The Next Right Thing

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.