The Next Right Thing

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