Hi, I'm Elizabeth Perry, and this is Where It's Quiet, a podcast about returning to what's real beneath the noise.

Today I'm naming something I didn't have a word for until recently: gratitude grief — that sweet, aching feeling when your heart is so full of love and thankfulness it almost hurts. I share personal moments from the Camino, a solo trip through Portugal and France, a surprise engagement, and hosting TEDx Bentonville that opened me up to a kind of joy that felt both overwhelming and unbelievably alive.

We talk about why that happens: our nervous systems can actually protect us from positive overwhelm, and trauma can narrow the window in which we can fully feel. I share how EMDR therapy helped me widen that window so I could experience more gratitude, compassion, and love without immediately bracing for the fall.

I also get real about how gratitude and grief can live in the same heartbeat — feeling deep gratitude for my mom and for moments I missed, and letting the sorrow for those years of numbness surface as proof that I'm learning to feel again.

There’s a simple practice I guide you through in the episode: settle into your body, breathe, tense and release, then bring to mind someone or something you're deeply grateful for. Let the memory become three-dimensional, notice sensations, and let gratitude and grief coexist. This kind of savoring trains your brain to tolerate more joy and connection.

My invitation is gentle: let yourself sit in the warmth and the ache. Hold the love, let the tears come if they come, and remember that grief can be the evidence of a heart that has learned to love more fully. Marcus Aurelius said there’s no quieter retreat than the soul — visit it often and fill it with this alive, tender capacity.

If this episode moved something in you, savor it a little longer and maybe share it with someone you’re grateful for. Until next time — stay gentle, stay curious, and keep returning to where it’s quiet.

I walked 200 miles from Portugal to Spain and I'm finally sharing what showed up for me on that path. This episode is me unpacking the small, ordinary moments that feel like tiny miracles: putting one foot in front of the other, learning to swim with the current when life feels like a raging river, and finding the strange beauty in soreness, struggle, and stillness.

On the Camino I fell back in love with reading physical pages, journaling every night, and listening to my body. There were afternoons of hip-flexor stretches in the grass, sunsets that stopped me in my tracks, and conversations that brought out my inner child — all of it reminding me that being matters as much as doing. Your body knows things; when you slow down and feel, it gives you answers.

I talk about the awakenings that changed me: that I can do more than I thought, that craft and creativity are how I find myself, and that we get to choose our hard things. I learned to spot the difference between craftspersonship and perfectionism, and how freeing it is to stop measuring my worth by other people's opinions. There’s real power in learning where you end and where other people begin.

We also dive into the simple stuff — the extraordinary ordinary: a grandmother's voice, wind on your face, a dog running to greet you — and how those tiny things are the heartbeats of a meaningful life. The Camino taught me to break social contracts that keep you small, to make space for wonder, and to let curiosity and play back into adulthood.

This episode is a quiet conversation about boundaries, intuition, creativity, and mortality — a nudge to make time for the things your soul is asking for. If you’ve ever been afraid to go after something hard or felt stuck comparing yourself to others, I hope my walk gives you permission to try, to fail, to create, and to feel.

So, what do you desire? Make space for it. Thanks for walking a few miles of this road with me — there really is so much beauty where it’s quiet.

Hi, I’m Elizabeth — and I’m so glad you’re here for the very first episode of Where It’s Quiet. I launched this podcast on my birthday because birthdays have always felt like threshold moments for me: the chance to look back, look forward, and lean into what actually matters.

This space is about returning — not reinventing. After years of striving and creating a previous show called Elevate Potential, I traded hustle for stillness and started learning what it means to live in alignment and fulfillment. It’s less about proving anything and more about showing up, walking slowly, and listening to what our bodies and hearts already know.

Quiet wasn’t accidental for me as a kid — I used to sneak out to sit on the porch under the stars with my guitar and whatever words wanted to come out. That silence was alive; it gave me room to create, heal, and discover who I was. That curious, creative girl is still inside me, and this podcast is an invitation to rediscover yours.

Much of what I’m talking about comes from being embodied — trusting the wisdom of the body over the endless churn of thought. Small practices like widening your peripheral vision on a walk or simply putting one foot in front of the other can open up intuition and clarity in ways the mind alone can’t.

I walked the Camino de Santiago — 200 miles over 14 days — and it taught me how powerful the rhythm of being can be. On that walk I noticed stories I’d been carrying that weren’t true, let them go, and felt lighter almost overnight. Those quiet moments were where real change and insight showed up, not from overthinking, but from listening.

In a culture that celebrates noise and hustle, choosing quiet feels radical. Here we’ll create space for reflection, journaling, breathwork, and simple practices that help you return to yourself, cultivate flow, and live more aligned — one small step at a time.

Before we go: where do you find your quiet? A trail, your kitchen table with coffee, the car when you’re still for a moment — wherever it is, go there this week and notice what comes up. Thank you for being here with me today on my birthday — welcome to Where It’s Quiet.

Alone time is so important for personal growth. In this episode, we dive into how we cultivate the relationship we have with ourselves and how it is foundational to all other connections in our lives. 

Links to reference:

• Alone by Leon John 

Learn from the founder and CEO of Izaza eyewear and a serial entrepreneur, Space, how to use what you have to get what you want. His story of grit and determination is sure to give you the inspiration you need in the new year! 

Check it out: 

• IZAZA on IG

Fear is something we can never truly escape, but we can learn to work with it and embrace the uncertainty that creates wonder in our lives. In this episode, I share my process for facing fear and some helpful tools I have encountered in my journey. 

  Helpful links:

• Feel the fear and do it anyway 

South African artist Ofentse Seshabela shares with us his journey toward becoming an artist and how to find your voice. Learn from his story how you can learn to embrace your inner artist and discover your potential. 

Facing your ego is a challenging and rewarding journey. In this episode, Morgan shares with us how he learned the hard way to connect more deeply with himself, others, and life by facing the man in the mirror. You don't want to miss this. 

Resources: 

• Listen to the Morgan's Podcast 

Feeling a sense of belonging and establishing a practice that cultivates inner peace are fundamental building blocks to finding your purpose. Fiorenza shares with us pieces of her story that just might illuminate parts of your own. 

Helpful links: 

• Connect with Fiorenza 

Whether you are going through a breakup or trying to discover your purpose this episode is for you. Adrianna shares with us her process for detoxing from attachment and leaning into her value as a creator. 

Helpful links: 

• Vibe with Ade Festival Blog