In Episode 240, "Advice vs. Tools," I talk about something I feel deeply passionate about right now—especially as I work with younger preparing missionaries and get ready to launch Mission Prep Plus again—and that is the powerful difference between receiving advice and learning actual tools. Advice often sounds helpful and well-intended, but it's usually based on someone else's experience, personality, timing, or mission culture. Tools, on the other hand, are designed to help you decide what works best for you, based on your emotions, leadership style, background, and the kind of mission (and life) you want to build.

In this episode, I break down why advice is often subjective, inconsistent, and hard to apply long-term, especially in emotionally intense missionary experiences like anxiety, rejection, leadership changes, or coming home from a mission. I explain how tools are skill-based, objective, internally grounded, and transferable—meaning they work on the mission, after the mission, in school, marriage, and beyond. Using analogies like building a house or learning how to fish, I show why having a full tool belt gives missionaries confidence, agency, and freedom instead of relying on someone else's blueprint.

If you're preparing for a mission, currently serving, a returned missionary, or a missionary mom trying to support your missionary, Episode 240, "Advice vs. Tools," will help you rethink what actually creates emotional resilience, confidence, and long-term growth—and why learning the how of doing hard things is what truly changes everything.

As always, if you found this episode helpful, I want to invite you to subscribe if you aren't already, share this episode with your friends and missionaries you know, and write a review. I know this work will help LDS missionaries around the world and it would mean so much to me if you did. Until next week my friends.

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5 Ways to Process Any Less-Than Happy Mission Memories Article: HERE

Get the Full Show Notes and Text/PDF Transcripts: HERE

Free PDF Download: Podcast Roadmap

Free PDF Download: Preparing Missionary Cheat Sheet

Free Training for Preparing Missionaries: Change Your Mission with this One Tool

RM Transition Free Video Series: 3 Tools to Help RMs in Their Transition Home

Free Guide: 5 Tips to Help Any Returning Missionary

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Episode 239 – Six Super Skills is all about the mindset and emotional tools that help missionaries (and humans) keep going when things feel hard. This episode was inspired by a powerful coaching session and a simple question: What skills do superheroes use that actually help them win in the end? Whether you're preparing to serve, currently serving, recently returned, or a missionary mom supporting from home, these six "super skills" apply directly to mission life, post-mission transitions, and everyday challenges.

In this episode, I walk through six essential skills: moving forward instead of getting stuck in the past, adapting to constant change, supporting others without drowning yourself, holding onto dreams with patience, embracing discomfort as growth, and practicing humility. We look at real missionary examples—transfers, companions, post-mission letdown, dating, careers—and connect them to how emotional resilience, confidence, and agency are built over time. Growth doesn't require superhuman effort; it requires consistency, self-trust, and willingness to feel uncomfortable.

I also share a powerful reminder from Elder Uchtdorf that growth happens gradually, patiently, and consistently—and that Jesus Christ already did the superhuman part. If you're feeling discouraged, overwhelmed, or unsure of yourself, Episode 239 – Six Super Skills is here to help you reconnect with your inner strength, develop emotional maturity, and remember that you already have what it takes to keep moving forward.

As always, if you found this episode helpful, I want to invite you to subscribe if you aren't already, share this episode with your friends and missionaries you know, and write a review. I know this work will help LDS missionaries around the world and it would mean so much to me if you did. Until next week my friends.

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5 Ways to Process Any Less-Than Happy Mission Memories Article: HERE

Get the Full Show Notes and Text/PDF Transcripts: HERE

Free PDF Download: Podcast Roadmap

Free PDF Download: Preparing Missionary Cheat Sheet

Free Training for Preparing Missionaries: Change Your Mission with this One Tool

RM Transition Free Video Series: 3 Tools to Help RMs in Their Transition Home

Free Guide: 5 Tips to Help Any Returning Missionary

Schedule a Free Strategy Call: Click Here

Hey there! Today, Episode 238 – Fear + Christ = Change is a deeply meaningful conversation I had with my friend Erin Ropelato from the Seek This Jesus Summit, and it's been sitting with my heart for a while. In this episode, we explore a simple but powerful truth I've been teaching missionaries, missionary moms, and leaders for years: fear plus fear only creates more fear, but fear plus Christ creates change. We talk about anxiety, sadness, shame, self-doubt, and discouragement—and why the real struggle often isn't the emotion itself, but what we add to it.

We walk through how Jesus Christ consistently brought something different to human suffering—compassion instead of judgment, love instead of shame, confidence instead of fear—and how that shift created healing, miracles, and transformation. I share real missionary coaching examples, gospel stories, and practical emotional tools that help you stop fighting your feelings and instead partner with Christ to transform them. This episode is especially powerful for missionaries navigating anxiety, missionary moms supporting struggling kids, and anyone who feels stuck in emotional overwhelm.

If you've ever wondered why trying harder, fixing yourself, or judging your emotions hasn't brought peace, this episode will offer a new framework rooted in Christlike compassion, awareness, and emotional maturity. Episode 238 – Fear + Christ = Change is an invitation to meet yourself where you are, add what Christ would add, and allow real change to unfold.

Erin Ropelato is the owner of Seek This Jesus Study and host of the Seeking Jesus Summit. A former kindergarten teacher, Erin helps women discover their unique learning styles and use them to study the scriptures in simple, grace-filled ways. She loves teaching that connecting with Jesus Christ can look different for everyone, one small and simple step at a time.

As always, if you found this episode helpful, I want to invite you to subscribe if you aren't already, share this episode with your friends and missionaries you know, and write a review. I know this work will help LDS missionaries around the world and it would mean so much to me if you did. Until next week my friends.

Learn more from Erin:

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Learn more from Jennie:

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Get the Full Show Notes and Text/PDF Transcripts: HERE

Free PDF Download: Podcast Roadmap

Free PDF Download: Preparing Missionary Cheat Sheet

My Free Training for Preparing Missionaries: Change Your Mission with this One Tool

RM Transition Free Video Series: 3 Tools to Help RMs in Their Transition Home

Free Guide: 5 Tips to Help Any Returning Missionary

Schedule a Free Strategy Call: Click Here

Episode 237 – I'm Not Good at Change is a compassionate, empowering conversation about what's actually happening in your brain when change feels overwhelming—especially on the mission, after the mission, or in any major life transition. In this episode, I break down why "I'm bad at change" isn't a personality flaw or spiritual weakness, but a normal human brain response rooted in survival, predictability, and energy conservation. We talk about how fear of change can quietly take away our sense of power—and how to gently take that power back.

I share a real missionary coaching example and walk you through how resisting change keeps your brain stuck, while accepting discomfort actually creates clarity, confidence, and momentum. You'll learn how to calm your nervous system, stop reinforcing fear-based beliefs, and access your problem-solving brain so you can feel more capable, adaptable, and resilient. We also explore how traits we often judge—like wanting control, structure, or preparation—can actually be leadership strengths when used intentionally.

If transfers, new callings, new semesters, new relationships, or new seasons of life feel heavy right now, this episode will help you reframe change as the pathway to growth rather than proof that something is wrong with you. Episode 237 – I'm Not Good at Change will remind you that you are not broken, you are human—and you already have what it takes to move forward with courage, trust, and self-compassion.

As always, if you found this episode helpful, I want to invite you to subscribe if you aren't already, share this episode with your friends and missionaries you know, and write a review. I know this work will help LDS missionaries around the world and it would mean so much to me if you did. Until next week my friends.

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5 Ways to Process Any Less-Than Happy Mission Memories Article: HERE

Get the Full Show Notes and Text/PDF Transcripts: HERE

Free PDF Download: Podcast Roadmap

Free PDF Download: Preparing Missionary Cheat Sheet

Free Training for Preparing Missionaries: Change Your Mission with this One Tool

RM Transition Free Video Series: 3 Tools to Help RMs in Their Transition Home

Free Guide: 5 Tips to Help Any Returning Missionary

Schedule a Free Strategy Call: Click Here

In episode 236 – Cultivating Commitment, I'm talking all about what commitment really is, why it matters, and how it shows up in your mission and post-mission life. We'll look at the difference between feeling like life is just "happening to you" versus owning your choices with emotional maturity and agency. I share stories about my own commitment to this podcast, why December 26th is secretly my favorite day of the year, and how we can rethink phrases like "no excuses," "sleep when you're dead," and "winners never quit" in a more compassionate, Christ-centered way.

In this episode, I'll teach you a simple definition of commitment as a feeling created by the thought "no matter what," and how that applies to missions, school, work, dating, goal setting, and even picking up your little sister or daughter from school every day. We'll talk about the difference between obligation and choice, how to stop farming out your emotions to companions, professors, bosses, or mission leaders, and how to step into being an agent and co-creator with God in your own life. If you're a preparing missionary, currently serving, a returned missionary, or a missionary mama who wants to feel more empowered and less resentful, episode 236 – Cultivating Commitment will help you see your decisions, your goals, and your future in a whole new way.

As always, if you found this episode helpful, I want to invite you to subscribe if you aren't already, share this episode with your friends and missionaries you know, and write a review. I know this work will help LDS missionaries around the world and it would mean so much to me if you did. Until next week my friends.

Website | Instagram | Facebook

5 Ways to Process Any Less-Than Happy Mission Memories Article: HERE

Get the Full Show Notes and Text/PDF Transcripts: HERE

Free PDF Download: Podcast Roadmap

Free PDF Download: Preparing Missionary Cheat Sheet

Free Training for Preparing Missionaries: Change Your Mission with this One Tool

RM Transition Free Video Series: 3 Tools to Help RMs in Their Transition Home

Free Guide: 5 Tips to Help Any Returning Missionary

Schedule a Free Strategy Call: Click Here

In Episode 235, Love's Pure Light, I'm sharing the Christmas message that has been resting on my heart this year—one centered on light, love, Jesus Christ, hope, burdens made light, and the unique divine light within you. As I've rehearsed with Millennial Choirs and Orchestras this season, one lyric from Silent Night has stayed with me: "Son of God, love's pure light." This episode explores what that really means for missionaries, returned missionaries, and families navigating the highs and lows of December. We'll talk about light as a noun, light as an adjective, and light as a verb, and how Christ's light continues to guide, lift, and illuminate our personal paths.

I also dive into how your own divine light—your gifts, traits, personality, and spiritual DNA—are meant to shine, not shrink. Christmas can be heavy. Expectations run high. Darkness feels real. But the beauty of Christ's birth is that His light not only fills the world, it fills you. We explore how to receive His light, share it, lighten burdens (your own and others'), reconnect with joy, and allow yourself to shine in the unique way Heavenly Parents designed you to shine.

My hope is that this episode gives you a moment of peace, clarity, and warmth during the holiday rush. Whether you're navigating missionary work, coming home from the mission, preparing to leave, or holding down the fort as a missionary mama — may you feel loved, lifted, and lit from within by love's pure light.

As always, if you found this episode helpful, I want to invite you to subscribe if you aren't already, share this episode with your friends and missionaries you know, and write a review. I know this work will help LDS missionaries around the world and it would mean so much to me if you did. Until next week my friends.

Website | Instagram | Facebook

5 Ways to Process Any Less-Than Happy Mission Memories Article: HERE

Get the Full Show Notes and Text/PDF Transcripts: HERE

Free PDF Download: Podcast Roadmap

Free PDF Download: Preparing Missionary Cheat Sheet

Free Training for Preparing Missionaries: Change Your Mission with this One Tool

RM Transition Free Video Series: 3 Tools to Help RMs in Their Transition Home

Free Guide: 5 Tips to Help Any Returning Missionary

Schedule a Free Strategy Call: Click Here

In Episode 234: Expectation Roadblocks, I'm diving into one of the biggest hidden barriers to connection—especially during the holidays, on the mission, and in our closest relationships: expectations. This time of year brings an avalanche of pressure—how we "should" show up, how others "should" behave, how family gatherings "should" feel. But in this episode, I unpack why expectations—spoken or unspoken—almost always create disconnection, frustration, resentment, and emotional distance. And more importantly, I show you how to shift from expectation to true connection, autonomy, compassion, and emotional maturity.

You'll learn why expectations feel like safety to your caveman brain, why they function as subtle attempts at emotional control, and how they create unnecessary pain—for both the person holding the expectation and the person living under it. I walk you through real-life mission examples, family dynamics, missionary companionships, and holiday interactions to show exactly how expectation roadblocks form—and how to move beyond them using supportive tools like boundaries, requests, intentions, emotional ownership, and unconditional Christlike love.

We'll talk about the signs you're stuck in expectation mode, the emotional fallout it creates, and the powerful mindset shifts that help you release pressure, drop resentment, and create genuine connection with the people in your life—companions, roommates, family members, mission leaders, friends, and even yourself. If you want more peace, more authenticity, and more connection this season (and always), this episode will feel like a breath of fresh air.

As always, if you found this episode helpful, I want to invite you to subscribe if you aren't already, share this episode with your friends and missionaries you know, and write a review. I know this work will help LDS missionaries around the world and it would mean so much to me if you did. Until next week my friends.

Website | Instagram | Facebook

5 Ways to Process Any Less-Than Happy Mission Memories Article: HERE

Get the Full Show Notes and Text/PDF Transcripts: HERE

Free PDF Download: Podcast Roadmap

Free PDF Download: Preparing Missionary Cheat Sheet

Free Training for Preparing Missionaries: Change Your Mission with this One Tool

RM Transition Free Video Series: 3 Tools to Help RMs in Their Transition Home

Free Guide: 5 Tips to Help Any Returning Missionary

Schedule a Free Strategy Call: Click Here

In Episode 233 – Not So Happy Mission Memories, I'm diving into a topic I know so many missionaries and returned missionaries quietly carry: the moments from the mission that didn't feel joyful, spiritual, or "life-changing" in the way we were told they would. In this episode, I talk openly about disappointment, unmet expectations, mission culture, emotional complexity, grief, and the real challenges that come when people—including mission presidents, companions, district leaders, roommates, or members—don't show up the way we hoped they would. I also share more about the new article I wrote for the Church and why this emotional work matters so deeply, especially with the recent age-change for sister missionaries.

I walk you through five gentle but powerful themes for healing: finding safe support, grieving unmet expectations, exploring your inner narrative, understanding others through compassion, and offering yourself the same gentleness that the Savior offers you. Together, we'll talk about reframing your mission experience, processing emotions instead of avoiding them, navigating disappointment, creating new meaning, and how faith, agency, and emotional resilience help you move forward with confidence. Healing doesn't mean condoning what happened—it means reclaiming your power, your peace, and your future.

Whether you're freshly returned, years post-mission, preparing to leave, or supporting someone who served, this episode will help you feel seen, validated, understood, and reminded that transformation often comes through the messiest parts of our story. You are not behind. You're not broken. And you're never alone as you sort through your not-so-happy mission memories.

As always, if you found this episode helpful, I want to invite you to subscribe if you aren't already, share this episode with your friends and missionaries you know, and write a review. I know this work will help LDS missionaries around the world and it would mean so much to me if you did. Until next week my friends.

Website | Instagram | Facebook

5 Ways to Process Any Less-Than Happy Mission Memories Article: HERE

Get the Full Show Notes and Text/PDF Transcripts: HERE

Free PDF Download: Podcast Roadmap

Free PDF Download: Preparing Missionary Cheat Sheet

Free Training for Preparing Missionaries: Change Your Mission with this One Tool

RM Transition Free Video Series: 3 Tools to Help RMs in Their Transition Home

Free Guide: 5 Tips to Help Any Returning Missionary

Schedule a Free Strategy Call: Click Here

Episode 232 — "Intentions and Attitudes." In this episode, I dig into why an attitude of gratitude actually works on your brain and your day-to-day experience. We talk about the lower "caveman brain" (seek pleasure, avoid pain, conserve energy), confirmation bias (what you focus on grows), and how setting intentions ahead of time can shape the attitudes you'll have later—in district meetings, at family gatherings, on the mission, and post-mission. I share simple ways to direct your higher brain to look for connection, faith, abundance, calm, and purpose—especially during Thanksgiving week when emotions and expectations can run high.

I also explore how prayer functions as powerful intention setting—expressing gratitude and asking for blessings tells your brain what to pay attention to while inviting divine help. We connect this with Doctrine & Covenants 29: creating things spiritually first (in thought and feeling) so they're more likely to appear physically in your life. Whether you're a preparing missionary, currently serving, a returned missionary, or a missionary mama, you'll get practical tools to train your focus, regulate emotions, and choose thoughts that fuel connection over comparison.

You'll leave with doable practices: pre-deciding what you want to notice, choosing language your brain understands ("I want more peace" vs. "I don't want stress"), and building a simple gratitude rhythm that resets perspective fast. If you're ready to experience more calm, clarity, and Christ-centered confidence this season, this conversation on intentions and attitudes will help you create it.

As always, if you found this episode helpful, I want to invite you to subscribe if you aren't already, share this episode with your friends and missionaries you know, and write a review. I know this work will help LDS missionaries around the world and it would mean so much to me if you did. Until next week my friends.

Website | Instagram | Facebook

Get the Full Show Notes and Text/PDF Transcripts: HERE

Free PDF Download: Podcast Roadmap

Free PDF Download: Preparing Missionary Cheat Sheet

Free Training for Preparing Missionaries: Change Your Mission with this One Tool

RM Transition Free Video Series: 3 Tools to Help RMs in Their Transition Home

Free Guide: 5 Tips to Help Any Returning Missionary

Schedule a Free Strategy Call: Click Here

In Episode #231: About Wasting Time, I dive into one of the most common thoughts I hear from missionaries, returned missionaries, and even missionary moms — the fear that we're somehow "wasting time." Whether it's not being productive enough, not using P-day perfectly, or feeling like we should always be doing more, this mindset creates unnecessary stress, guilt, and disconnection from what really matters. In this episode, I explore where that pressure comes from, why it's so common, and how we can start seeing time through a more peaceful, purposeful lens.

I'll share my own story of struggling with "time guilt," how I learned to trust divine timing, and what it means to stop labeling time as wasted or productive. Together, we'll talk about how every season has a purpose, how to recognize your internal clock, and how to align with your own divine rhythm — whether you're serving a mission, transitioning home, or managing the busy pace of post-mission life.

If you've ever felt behind, lazy, or like you're not doing enough, this episode will help you breathe easier and reconnect with the truth that you're not behind — you're right on time.

As always, if you found this episode helpful, I want to invite you to subscribe if you aren't already, share this episode with your friends and missionaries you know, and write a review. I know this work will help LDS missionaries around the world and it would mean so much to me if you did. Until next week my friends.

Website | Instagram | Facebook

Get the Full Show Notes and Text/PDF Transcripts: HERE

Free PDF Download: Podcast Roadmap

Free PDF Download: Preparing Missionary Cheat Sheet

Free Training for Preparing Missionaries: Change Your Mission with this One Tool

RM Transition Free Video Series: 3 Tools to Help RMs in Their Transition Home

Free Guide: 5 Tips to Help Any Returning Missionary

Schedule a Free Strategy Call: Click Here