Have you ever found out someone you love wasn't telling you the whole truth, and even though it wasn't malicious, something inside you shifted? That quiet crack in trust can change a relationship more than any dramatic betrayal ever could.

In this episode of Life Happens with Barb & Michelle, this mother-daughter duo gets deeply personal about dishonesty. Not the headline-grabbing kind, but the everyday white lies, the withheld truths, the stories we tell ourselves about "protecting" the people we love. From family secrets revealed years later to the small manipulations that slowly erode trust, Barb and Michelle unpack what honesty really costs and what it makes possible.

💬 Barb shares how she navigated telling Michelle about her bulimia, a family affair, and the alcoholism in their lineage, and why she trusted life to present the right timing rather than forcing the conversation.

 💬 Michelle opens up about what it felt like to learn major truths about her family as a young adult, how those revelations triggered a "what else don't I know?" spiral, and why her mom's non-judgmental space made all the difference.

✨ In This Episode, We Discuss:

• The difference between withholding truth to protect versus withholding to manipulate and control
• How Michelle learned about her dad's affair through a Facebook message years after his death, and how Barb handled the fallout
• Why Barb believes "life will present the timing" for hard conversations with your kids
• The real damage of small, repeated white lies versus big one-time revelations
• How calling someone a "liar" or "gaslighter" can short-circuit a conversation, and what to say instead
• Creating a safe space where your child (or anyone) can tell the truth without being punished first
• Why trust can be broken in a moment but takes patience and intention to rebuild

"I truly believe the truth will set you free. I become tethered to lies."

Whether you're a parent wondering what to share and when, or someone rebuilding trust after it cracked, this episode will make you feel less alone in the mess of it. Barb and Michelle don't pretend to have perfect answers. They just show you what it looks like to keep choosing honesty, even when it's uncomfortable. Pull up a seat and listen in.

0:00 - Cold Open

0:57 - Welcome to Life Happens with Barb & Michelle

1:15 - Introducing Today's Topic: Truth & Dishonesty

2:12 - Truth Used to Be a Core Value — What Changed?

11:21 - Parent-Child Honesty: When & How to Share Hard Truths

13:45 - The "True Hat" Rule: A Family Trust Agreement

19:41 - Finding Out About Dad's Affair Through Facebook

22:18 - Letting Life Present the Right Moment to Tell the Truth

28:38 - Are White Lies More Harmful Than Big Ones?

29:33 - Work Colleague Story: When White Lies Become Control

34:01 - Lying About Drinking as a Teen & Creating Safe Spaces

41:09 - "Raised by Cave People" — Extending Grace to Our Parents

47:07 - Don't Use "You Are" — Use "I Feel" Language

49:27 - Creating Safe Spaces & Repairing Broken Trust

51:16 - Closing & Thank You

📘 Go Deeper with Dear Friend

If this episode on Dishonesty and Trust resonated with you, you may also love Michelle’s USA TODAY bestselling book, Dear Friend, a daily reflection companion designed to help you reconnect with your inner voice, honor your needs, and find clarity and strength one day at a time.

Because resilience doesn’t begin with changing your circumstances. It begins with strengthening your relationship with yourself.

And that may be the most important relationship you’ll ever build.

👉 Order your copy: https://amzn.to/3Us9eqg

🎧 Listen to the audiobook and step into a year that truly loves you back: https://amzn.to/459zSdt

💬 We’d love to hear from you! What insight or moment resonated most with you in this episode? Share in the comments—we truly read every one.

📅 Subscribe & Join Us Next Tuesday for another heartfelt episode of Life Happens with Barb and Michelle! 💕

🎙️ Hosted by:

• https://www.instagram.com/peaceful_barb/
• https://www.instagram.com/michellemaros/

Join our community⬇️

YouTube: www.youtube.com/@LifeHappensThePodcast

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lifehappensthepodcast/

Substack: https://lifehappensthepodcast.substack.com/

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@lifehappensthepodcast

Listen to our podcast anywhere→ https://michellemaros.com/podcast/ 

🎙️ New episodes of Life Happens with Barb and Michelle are released every Tuesday

✨ Available Now✨ Order Dear Friend to receive daily doses of clarity, hope, and heartfelt encouragement.💌 https://amzn.to/3Us9eqg

Our Sponsors:
* Check out Time4Learning: https://www.time4learning.com


Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

What happens when the person you trusted completely becomes the source of your deepest wound? And what does it mean when you're the one who caused that kind of pain for someone else?

In this episode of Life Happens with Barb & Michelle, our hosts go deep on one of the most universally painful human experiences: betrayal. This is a raw, honest conversation about what betrayal actually does to us, how it lives in our bodies, and what it really takes to move forward (hint: it's not just forgiving and forgetting).

💬 Barb opens up about how betrayal has quietly shattered her sense of safety and belonging over the years, including within family relationships, and shares what she's learning about the difference between repairing a relationship and repairing yourself.

💬 Michelle gets real about a time in her younger years when she found herself cast as the villain in a messy web of loyalty, secrets, and broken trust. She reflects on how she eventually made peace with it, even without resolution from the other people involved.

✨ In This Episode, We Discuss:

• Why betrayal isn't just disappointment and why it activates the same regions of the brain as physical pain
• The difference between a mistake and a betrayal, and why that line matters
• What it looks like to "clean up your own side of the street" after you've hurt someone
• The pressure of "blood is thicker than water" and why family loyalty doesn't obligate you to stay in unsafe relationships
• How to know whether a broken relationship is worth repairing or whether it's okay to let it go
• The sneaky way gossip can be a gateway to bigger betrayals
• What self-betrayal has to do with all of it (and why that's a whole other episode)

"What society thinks and what other people are telling you is true... blood is thicker than water, you have to forgive and forget... none of that applies. How do you feel about it?"

If you've ever felt like you had to choose between protecting someone and protecting yourself, this episode will meet you right there. You'll walk away with a clearer sense of what you actually owe other people and what you owe yourself. Come sit with us for this one.

📘 Go Deeper with Dear Friend

If this episode on Loyalty and Betrayal resonated with you, you may also love Michelle’s USA TODAY bestselling book, Dear Friend, a daily reflection companion designed to help you reconnect with your inner voice, honor your needs, and find clarity and strength one day at a time.

Because resilience doesn’t begin with changing your circumstances.

It begins with strengthening your relationship with yourself.

And that may be the most important relationship you’ll ever build.

👉 Order your copy: https://amzn.to/3Us9eqg

🎧 Listen to the audiobook and step into a year that truly loves you back: https://amzn.to/459zSdt

💬 We’d love to hear from you! What insight or moment resonated most with you in this episode? Share in the comments—we truly read every one.

📅 Subscribe & Join Us Next Tuesday for another heartfelt episode of Life Happens with Barb and Michelle! 💕

🎙️ Host by:

• https://www.instagram.com/peaceful_barb/
• https://www.instagram.com/michellemaros/

Join our community ⬇️

YouTube: www.youtube.com/@LifeHappensThePodcast

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lifehappensthepodcast/

Substack: https://lifehappensthepodcast.substack.com/

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@lifehappensthepodcast

Listen to our podcast anywhere→ https://michellemaros.com/podcast/ 

🎙️ New episodes of Life Happens with Barb and Michelle are released every Tuesday

✨ Available Now✨ Order Dear Friend to receive daily doses of clarity, hope, and heartfelt encouragement.💌 https://amzn.to/3Us9eqg

Our Sponsors:
* Check out Time4Learning: https://www.time4learning.com


Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Have you ever been knocked down so hard you weren’t sure you could get back up?

Have you ever felt the weight of the world and wondered how to keep moving forward—with strength, dignity, and hope?

In this week’s episode of Life Happens with Barb & Michelle, we explore why resilience can feel so hard, especially when you're exhausted from carrying so much. Inspired by Maya Angelou’s powerful poem Still I Rise, this conversation is about finding the courage to rise again—even when life feels overwhelming.

💬 Barb candidly shares her personal experiences with trauma and how Maya Angelou’s wisdom helped her build strength and resilience in her own life.

💬 Michelle opens up about what it feels like to be tired of always having to be resilient—and how she continues to rise above life’s challenges with honesty, grace, and self-compassion.

✨ In This Episode, We Discuss:

• How to find your voice and strength after trauma
• Becoming the author of your own life story
• The healing power of literature and storytelling
• Why resilience doesn’t mean ignoring your pain
• Holding onto one powerful truth: Still I Rise
• Finding balance between growth, healing, and rest

As Maya Angelou reminds us:

"You may not control all the events that happen to you, but you can decide not to be reduced by them."

If life feels heavy right now, this conversation is a reminder that you are stronger than you think—and you can rise again.

💗 Mentioned in today’s episode:

Maya Angelou’s Still I rise: https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/46446/still-i-rise

Maya Angelou’s I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/i-know-why-the-caged-bird-sings-maya-angelou/1100392955

📘 Go Deeper with Dear Friend

If this episode on rising above life’s hardships and practicing self-compassion resonated with you, you may also love Michelle’s USA TODAY bestselling book, Dear Friend, a daily reflection companion designed to help you reconnect with your inner voice, honor your needs, and find clarity and strength one day at a time.

Because resilience doesn’t begin with changing your circumstances.

It begins with strengthening your relationship with yourself.

And that may be the most important relationship you’ll ever build.

👉 Order your copy: https://amzn.to/3Us9eqg

🎧 Listen to the audiobook and step into a year that truly loves you back: https://amzn.to/459zSdt

💬 We’d love to hear from you! What insight or moment resonated most with you in this episode? Share in the comments—we truly read every one.

📅 Subscribe & Join Us Next Tuesday for another heartfelt episode of Life Happens with Barb and Michelle! 💕

🎙️ Host by:

• https://www.instagram.com/peaceful_barb/
• https://www.instagram.com/michellemaros/

Join our community⬇️

YouTube: www.youtube.com/@LifeHappensThePodcast

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lifehappensthepodcast/

Substack: https://lifehappensthepodcast.substack.com/

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@lifehappensthepodcast

Listen to our podcast anywhere→ https://michellemaros.com/podcast/ 

🎙️ New episodes of Life Happens with Barb and Michelle are released every Tuesday

✨ Available Now✨ Order Dear Friend to receive daily doses of clarity, hope, and heartfelt encouragement.💌 https://amzn.to/3Us9eqg

Our Sponsors:
* Check out Time4Learning: https://www.time4learning.com


Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Have you ever cared about someone so much that you slowly disappeared?

Have you ever been the strong one, the helper, the fixer — only to wake up exhausted, resentful, or unsure where you went?

In this week’s episode of Life Happens with Barb & Michelle, we explore the hidden cost of overgiving in relationships and how codependency, people-pleasing, and emotional overfunctioning quietly lead to burnout.

Inspired by Codependent No More by Melody Beattie, this conversation shifts the focus from controlling others to caring for yourself. We talk about boundaries, emotional exhaustion, self-worth, detachment, and how to stop losing yourself in relationships.

If you struggle with:

• Overgiving
• feeling responsible for everyone else’s emotions
• difficulty setting boundaries
• relationship burnout
• or constantly putting others first

…this episode is for you.

💬 Barb shares how she began recognizing her codependent patterns during addiction and divorce — and how healing started when she stopped trying to manage everyone else’s experience.

💬 Michelle opens up about losing herself in past relationships and how she rebuilt trust with her own voice, needs, and intuition.

✨ In This Episode, We Discuss:

• How overgiving leads to resentment and emotional fatigue
• The difference between love and codependency
• Why healthy relationships require boundaries
• How to stop controlling others and start caring for yourself
• Acceptance, detachment, and emotional resilience
• Rebuilding self-worth after toxic dynamics

You cannot pour from an empty cup. Healthy love is mutual. Boundaries are not selfish — they are necessary.

If you’re ready to stop overextending, start honoring your needs, and build balanced, lasting relationships, press play.

💗 Mentioned in today’s episode:

Melody Beattie’s When Things Fall Apart: https://bit.ly/4rBjmvX

📘 Go Deeper with Dear Friend

If this episode on overgiving, boundaries, and rebuilding self-worth resonates with you, you may also love Michelle’s USA TODAY bestselling book, Dear Friend — a daily reflection companion created to help you reconnect with your inner voice, honor your needs, and build emotional clarity one day at a time.

Because healing codependency doesn’t start with changing someone else.

It starts with strengthening your relationship with yourself.

And that may be the most important relationship you’ll ever build.

👉 Order your copy: https://amzn.to/3Us9eqg

🎧 Listen to the audiobook and step into a year that truly loves you back: https://amzn.to/459zSdt

💬 We’d love to hear from you! What insight or moment resonated most with you in this episode? Share in the comments—we truly read every one.

📅 Subscribe & Join Us Next Tuesday for another heartfelt episode of Life Happens with Barb and Michelle! 💕

🎙️ Host by:

• https://www.instagram.com/peaceful_barb/
• https://www.instagram.com/michellemaros/

Join our community⬇️

YouTube: www.youtube.com/@LifeHappensThePodcast

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lifehappensthepodcast/

Substack: https://lifehappensthepodcast.substack.com/

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@lifehappensthepodcast

Listen to our podcast anywhere→ https://michellemaros.com/podcast/ 

🎙️ New episodes of Life Happens with Barb and Michelle are released every Tuesday

✨ Available Now✨ Order Dear Friend to receive daily doses of clarity, hope, and heartfelt encouragement.💌 https://amzn.to/3Us9eqg

Our Sponsors:
* Check out Time4Learning: https://www.time4learning.com


Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

What if when things fall apart… that’s actually where healing begins?

In this week’s episode of Life Happens with Barb & Michelle, we’re diving into the wisdom of Pema Chödrön and her transformational book When Things Fall Apart — a powerful guide for navigating hardship, fear, failure, and suffering.

When life feels overwhelming, our instinct is often to escape the discomfort. But what if leaning into fear is actually the path to resilience? What if the suffering we experience isn’t just about what happened — but the meaning we attach to it?

This episode explores how to stop adding to your own suffering and start turning life’s hardest moments into growth and healing.

💬 Barb shares how When Things Fall Apart helped her navigate her mother’s terminal cancer diagnosis and shift from fear to grounded presence.

💬 Michelle opens up about recognizing where she was compounding her own suffering — and how she now approaches hardship with greater awareness, compassion, and courage.

This conversation is an invitation to step out of denial, stop fighting reality, and begin building emotional resilience — especially when everything feels like it’s unraveling.

✨ In This Episode, We Explore:

• When Things Fall Apart – Why hardship and failure are not the end, but the beginning of transformation.
• How We Add to Our Own Suffering – The stories we tell ourselves that keep us stuck in guilt, denial, or fear.
• Leaning Into Fear – How facing discomfort builds real resilience.
• Reframing Failure – Why failure can be your greatest teacher.
• From Denial to Acceptance – Feeling difficult emotions instead of escaping them.
• The Danger of Passive Hope – Moving from wishing things were different to taking grounded, proactive steps.
• Building Emotional Resilience – Navigating small challenges so we’re stronger in life’s biggest storms.
• Being Fully Alive – Living with presence, curiosity, and compassion.

True healing begins when we stop resisting what is. When we meet pain with compassion instead of judgment. When we realize that fear and hardship are not signs that we’re broken — but invitations to grow.

If life feels heavy right now, this episode is for you.

💗 Mentioned in today’s episode:

Pema Chödrön’s When Things Fall Apart: https://bit.ly/3OAynj2

📘 Continue the Conversation

If this episode resonates, you may also love Michelle’s USA TODAY bestselling book, Dear Friend — a daily reflection companion designed to help you reconnect with yourself, strengthen your inner voice, and practice emotional clarity one day at a time.

Because the most important relationship you’ll ever build… is the one you have with yourself.

👉 Order your copy: https://amzn.to/3Us9eqg

🎧 Listen to the audiobook and step into a year that truly loves you back: https://amzn.to/459zSdt

💬 We’d love to hear from you! What insight or moment resonated most with you in this episode? Share in the comments—we truly read every one.

📅 Subscribe & Join Us Next Tuesday for another heartfelt episode of Life Happens with Barb and Michelle! 💕

🎙️ Host by:

• https://www.instagram.com/peaceful_barb/
• https://www.instagram.com/michellemaros/

Join our community⬇️

YouTube: www.youtube.com/@LifeHappensThePodcast

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lifehappensthepodcast/

Substack: https://lifehappensthepodcast.substack.com/

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@lifehappensthepodcast

Listen to our podcast anywhere→ https://michellemaros.com/podcast/ 

🎙️ New episodes of Life Happens with Barb and Michelle are released every Tuesday

✨ Available Now✨ Order Dear Friend to receive daily doses of clarity, hope, and heartfelt encouragement.💌 https://amzn.to/3Us9eqg

Our Sponsors:
* Check out Time4Learning: https://www.time4learning.com


Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

What if being “selfish” is actually the key to healthier relationships?

In this week’s episode of Life Happens with Barb & Michelle, we’re answering your questions about navigating difficult relationship dynamics — without guilt, overexplaining, or abandoning yourself in the process.

From unrealistic expectations and gossip to setting boundaries for the first time, we’re diving into the messy, uncomfortable, and very real parts of relationships.

💬 Barb shares how she sets boundaries and approaches hard conversations with clarity and calm.

💬 Michelle opens up about releasing guilt, healing with confidence, and refusing to live in a victim mindset.

This conversation is honest, practical, and empowering — especially if you’ve ever struggled with people-pleasing or feeling responsible for everyone else’s emotions.

✨ In This Episode, We Explore:

• Why guilt often keeps us stuck — and what to do instead
• How to identify your values and honor your needs
• Setting boundaries without overexplaining
• Supporting loved ones without rescuing them
• Why healthy relationships require clarity, not self-sacrifice

At the heart of it all? You don’t build strong relationships by shrinking yourself. You build them by standing in your truth.

📘 Continue the Conversation

If this episode resonates, you may also love Michelle’s USA TODAY bestselling book, Dear Friend — a daily reflection companion designed to help you reconnect with yourself, strengthen your inner voice, and practice emotional clarity one day at a time.

Because the most important relationship you’ll ever build… is the one you have with yourself.

👉 Order your copy: https://amzn.to/3Us9eqg

🎧 Listen to the audiobook and step into a year that truly loves you back: https://amzn.to/459zSdt

💬 We’d love to hear from you! What insight or moment resonated most with you in this episode? Share in the comments—we truly read every one.

📅 Subscribe & Join Us Next Tuesday for another heartfelt episode of Life Happens with Barb and Michelle! 💕

🎙️ Host by:

• https://www.instagram.com/peaceful_barb/
• https://www.instagram.com/michellemaros/

Join our community⬇️

YouTube: www.youtube.com/@LifeHappensThePodcast

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lifehappensthepodcast/

Substack: https://lifehappensthepodcast.substack.com/

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@lifehappensthepodcast

Listen to our podcast anywhere→ https://michellemaros.com/podcast/ 

🎙️ New episodes of Life Happens with Barb and Michelle are released every Tuesday

✨ Available Now✨ Order Dear Friend to receive daily doses of clarity, hope, and heartfelt encouragement.💌 https://amzn.to/3Us9eqg

Our Sponsors:
* Check out Time4Learning: https://www.time4learning.com


Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Confrontation isn’t easy — but it’s one of the clearest ways we honor ourselves and the people we care about. If we’re not honest about our feelings and needs, how can our relationships truly grow?

In this week’s episode of Life Happens with Barb & Michelle, we’re diving into loyalty and betrayal — including our own experience of being unexpectedly ghosted by a friend. From healthy communication to redefining what loyalty really means, this conversation is for anyone navigating hurt, boundaries, and the courage to speak up.

💬 Barb shares her experience with fear of abandonment and how she’s learned to voice her truth, even when it feels risky.

💬 Michelle reflects on why she’s cautious with the word “loyalty” and how she’s redefined it in her own relationships.

✨ What We Talk About

Redefining Loyalty

Loyalty isn’t blind or unconditional — it’s a conscious commitment to work through discomfort, growth, and change with honesty and respect.

Fear of Abandonment

Recognizing the underlying fears that may keep you silent or guarded.

Being Okay with Confrontation

Healthy relationships are strengthened — not broken — by hard conversations.

Loyalty to the Relationship Itself

Respecting the time, energy, and connection you’ve built by choosing communication over avoidance.

Reminder: There is power and healing in honest communication. Be brave enough to speak your truth and set the boundaries that protect your peace.

📘 USA TODAY BESTSELLER — Dear Friend by Michelle Maros

Dear Friend is a 365-day companion designed to support self-care, self-love, and emotional clarity. Each reflection offers a gentle pause — a reminder to come back to yourself, nurture your inner voice, and build a life rooted in presence and confidence.

Explore the book and continue the journey toward deeper connection — starting with yourself.

👉 Order your copy: https://amzn.to/3Us9eqg

🎧 Listen to the audiobook and step into a year that truly loves you back: https://amzn.to/459zSdt

💬 We’d love to hear from you! What insight or moment resonated most with you in this episode? Share in the comments—we truly read every one.

📅 Subscribe & Join Us Next Tuesday for another heartfelt episode of Life Happens with Barb and Michelle! 💕

🎙️ Host by:

• https://www.instagram.com/peaceful_barb/
• https://www.instagram.com/michellemaros/

Join our community⬇️

YouTube: www.youtube.com/@LifeHappensThePodcast

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lifehappensthepodcast/

Substack: https://lifehappensthepodcast.substack.com/

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@lifehappensthepodcast

Listen to our podcast anywhere→ https://michellemaros.com/podcast/ 

🎙️ New episodes of Life Happens with Barb and Michelle are released every Tuesday

✨ Available Now✨ Order Dear Friend to receive daily doses of clarity, hope, and heartfelt encouragement.💌 https://amzn.to/3Us9eqg

Our Sponsors:
* Check out Time4Learning: https://www.time4learning.com


Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Have we become so independent—and so focused on self-care—that we’ve forgotten how much we actually need one another? With relationship deficits at an all-time high, this episode is a powerful guide to rebuilding connection and creating healthy dependency—without losing yourself.

In this week’s episode of Life Happens with Barb & Michelle, we’re joined by New York Times bestselling author, therapist, and boundaries expert Nedra Glover Tawwab for an honest and timely conversation about relationships, communication, and expectations. This episode launches the same day as Nedra’s new book, The Balancing Act,offering a deeper look at the themes shaping her work right now.

From understanding how trauma can show up in our relationships to navigating boundaries, “no contact,” and emotional dependency, this conversation speaks directly to the loneliness so many of us are feeling—and what we can do about it.

💬 Nedra shares insights from her clinical work and personal experience, and offers a preview of the ideas explored in The Balancing Act.

💬 Michelle & Barb bring their own lived wisdom to the conversation, exploring relationships through a generational and mother–daughter lens.

✨ What We Talk About

Finding the Balance

Why boundaries aren’t walls to keep people out—but tools to keep relationships sustainable and meaningful.

The Challenge of “No Contact”

When cutting ties is necessary—and why building community and connection matters just as much.

Mindful Communication

Why speaking honestly instead of silently rehearsing conversations can save relationships.

The Relationship Deficit

How cultivating a fuller, more diverse community supports healthy dependency and eases unrealistic expectations.

As Nedra reminds us, every relationship—from romantic partnerships to friendships, family, and community—is a balancing act. When we give too much, we lose ourselves. When we protect ourselves too much, we lose closeness. Finding the middle ground is where connection, authenticity, and joy live.

✨UPCOMING EVENT:

Calling all South Florida friends! Join Nedra Glover Tawwab and Barb Schmidt at Books & Books in Miami for a meaningful conversation—and the opportunity to receive a signed copy of The Balancing Act.

Get your tickets here:https://shop.booksandbooks.com/event/2026-02-21/evening-nedra-glover-tawwab-barb-schmidt

Order Nedra’s new book, The Balancing Act, to create healthy dependency and connection without losing yourself:https://www.nedratawwab.com/books/the-balancing-act

💬 We’d love to hear from you! What insight or moment resonated most with you in this episode? Share in the comments—we truly read every one.

📅 Subscribe & Join Us Next Tuesday for another heartfelt episode of Life Happens with Barb and Michelle! 💕

⭐Special Guest:

Therapist, NYT Bestselling Author, Nedra Glover Tawwab

https://www.instagram.com/nedratawwab/?hl=en

Order her new book here: https://www.nedratawwab.com/books/the-balancing-act

🎙️ Host by:

• https://www.instagram.com/peaceful_barb/
• https://www.instagram.com/michellemaros/

Join our community⬇️

YouTube: www.youtube.com/@LifeHappensThePodcast

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lifehappensthepodcast/

Substack: https://lifehappensthepodcast.substack.com/

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@lifehappensthepodcast

Listen to our podcast anywhere→ https://michellemaros.com/podcast/ 

🎙️ New episodes of Life Happens with Barb and Michelle are released every Tuesday

📘 USA TODAY BESTSELLER — Dear Friend by Michelle Maros

You don’t need a new beginning to come back to yourself. Dear Friend is a 365-day companion for self-love, presence, and quiet courage—one page, one day at a time. 👉 Order your copy: https://amzn.to/3Us9eqg

Our Sponsors:
* Check out Time4Learning: https://www.time4learning.com


Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Hard truth: Staying because it’s comfortable might be the loneliest choice you make. Sometimes the bravest thing you can do is stop ignoring the red flags and choose to end a toxic or misaligned relationship.

In this week’s episode of Life Happens with Barb & Michelle, we’re unpacking the pressure around relationships, singleness, and breakups — and what it really means to choose yourself. From recognizing when a relationship has run its course to building a strong sense of self, this conversation will empower you to create healthier relationships with yourself and others.

💬 Barb opens up about ending a 33-year marriage and how she stepped into a new chapter with confidence, clarity, and freedom.

💬 Michelle shares her journey of being alone and finding peace in choosing singleness over settling for less.

✨ What We Talk About

Self-Identity

Releasing the belief that our worth or purpose is defined by our relationship status.

Being Okay With Being Alone

Singleness isn’t failure — it can be a powerful season of growth, healing, and self-love.

Listening to Yourself

Learning to trust your feelings and needs so you can take the next right step.

Choosing Differently

Sometimes the uncomfortable path is the one that leads to joy, peace, and real alignment.

Reminder: You are more than your relationship status. Your identity, purpose, and fulfillment are defined by you — not by timelines, labels, or societal expectations.

📘 USA TODAY BESTSELLER — Dear Friend by Michelle Maros

Start 2026 with New Year, Brave You. Dear Friend is a 365-day companion to help you cultivate self-love, clarity, presence, and inner peace — one gentle reflection at a time.

✨ Begin the year with intention and courage.

👉 Order your copy: https://amzn.to/3Us9eqg

🎧 Listen to the audiobook and step into a year that truly loves you back: https://amzn.to/459zSdt

💬 We’d love to hear from you! What insight or moment resonated most with you in this episode? Share in the comments—we truly read every one.

📅 Subscribe & Join Us Next Tuesday for another heartfelt episode of Life Happens with Barb and Michelle! 💕

🎙️ Host by:

• https://www.instagram.com/peaceful_barb/
• https://www.instagram.com/michellemaros/

Join our community⬇️

YouTube: www.youtube.com/@LifeHappensThePodcast

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lifehappensthepodcast/

Substack: https://lifehappensthepodcast.substack.com/

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@lifehappensthepodcast

Listen to our podcast anywhere→ https://michellemaros.com/podcast/ 

🎙️ New episodes of Life Happens with Barb and Michelle are released every Tuesday

✨ Available Now✨ Order Dear Friend to receive daily doses of clarity, hope, and heartfelt encouragement.💌 https://amzn.to/3Us9eqg

🔖 Hashtags:

#Relationships #EndedRelationships #Breakups #ToxicRelationships

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Divorce breaks a million hearts — including your own.

But sometimes, choosing yourself is the bravest and most healing decision you can make.

What if all it took to change your life was the courage to trust yourself again?

In this week’s episode of Life Happens with Barb & Michelle, we’re joined by NYT bestselling author Jen Hatmaker for an honest, compassionate, and deeply moving conversation about life after divorce, listening to your intuition, and finding freedom on the other side of heartbreak.

Jen opens up about putting her life fully out there — the grief, the courage, the fallout — and what it was like to go from deep personal pain to becoming an instant New York Times bestseller. Together, we explore what happens when trauma finds you… and how ignoring your truth doesn’t make it any less true.

This episode is for anyone who feels stuck, conflicted, exhausted from self-doubt, or quietly wondering if it’s time for something different.

💬 In this conversation, we explore:

• Choosing Yourself: Why freedom and joy begin the moment you decide your needs matter.
• Life After Divorce: The heartbreak, the healing, and the unexpected growth that follows.
• Comfort Over Coaching: Why people often want to soothe us instead of supporting real change.
• The Sunk Cost Fallacy: Why no amount of time, history, or sacrifice is worth staying somewhere that no longer feels right.
• Trusting Your Intuition: How we often gaslight ourselves out of the truth we already know.
• Parenting Through Divorce: Navigating change, honesty, and healing with your children.
• Feeling the Hurt: Grieving what was, what could’ve been, and honoring the pain without getting stuck in it.

Barb and Michelle also share their personal experience navigating divorce as a mother and daughter — and how choosing honesty, presence, and self-trust reshaped their relationship.

✨ This episode is a reminder:

You’re not broken. You’re not weak. And trusting yourself isn’t selfish — it’s necessary.

📖 Order Jen’s memoir, Awake, to go deeper into courage, truth, and choosing yourself:

https://www.amazon.com/Awake-Memoir-Jen-Hatmaker/dp/166808368X

💬 We’d love to hear from you:

What moment or insight resonated most? Share in the comments — we truly read every one.

📅 Subscribe & join us next Tuesday for another heartfelt episode of Life Happens with Barb & Michelle 💕

⭐ Special Guest:

Follow Jen Hatmaker on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jenhatmaker/?hl=en

🎙️ Host by:

• https://www.instagram.com/peaceful_barb/
• https://www.instagram.com/michellemaros/

Join our community⬇️

YouTube: www.youtube.com/@LifeHappensThePodcast

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lifehappensthepodcast/

Substack: https://lifehappensthepodcast.substack.com/

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@lifehappensthepodcast

Listen to our podcast anywhere→ https://michellemaros.com/podcast/ 

🎙️ New episodes of Life Happens with Barb and Michelle are released every Tuesday

📘 USA TODAY BESTSELLER — Dear Friend by Michelle Maros

Start 2026 with New Year, Brave You. Dear Friend is the perfect 365-day companion to help you cultivate self-love, clarity, presence, and inner peace—one gentle reflection at a time.✨ Begin the year with intention and courage.

👉 Order your copy: https://amzn.to/3Us9eqg

🎧 listen to the audiobook today and step into a year that truly loves you back. 👉https://amzn.to/459zSdt

🔖 Hashtags:

#JenHatmaker #Divorce #Freedom #ChooseYou #Courage

Our Sponsors:
* Check out Time4Learning: https://www.time4learning.com


Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy