We have exactly 42 days until the end of the year. What can we do now to keep our peace from now until then? Listen in.   LINKS + RESOURCES FROM THIS EPISODE: Download The Quiet Collection app Join The Soul Minimalist Substack Order a How to Walk into a Room Download the free discussion guide for How to Walk into a Room by visiting this page and clicking the button "Discussion Guide" Download the transcript

What kind of endings are you facing and what practices can you engage to help you as you navigate them? Listen in. LINKS + RESOURCES FROM THIS EPISODE: Download The Quiet Collection app Join The Soul Minimalist Substack Order a How to Walk into a Room Download the free discussion guide for How to Walk into a Room by visiting this page and clicking the button "Discussion Guide" Download the transcript

Today's episode is a little bit different. We're going to engage in a grounding practice for an anxious time. You may likely recognize this as the 5-4-3-2-1 method. Even if it's familiar, I invite you to keep pace with me and follow along. You can do this while driving, walking, in a crowded space, alone in your office or room, or even while you're laying down to sleep at night. All you need is to stay present with me and with yourself. Listen in.   LINKS + RESOURCES FROM THIS EPISODE: Download The Quiet Collection app Join The Soul Minimalist Substack Order a How to Walk into a Room Download the free discussion guide for How to Walk into a Room by visiting this page and clicking the button "Discussion Guide" Download the transcript

As we approach Election Day in the United States, I wanted to provide a simple liturgy as a resource for us as we make important decisions about our elected officials at the local, state and national levels. This is a liturgy you can use as you prepare to walk into the voting booth, either physically or if you're voting by mail metaphorically. Hopefully it will be a grounding exercise for you between now and next week, perhaps one you can listen to on your way to the voting booth or anytime before. Listen in. LINKS + RESOURCES FROM THIS EPISODE: Download The Quiet Collection app Join The Soul Minimalist Substack Order a How to Walk into a Room Download the free discussion guide for How to Walk into a Room by visiting this page and clicking the button "Discussion Guide" Download the transcript

Fall schedules are in full swing, but beneath the surface of all your activity, perhaps you're concerned about how the choices you're making now will impact your life in the future. And not only your life, but also the lives of those whom you care about. When we meet at the crossroads of core values or belief systems, do we engage or retreat? When we have lost something or someone and we become acutely aware of the risk of trying again, how can we move forward? When we have that moment of clarity and realize that this conversation, this relationship, the situation, is never going to change or that it's changed beyond recognition, what is our next right thing? This week, we're exploring the simple practice of loving anyway. Listen in.   LINKS + RESOURCES FROM THIS EPISODE: Even After Everything by Stephanie Duncan Smith Join The Soul Minimalist Substack Order a How to Walk into a Room Download the free discussion guide for How to Walk into a Room by visiting this page and clicking the button "Discussion Guide" Download the transcript

When it comes to naming what we love this fall, everything counts. So what's saving your life? Here's what's saving mine. Listen in. LINKS + RESOURCES FROM THIS EPISODE: Practicing the Presence of People by Mike Mason The Holy Longing by Ronald Rolheiser Join The Soul Minimalist Substack Order a How to Walk into a Room Download the free discussion guide for How to Walk into a Room by visiting this page and clicking the button "Discussion Guide" Download the transcript

I'm so glad to have your friend and mine, the laziest genius there is, New York Times bestselling author, Kendra Adachi. She's been teaching us to be a genius about the things that matter to us and lazy about the things that don't, for nearly a decade, she taught us the 13 Lazy Genius principles in her first book, The Lazy Genius Way, and How to Be a Lazy Genius in the Kitchen, in her second book, The Lazy Genius Kitchen. Now she's back with her third book, The Plan: Manage Your Time Like a Lazy Genius. Today we're going to get into both the mindset and the strategy of how to plan a day. Listen in.   LINKS + RESOURCES FROM THIS EPISODE: The Plan by Kendra Adachi Follow Kendra on Instagram Join The Soul Minimalist Substack Order a How to Walk into a Room Download the free discussion guide for How to Walk into a Room by visiting this page and clicking the button "Discussion Guide" Download the transcript

How can we become better listeners for the sake of our own formation and for the good of those around us? Listen in. LINKS + RESOURCES FROM THIS EPISODE: Episode 249: A Former Sign Language Interpreter's Guide to Listening Episode 270: How to Listen When a Friend Asks for Advice Join The Soul Minimalist Substack Order a How to Walk into a Room Download the free discussion guide for How to Walk into a Room by visiting this page and clicking the button "Discussion Guide" Download the transcript

How can we practically integrate quiet into our everyday lives and why would we want to? Listen in. LINKS + RESOURCES FROM THIS EPISODE: Download my favorite quiet resources Order a How to Walk into a Room When the Soul Listens by Jan Johnson Holy Listening by Margaret Guenther The Gift of Being Yourself by David Benner Download the free discussion guide for How to Walk into a Room by visiting this page and clicking the button "Discussion Guide" Subscribe to The Soul Minimalist on Substack Download the transcript

My guest today is internationally known as an Emmy-winning songwriter, recording artist, educator, activist, and poet whose work centers around finding beauty in a world that often feels broken. As a practicing Quaker, Carrie Newcomer's albums include Betty's Diner, The Gathering of Spirits and A Permeable Life, which has an accompanying book of poetry and essays.   I'm so glad to speak with Carrie today on what we can learn from Quaker practice about silence, about discernment, and our next right thing. Listen in. LINKS + RESOURCES FROM THIS EPISODE: Join The Soul Minimalist Substack Order a How to Walk into a Room Download the free discussion guide for How to Walk into a Room by visiting this page and clicking the button "Discussion Guide" Download the transcript

When it comes to thinking about how to quiet your inner chatter, we all probably have a lot of different ideas about what could be helpful, and I hope today's idea is something that you would consider. Listen in. LINKS + RESOURCES FROM THIS EPISODE: Join The Soul Minimalist Substack Order a How to Walk into a Room Streams of Living Water by Richard Foster The Wisdom of the Enneagram by Don Richard Riso and Russ Hudson Download the free discussion guide for How to Walk into a Room by visiting this page and clicking the button "Discussion Guide" Subscribe to The Soul Minimalist on Substack Download the transcript

There are a lot of gifts that silence can bring and it's good to name what they are. But before we can enter into a practice of meaningful silence, it may be important to name some reasons why we may be avoiding it in the first place. Silence always tells a story. Listen in   LINKS + RESOURCES FROM THIS EPISODE: Join the Arrows Challenge Order a How to Walk into a Room Download the free discussion guide for How to Walk into a Room by visiting this page and clicking the button "Discussion Guide" Subscribe to The Soul Minimalist on Substack Download the transcript

Today, I'm going to share with you a list I made at the beginning of my summer that changed the way I thought about productivity. So now I'm making another one for fall and I'm calling it a For My Future Self list. Listen in. LINKS + RESOURCES FROM THIS EPISODE: The Lazy Genius Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer The Next Right Thing Guided Journal Order a How to Walk into a Room Download the free discussion guide for How to Walk into a Room by visiting this page and clicking the button "Discussion Guide" Subscribe to The Soul Minimalist on Substack Download the transcript

Maybe you've been able to take some time off over the summer, either from work or social media or other activities. Or perhaps you haven't had that luxury and you're left wondering here toward the end of August if this nagging feeling you have inside is because you're on the edge of some kind of shift. Perhaps you've been standing at that threshold for quite some time. The question we'll hold together today: Is it time to quit or do I just need a break? Listen in. LINKS + RESOURCES FROM THIS EPISODE: Sacred Rest by Dr. Saundra Dalton Smith Order a How to Walk into a Room Download the free discussion guide for How to Walk into a Room by visiting this page and clicking the button "Discussion Guide" Subscribe to The Soul Minimalist on Substack Download the transcript

This first week back we're celebrating seven years of The Next Right Thing with our annual state-of-the- podcast conversation. The gifts for a seven-year anniversary are traditionally copper and wool that signify love, durability and comfort. We'll use those three as our framework for today's conversation. Listen in. LINKS + RESOURCES FROM THIS EPISODE: 10x is Easier Than 2x by Dan Sullivan and Dr. Benjamin Hardy The Four Tendencies by Gretchin Rubin A Million Little Ways by Emily P. Freeman Order a How to Walk into a Room Download the free discussion guide for How to Walk into a Room by visiting this page and clicking the button "Discussion Guide" Subscribe to The Soul Minimalist on Substack Download the transcript

This week we'll finish up our walk through past episodes with one of my all-time favorites about Mr. Rogers. I had been wanting to do an episode related to Fred Rogers for quite some time, but it took me a while to finally pull some threads together and connect my thoughts just a little bit. This episode was originally published as episode 103 in November of 2019, and it explores how important it is to realize the impact other people have on the choices that we make for good or for ill. It's about the creativity that can come from frustration, the connection that can happen when we offer a little space, and the generosity that we all have the ability to spread. I hope you'll listen in.   LINKS + RESOURCES FROM THIS EPISODE: Tom Junod for The Atlantic: Mister Rogers's Enduring Wisdom Mister Rogers's Lifetime Achievement Award speech Order a How to Walk into a Room Download the free discussion guide for How to Walk into a Room by visiting this page and clicking the button "Discussion Guide" Subscribe to The Soul Minimalist on Substack Download the transcript

This week, we're continuing our walk through past episodes doing something we've never done before. I'm looking back at some of my personal favorites. This episode was originally published as episode 136 in July of 2020, and it explores the question, "Is there room for slow processing in this fast moving world? How can we make thoughtful decisions when everything moves so fast?" It's a great one to revisit. I hope you'll listen in.   LINKS + RESOURCES FROM THIS EPISODE: 10 Things To Tell You: Has The Internet Ever Changed Your Mind? Episode 60: Start Before You're Ready Essentialism by Greg McKewon Order a How to Walk into a Room Download the free discussion guide for How to Walk into a Room by visiting this page and clicking the button "Discussion Guide" Subscribe to The Soul Minimalist on Substack Download the transcript

For the next several weeks, we're doing something we've never done before. It's a bit of a look back at some of my personal favorite episodes. Today's replay was originally episode 71, Let Time be Your Friend. It came about after months of ruminating over this idea of the passing of time and how it's always part of our lives, but we don't often sit and think about it. If you've ever felt like you could make better decisions if only you had more time, if you've ever wished for time to stop just for a while so you could catch your breath, well, today's episode is for you. Listen in.   LINKS + RESOURCES FROM THIS EPISODE: Order a How to Walk into a Room Download the free discussion guide for How to Walk into a Room by visiting this page and clicking the button "Discussion Guide" The Dusty Ones: Why Wandering Deepens Your Faith by AJ Swaboda YouTube - Big Ben  Hebrew Parallelism in the Psalms from Oblate Spring Big Ben UK Parliament Documents Episode 49: Collaborate Psalm 16 Subscribe to The Soul Minimalist on Substack Download the transcript

Today I'll be sharing a beloved spiritual practice and a bit of a personal update as well as what to expect here on The Next Right Thing in the coming months. Listen in. LINKS + RESOURCES FROM THIS EPISODE: Order a How to Walk into a Room Download the free discussion guide for How to Walk into a Room by visiting this page and clicking the button "Discussion Guide" Subscribe to The Soul Minimalist on Substack Download the transcript

It's time for our seasonal episode of What's Saving My Life Right Now. I'll be sharing the things that are life-giving to me during this current spring season and I'll encourage you to make your own list. It could be anything from a favorite product to a spiritual practice, a fun new show, or a meaningful relationship. When it comes to naming what we love this spring, everything counts. So what's saving your life right now? Here's what's saving mine. Listen in.   LINKS + RESOURCES FROM THIS EPISODE: Salt & Stone Saffron & Cedar candle Living Godward on the Things Above podcast Order a How to Walk into a Room Download the free discussion guide for How to Walk into a Room by visiting this page and clicking the button "Discussion Guide" Subscribe to The Soul Minimalist on Substack Download the transcript

I'm so glad to welcome New York Times and Wall Street Journal bestselling author, Myquillyn Smith. You may know her best as The Nester and I know her best as my big sister. The good news for all of us, is that Myquillyn has a brand-new book available on this very day. It's called House Rules: How to Decorate for Every Home, Style and Budget. She's never met a house she didn't love, and today, she's here to help us learn how to do the same. If you struggle knowing where to start or feel overwhelmed with the number of decisions you believe stand between you and the room that you love, I hope you'll listen in.   LINKS + RESOURCES FROM THIS EPISODE: Order House Rules: How to Decorate for Every Home, Style and Budget Find The Nester on Instagram Order a How to Walk into a Room Download the free discussion guide for How to Walk into a Room by visiting this page and clicking the button "Discussion Guide" Subscribe to The Soul Minimalist on Substack Download the transcript

Today I’ll share words from someone else for all of us to listen to and carry with us and reflect on together. Here is “The Path” by Lynn Ungar. Listen in. LINKS + RESOURCES FROM THIS EPISODE: "The Path" by Lynn Ungar Order a How to Walk into a Room Download the free discussion guide for How to Walk into a Room by visiting this page and clicking the button "Discussion Guide" Subscribe to The Soul Minimalist on Substack Download the transcript

They say May is the new December, and we all know it's true. Though we have a month until we get there, chances are this season's activities are in full swing now and not likely to stop until June. It's times like this when I often find myself busy doing the things that don't matter as much, and avoiding doing the things that do. Sound familiar? How can we start to wake up in a world that seems intent on keeping us asleep? Listen in.   LINKS + RESOURCES FROM THIS EPISODE: Order a How to Walk into a Room Download the free discussion guide for How to Walk into a Room by visiting this page and clicking the button "Discussion Guide" Subscribe to The Soul Minimalist on Substack Download the transcript

Five years ago on this very day, Tuesday, April 2nd, The Next Right Thing book released into the world. It was based roughly on the first 30 episodes of this podcast. And now that book has sold over 100,000 copies, and it's still going. As a way to mark the moment, I thought I would share five decision-making principles from The Next Right Thing book that I still use every single week. Maybe you'll remember one you've forgotten, or maybe you'll hear one of these tips with fresh ears. I hope you'll listen in.   LINKS + RESOURCES FROM THIS EPISODE: The Next Right Thing book The Next Right Thing Guided Journal Order a How to Walk into a Room Download the free discussion guide for How to Walk into a Room by visiting this page and clicking the button "Discussion Guide" Subscribe to The Soul Minimalist on Substack Download the transcript

Today's guest is one you're familiar with by now. It's my friend, partner, and husband, John Freeman. Aside from being my biggest cheerleader, John is also a pastor. He served for 12 years in two different churches as a youth pastor, until 11 years ago when he walked out of the room of official church ministry and walked into the room of our actual home, where he worked for several years as a stay-at-home dad. For the last few years, he's been running his own nonprofit called Grace Discipleship, offering soul care and spiritual direction for couples, pastors, and Gen Z high school and college students. Now that How to Walk into a Room is out in the world, John and I wanted to host a conversation about the book, specifically our own personal reflections on this side of sharing certain parts of our story. I hope you'll listen in. LINKS + RESOURCES FROM THIS EPISODE: Grace Discipleship  Find John on Instagram LGBTQ resources for parents David Gushee on the Making Things Right podcast Order a How to Walk into a Room Download the free discussion guide for How to Walk into a Room by visiting this page and clicking the button "Discussion Guide" Find my new book from your favorite bookseller below (or another one not listed): Barnes and Noble Amazon US Amazon CA Bookshop Books-A-Million Bookmarks Subscribe to The Soul Minimalist on Substack Download the transcript

Grace P. Cho is a Korean-American writer and Senior Acquisitions Editor at Revell, which is an imprint of Baker Publishing Group. Grace has authored and edited several inCourage bible studies and devotionals. And she's most recently contributed to the book Voices of Lament: Reflections on Brokenness and Hope in a World Longing for Justice. I've known Grace for many years and she is a kind and gracious presence for me personally, but she extends this beyond just her personal friends. She creates space for people to be known, nurtured, and challenged through her work and she desires to elevate women of color's voices in the publishing industry. Grace has said several goodbyes in the last year, but her experience is is a beautiful illustration of how not all goodbyes are sad. Her kind, generative presence and perspective on life and change is right on time. Listen in. LINKS + RESOURCES FROM THIS EPISODE: Visit Grace P. Cho's website Find Grace on Instagram Order a How to Walk into a Room Find my new book from your favorite bookseller below (or another one not listed): Barnes and Noble Amazon US Amazon CA Bookshop Books-A-Million Bookmarks (for personalized copies!) Subscribe to The Soul Minimalist on Substack Download the transcript

Today we're continuing our conversations with people who have a lot of wisdom to offer when it comes to leaving rooms and finding new ones. My guest today is a writer, speaker and activist who focuses on issues in education, community, leadership, spirituality, and social change. He is the founder of the Center for Courage and Renewal and his name is Parker J. Palmer. He's the author of 10 books including one of my favorites, Let Your Life Speak. He's a member of the Religious Society of Friends, also known as the Quakers, and he lives together with his wife Sharon in Madison Wisconsin. I invited Parker on because his work has had a profound impact on my own personal formation and has helped to shape my own understanding of the human soul. I'm grateful he said yes to sitting in the room with me today. Listen in. LINKS + RESOURCES FROM THIS EPISODE: Center for Courage and Renewal Here are all of Parker Palmers books in one place The Growing Edge with Parker Palmer and Carrie Newcomer Order a How to Walk into a Room Order from your favorite bookseller below (or another one not listed): Barnes and Noble Amazon US Amazon CA Bookshop Books-A-Million Bookmarks (for personalized copies!) Subscribe to The Soul Minimalist on Substack Download the transcript

Today's the day! It's the official release day for my brand new book, How to Walk into a Room: The Art of Knowing When to Stay and When to Walk Away. It's available in hardcover or audiobook format at any retailer, and you can order it this very moment. If you're not sure if this is a book for you, today's episode will help. If you're waiting for your copy to arrive, you can get starting at the beginning right now, because I'm reading the entire introduction right here. Listen in. LINKS + RESOURCES FROM THIS EPISODE: Read the first ten pages of How to Walk into a Room Preorder a How to Walk into a Room to receive all your free gifts! Order from your favorite bookseller below (or another one not listed): Barnes and Noble Amazon US Amazon CA Bookshop Books-A-Million Bookmarks (for personalized copies!) Once you have your order number, visit this page and claim your bonuses so we know where to send them Subscribe to The Soul Minimalist on Substack

A quick bonus episode! I'm here to let you know that I have a post script from Tuesday's episode — an announcement about preorder bonuses (Monday, March 11 is the last day to receive your gifts!), and a sneak peek — one of the blessings from the Blessings for Hellos and Goodbyes audio collection. Listen in.    LINKS + RESOURCES FROM THIS EPISODE: Preorder a How to Walk into a Room to receive all your free gifts! Order from your favorite bookseller below (or another one not listed): Barnes and Noble Amazon US Amazon CA Bookshop Books-A-Million Bookmarks (for personalized copies!) Once you have your order number, visit this page and claim your bonuses so we know where to send them Subscribe to The Soul Minimalist on Substack Download the transcript

Today's guest is a former high school government and law teacher who earned a reputation as America's government teacher amidst the historic 2020 election proceedings for her viral efforts on Instagram to educate the general public on political misinformation. Her name is Sharon McMahon and her simple mission is to share nonpartisan information about democracy. I am one of over a million people who learn from Sharon on a weekly basis, who call ourselves the Governerds, and we're regularly grateful for the truth and logic that Sharon brings in a society that's often plagued by bias and conspiracy. I brought Sharon on because one of the many things she reminds us of is the importance of changing your mind when you receive new and better information. So what do you do when the new information it seems someone has received is about you? And what about when that information is false? How can we navigate the various endings in our lives, especially the ones we don't choose, didn't want, and don't offer any closure?   I'm grateful for Sharon's willingness to share vulnerably about her own experience of being forced out of a room. Listen in. LINKS + RESOURCES FROM THIS EPISODE: Preorder a How to Walk into a Room to receive all your free gifts! Order from your favorite bookseller below (or another one not listed): Barnes and Noble Amazon US Amazon CA Bookshop Books-A-Million Bookmarks (for personalized copies!) Once you have your order number, visit this page and claim your bonuses so we know where to send them Subscribe to The Soul Minimalist on Substack Download the transcript

One thing that's important to talk about when we consider leaving and staying is that faithfulness can be found in both. Listen in. LINKS + RESOURCES FROM THIS EPISODE: Preorder a How to Walk into a Room to receive all your free gifts! Order from your favorite bookseller below (or another one not listed): Barnes and Noble Amazon US Amazon CA Bookshop Books-A-Million Bookmarks (for personalized copies!) Once you have your order number, visit this page and claim your bonuses so we know where to send them Subscribe to The Soul Minimalist on Substack Download the transcript

When it comes to making tough decisions, there's one thing we all need that we cannot steal, force, rush or fake. Want to know what it is? Listen in. LINKS + RESOURCES FROM THIS EPISODE: Preorder a How to Walk into a Room to receive all your free gifts! Order from your favorite bookseller below (or another one not listed): Barnes and Noble Amazon US Amazon CA Bookshop Books-A-Million Bookmarks (for personalized copies!) Once you have your order number, visit this page and claim your bonuses so we know where to send them Subscribe to The Soul Minimalist on Substack Download the transcript

When I started The Next Right Thing back in 2017, I had the chronically hesitant and the decision fatigued among us in mind. But we are not the only ones who need decision-making help. There are also those who are chronically eager and that's who I want to talk to today. Listen in.   LINKS + RESOURCES FROM THIS EPISODE: Preorder a How to Walk into a Room to receive all your free gifts! Order from your favorite bookseller below (or another one not listed): Barnes and Noble Amazon US Amazon CA Bookshop Books-A-Million Bookmarks (for personalized copies!) Once you have your order number, visit this page and claim your bonuses so we know where to send them Subscribe to The Soul Minimalist on Substack Download the transcript

At the end of December, I shared what worked in 2023 here on the podcast, but for my letter subscribers at the end of the year, I also shared five things that did not work for me in 2023. One of the things I listed that didn't work for me last year was caring too much, specifically as it relates to parenting. Listen in.   LINKS + RESOURCES FROM THIS EPISODE: Preorder a How to Walk into a Room to receive all your free gifts! Order from your favorite bookseller below (or another one not listed): Barnes and Noble Amazon US Amazon CA Bookshop Books-A-Million Bookmarks (for personalized copies!) Once you have your order number, visit this page and claim your bonuses so we know where to send them Subscribe to The Soul Minimalist on Substack Download the transcript

It's time for our seasonal episode of What's Saving My Life Right Now. I'll be sharing the things that are life-giving to me during this current winter season and I'll encourage you to make your own list. It could be anything from a favorite product to a spiritual practice, a fun new show or a meaningful relationship. When it comes to naming what we love this winter, everything counts. Listen in. LINKS + RESOURCES FROM THIS EPISODE: Preorder a How to Walk into a Room to receive all your free gifts! Order from your favorite bookseller below (or another one not listed): Barnes and Noble Amazon US Amazon CA Bookshop Books-A-Million Bookmarks (for personalized copies!) Once you have your order number, visit this page and claim your bonuses so we know where to send them Subscribe to The Soul Minimalist on Substack Walking pad Evshine slippers Download the transcript

In this episode, I'll share what it could look like to begin to bless the hellos and goodbyes of your life no matter what they are. I'm also so excited to share a few free resources that will help you do just that. Listen in.   LINKS + RESOURCES FROM THIS EPISODE: Preorder a How to Walk into a Room to receive all your free gifts! Order from your favorite bookseller below (or another one not listed): Barnes and Noble Amazon US Amazon CA Bookshop Books-A-Million Bookmarks (for personalized copies!) Once you have your order number, visit this page and claim your bonuses so we know where to send them Subscribe to The Soul Minimalist on Substack Download the transcript

Chances are, in some area of your life, you're either thinking through a big decision, working to clear up your brain from some false narratives, or maybe you're feeling like you're in a funk, but you can't quite figure out why. Sometimes, you just need someone to help you get unstuck and to take one next right step forward. So that's what we'll work today to do together. LINKS + RESOURCES FROM THIS EPISODE: Preorder How to Walk Into a Room Have a Beautiful, Terrible Day! by Kate Bowler Subscribe to The Soul Minimalist on Substack Order The Next Right Thing Guided Journal Grab a copy of my book The Next Right Thing Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman Download the transcript

I've now declared January to be the new week between Christmas and the New Year. And in today's episode, we'll unpack how to make it so. Listen in.   LINKS + RESOURCES FROM THIS EPISODE: Let Your Life Speak by Parker J. Palmer Crazy Busy by Kevin DeYoung Sacred Rest by Dr. Saundra Dalton Smith Preorder How to Walk Into a Room Subscribe to The Soul Minimalist on Substack Order The Next Right Thing Guided Journal Grab a copy of my book The Next Right Thing Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman Download the transcript

It's my annual, "I'm here, but I'm not really here" episode. I'll only keep you for two minutes. We'll be back next week for our first real episode of 2024. You can take the survey here until Monday, January 8. LINKS + RESOURCES FROM THIS EPISODE: Take the survey Download the transcript

LINKS + RESOURCES FROM THIS EPISODE: 10 Questions for Reflection and Discernment The Lazy Genius Chickpea Bowl Preorder How to Walk Into a Room Subscribe to The Soul Minimalist on Substack Order The Next Right Thing Guided Journal Grab a copy of my book The Next Right Thing Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman Download the transcript

Today, I need to slow down for just a few minutes to take a breath, to take a beat here in the middle of December. And so I want to offer you a four minute and thirty-eight second meditation for being okay. It's from one of the Advent collections in The Quiet Collection app called Compassion. It's track eight, named simply Okay. It's one of the simpler ones, but it's one I personally return to over and over again. Listen in. LINKS + RESOURCES FROM THIS EPISODE: Learn more about The Quiet Collection app and download the Advent Collections here Preorder How to Walk Into a Room Subscribe to The Soul Minimalist on Substack Order The Next Right Thing Guided Journal Grab a copy of my book The Next Right Thing Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman Download the transcript

Emily Ley is the founder of Simplified, which is a bestselling brand of planners and organizational tools for busy women. She has spent nearly 13 years empowering, inspiring, and equipping women in the areas of organization, planning and simplicity. She's the host of the Simplified podcast and author of national bestselling books, but today, we're going to talk about concepts she writes about in her newest book, Near in the Night: A Collection of Reflections on Finding God's Peace and Rest. If you, like me, have trouble turning off your mind at the close of day and are hoping for some simple practices to help you do that with ease, listen in.   LINKS + RESOURCES FROM THIS EPISODE: Find Near in the Night by Emily Ley Meditation for Fidgety Skeptics by Dan Harris The Quiet Collection app Preorder How to Walk Into a Room Subscribe to The Soul Minimalist on Substack Order The Next Right Thing Guided Journal Grab a copy of my book The Next Right Thing Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman Download the transcript

There are a lot of reasons why the season of Advent might be a difficult one for you this year. Among them could be because you don't currently have a church or a faith community or it looks different than it used to, or you're about to move or make a change, or you just moved and made a change and it's all impacting your current reality, and you're feeling some kind of way about it all. If that's you, I hope you'll find welcome in today's conversation. Listen in.   LINKS + RESOURCES FROM THIS EPISODE: The Quiet Collection app Preorder How to Walk Into a Room Subscribe to The Soul Minimalist on Substack Order The Next Right Thing Guided Journal Grab a copy of my book The Next Right Thing Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman Download the transcript

It's time to share the scoop about this year's Advent resources in The Quiet Collection app. I've got good news, I've got medium news, and I have some fun news. You want to hear it all? Listen in.   LINKS + RESOURCES FROM THIS EPISODE: The Quiet Collection app Preorder How to Walk Into a Room Subscribe to The Soul Minimalist on Substack Order The Next Right Thing Guided Journal Grab a copy of my book The Next Right Thing Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman Download the transcript

If you’re feeling pulled in all directions, looking for grounding words but unable to form them, here’s a short prayer of welcoming some things we need, some things we want, and others we would rather do without. Listen in. LINKS + RESOURCES FROM THIS EPISODE: Preorder How to Walk Into a Room Subscribe to The Soul Minimalist on Substack The Quiet Collection app Order The Next Right Thing Guided Journal Grab a copy of my book The Next Right Thing Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman Download the transcript

What do we do when we realize our next right thing is to apologize? And how do we do it in a way that the person we're apologizing to will know that we're sincere? I'm so glad to welcome bestselling author, TEDx speaker, leadership consultant and psychologist, Dr. Jennifer Thomas. Jennifer is the co-author of The Five Apology Languages with Dr. Gary Chapman, and together they've also written a book in partnership with Paul White called Making Things Right at Work. With a PhD in clinical psychology and community psychology from the University of Maryland, Jennifer helps readers and leaders know the right things to say to keep growing. If you're curious about why the last apology you gave fell flat, or if you wonder why you just don't believe people when they're apologizing to you, today's conversation will hopefully provide valuable insight for your next right apologetic thing. Listen in. LINKS + RESOURCES FROM THIS EPISODE: Preorder How to Walk Into a Room Subscribe to The Soul Minimalist on Substack where I'll be answering more questions in this week's essay The Quiet Collection app The 5 Apology Languages by Gary Chapman and Jennifer Thomas Making Things Right at Work by Gary Chapman, Jennifer Thomas, and Paul White Learn more about Dr. Jennifer Thomas Order The Next Right Thing Guided Journal Grab a copy of my book The Next Right Thing Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman Download the transcript

In honor of the 300th episode of The Next Right Thing, I'm giving you the microphone to ask me your questions. I love hearing your voices whenever I can and I think this will be a lot of fun. I'll do my best to offer some solid responses, if not answers. Listen in.   LINKS + RESOURCES FROM THIS EPISODE: Preorder How to Walk Into a Room Subscribe to The Soul Minimalist on Substack where I'll be answering more questions in this week's essay The Quiet Collection app Episode 32: Stop Collecting Gurus Order The Next Right Thing Guided Journal Grab a copy of my book The Next Right Thing Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman Download the transcript

How can we know the difference between a yes, an absolutely yes, a maybe, a probably not, and a no? And what do we do with the simple one line advice that doesn't always seem to apply? Listen in. LINKS + RESOURCES FROM THIS EPISODE: Preorder How to Walk Into a Room Subscribe to The Soul Minimalist on Substack The Quiet Collection app Ask Emily anything Essentialism by Greg McKeown Hell Yeah or No by Derek Sivers Episode 219: 20 Questions to Ask Before You Say Yes to a Great Opportunity Order The Next Right Thing Guided Journal Grab a copy of my book The Next Right Thing Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman Download the transcript

Today's question is a continuation of a conversation we started over 100 episodes ago, all about spiritual direction. I mentioned at the beginning of every episode that I serve as a spiritual director, and maybe you've heard that and wondered what it means or what that looks like. Well, I'll answer some of those questions about that today. Listen in. LINKS + RESOURCES FROM THIS EPISODE: Preorder How to Walk Into a Room Subscribe to The Soul Minimalist on Substack Spiritual Direction resources Episode 167: Spiritual Direction for Beginners Let Your Life Speak by Parker Palmer The Quiet Collection app Order The Next Right Thing Guided Journal Grab a copy of my book The Next Right Thing Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman Download the transcript

When it comes to spiritual practice and life with God, it might be your default to think you're doing it wrong. Even though I've walked with my friend Jesus for many decades, have written many faith-based books, hold a master's degree in Christian spiritual formation and even teach in a master's level program on the same topic, I still carry around that childlike question sometimes without even realizing it. Am I doing this wrong? Am I on the right track? Am I going to be okay? Let's talk about it. Listen in. LINKS + RESOURCES FROM THIS EPISODE: Preorder How to Walk Into a Room Subscribe to The Soul Minimalist on Substack The Quiet Collection app Order The Next Right Thing Guided Journal Grab a copy of my book The Next Right Thing Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman Download the transcript

What's saving your life right now, specifically when it comes to autumn? It could be anything from a favorite product to a spiritual practice, a fun new show or a meaningful relationship. When it comes to naming what we love this fall, everything counts. Listen in. LINKS + RESOURCES FROM THIS EPISODE: Preorder How to Walk Into a Room Subscribe to The Soul Minimalist on Substack Our Unforming by Cindy S. Lee Get the monthly letter My Autumn playlist My sister's Autumnal playlist Kendra's Breezy Instrumental playlist More of what's saving my autumn life The Quiet Collection app Order The Next Right Thing Guided Journal Grab a copy of my book The Next Right Thing Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman Download the transcript

In this episode, I'm sharing about one of my next right things. For the last two-ish years, I've been working on my next book and it's finally time to tell you about it. If you're standing at a threshold, this book offers a framework for knowing when it's good to stay and when it might be time to move on. Listen in. LINKS + RESOURCES FROM THIS EPISODE: Preorder How to Walk Into a Room Subscribe to The Soul Minimalist on Substack The Quiet Collection app Order The Next Right Thing Guided Journal Grab a copy of my book The Next Right Thing Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman Download the transcript

Today I'm talking with not one, but two guests. From their rural homestead in Charlottesville, Virginia, it's husband and wife duo Daniel and Lauren Goans, known as Lowland Hum. With the release of their brand new album From Self, With Love, this seemed like the perfect time to have them on the podcast to talk about some of the key decisions they've made along their way. Listen in. LINKS + RESOURCES FROM THIS EPISODE: Subscribe to The Soul Minimalist on Substack Find Lowland Hum on Instagram Visit Lowland Hum's website Find Lowland Hum on Patreon The Quiet Collection app Order The Next Right Thing Guided Journal Grab a copy of my book The Next Right Thing Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman Download the transcript

Our emotions and feelings can take up a lot of space at the table. There may have been times we've gotten in trouble for them, either because we've shared too much and regretted it later, or we've been scolded or blamed for being too sensitive or too much or too something. That's when we've tended to label our feelings as not okay. But this is not the only story there is. How do our feelings impact our ability to make wise decisions and what good role can they play? Listen in. LINKS + RESOURCES FROM THIS EPISODE: Subscribe to The Soul Minimalist on Substack The Journey Toward Wholeness by Suzanne Stabile Try Softer and Strong Like Water by Aundi Kolber Episode 170: Try Softer with Aundi Kolber Episode 213: How to Make Embodied Decisions with Dr. Hillary L. McBride The Quiet Collection app Order The Next Right Thing Guided Journal Grab a copy of my book The Next Right Thing Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman Download the transcript

Today's questions, what do decisive people know that indecisive people don't know? Is there a common skill or mindset present in people who consider themselves to be decisive that those of us who are more indecisive might lack? Can we learn it? Can we cultivate it? We'll talk about it. Listen in.   LINKS + RESOURCES FROM THIS EPISODE: Subscribe to The Soul Minimalist on Substack The Quiet Collection app Order The Next Right Thing Guided Journal Grab a copy of my book The Next Right Thing Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman Download the transcript

Today's question: when is good enough great? We'll talk about when perfectionism keeps us stuck. I hope you'll listen in. LINKS + RESOURCES FROM THIS EPISODE: Subscribe to The Soul Minimalist on Substack Episode 325 of the Lazy Genius Podcast: Dealing with Differences on How Something is Done Mythical Me: Finding Freedom from Constant Comparison by Richella Parham Marketing Made Easy: Why You Aren't Taking Action The Gifts of Imperfection by Brené Brown The Quiet Collection app Order The Next Right Thing Guided Journal Grab a copy of my book The Next Right Thing Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman Download the transcript

The kitchen is the room of our house where we make many of our daily decisions which means it also has the potential to be the root cause of a lot of decision fatigue. Today I’m glad to welcome one of my in-real-life friends, Bri McKoy. Bri is an accidental home cook, a lover of gathering people around her everyday table, and the author of two books: the first is Come and Eat and the second is her brand new release: The Cook’s Book, the only cookbook I’ve ever read cover to cover. I’m thrilled to have her join us today to talk about our next right thing in the kitchen. Listen in.   LINKS + RESOURCES FROM THIS EPISODE: The Cook's Book by Bri McKoy - Brand new this week! Visit Bri's website Find Bri on Instagram for inspiration for the everyday home cook Join The Soul Minimalist to continue this conversation Grab a copy of my book The Next Right Thing for simple, soulful decision-making practices Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman

If we're going to be on the internet, because we are, how can we stay sane and remain soul minimalists in the midst of the constant stream of information? That's today's question. Listen in. LINKS + RESOURCES FROM THIS EPISODE: Subscribe to The Soul Minimalist on Substack "Our Brains Are No Match for Technology" by Tristan Harris Episode 32: Stop Collecting Gurus Atomic Habits by James Clear Depression, Creativity, and the Dangers of Being Constantly Plugged In by Ally Fallon The Quiet Collection app Order The Next Right Thing Guided Journal Grab a copy of my book The Next Right Thing Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman Download the transcript

Today’s questions: why do I feel so exhausted? How can I remain a soul minimalist while having a maxed-out schedule? Does our soul have rules? And if so, what the heck are they, and how can knowing them help us in our next right thing? This isn’t a conversation about pitting your schedule against your soul, but it is to elevate our awareness that trying to tackle soul things with a scheduler’s mindset will almost always lead to frustration, disappointment, and exhaustion. Listen in. LINKS + RESOURCES FROM THIS EPISODE: Subscribe to The Soul Minimalist on Substack The Quiet Collection app Order The Next Right Thing Guided Journal Grab a copy of my book The Next Right Thing Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman Download the transcript

This week I'm thrilled to celebrate another milestone: six years of The Next Right Thing podcast. Can we even believe it? Reflection is a key part of my own rhythm of life, so when I approach anniversaries of any kind, but maybe particularly annual ones, I like to pause and look back before moving ahead. Listen in.   LINKS + RESOURCES FROM THIS EPISODE: Subscribe to The Soul Minimalist on Substack Episode 238: State of the Podcast 2022 Episode 198: Be Present Not Perfect with Shauna Niequist Episode 254: Honest Advent with Scott Erickson Episode 213: How to Make Embodied Decisions with Dr. Hillary L. McBride Episode 212: How to Walk Out of A Room Episode 206: What Worked in 2021 Episode 208: Hold the Tension Longer The Quiet Collection app Order The Next Right Thing Guided Journal Grab a copy of my book The Next Right Thing Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman Download the transcript

It's the last week of Psalm Summer, and I'll be reading Psalm 63 from the New Revised Standard Version, then from the Contemporary English version, then from the Message. At the end of this series, we'll have all the Psalms for you as a collection in The Quiet Collection app. Listen in. A playlist of the Psalms we’ve done so far The Quiet Collection app Order The Next Right Thing Guided Journal Grab a copy of my book The Next Right Thing Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman

It's week three of Psalm Summer, and I'll be reading Psalm 40 from the New Revised Standard Version, then from the Contemporary English version, then from the Message. At the end of this series, we'll have all the Psalms for you as a collection in The Quiet Collection app. Listen in. LINKS + RESOURCES FROM THIS EPISODE: A playlist of the Psalms we’ve done so far The Quiet Collection app Order The Next Right Thing Guided Journal Grab a copy of my book The Next Right Thing Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman

It's week two of Psalm Summer, and I'll be reading Psalm 1 from the New Revised Standard Version, then from the Contemporary English version, then from Psalms for Praying by Nan C. Merrill. At the end of this series, we'll have all the Psalms for you as a collection in The Quiet Collection app. Listen in. LINKS + RESOURCES FROM THIS EPISODE: A playlist of the Psalms we’ve done so far The Quiet Collection app Order The Next Right Thing Guided Journal Grab a copy of my book The Next Right Thing Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman

It's the first week of Psalm Summer, and I'll be reading three versions of your most requested chapter, Psalm 16. When this series is over, we'll have all the Psalms for you as a collection in The Quiet Collection app. Listen in. LINKS + RESOURCES FROM THIS EPISODE: A playlist of the Psalms we’ve done so far The Quiet Collection app Order The Next Right Thing Guided Journal Grab a copy of my book The Next Right Thing Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman

It's time for Psalm Summer and today I'll share a few words about why I hold a tension with the Psalms. I'm hearing it among my friends, at retreats I've led, from graduate students I teach, and in the spiritual direction chair -- we have a complicated relationship with God, with the Bible, with people who make up the church. Complicated doesn't have to mean bad and it doesn't have to be negative. It just means there are a lot of layers and we've lived a lot of life together. We have love stories to tell, heartbreaks to grieve, faithfulness to celebrate. The Psalms don't tell us how to live, they reveal the many ways we might respond to life. They are songs and poems written by those who are angry, heartbroken, bereft, and elated. The words in the Psalms are not a rule book but a refuge, a record, a reality of human life in all its complexity. Today I'll share a few words about why I'm glad to bring Psalm Summer back. Listen in. LINKS + RESOURCES FROM THIS EPISODE: A playlist of the Psalms we’ve done so far The Quiet Collection app Order The Next Right Thing Guided Journal Grab a copy of my book The Next Right Thing Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman Download the transcript “For the simplicity on this side of complexity, I wouldn't give you a fig. But for the simplicity on the other side of complexity, for that I would give you anything I have.” ― Oliver Wendell Holmes Sr.

Today’s question is a fun one. What’s saving your life right now, specifically when it comes to summer? It could be anything from a favorite product to a spiritual practice, a fun new show, or a meaningful relationship. When it comes to naming what we love this summer, everything counts. And when it comes to decision making, it’s fun to name these things. It’s great to know what helps me come alive, what makes me smile, what’s something I’m loving right now. All of these questions, though they may feel small, inform our next right thing more often than we might realize. Listen in. LINKS + RESOURCES FROM THIS EPISODE: Supergoop Glowscreen Westmore Beauty 60-Second Eye Effects For the Love podcast with Jen Hatmaker A playlist of the Psalms we've done so far More of what's saving my summer life The Quiet Collection app Order The Next Right Thing Guided Journal Grab a copy of my book The Next Right Thing Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman Download the transcript

For the third year in a row, I’m hosting a conversation with John, who I have shared life with in marriage for 22 years. We have two college-age kiddos who have just finished their freshman year and one rising high school junior. Professionally, John runs a local community funded nonprofit called Grace Discipleship, where he serves as a spiritual director providing soul care and discipleship for the next generation. John has been a steady listening presence for several decades here in our hometown of Greensboro, North Carolina, and he regularly meets with teenagers, college students, couples and ministry workers to hold prayerful space for them to discern what God might be up to in and around them. Today I’m glad to sit down with John again to answer some of the questions you tossed our way about the first years of marriage, the role spiritual direction plays in our life and work, and how we’re faring as nearly-there empty-nesters. Listen in. LINKS + RESOURCES FROM THIS EPISODE: Episode 184: The Next Right Thing In Marriage with John Freeman Episode 237: For When Things Are Changing (with John Freeman) Episode 167: Spiritual Direction for Beginners Episode 178: How to Find A Spiritual Director Order Sacred Companions by David Benner Follow John on Instagram @freemanjohn gracegreensboro.org The Quiet Collection app Order The Next Right Thing Guided Journal Grab a copy of my book The Next Right Thing Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman Download the transcript

In today's episode, I'll be sharing some of my favorite summer-time decisions and then we get to hear from YOU! If you're already feeling in a summer rut, I hope these ideas will help if you find you need a little extra inspiration heading into summertime. Listen in. LINKS + RESOURCES FROM THIS EPISODE: Episode 181: A Soul Minimalist's Guide to Summer Episode 229: A Blessing for the Graduates The Quiet Collection app Order The Next Right Thing Guided Journal Grab a copy of my book The Next Right Thing Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman Download the transcript

If you find yourself at a crossroads in your life and you're asking the super common and also slightly terrifying question, "What now?", listen in. LINKS + RESOURCES FROM THIS EPISODE: We want to hear about your favorite summer decision! Do you have a tip, a hack, a mindset, a question, or an activity you've said yes to and you're so glad you did? Or maybe it's something you decide to stop doing every summer? Whatever it is, we want to be inspired by your next right summer. Leave us a voice memo and be sure to share your name, where you live, and your favorite summer decision in 90 seconds or less. We can't wait to hear from you. Share your favorite summertime decision here. What Now? by Ann Patchett The Quiet Collection app Order The Next Right Thing Guided Journal Grab a copy of my book The Next Right Thing Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman Download the transcript

This episode is called One Question to Ask Yourself Every Quarter, but of course you can ask it more often than that. It's a question I always have in mind, and it’s become such a part of my rhythm of life that I don’t really even think that much about it in one particular time. I just think about it as I go along my way and record my answers as they come. Listen in.    LINKS + RESOURCES FROM THIS EPISODE: The Wisdom of Your Body by Hillary McBride Episode 276: Why Self-Care Isn't Selfish with Taylor Elyse Morrison Get my monthly letter The Quiet Collection app Order The Next Right Thing Guided Journal Grab a copy of my book The Next Right Thing Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman Download the transcript

I'm glad to welcome author Taylor Elyse Morrison, who's turned being bad at self-care into a career. She's the founder of the media company Inner Workout and the author of a book by the same name. She's a founder, facilitator, coach, and serial entrepreneur making wellbeing and personal development more accessible. She's all about supporting people's journey to know, care for, and become their full selves. I hope you'll listen in. LINKS + RESOURCES FROM THIS EPISODE: Find Taylor Elyse Morrison on Instagram Find Inner Workout on Instagram Inner Workout by Taylor Elyse Morrison Find Dr. Saundra Dalton-Smith on Instagram The Quiet Collection app Order The Next Right Thing Guided Journal Grab a copy of my book The Next Right Thing Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman Download the transcript

Today I'm thinking in threes: three categories of reading, three books I recommend and three questions to help you reflect on the last several months before heading in to the new season that's upon us. Listen in.   LINKS + RESOURCES FROM THIS EPISODE: Jami Nato  Jesus and the Disinherited by Howard Thurman Start with Hello by Shannan Martin The Lake House by Kate Morton The House at Riverton by Kate Morton The Quiet Collection app Order The Next Right Thing Guided Journal Grab a copy of my book The Next Right Thing  Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman Download the transcript

I'm glad to welcome one of my dear, in-real-life, local friends to the show, Anna Kimbrough. Anna and her husband, Tripp, met when they were both students at Chapel Hill and were married for 23 years until the spring of 2020, when Tripp died after complications with a biopsy. Now it's three years later, and I'm sitting down with Anna to talk about the difficulty and heartbreak of making decisions alone after losing your person as well as some of the hope she's received along the way. Listen in. Links + Resources From This Episode: It's OK That You're Not OK by Megan Devine The Quiet Collection app Order The Next Right Thing Guided Journal Grab a copy of my book The Next Right Thing  Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman Download the transcript

If you’re someone who maybe grew up going to church or used to have a steady spiritual practice, but you’ve either grown tired, weary, bored, or skeptical, I get it, and you’re not alone. Maybe lately you’ve been curious about God again, wondering if there’s anything for you in the world of faith. Maybe you’re tiptoeing back looking for something familiar, but then when you find it, you feel a bit cautious or hesitant. Maybe you have the desire to engage a spiritual practice, but you’re not sure how to do that as yourself in this new space. If that’s you, then this episode is for you. Listen in. Links + Resources From This Episode: A Million Little Ways In the Shelter by Padraig O'Tuama The Quiet Collection app Order The Next Right Thing Guided Journal Grab a copy of my book The Next Right Thing  Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman Download the transcript

Birthdays can be fun and lovely, but also sometimes a source of our own chronic hesitation or decision fatigue. And this can add stress because we want to celebrate it, but we also may wonder how we can do that well as grownups. How can we approach our birthday like a soul minimalist, and why would we want to? Listen in. Links + Resources From This Episode: Listen to Pantsuit Politics Order To Bless the Space Between Us by John O'Donohue The Quiet Collection app Order The Next Right Thing Guided Journal Grab a copy of my book The Next Right Thing  Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman  Download this episode's transcript

A short blessing for all kinds of friendship and all kinds of friends. Here’s to you, a friend to someone, and here’s to your someone who is a friend to you. Listen in. Links + Resources From This Episode: The Quiet Collection app Order The Next Right Thing Guided Journal Grab a copy of my book The Next Right Thing  Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman Find a full transcript of this episode at emilypfreeman.com

What role do friendships play in our decision-making lives? How can we be friends people trust to come to when they have a decision to make? Are there any tips or tricks on how not to be an annoying friend when someone comes to us for advice? Well, there are, my friend. I hope you’ll listen in. Links + Resources From This Episode: Follow @davidgatepoet on Instagram The Quiet Collection app Order The Next Right Thing Guided Journal Grab a copy of my book The Next Right Thing  Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman Find a full transcript of this episode at emilypfreeman.com

As we continue this short series on friendship, I'm glad to welcome one of my IRL friends, the author of one of my top 10 favorite books of 2020, Share Your Stuff. I'll Go First and host of the 10 Things to Tell You podcast, Laura Tremaine. Laura has written a book all about friendship for grownups and it's already helped me make some really important mindset shifts in my own relationships. It's called The Life Council: 10 Friends Every Woman Needs and it releases on April 4. I'm thrilled to have her on this episode to talk about friendships, specifically what we get wrong culturally, what it means to believe the best, and what to do when a friendship ends. Listen in. Links + Resources From This Episode: The Life Council by Laura Tremaine Visit Laura Tremaine's website Find Laura Tremaine on Instagram Share Your Stuff. I'll Go First by Laura Tremaine The Quiet Collection app Order The Next Right Thing Guided Journal Grab a copy of my book The Next Right Thing  Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman Download the transcript

What’s saving your life right now, specifically when it comes to friendship? It’s the first in a several-week series on friendship inspired by my friend and fellow author, Laura Tremaine’s new book, The Life Council, all about 10 friends every woman needs. We’ll have Laura on as a guest next week, but this week we’ll kick off the series by dedicating this quarter’s "What’s Saving My Life" to friendship. Listen in. Links + Resources From This Episode: The Life Council by Laura Tremaine Visit Laura Tremaine's website Find Laura Tremaine on Instagram The Quiet Collection app Order The Next Right Thing Guided Journal Grab a copy of my book The Next Right Thing  Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman Find a full transcript of this episode at emilypfreeman.com   DOWNLOAD TRANSCRIPT I’m Emily and I’m glad you’re here! If you're struggling to discern your next right thing, grab this free guide to help you make any decision today.

Can we escape interruptions? You know the answer is we never will, but we can make partial, imperfect, or even settled peace with them. In this episode, I’ll offer some encouragement for when your life feels like one big interruption. Listen in. Links + Resources From This Episode: Domestic Monastery by Ronald Rolheiser The Lazy Genius The Quiet Collection app Order The Next Right Thing Guided Journal Grab a copy of my book The Next Right Thing  Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman Download a transcript of this episode at emilypfreeman.com

Today I'll share words from someone else for all of us to listen to and carry with us and reflect on together. I've chosen a poem by Macrina Wiederkehr, a writer who has been a companion for me for many years now (though she never knew it.) She was a master of everyday spirituality and had a lovely way of seeing and speaking of God in the midst of ordinary things of life. Macrina wrote a reflection on Jesus' interaction with the woman at the well, as recorded in John chapter 4. So here is "On Being A Well" by Macrina Wiederkehr from her book, Seasons of Your Heart. Listen in.   Links + Resources From This Episode: Seasons of Your Heart by Macrina Wiederkehr The Quiet Collection app Order The Next Right Thing Guided Journal Grab a copy of my book The Next Right Thing  Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman Find a transcript of this, and every, episode at emilypfreeman.com.

You have a decision to make or a move to discern. You ask a friend to listen and help you figure out your next right thing. And then they ask the question that is as dreaded as it is simple: "Well, what do you want?" If your response to that maddening question is no answer, no direction, no clue, then this episode is for you. Listen in.   Links + Resources From This Episode: The Quiet Collection app Order The Next Right Thing Guided Journal Grab a copy of my book The Next Right Thing  Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman Download a transcript of this, and every, episode at emilypfreeman.com.

Lately, I've been thinking a lot about fear, how and when it shows up, ways it lies and tells the truth, and what it means for us as we do the hard and holy work of making life decisions. Listen in.   Links + Resources From This Episode: The Quiet Collection app Order The Next Right Thing Guided Journal Grab a copy of my book The Next Right Thing  Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman

Today I'm glad to welcome our favorite hope dealer and host of the podcast Human Hope, it's Carlos Whittaker. His brand new book How to Human, just released last month. In it he shares candidly from his own life about how he's wrestling through some of the biggest cultural issues of our current time and simple ways he's learning to refuse to let our disagreements define us. In his honest, relatable, Carlos way, we're invited on a path of radical love—one that requires us to become builders rather than demolitionists. Listen in.   Links + Resources From This Episode: How to Human by Carlos Whittaker The Quiet Collection app Order The Next Right Thing Guided Journal Grab a copy of my book The Next Right Thing  Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman Download a transcript of this, and every, episode at emilypfreeman.com.

The decisions we make are evidence of the person who we are becoming. In the middle of our right-now, messy, beautiful, boring, terrifying wonderful lives, it's good to reflect on who we've been, who we are, and who we might become. Listen in. Links + Resources From This Episode: The Lives We Actually Have: 100 Blessings for Imperfect Days by Kate Bowler and Jessica Richie The Quiet Collection app Order The Next Right Thing Guided Journal Grab a copy of my book The Next Right Thing  Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman Download a transcript of this, and every, episode at emilypfreeman.com.

Doing the next right thing is just that -- it's the next right thing for now, not forever. It's the next right thing as far as we understand what is good and right and next. Today I'll share my own story of continuing to discover what it means to do the next right thing in love. Listen in.   Links + Resources From This Episode: The Quiet Collection app Order The Next Right Thing Guided Journal Grab a copy of my book The Next Right Thing  Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman Download a transcript of this, and every, episode at emilypfreeman.com.

After a short break, we're back with a starter pack of episodes to turn to for particular situations, especially for you who might be new here or are looking for helpful, actionable decision-making content. Today I'll share specific episodes for when you feel stuck, for making decisions with other people, and resources for your next right thing. Listen in.   Links + Resources From This Episode: Episode 242: Are You Afraid of Choosing Wrong? Episode 162: Is It Time to Move On? Episode 145: When You're Afraid: Start with Your Senses Episode 136: Decision-Making for Slow Processors Episode 226: When Someone You Love is Indecisive Episode 119: How to Help Children Make Decisions Episode 167: Spiritual Direction for Beginners Episode 172: Make These 2 Lists Now Episode 219: 20 Questions to Ask Before You Say Yes to a Great Opportunity A Great Wagon by Rumi The Quiet Collection app Get my monthly letter here Order The Next Right Thing Guided Journal Grab a copy of my book The Next Right Thing  Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman Download a transcript of this, and every, episode at emilypfreeman.com.

We're on a break! But not the Ross and Rachel kind, this one's only temporary. We're working to create content that meets you right where you are and we'll be back in a couple of weeks. But first, we have an announcement, a request, and a blessing, so listen in! Links + Resources From This Episode: Take our survey to be entered to win a $250 gift card to bookshop.org. Order The Next Right Thing Guided Journal Grab a copy of my book The Next Right Thing  Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman Download a transcript of this, and every, episode at emilypfreeman.com.

On this final episode of the year, I'll share my list of what worked in 2022 as well as a few tips and resources for you if you want to make your own list. Listen in! Want help looking back before moving forward? Download these 10 Questions for Reflection and Discernment.   Links + Resources From This Episode: ThredUp - Here's $10 off your first order I'll share my list of what didn't work in my letter to subscribers at the end of the month. Get it here. Created Colorful Episode 189: How to Use The Next Right Thing Guided Journal Order The Next Right Thing Guided Journal Grab a copy of my book The Next Right Thing  Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman Download a transcript of this, and every, episode at emilypfreeman.com.

A blessing for you and yours on this week before Christmas. You may recognize these words from Day 10 of last year’s version of The Quiet Collection for Christmas (2021). I hope they extend a welcome to you on this Christmas, when we mark the day God moved in and everything changed. Amen. Listen in.   Links + Resources From This Episode: Order The Next Right Thing Guided Journal Grab a copy of my book The Next Right Thing  Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman Download a transcript of this, and every, episode at emilypfreeman.com.

We have a little over two weeks until the end of the year with a lot of potential activity between now and then. Here's the soul talk we all need for the finish line. Listen in. Links + Resources From This Episode: Let Your Life Speak by Parker Palmer Episode 01: Become a Soul Minimalist Episode 204: A Soul Minimalist's Guide to Christmas Episode 215: A Soul Minimalist's Guide to Spring Episode 181: A Soul Minimalist's Guide to Summer Episode 193: A Soul Minimalist's Guide to Autumn The Quiet Collection app for iPhone The Quiet Collection on the App Store (Christmas Collection available as an in-app purchase) The Christmas Collection for non-iPhone users (Available December 8-16) Order The Next Right Thing Guided Journal Grab a copy of my book The Next Right Thing  Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman Download a transcript of this, and every, episode at emilypfreeman.com.

Surprise! We have a bonus episode to share with you that The Quiet Collection for Christmas is ready and waiting for you -- and we've made it better than ever. Listen in to learn about the changes we've made this year and how you can get Day One of this 10-day audio devotional collection for Christmas today. Links + Resources From This Episode: The Quiet Collection app for iPhone The Quiet Collection on the App Store (Christmas Collection available as an in-app purchase) The Christmas Collection for non-iPhone users (Available December 8-16) Order The Next Right Thing Guided Journal Grab a copy of my book The Next Right Thing  Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman Download a transcript of this, and every, episode at emilypfreeman.com.

At the beginning of the Advent season, it's good to remember the Light. Here's a reflective reading from John 1:1-18, read from The Message version, a translation by Eugene Peterson. Listen in.   Links + Resources From This Episode: John 1:1-18 (MSG) Order The Next Right Thing Guided Journal Grab a copy of my book The Next Right Thing  Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman Download a transcript of this, and every, episode at emilypfreeman.com.

What a gift it is to be a small part of your Tuesdays over the last five years! As we celebrate 20 million downloads, we're dedicating today's episode to answering your questions. I'll say some words about why I don't give parenting advice, one of my favorite decisions of the last year, how I decided to became a spiritual director, and what is my next right thing. Listen in.   Links + Resources From This Episode: Episode 167: Spiritual Direction for Beginners Episode 178: How to Find a Spiritual Director Episode 253: The Enneagram and Decision-Making with Suzanne Stabile Receive my monthly newsletter Join the waitlist to be the first to know when The Quiet Collection releases Order The Next Right Thing Guided Journal Grab a copy of my book The Next Right Thing  Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman Download a transcript of this, and every, episode at emilypfreeman.com.

Today I'm glad to welcome back to the show author, artist, and spiritual director, Scott Erickson. We'll talk about one of my favorite Advent resources, his beautiful book Honest Advent. I read it last year and of course didn't finish it in time for Christmas, but I just kept right on reading through the new year, finishing it up in the middle of January and I wasn't a bit mad about it. We'll talk about vulnerability, his own Advent inspiration, and the fascination we both share this time of year. Listen in.   Links + Resources From This Episode: Find Scott online and on Instagram Honest Advent Add your name to this waitlist, and we'll let you know when the brand-new Quiet Collection for Christmas is available! Order The Next Right Thing Guided Journal Grab a copy of my book The Next Right Thing  Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman Download a transcript of this, and every, episode at emilypfreeman.com.

Today I'm glad to welcome our favorite Enneagram teacher, author Suzanne Stabile, to talk about the three centers of intelligence and how our stances inform our decisions.   Suzanne is a highly sought-after speaker and teacher, known for her personal vulnerability and creative approach to Enneagram instruction. After 25 years of studying the enneagram, learning from people’s stories, cultivating relationships, and learning under Father Richard Rohr, she has become a bestselling author and world-class teacher of the enneagram.   Her most recent enneagram book is called The Journey Toward Wholeness: Enneagram Wisdom for Stress, Balance and Transformation and if you ask me, it's her best one yet. Listen in.     Links + Resources From This Episode: Find Suzanne online and on Instagram The Journey Toward Wholeness by Suzanne Stabile As a bonus for listening, Suzanne's publisher IVPRESS is offering a promo code for 30% off The Journey Toward Wholeness. Simply use code NRT at checkout at ivpress.com for 30% off today. (This code expires December 5, 2022!) Order The Next Right Thing Guided Journal Grab a copy of my book The Next Right Thing  Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman Download a transcript of this, and every, episode at emilypfreeman.com.

If you're feeling pulled in all directions, looking for grounding words but unable to form them, here's a short prayer of welcoming some things we need, some things we want, and others we would rather do without. Listen in.   Links + Resources From This Episode: Order The Next Right Thing Guided Journal Grab a copy of my book The Next Right Thing  Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman Download a transcript of this, and every, episode at emilypfreeman.com.

Today I'm glad to welcome Ruth Haley Barton to the podcast to talk about an important and often misunderstood spiritual practice: sabbath. Ruth has spent over 20 years as a student, a practitioner and a leader in the area of Christian spirituality and spiritual formation. She served on the staff of several churches before founding the Transforming Center, a ministry dedicated to creating space for God to strengthen the souls of leaders, equipping them to lead transforming communities. Ruth has written several books that have been transformational in my own life, and her most recent release is called Embracing Rhythms of Work and Rest: From Sabbath to Sabbatical and Back Again which is what I can't wait to talk with her about today. Listen in. Links + Resources From This Episode: Ruth's podcast: Strengthening the Soul of Your Leadership Embracing Rhythms of Work and Rest: From Sabbath to Sabbatical and Back Again Order The Next Right Thing Guided Journal Grab a copy of my book The Next Right Thing  Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman Download a transcript of this, and every, episode at emilypfreeman.com.

Doing the next right thing won't necessarily protect us from harm, regret, or embarrassment. But hopefully, it can be a practice that keeps us present, moving, and from being too hard on ourselves. Listen in.   Links + Resources From This Episode: Souvenirs of Solitude by Brennan Manning Seasons of Your Heart by Macrina Wiederkehr Sign up for my monthly reflection letter Order The Next Right Thing Guided Journal Grab a copy of my book The Next Right Thing  Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman Download a transcript of this, and every, episode at emilypfreeman.com.

What can we learn about listening from other listening professions? I'm not talking about counselors or therapists, but those whose job it is to hear on behalf of someone else. As a former sign language interpreter turned writer and spiritual director, I'm reflecting on how some of my learned skills in one area of study are now informing my life as a listener in a different way. Perhaps some of these same principles can help you in your own discernment processes. Listen in.   Links + Resources From This Episode: Order The Next Right Thing Guided Journal Grab a copy of my book The Next Right Thing  Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman Download a transcript of this, and every, episode at emilypfreeman.com.

All the world's a neighborhood and everyone's my neighbor. How to begin to live as such? Today's guest submits it's simple: Start with hello. Today I'm glad to welcome one of my favorite writers and also favorite humans, author Shannan Martin. Her most recent book is called Start With Hello (And other simple ways to live as neighbors). In it, she speaks directly to that part of us that wants to reach out, wants to belong, wants to embody connection with our community in a way that is tangible, accessible, equitable, and with hearts bent toward justice. Listen in.   Links + Resources From This Episode: Start with Hello by Shannan Martin Falling Free by Shannan Martin The Ministry of Ordinary Places by Shannan Martin Find Shannan on Instagram Order The Next Right Thing Guided Journal Grab a copy of my book The Next Right Thing  Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman Download a transcript of this, and every, episode at emilypfreeman.com.

It's a question often asked and answered by writers and podcasters alike and it’s easy to see why — it’s simple, it’s direct, and it’s deeply thought provoking. Along with making a list of what I'm learning each season, I also love to make note of what's saving my life. Thanks to Barbara Brown Taylor for bringing this question into the public conversation, and to John Claypool to asking it of her so many years ago. So that's today's episode. Listen in.     Links + Resources From This Episode: Leaving Church by Barbara Taylor Brown My Autumn playlist Myquillyn's playlist Hope You Like Banjos Created Colorful - Use code EPF20 for $20 off your consultation (expires Oct. 31, 2022) What the Heck is EOS? by Gino Wickman and Tom Bouwer Order The Next Right Thing Guided Journal Grab a copy of my book The Next Right Thing  Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman Download a transcript of this, and every, episode at emilypfreeman.com.

As one season slowly unfolds into the next, I'm paying attention to some of my work and life rhythms and have discovered one thing that's been holding me back from my next right thing. Maybe it's holding you back, too. Listen in.   Links + Resources From This Episode: Episode 185: Why Makers Struggle to Get Things Done Maker's Schedule, Manager's Schedule by Paul Graham Episode 76: Create a Simple Morning Routine Essentialism by Greg McKeown Order The Next Right Thing Guided Journal Grab a copy of my book The Next Right Thing  Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman Download a transcript of this, and every, episode at emilypfreeman.com.

Today I'm glad to explore a topic that doesn't usually make the headlines in our newsfeeds but one that certainly deserves some airtime in our souls. We're talking about lament -- what it is, why it matters, and who some of our best teachers are in this practice. I'm glad to welcome two guests today to help me host this conversation: Natasha Sistrunk Robinson and Mariah Humphries. Links + Resources From This Episode: Voices of Lament Edited by Natasha Sistrunk Robinson Connect with Natasha and Mariah online Grab a copy of my book The Next Right Thing  Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman Download a transcript of this, and every, episode at emilypfreeman.com.

The news of the passing of a public figure can be both sobering and disruptive, no matter how far removed from us they were. How we navigate the loss of a public figure depends on the age of the one who dies, the manner of their death, and the degree to which we paid attention to their work their art, or their life of service. And it depends on us, our experience and perception of this person and their impact on our individual lives and on the arc of history.   When someone who seemed larger than life stops living, there is often a collective pause and there should be. Today let's consider the strange dynamic of reckoning with the loss of a public figure. Listen in.   Links + Resources From This Episode: Marcie Alvis Walker's post about Queen Elizabeth II Guerrillas of Grace by Ted Loder Order The Next Right Thing Guided Journal Grab a copy of my book The Next Right Thing  Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman Download a transcript of this, and every, episode at emilypfreeman.com.

The disembodied smoke of regret is nearly impossible to contain, corral, or neatly repackage and conceal. Once it's released, it sticks to the fibers and hangs on for days. Perhaps you can relate. Here is a practice that has helped me not only move through it but also find peace on the other side. Not a perfect peace, but a settled one. I hope it's helpful for you as well.   Links + Resources From This Episode: Episode 79: Find Relief from Regret Conversation: The Sacred Art by Diane M. Millis Order The Next Right Thing Guided Journal Grab a copy of my book The Next Right Thing  Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman Download a transcript of this, and every, episode at emilypfreeman.com.

This conversation would be better had face to face and of course one episode won't eliminate the fear of choosing wrong. But it's a worthy conversation to at least begin here, especially considering how prevalent this fear is among many of us. Let's find clarity around what we're talking about when we say we're afraid of choosing wrong. Listen in.   Links + Resources From This Episode: Holy Listening by Margaret Gunther Order The Next Right Thing Guided Journal Grab a copy of my book The Next Right Thing  Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman Download a transcript of this, and every, episode at emilypfreeman.com.

C.S. Lewis once said to “always prefer the plain, direct word to the long, vague one. Don’t implement promises, but keep them.” What's true for language can also be true for life. Why make something complicated when it can be simple instead? Here are 3 common writing tips given to writers that can be applied to our whole life. Listen in. Links + Resources From This Episode: Use code TISH22 for 30% off Liturgy of the Ordinary at ivpress.com LitHub: Should You Write What You Know? 31 Authors Weigh In by Emily Temple The Art and Craft of Writing with Ann Kroeker I Guess I Haven't Learned That Yet by Shauna Niequist Order The Next Right Thing Guided Journal Grab a copy of my book The Next Right Thing  Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman Download a transcript of this, and every, episode at emilypfreeman.com.

Many parents are saying a big goodbye to their kids moving out of the house for the very first time. This prayer was written specifically with parents of college students in mind, but of course could apply for any parents, caregivers, or guardians sending young people out into the world. Listen in. Links + Resources From This Episode: Order The Next Right Thing Guided Journal Grab a copy of my book The Next Right Thing  Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman Download a transcript of this, and every, episode at emilypfreeman.com.

August is a month of change and one big milestone is moving out of the house to live on your own, whether for college, work, internships, traveling, or just because it's time. This one was written specifically with first-year college students in mind, but of course could apply for any young ones who are grown, moving away from home for the first time. Here's a sending prayer for the journey. Listen in. Links + Resources From This Episode: Order The Next Right Thing Guided Journal Grab a copy of my book The Next Right Thing  Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman Download a transcript of this, and every, episode at emilypfreeman.com.

Five years ago this week, the first episode of The Next Right Thing released. In this five year state of the podcast episode, I’m glad to look back at our beginnings and share the importance of marking milestones. I'll ask (and answer) five questions to ask yourself when you have a milestone moment to mark. Listen in. Links + Resources From This Episode: Enter today's giveaway! The Jesus Way by Eugene Peterson Episode 01: Become a Soul Minimalist Simply Tuesday by me! Amy Porterfield Podcast: Why Aren't You Taking Action with Brooke Castillo Episode 88: Come Away for Awhile Episode 167: Spiritual Direction for Beginners Order The Next Right Thing Guided Journal Grab a copy of my book The Next Right Thing  Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman Download a transcript of this, and every, episode at emilypfreeman.com.

Today I’m eager to sit with John Freeman, my husband and partner for the last 21 years. We talk about some times of discernment and decision-making in our own marriage, how serving on staff at a church for over a decade prepared him for his work as a spiritual director and what’s on our minds as we prepare to send our twins off to college. If you find yourself standing on a threshold of change, listen in. Links + Resources From This Episode: Learn more about John's current work Episode 167: Spiritual Direction for Beginners Episode 178: How to Find a Spiritual Director Episode 184: The Next Right Thing in Marriage with John Freeman Order The Next Right Thing Guided Journal Grab a copy of my book The Next Right Thing  Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman Download a transcript of this, and every, episode.

What if there is no rush to figure out what we think and believe about everything? What if there's room for our growth and learning to take the time it takes? If you're feeling overwhelmed with the pressure to figure things out, listen in. Links + Resources From This Episode: Use code TISH22 for 30% off Liturgy of the Ordinary at ivpress.com Psalm Readings on Spotify Get my weekly emails A Grief Observed by C.S. Lewis Order The Next Right Thing Guided Journal Grab a copy of my book The Next Right Thing  Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman Find a transcript of this, and every, episode at emilypfreeman.com.

Doing the next right thing is perhaps most necessary when we find ourselves in the midst of grief and loss. Today I’m glad to talk with author, speaker, and songwriter Amanda Held Opelt. She believes in the power of community, ritual, shared worship, and storytelling to heal even our deepest wounds. Amanda is well acquainted with grief after experiencing several years of profound loss, including the sudden death of her only sister, New York Times bestselling author Rachel Held Evans. Amanda explores the rituals of grief and what they can teach us about ourselves, our faith, and each other in times of deep loss in her new book, A Hole in the World. If you find yourself in the midst of the fog of grief or want to grow in your understanding of what grievers are going through, listen in. Links + Resources From This Episode: A Hole in the World by Amanda Held Opelt Amanda's Instagram account @amandaheldopelt Amanda's website Order The Next Right Thing Guided Journal Grab a copy of my book The Next Right Thing  Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman Download a transcript of this, and every, episode at emilypfreeman.com.

A reading of Psalm 23 from the following versions: New Revised Standard Version (Updated Edition), New International Version, and The Amplified Bible. This episode is part of the Psalm Summer series. Listen in. Links + Resources From This Episode: Psalm 23 (New Revised Standard Version) Psalm 23 (New International Version) Psalm 23 (The Amplified Bible) Order The Next Right Thing Guided Journal Grab a copy of my book The Next Right Thing  Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman Download a transcript of this, and every, episode at emilypfreeman.com.

A reading of Psalm 121 from the following versions: New Living Translation, New American Standard Bible, and The Voice. This episode is part of the Psalm Summer series. Listen in. Links + Resources From This Episode: Psalm 121 (New Living Translation) Psalm 121 (New American Standard Bible) Psalm 121 (The Voice) Order The Next Right Thing Guided Journal Grab a copy of my book The Next Right Thing  Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman Download a transcript of this, and every, episode at emilypfreeman.com.

A reading of Psalm 103, first from the New American Standard Bible, and then from the Common English Bible. Listen in. Links + Resources From This Episode: Psalm 103 (New American Standard Bible) Psalm 103 (Common English Bible) Order The Next Right Thing Guided Journal Grab a copy of my book The Next Right Thing  Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman Download a transcript of this, and every, episode at emilypfreeman.com.

A reading of Psalm 91, first from the New International Version and then from The Message. Listen in. Links + Resources From This Episode: Psalm 91 (NIV) Psalm 91 (The Message) Order The Next Right Thing Guided Journal Grab a copy of my book The Next Right Thing  Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman Download a transcript of this, and every, episode at emilypfreeman.com.

We’re looking for God in the cracks of our lives, in the wide open spaces of our joys and the painful fissures of our brokenness. For the next several weeks I want to create some space for the Psalms to put some things to words that we might be too exhausted to articulate. Today I'll explain how it will work. Listen in. Links + Resources From This Episode: Episode 214: Psalm 22 Episode 221: Psalm 46 Episode 190: Psalm 139 Order The Next Right Thing Guided Journal Grab a copy of my book The Next Right Thing  Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman Download a transcript of this, and every, episode at emilypfreeman.com.

For the most recent high school and college graduates, here's a short blessing for you as you do your next right thing in love. Listen in.   Links + Resources From This Episode: Order The Next Right Thing Guided Journal Grab a copy of my book The Next Right Thing  Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman Download a transcript of this, and every, episode at emilypfreeman.com.

What is the soul and what is the impact of fame and success on it? Also, how can we cultivate a good and beautiful life with spiritual practices without sinking into judgment or legalism?   Today I’m thrilled to talk to my friend, Dr. James Bryan Smith, who has been a theology professor at Friends University for several decades and was recently named the inaugural Dallas Willard Chair in Christian Spiritual Formation. Jim is an ordained minister in the United Methodist Church and a co-founding pastor of Chapel Hill UMC, in Wichita, Kansas. He is also a best-selling author of twelve books, most notably The Apprentice Series (InterVarsity Press), which includes The Good and Beautiful God as well as his most recent release, The Good and Beautiful You that we’ll talk about today. Listen in. Links + Resources From This Episode: Listen to Friends in Formation, a Renovaré podcast and today's episode sponsor The Good and Beautiful You by Dr. James Bryan Smith Learn more about my Summer Writing Intensive with hope*writers Order The Next Right Thing Guided Journal Grab a copy of my book The Next Right Thing  Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman Download a transcript of this, and every, episode at emilypfreeman.com.

How can you move forward when you feel stuck, overwhelmed, out of control, or like you’re doing it all wrong? My guest today brings simple advice with a nuanced angle inviting us all to trust the process.   Stephanie Duncan Smith is a senior editor at Baker Books, where she coaches and champions authors to bring the best out of their message. She’s worked in book and digital media publishing for over a decade, developing bestselling and award-winning writers, and personally pens SLANT LETTER, an email newsletter for writers looking to deepen their craft and tend to the soul of their work which we plan to tell you all about. So what does it look like to trust the process in parenting, faith, and writing? Listen in.   Links + Resources From This Episode: Find Stephanie on Instagram here and online here Get Stephanie's newsletter SLANT LETTER here Learn more about my Summer Writing Intensive with hope*writers Order The Next Right Thing Guided Journal Grab a copy of my book The Next Right Thing  Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman Download a transcript of this, and every, episode at emilypfreeman.com.

Maybe you're not the one who is chronically hesitant but someone you love seems to always struggle with making decisions. What’s the best way to help the indecisive along? How can you help them move forward in the midst of their hesitation? Great question. Listen in. Links + Resources From This Episode: Episode 94: Ask the Second Question Order The Next Right Thing Guided Journal Grab a copy of my book The Next Right Thing  Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman Download a transcript of this, and every, episode at emilypfreeman.com.

Today's episode is especially for high school students and those who love and advise them. As my twins prepare to graduate from high school, I've been thinking a lot about our past year and how we've helped them make decisions about their next right thing. This is the episode I wish I'd had a year ago and I hope it's helpful for you. Listen in.   Links + Resources From This Episode: A Million Little Ways by me! Order The Next Right Thing Guided Journal Grab a copy of my book The Next Right Thing  Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman Download a transcript of this, and every, episode at emilypfreeman.com.

Today's guest is all about helping us to be a genius about the things that matter and lazy about the things that don't. New York Times bestselling author, Kendra Adachi, shares her five-step framework for transforming every part of our kitchen based on her brand new book The Lazy Genius Kitchen. But since she is also my dearest friend, we'll talk a little about what matters in the kitchen and a lot about what matters in life. Listen in.   Links + Resources From This Episode: The Lazy Genius Kitchen by Kendra Adachi Order The Next Right Thing Guided Journal Grab a copy of my book The Next Right Thing  Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman Download a transcript of this, and every, episode at emilypfreeman.com.

Whether you're making plans to travel, to be with friends or family, or to host people at your house in your very own neighborhood, chances are you have some expectations for how things will go. So what do you do when the day comes, the trip is lovely, the food is great and the company kind, but you get stuck in a disappointment that you can't seem to shake? Sometimes our next right thing turns out differently than we thought, and even if it's not life threatening or earth shattering, we feel disappointment and we may not even know all the way why. Here's a way to move through it. Listen in.   Links + Resources From This Episode: A Rhythm of Prayer by Sarah Bessey Burnout by Emily and Amelia Nagoski Order The Next Right Thing Guided Journal Grab a copy of my book The Next Right Thing  Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman Download a transcript of this, and every, episode at emilypfreeman.com.

It's the question Barbara Brown Taylor asks and answers in her memoir, Leaving Church, and one many of us have carried forward to ask and answer as well. The best questions are shareable and re-answerable and today I'll share my list of what's saving my life. Because when you are in a season of discernment and decision-making (which is almost always), it's helpful to name and celebrate where the life comes from. Listen in.   Links + Resources From This Episode: Leaving Church by Barbara Brown Taylor Episode 76: Create a Simple Morning Routine Episode 90: Start with this Simple Rhythm Episode 141: Redo Your Morning Routine Caffeine Eye Cream by The Inkey List Episode 167: Spiritual Direction for Beginners Episode 178: How to Find a Spiritual Director On Being feat. Gordon Hempton with Krista Tippett I Used to Be a Human Being by Andrew Sullivan Order The Next Right Thing Guided Journal Grab a copy of my book The Next Right Thing  Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman Download a transcript of this, and every, episode at emilypfreeman.com.

May this simple reading of Psalm 46 be a reflection you can return to as you discern your next right thing in love. This Psalm is a reading from the New International Version. Listen in. Links + Resources From This Episode: Order The Next Right Thing Guided Journal Grab a copy of my book The Next Right Thing  Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman Download a transcript of this, and every, episode at emilypfreeman.com.

When was a time you said yes and were so glad you did? I asked you that question last week and this week we’ll share your answers. We're celebrating your favorite yeses and a few of mine too. Listen in.   We're also celebrating a huge milestone: We've sold 100,000 copies The Next Right Thing! I'm so glad I said yes to writing that book and I'm equally glad you said yes to reading it. Links + Resources From This Episode: Year of Yes by Shonda Rhimes A Million Miles In a Thousand Years by Donald Miller Say Yes by Scott Erickson Order The Next Right Thing Guided Journal Grab a copy of my book The Next Right Thing  Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman Download a transcript of this, and every, episode at emilypfreeman.com.

How can we discern our next right thing when presented with a great opportunity? Is there a framework to follow when discerning when to say yes or when to say no? Listen in. Links + Resources From This Episode: Episode 19: Choose Your Absence That Sounds Fun Ep. 375 with Kristin Chenoweth Miss Me with That by Rachel Lindsay Record your favorite "yes!" and share it with me here Order The Next Right Thing Guided Journal Grab a copy of my book The Next Right Thing  Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman Download a transcript of this, and every, episode at emilypfreeman.com.

What do you do when you work hard on something for years of your life, you believe you’re being faithful to your next right thing, and then you release your prayed for work into the world only to later learn new information that forces you to question what you worked so hard to offer? Author, pastor, and spiritual director, Jamin Goggin, had to wrestle with that very question and is here to tell the story. Listen in.   Links + Resources From This Episode: The Way of the Dragon or The Way of the Lamb by Jamin Goggin and Kyle Strobel Jamin Goggin on Twitter and online Order The Next Right Thing Guided Journal Grab a copy of my book The Next Right Thing  Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman Download a transcript of this, and every, episode at emilypfreeman.com.

Two days a year, the earth from pole to pole receives an equal distribution of light and dark, day and night. The equinox is always around this time of year — spring for those above the equator, autumn for those below. How can we be balanced on the inside even when we're in full shadow or full light? How can we bring peace to the world even in the midst of chaos? What does equanimity mean for me today? As we approach the Spring Equinox, here is a short reflection. Listen in.   Links + Resources From This Episode: Garden Maker by Christie Purifoy Order The Next Right Thing Guided Journal Grab a copy of my book The Next Right Thing  Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman Download a transcript of this, and every, episode at emilypfreeman.com.

We underline a quote because it mirrors, questions, or inspires something in us. But it does no good for us if we don't have a way of recording and organizing it for later use and reflection. Today I'll share my four bucket system for capturing and organizing my favorite quotes so that they might make a difference in my everyday life. Listen in. Links + Resources From This Episode: Say Yes by Scott Erickson When Everything's on Fire by Brian Zahnd Evernote The Three Battlegrounds by Francis Frangipane Episode 167: Spiritual Direction for Beginners Essentialism by Greg McKeown Order The Next Right Thing Guided Journal Grab a copy of my book The Next Right Thing  Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman Download a transcript of this and every episode at emilypfreeman.com.

As we begin the slow transition from one season to the next, let's revisit a familiar framework in another Soul Minimalist’s Guide, this one specifically for spring. Listen in. Links + Resources From This Episode: Episode 1: Become a Soul Minimalist Episode 34: Pick What You Like 10 Questions for Reflection & Discernment Order The Next Right Thing Guided Journal Grab a copy of my book The Next Right Thing  Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman Download a transcript of this, and every, episode at emilypfreeman.com.

Sometimes you need someone to read to you words spoken by a sufferer in the midst of struggle, words without a filter or a reframe. Here is a simple reading of Psalm 22, a Psalm of individual lament that may perhaps be a strange kind of comfort for you if you're in the midst of your own struggle. Listen in. Links + Resources From This Episode: Psalm 22, read from the Common English Bible Other episodes like this one: Psalm 139 and Read Psalm 23 Order The Next Right Thing Guided Journal Grab a copy of my book The Next Right Thing  Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman Download a copy of this, and every, transcript at emilypfreeman.com.

What do you do when you feel like your decisions are running counter to your bodily experience? How can you know when you are living a disembodied life?   My guest today has asked (and answered) these questions and more in her years-long work as a psychologist, a researcher, an author and a teacher. Dr. Hillary McBride is the author of the new release The Wisdom of Your Body where she writes about what it means to find healing, wholeness, and connection through embodied living.   Listen in.   Links + Resources From This Episode: Dr. Hillary McBride on Instagram and online The Wisdom of Your Body by Dr. Hillary McBride Order The Next Right Thing Guided Journal Grab a copy of my book The Next Right Thing  Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman Download a transcript of this, and every, episode at emilypfreeman.com.

Some rooms are not for us. Other rooms are not for us anymore. What do we do when a room we've walked into is no longer a room where we belong? Listen in.   Links + Resources From This Episode: Episode 138: Leave It Behind Episode 161: Change Your Mind Episode 162: Is It Time To Move On? Episode 174: Is It Time To Quit My Job? Order The Next Right Thing Guided Journal Grab a copy of my book The Next Right Thing  Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman Download a transcript of this, and every, episode at emilypfreeman.com.

What is the Daily Examen? How does it work? What is the purpose? And what does it have to do with discerning my next right thing? Today I'll share a spiritual practice that I’ve found to be personally transformative in my daily life. Listen in.   Links + Resources From This Episode: Episode 93: Borrow Prayers Episode 160: The Welcoming Prayer Episode 207: The Prayer of St. Francis Episode 167: Spiritual Direction for Beginners Episode 178: How to Find a Spiritual Director Whistling in the Dark by Frederick Buechner Recapturing the Wonder by Mike Cosper The Rise and Fall of Mars Hill podcast Order The Next Right Thing Guided Journal Grab a copy of my book The Next Right Thing  Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman Download a transcript of this, and every, episode at emilypfreeman.com.

When I asked readers to send in their episode suggestions related to discernment and decision-making, one common thread ran through them all. Today we'll take a step back and imagine what we want even more than a right decision. Listen in. Links + Resources From This Episode: Do you receive One Last Thing? If not, join the list here. Seasons of Your Heart by Macrina Wiederkehr Order The Next Right Thing Guided Journal Grab a copy of my book The Next Right Thing  Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman Download a transcript of this, and every, episode at emilypfreeman.com.

What do you do when you feel like your life hasn’t turned out the way you thought it would or the way you wanted it to? How do you keep going in the face of personal or vocational disappointment? My guest today has spent a lot of time not only thinking his way through the answer to that question, but he’s lived his way through it and has brought us along through his own stories, questions, humor, compelling art and now, his brand new book, Say Yes. I'm delighted to sit down with Scott Erickson, an artist who is working to give us a new visual vocabulary for the spiritual journey we're all on. Listen in.   Links + Resources From This Episode: Say Yes by Scott Erickson (out January 25th!) Find Scott online and on Instagram Order The Next Right Thing Guided Journal Grab a copy of my book The Next Right Thing  Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman Download a transcript of this, and every, episode at emilypfreeman.com.

What do we do when our next right thing is to wait for an indefinite amount of time or to hope in the face of what seems to be an impossible situation? Listen in. Links + Resources From This Episode: A Hidden Wholeness by Parker Palmer Order The Next Right Thing Guided Journal Grab a copy of my book The Next Right Thing  Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman Download a transcript of this, and every, episode at emilypfreeman.com.

One of the most helpful spiritual practices I’ve found in the last several years is borrowing the prayers of others when I can’t find words for my own. Today I’ll share one of my favorites and maybe it will be a favorite of yours too. Listen in. Links + Resources From This Episode: Order The Next Right Thing Guided Journal Grab a copy of my book The Next Right Thing  Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman Download a transcript of this, and every, episode at emilypfreeman.com.

At the end of every year, I write down a list of what worked and what didn’t work that year. I’ll share my list of what worked for me this year as well as a few tips and resources for you if you want to make your own list. Listen in! Want help looking back before moving forward? Download these 10 Questions for Reflection and Discernment.   Links + Resources From This Episode: Order The Next Right Thing Guided Journal Episode 189: How to Use The Next Right Thing Guided Journal Receive my monthly letter by signing up here Gino Wickman's Entrepreneurial Operating System Traction by Gino Wickman Michael Hyatt's Full Focus Planner Lara Casey's Power Sheets (Cultivate What Matters) Episode 185: Why Makers Struggle to Get Things Done Episode 163: Reflection as Activism Episode 167: Spiritual Direction for Beginners Episode 178: How to Find a Spiritual Director Grab a copy of my book The Next Right Thing  Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman Download a transcript of this, and every, episode at emilypfreeman.com.

A blessing for you and yours on this week of Christmas. You may recognize these words from last year’s version of The Quiet Collection and I hope they extend a welcome to you on this Christmas, when we mark the day God moved in and everything changed. Now, God is making all things new, in you and in me. Amen. Listen in.   Links + Resources From This Episode: Order The Next Right Thing Guided Journal Grab a copy of my book The Next Right Thing  Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman Download a transcript of this, and every, episode at emilypfreeman.com.

There are as many ways to approach the end of the year as there are people. Still, it’s easy to be fooled into thinking there’s just one right way to finish — Finish strong! they say. For anyone who feels like they might not be able to finish strong this year, your next right thing might be to just finish regular. Listen in.   Links + Resources From This Episode: Honest Advent by Scott Erickson 10 Questions For Reflection and Decision-Making The Quiet Collection (closes Wednesday, December 15!) Order The Next Right Thing Guided Journal Grab a copy of my book The Next Right Thing  Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman Download a transcript of this, and every, episode at emilypfreeman.com.

A minimalist asks, "What am I holding on to?" A soul minimalist asks, "What has a hold on me?" Let's ease some of the decision fatigue that can come along this time of year with another Soul Minimalist’s Guide, this one specifically for Christmas. Listen in.   Links + Resources From This Episode: Episode 01: Become a Soul Minimalist Episode 181: A Soul Minimalist's Guide to Summer Episode 193: A Soul Minimalist's Guide to Autumn The Quiet Collection (all new for 2021!) The More of Less by Joshua Becker Preparing for Jesus by Walter Wangerin Jr. Order The Next Right Thing Guided Journal Grab a copy of my book The Next Right Thing  Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman Download a transcript of this and every episode at emilypfreeman.com.

Chances are at some point during the next four weeks, you'll find yourself feeling extra frazzled, lonely, or distracted despite your best intentions. Here's the simplest way to quiet your mind during one of the busiest months of the year: the 2021 edition of The Quiet Collection is here and ready for you! I'll tell you all about it. Listen in.   Links + Resources From This Episode: The Quiet Collection for Christmas (all new for 2021!) The Lazy Genius aka Kendra Adachi The Greatest Gift by Ann Voskamp Watch for the Light: Readings for Advent and Christmas Shadow and Light by Tsh Oxenreider Come Lord Jesus Honest Advent by Scott Erickson Order The Next Right Thing Guided Journal Grab a copy of my book The Next Right Thing  Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman Download a transcript of this, and every, episode at emilypfreeman.com.

What if the greatest theologians the world has ever known are those whom the world wouldn’t consider theologians at all? I'm glad to welcome theologian and author of Abuelita Faith, Kat Armas, who tells the stories of unnamed and overlooked theologians in society and in the Bible--mothers, grandmothers, sisters, and daughters--whose survival, strength, resistance, and dedication to the next deeply right thing teach us the true power of love and faith. Listen in. Links + Resources From This Episode: Find Kat's work online and on Instagram Abuelita Faith by Kat Armas Order The Next Right Thing Guided Journal Grab a copy of my book The Next Right Thing  Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman Download a transcript of this, and every, episode at emilypfreeman.com

Our lives are endlessly complicated and our decisions are almost always laced with layers of nuance which is why it's always a challenge (one I love!) to create episodes about decision-making. Is it possible to share principles, perspective, and simple frameworks that are helpful no matter who you are or what decision you have to make? I say it is, or at least I try.   Today I've curated the top 10 episodes to listen to if you're carrying a particular decision right now and could use some practical help to make it; a decision-making starter kit if you will. Listen in.   Links + Resources From This Episode: Episode 167: Spiritual Direction for Beginners Episode 32: Stop Collective Gurus Episode 70: The Best Time to Make a Decision Episode 109: Wait Until the Morning Episode 113: Decide to Decide Episode 136: Decision-Making for Slow Processors Episode 172: Make These 2 Lists Now Episode 196: Why Your Pro/Con List Isn't Working Episode 162: Is It Time to Move On? Episode 168: Is It Time to Dream Again? Episode 174: Is It Time to Quit My Job? Episode 121: How to Discern and Decide Order The Next Right Thing Guided Journal Grab a copy of my book The Next Right Thing  Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman Download a transcript of this episode at emilypfreeman.com.

Today’s conversation is between me and you—because today we celebrate 200 episodes of The Next Right Thing! What a gift it has been to be a small part of 200 of your Tuesdays. For the first time, I'm hosting an Ask Me Anything where you asked questions and I say words about my dream guests, my limited parenting advice, what the P stands for, and if I've ever thought about quitting. Listen in.   Links + Resources From This Episode: Episode 187: State of the Podcast 2021 Episode 115: Before You Decide, Halt Episode 189: How to Use The Next Right Thing Guided Journal Episode 172: Make These Two Lists Now hope*writers online writing community Episode 106: Let's Talk About Disney's Frozen 2! Episode 185: Why Makers Struggle to Get Things Done Episode 71: Let Time Be Your Friend Episode 103: Look for the Children What Now? by Ann Patchett Order The Next Right Thing Guided Journal Grab a copy of my book The Next Right Thing  Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman Download a transcript of this and every episode at emilypfreeman.com.

May this simple reading of Psalm 27 be a reflection you can return to as you discern your next right thing in love. This reading is from the Common English Version of the Bible. Listen in. Links + Resources From This Episode: Psalm 27 Other episodes like this one: Psalm 139, Read Psalm 23, Order The Next Right Thing Guided Journal Grab a copy of my book The Next Right Thing  Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman Download a transcript of this episode at emilypfreeman.com.

Today I’m joined by a writer who deeply understands what it means to live life on autopilot, chugging through the day "on fear and caffeine." As it turns out, that life is a train to nowhere and Shauna Niequist decided to get off. I’m happy to sit down with her to talk about writing, connection, and her next right thing. Listen in. Links + Resources From This Episode: Learn more about Shauna on her website and Instagram Present Over Perfect by Shauna Niequist I Guess I Haven't Learned That Yet by Shauna Niequist Laura Tremaine and Shauna Niequist talk about journaling Order The Next Right Thing Guided Journal Grab a copy of my book The Next Right Thing  Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman Download a transcript for this, and every, episode at emilypfreeman.com.

A lot of us are looking for our truest words these days. We’re taking the hymns and choruses of our childhood faith, the verses we have memorized, our adolescent optimism, our adult commitments, our 2020 cynicism and our 2021 exhaustion and we’re holding them all up to the light. We have thrown some things out. We are holding on for dear life. In the sifting, there's sure to be some mix-ups. If you can relate, this episode is for you. And for me. Listen in.   Links + Resources From This Episode: Walking in Wonder by John O'Donohue Find Annie F. Downs online here and on Instagram here On the Brink of Everything by Parker Palmer To Bless the Space Between Us by John O'Donohue Order The Next Right Thing Guided Journal Grab a copy of my book The Next Right Thing  Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman Download a transcript of this and every episode at emilypfreeman.com

It's the list we all know to make when we're stuck in the decision-making process. There are helpful things about the pro/con list but we all know they don't work all by themselves. This type of list could be a good starting point, but what do you do next? I dedicated The Next Right Thing to anyone who's ever made a pro/con list in the middle of the night. If that's you, listen in. Links + Resources From This Episode: Gilmore Girls: Season 3, Episode 17 (Netflix) Let Your Life Speak by Parker J. Palmer Order The Next Right Thing Guided Journal Grab a copy of my book The Next Right Thing  Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman

What do we do when we wish we were different but struggle to make a change? What do we do when a thing we’re good at (that is sometimes good) is also a thing that is sometimes trouble? Every strength has a shadow side and sometimes gifts come with burdens to bear. If you wonder what to do when your best gets the best of you, listen in. Links + Resources From This Episode: Friends University's Master of Arts in Christian Spiritual Formation and Leadership Learn more about the StrengthsFinder assessment The Return of the Prodigal Son by Henri Nouwen Order The Next Right Thing Guided Journal Grab a copy of my book The Next Right Thing  Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman Download a transcript of this and every episode at www.emilypfreeman.com

She believed that life was a series of unlimited choices, until she discovered at age 35 that her body was wracked with cancer. In the years that have followed, Kate Bowler has wrestled honestly with the reality she has been handed and the terrible advice she’s received along the way, like that everything happens for a reason. Hers is a voice I never want to stop listening to and in her new book, No Cure for Being Human, she is honest, vulnerable, and delightfully human, saying the words we all know but are sometimes afraid to say: that life is beautiful and terrible, full of hope and despair and everything in between. I’m delighted to sit down with Kate to talk about that and the truths we need to hear. Listen in.   Links + Resources From This Episode: No Cure for Being Human by Kate Bowler Learn more about Kate's work here Order The Next Right Thing Guided Journal Grab a copy of my book The Next Right Thing  Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman Download a transcript of this and every episode at emilypfreeman.com/podcast.

If you need to get in that autumn state of mind, today's episode is for you. Maybe the season has caught you by surprise or you're feeling a little off but don't know why. It's time to clear the summer mind-clutter and move into fall like a soul minimalist. Listen in.   Links + Resources From This Episode: Episode 181: A Soul Minimalist's Guide to Summer Simplify by Joshua Becker Becoming Minimalist Order The Next Right Thing Guided Journal Grab a copy of my book The Next Right Thing  Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman Download a transcript of this episode at www.emilypfreeman.com.

It’s a short trip from helpless to hopeless, just a shuffling of a few letters and you’re there. If you've been struggling to hold on to hope over the last few weeks (or years), then today's episode is for you. Listen in. Links + Resources From This Episode: La Foce Order The Next Right Thing Guided Journal Grab a copy of my book The Next Right Thing  Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman Download a transcript of this and every episode at emilypfreeman.com.

We don't learn just from experience. Transformation happens when we reflect upon our experience. Of all the lists we keep, the most important isn't a to-do list but a list of what we're learning. Because you're not just doing things, you're becoming someone. Who? And what are you learning along the way? Listen in. Links + Resources From This Episode: Pantsuit Politics end-of-month Instagram posts: July and August Annie B. Jone's August Instagram post Because I Love You by Kaitlin Walden In the Name of Jesus by Henri Nouwen When the Soul Listens by Jan Johnson Order The Next Right Thing Guided Journal Grab a copy of my book The Next Right Thing  Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman Download a transcript of this episode

May this simple reading of Psalm 139 be a reflection you can return to as you discern your next right thing in love. Listen in. Links + Resources From This Episode: Order The Next Right Thing Guided Journal Grab a copy of my book The Next Right Thing  Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman Download transcript

I've been meaning to do an episode like this for months now and the time has come. Whether you already have The Next Right Thing Guided Journal or if you didn't even know it existed, this episode will tell you everything you need to know about how to use it for your life, all in one place. You don't have to wait until the end of the year to reflect on your life and this journal makes it easy to start today. I'll share tips and instruction as well as how I use this resource in my own life. Plus, I'll tell you what I wish was different about the journal. You can begin or jump back into this reflective practice and discern the life that wants to be lived in you today. Listen in. Links + Resources From This Episode: Order The Next Right Thing Guided Journal Grab a copy of my book The Next Right Thing  Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman Download a transcript of this episode

Invisible things are real and it all matters. As we move through this month, if you’re feeling swept along, hurried up, or even passed on by, this episode is for you. It’s time to recalibrate a bit, to pay attention to what’s happening on the inside so we can do our next right thing in love. Listen in.   Links + Resources From This Episode: Here and Now by Henri Nouwen Order The Next Right Thing Guided Journal Grab a copy of my book The Next Right Thing  Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman Download a transcript

This month marks the 4 year anniversary of The Next Right Thing! Today I'll share the state of the podcast using a simple framework I follow for reflecting on everything - what's been life-giving and life-draining, what I'm grateful for, what questions I'm holding and what arrows I’m following.   In addition to sharing some of your favorite episodes, I’ll also pull out some key pivots over the last four years of hosting this podcast. I’ll do that because I know that you come from a variety of backgrounds, professions, interests, and hopes, I also know that you are probably making something of your own right now and you wonder if you’re doing it right, if it’s working, if it’s worth it, and if it’s time to make a change. Listen in.     Links + Resources From This Episode: Episode 01: Become a Soul Minimalist Episode 60: Start Before You're Ready Episode 35: Be Kind (with Candace Cameron Bure)  Episode 130: Do What Sounds Fun A Blessing for the New Year Episode 88: Come Away for Awhile Episode 120: What To Do When The World Shuts Down Episode 161: Change Your Mind Episode 11: Wear Better Pants Episode 65: Take Off Your Crown Episode 73: Design Your Rhythm of Work - Theme Days Episode 167: Spiritual Direction for Beginners Episode 103: Look For The Children: Mister Rogers and Decision Making Order The Next Right Thing Guided Journal Grab a copy of my book The Next Right Thing  Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman Download Transcript

We’ve been wearing our burdens like thick, heavy furs. Summertime stepped up beside us, whispering kindly, May I take your coat? I hope you've let her. No matter what this season has looked like for you, there's no wrong. Here's a short reflection to help you look back before moving forward. Listen in. Links + Resources From This Episode: Order The Next Right Thing Guided Journal Grab a copy of my book The Next Right Thing  Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman Download Transcript

If you are in a season of decision fatigue because your work, church, schooling, parenting, or just life circumstances, in general, require you to work in a way that disrupts your natural rhythms, this episode is for you. Listen in. Links + Resources From This Episode: Hannah Coulter by Wendell Berry Maker's Schedule, Manager's Schedule by Paul Graham On Being with Krista Tippett with guest Arlie Hochschild Psalm 23 (New Century Version) Order The Next Right Thing Guided Journal Grab a copy of my book The Next Right Thing  Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman Download a transcript of this episode at emilypfreeman.com.

In honor of 20 years of marriage, I've invited John to join me today. We'll talk about life together through various transitions, griefs, fears, and personality quirks. We'll also share about how we met and what the Enneagram has taught us in marriage. Listen in!   Links + Resources From This Episode: Receive $100 off your first month with Talkspace with code NEXTRIGHTTHING Learn more about John's work here Episode 183: Real Talk About Overfunctioning Hannah Coulter by Wendell Berry Order The Next Right Thing Guided Journal Grab a copy of my book The Next Right Thing Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman Read a transcript of this episode at emilypfreeman.com.

How can you know when responsibility and being a caring grown up turns into overfunctioning? Is this exhaustion and overwhelm just a season or has it become a pattern? Today I'm sharing honestly what this looks like for me. As always, our next right thing starts with naming what is really going on. Listen in. Links + Resources From This Episode: Get your first month free on select KiwiCo Crates Episode 88: Come Away For Awhile Episode 89: Come Back With Peace Onsite on Instagram Episode 179: Stop Overworking with Megan Hyatt Miller In the Name of Jesus by Henri Nouwen Order The Next Right Thing Guided Journal Grab a copy of my book The Next Right Thing Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman Download a transcript of this (and every!) episode at emilypfreeman.com

For all the talk about decision fatigue, chronic hesitation, and the important practice of doing the next right thing, it could be easy to overlook some areas in life where overthinking isn’t something to avoid, but something to indulge. It's time to make one fun decision. Listen in.   Links + Resources From This Episode: Explore your creativity with premium membership at SKillshare The Best Clogs (and Other Shoes I Love) Order The Next Right Thing Guided Journal Grab a copy of my book The Next Right Thing  Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman Download a transcript of this episode at emilypfreeman.com/182

Author Joshua Becker says that “Minimalism is the intentional promotion of the things we most value and the removal of anything that distracts us from it.” We could say the same thing about soul minimalism, except instead of focusing on our external life, a soul minimalist does this for her internal life. What do I value most for my inner life this summer and what can I remove that will distract me from it? I've got 5 steps to consider for a simplified summer. Listen in. Links + Resources From This Episode: Get 10% off your first 3 months with Ritual The More of Less by Joshua Becker Episode 01: Become a Soul Minimalist Episode 90: Start With This Simple Rhythm A Hidden Wholeness by Parker Palmer Get One Last Thing each Saturday morning The Jesus Way by Eugene Peterson Order The Next Right Thing Guided Journal Grab a copy of my book The Next Right Thing  Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman Find a transcript of this episode and every other one at emilypfreeman.com.

If you’ve been doing the sacred work of watching, listening, and paying good attention, we're grateful for your hard work. You don't have to be in the spotlight to make a difference, I know that full well. But what if now is the time to tell us what you see, hear, and notice? What if now is the time to use your voice and let us hear how it sounds? Listen in. Links + Resources From This Episode: Get $100 off your first month with Talkspace (Code: NextRightThing) A Million Little Ways  The doors to Hope*Writers are open this week. Learn more here. Order The Next Right Thing Guided Journal Grab a copy of my book The Next Right Thing  Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman Visit emilypfreeman.com/podcast for a transcript of this episode.

Years ago, Megan Hyatt Miller found herself at a crossroads where she felt like she had to choose between being present with her family and present at her work. It felt like an impossible choice until she created a third way. And that’s where we’ll start off. Listen in. Links + Resources From This Episode: Enjoy 30% off KiwiCo with code NextRightThing Learn more about Megan Hyatt Miller Win at Work, Succeed at Life by Michael Hyatt and Megan Hyatt Miller Explore the Full Focus Planner here Order The Next Right Thing Guided Journal Grab a copy of my book The Next Right Thing  Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman DOWNLOAD TRANSCRIPT

Are you curious about meeting a spiritual director but don't know how to find one? A spiritual director is a person who holds prayerful space for someone else to help them discern what God is up to in and around them. If you want to know more about what spiritual direction is, check out Episode 167: Spiritual Direction for Beginners. Then listen to this one, where I'll share questions to ask, where to look, and what to look for in a spiritual director. Links + Resources From This Episode: Explore premium membership at Skillshare with a free trial Episode 167: Spiritual Direction for Beginners Spiritual Directors, International Grafted Life Ministries Soul Formation Psalm 46 (The Message) Order The Next Right Thing Guided Journal Grab a copy of my book The Next Right Thing  Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman DOWNLOAD TRANSCRIPT

We all have the capacity to live our lives in such a way that we forget to remember who we are, we hurry through our minutes looking for the next important thing, we are overly attentive to what people think of us, and we are addicted to our own press.   So what is the next right thing for those of us who are so aware of other people’s opinions that we have a hard time knowing our own, making wise decisions, or doing our next right thing in love? Listen in. Links + Resources From This Episode: Get 10% off your first three months of Ritual Vitamins A Failure of Nerve by Edwin Friedman Episode 175: How to Find a Mentor with Natasha Sistrunk Robinson Order The Next Right Thing Guided Journal Grab a copy of my book The Next Right Thing  Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman DOWNLOAD TRANSCRIPT

For generations, people have wandered through the wilderness and the valley of the shadow; they have navigated life in the midst of difficulty, loss, and seemingly impossible circumstances. If you are walking through your own wilderness right now, you are not alone even if you feel alone. Listen in. Links + Resources From This Episode: Enjoy $100 off your first month with code NEXTRIGHTTHING at TalkSpace The Dusty Ones by AJ Swoboda Learning to Walk in the Dark by Barbara Brown Taylor Friends University's Christian Spiritual Formation and Leadership program Order The Next Right Thing Guided Journal Grab a copy of my book The Next Right Thing  Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman Download Transcript

How do you know if you're in the right place with the right people at the right time? And how can we find mentors to help us discern our next right thing? Natasha Sistrunk Robinson is a leader we all need in our lives and her voice inspires me to be the leader I'm meant to be. May she do the same for you. Listen in. Links + Resources From This Episode: Get 30% off your first month of KiwiCo with code NEXTRIGHTTHING Learn more about Natasha Sistrunk Robinson's work here Leadership Links, Inc. Mentor for Life: Finding Purpose through Intentional Discipleship by Natasha Sistrunk Robinson A Sojourner’s Truth by Natasha Sistrunk Robinson Our Stories in The Wilderness - Keynote at The Apprentice Gathering Find Natasha on Instagram here Discover where Annie is taking the That Sounds Fun Podcast on tour this summer Order The Next Right Thing Guided Journal Grab a copy of my book The Next Right Thing  Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman Download Transcript

When it comes to the decisions we make in our lifetime, questions about our job and vocation top the list as the ones that can cause the most decision fatigue. For 15 minutes, let’s consider the question beneath the question and see if we can uncover more information that could help you discern your next right thing. Listen in.   Links + Resources From This Episode: Explore a free trial of premium membership at Skillshare Essentialism by Greg McKeown Order The Next Right Thing Guided Journal Grab a copy of my book The Next Right Thing  Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman Download Transcript

If you want to incorporate journaling into your daily rhythm but don’t know where to begin, here's how to use just one word to get started. Listen in. Links + Resources From This Episode: Enjoy 10% off your first three months of Ritual Episode 49: Collaborate Episode 172: Make These Two Lists Now You still have time to complete The Next Right Thing survey Managing Oneself by Peter Drucker Order The Next Right Thing Guided Journal Grab a copy of my book The Next Right Thing  Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman Download Transcript

When you have a decision to make, the first place to start is not with a pro/con list. Instead, start with a Q+A list: questions and arrows. I’ll use an example from my own life so you can see how this simple next-right-thing practice can help you discern your way through complicated, nuanced decisions. Listen in.   Links + Resources From This Episode: Share your opinions about The Next Right Thing Help, Thanks, Wow by Anne Lamott Order The Next Right Thing Guided Journal Grab a copy of my book The Next Right Thing  Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman Download Transcript

We've had a year of hearing about closings, shutdowns, and cancelations. We've become somewhat expert at navigating those last minute change of plans. But now that a new season is upon us and hope is creeping toward the door, maybe you're wondering why you still lack motivation and can't seem to get anything done? We've learned what to do when the world shuts down, but how are we supposed to move forward as it opens up again? Listen in. Links + Resources From This Episode: Enjoy 30% off with a new KiwiCo subscription using code NEXTRIGHTTHING Episode 120: What to do When The World Shuts Down Order The Next Right Thing Guided Journal Grab a copy of my book The Next Right Thing  Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman Download Transcript

As restrictions lift and the season changes, you might be facing more decisions now than you have all year. Instead of trying hard to move through decision fatigue, what if trying softer is your next right thing? I'm talking with author, counselor, and kind human Aundi Kolber. Listen in. Links + Resources From This Episode: Get a free premium trial of Skillshare just for being a listener Try Softer by Aundi Kolber Learn more about Aundi on her website or on Instagram Grab Aundi's self-compassion resource Episode 25: Come Home to Yourself Order The Next Right Thing Guided Journal Grab a copy of my book The Next Right Thing  Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman Download Transcript

From dinner time to bedtime, evening can often feel like a mad dash to end the day. Instead of closing the day with intention, we have more of a hurry up and rest mindset. Rather than giving you guideposts to design your entire evening, I'll offer a framework to help you personalize a 10 minute evening routine to help you transition from the day into the evening that you can do anywhere, in any season, no matter where you are, who you’re with, or what’s gone wrong. Listen in. Links + Resources From This Episode: Discover insights about your hormones with Modern Fertility (and get $20 off) Episode 76: Create a Simple Morning Routine Episode 90: Start with this Simple Rhythm Episode 141: Redo Your Morning Routine Hello Mornings by Kat Lee The Universal Path to Life-Giving Routine by Kendra Adachi Order The Next Right Thing Guided Journal Grab a copy of my book The Next Right Thing  Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman Download Transcript

Of all the things we lost in the last 12 months, one that has taken the longest for me to name is a sense of possibility. Maybe 2020 was the year the dreamers stopped dreaming. So much felt impossible for so long (and some things still do) — but a question is rising up in me and I wonder if it would be helpful for you too: is it time to begin to dream again? Here are three things to consider. Listen in.   Links + Resources From This Episode: Match with a licensed therapist on Talkspace and get $100 off your first month with code NEXTRIGHTTHING Leeana Tankersley's Instagram We're Going There with Bianca Jaurez Olthoff James VanDerBeek's Instagram Order The Next Right Thing Guided Journal Grab a copy of my book The Next Right Thing  Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman Download Transcript

What is spiritual direction and how is it different from counseling, discipling, mentorship, teaching, coaching, soul care, or friendship? We'll answer this and more in today's episode, including how spiritual direction can be a helpful practice in discerning our next right thing. Listen in. Links + Resources From This Episode: Redefine learning with 30% off your first month of KiwiCo with code NEXTRIGHTTHING Spiritual Direction by Gary Moon and David Benner Soul Care in African-American Practice by Barbara L. Peacock Let Your Life Speak by Parker Palmer Sacred Companions by David Benner Order The Next Right Thing Guided Journal Grab a copy of my book The Next Right Thing  Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman Download Transcript

What is our next right thing when we’re confronted with disappointment? What do we do when someone else’s next right thing leads to our own broken heart? What if their win is our loss? What if their freedom leads to our grief? We’re asking some difficult questions and not demanding answers but remaining open for the arrows. Listen in. Links + Resources From This Episode: Explore your creativity and a trial premium membership at Skillshare Episode 76: Create A Simple Morning Routine Episode 90: Start with this Simple Rhythm Episode 141: Redoing Your Morning Routine Order The Next Right Thing Guided Journal Grab a copy of my book The Next Right Thing  Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman Download Transcript

One way to make more confident decisions for your future is to reflect on decisions you've made in the past. I do this on a seasonal basis, but the goal is not to obey the calendar. The goal is to pay attention to your life. Here are three ways to practice seasonal reflection even if you are in the middle of a season. Listen in. Links + Resources From This Episode: Get $20 off at Modern Fertility Christ Plays in Ten Thousand Places by Eugene Peterson Order The Next Right Thing Guided Journal Grab a copy of my book The Next Right Thing  Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman Download Transcript

When it comes to finding your purpose and knowing your why, many of us have mixed feelings. On the one hand, it's inspirational and motivating. But there is another hand, and that's the one filled with anxiety and questioning: how do we know if we're on the right track? What if we don't have a clear sense of purpose? Author and comedian Michael Jr. helps us discern our next right thing without making things complicated. Listen in. Links + Resources From This Episode: Try Talkspace for $100 off your first month with code NEXTRIGHTTHING Learn more about author and comedian Michael Jr. Funny How Life Works by Michael Jr. (available March 2) Know Your Why video on YouTube Order The Next Right Thing Guided Journal Grab a copy of my book The Next Right Thing  Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman Download Transcript

When we witness dissonance in the world around us, when we see people make terrible choices on live TV or in the parking lot of a Starbucks or in the sanctuary of our churches or in the halls of a federal building and then we still have to decide what to make for dinner that night, it’s disorienting at best, traumatizing at worst. Many of us want to know: What can I do? What is my next right thing in this? It's an important question and it's not rhetorical. Listen in. Links + Resources From This Episode: Get 15% off The Between Places Prayer Journal with code NEXTRIGHTTHING The Writing Life by Annie Dillard The Life of Reason by George Santayana One by Deidra Riggs Women I am listening to these days: Deidra Riggs, Dr. Lucretia Barry, Lisa Sharon Harper, Latasha Morrison, and Mattie James Order The Next Right Thing Guided Journal Grab a copy of my book The Next Right Thing  Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman Download Transcript

It's one thing to change your mind when you're sure of your decision. But how can you know if it's time to move on when circumstance, desire, and opinions are mixed? Here are 8 questions to ask yourself to find some clarity. Listen in. Links + Resources From This Episode: Next Right Thing listeners can enjoy a free trial of Skillshare premium membership Episode 161: Change Your Mind The Holy Longing by Ronald Rolheiser Real Church by Dr. Larry Crabb Order The Next Right Thing Guided Journal Grab a copy of my book The Next Right Thing  Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman Download Transcript

You are allowed to change your mind. In fact, this might be the most courageous, spiritually forming thing you could do. If we want to participate in true transformation, we may have to be willing to let go of what we’re good at, to move away from what we once knew for sure (or thought we knew for sure), and take a step into the mysterious shadow of unknowing. You might be surprised what you find there. Listen in.   Links + Resources From This Episode: Get 15% off The Between Places Prayer Journal with code NEXTRIGHTTHING In the Name of Jesus by Henri Nouwen Order The Next Right Thing Guided Journal Grab a copy of my book The Next Right Thing  Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman Download Transcript

This time of year encourages a new start, a letting go, a shaking loose of old skins and embracing a new kind of strength. Maybe growing and maturity means releasing. But what if part of releasing is allowing? What if shaking it off without first holding it out only means it will come back around again (and maybe not in very kind ways next time.)   What if letting go starts with letting in? That's what The Welcoming Prayer from Father Thomas Keating is all about. Listen in. Links + Resources From This Episode: Help your child explore their creativity with 30% off a KiwiCo crate with code NEXTRIGHTTHING Episode 114: Welcome Your Loneliness Preorder The Next Right Thing Guided Journal Grab a copy of my book The Next Right Thing  Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman Download Transcript

From favorite foods to honest confessions, 2020 has been a year of making beautiful things. In our final episode of the year, I'm sharing seven categories of things I made and encourage you to reflect on the significant memories, confessions, decisions and more that you made this year as well. Listen in. Links + Resources From This Episode: Listen to the other episodes in this series here: 5 Books I Read, 10 Things I Watched, and 5 Things I Listened To Kendra's Blank Canvas Cake and Bri McKoy's Doubleshot Iced Coffee The Lazy Genius Way by Kendra Adachi Artifact Uprising Photo Book (get $20 off your first purchase!) My IG Live with Natasha Sistrunk Robinson Preorder The Next Right Thing Guided Journal Grab a copy of my book The Next Right Thing  Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman Download Transcript

This episode is part of a mini-series where I'm sharing my favorite things I read, watched, listened to, and made this year.   If your year had a soundtrack, what would be on it? Today I'm sharing a few of my favorite things I listened to this year. Listen in. Links + Resources From This Episode: Get $100 off your first month of Talkspace with code NEXTRIGHTTHING Taylor Swift's folklore and evermore The Popcast with Knox and Jamie (Episodes 337, 361, and 380) My Spotify Playlists, specifically The Work The Gown: A Novel of the Royal Wedding by Jennifer Robson Voxer app Preorder The Next Right Thing Guided Journal Grab a copy of my book The Next Right Thing  Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman Download Transcript

Today’s episode brings us to another level of our relationship because I’m going to share with you shows I watch and in doing so, you will learn something about me for better or for worse.   I tried to be super honest and share with you things I watch and love that came to mind immediately (and not just things that might impress you - these will not, I assure you) so some will be basic and mainstream TV and others aren’t TV at all because we have all kinds of ways we watch things these days. Maybe your next right thing is to kick it on back and find a new-to-you show!   This episode is part of a mini-series where I'm sharing my favorite things I read, watched, listened to, and made this year.   Links + Resources From This Episode: Enjoy 50% off your first month at Kiwico with code NEXTRIGHTTHING Today (December 15th) is the last day to get The Quiet Collection for Christmas Episode 38: Zoom Out Grab a copy of my book The Next Right Thing  Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman Download Transcript

In our brand new The Next Right Thing Guided Journal, we'll have one page per month dedicated to A Happy List: a place to record the things we read, watched, listened to, and made. In the spirit of celebrating my next right favorite things from this year, today I'm sharing 5 books I read and loved this year. Listen in!  Links + Resources From This Episode: Explore your creativity with a free trial of Skillshare (Premium membership is less than $10/ month!) Will the Circle Be Unbroken?: A Memoir of Learning to Believe You're Gonna Be Okay by Sean Dietrich The Dutch House by Ann Patchett The Blue Parakeet: Rethinking How You Read the Bible by Scot McKnight Be the Bridge: Pursuing God’s Heart for Racial Reconciliation by Latasha Morrison Share Your Stuff. I’ll Go First.: 10 Questions to Take Your Friendships to the Next Level by Laura Tremaine Learn more about The Quiet Collection for Christmas Pre0rder The Next Right Thing Guided Journal: A Decision-Making Companion Grab a copy of my book The Next Right Thing  Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman Download Transcript

This year has led us to places we would rather not go. But here we are anyway, waiting for relief, praying for healing, and holding on to hope the best we can. To help usher us into the Advent season and companion us to the finish line of 2020, I've created a brand new version of The Quiet Collection for Christmas and it's available now. In today's episode, I'll share the story behind it and I hope you'll listen in. Links + Resources From This Episode: Learn more about The Quiet Collection Shadow and Light by Tsh Oxenreider Grab a copy of my book The Next Right Thing  Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman Download Transcript

Today I want to talk about Jesus. I can’t talk about the importance of remembering who you are without talk about who I am. And to talk about who I am, I have to talk about Jesus.   It’s funny when you do the kind of work I do,  some people think you don’t talk about Jesus enough and others think you do it too much. I’m not trying to strike any kind of balance here y’all, I’m just trying to be a person.   I mention our friend Jesus every now and then. You may be used to that by now. I want you to know you’re welcome in this space no matter what you believe about Jesus and I hope you’ll stick around for the conversation. Listen in. Links + Resources From This Episode: Enjoy 50% off any crate line and free shipping at KiwiCo with code NextRightThing Grab a copy of my book The Next Right Thing  Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman Download Transcript

In today’s episode I’m sharing about one decision I’ve already made for the holidays and I have a special guest to share the news with. Listen in. Links + Resources From This Episode: Shadow and Light by Tsh Oxenreider Experience stamps.com with a four-week free trial with code “Next Right Thing” Learn about Literary London Check out my That Sounds Fun Network neighbor, The Matthew West Podcast  Grab a copy of my book The Next Right Thing  Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman Download Transcript

Most of us long for clarity -- in our decisions, our relationships, and our vocation. As Brene Brown has taught us, "Clear is kind. Unclear is unkind." Sometimes the simplest way to offer clarity is one we often overlook: saying words with our out loud voice. Listen in.  Links + Resources From This Episode: Matthew 11:28-30 (NIV) Explore your creativity with a free trial of Skillshare Grab a copy of my book The Next Right Thing  Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman Download Transcript

No matter what happens in our elections, our churches, our families, and relationships we still have work to do, people to care for, places to go, dinner to make, homes to clean, proposals to write, losses to grieve, appointments to schedule, small wins to celebrate, emails to write and decisions to make. We still have life to live and if there’s one thing I know about you, it’s that you truly want to live your one life well.   I want that too and I’ve found this next right thing posture to be most helpful when this life begins to feel like a Rubik’s cube in the hands of a toddler. Having a rhythm to count on is key, but how to get there?   Let's return to 3 simple steps to help you restart your life-giving rhythms. Listen in.   P.S. We're celebrating 10 Million downloads and we would love to hear from you! Details here.   Links + Resources From This Episode: To celebrate 10 million downloads, I'd love to hear how The Next Right Thing has impacted your life A Testament of Devotion by Thomas R. Kelly Use the code "NEXTRIGHTTHING" to get $100 off your first month of Talkspace Explore your creativity with a free trial of Skillshare Grab a copy of my book The Next Right Thing  Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman Download Transcript

One common mistake we make when we have the desire to make good decisions is that we try to peer into the future to discover what it might hold, what the outcomes we want to achieve are, and what roadblocks we wish to avoid.   The only problem is the future hasn’t happened yet, so how can it possibly teach us? Instead of looking ahead and guessing about outcomes, there’s something to be said for looking back and gathering information. Today I'll share about my weekly practice of reflection and a brand new resource I created to help! Listen in. Links + Resources From This Episode: Get 30% off your first art or science project with KiwiCo Preorder The Next Right Thing Guided Journal: A Decision-Making Companion Sign up to receive my monthly letter Grab a copy of my book The Next Right Thing  Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman Download Transcript

With an important Presidential election coming up in the United States in just a few short weeks, we are preparing to make decisions that don't only impact our own households but also the people who live all over this beautiful country and all over the world. No matter how you choose to vote, chances are you've experienced a fair amount of anxiety, frustration, and relational conflict during this season. What are some ways to stay grounded and clear-headed as we do our next right thing? Listen in.  Links + Resources From This Episode: Experience stamps.com with a four-week free trial with code "Next Right Thing" On Being with Krista Tippett: Arlie Hochschild Episode 103: Look for the Children: Mister Rogers and Decision Making Be The Bridge Podcast with Latasha Morrison Grab a copy of my book The Next Right Thing  Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman Download Transcript

When the big picture is impossible to grasp but the next thing feels inconsequential, it can help to remember the medium picture instead. If you're questioning if your daily decisions are adding up to something good, holding on to the medium picture can be a relief. Listen in. Links + Resources From This Episode: Explore your creativity with 2 free months of Skillshare premium membership. Searching for Certainty by Shelly Miller Grab a copy of my book The Next Right Thing  Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman Download Transcript

It’s been four months since we all put black squares in our Instagram feeds. While the messaging and origin of those blackout Tuesday posts may have become confusing and some of the initial intentions of that initiative was lost in the frenzy of the fast-paced nature of social media, I remain grateful for that day in early summer of 2020. For some of us, it marked a beginning, or a maybe a new beginning — a moment we can point back to and say: “That was the day I made a decision to be more than not racist. That was the day I decided to be anti-racist.” Here's a personal update of what has happened since and what it could look like to be anti-racist in our everyday lives. Listen in. Links + Resources From This Episode: Use code NEXTRIGHTTHING to get $100 off your first month on Talkspace On Racism: Learning to Speak and to Listen The Holy Longing by Ronald Rolheiser One: Unity in a Divided World by Deidra Riggs Be the Bridge by Latasha Morrison What Lies Between Us by Dr. Lucretia Berry How to Save Things on Instagram Grab a copy of my book The Next Right Thing  Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman Download Transcript

In this final episode in our senses series, today we'll discover the role our senses might play in our life with God. One of the most life-giving discoveries I've made over the past decade or so has been to understand that our expression of faith doesn’t have to look just one way. Listen in. Links + Resources From This Episode: Discover new things with 30% off Kiwico The Divine Hours by Phyllis Tickle The Listening Life by Adam S. McHugh Sacred Pathways by Gary Thomas To Bless the Space Between Us by John O'Donohue Grab a copy of my book The Next Right Thing  Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman Download Transcript

Fear can be our friend because it helps us to survive by telling us to avoid dangerous things. But when fear works too hard, it's easy to lose our context. We can become hyper-focused on certain cues while ignoring other ones. When fear starts to work overtime, it can help to engage in this simple practice to bring us back to center again. Listen in. Links + Resources From This Episode: Uncover personal stories about your past at ancestry.com Rachel Pearl VanEtten's website Learning to Walk in the Dark by Barbara Brown Taylor Grab a copy of my book The Next Right Thing  Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman Download Transcript

Questions of timing, next steps, and which path to take can consume our thoughts, causing us to be distracted, lose sleep, or make a decision in haste just to have it behind us. That’s because unmade decisions hold power. If you find yourself stuck in the decision-making process, it could help to re-engage in the world around you in ways that have nothing to do with the decision. Maybe it’s time to get out of your head and into your body.  Links + Resources From This Episode: Explore your creativity with 2 free months of Skillshare premium membership. Why We Have Our Best Ideas in the Shower: The Science of Creativity by Leo Widrich for Buffer Bread and Wine by Shauna Niequist Hope*writers is open for enrollment! Learn more or take our 30-second quiz Grab a copy of my book The Next Right Thing  Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman Download Transcript

In an attempt to disrupt the cycle of overthinking and get out of my own head, I'm working to pay attention to my body, namely my five senses. This is not my most natural way. If you can relate, I hope that intentionally seeing, touching, smelling, tasting, and hearing might prove to be a grounding practice as we consider our next right thing in several areas of our lives. Today I'm glad to have my sister, Myquillyn Smith (The Nester), join me for a conversation about how to start with our senses at home. Listen in. Links + Resources From This Episode: Uncover personal stories about your past at ancestry.com Episode 141: Redo Your Morning Routine  Welcome Home by Myquillyn Smith Myquillyn's Autumn playlist Emily's Autumn playlist Myquillyn's website, The Nester Atomic Habits by James Clear Grab a copy of my book The Next Right Thing  Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman Download Transcript

If you have decisions to make but feel like you’re just circling around the same thoughts, fears, ideas, and possibilities in your head but can’t find an out to take action, I want to invite you to journey with me over the course of the next several episodes toward discovering better decision-making habits by engaging our bodies, particularly our five senses. Listen in. Links + Resources From This Episode: Get 30% off your first KiwiCo crate Episode 141: Redo Your Morning Routine My conversation with Susan Stabile on The Enneagram Journey Embracing The Body by Tara Owens Grab a copy of my book The Next Right Thing  Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman Download Transcript

Sometimes we create routines and other times, we have to break them down. Today's episode is an encouragement for anyone who feels stuck because the routines you had before aren't working anymore. Solidarity, sister. Listen in. Links + Resources From This Episode: Uncover personal stories about your past at ancestry.com Episode 76: Create a Simple Morning Routine Episode 90: Start with This Simple Rhythm Episode 140: Do the Opposite Shannan Martin's Instagram account Be the Bridge by Latasha Morrison Grab a copy of my book The Next Right Thing  Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman Download Transcript

In the fifth season of Seinfeld, Jerry's friend George Costanza decided to do the opposite of his instincts and as a result, he had the best day of his life. Ignoring your instincts may not be good advice, but there's still something to learn from doing the opposite. Listen in.  Links + Resources From This Episode: Listeners of The Next Right Thing can get 2 free months of Skillshare premium membership here. Get The Between Places journal for 15% off with code NEXTRIGHTTHING here Learning to Walk in the Dark by Barbara Brown Taylor Grab a copy of my book The Next Right Thing  Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman Download Transcript

I have invited one of my best friends in the world, author Kendra Adachi, to sit down and talk with us about simplifying our choices by deciding once (when we can) and remembering that we are the boss of our decisions and not the other way around. Listen in. Links + Resources From This Episode: Get 30% off your first month and free shipping at Kiwico here. The Lazy Genius Way by Kendra Adachi Find Kendra on Instagram or online Cozy Minimalist Home by Myquillyn Smith Grab a copy of my book The Next Right Thing  Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman Download transcript

When it comes to the decisions we have to make, the choices we carry and the many potential roads we could walk down, its important to remember that we don’t face these decisions neutrally or at zero every time. Like a good novelist begins her story with the story already happening, that’s how we arrive at every decision we make. And that means we're carrying some things we may need to leave behind. Listen in. Links + Resources From This Episode: Episode 137: Remember What You Know Matthew 11:28-30 (NIV) The Lazy Genius Way by Kendra Adachi (Details about preorder bonuses here). Email me here with questions you may have for Kendra The Sacrament of Letting Go by Macrina Wiederkehr Grab a copy of my book The Next Right Thing  Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman Download Transcript

From the scientists to the school board, no one really knows for sure what the next best step is in the midst of this continuing coronavirus epidemic — and those who thought they knew for sure before keep changing their minds.   We have to make decisions without all the facts, with a rapidly changing landscape of advice, and with fewer certainties we’ve come to rely upon. Now more than ever it’s essential to remember what we already know and practice doing just the next right thing. Listen in. Links + Resources From This Episode: Today's episode is sponsored by Ancestry.com. The Next Right Thing listeners can get their AncestryDNA kit and free trial here. Episode 33: Gather Co-Listeners Psalm 23 (MSG) Grab a copy of my book The Next Right Thing  Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman Download Transcript

Today’s episode is inspired by a few comments I received after I shared on Instagram that I am a slow processor. Several of you raised your hand and said you are slow processors too and it’s good to hear from someone like me who continues to put content out weekly and seems to be a functioning human adult person but that I too am someone who thinks slow.   Is there room for slow processing in this fast moving world? How can we make thoughtful decisions when everything moves so fast? Listen in. Links + Resources From This Episode: The Next Right Thing listeners can get 2 free months of Skillshare! Details here. 10 Things To Tell You: Has The Internet Ever Changed Your Mind? Episode 60: Start Before You're Ready Essentialism by Greg McKewon Grab a copy of my book The Next Right Thing  Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman Download Transcript

For the last few years, I've created some intentional space to slow down a bit on purpose around the same time every year. In today’s episode I wanted to share with you what that looks like practically and a few ideas that could help you do the same. Listen in. Links + Resources From This Episode: The Actor's Life by Jenna Fischer The Nap Ministry on Instagram Episode 88: Come Away For A While The Rest of the Body // A Guest Post by Tara M. Owens Embracing the Body by Tara Owens Grab a copy of my book The Next Right Thing  Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman Download Transcript

How can we continue to move forward when so many things seem like they’re standing still? When we're still carrying grief? When our hearts are broken? Sometimes our next right thing isn't to solve a problem, it's to carry it longer. It's called lament and I'm learning it is my next right thing. Maybe it's yours too? Listen in. Links + Resources From This Episode: The Next Right Thing listeners can get 2 free months of Skillshare! Details here. This Too Shall Last by K.J. Ramsey Psalm 13 (NIV) The Redemptive Edge: Creative Action Begins with Lament Whistling in the Dark by Frederick Buechner Grab a copy of my book The Next Right Thing  Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman Download Transcript

American philosopher, psychologist, and educational reformer John Dewey once said, “We do not learn from experience. We learn from reflecting on experience.” At the end of every month, I take some time to reflect because in order to discern my next right thing, it's important to learn from the past. If you would like to practice refection but don't know where to start, asking and answering questions is a solid beginning. Today I'll show you how. Listen in. Links + Resources From This Episode: Sign up to receive my monthly newsletter The Book of Waking Up by Seth Haines With You Now by Ellie Holcomb Grab a copy of my book The Next Right Thing  Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman Download Transcript

In the United States, we place a high value on our independence, on our ability to choose for ourselves, and to have things the way we want them when we want them. And while I know I’m speaking in broad strokes and this doesn’t necessarily describe every US citizen, it does in many ways describe us as a whole. But this is not necessarily a shared value around the world. Why is it so hard for us to make decisions? Listen in. Links + Resources From This Episode: Literary London with Tsh Oxenreider In Europe, little refrigerators hold a grand reason for less waste by Evan Kleiman for the LA Times Sheena Iyengar's TED Talk The Art of Choosing and her book by the same title How cultures around the world make choices by Amy S. Choi What's Your Decision? by Fathers Michael Sparough and Tim Hipskind Grab a copy of my book The Next Right Thing  Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman Download Transcript

What can I do? This is a question many of us are asking as we're learning more about what it means to work towards hopeful change and justice in this country. And in that question, it can become quickly overwhelming to know where to start. Speaking as a fellow journeyer without easy answers, I still believe what we talk about here every single week is as relevant now as ever - do the next right thing. Listen in.  Links + Resources From This Episode: On Racism: Learning to Speak and to Listen Ephesians 2 (NIV) One by Deidra Riggs Start Where You Are by Rashawn Copeland One by Deidra Riggs Grab a copy of my book The Next Right Thing  Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman Download Transcript

I'm used to asking what sounds smart, wise, kind, or thrifty. But when it comes to making decisions, one question I often forget to ask: what sounds fun? Here’s a personal story of how I’m learning to give that question some attention in my own life and how it's impacting my business and ministry. Listen in. Links + Resources From This Episode: Episode 114: Welcome Your Loneliness Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert Annie F. Downs and her podcast That Sounds Fun That Sounds Fun Network Grab a copy of my book The Next Right Thing  Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman Download Transcript

This episode may seem a bit disjointed, last minute, and scattered. That’s because it is all of those things. But if we wait to speak out until we feel polished or impressive, I fear we’ll be silent for far too long. I confess that’s been true for me. Sometimes our next right thing is to stumble forward together, not because we know exactly what we’re doing but for the sake of love and justice. May we know when to speak up and when to stay silent. When we are silent, may it be because we are learning and listening and not because we are afraid. Links + Resources From This Episode: Brownicity and Dr. Lucretia Berry Osheta Moore on Instagram Download a transcript of this episode.

Months of stay-at-home orders or even safer-at-home campaigns can drive even the most homebody among us to find ways to at least want to get outside or find a change of scenery. But since travel might not be in the cards for us anytime soon, what might be a next-right-thing posture we could practice today? Inspired by Tsh Oxenreider's book At Home in the World, lately I’ve been thinking a lot about books and about home so today you’ll get some reflection on both. Perhaps you, like me, could use a bit of reframing as it relates to this place called home. Listen in.  Links + Resources From This Episode: My interview with Anne Bogel on What Should I Read Next My book, Simply Tuesday Ramona Quimby, Age 8 by Beverly Cleary How Ramona Quimby Helps Kids Make Sense of This Unstable World by Rachel Richardson At Home in the World by Tsh Oxenreider Grab a copy of my book The Next Right Thing  Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman Download Transcript

At the beginning of the year, you may have imagined what 2020 would bring. I feel sure no one imagined what we would end up getting. Today I want to invite you to join me in an exercise of reimagination. And here’s a hint: you’re already really good at it. Listen in. Links + Resources From This Episode: Grace Discipleship: John Freeman Here and Now by Henri Nouwen hope*writers: We're open for enrollment May 18 - 22, 2020! The War of Art by Steven Pressfield Grab a copy of my book The Next Right Thing  Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman Download Transcript

In his book based on a commencement speech he gave at Dartmouth College in 2011, Charles Wheelan tells a story about advice he never forgot and wants to pass on to graduates: Don't try to be great. Let's put the pandemic aside, discover the freedom in that counter-intuitive advice, and give three cheers to the students, teachers, and families of the graduating class of 2020. Listen in. Links + Resources From This Episode: 10 1/2 Things No Commencement Speaker Has Ever Said by Charles Wheelan Life Without Lack by Dallas Willard Souvenirs of Solitude by Brennan Manning Episode 81: Listen To This Before Graduation Grab a copy of my book The Next Right Thing  Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman Download Transcript

These days, we all are making decisions with less awareness of what’s going to happen next, with less dependence on a predictable life rhythm, and with less solid information. It’s no wonder our daily decisions feel so hard. Should we clean or rest? Watch the news or avoid it? Be strict with the kids or lighten up? Should we use this time to be productive or take a break? Work hard or calm down? See friends from a safe social distance or not at all? Celebrate now or wait for when we can all gather? What is our next right thing and how can we know? That’s today’s episode. Listen in. Links + Resources From This Episode: A Wind in the Door by Madeleine L'Engle Grab a copy of my book The Next Right Thing  Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman Download Transcript

The six verses in Psalm 23 do more than comfort us in death. They guide us in life. And if we’re paying attention, these six lines can teach us how to walk into every room every day of our lives. Psalm 23 is a next right thing kind of psalm and I will never get over it. Listen in. Links + Resources From This Episode: Psalm 23 (NASB) You Learn By Living by Eleanor Roosevelt Grab a copy of my book The Next Right Thing  Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman Download Transcript

Today I’m revisiting a topic we’ve talked about here before but with a bit of a new spin in light of the world having changed and everything. I hope this will be especially helpful if you worked from home before the pandemic and now you have to find new ways to do that thing you’ve always done —  listen in. Links + Resources From This Episode: Episode 01: Become a Soul Minimalist Episode 88: Come Away For A While Episode 84: A Beginner's Guide to Self-Reflection Episode 73: Design Your Rhythm of Work – Theme Days Episode 121: How to Discern and Decide A Case for Single-Tasking by Jason Fitzpatrick for Lifehacker Episode 90: Start with this Simple Rhythm Walking on Water by Madeleine L'Engle Grab a copy of my book The Next Right Thing  Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman Download Transcript

From Halley's comet in 1986 to the Total Solar Eclipse in 2017, I've been fascinated with sky things my whole life. Earlier this month it was the full April moon that reminded me of the truth I hold most dear: that in every transition, in every grief, in every goodbye, disappointment, offense, breakup, misunderstanding, and ending, there is mysterious potential. Listen in. Links + Resources From This Episode: Colossians 1:27 The Holy Longing by Ronald Rolheiser 2 Corinthians 4 Grab a copy of my book The Next Right Thing  Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman Download Transcript

Sometimes the words we speak when we're afraid sound like fear. Other times, they sound like control, irritation, confusion, manipulation, ambivalence, shame, discipline, guilt or research. Fearful words come out naturally in all kinds of ways. The fearful words find us. But good words are found by us. Let's find some good words together. Listen in. Links + Resources From This Episode: Discern + Decide, my online self-paced course. Enrollment open until April 8, 2020 Will the Circle Be Unbroken? by Sean Dietrich Grab a copy of my book The Next Right Thing  Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman Download Transcript

How can we trust ourselves to make wise decisions during an uncertain time? I have a couple of tools I hope will help. Listen in. Links + Resources From This Episode: Discern + Decide, my online self-paced course. Enrollment open until April 8, 2020 That Discomfort You're Feeling is Grief from the Harvard Business Review Episode 120: What to Do When the World Shuts Down The Holy Longing by Ronald Rolheiser Parks and Recreation on Netflix Proverbs 20:27 Get the ebook version of The Next Right Thing for free via Amazon Prime Grab a physical copy of The Next Right Thing  Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman Download Transcript

Doing the next right thing has been a life-line for me in parenting, schooling, work, relationships and all manner of decision-making. But these last few weeks navigating the rapidly changing situation in our world as we fight to slow the spread of Covid-19, doing the next right thing has taken on an entirely new level of meaning. As we move forward together I want to walk along with you as you navigate your next right thing - for yourself, in your families, with your friends, and as you carry so many question marks as it seems the world has shut down. Listen in. Links + Resources From This Episode: Psalm 31:14-16 Get the ebook version of The Next Right Thing for free via Amazon Prime Grab a physical copy of The Next Right Thing  Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman Download Transcript

Today’s episode is for parents, caregivers, or anyone with children in your life who may need help with their next right thing. Though this episode was recorded just a few days ago, a lot has changed in the world since then as our global community continues to try to slow the spread of COVID-19. I only address the pandemic for a moment at the top of the episode and then continue with the regularly scheduled conversation about helping children navigate their own decision-making posture. Perhaps more than ever before this is a good time to talk with kids about keeping our minds on just the next right thing in front of us. Listen in. Links + Resources From This Episode: Episode 94: Ask the Second Question Too Small to Ignore by Wess Stafford Families Where Grace is in Place  by Jeff VanVonderen Mark 10:15-16 Grab a copy of The Next Right Thing  Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman Download Transcript

Today’s episode is for anyone who has let something go and is now considering what it might look like to re-invite that thing back into your life in a new way. If you’ve been thinking about returning to something you left behind but aren’t sure where to start, listen in. Links + Resources From This Episode: Episode 11: Wear Better Pants My book Simply Tuesday - small moment living in a fast-moving world Zechariah 4:10 Grab a copy of The Next Right Thing  Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman Download Transcript

Weighing our options is important. But overthinking options and possibilities can keep us from actually making a decision. It's possible to be so distracted looking at the wall that we spend all our time there and we forget where we’re going and why we’re on the road in the first place. Here's a 10 minute reminder to keep your eyes on the road.  Links + Resources From This Episode: Learn more about hope*writers Learn more about Tsh Oxenreider and Literary London Episode 100: Tell Me About You (and I’ll Tell You About Me) Grab a copy of my book, The Next Right Thing  Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman Download Transcript

In our last episode, I talked about the HALT method and how using that can help when we have big decisions to make. In summary, try to avoid making big decisions when you’re hungry, angry, lonely, or tired. Instead, do the next right thing - eat, breathe, find a friend, or go to bed Today I've come up with another acronym to help us consider other states of being that could skew our ability to think clearly about decisions: FOGI (pronounced foggy - Are you annoyed with me yet? Hang in there!) Listen in. Links + Resources From This Episode: Episode 115: Before You Decide, HALT Episode 21: Find a No Mentor Episode 80: Don't Take Offense Grab a copy of my book, The Next Right Thing  Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman Download Transcript

If you’re listening to this episode and you’re well-rested, well-fed, clear-headed, at peace, happy, even-tempered, and feeling basically great about life then this episode might not be for you today. For the rest of us? The halt method could save us from making decisions more complicated than they need to be simply by asking these four simple questions. Listen in. Links + Resources From This Episode: Episode 114: Welcome Your Loneliness Episode 109: Wait Until The Morning Jean Yang's tweet from December 6th Grab a copy of my book, The Next Right Thing  Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman Download Transcript

In my letter to my readers last week I mentioned some loneliness I’ve been experiencing lately and a reader wrote back and asked me to share more about that. My first response in my head was a sharp no way but then my second thought was maybe. And the ellipses that follow that maybe? Is today’s episode. When we’re feeling lonely, what’s our next right thing? I can’t say I really have answers to that question, but I do have words and I do have stories and sometimes when you’re feeling lonely, words and stories land better than answers anyway. Listen in. Links + Resources From This Episode: Episode 113: Decide to Decide Matthew 11 Sign up to receive my monthly letter Grab a copy of my book, The Next Right Thing  Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman Download Transcript

As I pay attention to my own life and the life of people around me, I’ve come to the conclusion that we can trace a lot of our anxiety, stress, and feelings of overwhelm back to a single or a series of unmade decisions. It’s not always because we are putting those decisions off. Sometimes It’s because we don’t even realize we’re carrying them. Today’s episode is a simple practice in uncovering decisions that need to be made and doing the next right thing to make them. Listen in. Links + Resources From This Episode: Grab a copy of my book, The Next Right Thing  What Now? by Ann Patchett Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman Download Transcript

A lot of what we talk about here isn’t necessarily about the specific decision you’re holding like which job to say yes to or whether or not you ought to marry that person. Instead, we talk a lot about mindset, posture, and cultivating a listening way of life so that when tough decisions come our way, we’re better equipped to move through them. Today I’ll share two words we can eliminate from our vocabulary, especially when we’re talking about our roles, our work, or the roles and work of others. Listen in. Links + Resources From This Episode: A Million Little Ways The Practice of the Presence of God by Brother Lawrence Grab a copy of my book, The Next Right Thing  Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman Download Transcript

We all want to make our choices with wisdom, courage, and discernment. Today we come back home to one of the most foundational truths I hold on to when making decisions. On the surface it may not sound like it has to do with decision making at all. But these six words from Dallas Willard have changed the way I make decisions. Links + Resources From This Episode: You can find all of Dallas Willard's books here Psalm 23 My book, The Next Right Thing  Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman Download Transcript

Since adults make over 35,000 decisions every single day, it’s no wonder that this idea of doing the next right thing feels like such a relief. But there are also times when doing the next right thing doesn’t seem like enough. Maybe you’ve been practicing this simple discipline for a while now and still, it’s not leading to where you thought it would lead or bringing results you hoped to see by now. If you can relate, listen in. Links + Resources From This Episode: Hope*Writers is accepting new members through Friday, January 17th Start here if you want to take the Hope*Writers quiz My book, The Next Right Thing  Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman Download Transcript

Back in Episode 70 we talked about The Best Time to Make A Decision. Spoiler Alert: Being a good decision-maker has less to do with having a certain kind of magically decisive personality and more to do with timing. In today’s episode, I’ll share one simple practice that has helped me this very week to make better decisions for my own life. Listen in. Links + Resources From This Episode: Bonus: For Anyone Longing for Home Episode 108: Walk at Your Own Pace Episode 70: The Best Time To Make a Decision I share my morning routine in Episode 76: Create a Simple Morning Routine Leeana Tankersley on decision making Review The Next Right Thing on Apple Podcasts The Next Right Thing book Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman Download Transcript

Because I talk a lot about reflection and intention regularly throughout the year, when December/January come around and everyone else talks about it too, I find myself leaning forward to hear what they have to say. So here on the last day of the month, the last day of the year and the final day of the decade, I’m asking myself as I share these words with you: do I have anything to add? I've decided that I do.  It’s a simple observation that I hope will encourage you to walk at your own pace in freedom. If you want a little no-shame companionship as you stand between the year you’ve just lived and the one you’re entering into, listen in. Links + Resources From This Episode: Discern + Decide, my online self-paced course Sign up to receive my monthly letters The Next Right Thing by me Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman Download Transcript

Today’s episode is a bit different than our usual format so I’m offering a brief introduction to welcome you to it and give a bit of background. Every year my church here in Greensboro creates one of my favorite offerings called Lessons and Carols. It’s a service of music, both original compositions and familiar favorites, as well as a collection of readings from scripture that tell the story of Jesus, this year it was told through the lens of home, both the one we have here and the one we continue to long for. Advent is a season of waiting and this night of lessons and carols is a time to remember how God’s people waited many years for the Messiah, how he chose to make his home among us, and how we wait still for him to come again. This year, my friend and pastor Michael Van Patter asked if I would be willing to write a short piece to end the night, a reflection to close our time together. It was an honor, as a writer, to hold space for this idea of home, to listen for the ways my own longing mixes with my current reality and how joy and sorrow coexist for all of us. That can be especially true at Christmas. I wish I had the rights to broadcast the entire night right here on the podcast so you could hear how the creative image of God is so beautifully reflected in the music of some of my dearest friends at Hope Chapel. That would be my first choice. Instead, I’ll settle for my second choice which is to simply share with you that piece I wrote to close Lessons and Carols service. Whether you’re surrounded today by friends and family who know you well or if you find yourself in an unknown place this Christmas, I hope these words will bring a bit of comfort and clarity as you continue to honor the tension you may feel between being where you are and longing for a home you miss. And Merry Christmas to you. Links + Resources From This Episode: My book, The Next Right Thing  Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman Download Transcript

Today I'm sharing some trusted books I've turned to multiple times over the years. If you’ve been listening for any amount of time, these recommendations probably won't surprise you. But it seemed fitting to have them all in one place and dedicate at least one episode to some of the books I’ve turned to over the years that have helped to shape my own decision making process, path, and posture. Listen in. Links + Resources From This Episode: Hearing God by Dallas Willard Invitation to Retreat: The Gift and Necessity of Time Away with God by Ruth Haley Barton Let Your Life Speak: Listening for the Voice of Vocation by Parker J. Palmer You Learn by Living: 11 Keys For a More Fulfilling Life by Eleanor Roosevelt The Listening Life by Adam S. McHugh Atomic Habits by James Clear Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less by Greg McKeown The Next Right Thing by me Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman Download Transcript

Spoiler Alert! Today's episode will have spoilers about Disney’s new animated film Frozen 2. Months before the movie released previews of some of the songs were made available and one of those songs was called The Next Right Thing. As the host of The Next Right Thing podcast and the author of the book, many have wondered what I think about Disney publishing a song with the same title as my own work. Well today I'll share my response to that question and more; like what we can we learn from an animated princess about love and sorrow? And where did the songwriters find their inspiration for The Next Right Thing? Listen in. Links + Resources From This Episode: Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert My book A Million Little Ways LA Time's story on Frozen 2 and the song The Next Right Thing The Quiet Collection for Christmas Grab a copy of my book, The Next Right Thing Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman Download Transcript

Is there a way to enter this season thoughtfully with our whole hearts? How can we manage the holiday decision fatigue that seems inevitable? Is there a way to remain centered even in the midst of lots of activity? If you’ve had these questions too, listen in. Plus: The Quiet Collection for Christmas is available starting today! Visit emilypfreeman.com/christmas to learn more. Links + Resources From This Episode: 5 Books for Advent Reading The Quiet Collection for Christmas  Episode 90: Start With This Simple Rhythm To Bless the Space Between Us by John O'Donohue Grab a copy of my book, The Next Right Thing Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman Download Transcript

For those of us in the US, this is Thanksgiving week which for many may mean a shorter workweek, a few days off school, lots of travel and/or preparation for the arrival of friends and family. Whether this holiday comes as a welcome pause or an unwelcome interruption, or if you’re listening during a regular week with regular routines, I hope these few minutes we have together can be for you like a deep breath and a kind friend. This week I’m carrying a question with me: In what ways has my experience at the table ministered the gospel to me? How can I participate in sacred table moments in the midst of everyday life? Can our time around the table really change the way I see myself, my family, my decisions, and the world around me? Listen in. Links + Resources From This Episode: Bread and Wine by Shauna Niequist The Broken Way by Ann Voskamp Episode 16: Walk Slow and Carry Questions Grab a copy of my book, The Next Right Thing Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman Download Transcript

Sometimes decision-making is a straightforward choice between two things. Those things may be both great things, both not great things, or one is greater than the other but the choice is nuanced and not as simple as it seems it should be. But then there are other times where choices are clouded by the personality and demeanor of other people, where this one thing looks great on the surface but you know this situation isn’t so simple and you wonder how to move forward in a situation that is clouded by interpersonal conflict or relational tension. If you can relate, listen in. Links + Resources From This Episode: Tom Junod for The Atlantic: Mister Rogers's Enduring Wisdom Mister Rogers's Lifetime Achievement Award speech Grab a copy of my book, The Next Right Thing Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman Download Transcript

If your concerns, decisions and complicated problems feel like they need an extra complicated solution, I hope you’ll listen in and find some relief. Links + Resources From This Episode: Share your thoughts about The Next Right Thing podcast in our first-ever listener survey (closes November 15!) Episode 101: Read Your Own Headlines Grab a copy of my book, The Next Right Thing Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman Download Transcript

In the midst of what might be a busy schedule, a life transition, a big decision, or the constant demands of everyday life, it can be easy to lose the thread of the story our lives are telling. That may not seem like it matters . . . until it does. And that’s what today’s episode is all about. Listen in. Links + Resources From This Episode: Whistling in the Dark by Frederick Buechner Episode 4: Record What You Learn Episode 92: Point and Call Read more about how Ann Voskamp changed her life using a gratitude list Grab a copy of my book, The Next Right Thing Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman Download Transcript

As we celebrate 2 years, 100 episodes and 5 million downloads, it seems like a good time to learn more about who you are and to share a personal update about my own next right thing. Links + Resources From This Episode: Share your thoughts about The Next Right Thing podcast in our first-ever listener survey Episode 50: Go Forward Master of Arts in Christian Spiritual Formation and Leadership at Friends University Life Together by Dietrich Bonhoeffer Grab a copy of my book, The Next Right Thing Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman Download Transcript

I am not a tear it down kind of person. But keeping things intact is not a character trait. It’s a decision, and it’s not always a good one. The painful truth is that sometimes in order to experience wholeness, first we have to tear something down. It sounds counter-intuitive, and you’d better believe it often feels that way, too. But God himself understands the necessity of being torn down to be remade. We don’t want to be people who shut our eyes to reality, hiding in comfortable corners and declaring the world is not our problem. We also realize every story has nuance and there’s no such thing as an “issue.” It’s all people and stories of people and I’m learning to pay attention. If you’re learning too or at least want to learn along with me, listen in. Links + Resources From This Episode: My sister turned her love for decorating Barbie houses into a way to serve others in creating comfortable spaces for themselves. You can find her at The Nesting Place or @thenester on Instagram. To learn more about my friend Stephen Roach, you can listen to his podcast Makers and Mystics or read about The Breath & The Clay creative arts movement here. His band Songs of Water is pretty great, too. Episode 98: Don’t Preach to Your Emotions Sam Yoder’s All Things Rise Grab a copy of my book, The Next Right Thing Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman Download Transcript at my website

Making a decision is hard enough. But add the unpredictability of emotion to the mix and making a confident decision can feel nearly impossible. What do we do when we have a decision to make but we have such strong emotions surrounding that decision that we feel paralyzed to move one way or another? It’s a great question and I can’t say I have a clean, linear answer. But I do have thoughts and I hope you’ll listen in. Links + Resources From This Episode: The Listening Life by Adam McHugh Grab a copy of my book, The Next Right Thing Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman Download Transcript

In nearly every major and sometimes not-so-major decision, I’ve prayed for clarity. I’ve shared here before how in times of cloudy decision-making frustration, I’ve even Googled how to make a decision. More and more, though, every time the word “clarity” comes out of my mouth, I hesitate. I’m realizing for me, clarity can be a more acceptable word for control. If I could just see the future, I could make a good decision about this part of my life. Today's practice is to take a 10 minute timeout and consider a few simple questions in the presence of God. Listen in. Links + Resources From This Episode: Episode 27: Stop Rushing Clarity John 14 Group Spiritual Direction by Rose Mary Dougherty Recapturing the Wonder by Mike Cosper Grab a copy of my book, The Next Right Thing Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman Download Transcript

When the problems of life feel big and the way through seems impossible, the last thing we want to do is to consider what we most want or to look desire in the face. But what if clues to our next right thing are embedded in the last place we feel free to look? Instead of talking yourself out of your crazy ideas, maybe it's time to listen to them. I’m not here to say listening to your crazy idea will lead to big things. But what I truly believe is that at least listening to your crazy idea is often the thing that will lead you home - to your greatest contribution and the place where God wants to meet you. Listen in. Links + Resources From This Episode: Holy Listening by Margaret Guenther  We’ve opened the doors to hope*writers for the last time this year. If your crazy idea has been to become a published writer, join us before the enrollment period ends on Friday, October 4th Grab a copy of my book, The Next Right Thing Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman Download Transcript

For a few minutes each Tuesday, our directive is to do the next right thing, not to think about doing the next right thing. Of course thinking is a part of doing. But they at least have to work together to bring about meaningful change. We practice what we want to improve and certain things lend themselves well to our idea of practice - playing piano or a team sport, learning to paint, draw, dance or sing. In elementary school we practiced math problems, cursive letters, how to share our toys. As adults, we may still practice some of those things, but we also practice in more nuanced ways, things that have to do with our faith, our identity, and our relationships. Listen in. Links + Resources From This Episode: Troublemaker, a memoir by Leah Remini Andrew Peterson and The Rabbit Room The Rabbit Room's conference Hutchmoot The High Five, a 3 minute documentary about Andy Gullahorn and Gabe Scott’s practice of meeting each other for a simple high five Shirt of Flame by Heather King Grab a copy of my book, The Next Right Thing Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman Download Transcript

It’s often the simplest phrases that have the power to change our lives. Like “I love you” and “I’m sorry” and “You’re not alone.” Since adults make over 35,000 decisions every single day, it’s no wonder that this idea of simply doing the next right thing feels like such a relief. My goal in these few minutes we have together on Tuesdays is to make one simple suggestion that could help ease the load of your own daily decision-making. If you’re feeling stuck, confused, hesitant, or overwhelmed today, maybe it will help to ask and answer the second question. Listen in.  Links + Resources From This Episode: Shattered Dreams by Larry Crabb Episode 32: Stop Collecting Gurus Episode 33: Gather Co-Listeners Becoming a True Spiritual Community by Larry Crabb Grab a copy of my book, The Next Right Thing Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman Download Transcript

We’ve been told not to borrow trouble and to be careful borrowing money, but when is borrowing okay, even welcome? Listen in. *Content warning: This week's episode references the events of September 11, 2001.  Links + Resources From This Episode: And still, I remember. As if It happened yesterday by Brambleberry Grace Faithful Presence: Seven Disciplines That Shape the Church for Mission by David Fitch The Way of The Heart by Henri Nouwen The Book of Common Prayer To Bless the Space Between Us by John O'Donohue Guerillas of Grace by Ted Loder Grab a copy of my book, The Next Right Thing. Each chapter ends with a prayer you can borrow. Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman  Download Transcript

Sometimes it’s the simplest things that help to ease our decision-fatigue the most. Links + Resources From This Episode: Atomic Habits by James Clear When a Simple Gesture Prevents 85% of Workplace Errors Episode 22: Embrace Your Limits Episode 90: Start With This Simple Rhythm Grab a copy of my book, The Next Right Thing Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman Download a transcript of this episode

If you’re in the ellipsis in your own life right now, you might have more questions than answers, more furrowed brows than nodding heads. But there are some things you can still choose - like making a place where roots are lacking, like believing for sure that God is with you, like doing your next right thing in love. Links + Resources From This Episode: The Circle Maker by Mark Batterson A Million Little Ways Episode 24: Look for Arrows (Not Answers) Placemaker by Christie Purifoy All things Christie Purifoy Grab a copy of The Next Right Thing Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman Download Transcript

I talk a lot about the importance of creating space for your soul to breathe. One question I often hear is how? What does it look like to create space for your soul? Practically, on a Tuesday, in the middle of your regular life? Links + Resources From This Episode: Episode 76: Create a Simple Morning Routine Simply Tuesday Get the Simply Tuesday audiobook for free in August courtesy of Christian Audio A Million Little Ways Invitation to Retreat by Ruth Haley Burton Guerillas of Grace by Ted Loder Placemaker by Christie Purifoy Whistling in the Dark by Frederick Buechner Grab a copy of The Next Right Thing August 20th Only: Get The Next Right Thing 50% off at Barnes & Noble Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman Download a transcript of this episode

In our last episode I shared about my plan to take a six week sabbatical, but going away to plan, pray, and create is only helpful if you return. Today I'll share about the equally important task of coming back.  Links + Resources From This Episode: Episode 88: Come Away For Awhile Quiet: The Power of Introverts by Susan Cain Astronaut Scott Kelly walking on Earth after a year in space on the Verge Rob Maddock on Atmospheric Reentry on PhysOrg How Astronauts Return to Earth by Beth Wilson Whistling in the Dark by Frederick Buechner Grab a copy of The Next Right Thing book Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman Download a transcript of this episode

Is there a difference between a vacation, a sabbath, and a break? How can we tell and why does it matter? Links + Resources From This Episode: Episode 87: Create Space Subversive Sabbathby AJ Swoboda The Power of Introverts: A Manifesto for Quiet Brillianceby Susan Cain Episode 40: Keep Your Rest Invitation to Retreatby Ruth Haley Barton The Gift and Necessity of Time Away With God: Renovare Podcast with Ruth Haley Barton Faithful Presenceby David Fitch Meeting God In Scripture by Jan Johnson Grab a copy of The Next Right Thing book Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman

Creating space for the soul is part of being a healthy human. For some of us that phrase sounds delightful. But for others, not so much. What does it mean to create space for the soul and why does it matter? Links + Resources From This Episode: The Solace of Open Spacesby Gretel Ehrlich Soul Keepingby John Ortberg Episode 7: Faithfulness, Fame, and the Gift of Obscurity Holy Listeningby Margaret Guenther #LiteraryLondon+ #TravelsWithTsh Grab a copy of The Next Right Thing book! Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman

The second most often quoted phrase from this podcast is one I didn’t even say. The first phrase people repeat the most is obvious, do the next right thing. Want to know the second most often quoted phrase? Well it comes from James Bryan Smith and here's where he'll share the story behind it. Links + Resources From This Episode: Apprentice Institute for Christian Spiritual Formation The Apprentice Gathering September 26-28 Wichita, KS Hidden In Christby James Bryan Smith The Apprentice Seriesby James Bryan Smith Grab a copy of The Next Right Thing book! Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman

Grief descends as a permanent part of our rhythm of life, coloring everything, reshaping the narrative, changing us in ways we would never ask for but there it is anyway. Death changes every part of life, including our ability to do our next right thing. Links + Resources From This Episode: Will Smith Remembers the Last Conversation with Prince No Wonder They Call Him the Saviorby Max Lucado The Year of Magical Thinkingby Joan Didion Rachel Held Evans A Grief Observedby C. S. Lewis Grab a copy of The Next Right Thing book! Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman

This is a practice that has changed my life and, I believe if you do it regularly, will change yours as well. Here's a step-by-step explanation of how I reflect on my life and some questions I ask that make it both simple and meaningful. Links + Resources From This Episode: Episode 04: Record What You Learn Episode 61: Look Back - How Reflection Can Help You Make Better Decisions Discern + Decide: An online course to help you discern a personal and communal rhythm of life Grab a copy of The Next Right Thing book! Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman

Today I’m stepping away from the daily nuts and bolts of decision-making to remind us what it’s all about. Yes, we want to make better decisions. More, we want to make decisions in a better way — but what does that mean, exactly? Links + Resources From This Episode: Visions of Vocation by Steven Garber Episode 82: Find the Beginning in the Ending The Sovereignty of Good by Iris Murdoch Writers: hope*writers is open for enrollment through May 24! Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman

Are you facing the end of something but find yourself dragging your feet to the finish line because you aren't sure what will come after? Today I'll offer 3 things to consider just before or right after an ending as you discern your next right thing.   Links + Resources From This Episode: The Next Right Thing book Episode 03: Make The Most Important List To Bless This Space Between Usby John O'Donohue Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman

Today I’ll offer a short blessing for all the mamas everywhere - both the newest ones, the most experienced ones, the ones who are still waiting as well as those who don’t think of themselves as mothers but they mother us in their own ways. Maybe you'll see yourself in a few of these lines or maybe you'll see a friend, a sister, a cousin or a daughter. We all need to be mothered and this is a small celebration of the mother-work all women are doing in the world. I raise my coffee mug to you. Find me at emilypfreeman.com or on Instagram @emilypfreeman.

If you are a graduate, have a graduate, or love a graduate, this episode is for you. It's help for that question people keep asking: So what will you do after graduation? Here are 3 things to remember as you respond and plan your next right thing. Links + Resources From This Episode: The Next Right Thing book A Blessing For The New Year Episode 50: Go Forward - Why I went to grad school Jamie B. Golden - The Popcast Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman

Do you have a no mentor? Someone who helps you find both your brave yes and your life-giving no? If you’ve been around here for any amount of time, you know my sister Myquillyn is my No Mentor and today I’m thrilled to host her as my guest. Get your copy of The Next Right Thing Take the decision-making style quiz Where to find Myquillyn: On Instagram Her website Cozy Minimalist Home The Cozy Community

If you feel like you don't have enough time in the day, here's one way to open up some space: Refuse to take offense. It's not easy, but it is interesting. Let's get curious about it.  Links + Resources From This Episode: Bonus! Kendra Adachi The Next Right Thing book Colossians 3:3 A Million Little Ways byEmily P. Freeman The Way of the Heart by Henri J.M. Nouwen Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman Find me on Twitter @emilypfreeman

Do you prefer to make decisions quickly, acting first and thinking later?  This episode is part of a short series we’re doing this month to celebrate the release of my new book, The Next Right Thing. Today's guest is sitting my dear friend Kendra Adachi and I’m sitting down with her to talk about her decision-making habits, regrets, quirks, and questions.  You may know her as The Lazy Genius and she hosts a podcast by the same name where she teaches us all how to be a genius about the things that matter and lazy about the things that don’t. Links from this episode: change-your-life chicken do your laundry shop at Costco clean your bathroom Find Kendra at thelazygeniuscollective.com and if you just can't get enough of the two of us together, you can listen in to another conversation on The Lazy Genius Podcast episode 102. Want to know your decision-making style? Join over 15K people who have taken our decision-making style quiz: It's short, it's fun, and from what we've heard, it's pretty accurate. Go here and click on "quiz" at the top of the page to get started.

What if you try to do the next right thing but later you look back and realize it wasn’t the right thing after all? What do we do when our next right thing turns out to be wrong? And how do we handle regret? Links + Resources From This Episode: Bonus! Annie F. Downs The Next Right Thing book Bread and Wine: Readings for Lent and Easter by Various Authors Romans 6: 5-7 A Family Shaped by Grace by Gary Morland Scary Hope by Gary Morland Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman

If you've ever felt unable to move forward because you’re worried there’s only one right answer and you don’t know what that right answer is, today’s episode is for you. This is part of a short series we’re doing this month to celebrate the release of my new book, The Next Right Thing. I’m sitting down with a guest to talk about their decision-making habits, regrets, quirks and questions. Today I’m thrilled to talk with my dear friend Annie F. Downs, bestselling author, nationally known speaker, and podcast host based in Nashville. Her recent books include Remember God and 100 Days To Brave and you may also know her from her fantastically entertaining That Sounds Fun podcast. Listen in to more Emily + Annie here: Episode 131 of That Sounds Fun.

If you set a goal and haven’t been able to meet it, it doesn’t mean you set the wrong goal. Maybe it means you’re measuring it the wrong way. Instead of starting over, here's how to start again. Links + Resources From This Episode: Bonus! The Next Right Thing Live Show I Finally Figured Out How To Have A Book Launch Party Gretchen Rubin James Clear The Last Alaskans The Next Right Thing at Barnes and Noble or Amazon Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman

Listen in as we gathered in my hometown the night before The Next Right Thing book released into the world! You can now grab a copy of the book wherever books are sold - learn more at NextRightThingBook.com. With special guests Kendra Adachi (The Lazy Genius), and  Myquillyn Smith (The Nester).

You never know how your simple next right thing could have an impact on people 100 years from now. Today is the official US release of The Next Right Thing: A Simple, Soulful Practice for Making Life Decisions -- and it all started with a little poem written 122 years ago. Links + Resources From This Episode: When you order or purchase The Next Right Thing anywhere you choose before April 5, 2019,claim your bonuses here Ye Nexte Thynge by Eleanor Amerman Sutphin Elisabeth Elliott - Gateway to Joy Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman

Where is your fixed point in the midst of life transitions? I want to suggest that fixed point can be found in the morning and it's simpler than you might think. Links + Resources From This Episode: Pre-order The Next Right Thing and claim your free gifts! - One week until the book releases! Pre-order from anywhere through 4/1 to get Discern + Decide and the audiobook - FREE 58: The Lazy Genius Morning Routine- The Lazy Genius Podcast with Kendra Adachi The Practice of the Presence of Godby Brother Lawrence One Line A Day Journal Hello Mornings with Kat Lee Join us at The Next Right Thing: Book Release + Live Show Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman

On Tuesday March 12, 2019, fifty people in six different states were accused by the Department of Justice of playing a part in a major college admission scandal.   Our belief informs our action. What we believe will always direct our next steps. So what happens when we believe something that isn’t true? Links + Resources From This Episode: Parents Charged in U.S. College Entry Fraud Faithful Presence - David Fitch Holy Longing - Ronald Rolheiser Life Together - Dietrich Bonhoeffer Don't miss these! The Next Right Thing Pre-order Bonuses: Get Discern + Decide and the audiobook for FREE before April 2 Join us at The Next Right Thing: Book Release + Live Show - Greensboro, NC

We all approach our decisions from our own unique point of view, our own set of personal filters, and a particular posture that’s baked in to our personality. Today’s episode will narrow all of that uniqueness down to three simple categories we’ll call your decision-making style. Take the quiz to find out yours! Links + Resources From This Episode: Take the Quiz! The Next Right Thing Book and Pre-order Bonuses: Discern + Decide class and audiobook - FREE Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman

Today’s episode is all about the one thing I’m doing in my work that is saving my life this year. Links + Resources From This Episode: The Next Right Thing Pre-order Bonuses: Discern + Decide and audiobook for free! Michael Hyatt hope*writers Recapturing the Wonder by Mike Cosper The Writing Life by Annie Dillard Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman

If we want to make life decisions in a better way, then we can’t wait to start with the decision. We actually need to start with the life. That’s what a rhythm of life is for. I’d love to help you create one. Links + Resources From This Episode: Discern + Decide - Here's how you can get this brand new class for free Episode 71: Let Time Be Your Friend Faithful Presence by David Fitch Preparing for Jesus by Walter Wangerin Jr Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman

If you’ve ever felt like you could make better decisions if only you had more time or wished for time to stop just for a while so you could catch your breath, today’s episode is for you.  Links + Resources From This Episode: Join The Next Right Thing Book Launch Team - through 2/22 The Dusty Ones: Why Wandering Deepens Your Faith by AJ Swaboda Big Ben  Hebrew Parallelism in the Psalms from Oblate Spring Episode 49: Collaborate Psalm 16 Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman

Being a good decision maker has a lot to do with timing. When is the best time to make a decision? Research has some actual answers. Listen in. Links + Resources From This Episode: Do You Suffer From Decision Fatigue?- John Tierney for The New York Times Magazine Extraneous Factors In Judicial Decisions Episode 33: Gather Co-Listeners The Next Right Thing book coming April 2! Pre-order on Amazon+ Barnes & Noble Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman

One life-giving choice I’ve made when I’m feeling overwhelmed with indecision is to decide not to walk through it alone. Links + Resources From This Episode: Episode 49: Collaborate Laura Tremaine's 10 Things to Tell You Episode 33: Gather Co-Listeners Sign up for One Last Thing:a relentlessly helpful and mercifully short Saturday email Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman

If your fear of making a wrong choice is keeping you from making any choice at all, this episode offers 3 simple things to remember. Links + Resources From This Episode: Episode 05: For the Love of Good Change with Jen Hatmaker A Million Little Ways by Emily P. Freeman Order The Next Right Thing: A Simple, Soulful Practice for Making Life Decisions on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Books-A-Million Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman

So much of our lives are filled with waiting but no one really ever teaches us how to do it. How do we know when we need to wait? How do we know when it’s time to move? There’s several kinds of waiting, today I’ll share four: the kind we talk about, the kind we don’t talk about, the kind that sneaks up on you, and the kind that needs to stop. Links + Resources From This Episode: John O'Donohue Episode 65: Take Off Your Crown hope*writers: If you're a writer who's been waiting to take your writing seriously, let today be the day things change. Open through 1/25 Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman

When an ending is difficult, it's easy to color the entire reality through the lens of how it ended, whether it's a relationship, a job, a dream project, or a life. The ending does not get to define the whole story. Maybe it's time to take back the narrative. This could be a life-giving part of your healing. This could be your next right thing. Links + Resources From This Episode: Budder on Emily's Instagram Stories Psalm 37: 23-26 Psalm 27:14 A Million Little Ways: Uncover the Art You Were Made to Live- ebook sale on 1.59! Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman

One question can make the difference between living with all consuming daily stress and a lighthearted sense of hope.  Links + Resources From This Episode: The Welcoming Prayer by Father Thomas Keating Things Above Podcast by James Bryan Smith Preorder The Next Right Thingbook - coming April 2! Luke 17: 20-21 Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman

Before you make any major decisions in the new year, here's a 3 minute blessing to start things off.

We don’t want to wait until the other side of Christmas to finally pause and say, hello soul. I’ve missed you this month. Instead, we work to create space now. For a few minutes today, we’ll make room, we’ll take a moment to acknowledge our soul and remember the miracle of God With Us. Links + Resources From This Episode: Renovation of the Heartby Dallas Willard The Art of Everyday Living - Emily's keynote from The Breath and The Clay 2014 Tickets: The Breath and the Clay / March 22-24, 2019 / Winston-Salem, North Carolina Top Ten Books for 2018 Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman

During Advent, it’s true we wait expectantly. It’s also true we’re preparing for an arrival.  What does preparation look like for you today? Might it include creating some space? Making some room? Clearing some clutter - and not just the kind you can see? Links + Resources From This Episode: The Quiet Collection for Christmas - Learn more here Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman Joy to the World

If you want to find relief from seasonal anxiety, I would love to help.    Links + Resources From This Episode: The Quiet Collection for Christmas - Available through 12/11/18 The Ordering of Love: The New and Collected Poems of Madeleine L'engleby Madeleine L'Engle Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman

Our choices define our lives - not just the ones we’re carrying now about our future, but also the ones we’ve already made in our past. Wouldn’t we do well to bring them to mind and see what they have to teach us? In this episode I’ll share my own simple rhythm of reflection in hopes that it could inspire you to come up with your own. Links + Resources From This Episode: Last week’s Episode 60 + Big Announcement Earth Crammed With Heaven: A Spirituality of Everyday Life by Elizabeth Dreyer One Line A Day: A Five-Year Memory Book by Chronicles Book Staff Let Your Life Speak by Parker Palmer Seasonal Reflectional Lists Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman And here’s that big announcement from last week, just in case you missed it! The Next Right Thing: A Simple, Soulful Practice for Making Life Decisions

Starting before you’re ready moving even when you’re not sure where you’re going is only possible when you have a next-right-thing mindset. Today I'll share a story from my own life and, in the process, offer what I hope will be as fun an announcement for you to hear as it is for me to give. Links + Resources From This Episode: The Weight of Glory by C. S. Lewis Episode 27: Stop Rushing Clarity Marie Forleo Seven Days of Still Moments The Quiet Collection Waiting List Simply Tuesday: My last book Blue Sky Period B J Novak talks about his creative process The Monthly Letter - sign up for first word news And here's that big announcement! The Next Right Thing: A Simple, Soulful Practice for Making Life Decisions by Emily P. Freeman

It’s possible to be surrounded by silence everyday and completely miss the point. It’s also possible to lead a full, loud life and still receive the gifts God has to offer us in the pockets of silent time we can find. You can be busy and soulful at the same time. The key is in paying attention. Links + Resources From This Episode: Episode 58: Welcome Silence The Monthly Letter Let Your Life Speak: Listening to the Voice of Vocationby Parker Palmer Invitation to Solitude and Silence: Experiencing God's Transforming Presenceby Ruth Haley Barton Have  One Last Thing delivered to your inbox on Saturday mornings To Bless The Space Between Us: A Book of Blessingsby John O'Donohue What's your next right thing today? Share it using #mynextrightthing + tag @emilypfreeman! Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman

In 2012 singer John Mayer had surgery on his vocal chords and was ordered not to speak for two months or sing for six. His healing depended on his silence.  While his need was physical, perhaps silence is required for all kinds of healing: the wounds of the body and of the soul. Today's episode offers a short practice to help ease into silence, one small moment at a time. Links + Resources From This Episode: Shattered Dreams by Larry Crabb Psalm 62:5-6 (The Message) Episode 57: Don't Dread Your Weird Life Sharing Silence by Gunilla Norris What's your next right thing today? Share it using #mynextrightthing + tag @emilypfreeman! Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman

To take action and make a decision requires something of you. But make no mistake — putting decisions off require something too, and that may be even more expensive.  Links + Resources: The Prayer of Saint Patrick What's your next right thing today? Share it using #mynextrightthing + tag @emilypfreeman! Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman

Focus is hard because there’s both so much going on and often not enough information. When you have a big idea but aren't sure where to start, listen in.    Links + Resources From This Episode: Cozy Minimalist Home by Myquillyn Smith The Nester Cozy Home Tour  - I'll be at the Greenville, SC stop on Nov. 4! Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman

There’s a skill to walking in the dark: you have to go slow, trust what you know, and take it one step at a time. After the winds and rain of hurricane Michael knocked out power in the city, we navigated our way through our dark house, not a beam of light from a street lamp or a night light or even the moon. Whether darkness comes as an absence of light or a waning faith, the way to walk through it is by doing the next right thing. Links + Resources From This Episode: Ten Best Books I Read in 2017 Ten Best Books I Read in 2016 Ten Best Books I Read in 2015 Ten Best Books I Read in 2014 Learning to Walk in the Dark by Barbara Brown Taylor Four by Sleeping At Last Christa Wells on Instagram  Psalm 23 Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman

In a world that seems to only value a twisted kind of angular strength, let’s find ways to receive the curves, to be nurtured by God and one another. Links + Resources From This Episode: The Ministry of Ordinary Places: Waking Up to God's Goodness Around You by Shannan Martin The Ministry of Ordinary Places - That post I mentioned I wrote because I can't stop talking about this book Episode 53: Allow the Present to be Imperfect Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman

The rest from decision fatigue doesn’t descend upon me when my work is finally finished. Instead, it comes slowly as I'm willing to allow the present to be imperfect.   Links + Resources From This Episode: Choosing Rest by Sally Breedlove Rhythms of Rest by Shelly Miller Simply Tuesday by Emily P. Freeman The Lazy Genius Podcast Episode 77: The Lazy Genius Rests The Next Right Thing Podcast Episode 40: Keep Your Rest Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman

Decision fatigue can creep into our life for any number of reasons, but one isn’t as obvious as some others. When change rises slow or comes up from behind, it can turn your life a different color so gradually you don’t realize it until you compare things to this time last year.  Discover what slow change might be happening within or around you and see if that might help clarify your next right thing. Links + Resources From This Episode: Episode 58 - Girls Night - My conversation with Stephanie May Wilson about life choices, decision-making, and more. The Holy Longing: The Search for A Christian Spirituality by Ronald Rolheiser Thanks @erinhmoon and @terrancedjackson for that delightful IG story review of The Next Right Thing! Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman

If you are feeling overwhelmed, carrying a heavy decision, or live with what seems to be a growing imbalance between the work you do during the week and the rest you’re supposed to be doing on the weekends, choosing a pastime could be a worthy next right thing. Links + Resources From This Episode: Churchill's Tribute to King George VI Painting As A Pastimeby Winston Churchill Hearing Godby Dallas Willard Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman

Last year I decided to enroll in grad school. But first, I lost sleep, asked everyone's opinion, and made myself crazy. Here's what happened next. Links + Resources From This Episode: Things Above Podcast The Apprentice Series by James Bryan Smith Visit hope*writers to learn more about our membership Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman

Making the decision to move forward with an idea is hard enough, but one thing that can keep us feeling especially stuck is trying to move forward with a decision alone because we are afraid. When it comes to collaboration it takes a certain amount of courage to say yes to an invitation. But for some of us it takes courage in even greater measure to extend the invitation in the first place.   Links + Resources From This Episode:  Literary London on Simple  - episode 141  Literary London Interest Waiting List  At Home In The Worldby Tsh Oxenreider The Lazy Genius Goes to London Learn more about hope*writers Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman

As we continue to make our way through an ever changing set of circumstances, the seasons will keep rolling on, bringing with them both dreaded and hoped-for hellos and goodbyes. You may be holding on to a hopeful vision for your future, but perhaps you're questioning what that means for today. What do we do while we wait for seeds to grow? Listen in. Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman Download Transcript of this episode

When someone around us is struggling, what is our next right thing? Listen in.

Both the light and the shadows have an important role in our lives and embracing them both helps us grow towards our next right thing.   Links + Resources From This Episode: Psalm 139: 5-18 My Summer in (20) Books - A list of books on my shelf this summer Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman

We want see evidence of growth in our lives, but it can be discouraging when we can't figure out how to release old habits. Perhaps true maturity and a growing faith show up not in our ability to stand up straight and blameless, but in our willingness to turn, again and again, back to the face of God. Links + Resources From This Episode: Lamentations 3:19-32 On Making Friends and Partial Solutions by Tsh Oxenreider Ten Favorite Things of Summer by Emily P. Freeman Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman

If you know you need to make a move but something is holding you back, listen in.   You can read the transcript to this episode here. Instagram: @emilypfreeman Website: thenextrightthingpodcast.com

Psalm 139 is a familiar chapter, but what does it take to let your heart be searched by God and be led in the everlasting way? It sounds lovely, maybe a little terrifying, but mostly out of reach. Maybe it isn't as hard as all that. Maybe we just need a little bit of silence. I hope these few minutes will lead you right to it. Links + Resources From This Episode: Psalm 139:23-24 My friend, Kendra Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman Visit The Next Right Thing for a transcript of this episode

Studies show our brains process spoken and written language differently.  We may often sit to read scripture, but how often do we allow scripture to read us?   It might be surprising how a small amount of intentional time can begin to smooth out the chaotic edges of your soul. This continues our summer series of still moments. Today's reflection is from Luke 5: 12-16 Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman visit The Next Right Thing for a transcript of episode 42

When we take a deep breath, it sends our body a message: You're going to be okay. In the beginning, God breathed life into mankind -- breath was the beginning. So it makes sense this is the first step to decluttering the soul, especially in the midst of transitions as we learn what it means to begin again. Today I'll share how I am working to maintain the integrity of my own offering to you by creating some space for my own soul to breathe. Links + Resources From This Episode: Episode 1: How to Become a Soul Minimalist Genesis 2:7  Episode 40: Keep Your Rest The Jesus Way: A Conversation on the Ways that Jesus Is the Way by Eugene Peterson Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman

Beneath our hectic schedules, our proud accomplishments, and our self-sufficiencies, we simply long to be loved and cared for right where we are, no strings attached. Maybe in these few minutes we have together, our God will father and mother us in all the ways we need the most. Links + Resources From This Episode: Psalm 23 Choosing Rest: Cultivating a Sunday Heart in a Monday World by Sally Breedlove Soul Keeping: Caring For the Most Important Part of You by John Ortberg Rhythms of Rest: Finding the Spirit of Sabbath in a Busy World by Shelly Miller The Dusty Ones: Why Wandering Deepens Your Faith by AJ Swoboda Sabbath: Finding Rest, Renewal, and Delight In Our Busy Lives by Wayne Muller Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman

The voice of the critic can keep us from our next right thing. But not all critical voices are created equally. Here's help to discern who to listen to and who to ignore.  A few links from the episode: A Million Little Ways by Emily P. Freeman Little Goat Diner - Our breakfast place! Christine Caine Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman Get the monthly letter: emilypfreeman.com/letter

This one simple sentence from a New York pastry chef could help you shift your perspective and take your next right step. Listen in. Links + Resources From This Episode: How Milk Bar Founder Christina Tosi Went from Momofuku Employee to Bakery Chain CEO Chef’s Table: Christina Tosi (Season 4 Episode 1)via Netflix To Bless This Space Between Us: A Book of Blessings by John O'Donohue Download Your Seasonal What I Learned Lists Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman

With our full schedules and daily concerns, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed with even the slightest disruption to our routine. With that in mind, today’s suggestion might seem counter-intuitive:  disrupting our routine can sometimes be exactly what we need to get unstuck. Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman Let's connect! I send out a letter once a month with a list of recommended reads. Get this month's letter here.

Two things guaranteed to make your day more complicated: unawareness of your current situation and exaggeration of your future inability to handle it.   Here's one simple practice to help you stay in today and simply do the next right thing. Links + Resources From This Episode: Psalm 118:24 Get One Last Thing every Saturday in your inbox Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman Get the monthly letter here

When you're on a roll in Hollywood, you don't leave the industry. But that's exactly what actress, producer, and author Candace Cameron Bure decided to do. In the midst of the fear and second-guessing, one character trait remained certain throughout her life and career transitions - kindness. Listen in as she shares her story, because when you're in the midst of making a big decision, it helps to hear the decision-making process other people go through.    Links + Resources From This Episode: Be Kind To One Another by Brian Morykon The Burning Edge of Dawn by Andrew Peterson Be Kind to Yourself by Andrew Peterson Candace Cameron Bure Kind Is The New Classy by Candace Cameron Bure A Million Little Ways by Emily P. Freeman Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman Get the monthly letter here

The decisions that add to our fatigue aren't always big and significant ones. Sometimes things in life that are meant to be fun and delightful - choosing a paint color, wrapping a present, picking out plants - turn out instead to be one more decision we feel incapable of making. What is the next right thing in situations that overwhelm us but shouldn't? How can we move forward as a beginner in areas where we may not feel a lot of confidence but wish we did? Links + Resources From This Episode: Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear by Elizabeth Gilbert Begin Again by Leeana Tankersley Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman Get the monthly letter here Find a complete transcript to this episode right here

If you are facing a big decision that could lead to a new start, perhaps you don’t need a collection of gurus as much as you need a a group of co-listeners. Here’s how I found mine.   Find show notes and a complete transcript at thenextrightthingpodcast.com Find me on instagram @emilypfreeman

At a time when I felt pulled in many directions, I realized I was looking outside myself for a plan when I needed to look inside for a vision. My email inbox told me the story and this time, I had the good sense to pay attention. Links + Resources From This Episode: Episode 27: Stop Rushing Clarity The Inner Voice of Love: A Journey Through Anguish to Freedom by Henri Nouwen Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman Get the monthly letter here Visit The Next Right Thing for a complete transcript of this 12 minute episode.

It's one thing to experience a new beginning, to usher in a time of new roles, new adventure, and new season of life. No matter what kind of new beginning a transition might bring, it also brings a new identity for us: a beginner. I've discovered I don't love being a beginner. I'd rather be an expert, thank you very much. But being a beginner is an unavoidable part of life transition. Let's close the gap between the joy of a new beginning and the dread of actually being a beginner by simply doing the next right thing. Find a complete transcript at thenextrightthingpodcast.com Begin Again: The Brave Practice of Releasing Hurt and Receiving Rest by Leanna Tankersley Too Small To Ignore: Why the Least of These Matters Most by Wess Stafford Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman For Writers! Check out hope*writers before the doors close

The way we move through our days is a lot more instinctual than we care to admit. We like to think we have clear reasons for things when in fact, most times we are feeling our way through. Do I feel safe? Do I feel seen? Do I feel heard? Do I feel in control? Do I have what it takes? On the surface, the decision could be as simple as deciding to join the PTA or not join the PTA. But deeper down and further in, it isn’t always quite so clear cut. Today rather than tell you one of my own stories or the story of someone who has inspired me, I want to guide you through telling yourself your story, particularly as it relates to a decision you’re carrying. New! Grab the free downloadable Practice Guide: How to Make One Decision at A Time right here. Prefer reading to listening? Find a complete transcript right here.

When you hold a dream – to craft a song, write a book, open a shop, get a degree – it can be hard to let it go even when the dream no longer fits. It feels like more than a loss, it feels like failure. But it doesn’t have to. In fact, what if the letting go was actually a making room? The real art isn’t the song, the book, the shop or the degree. The real art is something more, something deeper, something good.  Today I'll share a story of a couple who realized their next right thing was to let a long-held dream go. But because they understood the real art, the dream lives on. Download a complete transcript at thenextrightthingpodcast.com Links + Resources From This Episode: 7 Antiques We Found at the Chartreuse Barn Sale from Our State Magazine A Million Little Ways: Uncover the Art You Were Made To Live by me, Emily P. Freeman Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman Get the monthly letter here

Any de-clutterer knows the only way to make room is by letting stuff go. It's true for your house and equally true for your soul. Today I'll share 3 ways standing on your head can make room for something good - even if you never physically get upside down. Links + Resources From This Episode: The Jesus Way: A Conversation on the Ways that Jesus is the Way by Eugene Peterson The Next Right Thing Podcast Episode 01: Become a Soul Minimalist Let Your Life Speak: Listening for the Voice of Vocation by Parker Palmer Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman Get the monthly letter here Download a complete transcript here

If you are distracted and overwhelmed by a particular decision and you just can't seem to move forward, you might feel like either something is wrong with your process or something is wrong with you. Neither one of these has to be true. In today's episode, I'll share two things you can let go of today that will help you take your next right step. Links + Resources From This Episode: The Quiet Collection Marie Forleo A Soul Minimalist's Guide to Relationships Psalm 37: 23-26 Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman If you prefer reading to listening, download a transcript of this episode right here.

Doing the next right thing in relationships starts with how we enter a room. It can mean the difference between connecting with them or comparing ourselves to them. Fair warning, today’s episode is brought to you by some healthy self-reflection and a dash of narcissism. It's for a good cause. I hope you'll stick with me. Links + Resources From This Episode: Shauna Niequist Faith and Culture Writing Conference The Office (Season 5, Episode 16 "Lecture Circuit, Part 1") Jan Johnson Enneagram 4 Guerillas of Grace: Prayer For The Battle by Ted Loder A Circle of Quiet by Madeleine L'Engle Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman Get the monthly letter - emilypfreeman.com/letter

The only person you’re guaranteed to be with every day of your life is you. Maybe your next right thing is to make some peace with yourself and come back home. For a complete transcript of this episode visit the show notes right here. Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman + get the monthly letter here: emilypfreeman.com/letter

When I have a question, the first thing I want is an answer. Sometimes answers are fairly easy to come by – How do you make pizza? What should I wear today? Who can drive to piano practice? But so often, the questions we have in life that give us trouble are the ones that aren’t so linear. In my experience, these usually have to do with things like faith, vocation, and relationships. Today I'm sharing about a time in our life when my husband John and I desperately wanted answers but what we got instead was a series of arrows. This is a story of where they led. Links + Resources From This Episode: What Now? by Ann Patchett Episode 14: Know What You Want Grace Discipleship|| John Freeman A Million Little Ways: Uncover The Art You Were Made To Live by Emily P. Freeman The Divine Conspiracy: Rediscovering Our Hidden Life In God by Dallas Willard Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman Get the monthly letter! emilypfreeman.com/letter

How can we discern our next right thing when we're confronted with unpredictable people? Today we'll explore the difference between a loving intention and a fear-based agenda.  More From This Episode: Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman Get the monthly letter here: emilypfreeman.com/letter Download a transcript of episode 23 at The Next Right Thing Podcast

When you finally find, name, and move toward the things you feel most called to, you will quickly discover some roadblocks in the form of some kind of limitation like time, money, fatigue, or support. Instead of fighting those, perhaps your next right thing is to embrace them. Links + Resources From This Episode: Let Your Life Speak by Parker J. Palmer Gary Morland, my Dad Psalm 23 Strengthening the Soul of Your Leadership by Ruth Haley Barton My books, A Million Little Ways + Simply Tuesday (+ the Simply Tuesday small group leader guide) A Creative Liturgy of Everyday Life: Makers & Mystics Podcast - A further conversation I had about embracing limits with Sarah and Stephen Roach Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman Get the monthly letter here: emilypfreeman.com/letter  Visit The Next Right Thing Podcast show notes to download a complete transcript of this episode.

What do you do when you can't make a decision and you’re too close to even know what you want and don’t want? You need to find a No Mentor and eventually, learn to be your own. Links + Resources From This Episode: The Nester, my sister (my No Mentor) The Lazy Genius Collective Kendra Adachi (my other No Mentor) Bonita Lillie To Bless This Space Between Us by John O'Donohue Find me on instagram @emilypfreeman Join my monthly list

With computers in our pockets, the truth is we all have low-grade anxiety that messes with our ability to discern our next right thing. Today I'll share practical steps to take to eliminate of one of the most common anxiety triggers: the ones that show up in our feeds, our follows, and our online accounts. Mentions in this Episode: John Freeman - my husband The Tech-Wise Family: Everyday Steps for Putting Technology In Its Proper Place by Andy Crouch The Monastery of the Heart: An Invitation to a Meaningful Life by Joan Chittister Instagram: @emilypfreeman Get the monthly letter here: emilypfreeman.com/letter Find a complete transcript for this episode right here.

In January it's tempting to search the horizon for what might be next and open ourselves up to new opportunities. But decision fatigue can set in when every opportunity that comes our way seems to have potential. How can we choose which opportunities to take and which ones to pass up? That's today's episode. Links + Resources From This Episode: Myquillyn Smith, The Nester Crazy Busy: A (Mercifully) Short Book about a (Really) Big Problem by Kevin DeYoung Receive Book Recommendations in the Monthly Letter Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman Visit The Next Right Thing Podcast show notes to download a transcript of this episode

Astronaut Scott Kelly was the first American to spend 340 consecutive days in space. But the night he returned home, the news cameras were looking in another direction. In our last episode of 2017, we'll take a few moments to consider what it means to wait with great hope during one of the busiest months of the year. Mentions in this Episode: The Quiet Collection for Christmas (available until December 12) Find me on instagram @emilypfreeman

When it comes to discerning your next right thing, maybe this one small word will make a difference for you as it has for me. Visit thenextrightthingpodcast.com for a full transcript and a copy of today's prayer. Mentions in This Episode: My Utmost for His Highest by Oswald Chambers The Memoir Project: A Thoroughly Non-Standardized Text For Writing and Life by Marion Roach Smith Simply Tuesday: Small-Moment Living In A Fast-Moving World by Emily P. Freeman It's Simply Tuesday: A Coloring Book by Emily P. Freeman To Bless This Space Between Us: A Book of Blessings by John O'Donohue Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman #itssimplytuesday Receive my monthly letter

During the holidays, the transition from our regular schedule to extended time with family can be great in theory but more difficult in practice. Here's one simple step you can take to help you be a sane person with your people this week. Mentions in This Episode: Soul Keeping by John Ortberg Simply Tuesday by Emily P. Freeman Join my letter list Instagram @emilypfreeman Find complete transcripts at thenextrightthingpodcast.com

In 2014, Nancy Writebol was one of the first Americans diagnosed with the Ebola virus infection in West Africa. What happened after that could provide surprising comfort for anyone who feels stuck or discouraged in the midst of a hard time. Visit thenextrightthingpodcast.com for resources mentioned + a full transcript. Join our little tribe at emilypfreeman.com/join and say hi on instagram @emilypfreeman.

Knowing what you want is not selfish; it's actually crucial to making decisions. It builds confidence, hastens healing, and is a gift to the people you love. Visit thenextrightthingpodcast.com for resources mentioned in this episode + a full transcript. To connect beyond the podcast, join our little tribe at emilypfreeman.com/join for weekly reminders to help create space for your soul to breathe so you can discern your next right thing in love.

We usually save this conversation for January, but maybe we need it now more than ever. If you feel busy but not productive or rushing to get somewhere but never feel like you’ve arrived, it's time to focus on what is essential. To connect beyond the podcast, join our little tribe at emilypfreeman.com/join and find me on instagram @emilypfreeman Mentioned in This Episode: Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less by Greg McKeown The Listening Life: Embracing Attentiveness in a World of Distraction by Adam McHugh A Million Little Ways: Uncover the Art You Were Made to Live by Emily P. Freeman

Scattered and rushed doesn't have to be the norm. Listen in for one simple way to gather yourself and practice presence today. Come join our little tribe for even more help to create space for your soul to breathe: emilypfreeman.com/join and find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman. Mentioned in This Episode: The Jesus Way by Eugene Peterson Guerillas of Grace by Ted Loder

Perhaps today, your next right step is simply to release something you no longer need so that you can move one step closer to becoming who you already are. And no, this episode title is not a metaphor for something else. Today, we need to have a talk about pants. Visit the thenextrightthingpodcast.com and click on episode 11 to download a copy of today's prayer for self-acceptance. Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman or here: emilypfreeman.com

If your to-do list feels never ending, here is one action and one question to help you take your next right step today. Visit The Next Right Thing Podcast for show notes + full transcript + more resources to help you create space for your soul to breathe today. For weekly reminders to do your next right thing, join our community right here.

This week, our country grieves after the horrific mass shooting Las Vegas. We belong to each other. But how do we move forward together without losing hope or becoming overwhelmed that we can't do anything at all? One way to discover your next right step in the aftermath of tragedy is to push away blanket statements and generalities and instead, start to be specific. To print out today’s prayer and/or a complete transcript of this episode, visit The Next Right Thing Podcast. You can also find me on Twitter + Instagram. Mentions in this episode: A Circle of Quiet by Madeleine L'Engle Sandra Peoples Heart Wrestling by Shannan Martin Here and Now by Henri Nouwen

Fear of choosing wrong or missing what's best can lead to an obsession with clarity and the quick fix. Today’s collection of stories shows how often the best parts of life can't be planned and how God often works in small surprises in the midst of the long haul. If you’ve left a review or just want to say hello, visit thenextrightthingpodcast.com and tell me so I can thank you directly! You can also find me on Twitter + Instagram. Mentions in this episode: Sarah Masen Hutchmoot The Rabbit Room Simply Tuesday

Fame is messing with us, interfering with our ability to discern our next right thing because maybe we're waiting for the next big thing. What a singer, a cyclist, and a make-believe boss have to teach us about faithfulness, fame, and the gift of obscurity. If it seems like the people around you are taking big steps while all yours feel small and inconsequential, listen in. Visit thenextrightthingpodcast.com for show notes + a full transcript. Find me on instagram @emilypfreeman

Sometimes indecision is the result of a busy schedule or a hesitant personality. Other times, though, it's because there is something within us that remains unnamed. In today's episode: what a robocall and a New York chef have to teach us about the power of naming to help us take our next right step. Visit thenextrightthingpodcast.com for show notes + resources mentioned. Find me on instagram @emilypfreeman.

It can be easy to dismiss our work as ordinary or even unimportant, especially when we consider all the pain and heartbreak in the world around us. How can we simple do the next right thing in our work when it doesn't seem like enough? That's today's episode. And here's that offer I mentioned to help you have a sane September: The Quiet Collection - set your mind before you start your work. Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman + show notes at thenextrightthingpodcast.com

Indecision is often a direct result of overwhelm. Even the most grounded and professional among us can suffer from decision fatigue given the right circumstances. In today’s episode, we’ll take a look at what happens in otherwise sane people when we are hit with unexpected overwhelm and I'll share a few tips to ease the burden of hustle when it comes. And it always comes. Visit thenextrightthingpodcast.com for resources, a transcript and a free gift. Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman

There's at least one major flaw with the typical pro/con list. In today's episode, I'll share how you can make a different kind of list that will help inform all future decisions. Visit thenextrightthingpodcast.com for show notes + a full transcript. You can find me @emilypfreeman on Instagram + Twitter.

Is there a decision you know you need to make but you keep putting it off? There could be many reasons why this particular decision is giving you trouble, but I want to offer one question you can ask that could help you move forward. Access show notes + a full transcript at thenextrightthingpodcast.com and find me on Twitter + Instagram @emilypfreeman

When a decision requires the deep work of discernment, it can be difficult to move forward when our minds and souls are filled with clutter. Let's talk about what it means to be a soul minimalist and how it can help clarify the decision-making process in just 5 minutes a day. Visit thenextrightthingpodcast.com for show notes + a full transcript of this episode. Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman

Created for anyone who struggles to make decisions, it's a brand new podcast! Because I'm never more open to advice, guidance, direction, and discouragement than when I have a decision to make. Maybe you too? Inspired from the commonly quoted advice to simply "do the next right thing," let's move forward together to discern what that might mean. To learn more and download a transcript, visit thenextrightthingpodcast.com