The Next Right Thing

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"

• 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

• 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

• 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!

• 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!

• 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.

LINKS + RESOURCES FROM THIS EPISODE:

• Preorder a How to Walk into a Room to receive all your free gifts!

• 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

LINKS + RESOURCES FROM THIS EPISODE:

• Preorder a How to Walk into a Room to receive all your free gifts!

• 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

LINKS + RESOURCES FROM THIS EPISODE:

• Preorder a How to Walk into a Room to receive all your free gifts!

• 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

LINKS + RESOURCES FROM THIS EPISODE:

• Preorder a How to Walk into a Room to receive all your free gifts!

• 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

LINKS + RESOURCES FROM THIS EPISODE:

• Preorder a How to Walk into a Room to receive all your free gifts!

• 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!

• 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

• 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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

• 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

How do our feelings impact our ability to make wise decisions and what good role can they play? Listen in.

• 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

• 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

• 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.

• 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.

• 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

• 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

• 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.

• 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.

• 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.

• 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

Today I'll share a few words about why I'm glad to bring Psalm Summer back. 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
• 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.

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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.

• 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
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• Episode 181: A Soul Minimalist's Guide to Summer
• Episode 229: A Blessing for the Graduates
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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.

• 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
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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. 

• The Wisdom of Your Body by Hillary McBride
• Episode 276: Why Self-Care Isn't Selfish with Taylor Elyse Morrison
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• Inner Workout by Taylor Elyse Morrison
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• 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
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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.

• It's OK That You're Not OK by Megan Devine
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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.

• A Million Little Ways
• In the Shelter by Padraig O'Tuama
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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

• The Life Council by Laura Tremaine
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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.

• The Life Council by Laura Tremaine
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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.

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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.

• Seasons of Your Heart by Macrina Wiederkehr
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• How to Human by Carlos Whittaker
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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.

• The Lives We Actually Have: 100 Blessings for Imperfect Days by Kate Bowler and Jessica Richie
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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.

• 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
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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!

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Want help looking back before moving forward? Download these 10 Questions for Reflection and Discernment.

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• 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
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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.

• 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
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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.

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• John 1:1-18 (MSG)
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• Episode 167: Spiritual Direction for Beginners
• Episode 178: How to Find a Spiritual Director
• Episode 253: The Enneagram and Decision-Making with Suzanne Stabile
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• Honest Advent
• Add your name to this waitlist, and we'll let you know when the brand-new Quiet Collection for Christmas is available!
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• 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!)
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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.

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• Ruth's podcast: Strengthening the Soul of Your Leadership
• Embracing Rhythms of Work and Rest: From Sabbath to Sabbatical and Back Again
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• Souvenirs of Solitude by Brennan Manning
• Seasons of Your Heart by Macrina Wiederkehr
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• Start with Hello by Shannan Martin
• Falling Free by Shannan Martin
• The Ministry of Ordinary Places by Shannan Martin
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• 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
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• 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
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• Voices of Lament Edited by Natasha Sistrunk Robinson
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• Marcie Alvis Walker's post about Queen Elizabeth II
• Guerrillas of Grace by Ted Loder
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• Episode 79: Find Relief from Regret
• Conversation: The Sacred Art by Diane M. Millis
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• Holy Listening by Margaret Gunther
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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.

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• 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
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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.

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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.

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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.

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• 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
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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.

• 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
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• A Grief Observed by C.S. Lewis
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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.

• A Hole in the World by Amanda Held Opelt
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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.

• Psalm 23 (New Revised Standard Version)
• Psalm 23 (New International Version)
• Psalm 23 (The Amplified Bible)
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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.

• Psalm 121 (New Living Translation)
• Psalm 121 (New American Standard Bible)
• Psalm 121 (The Voice)
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A reading of Psalm 103, first from the New American Standard Bible, and then from the Common English Bible.

Listen in.

• Psalm 103 (New American Standard Bible)
• Psalm 103 (Common English Bible)
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A reading of Psalm 91, first from the New International Version and then from The Message. Listen in.

• Psalm 91 (NIV)
• Psalm 91 (The Message)
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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.

• Episode 214: Psalm 22
• Episode 221: Psalm 46
• Episode 190: Psalm 139
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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.

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• 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
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• Find Stephanie on Instagram here and online here
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• Episode 94: Ask the Second Question
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• A Million Little Ways by me!
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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.

• The Lazy Genius Kitchen by Kendra Adachi
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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.

• A Rhythm of Prayer by Sarah Bessey
• Burnout by Emily and Amelia Nagoski
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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.

• 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
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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.

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• Year of Yes by Shonda Rhimes
• A Million Miles In a Thousand Years by Donald Miller
• Say Yes by Scott Erickson
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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.

• 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
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• The Way of the Dragon or The Way of the Lamb by Jamin Goggin and Kyle Strobel
• Jamin Goggin on Twitter and online
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• Garden Maker by Christie Purifoy
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• 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
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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.

• Episode 1: Become a Soul Minimalist
• Episode 34: Pick What You Like
• 10 Questions for Reflection & Discernment
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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.

• Psalm 22, read from the Common English Bible
• Other episodes like this one: Psalm 139 and Read Psalm 23
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• Dr. Hillary McBride on Instagram and online
• The Wisdom of Your Body by Dr. Hillary McBride
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• 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?
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• 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
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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.

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• Seasons of Your Heart by Macrina Wiederkehr
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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.

• Say Yes by Scott Erickson (out January 25th!)
• Find Scott online and on Instagram
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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.

• A Hidden Wholeness by Parker Palmer
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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.

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Want help looking back before moving forward? Download these 10 Questions for Reflection and Discernment.

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• 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
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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.

• Honest Advent by Scott Erickson
• 10 Questions For Reflection and Decision-Making
• The Quiet Collection (closes Wednesday, December 15!)
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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.

• 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.
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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.

• 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
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• Find Kat's work online and on Instagram
• Abuelita Faith by Kat Armas
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• 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
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• 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
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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.

• Psalm 27
• Other episodes like this one: Psalm 139, Read Psalm 23,
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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.

• 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
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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.

• 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
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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.

• Gilmore Girls: Season 3, Episode 17 (Netflix)
• Let Your Life Speak by Parker J. Palmer
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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.

• 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
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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.

• No Cure for Being Human by Kate Bowler
• Learn more about Kate's work here
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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.

• Episode 181: A Soul Minimalist's Guide to Summer
• Simplify by Joshua Becker
• Becoming Minimalist
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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.

• La Foce
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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.

• 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
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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.

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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.

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• Here and Now by Henri Nouwen
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• 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
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• 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.

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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.

• 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)
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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
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• 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

• Explore your creativity with premium membership at SKillshare
• The Best Clogs (and Other Shoes I Love)
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• Download a transcript of this episode at emilypfreeman.com/182

• 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
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• Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman
• Find a transcript of this episode and every other one at emilypfreeman.com.

• 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
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• 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.

• 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
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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.

• 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)
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• DOWNLOAD TRANSCRIPT

• 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
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• DOWNLOAD TRANSCRIPT

• 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
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• Download Transcript

• Get 30% off your first month of KiwiCo with code NEXTRIGHTTHING
• Learn more about Natasha Sistrunk Robinson's work here
• Leadership Links, Inc.
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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.

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• Episode 49: Collaborate
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• Episode 120: What to do When The World Shuts Down
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