In today's episode, I'm talking about the lifelong journey of healing the parts of us that learned to shrink. I share a story about growing up as the fat kid, how those wounds still whisper in new rooms, and the surprisingly emotional moment when karaoke brought up all my old fear - and all my new boldness.

We explore self belonging, identity expansion, and what it means to rewrite the story of who you are allowed to be.

Question to carry into your day: What is one place in your life where joy is whispering "pick me," even if an old storyline still wants to keep you backstage?

Connect with Molly Carmel:

• Email: [email protected]
• Instagram: @mollycarmel
• Website: www.mollycarmel.com
• Subscribe on YouTube
• Amazon Storefront (in case you want to hang out with my Pocket Sages)

If The Daily Ascent helps you rise a little higher, share it with someone who might need a reminder that joy is their birthright too.

An Operation Podcast production | @OperationPodcast

In today's episode, I'm talking about the kind of old grief that rises out of nowhere and asks to be felt. On Veterans Day I found myself pulled into a wave of sadness about losing my father at age three. A friend's loving response opened something deep inside me and reminded me that healing follows truth, not time.

We explore emotional recovery, spiritual growth, and how permission can soften old wounds.

Question to carry into your day: Where could you offer yourself a little more permission this week, especially around a feeling that keeps knocking on your heart asking to be let in?

Connect with Molly Carmel:

• Email: [email protected]
• Instagram: @mollycarmel
• Website: www.mollycarmel.com
• Subscribe on YouTube
• Amazon Storefront (in case you want to hang out with my Pocket Sages)

If The Daily Ascent helps you rise a little higher, I would love for you to share it with someone who might need it.

An Operation Podcast production | @OperationPodcast

In today's episode, I'm talking about how to stop sending worry - and start sending love.

I share the story of a friend who was spiraling in fear for her son and how a single line from Tosha Silver's Outrageous Openness changed everything about how I see worry, love, and the energy we send to the people we care about most.

We'll explore how worry and love carry different frequencies, what it really means to "release someone into the care of the universe," and how to turn that shift into a spiritual skill - one loving thought at a time.

Question to carry into your day: Who in your life might need you to stop sending worry - and start sending love instead?

Connect with Molly Carmel:

• Email: [email protected]
• Instagram: @mollycarmel
• Website: www.mollycarmel.com
• Subscribe on YouTube
• Amazon Storefront (in case you want to hang out with my Pocket Sages)

If The Daily Ascent helps you rise a little higher, share it with someone who might need that reminder today.

An Operation Podcast production | @OperationPodcast

In today's episode, I'm talking about what happens when heartbreak meets service — how turning your love outward can become the very thing that heals you.

We'll explore how self-centered pain softens when we reach for connection, how generosity refills rather than drains us, and why giving — especially when you feel empty — brings you back to life.

Question to carry into your day: Where could you practice a small act of generosity today — one that pulls you out of your head and into your heart?

Connect with Molly Carmel:

• Email: [email protected]
• Instagram: @mollycarmel
• Website: www.mollycarmel.com
• Subscribe on YouTube
• Amazon Storefront (in case you want to hang out with my Pocket Sages)

If this episode reminded you that it's okay to rest, share it with someone who might need that same reminder. 🌙

An Operation Podcast production | @OperationPodcast

In today's episode, I'm talking about the permission to rest — how letting yourself stop, even briefly, can open the door to healing, balance, and grace.

I share the story of my friend Michelle, who finally gave herself the gift of a break during our monthly IntenSati class — and what it taught me about control, help, and humility.

We'll explore how letting go of "doing it all" can become an act of love, for ourselves and for others.

Question to carry into your day: Where in your life could you give yourself permission to pause — to ask for help, to take a break, to stop holding everything together on your own?

Connect with Molly Carmel:

• Email: [email protected]
• Instagram: @mollycarmel
• Website: www.mollycarmel.com
• Subscribe on YouTube
• Amazon Storefront (in case you want to hang out with my Pocket Sages)

If this episode reminded you that it's okay to rest, share it with someone who might need that same reminder. 🌙

An Operation Podcast production | @OperationPodcast

In today's episode, I'm talking about the kind of grief that surprises you — the kind that arrives even when you think you've already "processed" it.

I'll share what happened after a recent breakup, why grief humbled me in ways I didn't expect, and how being honest about my shame and vulnerability helped me reconnect with myself.

We'll explore how grief and love are intertwined — and why tenderness, not toughness, is the key to healing.

Question to carry into your day: Where in your life are you being asked to stay open — even when everything in you wants to harden?

Connect with Molly Carmel:

• Email: [email protected]
• Instagram: @mollycarmel
• Website: www.mollycarmel.com
• Subscribe on YouTube
• Amazon Storefront (in case you want to hang out with my Pocket Sages)

If The Daily Ascent helps you feel a little less alone in your healing, subscribe, share, and pass it to someone who might need that reminder today.

An Operation Podcast production | @OperationPodcast

In today's episode, I'm talking about the art of receiving — and how letting in love, help, or abundance can sometimes be the hardest spiritual practice of all.

I share a story about my amazing assistant Kathy, and how her generosity became a mirror for the parts of me that still resist being helped. It reminded me that receiving isn't weakness — it's sacred balance.

We'll explore how to soften the instinct to control, trust the flow, and begin healing the scar tissue that keeps us from letting love and support in.

Question to carry into your day: Where in your life are you being invited to receive — help, love, support, abundance — and can you let it in without apology or control?

Connect with Molly Carmel:

• Email: [email protected]
• Instagram: @mollycarmel
• Website: www.mollycarmel.com
• Subscribe on YouTube
• Amazon Storefront (in case you want to hang out with my Pocket Sages)

If this episode reminded you to open your hands — not just your heart — share it with someone who might need that same reminder. 🌿

An Operation Podcast production | @OperationPodcast

In today's episode, I'm talking about the power of leading with heart — how sharing your truth honestly and courageously can connect even the most divided spaces.

I share the story of Congressman David Trone, who turned his grief into purpose and united Congress around the addiction crisis by speaking straight from the heart. His story reminded me that we don't create change by convincing people — we do it by connecting with them.

We'll explore what it means to live, speak, and love from the heart — especially when the world feels disconnected.

Question to carry into your day: Where in your life can you share your heart — not to convince or defend, but simply to connect?

Connect with Molly Carmel:

• Email: [email protected]
• Instagram: @mollycarmel
• Website: www.mollycarmel.com
• Subscribe on YouTube
• Amazon Storefront (in case you want to hang out with my Pocket Sages)

If this episode reminded you to keep leading with heart, share it with someone who might need that reminder too. ❤️

An Operation Podcast production | @OperationPodcast

In today's special Thanksgiving episode, I'm talking about vulnerability — the quiet, brave kind that shows up when we stop pretending and start telling the truth.

I share the story of saying yes to an expensive weekend trip because I wanted to be liked, then avoiding the truth for months — until I finally sent a shaky voice memo that changed everything.

We'll explore how vulnerability, especially during the holidays, helps us trade perfection for peace — and how telling the truth restores our self-respect and deepens our relationships.

Question to carry into your day: Where in your life — especially this week — are you tempted to say "I'm fine" when you're really not?

Connect with Molly Carmel:

• Email: [email protected]
• Instagram: @mollycarmel
• Website: www.mollycarmel.com
• Subscribe on YouTube
• Amazon Storefront (in case you want to hang out with my Pocket Sages)

If this episode helped you find a little more peace this Thanksgiving, share it with someone who might need that reminder too. 🧡

An Operation Podcast production | @OperationPodcast

In today's episode, I'm talking about the spiritual power of presence — how witnessing instead of fixing can be one of the most healing acts of love we can offer.

I share the story of a client who was so overwhelmed by the suffering around her that she was hurting herself through food — until she realized that witnessing was even an option. It changed everything.

We'll explore how presence isn't passive — it's transformative — and how learning to witness, rather than rescue, brings relief, compassion, and real healing to ourselves and the people we love.

Question to carry into your day: Where in your life are you trying to fix what simply needs your witness?

Connect with Molly Carmel:

• Email: [email protected]
• Instagram: @mollycarmel
• Website: www.mollycarmel.com
• Subscribe on YouTube
• Amazon Storefront (in case you want to hang out with my Pocket Sages)

If this episode helped you find a little more peace in the chaos, pass it along to someone who could use it too. 🌙

An Operation Podcast production | @OperationPodcast