Have you ever felt tired in a way sleep doesn't fix?

Like you're carrying the weight of everything — the world, your family, your responsibilities, your own emotions — and you don't know how to put it down?

This episode is for you.

Because here's the truth most of us don't hear enough: 👉 Feeling overwhelmed does NOT mean you're failing. 👉 It usually means you care deeply — and you're being asked to rise into a new level of capacity.

In this powerful pep talk, Danielle shares a story that will completely shift how you see yourself in hard moments — and teaches you how to access the strength, wisdom, and calm that already live inside you.

You are not broken. You are not behind. You are capable of more than you realize.

🔥 In this episode, you'll learn:

✔️ Why overwhelm doesn't mean you're weak — it means your nervous system is under pressure ✔️ The incredible true story of a concert pianist who performed flawlessly without preparation (and what it teaches us about human capacity) ✔️ How your brain and body already hold the answers you think you don't have ✔️ Why grounding and regulation unlock confidence faster than "positive thinking" ✔️ A simple, powerful practice to calm your nervous system and reconnect to your inner wisdom ✔️ How faith, neuroscience, and the body work together to restore capability

🧠 The big reframe you'll walk away with:

When life hands you the "wrong concerto," it doesn't mean you can't handle it. It often means your deeper wisdom is being invited forward.

Capability doesn't come from pushing harder. It comes from grounding, breathing, and trusting what you already carry.

🌿 You'll be guided through a calming, centering practice to help you:

• Regulate overwhelm • Come back into your body • Quiet anxious thoughts • Reconnect with confidence and inner peace

Perfect for stressful seasons, emotional exhaustion, or moments when everything feels like too much.

✨ A truth to remember:

You are capable — not because you're perfect. Not because you never mess up. Not because life is easy.

You are capable because there is wisdom, resilience, and divinity within you.

❤️ If this episode helped you…

Share it with someone who feels overwhelmed right now. Sometimes we believe in ourselves faster when someone else reminds us who we are.

And never forget: You matter. Your life matters. Your light makes the world better.

Where you can connect more with Danielle:

• Danielle's website

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• Learn more about trips to Italy with Danielle and friends

• Danielle's music on Spotify

What if joy wasn't something you stumbled into… but something you practiced? Today's episode wraps up our 3-part series on spiritual power inspired by President Russell M. Nelson, and we're talking about one of the biggest spiritual misconceptions out there: If the gospel is a gospel of joy, then why does life feel so hard? Oh, friend. You're not alone. And it's not because joy is missing. It's because we don't know how to access it. Yet. In this episode we'll break that down. Here's what you'll learn:

• The real difference between "feeling good" and true joy (Hint: one numbs you, the other strengthens you.)
• Why joy requires redirection, not perfection (and how President Nelson modeled this masterfully—yes, through heartbreak).
• How boredom might actually be your biggest spiritual opportunity (and how to use that 5 minutes when your brain wants to scroll.)
• The simple, joyful way to "collect God's promises" — one verse at a time.
• Three real-life examples from scripture you can copy today:
• Isaiah 61 and binding your broken heart
• Enos and praying for people who've hurt you
• Alma the Younger and God hearing a parent's prayers

No guilt. No forced positivity. Just real joy, the kind that grows your confidence in God and yourself. Big Takeaway Joy isn't something you wait for. Joy is something you collect, one promise at a time. When you gather God's promises, you gather spiritual power. Try This (Your Joy Challenge for the Week) Just once this week, when your brain defaults to scrolling or snacking from boredom, redirect. 📖 Open your scriptures for 5 minutes. 🔎 Find one promise. 💚 Write it down or mark it. (Extra credit: mark promises in green like I do—green for growth.) Watch what starts to change. If You Loved This Episode

• Go listen to Part 1: Repentance as a joyful practice
• And Part 2: Covenants and spiritual power You'll see how all three build on each other. Trust me — it's worth it.

Let's Stay Connected If this resonated with you, share a screenshot, tag me, or send it to a friend who needs a lift. Joy grows fastest when shared.

Where you can connect more with Danielle:

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If you've ever thought, "Can't I be a good person without all the rules of organized religion?" — this episode is for you. In Part 2 of our Spiritual Power series, Danielle gets real about something a lot of us quietly wrestle with: feeling disconnected in our worship, going through the motions, or wondering what the point of covenants even is. Here's what you'll discover in today's episode: ✨ Why covenants are not about rules — they're about relationship. ✨ The story of Abraham in Genesis 15, and how it shows God's covenant love — His hesed — a love that never quits on you. ✨ The surprising meaning of the number five in scripture (and what it reveals about grace). ✨ Why "letting God prevail" doesn't mean giving up — it means giving over. ✨ What covenant living looks like in real life for a woman in midlife — especially if you're worried about your young adult kids and trying to trust God with their journey. You'll also hear powerful insights from President Russell M. Nelson and Emily Belle Freeman, woven with personal stories from Danielle — including one about faith, fear, and finding God in an ambulance ride with her infant son. This episode will help you: 💛 Understand where covenants come from — and how they still matter today. 💛 Feel more grounded and confident in your relationship with God. 💛 Remember that faith isn't about perfection — it's about partnership. So if you've been craving a deeper connection with Heaven, or just wondering why covenants matter in a modern world — this conversation will shift something inside you.

Where you can connect more with Danielle:

• Danielle's website

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• Learn more about trips to Italy with Danielle and friends

• Danielle's music on Spotify

Welcome to a new three-part series on Spiritual Power — inspired by the remarkable life and teachings of President Russell M. Nelson of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

In this first episode, I'm sharing lessons that have changed the way I see repentance — not as something heavy or guilt-driven, but as a source of joy and strength. President Nelson once taught about "the joy of daily repentance" in his 2022 talk The Power of Spiritual Momentum — and in a world full of fear, uncertainty, and division, that simple phrase holds extraordinary power.

Together, we'll explore how daily repentance helps us:

• 🌿 Gain strength to overcome the world — even when the world feels heavy.

• 💫 Find freedom from fear — by turning our hearts toward God instead of anxiety.

• 🕊️ Experience greater peace — through humility, honesty, and daily reflection.

• ❤️ Build deeper unity in our families — by practicing apology, forgiveness, and connection.

You'll hear how these promises have unfolded in my own life and how modern psychology beautifully supports what prophets have always taught — that humility, self-forgiveness, and honesty restore our mental and emotional well-being.

Because daily repentance isn't about shame or perfection. It's about becoming. It's about building spiritual power — one quiet, courageous choice at a time.

In this episode, we talk about: ✨ Lessons from President Russell M. Nelson's remarkable life — heart surgeon, prophet, and disciple of Christ. ✨ The connection between repentance and psychological well-being. ✨ How humility and honesty invite peace and freedom. ✨ Simple daily practices that restore spiritual momentum and joy.

A gentle invitation for the week: Take a quiet moment each night and ask Heaven one simple question:

"Father, what is one thing I could do a little better tomorrow?"

Not because you're not enough — but because you're in the process of becoming.

Where you can connect more with Danielle:

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• Danielle's music on Spotify

September is Suicide Prevention Month, and today's conversation is tender, raw, and full of hope. I'm sitting down with my dear friend who lost her brother to suicide over 30 years ago. Together we talk about the weight of that loss, how grief has shaped her life, and the ways she has found resilience and meaning over the years.

In this episode we explore:

• What it's like to navigate the first days and years after losing a loved one to suicide.

• How to honor and keep alive the memory of someone we love while still moving forward with life.

• The role of compassion, rituals, and connection in carrying grief with grace.

• What helps and what hurts when supporting someone who is grieving.

• Where hope can be found, even in the aftermath of devastating loss.

Whether you have personally lost someone to suicide, are supporting a loved one through grief, or want to better understand how to show up for others, this conversation offers honesty and encouragement. My guest's story reminds us that though grief changes us, it can also teach us resilience, deepen our compassion, and help us live with more love.

If you or someone you know is struggling, please know that help is available:

• In the U.S., call or text 988 to connect with the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline anytime, day or night.

• If you're outside the U.S., please look up your local crisis line number or go to the nearest emergency department.

• Local: Stay MENtally Strong Foundation founded by Gina Oliverson in loving memory of Sean.

Your life matters. You are not alone.

Where you can connect more with Danielle:

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Have you ever felt like the world is just… too much? The noise never stops — the headlines, the worries, the family concerns — and you wonder where to find peace in days that feel anything but peaceful? In this final episode of Be Still: A Summer of Meditation, we're wrapping up with a verse that feels like an antidote to the chaos: "Learn of me, and listen to my words; walk in the meekness of my Spirit, and you shall have peace in me." (Doctrine and Covenants 19:23) This promise from the Savior gives us a three-step pattern we can practice in our everyday discipleship:

• Learn of Him — discovering His qualities and picturing ourselves walking beside Him.
• Listen to His words — creating space in our prayers for God's voice to speak.
• Walk in His Spirit — choosing quiet strength even when anger is justified.

All summer long, we've been practicing how to "be still and know" — weaving together the wisdom of meditation, the truths of neuroscience, and the hope of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ. We've learned how quieting our hearts opens the door to the Spirit, how stillness rewires the brain for peace, and how even in a world where prophecy says peace will be taken from the earth, Christ promises, "You shall have peace in me." This last episode ends with a guided meditation that will help you step away from the noise, walk with Him in the meekness of His Spirit, and carry His peace into your day. Whether you've been here for all ten episodes or you're just joining us today, I'm so glad you're here. You'll leave this conversation with practices you can use in prayer, in study, and in your everyday relationships — practices that help you hear Him more clearly and feel His peace more deeply.

Where you can connect more with Danielle:

• Danielle's website

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• Danielle's music on Spotify

In this tender and illuminating episode, we're exploring what it means to live from your center and shine your light — even when it feels small. Drawing from the words of Jesus in Matthew 5:14, "You are the light of the world," we'll look at three kinds of light we're invited to be in the world: lower lights, luminaries, and lighthouses. Each serves a sacred purpose — including yours. You'll hear the moving backstory behind the beloved hymn "Brightly Beams Our Father's Mercy" and learn why the "lower lights" matter more than we realize — especially for women in midlife who might feel like their light is dim or overlooked. We'll also transition into a guided meditation inspired by questions that invite you to reconnect with your true light: 💭 What kind of light are you being right now? 💭 Who has been a lower light for you? 💭 Where are you being invited to shine — even if it's uncomfortable? This is more than a conversation — it's an invitation to trust your light, just as it is. To reflect divine Light. To remember: someone is watching for your glow to find their way home. 💌 Loved this episode? Send it to a friend who's been a light in your life. Or someone who needs reminding that their glow still matters. 🌿 Next week is the final episode in our "Be Still" summer meditation series — you won't want to miss it.

Where you can connect more with Danielle:

• Danielle's website

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• Danielle's music on Spotify

Welcome, friend. This episode might be the theme of why I do everything I do, helping you find balance in loving without grasping too tightly. If you've ever felt the ache of letting go as your child grows up, or the tension between holding on and trusting God—this one's for you. Today, I'm sharing a tender meditation on motherhood, rooted in the ancient wisdom of Zen and framed by my own experience raising teenagers—and now watching my 22-year-old prepare to move into his first home he just bought. We'll explore:

• What Zen actually is, and where it intersects with Christian and Latter-day Saint teachings
• How to "mother with the end in mind" without missing the beauty of now
• What Fiddler on the Roof, motorcycle maintenance, and motherhood have in common
• Why stillness, simplicity, and presence are more powerful than control
• And how meditation has helped me heal anxiety and navigate a difficult childhood with grace

Whether you're a mom, a mentor, or someone in a season of surrender, may this episode offer insights to help you remember that you are not alone in motherhood. The world may be changing, but the presence of God remains steady—and so can you. 🧘‍♀️ Be Still: A Summer of Meditation continues with this short but mighty episode. ––– 💌 Subscribe to the podcast newsletter at daniellevaughncoaching.com 🎙️ Leave a review if today's episode resonates with you—it helps others find inspiration, too.

Where you can connect more with Danielle:

• Danielle's website

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• Danielle's music on Spotify

Welcome back to Be Still – A Summer of Meditation. In this episode, we explore what it means to partner with God—not just in our stillness, but in our everyday doing.

Too often we think of spirituality and meditation as passive surrender, but today, we're shifting that idea. Drawing from the powerful words of President Ezra Taft Benson, we consider ten specific promises God makes to those who turn their lives over to Him—promises like deeper joy, expanded vision, quickened minds, and poured-out peace.

You'll hear short stories from the scriptures—about Nephi, Esther, Mary, Moses, and others—who partnered with God in practical, courageous ways. We'll look at how these divine patterns mirror ancient truths from Zen Buddhism, where stillness gives rise to insight, resilience, and compassion.

🧘‍♀️ This episode also includes a guided meditation to help you:

• Practice spiritual partnership with God

• Tune into the divine support available to you

• Anchor your spirit in the present moment

This is for the Doers who have a hard time letting go. For those who pride themselves on hard work, but want to learn to trust heaven more fully. And for anyone who's ever wondered if they can do less striving and more abiding—without losing momentum.

🌿 Key Takeaways:

• 10 Promises from God to those who partner with Him

• How meditation opens the soul to receive

• Scriptural examples of spiritual partnership in action

• The connection between Zen mindfulness and gospel living

• A peaceful meditation to center your spirit in divine partnership

🕊 Scriptures referenced:

• 1 Nephi 17:7–13

• Exodus 3–4

• Mark 4:39–40

• Genesis 41:16, 38–39

• Luke 1:28–38

• Esther 4:13–16

This episode is a reminder: God will be the God you need, when you need Him. And your stillness is not a pause in progress—it's part of the process.

Where you can connect more with Danielle:

• Danielle's website

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• Danielle's music on Spotify

What if your imagination was one of the most powerful spiritual tools you've been given? What if you could learn to use it—not to escape reality—but to see what's most true, most good, and most possible in your life, through the eyes of God?

In this episode, we explore why your imagination isn't childish or frivolous—it's sacred. It's how you co-create with God. And when you combine it with stillness and mindfulness, it becomes a superpower for clarity, healing, and divine direction.

Whether you're facing a crossroads, navigating uncertainty, or just yearning to hear the voice of the Good Shepherd in a world that's loud and overwhelming—this episode is for you.

💡 You'll Learn:

• How mindfulness clears space to actually hear God's voice

• Why spiritual imagination is key to transforming fear into faith

• What neuroscience reveals about imagination and executive functioning (and how that helps you build a better life)

• The difference between fear-based thinking and God-inspired vision

• How to discern if your inner voice is fear… or divine guidance

🌿 Plus, a Guided Meditation: Walking with the Good Shepherd

Let Psalm 23 come alive as you close your eyes and imagine sitting beside Jesus by still waters. This practice will help you tap into your spiritual imagination—and sense the peace, presence, and clarity that's always available to you.

✨ Key Scriptures in This Episode:

• John 10:27 – "My sheep hear my voice; I know them, and they follow me."

• Proverbs 29:18 – "Where there is no vision, the people perish."

• Romans 12:2 – "Be transformed by the renewing of your mind…"

• 2 Timothy 1:7 – "For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power, love, and a sound mind."

• Psalm 23 – "He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul…"

💬 Favorite Quote from the Episode:

"When you bring your imagination into stillness with God, it becomes a canvas for healing, vision, and divine partnership."

💛 This episode is for you if:

• You're longing for clarity about your next step or season

• You want to discern God's voice from the noise

• You're curious about meditation but grounded in Christian faith

• You believe there's more inside of you waiting to come alive

• You need a gentle, hopeful reminder: people can change—and that includes you

You'll hear a powerful story about civil rights leader John Lewis and the transformative power of spiritual imagination—one that just might stay with you all week.

Where you can connect more with Danielle:

• Danielle's website

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• Learn more about trips to Italy with Danielle and friends

• Danielle's music on Spotify