Why is it so hard to say what we really mean — especially when we care about the relationship?

In Episode 2 of The Conversations That Shape Our Lives, we explore why so many of us stay silent to keep the peace, and how that silence often turns into stress, resentment, or emotional exhaustion.

This episode looks at the role guilt plays when we start speaking more honestly, why anger is often unexpressed truth, and how clarity can actually strengthen relationships rather than damage them. You’ll learn a simple, compassionate framework for expressing your needs clearly — without blame, guilt, or emotional buildup.

If you’ve ever minimized your feelings, avoided a conversation, or worried about being “too much,” this episode will help you reframe communication as an act of respect — for yourself and for others.

This is the first episode in a series where we dive into more about communication. Or the lack of it! What if your stress isn’t really about the situation — but the conversation that never happened?

In the first episode of The Conversations That Shape Our Lives, we explore how unspoken expectations, avoidance, and silence quietly create stress, tension, and resentment in our relationships.

Most of the pressure we feel isn’t caused by conflict — it comes from what we don’t say, what we assume others should know, and the conversations we delay because they feel uncomfortable.

This episode invites you to reframe stress as a signal rather than a failure, and to recognize communication gaps as opportunities for clarity, connection, and peace.

If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed, misunderstood, or emotionally drained without fully knowing why, this conversation will help you see stress differently — and take the first step toward calmer, more intentional communication.

If you would like to receive a 'Listener Reflection Worksheet' via email, please let us know and we will send that to your inbox! Just email us at [email protected] and request your copy today!

As a new year approaches, many of us rush to set goals—lose weight, earn more, do more—without ever asking the most important question: What is your 'why'?

In this episode of Fuller Expectations, we explore how discovering your WHY changes everything—how you set goals, how you measure success, how you PERSIST and reach success, and how deeply you experience gratitude and meaning in your life.

When your goals are rooted in purpose instead of pressure, they stop feeling exhausting and start feeling aligned. You’ll learn why clarity around your WHY creates motivation that lasts, how it helps you say no to what doesn’t serve you, and why meaningful goals feel lighter—even when they’re challenging.

This conversation is an invitation to pause before the new year begins, reflect on what truly matters to you in this season of life, and create intentions that honor who you are becoming—and focus on what truly matters.

If you’re ready to stop chasing goals and start living with intention, this episode is for you!

If you’ve ever felt like you’re doing all the right things—eating well, exercising consistently, managing calories—yet the scale still refuses to move, this episode is for you.

In this episode of Fuller Expectations, we break down the powerful insights from Jennifer Jenkin’s Guide to Overcoming Weight Loss Resistance and uncover why weight loss is not a willpower issue, but often a physiological one.

Jennifer is a Registered Nurse, certified health coach, registered yoga instructor, and healthy lifestyle coach, and offers insight about how hidden imbalances in the body can quietly sabotage weight loss efforts. We explore the most common (and often overlooked) culprits, including:

• Chronic stress and elevated cortisol

• Blue light exposure and disrupted circadian rhythms

• Hormonal imbalances such as estrogen dominance and low testosterone

• Hypothyroidism and slowed metabolism

• Blood sugar dysregulation and insulin resistance

• Sleep disturbances that prevent fat loss

• Gut microbiome imbalances that impact digestion and inflammation

• Environmental stressors like heavy metal toxicity

More importantly, this episode shifts the conversation from restriction to restoration. You’ll learn why healing the body—supporting hormones, regulating stress, improving sleep, and balancing the gut—must come before sustainable weight loss can happen.

If you’re in the second half of life and wondering why what used to work no longer does, this episode offers clarity, compassion, and science-backed hope. Weight loss becomes possible again—not by doing more, but by addressing what your body truly needs. This episode is a reminder that your body is not broken—it’s communicating.

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If you'd like to try them after reviewing the study, here is the link: https://threeinternational.com/en/ShopProducts/941196⁠ Message me at [email protected] for more information.

In this episode of Fuller Expectations, Carrie sits on the other side of the microphone as her sister interviews herabout one of the most transformative themes of midlife: knowing your worth and becoming your own advocate.

From leaving relationships that no longer aligned, towalking away from professional environments that didn’t match her values or her vision for her life, Carrie shares the real-life moments when she chose courage over comfort — and how each decision helped her step into a fuller, morealigned version of herself.

If you’ve ever felt stuck, overlooked, undervalued, orafraid to make a necessary change, this conversation will remind you of something essential:
✨ Your life expands when you stop waiting for permission and start standing up for yourself.

And WE'LL give you some ideas on how to move forward in your own lives. After all, you are your own best advocate!

Today, we’re breaking down what collagen actually is, why most of us are deficient, and how simple food choices can dramatically improve our health.  I'm talking about from the inside out.  Most people think of collagen as 'the external visable things' like hair, skin, and nails.  What I'm going to share with you today is what collagen does from the INSIDE out.  Think about your joints, tendons, ligaments, and your muscles - the things that are inside of every one of us that we don't even notice when they are working fine, but BOY do we notice them when they aren't!  

I learned so much collagen recently, and yes - it improves our skin, hair, and nails - but also our joints, metabolism, gut health, and even longevity. We’ll also talking about the flipside — the foods that quietly accelerate aging and inflammation without us ever realizing it.

Whether you’re trying to lose weight, get your energy back, reduce inflammation, feel better in your skin, or simply live a longer, more vibrant life… this episode is for you!

And if you aren't taking collagen yet and today's episode inspired you to look into collagen for your own health, I'll share a couple that I've vetted, use regularly and highly recommend.

In this deeply reflective and empowering episode of Fuller Expectations, we explore one of the most important — and most misunderstood — parts of growth: letting go.

Letting go isn’t failure. It isn’t quitting. And it isn’t a sign that you’ve “changed too much.” It’s actually the clearest sign that you are evolving.

Picking up from the powerful and popular “Anti-Bucket List” episode, this conversation goes even deeper into the things we release in order to make room for the life we’re building — the people, patterns, commitments, identities, and old versions of ourselves that we’ve simply outgrown.

Together, we’ll explore:

✨ How to recognize when something no longer fits
✨ Why letting go gracefully is an act of self-respect, not selfishness
✨ The emotional courage required to release familiar patterns
✨ What it means to outgrow an old identity — and how to honor who you were
✨ How making space invites clarity, peace, and new opportunities
✨ Practical frameworks for deciding what stays and what goes

If you're in a season of transition — or you feel the quiet pull to grow in a new direction — this episode is a compassionate reminder that you’re not alone… and that letting go is often the first step toward living a fuller, more aligned second half of life.

Today’s episode is one I believe so many women and men need to hear. We’re sitting down with a woman who made one of the bravest decisions a person can make — to stop living the same painful story and write a new one for herself and her family. And in doing so, she became an influencer on TikTok with over 29,000 followers, many of whom have changed THEIR lives because of her inspiring story.

Melissa is a mom of two young children, a wife, a daughter, a friend to so many... and a woman who felt like she wanted more for her life. She wanted to be present. She wanted to feel proud of the person is and could become.

After years of ending each day the same way — pouring a glass of wine (or two or three) she realized she wasn’t just tired… she was disappointed in who she was becoming. And she wasn’t willing to lose herself, or these precious years with her family, to a pattern she knew she could break.

So she got honest. She got brave. And she got sober.
And now, just over 100 days into her journey, she’s sharing her story openly with us.

In this episode, we’re talking about the moment she decided enough was enough, what early sobriety really feels like, the identity shift that comes with stepping away from alcohol, and how choosing yourself can change everything — for you, your marriage, and your kids.

This is an episode about presence. About courage. About rewriting your story at any age, for any reason, simply because you deserve a life you’re awake for.

So if you’ve ever questioned your own relationship with alcohol…or felt like you were living on autopilot…or dreamed of feeling more alive, more grounded, more you… this conversation might just be the nudge your heart has been waiting for!

You can find Melissa on TikTok: @melissarosewest

Most of us have been taught to shrink ourselves — eat less, do more cardio, keep chasing a smaller size.

But what if the real secret to energy, vitality, and aging well has nothing to do with shrinking… but has everything to do with strength?

This week on Fuller Expectations, we’re diving into Dr. Gabrielle Lyon’s groundbreaking book Forever Strong and the idea of “muscle-centric medicine.”

💪 Why muscle is the true organ of longevity
🍳 Why protein is the foundation of a healthy metabolism
🧠 How muscle supports your hormones, brain, and mood
⚡ Simple ways to get stronger at ANY age
✨ And why building muscle is the greatest gift you can give your future self

If you want more energy, better health, and a stronger body for the second half of life… this episode is for YOU.

In this episode of Fuller Expectations, we welcome Brenda, a woman who has truly mastered the art of starting her day with gratitude and intention, and she'll share how that impacts her entire day!

Together, we explore how the way you begin your morning sets the tone for your entire day—and how a well-crafted routine can become one of the most powerful tools for reducing stress and anxiety.

Brenda shares her personal approach to “rising well,” offering practical tips and mindset shifts that help her step into each day with a sense of clarity and calm. We'll also dive into an important distinction: the difference between self-care and self-indulgence. Understanding this balance can transform the way you show up for yourself and those around you.

Whether you’re looking to reset your mornings, lower daily stress, or rethink what self-care really means, this conversation will inspire you to create intentional practices that support a more peaceful and purposeful life.

Brenda’s self-care routine includes these product lines if you’d like to explore them:

Skin care:

https://mysite.mynuskin.com/content/nuskin/en_US/mysite/mysite-home.mysite.blushnbling.html?storeId=US03473789#home

Supplements:

https://threeinternational.com/en/ShopProducts/1445620