Constantly Under Construction with Donna Harris

Happy Thanksgiving, friends!

This episode of the show features one word. Authenticity. My guest today is Danielle Clark, the founder of Unleashed.Life and we talk about living an authentic life. Danielle walks us through what it was like for her as child and the lies she believed about herself. Ultimately, she found that the way God has created her was perfect and purposeful and not something to shy away from. AND because our episode is just moments away from the face-stuffing, holiday THANKSGIVING we also talk about Authentic Thankfulness. Have you ever felt like there are pieces of you that are TOO MUCH? Listen to Danielle's story and see if you can relate. Think of ways that you are uniquely created and bravely own them in your life today! God has created you perfectly and also to be exactly who you are. This means that you don't have to apologize for being introverted, or talkative, needing people, or loving solitude. Remember that these are gifts of your personality and ask God to show you how he can use them in your life today. This episode I get a little personal: While I deeply love my family, the holidays, for me are one of the most stressful times of the year. I have things I very much look forward to and also things that create turmoil and stress in my life. For those of you that feel similar, I wanted to let you know that you are not alone. The struggle is real. Like really real. And I want you to hear this: Your difficulties are valuable. Your trials matter. Your hardship counts. While this episode is one of encouragement of thankfulness, it's specifically one of authentic thankfulness. Life may be really hard for you right now. I've had some pretty rough holidays. One was the year my brother tragically died of a drug overdose. The other was the year later when my 3 year old nephew died and was take from us way too soon. Those first holidays we were all just shells of ourselves and being together while grieving differently was torture for some of us. Maybe you don't have family or the family you have are not the ones you want in your life right now. Maybe you or your loved ones are sick. No matter what time of year. Life can be hard and in the middle of a time of celebration, life is still hard. Here are some encouraging words. It is possible to be authentically thankful when life is at it's hardest. I've got four tips for you:

1. When we don't want to give thanks - acknowledge it. Own it! Be real with your feelings. Don't force fake thankfulness
2. When it feels difficult to give thanks - ask yourself why? Maybe you're justified. But maybe you're not. Dive deeper into your feelings so you can be true to yourself
3. When it looks impossible to have a thing to be thankful for - keep searching. There's ALWAYS ALWAYS a reason to give thanks. Choose to find the positive in your life, even if it is the very smallest thing.
4. When it is just not within your power to be thankful - When you literally say, "I jut can't" Ask God to give you strength. He will.

John 15:16 You did not choose me, butzI chose you and appointed you that you should go andabear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so thatbwhatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you. This is what Danielle was talking about with her Authentic life, "You did not choose me, but I chose you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide." The second part of the verse should affirm you in asking God for the ability to be thankful. "So that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you." Ask God for the ability to see all the things in your life that you can be thankful for.

Today I get the pleasure of sharing a great conversation I had with Christy Boulware. She is the founder of Fearless Women and you're gonna love all that she has to share with us today about the balance of our spiritual lives along with our physical and emotional health. Christy is another gem of a gal who I just adore. She is fired up to help other women break free from the anxiety and panic of their busy lives. Friends, if you have a girlfriend that you know will love the podcast, will you please share it with them? When you share this podcast you're not only helping me but you're encouraging a friend. I felt like I could connect with Christy on so many points about being overwhelmed and overworked. How about you? Do you need to bring some happy messengers back to your brain? Think of ways today where you can rest your body, relax your mind, and feed your soul. And don't forget to check out Fearless Women and the encouragement Christy and her team are ready to bring. Friends, if you have a friend that needs this podcast, please share it with them. Podcasts like this one are what have helped encourage me through some pretty dark times and I'd love it if you'd allow someone to feel not so alone in their struggle by sharing a story just like Christy's. Go to the show notes at Constantly Under Construction.com to link up with Christy, Fearless Women, and some of her favorite things! https://getpretty.mymonat.com www.fearlesswomenstl.com www.constantlyunderconstruction.com

https://globalservicenetwork.org/give/90414001/ Tibor Miklos is completely blind. He started to lose his sight when we was a teen and by the time he turned 46 he was without sight completely. From early on he has been cast off. Lost and forgotten, he spend most of his adolescent years in an orphanage. Tibor and his wife (who is also blind) suffers many hardships in their lives. But it is his faith that brings him immeasurable joy. Tibor is a missionary with The Bartimeus Foundation, an organization with a vision for the blind and disabled people of Hungary and East Europe. http://bartimeus.hu He also works with InTouch Ministries using their device, The Messenger, to provide audio scripture to the poor and disabled. Please consider supporting Tibor and his mission to minister to the blind by clicking the link below. https://globalservicenetwork.org/give/90414001/ https://www.intouch.org/read/magazine/in-focus/darkness-into-light

Jess Connolly is a nationally recognized author and speaker. As a mom, wife, and church planter, life in Charleston, SC keeps her pretty busy. She is in the business of helping people take steps toward abundant life and is wildly passionate about scripture. Her heart is to see people set free and encourage women to glorify God with gifts and talents they've been given. Jess runs a print shop called All Good Things Collective and she helped start both The Influence Network and She Reads Truth. Jess also wrote a book. Well, she's written a couple of books! but the one we'll talk about today is called DANCE STAND RUN where we will discuss the idea of speaking life into our friendships with other women. This concept of speaking life is vital for all relationships: as a friend, a co-worker or boss, as a parent, and as a spouse. No matter your season of life, I hope you drink in the encouragement and life-giving thoughts that are shared today. www.constantlyunderconstruction.com www.dancestandrun.com http://getpretty.mymonat.com/

We've got Laura Fleetwood in the studio today. Laura writes at seekingthestill.com and is a contributor at The Mighty. Her passion is helping women. Women that she has deemed Messy Miracles like herself, seek the still amidst an often chaotic life. She is an anxiety warrior whose "super power" is helping women open up about their struggles and focuses on simply doing the next right thing in love… In our time together, Laura recounts the events that landed her in a mental hospital... and walks us through how she overcame anxiety. She also stresses the fact that she very much seemed ok on the outside but was not ok on the inside. In her story, she says that her breakdown was the most devastating but the most incredible thing that has happened to her. After a long journey of self-acceptance, surrender, and intentional healing, Laura has created a team and a mindset of health that just has to be shared with you guys! I definitely enjoyed the practical tips she shared... along with knowing that we don't have to be alone while walking toward wellness. www.constantlyunderconstruction.com getpretty.mymonat.com www.seekingthestill.com www.instagram.com/constantlyunderconstruction

Our guest is Jayne Patton, a writer and speaker who ministers to women of all walks of life. She spends a lot of her time imparting wisdom at conferences, weekend retreats, and other women's events. But also spends regular time with the ladies incarcerated at the nearby local maximum security prison. In our time together, Jayne teaches us what it means when a small town gets a Taco Bell. She stresses the importance of linking arms with other women. AND we'll hear her story: a young woman who was desperate to find worth in a marriage and seeking identity in all the wrong places. Links: www.constantlyunderconstruction.com GETPRETTY.MYMONAT.com www.jaynepatton.com

Mara Watts is an Asheville, NC based mother and wife and the co-founder of Motherhood on Purpose, an online community where mothers and women all over the world find encouragement to live a life of purpose and confidence. Mara thrives off helping women plan their business and happily describes herself as a total geek when it comes to business plans and strategy .

Everything leading her to this point in her life has been thanks to her journey as a mom. Motherhood and postpartum depression/anxiety was the beginning of Mara's journey. Getting out. Literally. Like getting out of the door was part of her healing. It shook the weight of depression and anxiety off her shoulders and has caused her to grow and to find the beauty life.

We also talk about Acro-yoga, coloring books, and yoga pants passing as regular clothing. You know, the really important stuff. ;)

www.constantlyunderconstruction.com

Get Phenomenal Hair today! GET PRETTY.mymonat.com

Mara Watts: https://motherhoodonpurpose.com

Our guest is Stephanie Haynes: Mentor, Speaker, Author Stephanie holds a special place in my heart. Without her, I may not have moved forward with this podcast. She is such an inspiration to the many women who encounter her. She currently has her hands in so many wonderful projects and endeavors that I cannot keep up. Ironically, there was a time where Stephanie count keep up herself. Stephanie is the author of the book Cultivating Peace: A guide to receiving God's peace within your chaos. We are going to talk about a time when chaos ruled Stephanie's world…and how she got out. This episode was recorded a year ago. So you'll hear a date mentioned that has already passed. Also, you'll get to hear a theme song and intro into the show that no longer exists. Don't worry, though. The knowledge and encouragement you'll gain from listening is timeless. Today's episode was brought to you by MONAT. MO - WHAT? Mo NAT This Haircare line is made of sunshine, rainbows, and unicorn sprinkles you guys. Meaning, ITS MAGIC. I've had dramatic results and you can too. Think of a hair problem and MONAT tackles it. dry, coarse, frizzy, lifeless, unmanageable and even HAIR LOSS. If you want soft, shiny, smooth manageable hair. And, even if you want to increase the density of your hair, MO NAT is for you! Just go to GETPRETTY.MYMONAT.com Stay connected with Constantly Under Construction by following on IG and Fb at Constantly Under Contruction or you can listen to more episodes at ConstantlyUnderConstruction.com Thanks for listening! Until next time, friends! And Remember…. We ARE Constantly Under Construction.

Today's guest is Lara Capuano, a writer and speaker from Upstate NY She is the creator of Adams Acts or HASHTAG AdamsActs which is a kindness movement that takes place in the month of October and was inspired by the death of Lara's brother. In our time together Lara and I discuss her experience with the open adoption of her son, we dive deep on the topic of grief and sadness, AND She shares her wisdom on a loss that's peaceful and a loss that is tragic. It's not all heavy, though. Keep listening so that you can catch the fun things that Lara finds at Marshalls Clothing store. Maybe you ALSO can obtain a pair of jeans that has two distinctive personalities. Lara is kicking off Adam's Acts October 1st and this year she'll also be releasing a devotional to accompany the 31 days in which you can participate in 31 acts of kindness. So latch on to Lara, guys. She's got some good stuff available! Also I encourage you to search the hashtag AdamsActs to get inspiration on ways to cultivate kindness From donuts and flowers, cups of coffee and sweet notes Theres all sorts of fun examples to be found. Go to the show notes at Constantly Under Construction.com to link up with Lara's website, her Instagram where you can see all 31 acts of kindness, and to get your hands on her devotional. Today's episode was brought to you by MONAT. MO - WHAT? Mo NAT This Haircare line is made of sunshine, rainbows, and unicorn sprinkles you guys. Meaning, ITS MAGIC. I've had dramatic results and you can too. Think of a hair problem and MONAT tackles it. dry, coarse, frizzy, lifeless, unmanageable and even HAIR LOSS. If you want soft, shiny, smooth manageable hair. And, even if you want to increase the density of your hair, MO NAT is for you! Just go to GETPRETTY.MYMONAT.com Stay connected with Constantly Under Construction by following on IG and Fb at Constantly Under Contruction or you can listen to more episodes at Constantly Under Construction.com Thanks for listening! Until next time, friends! And Remember…. We ARE Constantly Under Construction. Links mentioned in this episode: