Hey friends, it’s Michael, and this week on The Kintsugi Podcast, we’re diving into a lesson wrapped in humor, grit, and the unconventional wisdom of My Cousin Vinny. Life often feels like a courtroom drama—facing challenges, doubting yourself, and wondering if your voice even matters. But just like Vinny’s unorthodox approach turned the tide, I’m here to remind you that your uniqueness is your power. When the world feels overwhelming, take a breath, pause, and reflect. Together, let’s embrace our imperfections, defy convention, and make ripples of change. You’ve survived 100% of your hardest moments—let’s keep going.

Key moments of this interview:
1:00 Setting the Scene of My Cousin Vinny
3:00 Relating Vinny’s Struggles to Real Life
5:00 The Case for a Better World
7:00 Reflections on Being an Unconventional Guest
11:00 Lessons from Vinny’s Unconventional Approach

Thank you for tuning in to The Kintsugi Podcast. If you enjoyed this episode, please consider rating and reviewing our podcast on your favorite platform. Your support helps us spread more stories of resilience and transformation.

Join our Pause Breathe Reflect community by downloading our app from the Apple Store or Google Play today. For the first year, you can Name Your Price and discover how to navigate life with more ease and prevent a bad moment from turning into a bad day.

Attention is your gateway to connection - Take my FREE Smartphone Wellness Check and discover practical ways to reclaim your attention.
Social Media & Contact Information :
Instagram: Pause Breathe Reflect https://www.instagram.com/pausebreathereflect
LinkedIn: Michael O'Brien https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelobrienpelotoncoaching/
Websites: Discover more at www.michaelobrienshift.com (http://www.michaelobrienshift.com)

Sponsors : Pause Breathe Reflect Meditation and Gratitude App

To discover more about bringing mindfulness into your daily life, download the Pause Breathe Reflect App today!

It’s that time of year again when Spotify Wrapped shows us what we listened to most, and it got me thinking: what if there was a Wrapped for our lives? While Spotify shows us how we spent our time listening, it doesn’t capture where our true attention went. In this episode, I dive into the idea that attention, not time, is our most precious resource. Inspired by my own Wrapped stats (and some thought-provoking reflections), we’ll explore how distractions shape us and how intentional focus can reconnect us. As we wrap up 2024, let’s consider: what truly brought you joy? And how will you direct your attention in 2025?

Key moments of this interview:
0:30 Spotify Wrapped
2:33 Time isn’t our most precious resource
5:05 Reclaiming your attention
8:39 Listen to your body
12:50 Attention is connection

Thank you for tuning in to The Kintsugi Podcast. If you enjoyed this episode, please consider rating and reviewing our podcast on your favorite platform. Your support helps us spread more stories of resilience and transformation.

Join our Pause Breathe Reflect community by downloading our app from the Apple Store or Google Play today. For the first year, you can Name Your Price and discover how to navigate life with more ease and prevent a bad moment from turning into a bad day.

Attention is your gateway to connection - Take my FREE Smartphone Wellness Check and discover practical ways to reclaim your attention.
Social Media & Contact Information :
Instagram: Pause Breathe Reflect https://www.instagram.com/pausebreathereflect
LinkedIn: Michael O'Brien https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelobrienpelotoncoaching/
Websites: Discover more at www.michaelobrienshift.com (http://www.michaelobrienshift.com) 

Sponsors : Pause Breathe Reflect Meditation and Gratitude App

To discover more about bringing mindfulness into your daily life, download the Pause Breathe Reflect App today!

This week on the Kintsugi Podcast, I discussed the new chapter of the podcast and a deeper conversation about resilience, healing, and embracing our imperfections. Reflecting on the journey so far, I shared the joys, challenges, and lessons that have shaped this space, including the moments when I almost walked away. Life, like Kintsugi, teaches us that the cracks in our stories are what make them beautiful. As I look ahead to Chapter 3 of the Kintsugi Podcast, I’m shifting gears to shorter, impactful episodes designed to inspire transformation, not just transaction. Let’s rediscover hope, breathe deeply, and create ripples of change together. 

Thank You for being here and giving your attention to the podcast over the last two chapters. 

Key moments of this interview:
1:00 Discovering Shared Humanity
3:20 The Decision to Restart the Podcast
6:00 The Challenges of Podcasting
10:00 Introducing Chapter 3
12:00 Shifting the Conversation Within

Thank you for tuning in to The Kintsugi Podcast. If you enjoyed this episode, please consider rating and reviewing our podcast on your favorite platform. Your support helps us spread more stories of resilience and transformation.

Join our Pause Breathe Reflect community by downloading our app from the Apple Store or Google Play today. For the first year, you can Name Your Price and discover how to navigate life with more ease and prevent a bad moment from turning into a bad day.

Attention is your gateway to connection - Take my FREE Smartphone Wellness Check and discover practical ways to reclaim your attention.
Social Media & Contact Information :
Instagram: Pause Breathe Reflect https://www.instagram.com/pausebreathereflect
LinkedIn: Michael O'Brien https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelobrienpelotoncoaching/

Subscribe to my newsletter - The Ripple Effect www.michaelobrienshift.com (http://www.michaelobrienshift.com)

This week on the Kintsugi Podcast, I sat down with Kelly Cervantes, a mother, advocate, and author of Normal Broken. Kelly opened up about her journey through the unimaginable loss of her daughter, Adelaide, who was diagnosed with a rare and devastating epilepsy syndrome. Her story is one of heartbreak, love, and unyielding resilience. Kelly shares how grief isn’t something you “get over” but a testament to the depth of love you’ve known. This conversation is raw, profoundly human and a reminder that through the cracks of life’s greatest challenges, we can find light, connection, and purpose.

Key moments of this interview:
5:00 About Kelly Cervantes
15:00 Adelaide’s Diagnosis and Journey
24:20 Navigating Loss and Finding Purpose
30:55 Balancing Joy and Suffering
36:00 Grieving Differently as a Couple
39:39 The Strength Found in Community
50:00 Healing Through Vulnerability

Thank you for tuning in to The Kintsugi Podcast. If you enjoyed this episode, please consider rating and reviewing our podcast on your favorite platform. Your support helps us spread more stories of resilience and transformation.

Join our Pause Breathe Reflect community by downloading our app from the Apple Store or Google Play today. For the first year, you can Name Your Price and discover how to navigate life with more ease and prevent a bad moment from turning into a bad day.

You can connect with me by receiving my inspirational text messages throughout the week by texting ‘kintsugi’ to 503-487-5957 and downloading My Better Life Workbook at www.michaelobrienshift.com ( http://www.michaelobrienshift.com )

Social Media & Contact Information :
Instagram: Pause Breathe Reflect https://www.instagram.com/pausebreathereflect
LinkedIn: Michael O'Brien https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelobrienpelotoncoaching/
Websites: Discover more at www.michaelobrienshift.com (http://www.michaelobrienshift.com)

Sponsors : Pause Breathe Reflect Meditation and Gratitude App

To discover more about bringing mindfulness into your daily life, download the Pause Breathe Reflect App today!

In this heartfelt (and oddly on-brand) episode of The Kintsugi Podcast, I sit down with Miya Smith, an incredible Kintsugi artist whose story is as golden as the art itself. Miya takes us on a journey from her roots in Japan to her life in California, sharing how she mastered the intricate art of mending broken pottery with gold. Together, we dive into the beautiful philosophy of Kintsugi; embracing imperfections, celebrating scars, and turning life’s cracks into art. Honestly, it’s like my podcast title finally earned its keep! Tune in for inspiration, laughs, and maybe even a little golden repair for your soul.

Key moments of this interview:
3:30 A Charming Tale of How Miya Met Her Husband
7:30 Miya’s Journey to Becoming a Kintsugi Artist
13:30 The History and Origins of Kintsugi
25:30 The Process of Traditional Kintsugi
35:30 Emotional Reactions to Kintsugi
46:12 Modern vs. Traditional Kintsugi
49:00 The Message of Kintsugi for Today’s Society

Thank you for tuning in to The Kintsugi Podcast. If you enjoyed this episode, please consider rating and reviewing our podcast on your favorite platform. Your support helps us spread more stories of resilience and transformation.

Check out and follow Miya Smith on Instagram @miyasilversmith

For Modern kintsugi workshop inquiries and kintsugi commissions, please email [email protected]

For a limited time (until the end of Jan 2025), the special traditional Japanese craft boutique “POJ Studio” from Kyoto, Japan is having a pop up store in Los Angeles (Echo Park neighborhood). Miya is teaching traditional kintsugi classes there, for those who want to learn the authentic mending techniques using real urushi.

Check out her classes and art collection: https://pojstudio.com/collections/kintsugi-in-studio-la

_____________________________

Join our Pause Breathe Reflect community by downloading our app from the Apple Store or Google Play today. For the first year, you can Name Your Price and discover how to navigate life with more ease and prevent a bad moment from turning into a bad day.

You can connect with me by receiving my inspirational text messages throughout the week by texting ‘kintsugi’ to 503-487-5957 and downloading My Better Life Workbook at www.michaelobrienshift.com ( http://www.michaelobrienshift.com )

Social Media & Contact Information :
Instagram: Pause Breathe Reflect https://www.instagram.com/pausebreathereflect
LinkedIn: Michael O'Brien https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelobrienpelotoncoaching/
Websites: Discover more at www.michaelobrienshift.com (http://www.michaelobrienshift.com)

Sponsors : Pause Breathe Reflect Meditation and Gratitude App

To discover more about bringing mindfulness into your daily life, download the Pause Breathe Reflect App today!

In this episode, I had the absolute privilege of sitting down with Adam Pearce, last year’s CNN Hero of the Year, to talk about the profound journey he and his family took after his brother Kevin, a rising professional snowboarder, sustained a traumatic brain injury that changed their lives forever.

Adam opened up about their powerful experience navigating brain injury, resilience, and building the Love Your Brain foundation, which now supports countless others facing similar challenges.

Our conversation dives into the essence of resilience, the strength of community, and the lifelong journey toward healing and acceptance. You’ll be moved by Adam’s story, his insight, and the beautiful mission of Love Your Brain.

Key moments of this interview:
1:30 Introduction of Adam Pearce
8:00 The accident that changed everything
15:00 How Kevin learned about acceptance
31:00 Launching Love Your Brain Foundation
37:00 The transformative power of yoga and mindfulness
41:00 How important connection is during recovery
47:00 CNN Hero of the Year

Connect with Adam and Love Your Brain via Instagram and Web
Thank you for tuning in to The Kintsugi Podcast. If you enjoyed this episode, please consider rating and reviewing our podcast on your favorite platform. Your support helps us spread more stories of resilience and transformation.

Join our Pause Breathe Reflect community by downloading our app from the Apple Store or Google Play today. For the first year, you can Name Your Price and discover how to navigate life with more ease and prevent a bad moment from turning into a bad day.

Social Media & Contact Information :
Instagram: Pause Breathe Reflect https://www.instagram.com/pausebreathereflect
LinkedIn: Michael O'Brien https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelobrienpelotoncoaching/
Websites: Discover more at www.michaelobrienshift.com (http://www.michaelobrienshift.com)

Sponsors: Pause Breathe Reflect Meditation and Gratitude App

To discover more about bringing mindfulness into your daily life, download the Pause Breathe Reflect App today!

In this episode, I sit down the morning after the election, exhausted but compelled to share my raw thoughts with you. As the dust settles, I'm caught between disbelief and a strange, aching hope, a hope that I nearly lost this week as I rushed my dog, aptly named Hope, to a life-saving surgery. Her fight to survive feels like a mirror to this moment in America: painful, uncertain, yet oddly resilient. This isn’t just about politics; it’s about who we are, what we believe in, and how we pick ourselves up. Join me as I grapple with the tension and try to find a way forward.

Key moments of this interview:
0:30 My emergency vet visit
3:10 My election disappointment and emotions
8:00 My urgent message for hope
11:20 How we move forward together

Thank you for tuning in to The Kintsugi Podcast. If you enjoyed this episode, please consider rating and reviewing our podcast on your favorite platform. Your support helps us spread more stories of resilience and transformation.

Join our Pause Breathe Reflect community by downloading our app from the Apple Store or Google Play today. For the first year, you can Name Your Price and discover how to navigate life with more ease and prevent a bad moment from turning into a bad day.

Social Media & Contact Information :
Instagram: Pause Breathe Reflect https://www.instagram.com/pausebreathereflect
LinkedIn: Michael O'Brien https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelobrienpelotoncoaching/
Websites: Discover more at www.michaelobrienshift.com (http://www.michaelobrienshift.com)

Sponsors: Pause Breathe Reflect Meditation and Gratitude App

In this episode of the Kintsugi Podcast, I sit down with Portia Louder, whose story of resilience and redemption is both heartbreaking and deeply inspiring. Portia opens up about the choices that led her to a federal prison, far from her family and community and the profound lessons she discovered behind bars.

She shares how, through unimaginable loss and struggle, she found healing by connecting with others who had their own stories of pain and transformation. Her journey reminds us all that even in our lowest moments, we can find strength, compassion, and the courage to rebuild.

Portia’s story speaks to anyone who’s ever felt broken but believes in the possibility of a second chance.

Key moments of this interview:
2:00 Introduction of Portia Louder
7:30 Early childhood struggles
20:00 The real estate scheme that changed my life
27:00 The day I found out I was going to prison
37:00 Finding genuine connection in prison
43:00 Compassion and kindness in prison
54:00 Rediscovering freedom and identity in prison

Connect with Portia:

Website, Instagram, LinkedIn

Thank you for tuning in to The Kintsugi Podcast. If you enjoyed this episode, please consider rating and reviewing our podcast on your favorite platform. Your support helps us spread more stories of resilience and transformation.

Join our Pause Breathe Reflect community by downloading our app from the Apple Store or Google Play today. For the first year, you can Name Your Price and discover how to navigate life with more ease and prevent a bad moment from turning into a bad day.

Social Media & Contact Information :
Instagram: Pause Breathe Reflect https://www.instagram.com/pausebreathereflect
LinkedIn: Michael O'Brien https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelobrienpelotoncoaching/
Websites: Discover more at www.michaelobrienshift.com (http://www.michaelobrienshift.com)

Sponsors: Pause Breathe Reflect Meditation and Gratitude App

To discover more about bringing mindfulness into your daily life, download the Pause Breathe Reflect App today!

On this episode of the Kintsugi Podcast, we dive deep into the human journey of transformation, resilience, and self-love. I had the pleasure of sitting down with the inspirational Chef Babette Davis. At 73, Babette is a force of nature—strong, vibrant, and unapologetically authentic. We talked about everything from her past struggles with addiction to her commitment to plant-based living and how it’s reshaped her life. What stood out most was her passion for understanding our connection to the planet and how our choices impact not only our health but the world around us. This is a story of growth, healing, and finding purpose. Tune in and be inspired by Babette's journey.

Key moments of this interview:
2:00 Introduction of Chef Babette Davis
5:20 The Importance of Self-Love and Connection
9:00 Living with purpose
14:00 From Crack Addiction to Healing
32:00 Maintaining Health As We Age
35:50 Insights on Food Marketing and Misconceptions
40:00 Connection between diet and inflammation
46:00 Transitioning to Plant-Based Living
52:00 Aging With Grace

Thank you for tuning in to The Kintsugi Podcast. If you enjoyed this episode, please consider rating and reviewing our podcast on your favorite platform. Your support helps us spread more stories of resilience and transformation.

Join our Pause Breathe Reflect community by downloading our app from the Apple Store or Google Play today. For the first year, you can Name Your Price and discover how to navigate life with more ease and prevent a bad moment from turning into a bad day.

Social Media & Contact Information :
Instagram: Pause Breathe Reflect https://www.instagram.com/pausebreathereflect
LinkedIn: Michael O'Brien https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelobrienpelotoncoaching/
Websites: Discover more at www.michaelobrienshift.com (http://www.michaelobrienshift.com)

Sponsors : Pause Breathe Reflect Meditation and Gratitude App

To discover more about bringing mindfulness into your daily life, download the Pause Breathe Reflect App today!

This episode wraps up the final segment of my journey biking across America, a ride that took me from the rugged coasts of Oregon to the heart of Washington, D.C. Along the way, I experienced the vast beauty of this country and the profound stories of the people I met. From laughter to tears, from hope to heartbreak, each mile brought a deeper understanding of what it means to be connected. America isn’t perfect, but it’s resilient. And if there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that our ability to heal and grow together is the greatest story we can write. Tune in as we face “the home stretch” and a plea to all my fellow Americans to help make our future better.

Key moments of this interview:
2:00 Acknowledging America's Beauty and Blemishes
4:00 The Power of Healing and Coming Together
9:00 My Encounter with President Trump
13:45 Encouragement to Vote for Change

Thank you for tuning in to The Kintsugi Podcast. If you enjoyed this episode, please consider rating and reviewing our podcast on your favorite platform. Your support helps us spread more stories of resilience and transformation.

Join our Pause Breathe Reflect community by downloading our app from the Apple Store or Google Play today. For the first year, you can Name Your Price and discover how to navigate life with more ease and prevent a bad moment from turning into a bad day.

You can connect with me by receiving my inspirational text messages throughout the week by texting ‘kintsugi’ to 503-487-5957 and downloading My Better Life Workbook at www.michaelobrienshift.com ( http://www.michaelobrienshift.com )

Social Media & Contact Information :
Instagram: Pause Breathe Reflect https://www.instagram.com/pausebreathereflect
LinkedIn: Michael O'Brien https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelobrienpelotoncoaching/
Websites: Discover more at www.michaelobrienshift.com (http://www.michaelobrienshift.com)

Sponsors : Pause Breathe Reflect Meditation and Gratitude App

To discover more about bringing mindfulness into your daily life, download the Pause Breathe Reflect App today!