Through The Grit

For much of our lives, there are things we thought would matter most.

The career. The title. Financial stability. The husband. The house. The accomplishments that told us — and perhaps everyone around us — that we had built a "successful" life.

But somewhere along the way, the question changed for us.

Instead of What does a successful life look like? we began asking: What makes a life meaningful?

In this episode of Through the Grit, we talk about how our definitions of success have evolved and what we've learned about the difference between building a life from ego and living one with purpose.

We reflect on the goals we've chased, the identities we've attached ourselves to, and the realization that none of the titles, possessions, or accomplishments we acquire bring the happiness we thought it would.

But what became most important: how we moved through the world. The impact we had on other people. The ordinary moments we were present enough to experience. The ways we loved, grew, contributed, and found meaning while we were here.

This isn't about giving up ambition or no longer having goals. It's about understanding why we're pursuing them — and whether we're sacrificing the life happening right now in pursuit of some future version of success.

Learn more about Heather's work at All The Things

Learn more about April's work at Time with Tea

Our bodies are miraculous and incredible, but sometimes they remind us that we aren't always in control.

In this episode, we have an honest conversation about our own health journeys and the emotions that can arise when our bodies don't cooperate with the plans we had. We explore the frustration, anger, uncertainty, and fear that illness and healing can bring—and how mindfulness and yoga practices became an anchor through it all.

Rather than fighting every difficult moment, we share what helped us meet our experiences with greater compassion while still caring deeply for our health. We talk about the importance of nurturing our bodies through rest, movement, nourishing food, and gentle presence, not because these things guarantee an outcome, but because they help us live well regardless of what life brings.

Most importantly, we reflect on the joy that can still be found in the midst of healing. Even when our bodies feel uncertain, our lives are not put on hold. There is still beauty to notice, love to receive, and meaningful moments waiting to be lived.

Whether you're navigating your own health challenges, caring for someone you love, or simply learning to trust your body a little more, we hope this conversation reminds you that you are not alone.

Thank you for listening. If this episode resonated with you, we'd love for you to subscribe, leave a review, or share it with someone who may need this reminder today.

Learn more about Heather's work at All The Things

Learn more about April's work at Time with Tea

There comes a moment when we begin asking ourselves a different question.

Not How do I get through this? but How do I truly want to live?

In this episode, we explore the shift from simply surviving our days to intentionally choosing a life that feels meaningful and alive. Through personal stories, we share the experiences that changed our perspective and reminded us that life is too precious to spend disconnected from what matters most.

Together, we reflect on how living fully doesn't always require dramatic change. Often, it begins in the smallest moments—how we choose to spend our time, where we place our attention, the people we surround ourselves with, and the courage to say yes to what brings us joy and peace.

Whether you're navigating healing, feeling stuck in routine, or simply longing for a deeper connection with your own life, this conversation is an invitation to take a moment and ask:

Am I surviving... or am I truly living?

Join us as we explore what it means to embrace the life that's waiting for us, one intentional moment at a time.

Learn more about Heather's work at All The Things

Learn more about April's work at Time with Tea

In this episode, we explore what it means to rest without guilt.

So often, rest is something we feel we have to earn, justify, or squeeze in only after everything else is done. But rest is not a reward for productivity. It is part of how we care for ourselves, return to the present moment, and move through life with more clarity and intention.

Together, we talk about giving ourselves permission to slow down, how rest can actually support better productivity, and the small ways we can build rest into daily life — whether that is sitting quietly with coffee in the morning, taking a breath between tasks, or creating routines that help us begin from a more grounded place.

This conversation is an invitation to release the guilt, listen to what our bodies and minds need, and remember that rest is not something we have to earn.

Learn more about Heather's work at All The Things

Learn more about April's work at Time with Tea

Comparison has a way of pulling us away from our own lives.

In this episode, we explore the pressure to keep up, the fear of falling behind, and the stories we tell ourselves when our lives don't look the way we thought they would.

Through honest conversation and reflection, we talk about social media, body image expectations, identity, healing, and learning how to reconnect with our own path instead of constantly measuring ourselves against others.

Together, we reflect on what it means to trust that our lives do not have to look like anyone else's to be meaningful.

Learn more about Heather's work at allthethings.com

Learn more about April's work at timewithtea.com

So many of us learn to survive by becoming "the strong one" — the person who keeps going, keeps holding everything together, and keeps showing up no matter how hard life becomes.

In this episode, we explore the emotional cost of always feeling like we have to be strong, and how that pressure can disconnect us from our own needs, softness, and humanity.

We talk about vulnerability, self-compassion, and the lessons that have helped us soften the armor we carry.

This conversation is a reminder that strength does not have to mean constantly pushing through alone.

Where Love Lingers poetry collection is available now.

Learn more about Heather's work at allthethings.com

Learn more about April's work at timewithtea.com

In this episode, we talk honestly about overwhelm — the mental load, emotional exhaustion, endless to-do lists, and pressure so many of us carry every day.

We explore both the in-the-moment practices that help us come back to ourselves when everything feels like too much, and the deeper work of loosening our grip on unrealistic expectations and constant productivity.

Through mindfulness, self-compassion, and small shifts in perspective, we reflect on what it means to give ourselves permission to not get it all done.

If you've been feeling stretched thin or like you're constantly trying to keep up, this conversation is for you.

Learn more about Heather at allthethings1111.com

Learn more about April at timewithtea.com

In this episode, we explore some of the challenges we face as parents such as the feeling of not being enough, the guilt that lingers, and the pressure to do it all perfectly.

As single mothers navigating our own journeys, we share honestly about the challenges of letting go of control, meeting our children where they are, and learning to meet ourselves with compassion.

We talk about how mindfulness, yoga, and self-love practices have helped through the challenging moments and begin to enjoy motherhood in a more meaningful way.

This is not about doing it perfectly but about returning, again and again, with compassion.

Support for moms -

• Self Love Circles with Heather Ann Terrell and Raquel Winslow
• Single Mama's Time with Tea monthly calls with April Terrell

Welcome to Through The Grit.

In this first episode, sisters April and Heather share the heart behind why this podcast was created — a space for honest conversations, grounding practices, and gentle reminders that we do not have to navigate life's hardest moments alone.

Together, we explore the experiences that shaped us, the practices that continue to support us, and our hope for creating a space where people can breathe, reflect, heal, and reconnect with themselves through life's messy and meaningful moments.

Rooted in mindfulness, meditation, yoga, embodiment, self-love, and spiritual connection, Through The Grit is an invitation to slow down and remember that even in uncertainty, there can still be softness, presence, and grace.

In this episode:

• Why we started the podcast
• The practices that have supported us through difficult seasons
• What "Through The Grit" means to us
• What listeners can expect from future episodes

Thank you for being here with us at the beginning.

If this episode resonated with you, following, rating, or sharing the podcast helps others find us too.

About Heather

Heather Ann Terrell is an E-RYT 500 Yoga Teacher, ICF-accredited coach, Yoga Nidra guide, and the founder of All The Things 11:11—a soul-led space devoted to self-love, embodiment, healing, and gentle transformation. Her work centers on helping women reconnect to their bodies, soften their inner dialogue, and create lives that feel aligned, nourishing, and true.

With certifications in mindset coaching, success coaching, NLP, hypnosis, and alcohol-free living, Heather weaves together science-backed tools and intuitive practices to support women through seasons of transition—grief, burnout, identity shifts, single motherhood, and the quiet unraveling that often precedes deep personal rebirth.

About April

April Terrell is a mindfulness meditation teacher in training with Jack Kornfield and Tara Brach. A lifelong contemplative with more than twenty years of Buddhist practice, April helps people reconnect with presence, compassion, and the simple moments that make a life feel whole.

A writer, poet, and wellness guide, she is the creator of Time with Tea, a mindfulness platform and newsletter that weaves poetry, meditation, and everyday rituals into accessible tools for grounding and wellness.