Questions You'll Wish You Asked

If you struggle with changing your life, today’s episode is for you.

Maybe you want to get in shape, change careers, leave (or find) a relationship. Maybe you want a clean house or a well-behaved child or to actually finish writing that book.

You might tell people that these are things you want, you might even snip out pictures and put them on a vision board or write about them in a journal - but are you acting like someone who wants that thing?

Are you sacrificing your chillaxing time to meal prep, or dealing with the discomfort of giving your kid consequences?

Are you waking up early to type that manuscript, or going out on awkward dates to try and find that relationship?

No?

If you’re not, do you feel like crap about this? Do you sit with not just the weight of an unachieved life, but also the shame of knowing that you SHOULD be doing that thing, or being that person, but you’re just NOT?

If you’re in a space where you’re executing goals and changing the landscape of your life – rock on. Those seasons are incredible.

But ya know what other seasons are incredible? The ones where we meet ourselves exactly where we’re at.

The seasons where we decide we’re not gonna hate ourselves for NOT being productive, brave, or ambitious.

How do we actually do that? Listen to today’s episode to find out.

Notes from today:

Order “The Questions You’ll Wish You Asked” here:

https://www.followyourfirecoaching.com/questionsyoullwishyouasked

Set up a discovery session at the bottom of this page:

https://www.followyourfirecoaching.com/melissa-pennel-life-coach

Lastly: go watch “In & Of Itself” on Hulu right now. Don’t read anything about it first. You’ll thank me later.

**

Stay in touch with me (and hear more about how to live your greatest life) at the links below.

www.followyourfirecoaching.com/

Contact Melissa Pennel at [email protected]

Join my email list here: eepurl.com/dr3Afz

Join the Follow Your Fire Facebook group here: www.facebook.com/groups/116244026470651/

Keep following your fires, my peaches.

As we reach the end of 2020, here are some ideas for how to feel “good enough” about one of the most difficult years most of us have ever experienced.

What I mean is...

Did you get out of shape? Not follow through on things you thought you might? Did you fall short in some friendships, or self-work, or ventures you had planned?

You’re not alone. It’s enough to have merely survived.

Enough “shoulding” about what you did or didn’t do - time to make peace with 2020 and let go.

Whether you achieved your wildest dreams in 2020 or you barely washed your hair, this episode covers how to feel “enough” about the year we are leaving in order to embrace the new year and all that it will bring.

Mentioned in today’s episode:

On “surge capacity”:

https://elemental.medium.com/your-surge-capacity-is-depleted-it-s-why-you-feel-awful-de285d542f4c

To learn more about the “Questions You’ll Wish You Asked” Journal for mothers and daughters:

https://www.followyourfirecoaching.com/questionsyoullwishyouasked

Stay in touch with me (and hear more about how to live your greatest life) at the links below.

www.followyourfirecoaching.com/

Contact Melissa Pennel at [email protected]

Join my email list here: eepurl.com/dr3Afz

Join the Follow Your Fire Facebook group here: www.facebook.com/groups/116244026470651/

Keep following your fires, my peaches.

People often say they want great things in their life.

But if you’re not willing to be bad at something, take imperfect steps, and patch together a “good enough” idea while your magnum opus accumulates with experience, you might not ever get your greatness out into the world.

If you’re not willing to make bad art, you might not get to your great art. If you’re not willing to go on imperfect dates, you might not find that partner they were leading to.

Today’s episode is a guide to taking “shitty” steps that lead to the great life you desire.

We draw on wisdom from the great patron saints of creating and living while imperfect: Anne Lamott, Julia Cameron, and others who believe the road to your dreams is paved with typos, confusion, and sometimes shitty, embarrassing, perfectly imperfect awkward steps.

If you’re ready to get unstuck and take some exciting and imperfect steps, I encourage you to listen to today’s episode.

Stay in touch with me (and hear more about how to live your greatest life) at the links below.

www.followyourfirecoaching.com/

Contact Melissa Pennel at [email protected]

Join my email list here: eepurl.com/dr3Afz

Join the Follow Your Fire Facebook group here: www.facebook.com/groups/116244026470651/

Keep following your fires, my peaches.

It’s time to build a solid foundation.

As we all grapple with an ongoing pandemic, deep grief at the normalcy we’ve lost, wildfires, climate events, a political climate that can make anyone wanna crawl under a rock, and then just everyday life on top of it, feeling shaky is pretty understandable.

That’s why this week we’re going to talk about how to be guided by a sturdy foundation, no matter what is happening in life. Rather than acting from fear, scarcity, and the frantic idea that you need to be somewhere you’re not, we’re going to discuss how to reach toward an inner well of steadiness.

If you want less fear, uncertainty, and insecurity, and are ready for MORE trust, peace, and reliance on your own power, I encourage you to listen to today’s episode.

Stay in touch with me (and hear more about how to trust yourself) at the links below.

www.followyourfirecoaching.com/

Contact Melissa Pennel at [email protected]

Join my email list here: eepurl.com/dr3Afz

Join the Follow Your Fire Facebook group here: www.facebook.com/groups/116244026470651/

Keep following your fires, my peaches.

Changing your life isn’t just deciding what you want and making plans – it’s moving toward your dream imperfectly and full of fear.

Leaping is taking action that risks something - like (gasp!) your pride. But how do we actually do that?

If you’ve ever wondered how to move from the thinking and planning stage toward action that changes things, today’s episode is for you.

We’ll talk about what’s standing between you and the changes you want to make, as well as what you can do to leap toward that life today.

And since it *is* the night before my birthday and all, I’m also asking you for a little favor. This favor involves you taking some exciting leaps into action yourself.

Are you game to help me ring in my 36th year? That’s what I thought.

Check out today’s episode and - if you really want to amp up the birthday celebration for me - please rate and leave a review of the show if you like what you hear.

Stay in touch with me (and hear more about how to live the life you imagine) at the links below.

www.followyourfirecoaching.com/

Contact Melissa Pennel at [email protected]

Join my email list here: eepurl.com/dr3Afz

Join the Follow Your Fire Facebook group here: www.facebook.com/groups/116244026470651/

Keep following your fires, my peaches.

If you’re alive long enough, you’re going to be criticized. And if you dare to share an opinion (or vulnerable part of yourself) on social media, you might even meet some trolls.

So how do we prevent ourselves from shrinking in the face of conflict?

How do we meet criticism with grace, perseverance, and the grit necessary to live a big and juicy life?

Today’s episode is for you if you’ve ever struggled with confrontation, worried about other people’s differing opinions, or found yourself tied up in knots watching other people get trolled online.

The way we show up matters, and learning how to navigate conflict and criticism (whether on social media or in regular life) can make all the difference.

If today’s episode was helpful to you, come claim your spot in my Art of Social Media Course that kicks off on August 10th 2020 - there’s only one day to sign up left! Learn more at the link below:

https://www.followyourfirecoaching.com/the-art-of-social-media

Please subscribe, rate, and review if you enjoyed today's show. Stay in touch with me (and hear more about how to live your most true and beautiful life) at the links below.

Contact Melissa Pennel at [email protected]

Join my email list here: eepurl.com/dr3Afz

Join the Follow Your Fire facebook group here: www.facebook.com/groups/116244026470651/

Do you have one of those people who just grinds your gears?

When scrolling social media (or going through life) is there someone who just BUGS you?

Maybe it’s a friend from high school who’s always humble bragging about her perfect life – maybe it’s your cousin’s husband who makes ignorant comments like it’s his job.

Is it a famous person who annoys you? Or maybe all the selfies, fake news, trolling, victimhood?

What grinds your gears?

Who gets your goat?

And are you ready to let them show you the way to living YOUR most authentic life?

This week I’ll be talking about someone who bugs me: someone I follow who makes me feel jealous, insecure, and pretty much all the feelings that make me wanna crawl under a rock and apologize for ever daring to play big.

Sound dramatic? Well, allow my human brain to be an example for how the people who “trigger” us in big (and small) ways can actually be flashing red lights to our own healing, and therefore road maps to our beautiful lives.

If you’re ready to start feeling better about not just social media but life, check out today’s episode.

And if this is helpful to you, come join the maiden voyage (first ever run!) of my Art of Social Media course that launches on August 10th.

I’m offering it at a discount for a limited time and we’re already cultivating a pretty rad and supportive community– chock full of people who are done feeling overwhelmed, triggered, anxious, and angry when logging off, and ready to feel connected, supported, alive, centered, and authentic.

Because when we realize that our online life is simply a microcosm of our “real” life, we alchemize the awareness and power needed to live the life that we really want.

Ready?

Learn more about the Art of Social Media Course here:

https://www.followyourfirecoaching.com/the-art-of-social-media

Please subscribe, rate, and review if you enjoyed today's show. Stay in touch with me (and hear more about how to live your most true and beautiful life) at the links below.

Contact Melissa Pennel at [email protected]

Join my email list here: eepurl.com/dr3Afz

Join the Follow Your Fire facebook group here: www.facebook.com/groups/116244026470651/

“Pain is inevitable, suffering is optional,” or so the trusty old saying goes.

But wait, is that actually right?

The definition of suffering is simply “undergoing pain or hardship.”

And if you’re showing up to life (“in the arena” as Brene Brown often talks about) you’re gonna get your butt kicked by pain once in a while. Pain is the flip side to the exhilarating joys and deep love of a truthful life. It’s rough, but we’re supposed to feel it.

But where is the line between the pain of a fully experienced life, and unnecessary suffering?

How do we know if we’re spinning in rumination versus recognizing difficult circumstances?

Allow me to introduce you to the concept of “clean and dirty pain” – and how it can change your life.

Turns out that not all suffering is created equal, and we humans have the ability to experience “clean” pain (the truthful reality of difficulties in life) and stop suffering from “dirty” pain (a pain that our beautiful brains bring on unnecessarily - a dirty pain that inhibits us from experiencing joy, peace, and connection.)

If you’re ready to suffer less and enjoy your wild and precious life more, this episode is for you.

Here are some simple and actionable steps that will allow you to stop suffering unnecessarily TODAY.

Keep going, my loves,

Melissa

Please subscribe, rate, and review if you enjoyed today's show. Stay in touch with me (and hear more about how to suffer less and live more) at the links below.

www.followyourfirecoaching.com/

Contact Melissa Pennel at [email protected]

Join my email list here: eepurl.com/dr3Afz

Join the Follow Your Fire facebook group here: www.facebook.com/groups/116244026470651/

Have you been pretty confused lately?

Maybe it’s pandemic related, political, maybe you don’t know how to do anti-racism work, how to talk to someone you disagree with, how to ask your boss to keep working from home: whatever’s happening in your world, if you’re feeling overwhelmed, anxious, weary of judgement, confused AF, and afraid of doing things wrong, you are sooooo not alone.

In fact, I think you’re in the majority, which is why I put today’s podcast together.

Today’s episode is here to remind you of things you know but may have forgotten, like how to:

- Make truthful, strong, decisions

- Mine the outside world for evidence needed to make a responsible choice

- Take stock of the worldviews that are making you feel stuck

- Excavate the thoughts that aren’t serving you and replace them with those that are

By the end of today’s podcast you’re gonna possess the tools necessary to make any decision (big or small) on the sturdy ground of someone who has her own back.

There will always be a cacophony of opinions about what to do and who to trust – but there will also always be a smart, grounded, powerful person to turn toward and consult when you’re confused:your higher self.

We are the ones we’ve been waiting for.

Keep going, my loves.

xo,

Melissa

Please subscribe, rate, and review if you enjoyed today's show. Stay in touch with me (and hear more about how to always have your own back) at the links below.

www.followyourfirecoaching.com/

Contact Melissa Pennel at [email protected]

Join my email list here: eepurl.com/dr3Afz

Join the Follow Your Fire facebook group here: www.facebook.com/groups/116244026470651/

Hey peaches,

What does social media have to do with living an untamed, liberated, and powerful life? I mean, they’re just a buncha silly apps, right?

Wrong.

Welcome to episode eleven, where I address how the way you show up (or don’t) on social media can actually affect the rest of your life.

This week’s show is specifically for you if you’ve ever struggled with your relationship to your apps on social media. If you’ve found yourself getting down about the:

-negativity

-trolls

-fake news

-inauthenticity of other people’s “highlight reel”

-confusion about what to share and what to keep to yourself

-time wasted on the apps

-dramatic shenanigans that make you question humanity

-overwhelm with what’s wrong in the world

-literally all the other stuff I could list…

...Have no fear! The answer is not to delete the apps out of frustration or a feeling of “welp, I guess it has to be like this.” Social media doesn’t actually have to be a place that your well-being goes to die, and if you work on bridging the gap between your online life and your “real” life, you’ll find that addressing issues that plague you online are gonna shift literally everything else.

Because though social media can seem like a trivial compartment of your one wild and precious life, the way you show up there (or don’t) can determine the way you show up to your actual IRL life. And we only get one of those - so why not show up with truth, power, and the beauty that comes from being your bravest and most liberated self?

xo,

Melissa

Please subscribe, rate, and review if you enjoyed today's show. Stay in touch with me (and hear more about how to actually love social media) at the links below.

www.followyourfirecoaching.com/

Contact Melissa Pennel at [email protected]

Join my email list here: eepurl.com/dr3Afz

Join the Follow Your Fire facebook group here: www.facebook.com/groups/116244026470651/