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 TruDiagnostic and use my code LIFEHAPPENS20 for a great deal: https://www.spreaker.com/our-platform


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 TruDiagnostic and use my code LIFEHAPPENS20 for a great deal: https://www.spreaker.com/our-platform


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

Our Sponsors:
* Check out TruDiagnostic and use my code LIFEHAPPENS20 for a great deal: https://www.spreaker.com/our-platform


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

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

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 TruDiagnostic and use my code LIFEHAPPENS20 for a great deal: https://www.spreaker.com/our-platform


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

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

You don’t need to reinvent yourself this year 💫

With all the pressure to “fix” your life overnight and become a brand-new version of yourself, we’re taking a different approach to the new year—one that feels grounded, compassionate, and sustainable.

In this week’s episode of Life Happens with Barb & Michelle, we’re answering your questions on how to start the year with clarity and confidence—without stress, overwhelm, or unrealistic expectations. From self-acceptance to pursuing your dreams, this episode is a gentle guide to stepping into a year that loves you back.

💬 Barb shares how she’s redefined purpose and goals in her life, releasing pressure and unrealistic expectations.

💬 Michelle opens up about why self-care can feel “boring,” and how she discovered a practice that actually works in real life.

✨ What We Talk About

• Starting the year intentionally: Releasing urgency, reframing the “new year pressure,” and letting go of unrealistic timelines
• Practicing self-care consistently: Finding what supports you without feeling impractical or forced
• Navigating triggering topics: Knowing your boundaries, honoring your standards, and speaking up when something feels unaligned with your values
• Approaching goals with grace: Breaking your dreams into realistic milestones while staying connected to what you truly want

The pressure to reinvent yourself every January is exhausting. You don’t need a new version of you — you just need more compassion for the person you already are.

📘 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

Mentioned in the episode:

💛 The Three Gates of Speech Principle: Is it true? Is it kind? Is it necessary?

💬 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! 💕

Today’s Episode Sponsors:

🎙️ 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

✨Coming soon✨

You asked. We answered.

We've been quietly creating a platform designed to support your emotional and mental wellbeing with practical tools, heartfelt teachings, and science-backed practices.

Next month, our new Emotional Wellbeing Toolkit will be LIVE! Save the date and join us in stepping into a year that loves us back💕

Be the first to know and have access by signing-up for our newsletter: https://peacefulmindpeacefullife.substack.com/

Our Sponsors:
* Check out TruDiagnostic and use my code LIFEHAPPENS20 for a great deal: https://www.spreaker.com/our-platform


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

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

Step into a year that loves you back 💫 You deserve your own friendship—kindness, care, and compassion included. You are worthy of the same love you so freely give to others.

In this week’s episode of Life Happens with Barb & Michelle, we continue our conversation on daily practices by exploring one of the most powerful tools for resilience and confidence: affirmations. We talk about how intentional self-talk can shift your mindset, strengthen problem-solving, and help you show up with more self-trust.

💬 Barb shares her wisdom on rooting the mind in truth and self-compassion, even when self-doubt and life’s challenges feel loud.

💬 Michelle opens up about discovering affirmations and how this simple practice transformed her relationship with herself.

✨ What We Talk About

• Becoming Your Own Best Friend: Offering yourself the same grace and care you give to others
• Negative vs. Positive Thinking: How choosing supportive thoughts helps create new neural pathways
• Building Resilience: Staying grounded in your affirmations instead of spiraling into worry or self-doubt
• Honoring Your Feelings: Affirmations don’t bypass emotions—feel your feelings without letting them define you

Remember: celebrate the small moments and the big wins. Speak to yourself with kindness, honor who you are becoming, and stay present in your day-to-day life.

📘 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

💛 Episode Topics

• Stepping into a year that loves you back
• Combatting the negativity with affirmations
• Trusting and believing in yourself
• Celebrating yourself more and noticing the small moments

💬 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

✨Coming soon✨

You asked. We answered.

We've been quietly creating a platform designed to support your emotional and mental wellbeing with practical tools, heartfelt teachings, and science-backed practices.

Next month, our new Emotional Wellbeing Toolkit will be LIVE! Save the date and join us in stepping into a year that loves us back💕

Be the first to know and have access by signing-up for our newsletter: https://peacefulmindpeacefullife.substack.com/

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 TruDiagnostic and use my code LIFEHAPPENS20 for a great deal: https://www.spreaker.com/our-platform


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

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

With the New Year comes pressure to become the “best version” of yourself but true transformation starts with intention, patience, and compassion. 💫

In this week’s episode of Life Happens with Barb & Michelle, we’re digging into a modern epidemic fueled by entitlement, comparison, and our fast-paced culture: impatience. We explore why slowing down is not a weakness, but the pathway to confidence, alignment, and ease as we enter 2026.

💬 Barb shares why she chose patience as her intention word for 2026 and offers simple, grounded ways to cultivate patience in everyday life.

💬 Michelle opens up about her struggle with waiting for things to align and how trusting her timing—and herself—completely shifted her experience.

✨ What We Talk About

• The entitlement epidemic: How instant gratification and individualism have shaped our expectations and how awareness helps us reconnect with compassion.

• How impatience hurts us: Acting out of alignment, rushing decisions, and feeling hopeless when life isn’t moving fast enough.

• Patience attains all things: Trusting your timing, embracing the “in-between,” and finding purpose in waiting seasons.

• Building a relationship with yourself: Pausing, breathing, reconnecting, and beginning again, over and over.

Remember: the day you plant the seed is not the day you eat the fruit.

Have patience. Your small shifts matter—and they are creating a better tomorrow.

📘 USA TODAY BESTSELLER — Dear Friend by Michelle Maros is out now!

A powerful 365-day companion to help you cultivate self-love, clarity, presence, and inner peace.

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

💛 Episode Topics

• The consequences of impatience
• Why we’re more entitled than ever
• How patience attains all things
• Combatting hopelessness and stress
• Cultivating patience in our daily lives

Mentioned in today's episode:

💛 Prayer of Saint Teresa of Avila: https://bit.ly/4qLmftu

💬 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:

#Patience #NewYear #2026 #IntentionSetting #Entitlement

Our Sponsors:
* Check out TruDiagnostic and use my code LIFEHAPPENS20 for a great deal: https://www.spreaker.com/our-platform


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

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

“If you do what you’ve always done, you’ll get what you’ve always gotten.” Change isn’t something to fear—it’s an invitation to grow, evolve, and step into what’s possible. 💫

In this week’s episode of Life Happens with Barb & Michelle, we close out the year with a powerful conversation about the one constant in life: change. Instead of viewing impermanence as something negative, we’re flipping the script and exploring how change can be a doorway to clarity, freedom, and fulfillment.

All growth is born from change—and learning how to work with it, rather than against it, can transform the way you move through life.

💬 Barb shares how embracing small shifts and cultivating self-awareness helped her recognize where change was needed in her life, ultimately leading to one of her biggest turning points.

💬 Michelle opens up about her struggle with resisting change, getting stuck in the habit of complaining, and what helped her begin moving forward with intention.

 In this episode, we explore:

• Embracing Change: Reframing change as an opportunity instead of a disruption
• The Habit of Complaining: How staying in negativity keeps us stuck—and what to do instead
• Small Shifts, Big Growth: Why easing into change creates lasting transformation
• Practicing Presence: Finding peace by staying grounded in the present moment, even when things feel uncertain

You may not know how the story ends—but every chapter offers a new beginning. Trust the process, honor the season you’re in, and allow change to guide you forward.

📘 USA TODAY BESTSELLER — Dear Friend by Michelle Maros is out now!

A powerful 365-day companion to help you cultivate self-love, clarity, presence, and inner peace.👉 Order your copy:https://amzn.to/3Us9eqg

💛 Episode Topics

• Being alone during the holidays
• Redefining family, tradition, and what celebration means 
• Grieving and making space for difficult emotions
• Navigating disappointment with compassion
• Giving yourself grace, care, and permission to choose what you need

💬 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 TruDiagnostic and use my code LIFEHAPPENS20 for a great deal: https://www.spreaker.com/our-platform


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

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

Growth doesn’t happen all at once. It happens in honest moments, hard conversations, and small shifts we make every day. If you’ve been feeling disconnected, uncertain, or like you’re never quite enough, this conversation is for you.

In this week’s episode of Life Happens with Barb & Michelle, we’re reflecting on some of the most meaningful moments from our podcast this year. Together, we revisit powerful conversations on navigating conflict in relationships, the loneliness epidemic, self-doubt, body image, and the quiet practices that help us come home to ourselves.

This episode is a reminder that you’re not alone and that real growth begins with awareness, compassion, and presence.

✨ In this episode, we explore powerful moments from past conversations, including:

• Navigating heated arguments with honesty and compassion — from Why Your Relationships Aren’t Working (And How Hard Conversations Can Help)
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u88XpgOMGqA&t
• Why loneliness is rising and how to reconnect with yourself in a disconnected world — from Loneliness Is Killing Us (Connected but Disconnected)
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CWZ1ij3Ii7Y
• Moving through self-doubt to rebuild confidence and clarity by trusting your intuition — from Self-Doubt Ends Here | Leaning Into Your Intuition and Inner Voice
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8UHQ1vas5_U&t
• Understanding body image and why true confidence comes from within—not external validation — from Why We Think We’re Not Enough: The Truth About Body Image & Confidence
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fKOFVr5HQ2Q



📘 USA TODAY BESTSELLER — Dear Friend by Michelle Maros is out now!

A powerful 365-day companion to help you cultivate self-love, clarity, presence, and inner peace.

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

📅 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/

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What if a “successful” holiday wasn’t defined by perfect traditions, packed schedules, or being surrounded by family? What if this season could feel lighter—rooted in ease, presence, and honoring yourself? 💫

In this week’s episode of Life Happens with Barb & Michelle, we’re answering your holiday questions and talking openly about navigating loneliness, grief, unwanted traditions, and disappointment. From estranged relationships and embracing solitude to feeling nostalgic or simply not feeling festive at all, this episode invites you to redefine what the holidays can mean for you.

What We Talk About

• Navigating Loneliness — How to honor your feelings without getting stuck in them, and gentle ways to lift your spirits
• Creating New Memories — Loosening our grip on expectations and allowing new traditions to emerge
• Grieving During the Holidays — Making space for loss, estrangement, and difficult emotions; it’s okay if this season doesn’t feel joyful
• Navigating Disappointment — Offering yourself grace while taking small steps that empower you to shift your experience

Remember: you’re allowed to celebrate differently.

You’re allowed to choose rest over routine.

You’re allowed to release traditions that no longer serve you.

Whatever this season looks like, you deserve to move through it with gentleness, honesty, and authenticity.

📘 USA TODAY BESTSELLER — Dear Friend by Michelle Maros is out now!

A powerful 365-day companion to help you cultivate self-love, clarity, presence, and inner peace.

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

💛 Episode Topics

• Being alone during the holidays
• Redefining family, tradition, and what celebration means 
• Grieving and making space for difficult emotions
• Navigating disappointment with compassion
•  Giving yourself grace, care, and permission to choose what you need

💬 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! 💕

Today’s Episode Sponsors:

💕Cashapp

Download Cash App Today: https://click.cash.app/ui6m/ineo05vp #CashAppPod. 

Cash App is a financial services platform, not a bank. Banking services provided by Cash App’s bank partner(s). Prepaid debit cards issued by Sutton Bank, Member FDIC. See terms and conditions at https://cash.app/legal/us/en-us/card-.... Direct Deposit, Overdraft Coverage and Discounts provided by Cash App, a Block, Inc. brand. Visit http://cash.app/legal/podcast for full disclosures.

🎙️ Host by:

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

Join our community⬇️

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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 TruDiagnostic and use my code LIFEHAPPENS20 for a great deal: https://www.spreaker.com/our-platform


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

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