P.S. We Expire with Morgan Motsinger

In this conversation, Janet Ettele shares her journey of self-discovery, influenced by her love for music and the teachings of Buddhism. She discusses the importance of silence, mindfulness, and the role of storytelling in conveying spiritual teachings. Janet emphasizes the concept of joyous effort in personal growth and the significance of finding a teacher in life. The conversation explores themes of openness, acceptance, and the interconnectedness of all beings, while also addressing the challenges of compassion in a divided world. Finally, Janet reflects on how music serves as a spiritual practice and a means of expression. In this conversation, Janet Ettele shares her journey into writing and storytelling, discussing the process of creating characters and narratives that convey profound teachings on compassion and wisdom. She emphasizes the importance of practice in learning, particularly in meditation, and how it can help individuals overcome the noise of their minds. The discussion also touches on the significance of aligning one's life with core values to achieve inner peace and fulfillment. Janet introduces the concept of the six perfections in Buddhist teachings and how they can guide individuals toward a more compassionate life. The conversation concludes with insights on integrating mindfulness into daily life and the importance of being present in our relationships.

Bio:

Janet Kathleen Ettele is a musician and author who blends her background as a student of Buddhist dharma with her art, seamlessly bringing its teachings into contemporary practice through her writing and music. She has performed with Tencho Gyatso, the niece of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, and Grammy Award nominee and Tibetan flutist Nawang Khechog. A graduate of Berklee College of Music in Boston, where Ettele studied music composition, becoming an author decades later was an unexpected but welcome opportunity. Ettele worked in the entertainment industry until becoming a mother. She lives in Connecticut, where she has raised two sons and has happily welcomed the addition of two grandchildren. Ettele has also recorded two CDs, Piano Mandalas and Piano Mandalas-Compassion, which are collections of her meditatively improvised music.

Find Janet:

So here's the thing about "time poverty" — it's just a fancy term for what most of us are doing: running around like our hair is on fire while responding to emails at stoplights and calling it "multitasking."

Being busy is not a personality trait. It's not an achievement. It's not even productive half the time. We've all bought into this hustle culture garbage where we think answering Slack messages at 11pm somehow makes us better humans. Spoiler alert: it doesn't. It just makes us tired humans with eye strain who keep saying things like "I'm slammed" when friends ask to grab coffee.

Here's what I learned from Peggy Sullivan, who sounds like she has her life together in ways I can only dream about: we need to identify all those low-value activities that are sucking up our time like a teenager's gaming console sucks up battery life. You know, the stuff we do that feels productive but is actually just busywork.

And self-care? It's not selfish. It's necessary. It's oxygen mask territory — put yours on first before helping others. But not in that Instagram #selfcare way where you take pictures of your bath bombs while still answering work emails with your pruney fingers.

The path forward isn't some dramatic life overhaul where you suddenly become a productivity guru with color-coded calendars and a perfect morning routine. It's micro steps. Little happiness rituals. It's saying "no" to things that don't align with your values, which is something many of us are still learning to do well into adulthood.

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Peggy Sullivan is a keynote speaker, author, and researcher whose viral TEDx talk, with millions of views, has inspired audiences worldwide to overcome busyness and achieve peak performance without sacrificing well-being. Through her signature Busy Busting Framework—trusted by Fortune 500 companies like Google, Bank of America, and BlueCross BlueShield…she reveals how packed schedules can reduce productivity and fulfillment. With humor, personal stories, and research-based strategies, Peggy empowers individuals and organizations to shift from hustle to purpose, unlocking greater engagement, resilience, and success.

You can find Peggy on her website: www.peggysullivanspeaker.com.

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To learn more about the grief retreat in southern California in September, visit: Oaks Center: Navigating Grief and Loss

Find Morgan on her website morganmotsinger.com

I've been feeling very down but lately, I've felt a renewed sense of determination to pursue happiness. But...how? I'm sharing super practical ways I've been bringing happiness into my life. I also share why the pursuit of happiness is not selfish but an important part of well-being an longevity.

Find Morgan on her website https://www.morganmotsinger.com/

Download the free E-Book "Know Thyself" here https://morganmotsinger.myflodesk.com/lpeqn3ujro

Chapters

00:00 The Pursuit of Happiness

Dr. Lisa Peña is a doctor of pharmacology, author, mental health advocate, and mother to beautiful children, one of whom has a rare disease. In this heartfelt conversation, Lisa shares her journey as a mother of a child with disabilities, detailing the challenges and triumphs she has faced over the years. From navigating the complexities of autism and a rare gene disorder to advocating for mental health and community support, Lisa emphasizes the importance of education, self-compassion, and radical acceptance. She discusses the impact of caregiving on mental health, the need for systemic change in support for caregivers, and the power of shared experiences in group therapy. Ultimately, Lisa's story is one of resilience, growth, and the ongoing journey of healing.

You can follow Lisa on Instagram, order her book Waiting for the Light Bulb, and watch this episode on YouTube.

Chapters

00:00 Navigating Parenthood and Career Changes

Jessica and I delve into the profound themes of grief, loss, and hope. We share their personal experiences with the deaths of their children and explore how these experiences have shaped their perspectives on life, relationships, and resilience. The discussion emphasizes the importance of community, self-care, and finding joy amidst sorrow, while also addressing the complexities of navigating grief and the nature of hope.

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Watch Jessica's TEDx talk here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ClaQkyLnAaw

Learn more about her and grab a copy of her book on her website https://www.jessicafeinstories.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jessica.fein.92/

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Grief and Loss

Anxiety is tough. It keeps you up at night, surprises you at the most inopportune times, and keeps you from pursuing important goals. One of the most difficult parts of anxiety is that you can't talk yourself out of it. Once that spiral starts it feels almost impossible to stop. What's a person to do?

Dr. Russ Kennedy (aka the Anxiety MD) gives some insight into how to think differently about our anxiety and practical tools to manage it. He offers a sophisticated and compassionate exploration of anxiety, challenging traditional psychological frameworks by examining the complex interplay between emotional experience, bodily responses, and unresolved psychological patterns.

Kennedy argues that anxiety isn't merely a cognitive phenomenon, but a sophisticated physiological response. Rather than viewing anxiety as purely mental, he positions it as a deeply embodied experience - an alarm mechanism stored within our physical systems that signals unprocessed emotional experiences.

Drawing from his dual professional background as a physician and comedian, Kennedy brings both clinical expertise and empathetic storytelling to his work. He advocates for a nuanced understanding of anxiety - not as a weakness, but as a complex adaptive response requiring compassionate, strategic intervention.

- Anxiety represents a sophisticated communication system from the body

A compelling, research-informed perspective on mental health that destigmatizes and demystifies anxiety's intricate landscape.

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You can find him on his website https://www.theanxietymd.com/home

Keywords

loneliness, anxiety, trauma, neuroplasticity, healing, self-discovery, emotional wounding, interoception, touch, movement, anxiety, healing, meditation, emotional release, loneliness, self-connection, play, mental health, somatic experiencing, personal growth

Chapters

00:00 Understanding Loneliness and Anxiety

There's a difficult dynamic in many relationships: over-functioning people (usually women) are together with an under-functioning partner. Dr. Ashley Southard has been a family therapist for over two decades and in the past couple of years has given voice to many unhealthy dynamics couples find themselves in. 

"Over-functioning really speaks to kind of the emotional and mental labor that somebody is carrying in the relationship to keep that relationship going...they are doing the bulk of the relationship work. And conversely, then the under-functioning partner is not carrying the load. They are not really focusing on the relationship. They're not putting the effort and the energy into keeping this relationship functional and healthy. The over-functioning partner is doing nearly all of that work on their own and trying to hold this relationship together with their own hands without the help of their under-functioning partner." (Dr. Ashley Southard)

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Dr. Ashley Southard is a psychotherapist in Scottsdale, AZ, specializing in The Overfunctioning Woman in Love who is struggling with the confusing, exhausting, and lonely dynamics of one-sided, unfulfilling love relationships. With over 20 years of clinical experience treating complex trauma, anxiety, depression, eating disorders, and relationship issues, coupled with her own personal journey out of Overfunctioning, Dr. Ashley loves nothing more than creating an emotionally safe space for women to discover that they are not ‘crazy’ or ‘broken’…and that they have the power to become the Self-Restored Woman they were always meant to be! Dr. Ashley is also very active on Instagram, offering life-changing information to “make sense out of the nonsense.” She has amassed a strong following of women who are remembering their power, learning how to come back home to themselves, and healing in community with other Self-Restoring women.

You can find Dr. Ashley at https://www.instagram.com/drashleysouthard

or her website at https://www.drashleysouthard.com/

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Chapters

00:00 Understanding Over-Functioning and Under-Functioning

Chapters

00:00 The Journey to Emotional Potty Training

I recorded this episode the day I got a breast biopsy. 

I'm a pretty private person, but sharing what this experience was like from first lump and concerning symptoms to biopsy results is important

What were my first symptoms?

In this episode, I tell you what the timeline and steps were to final results, how to deal with worry while waiting for testing (and the sleepless nights that inevitably show up), and explore why we don't share our hard things (or at least why I have a hard time with this). I also have a little rant about healthcare system issues in the US and what to do when you're worried about paying for testing and treatment. 

If you find this episode helpful, please share with a friend, leave a rating and review on whatever platform you listen.  

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Find me on Instagram

Chapters

00:00 Journey Through Grief: A Personal Story