Recently, I had the opportunity to hear Manley Feinbergg II speak, and his message hit home. As a mountain climber, author, and speaker behind the concept of "Vertical Lessons," Manley uses the challenges of climbing to teach powerful lessons about life, leadership, and resilience. 

Find Manley here: https://verticallessons.com/

One question stood out:

What's your next summit?

In this episode, I break down three lessons that resonated with me:

🏔️ Courage — Sometimes leadership isn't about shining the spotlight on yourself. It's about helping others discover and shine their own light.

🏔️ Commitment — Call your shot. Decide what summit you're climbing next and commit to it. Clarity creates focus, and focus creates progress.

🏔️ Momentum — The climb isn't about never falling. It's about how quickly you're willing to reset when you do. You'll fail. You'll get distracted. You'll lose your footing. The question isn't whether you'll fall—it's whether you'll keep climbing.

This conversation is a reminder that success isn't found at the summit. It's built in the daily decisions to recommit, reset, and keep moving forward when the climb gets difficult.

Because the people who reach their next summit aren't the ones who never fall—they're the ones who keep getting back up. 💪🏔️

Key Takeaway:

"Momentum doesn't come from perfection. It comes from the reset."

Find Manley Feinberg II at his website: https://verticallessons.com/

Thank You Manley!

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www.ballinandbipolar.com/book

Link for my FREE resources! 👇 

www.ballinandbipolar.com/free-resources

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FYI - I was recording this podcast as a voice note on my phone, and it cut off at the end, but don't worry - we got through the nuts and bolts of the episode, so hurry and listen!

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I started looking back through years of notes, goals, ideas, and plans—and it felt like reading a diary written by a different version of myself. Some of the goals I wrote down years ago have been exceeded beyond anything I imagined. Others haven't happened yet, but the difference is that today I have a plan, I'm taking action, and I'm moving in the right direction.

One of the biggest lessons I noticed was how my questions changed over time.

 Instead of asking "How do I do this?" I started asking "Who can help me do this?"—a concept made popular in the book Who Not How. I sought out people who knew more than I did, learned from their experience, and implemented what they taught me.

This episode is a reminder that your notes, journals, and goals are more than words on a page—they're a record of your growth. Sometimes the best way to appreciate how far you've come is to look back at where you started.

Because progress isn't always obvious when you're living it. Sometimes you have to read your own story to see it. 📖

Key Takeaway:
Your notes aren't just reminders—they're evidence of the person you're becoming.

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As always - my sign off for you since this cut off: 

Keep Trudging forward, tomorrow is a new day, it has never been touched.

And when life swings, you swing back!

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MY BOOK!

www.ballinandbipolar.com/book

Link for my FREE resources! 👇 

www.ballinandbipolar.com/free-resources

Follow me IG: https://www.instagram.com/phylecia_kellar/

Ever feel overwhelmed by how far you have left to go?

Whether it's losing weight, paying off debt, growing a business, improving your mental health, or chasing a big goal, it's easy to get stuck staring at the mountain instead of taking the next step.

In this episode, I share The Rule of 5—a simple mindset shift that has helped me stay focused, consistent, and resilient. Instead of obsessing over the entire journey, focus on the next five.

Need to lose 50 pounds? Focus on the next 5.
 Need to save $50,000? Focus on the next $5,000 (or $500)
 Need to build a business? Focus on the next 5 customers.

The same principle applies to your daily life. When everything feels urgent, identify your 5 most important priorities. When motivation is low, commit to 5 minutes of action. Small actions create momentum, and momentum creates results.

Because resilient people don't achieve big goals all at once—they achieve them by winning small battles over and over again.

When life feels overwhelming, don't focus on the mountain. Focus on the next five.

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MY BOOK!

www.ballinandbipolar.com/book

Link for my FREE resources! 👇 

www.ballinandbipolar.com/free-resources

Follow me IG: https://www.instagram.com/phylecia_kellar/

For a long time, I thought forgiveness meant reconciliation.

That if you truly forgave someone, you had to welcome them back into your life, reopen the door, and pretend the hurt never happened.

But I’ve learned something important:

Forgiveness and access are not the same thing.

This episode is about forgiving someone I genuinely cared about — without allowing them to re-enter my life.

Because forgiveness is not about excusing behavior or pretending something didn’t hurt you.
 It’s the conscious decision to let go of resentment, anger, and the emotional weight you’ve been carrying… for your own peace.

Not theirs.

In this episode, I talk about:

•  Why forgiveness is an internal decision, not an obligation to reconnect 
•  How boundaries can exist alongside forgiveness 
•  Why some people can be forgiven but still not belong in your life 

Sometimes the healthiest thing you can do is forgive someone quietly… and love them from a distance.

Because healing doesn’t always look like reunion.

Sometimes it looks like peace without re-entry.

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MY BOOK!

www.ballinandbipolar.com/book

Link for my FREE resources! 👇 

www.ballinandbipolar.com/free-resources

Follow me IG: https://www.instagram.com/phylecia_kellar/

This episode is about something we all experience but don’t talk about enough:

The moments where life hits emotionally… and you want to completely shut down.

After Memorial Day, I found myself sad.
 Not dramatic, not spiraling — just deeply sad.

A mix of disappointment, loneliness, guilt, frustration, comparison, and realizing some things in life still hurt more than I want them to.

And for a moment, I wanted to cancel everything.
 Lay in bed.
 Eat all day.
 Avoid life.
 Wallow.
 Feed the sadness.

But deep down, I knew something important:

If I fed it, I’d still be sad days later.

So instead of canceling my life, I just trudged forward.

I took my calls.
 Went to my appointments.
 Spent time with people who fill my cup instead of draining it.
 Let myself vent. Let myself feel it.
 But I didn’t stay there.

And by the end of the next day… the cloud had already started to lift.

This episode is about:

•  letting yourself feel sadness without becoming consumed by it 
•  why isolation and wallowing make things worse 
•  the danger of feeding depression and self-pity 
•  and how small actions — sunlight, movement, connection, routine — can slowly bring you back to yourself 

Because it’s okay to be sad.

Just don’t build a home there.

Take the walk.

Answer the call.
 Go see your friends.
 Put one foot in front of the other.

The clouds do pass.

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MY BOOK!

www.ballinandbipolar.com/book

Link for my FREE resources! 👇 

www.ballinandbipolar.com/free-resources

Follow me IG: https://www.instagram.com/phylecia_kellar/

I made up an entire story in my head about these guys at the gym.

I assumed they were judging me.
 Too cool for me.
 Intimidating.
 Probably thinking negative things about me.

And the reality?

They were kind. Encouraging. Human.

And one simple interaction completely changed my day.

This episode is really about assumption vs. reality — and how often our insecurities create stories that aren’t even true.

Because when your self-worth is low, or your nervous system is anxious, you start projecting judgment onto people who may actually be rooting for you.

You avoid conversations.
 You hold back compliments.
 You miss opportunities for connection because of stories you created in your own mind.

In this episode, we talk about:

•  The assumptions we make about how people see us 
•  How insecurity shapes social interactions 
•  Why free compliments and small conversations matter more than we think 
•  The power of human connection in a disconnected world 
•  And how simply opening your mouth can completely change someone’s day — including your own 

Sometimes we’re starving for connection while simultaneously avoiding it.

And sometimes the people we think are judging us…
 are actually inspired by us.

This conversation reminded me of something important:

Most people are just humans trying to get through life too.

And maybe life feels a little lighter when we stop assuming the worst about each other.

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MY BOOK!

www.ballinandbipolar.com/book

Link for my FREE resources! 👇 

www.ballinandbipolar.com/free-resources

Follow me IG: https://www.instagram.com/phylecia_kellar/

Somewhere along the way, we started believing life only counts when something big is happening.

The vacation.
 The promotion.
 The weekend.
 The relationship.
 The breakthrough.

And in the process, we stopped noticing our actual lives.

This episode is about learning how to fall in love with an ordinary Tuesday.

Because if you can enjoy a regular day — with nothing exciting on the calendar, no huge milestone, no big dopamine hit — you’ve genuinely figured something out that most people haven’t.

Right now, so many people are exhausted, burnt out, overstimulated, and constantly chasing the next thing… while missing the life happening right in front of them.

In this episode, we talk about:

•  Why hustle culture leaves people emotionally empty 
•  How constantly “waiting for what’s next” steals your peace 
•  Going back to basics when you feel burnt out 
•  The importance of small routines, mindfulness, gratitude, and presence 
•  And how to create tiny things to look forward to every single day 

Because joy doesn’t only exist in big moments.
 Most of your life will be lived in the ordinary.

A random Tuesday coffee.
 Your kids laughing in the other room.
 A walk outside.
 A quiet night at home.
 Your favorite song in the car.

That is life.

And maybe the most radical thing you can do in a world obsessed with more…
 is learn to genuinely enjoy where you already are.

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MY BOOK!

www.ballinandbipolar.com/book

Link for my FREE resources! 👇 

www.ballinandbipolar.com/free-resources

Follow me IG: https://www.instagram.com/phylecia_kellar/

There are some conversations that sit in your chest for days, weeks… sometimes years.

The ones you replay in your head.
 The ones you avoid because you’re scared of conflict, rejection, misunderstanding, or making things worse.

This episode is about one of those conversations for me.

The conversation I was terrified to have with my sister — and why I almost didn’t have it at all.

Because the truth is, avoidance feels safer in the moment.
 You convince yourself it’s “keeping the peace,” when really, it’s keeping you stuck.

But I’ve learned something important:
 Courage isn’t the absence of fear.
 It’s sending the text anyway.
 Making the call anyway.
 Sitting down anyway.

In this episode, I talk about:

•  The anxiety leading up to hard conversations 
•  Why we avoid saying what we really feel 
•  The stories we create in our minds before conflict 
•  What relationship repair actually requires 
•  And the relief that can come after finally facing the hard thing 

Because sometimes the conversation you fear the most…
 is the exact conversation that sets you free.

And even if it doesn’t go perfectly, there’s power in knowing you showed up honestly.

That’s resilience too.

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MY BOOK!

www.ballinandbipolar.com/book

Link for my FREE resources! 👇 

www.ballinandbipolar.com/free-resources

Follow me IG: https://www.instagram.com/phylecia_kellar/

This was SUCH a good poddie, and for those that are new to the show, if you are a people pleaser - this one is FOR YOU!

Learn why this is such an important topic, what my strategies are to STOP people pleasing and set REAL boundaries. 

But also, why people pleasing can lead to exhaustion. 

listen now and let us know what you think or what questions YOU might have on people pleasing

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MY BOOK!

www.ballinandbipolar.com/book

Link for my FREE resources! 👇 

www.ballinandbipolar.com/free-resources

Follow me IG: https://www.instagram.com/phylecia_kellar/

If 2026 has taught me anything, it’s this:

Life is not a sprint — it’s a marathon.

And I don’t just mean that in a motivational way… I mean it in the way life forces you to slow down, recalibrate, and realize you can’t rush your way through everything.

In this episode, I’m sharing three things this year has really shown me — not just things I’ve heard before, but things I’ve felt differently this time around.

First — just because someone is good at one thing, doesn’t mean they’re good at everything.
 And if you don’t understand that, you’ll misplace trust, expectations, and even respect.

Second — life requires a different pace than we think.
 You can’t sprint through healing, growth, relationships, or even success.
 Trying to will burn you out.

And third — something I’ve always known, but this year hit differently:
 everyone is fighting a battle you know nothing about.

And when you really see that… it changes how you move, how you respond, and how you judge people.

This episode isn’t surface-level.
 It’s perspective. It’s lived experience. It’s slowing down enough to actually understand what life is trying to teach you.

Because sometimes the lesson isn’t new —
 you’re just finally ready to receive it.

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MY BOOK! - A STORY ON RESILIENCE, NOT JUST FOR BIPOLAR PEOPLE!

www.ballinandbipolar.com/book

Link for my FREE resources! 👇 

www.ballinandbipolar.com/free-resources

Follow me IG: https://www.instagram.com/phylecia_kellar/