Boundaries as Preservation, Not Punishment

Hosts Steve and Lisa Cuss explore how to manage your mental load, emotional load, and anxiety by revisiting powerful conversations with Clarissa Moll, Lysa TerKeurst, and Abby Thompson. Together, they unpack how emotional and mental “fields” work, how anxiety spreads between people, and what it means to stay human-sized instead of reacting by getting bigger or smaller. Clarissa shares insights on reactivity and the “mama bear” instinct, Lysa offers transformative wisdom on boundaries, codependency, and healing from unwanted divorce, and Abby brings a Gen Z perspective on comparison, social media, and the slow work of God. It’s a practical guide for anyone seeking Christian emotional health, anxiety management, spiritual formation, self-awareness, and healthier relationships rooted in God’s presence and peace.

Episode Resources:

• Abby Thomspon’s Growing

• Lysa Terkeurst’s Surviving an Unwanted Divorce

• Steve Cuss’s book Managing Leadership Anxiety: Yours and Theirs 

• Anne Lamott’s book Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life (“crappy first draft”)

• Learn more about: Kosuke Koyama

More From Clarissa Moll:

• Clarissa Moll’s The Bulletin podcast

• Explore Clarissa Moll’s website

• Read Clarissa Moll’s substack

Original Episodes Links:

• How to Stay Human-Sized: Managing Anxiety, Reactivity, and Faith with Steve Cuss & Clarissa Moll

• Lysa TerKeurst on Surviving an Unwanted Divorce and Finding Healing Through Faith

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