiful, accessible tool to help release stress and anxiety so you can finally get the rest you deserve. As Shannon reminds us, "Sleep is a necessary focus of our overall health."

What you’ll hear in this episode:

• The difference between releasing stress vs. just managing it (and why that distinction matters) (6:52)
• How stress and anxiety are the biggest culprits keeping you up at night (8:04)
• Why a bedtime ritual is key to signaling safety to your nervous system (12:05)
• The hidden anxiety high-achievers often don’t recognize, and how to start healing it (14:23)
• The underestimated role of sleep in emotional and physical healing (18:38)
• Shannon’s journey with ketamine therapy and how it’s supported her mental health (32:50)

Resources from this episode:

🎉 Don’t forget! I’m giving away a copy of one of my books every Wednesday on Instagram! 🎉

How to Stop Feeling Like Shit Group Coaching Program - Coming Soon!

Private Coaching with Me!

Shannon on Instagram @ShannonkaiserWrites

Shannon’s websites: PlayWithTheWorld.com and RadicalBodyLovewithShannon.com

Shannon’s new book, 365 Happy Bedtime Mantras

Book recommendations:

I love a good personal development book, and you do too, right? I’ve compiled a list of book recommendations, as mentioned in past episodes. Check out these amazing book recommendations here. Happy reading!  

MSN is supported by:

We love the sponsors that make our show possible! You can always find all the special deals and codes for all our current sponsors on our website: andreaowen.com/sponsors/

Episode link:

http://andreaowen.com/666

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

I’m breaking down how I spent years approaching love from a place of fear, blaming past partners, blaming myself, and clinging to a story that had already been written. Even when I thought I’d moved on, parts of me were still holding on. Finding acceptance and trust wasn’t perfect or linear, but it changed everything.

I’m sharing my full-circle journey, the power of radical acceptance, and how Ketamine therapy helped me finally, what I call, “land the plane”. 

Love is risky because it’s vulnerable—but trusting ourselves is the key. When fear creeps in and I find myself getting squirrely, it’s curiosity that is my go-to tool. If you’ve ever felt stuck in old love stories, let’s talk about what it really takes to move forward.

Download this episode’s worksheet at http://andreaowen.com/665

What you’ll hear about in this episode:

• The Realization: Fear Came from the Story, Not the Unknown: I thought my hesitation around love was about heartbreak, but it went deeper
• Why I Couldn’t Let Go: I wasn’t stuck on or hurt from past relationships, I was stuck searching for an alternative ending. Healing showed me how deeply I carried this in my body, affecting all forms of love, including my own
• My “Landing the Plane” Moment: Accepting that the past played out exactly as it needed to
• The Power of Radical Acceptance: Shifting from fear and anger to gratitude for the love I’ve experienced
• An Invitation for You: What love stories are you still holding onto? Where do you need to trust yourself more?

Resources from this episode:

🎉 Don’t forget! I’m giving away a copy of one of my books every Wednesday on Instagram! 🎉

How to Stop Feeling Like Shit Group Coaching Program - Coming Soon!

Private Coaching with Me!

Sign up to make sure you don’t miss any of my birthday episodes!

Lesson 1: Self-abandonment, codependency, and self-trust

Lesson 2: The Four Holy Emotions: How Grief, Terror, Rage, and Shame Unlock Your Power

Lesson 3: The Magic of Surrender

Lesson 4: Life Purpose: Coming Home to Yourself

Lesson 5: What’s Important for a Long-Term Relationship

Subscribe for free to my Ketamine Therapy Journey podcast series

Book recommendations:

I love a good personal development book, and you do too, right? I’ve compiled a list of book recommendations, as mentioned in past episodes. Check out these amazing book recommendations here. Happy reading!  

MSN is supported by:

We love the sponsors that make our show possible! You can always find all the special deals and codes for all our current sponsors on our website: andreaowen.com/sponsors/

Episode link:

http://andreaowen.com/665

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

I’m back with Lesson 5 in my Coming Home to Yourself series, sharing what I’ve found to be the seven essential foundations for building a healthy, lasting, and loving relationship. I also talk about how some of these foundations have helped shape my relationship with my new partner, Dr. Fox (not his real name…more on that later)! As I get ready to celebrate my 50th birthday in April, I’ve been reflecting on the biggest life lessons I’ve learned about love, partnership, and personal growth. 

The health of our relationships has a huge impact on our overall well-being, which is why choosing the right partner, whether you decide to get married or not, is one of the most important decisions you’ll ever make. A thriving relationship isn’t just about chemistry; it takes emotional maturity, communication, self-trust, resilience, and daily effort. In fact, love isn’t just about finding the right person, it’s about being the right person. 

Download this episode’s worksheet at http://andreaowen.com/664

What you’ll hear about in this episode:

• Emotional Maturity and How to Own Your Sh*t: Self-awareness, self-regulation, and recognizing when you're projecting past wounds.
• Radical Honesty and Authentic Communication: Honesty fuels connection, even when it’s hard or messy.
• Self-Trust & Independence: Keep your passions, friendships, and personal growth alive.
• Conflict Resilience: You Two vs. The Problem: Ditch shame, defensiveness, and the need to “win.”
• Letting Go of Control and Holding Boundaries: Trust your partner while standing firm in your needs.
• Deep Respect and Mutual Appreciation: Love is a daily choice, not just a feeling.
• Shared Vision and Growth: Use the “Relationship Check-In” to assess what’s working, what’s not, and what you both need.

Resources from this episode:

🎉 Don’t forget! I’m giving away a copy of one of my books every Wednesday on Instagram! 🎉

How to Stop Feeling Like Shit Group Coaching Program - Coming Soon!

Private Coaching with Me!

Sign up to make sure you don’t miss any of my birthday episodes!

Lesson 1: Self-abandonment, codependency, and self-trust

Lesson 2: The Four Holy Emotions: How Grief, Terror, Rage, and Shame Unlock Your Power

Lesson 3: The Magic of Surrender

Lesson 4: Life Purpose: Coming Home to Yourself

Book recommendations:

I love a good personal development book, and you do too, right? I’ve compiled a list of book recommendations, as mentioned in past episodes. Check out these amazing book recommendations here. Happy reading!  

MSN is supported by:

We love the sponsors that make our show possible! You can always find all the special deals and codes for all our current sponsors on our website: andreaowen.com/sponsors/

Episode link:

http://andreaowen.com/664

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

If you’ve ever wondered what life coaching really looks like, this minisode is a little glimpse into the process. Kathryn, a former client (and mental health therapist), suggested she come on to share her experience, because coaching is different for everyone.

She opens up about navigating what was next for her, breaking free from people-pleasing, and finally giving herself permission to take big, bold steps, including a move to another state and launching a jewelry business. Plus, she shares the simple morning ritual that reignited her spark that she co-created in her work with Andrea. 

Sometimes, all it takes is saying your dreams out loud, like Kathryn did. Because, the universe might just be waiting for you to take that first step.

Resources from this episode:

Coaching with me! 

Sign up to make sure you don’t miss any of my birthday episodes!

Book recommendations:

I love a good personal development book, and you do too, right? I’ve compiled a list of book recommendations, as mentioned in past episodes. Check out these amazing book recommendations here. Happy reading!  

MSN is supported by:

We love the sponsors that make our show possible! You can always find all the special deals and codes for all our current sponsors on our website: andreaowen.com/sponsors/

Episode link:

http://andreaowen.com/663

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Welcome to Lesson 4, where we explore the deeper meaning behind Coming Home to Yourself and challenge the idea that purpose, like love, success, and happiness, comes from outside of us. At (almost) 50, I've come to realize that our real purpose isn't about what we do, it's about who we become. 

In this episode, I’ll explore how culture and society shape our need to seek purpose and external validation—and whether that truly serves us. I'll also break down what it means to truly come home to yourself and how to shift from seeking to simply being. Lastly, I’ll share practical ways to start this journey.

Coming home to yourself isn’t a one-time event; it’s a lifelong practice. It’s about unlearning the belief that you must be more to be enough.

Download this episode’s worksheet at http://andreaowen.com/662!

What you’ll hear in this episode:

• The Search for Purpose: How culture conditions us to seek love, worth, and belonging through achievements, people-pleasing, and validation, yet never truly feel fulfilled.
• What It Means to Come Home to Yourself: Shifting from seeking to being, reclaiming yourself over self-abandonment, and realizing you are already whole.
• How to Start Coming Home to Yourself: It starts with unlearning external validation, reclaiming your truth, building self-trust, embracing stillness, rediscovering lost parts of yourself, and choosing wholeness over perfection.

Resources from this episode:

🎉 Also, “Hi!,” I’m giving away a copy of one of my books each week on Instagram! 🎉

Private Coaching with Me!

Write Your Way Through It

Sign up to make sure you don’t miss any of my birthday episodes!

Lesson 1: Self-abandonment, codependency, and self-trust

Lesson 2: The Four Holy Emotions: How Grief, Terror, Rage, and Shame Unlock Your Power

Lesson 3: The Magic of Surrender

Book recommendations:

I love a good personal development book, and you do too, right? I’ve compiled a list of book recommendations, as mentioned in past episodes. Check out these amazing book recommendations here. Happy reading!  

MSN is supported by:

We love the sponsors that make our show possible! You can always find all the special deals and codes for all our current sponsors on our website: andreaowen.com/sponsors/

Episode link:

http://andreaowen.com/662

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Surrender isn’t about giving up—it’s about letting go. In Lesson 3, we’re exploring the magic of surrender. What does it mean to surrender and what does it look like in personal growth as well as in relationships?

Surrender is the deep trust in the unfolding of your path.

Surrender in relationships isn’t about rolling over or giving up your needs—it’s about loosening your grip on control, allowing love to evolve naturally, and trusting the process of connection. 

Surrender is not a weakness, passivity, or resignation. 

Learning to surrender is a process and it doesn’t have to be a massive life shift. You can practice in small ways.

These life lessons are often learned the hard way and they become our greatest teachers. My hope is that by sharing my experiences in my special 10-week “Coming Home to Yourself” podcast series, you’ll recognize these universal truths in your own journey and move through them with a little more ease.. 

Download this episode’s worksheet at http://andreaowen.com/661

What you’ll hear in this episode:

• The Role of Surrender in Healing and Personal Growth: How surrender is deeply tied to self-trust (which connects to your work around self-abandonment)
• Surrender in Relationships: what it looks like, for example, letting go of rigid expectations and softening into trust; and why it matters.
• How to Practice Surrender: how to surrender to your emotions instead of suppressing them.

Resources from this episode:

🎉 Don’t forget that I’m giving away a copy of one of my books each week on Instagram! 🎉

Write Your Way Through It

Sign up to make sure you don’t miss any of my birthday episodes!

Lesson 1: Self-abandonment, codependency, and self-trust

Lesson 2 - The Four Holy Emotions: How Grief, Terror, Rage, and Shame Unlock Your Power

Book recommendations:

I love a good personal development book, and you do too, right? I’ve compiled a list of book recommendations, as mentioned in past episodes. Check out these amazing book recommendations here. Happy reading!  

MSN is supported by:

We love the sponsors that make our show possible! You can always find all the special deals and codes for all our current sponsors on our website: andreaowen.com/sponsors/

Episode link:

http://andreaowen.com/661

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Before we jump into today’s podcast episode, I want to remind you that Write Your Way Through It is currently open for registration! Join us now and take advantage of the early bird price. We start at the end of this month!

This week's minisode comes from a direct message I received from a podcast listener. She sent me a message saying that she related to something I was going through and admires me for the way I seem to handle it. [Visit AndreaOwen.com/660 to see the direct message]

I'll be honest with you, this one made me very emotional. Partly, because I always love receiving messages like these from listeners, partly because it always feels amazing to be validated for your own growth, and partly because I knew I wanted to come on the podcast and be honest with you about what that particular journey has really looked like. Do I always move through challenges like these with steadiness?

Not at all.

Tune into the podcast where I open up about this, talking specifically about values work, self trust, and the support we seek and hopefully find in our friendships.

Resources from this episode: 

Write Your Way Through It

Sign up to make sure you don’t miss any of my birthday episodes!

Episode 658: Lesson 1 on self-abandonment, codependency, and self-trust

Book recommendations:

I love a good personal development book, and you do too, right? I’ve compiled a list of book recommendations, as mentioned in past episodes. Check out these amazing book recommendations here. Happy reading!  

MSN is supported by:

We love the sponsors that make our show possible! You can always find all the special deals and codes for all our current sponsors on our website: andreaowen.com/sponsors/

Episode link:

http://andreaowen.com/660

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

“Emotional fluency is your path to power.” Welcome to Lesson 2, where I explore what I call the four holy emotions—grief, terror, rage, and shame—and how they can unlock your power. But like any personal growth journey, we need to lay the groundwork first. I’ll share why we resist these emotions, explore how to stop resisting them, and finally, see them as sacred messengers rather than obstacles.

If you’re new to my special 10-week “Coming Home to Yourself” podcast series leading up to my 50th birthday, welcome! Every Wednesday, I’m sharing a life lesson that has shaped my personal growth over the last 50 years. I put a lot of thought into what has truly propelled me forward. And because birthdays (and personal growth) deserve to be celebrated, don’t forget that I’m giving away a copy of one of my books each week on Instagram! 🎉

Each of the emotions I discuss in this episode has an unmet need, a truth, or a deep intelligence beneath it. When we meet them with curiosity instead of avoidance, they become portals to freedom, clarity, and self-trust.

One more thing - grab this episode’s worksheet below! ⬇

What you’ll hear in this episode: 

• Grief, Terror, Rage, and Shame: How each one, when met with curiosity instead of fear, leads us closer to personal power.
• How We Typically Resist the Four Holy Emotions: The coping strategies we develop: numbing, perfectionism, people-pleasing, workaholism, addiction, dissociation
• How to Work WITH These Emotions Instead of Against Them: Leaving you with the question, ”What if we started honoring these emotions instead of fearing them?"

Resources from this episode:

Write Your Way Through It

Sign up to make sure you don’t miss any of my birthday episodes!

Find me on Instagram @heyandreaowen

Lesson 1: Self-abandonment, codependency, and self-trust

How to Stop Feeling Like Shit

Book recommendations:

I love a good personal development book, and you do too, right? I’ve compiled a list of book recommendations, as mentioned in past episodes. Check out these amazing book recommendations here. Happy reading!  

MSN is supported by:

We love the sponsors that make our show possible! You can always find all the special deals and codes for all our current sponsors on our website: andreaowen.com/sponsors/

Episode link:

http://andreaowen.com/569

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices