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Whole Again: Mindfulness and Resilience Through Kintsugi Wisdom

Michael OBrien | Mindfulness & Resilience Coach

Discover how to create a meaningful life on your way to who you are becoming.

Whole Again: Mindfulness and Resilience Through Kintsugi Wisdom provides the support you need to heal, develop a growth mindset, and embrace who you are becoming.

Inspired by the Japanese art of “Golden Repair,” Kintsugi teaches us that even when life breaks us, we can rebuild—stronger, wiser, and more beautiful than before.

Listen to discover weekly growth-mindset tips, build emotional resilience and manage stress through microdose meditations, and ways to live a meaningful life and the person you are becoming.

And as America turns 250, tune in to hear your neighbors share their reflections on our Perfectly Imperfect Union and on ways we can come together to end the divisions that prevent us from realizing our collective potential.

I’m Michael O’Brien—husband, Girl Dadx2, son, friend, animal lover, endurance cyclist, and survivor. After a near-death cycling accident—what I call My Last Bad Day—the metaphor of Kintsugi helped me see that I could be whole again.

Today, as a Mindset & Resilience Leadership coach, Corporate Speaker, Meditation Teacher, and founder of The Pause Breathe Reflect Method, I'm here to support you as you create a meaningful life and become the person you are becoming.

Join me every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday for micro-episodes designed to help you embrace the Kintsugi spirit within you and truly feel Whole Again. And each Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday, check out my new series, A Perfectly Imperfect Union, as America turns 250 this year.

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#475
Yesterday · 7 min
A Microdose Meditation for More Resilience (Root to Rise)
The Whole Again Podcast: Mindfulness and Resilience through Kinstugi Wisdom airs every Monday, Wednesday and Friday with Pause Breathe Reflect Microdose Meditations, Growth Mindset and Mindfulness Tips, to help us transform our scars into healing and resilience. And between May and October, I'm sharing a new series I'm calling: A Perfectly Imperfect Union. It's about connecting with every day folks as they reflect on America at 250. Conversations will air every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. ------- This Monday's microdose meditation helps you rise up. Drawing on an image as old as it is simple, a mighty oak, rooted deep so its branches can reach high, I'll guide you through a short breath practice built around one mantra: rooting, to rise. Inhale rooting, exhale to rise, until strength and stability start to feel less like something you chase and more like something already underneath you. It's a quick reset, not a big commitment. A few grounded breaths before the week gets loud. Find it, along with 700+ other microdose meditations, free on the Pause Breathe Reflect app (Apple App Store and Google Play). If it grounded you even a little, share it with a friend who could use some rooting today too. You can now download my Pause Breathe Reflect App with Microdose EQ for FREE on Apple’s App Store or Google Play. Discover how to spend less time on your phone and more time on things that bring you joy. Also, find the support you need to navigate today’s uncertainty with more calm and grace. Receive a FREE copy of my book: “My Last Bad Day Shift.” We can also connect on LinkedIn. Subscribe to be sure you don’t miss any of the micro-meditations, wellness tips, and guidance that I publish every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday at 7:11 am.
- Transcript
#474
Saturday · 38 min
A Perfectly Imperfect Union: Reflecting on America 250 with Jeffrey Gould
The Whole Again Podcast: Mindfulness and Resilience through Kinstugi Wisdom airs every Monday, Wednesday and Friday with Pause Breathe Reflect Microdose Meditations, Growth Mindset and Mindfulness Tips, to help us transform our scars into healing and resilience. And between May and October, I'm sharing a new series I'm calling: A Perfectly Imperfect Union. It's about connecting with every day folks as they reflect on America at 250. Conversations will air every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. ------- What if the biggest regret people carry isn't something they did, but a road trip they never took? In the latest episode of A Perfectly Imperfect Union, I travel to The Mount Rushmore State to connect with Jeffrey Gould on this question. Jeffrey believes America is a story worth telling, one built on possibility rather than perfection. He also believes we've forgotten how to tell it, trading gratitude for outrage because outrage gets more clicks. He shares what 700 funerals have taught him about regret, and why the road trip is almost always the thing people wish they'd taken. We also get into South Dakota's particular brand of curiosity, the kind that starts with "where you from" and ends in finding someone you both know. Please connect with Jeffrey via his website or LinkedIn. And his question(S) for you and our next guest are: 1) Have you been to South Dakota, and 2) what's the best piece of advice you've ever gotten? Share your thoughts in the comments and share this episode with someone you love. You can now download my Pause Breathe Reflect App with Microdose EQ for FREE on Apple’s App Store or Google Play. Discover how to spend less time on your phone and more time on things that bring you joy. Also, find the support you need to navigate today’s uncertainty with more calm and grace. Receive a FREE copy of my book: “My Last Bad Day Shift.” We can also connect on LinkedIn. Subscribe to be sure you don’t miss any of the micro-meditations, wellness tips, and guidance that I publish every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday at 7:11 am.
- Transcript
#473
Friday · 8 min
Growth Mindset Tip #35 - The Wisdom of Maya Angelou
The Whole Again Podcast: Mindfulness and Resilience through Kinstugi Wisdom airs every Monday, Wednesday and Friday with Pause Breathe Reflect Microdose Meditations, Growth Mindset and Mindfulness Tips, to help us transform our scars into healing and resilience. And between May and October, I'm sharing a new series I'm calling: A Perfectly Imperfect Union. It's about connecting with every day folks as they reflect on America at 250. Conversations will air every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. ------- When someone shows you who they are, do you actually believe them? Tip #35 in my year-long series of lessons from his last bad day comes straight from Maya Angelou. September is my birthday month - go Virgos! All month the tips center on poetry, starting with the poet whose words already open his other series, A Perfectly Imperfect Union: "We are more alike, my friends, than we are unalike." But I speak to a different Maya Angelou line here, one she gave Oprah in 1997: "When someone shows you who they are, believe them the first time." Not as a license to write people off, but as an invitation to trade wishful thinking for acceptance, hold first impressions loosely, and then decide who belongs in your peloton. Whose first impression did you choose to believe or not believe? Drop it in the comments, and share this one with someone building their own Toll House cookie recipe for a meaningful life. You can now download my Pause Breathe Reflect App with Microdose EQ for FREE on Apple’s App Store or Google Play. Discover how to spend less time on your phone and more time on things that bring you joy. Also, find the support you need to navigate today’s uncertainty with more calm and grace. Receive a FREE copy of my book: “My Last Bad Day Shift.” We can also connect on LinkedIn. Subscribe to be sure you don’t miss any of the micro-meditations, wellness tips, and guidance that I publish every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday at 7:11 am.
- Transcript
#472
Thursday · 25 min
A Perfectly Imperfect Union: Reflecting on America 250 with Tiffany Ryder
The Whole Again Podcast: Mindfulness and Resilience through Kinstugi Wisdom airs every Monday, Wednesday and Friday with Pause Breathe Reflect Microdose Meditations, Growth Mindset and Mindfulness Tips, to help us transform our scars into healing and resilience. And between May and October, I'm sharing a new series I'm calling: A Perfectly Imperfect Union. It's about connecting with every day folks as they reflect on America at 250. Conversations will air every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. ------- What does true tolerance actually look like, and are we anywhere close to it? In the latest episode of A Perfectly Imperfect Union, I travel back to my old stomping grounds, Our Nation's Capitol, to connect with Tiffany Rider. She's an emergency medicine PA turned health policy writer with infectious energy. She believes tolerance is at an all-time low in America. She also believes freedom here, imperfect as it is, is still unmatched anywhere she's lived. Tiffany shares what the emergency room taught her about connection: no one asks who you voted for before saving your life. We also talk about her Cajun French family, how they punished her for speaking their own language as a kid, and why she thinks real tolerance means respecting other people's choices even when you disagree with them. Before you go, Tiffany has a great question for you and our next guest: If you really knew me, what would you know about me? Share your thoughts in the comments and share this episode with someone you love. You can now download my Pause Breathe Reflect App with Microdose EQ for FREE on Apple’s App Store or Google Play. Discover how to spend less time on your phone and more time on things that bring you joy. Also, find the support you need to navigate today’s uncertainty with more calm and grace. Receive a FREE copy of my book: “My Last Bad Day Shift.” We can also connect on LinkedIn. Subscribe to be sure you don’t miss any of the micro-meditations, wellness tips, and guidance that I publish every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday at 7:11 am.
- Transcript
#471
Wednesday · 15 min
Ted Lasso Episode 4 - The Policy of Trust
The Whole Again Podcast: Mindfulness and Resilience through Kinstugi Wisdom airs every Monday, Wednesday and Friday with Pause Breathe Reflect Microdose Meditations, Growth Mindset and Mindfulness Tips, to help us transform our scars into healing and resilience. And between May and October, I'm sharing a new series I'm calling: A Perfectly Imperfect Union. It's about connecting with every day folks as they reflect on America at 250. Conversations will air every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. ------- Can a team of guarded strangers ever really trust each other? In this installment of Whole Again's Ted Lasso series, I dig into what's really holding the Lady Greyhounds back. It's not talent. It's not effort. It's trust. As Dr. Fieldstone puts it: "A team is simply a collection of guarded strangers until they believe they are safe to fail in front of one another." And trust gets built in reps, in the "figurative gym," in tiny unscripted moments. Michael turns the episode into four practices you can start using today: Recognize your control mechanisms as survival tactics Offer up micro-moments that create psychological safety for someone else Practice collective responsibility over blame Anchor yourself in self-trust Watch (or rewatch) Episode 4 through the lens of trust. What's one small, unscripted moment when someone did something that made you trust them more? Drop it in the comments and share this episode with your favorite Ted Lasso fan. You can now download my Pause Breathe Reflect App with Microdose EQ for FREE on Apple’s App Store or Google Play. Discover how to spend less time on your phone and more time on things that bring you joy. Also, find the support you need to navigate today’s uncertainty with more calm and grace. Receive a FREE copy of my book: “My Last Bad Day Shift.” We can also connect on LinkedIn. Subscribe to be sure you don’t miss any of the micro-meditations, wellness tips, and guidance that I publish every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday at 7:11 am.
- Transcript
#470
September 1 · 27 min
A Perfectly Imperfect Union: Reflecting on America 250 with Kate Quay
The Whole Again Podcast: Mindfulness and Resilience through Kinstugi Wisdom airs every Monday, Wednesday and Friday with Pause Breathe Reflect Microdose Meditations, Growth Mindset and Mindfulness Tips, to help us transform our scars into healing and resilience. And between May and October, I'm sharing a new series I'm calling: A Perfectly Imperfect Union. It's about connecting with every day folks as they reflect on America at 250. Conversations will air every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. ------- In the latest episode of A Perfectly Imperfect Union, I travel to The Silver State to connect with Kate Quay. Kate believes freedom is the simplest answer to what America means to her. She also believes that answer gets complicated fast, because freedom has never been equally distributed. She shares how leaving the Bay Area's political homogeneity for Reno's purple streets actually made her feel more connected, not less. And why detaching people from their politics might be what heals us. To connect with Kate, you can find her on LinkedIn and her website. And her question for you and our next guest is: How do you find joy in your life? You can now download my Pause Breathe Reflect App with Microdose EQ for FREE on Apple’s App Store or Google Play. Discover how to spend less time on your phone and more time on things that bring you joy. Also, find the support you need to navigate today’s uncertainty with more calm and grace. Receive a FREE copy of my book: “My Last Bad Day Shift.” We can also connect on LinkedIn. Subscribe to be sure you don’t miss any of the micro-meditations, wellness tips, and guidance that I publish every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday at 7:11 am.
- Transcript
#468
August 31 · 6 min
A Microdose Meditation - You Are Loved.
The Whole Again Podcast: Mindfulness and Resilience through Kinstugi Wisdom airs every Monday, Wednesday and Friday with Pause Breathe Reflect Microdose Meditations, Growth Mindset and Mindfulness Tips, to help us transform our scars into healing and resilience. And between May and October, I'm sharing a new series I'm calling: A Perfectly Imperfect Union. It's about connecting with every day folks as they reflect on America at 250. Conversations will air every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. ------- Who's sitting at your table? In this Monday microdose meditation from Whole Again, I walk you through a visualization I return to often. You picture that table. You fill it with the people who genuinely love you. Then you invite your higher self to sit down. Then your higher power, however you define it. And you ask each one the same question: do you love me? It sounds simple. It isn't always easy to sit with the answer. But once that room is full — full of people, full of your own wiser self, full of whatever you call the bigger thing — a different question opens up: what do they need to tell you right now? What do you most need to hear? This practice reminds us that we're rarely as alone as our hardest moments convince us we are. Support surrounds us, even the support we forget to ask for. This episode is a microdose meditation from my Pause, Breathe, Reflect app — free on the App Store and Google Play, with over 700 meditations if this one resonates. You can now download my Pause Breathe Reflect App with Microdose EQ for FREE on Apple’s App Store or Google Play. Discover how to spend less time on your phone and more time on things that bring you joy. Also, find the support you need to navigate today’s uncertainty with more calm and grace. Receive a FREE copy of my book: “My Last Bad Day Shift.” We can also connect on LinkedIn. Subscribe to be sure you don’t miss any of the micro-meditations, wellness tips, and guidance that I publish every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday at 7:11 am.
- Transcript
#467
August 29 · 28 min
A Perfectly Imperfect Union: Reflecting on America 250 with Francesca Raoelison-Basso
The Whole Again Podcast: Mindfulness and Resilience through Kinstugi Wisdom airs every Monday, Wednesday and Friday with Pause Breathe Reflect Microdose Meditations, Growth Mindset and Mindfulness Tips, to help us transform our scars into healing and resilience. And between May and October, I'm sharing a new series I'm calling: A Perfectly Imperfect Union. It's about connecting with every day folks as they reflect on America at 250. Conversations will air every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. ------- What's one small step you can take today to honor your health? Francesca is originally from Madagascar and has called Rhode Island home for the past 12 years. She's the founder of an organization doing healing work on two continents, work born out of her own story as a survivor of verbal, emotional, and psychological violence. She sees the American Dream as the idea that your past doesn't have to define your future. If you've ever wondered whether healing a family relationship is even possible, or what it actually takes to break a cycle, this episode is for you. You can connect with her on LinkedIn and her website. And her question for you and our next guest is: What is one thing you can do for your health today? Share your thoughts in the comments and share this episode with someone you love. You can now download my Pause Breathe Reflect App with Microdose EQ for FREE on Apple’s App Store or Google Play. Discover how to spend less time on your phone and more time on things that bring you joy. Also, find the support you need to navigate today’s uncertainty with more calm and grace. Receive a FREE copy of my book: “My Last Bad Day Shift.” We can also connect on LinkedIn. Subscribe to be sure you don’t miss any of the micro-meditations, wellness tips, and guidance that I publish every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday at 7:11 am.
- Transcript
#466
August 28 · 4 min
Growth Mindset Tip #34 - Stop Beating Yourself Up for More Mindfulness and Resilience
The Whole Again Podcast: Mindfulness and Resilience through Kinstugi Wisdom airs every Monday, Wednesday and Friday with Pause Breathe Reflect Microdose Meditations, Growth Mindset and Mindfulness Tips, to help us transform our scars into healing and resilience. And between May and October, I'm sharing a new series I'm calling: A Perfectly Imperfect Union. It's about connecting with every day folks as they reflect on America at 250. Conversations will air every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. ------- What would you do if someone else were beating you up? You'd fight back. You'd get out of the situation. You wouldn't just stand there and take it. So why do we let ourselves get away with it? In this Growth Mindset Tip, part of his 25th Anniversary of his Last Bad Day series, Michael O'Brien shares Tip 34: stop beating yourself up. We're quick to defend ourselves against cruelty from others. But when it comes to the voice inside our own heads, the one telling us we're too much or not enough, we let it run the show. That self-critical conversation isn't harmless background noise. It's actively holding us back from the ripple effect we're capable of creating. You can now download my Pause Breathe Reflect App with Microdose EQ for FREE on Apple’s App Store or Google Play. Discover how to spend less time on your phone and more time on things that bring you joy. Also, find the support you need to navigate today’s uncertainty with more calm and grace. Receive a FREE copy of my book: “My Last Bad Day Shift.” We can also connect on LinkedIn. Subscribe to be sure you don’t miss any of the micro-meditations, wellness tips, and guidance that I publish every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday at 7:11 am.
- Transcript
#465
August 27 · 36 min
A Perfectly Imperfect Union: Reflecting on America 250 with Peter Schott
The Whole Again Podcast: Mindfulness and Resilience through Kinstugi Wisdom airs every Monday, Wednesday and Friday with Pause Breathe Reflect Microdose Meditations, Growth Mindset and Mindfulness Tips, to help us transform our scars into healing and resilience. And between May and October, I'm sharing a new series I'm calling: A Perfectly Imperfect Union. It's about connecting with every day folks as they reflect on America at 250. Conversations will air every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. ------- In the latest episode of A Perfectly Imperfect Union, I travel to The Peace Garden State and connect with Peter Schott. Peter is a Kintsugi artist, community builder, and North Dakota native who spent nine years running a monthly potluck that brought together 50 to 250 people at a time. He shares how he found Kintsugi through a book on the Enneagram and eventually traveled to Tokyo for a 12-day master class with a traditional Japanese artist. And in true perfectly imperfect fashion, his answer for the place that makes him feel most alive isn't a mountain or a coastline. It's the Walmart parking lot, where he sees the full, messy, beautiful spectrum of who we are as a country. To connect with Peter, you can find him on LinkedIn and Substack. His question for you and our next guest is: What's something that sparks joy for you, beyond your kids, your work, or your hobbies? You can now download my Pause Breathe Reflect App with Microdose EQ for FREE on Apple’s App Store or Google Play. Discover how to spend less time on your phone and more time on things that bring you joy. Also, find the support you need to navigate today’s uncertainty with more calm and grace. Receive a FREE copy of my book: “My Last Bad Day Shift.” We can also connect on LinkedIn. Subscribe to be sure you don’t miss any of the micro-meditations, wellness tips, and guidance that I publish every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday at 7:11 am.
- Transcript
#464
August 26 · 13 min
Ted Lasso Episode 3 - Just Give Me A Chance
The Whole Again Podcast: Mindfulness and Resilience through Kinstugi Wisdom airs every Monday, Wednesday and Friday with Pause Breathe Reflect Microdose Meditations, Growth Mindset and Mindfulness Tips, to help us transform our scars into healing and resilience. And between May and October, I'm sharing a new series I'm calling: A Perfectly Imperfect Union. It's about connecting with every day folks as they reflect on America at 250. Conversations will air every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. ------- What does it take to keep getting the most out of something you love, right up until it ends? That's the question running through this week's Whole Again as Michael dives into Episode 3 of Ted Lasso Season 4, part of his ongoing weekly recap series. In this solo monologue, Michael pulls back the curtain on why he's spending several weeks unpacking the final season one theme at a time, not to spoil the show, but to mine it for the mindfulness lessons hiding inside it. This episode's theme is Take a Chance on Me. Three new players join the Lady Greyhounds, each one simply asking for the opportunity to prove what they're capable of, and Michael connects that hunger to something universal: the first date, the job application, the promotion nobody thought you were ready for. He also gets honest about a harder thread running through the season, the uneven playing field in women's sports, and why the discomfort some viewers feel watching that storyline is exactly the kind of tension mindfulness asks us to sit with rather than dismiss. As a girl dad, longtime sponsor of a women's cycling team, and co-author of a book on allyship, Michael brings real stakes to the conversation about who gets a chance and who has to fight twice as hard for the same one. Michael ties it all back to Kintsugi. Taking a chance on someone, even someone with a checkered past, is what makes golden repair possible in the first place. Sweep the broken pieces into the trash too quickly, and there's no gold left to add. By the end, he leaves you with a challenge: look around your own life this week and ask who's on the sidelines waiting for a shot, and whether you're willing to be the one who says yes. Before you go, celebrate your scars as golden symbols of your strength and resilience. And don't forget to have fun storming the castle. You can now download my Pause Breathe Reflect App with Microdose EQ for FREE on Apple’s App Store or Google Play. Discover how to spend less time on your phone and more time on things that bring you joy. Also, find the support you need to navigate today’s uncertainty with more calm and grace. Receive a FREE copy of my book: “My Last Bad Day Shift.” We can also connect on LinkedIn. Subscribe to be sure you don’t miss any of the micro-meditations, wellness tips, and guidance that I publish every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday at 7:11 am.
- Transcript
#463
August 25 · 25 min
A Perfectly Imperfect Union: Reflecting on America 250 with David W. Robinson-Morris, PhD
The Whole Again Podcast: Mindfulness and Resilience through Kinstugi Wisdom airs every Monday, Wednesday and Friday with Pause Breathe Reflect Microdose Meditations, Growth Mindset and Mindfulness Tips, to help us transform our scars into healing and resilience. And between May and October, I'm sharing a new series I'm calling: A Perfectly Imperfect Union. It's about connecting with every day folks as they reflect on America at 250. Conversations will air every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. ------- What would it take to truly see someone else's humanity, even when it's easier not to? In the latest episode of A Perfectly Imperfect Union, I travel to The Pelican State of Louisiana to connect with David Robinson-Morris as a hurricane came to shore. David founded The Reimagination and the Center for the Human Spirit and Radical Reimagining. (I just love this). He talks about America as a paradox, a promise not yet fulfilled, and why he believes the real work ahead is repairing our inability to see one another's humanity. When asked what he'd need to give up that he loves in order for us to unite, his answer was simple and hard: the idea that we are separate. His question for you and our next guest is: As you imagine America in its next 50 years, what kind of future would you create where everyone, not just some of us, can truly flourish? You can discover more about him here: https://www.reimaginelution.com/ Share your thoughts in the comments and share this episode with someone you love. You can now download my Pause Breathe Reflect App with Microdose EQ for FREE on Apple’s App Store or Google Play. Discover how to spend less time on your phone and more time on things that bring you joy. Also, find the support you need to navigate today’s uncertainty with more calm and grace. Receive a FREE copy of my book: “My Last Bad Day Shift.” We can also connect on LinkedIn. Subscribe to be sure you don’t miss any of the micro-meditations, wellness tips, and guidance that I publish every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday at 7:11 am.
- Transcript
#462
August 24 · 7 min
Simply Be: A Mircodose Meditation for Mindfulness and Resilience
The Whole Again Podcast: Mindfulness and Resilience through Kinstugi Wisdom airs every Monday, Wednesday and Friday with Pause Breathe Reflect Microdose Meditations, Growth Mindset and Mindfulness Tips, to help us transform our scars into healing and resilience. And between May and October, I'm sharing a new series I'm calling: A Perfectly Imperfect Union. It's about connecting with every day folks as they reflect on America at 250. Conversations will air every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. ------- What does it take to simply be? That's the invitation at the heart of this week's microdose meditation, a short practice designed to help you drop into the present moment before the busyness of the week pulls you in a hundred directions. Michael guides you through a simple, grounding practice from the Pause, Breathe, Reflect app. It's not about doing anything more. It's about giving yourself permission to just be, to notice the breath, a sensation in the body, or a sound in the distance, and to rest your attention there the way a puppy rests its chin on your thigh, quietly seeking connection. And when your mind wanders off, as minds do, you're invited to come back without judgment, because that's simply what it means to be human. You can now download my Pause Breathe Reflect App with Microdose EQ for FREE on Apple’s App Store or Google Play. Discover how to spend less time on your phone and more time on things that bring you joy. Also, find the support you need to navigate today’s uncertainty with more calm and grace. Receive a FREE copy of my book: “My Last Bad Day Shift.” We can also connect on LinkedIn. Subscribe to be sure you don’t miss any of the micro-meditations, wellness tips, and guidance that I publish every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday at 7:11 am.
- Transcript
#461
August 22 · 30 min
A Perfectly Imperfect Union: Reflecting on America 250 with Jerry Colonna
The Whole Again Podcast: Mindfulness and Resilience through Kinstugi Wisdom airs every Monday, Wednesday and Friday with Pause Breathe Reflect Microdose Meditations, Growth Mindset and Mindfulness Tips, to help us transform our scars into healing and resilience. And between May and October, I'm sharing a new series I'm calling: A Perfectly Imperfect Union. It's about connecting with every day folks as they reflect on America at 250. Conversations will air every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. ------- What are you willing to give up in order for us to unite? That's the question Jerry Colonna leaves us with in this conversation for A Perfectly Imperfect Union. Jerry is an executive coach of 25 years, former investor, author of Reboot and Reunion, and a previous guest on The Kintsugi Podcast. Today he calls Centennial State Home. Jerry believes disunion has a beneficiary. Someone always gains when the rest of us turn on each other, and naming that is the first step toward healing. He traces his own family's story, immigrant ancestors who came to America out of poverty and survival, sons who served in World War II, a grandfather who registered for the draft before he was even a citizen, and uses it to make the case that America has always been a process of transformation, not a finished thing. You can connect with Jerry via his website: https://www.reboot.io/ Share your thoughts on Jerry's question and share this episode with someone you love. You can now download my Pause Breathe Reflect App with Microdose EQ for FREE on Apple’s App Store or Google Play. Discover how to spend less time on your phone and more time on things that bring you joy. Also, find the support you need to navigate today’s uncertainty with more calm and grace. Receive a FREE copy of my book: “My Last Bad Day Shift.” We can also connect on LinkedIn. Subscribe to be sure you don’t miss any of the micro-meditations, wellness tips, and guidance that I publish every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday at 7:11 am.
- Transcript
#460
August 21 · 6 min
Growth Mindset Tip #33 for A Meaningful Life (Happy 90th Birthday Dad)
The Whole Again Podcast: Mindfulness and Resilience through Kinstugi Wisdom airs every Monday, Wednesday and Friday with Pause Breathe Reflect Microdose Meditations, Growth Mindset and Mindfulness Tips, to help us transform our scars into healing and resilience. And between May and October, I'm sharing a new series I'm calling: A Perfectly Imperfect Union. It's about connecting with every day folks as they reflect on America at 250. Conversations will air every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. ------- What does it really mean to be wealthy? The answer showed up at his dad's 90th birthday party, complete with a theme borrowed from his father's signature line to every doctor who asks how he's doing: "Did you bring the coffee and donuts?" Michael's dad spent his career in the moving industry, and at the party, his former coworkers spoke about how he always showed up. He wasn't rich by the usual measure, Michael says, but he was wealthy in the way that matters most. Here's Michael's blog post about his Dad's birthday. You can now download my Pause Breathe Reflect App with Microdose EQ for FREE on Apple’s App Store or Google Play. Discover how to spend less time on your phone and more time on things that bring you joy. Also, find the support you need to navigate today’s uncertainty with more calm and grace. Receive a FREE copy of my book: “My Last Bad Day Shift.” We can also connect on LinkedIn. Subscribe to be sure you don’t miss any of the micro-meditations, wellness tips, and guidance that I publish every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday at 7:11 am.
- Transcript
#459
August 20 · 23 min
A Perfectly Imperfect Union: Reflecting on America 250 with Emma Ambrose
The Whole Again Podcast: Mindfulness and Resilience through Kinstugi Wisdom airs every Monday, Wednesday and Friday with Pause Breathe Reflect Microdose Meditations, Growth Mindset and Mindfulness Tips, to help us transform our scars into healing and resilience. And between May and October, I'm sharing a new series I'm calling: A Perfectly Imperfect Union. It's about connecting with every day folks as they reflect on America at 250. Conversations will air every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. ------- In the latest episode of A Perfectly Imperfect Union, we travel to The Palmetto State and sit down with Emma Ambrose. Emma grew up in Sag Harbor, New York, and now calls Charleston home, though she joined this conversation from the Bahamas mid-move into her first apartment. Emma built a social media career from scratch, selling over $700,000 in her first eight months on TikTok Shop, and she's now launching her own jewelry line, Popped by Ambrose, while also pursuing a real estate license. Her take on America centers on freedom and permission, the encouragement to chase what you want even if it means reinventing yourself, something she watched her own father do when he left a Wall Street career to become a chef. You can follow her on TikTok @emmambrosee And her question for you and our next guest is: What's a moment in your life you wanted to change, not for anybody else, but for yourself? Share your thoughts in the comments and share this episode with someone you love. You can now download my Pause Breathe Reflect App with Microdose EQ for FREE on Apple’s App Store or Google Play. Discover how to spend less time on your phone and more time on things that bring you joy. Also, find the support you need to navigate today’s uncertainty with more calm and grace. Receive a FREE copy of my book: “My Last Bad Day Shift.” We can also connect on LinkedIn. Subscribe to be sure you don’t miss any of the micro-meditations, wellness tips, and guidance that I publish every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday at 7:11 am.
- Transcript
#458
August 19 · 14 min
The Mindfulness Lessons of Ted Lasso Season 4 Can Teach Us - Episodes 1 and 2
The Whole Again Podcast: Mindfulness and Resilience through Kinstugi Wisdom airs every Monday, Wednesday and Friday with Pause Breathe Reflect Microdose Meditations, Growth Mindset and Mindfulness Tips, to help us transform our scars into healing and resilience. And between May and October, I'm sharing a new series I'm calling: A Perfectly Imperfect Union. It's about connecting with every day folks as they reflect on America at 250. Conversations will air every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. ------- After three years apart, Ted Lasso is back for Season 4, sliding into our DMs like an old college flame asking to grab "just one beer." But can you truly rekindle that pandemic-era magic without ruining your favorite memories? Michael breaks down the awkward initial reconnect, the lingering nostalgia, and whether that folksy Lasso charm still holds up in a brand-new era. This week, Michael dives into the highlights, emotional beats, and subtle commentaries hidden within Episodes 1 and 2: Ted isn't returning to coach the FC Richmond men's side. Rebecca has a completely new challenge in store: the Lady Greyhounds. A detour to the Negro Baseball Hall of Fame delivers a memorable reminder from Satchel Paige: “No man is born uncommon.” Being uncommon isn't about trophies or social media followers—it's about showing up daily with dignity, empathy, and excellence. Finding the Spark: Episode 2 brings back that classic 2022 warmth while introducing Assistant Coach Alice Chilton. The Coaching Gap: Beneath the humor, the show shines a light on a stark reality: only 22% of women’s sports teams are coached by women, and zero women hold head coaching roles in men’s major professional sports. Ted Lasso has always been more than a comedy; it's a playbook for human connection. Real inclusion isn't about falling back on comfortable defaults. It’s about representation, allyship, and creating spaces where people feel they belong. Just like repairing broken pottery with gold, our experiences and our scars make us stronger. You can now download my Pause Breathe Reflect App with Microdose EQ for FREE on Apple’s App Store or Google Play. Discover how to spend less time on your phone and more time on things that bring you joy. Also, find the support you need to navigate today’s uncertainty with more calm and grace. Receive a FREE copy of my book: “My Last Bad Day Shift.” We can also connect on LinkedIn. Subscribe to be sure you don’t miss any of the micro-meditations, wellness tips, and guidance that I publish every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday at 7:11 am.
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#457
August 18 · 41 min
A Perfectly Imperfect Union: Reflecting on America 250 with Laura Norton-Cruz
The Whole Again Podcast: Mindfulness and Resilience through Kinstugi Wisdom airs every Monday, Wednesday and Friday with Pause Breathe Reflect Microdose Meditations, Growth Mindset and Mindfulness Tips, to help us transform our scars into healing and resilience. And between May and October, I'm sharing a new series I'm calling: A Perfectly Imperfect Union. It's about connecting with every day folks as they reflect on America at 250. Conversations will air every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. ------- What does it take to actually hear each other again? In the latest episode of A Perfectly Imperfect Union, I travel to the Last Frontier State to speak with Laura Norton-Cruz. She's a licensed social worker, documentary filmmaker, and policy advocate based in Anchorage. Laura believes the deepest fracture in this country right now is informational. We're all working from different sets of facts, fed by algorithms and shrinking newsrooms, and she thinks the way through is simple to name and hard to do: get more stories from people with the least power in front of more people. Survivors, immigrants, disabled folks, foster kids, home health aides, the people whose lives rarely make the front page. Amen! She holds two things at once: the fear that comes with raising brown, bilingual kids in this political climate, and a genuine belief that common ground is still findable, one relationship at a time. To connect with Laura, please visit her website: https://www.lauranortoncruzconsulting.com/ And her question for you and our next guest is: How are you helping advance the wellbeing of pregnant people and young children so we have a healthier future? Share your thoughts in the comments and share this episode with someone you love. You can now download my Pause Breathe Reflect App with Microdose EQ for FREE on Apple’s App Store or Google Play. Discover how to spend less time on your phone and more time on things that bring you joy. Also, find the support you need to navigate today’s uncertainty with more calm and grace. Receive a FREE copy of my book: “My Last Bad Day Shift.” We can also connect on LinkedIn. Subscribe to be sure you don’t miss any of the micro-meditations, wellness tips, and guidance that I publish every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday at 7:11 am.
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#456
August 17 · 5 min
The Best Way to Great a New Day: A Microdose Meditation for Mindfulness, Gratitude and Resilience
The Whole Again Podcast: Mindfulness and Resilience through Kinstugi Wisdom airs every Monday, Wednesday and Friday with Pause Breathe Reflect Microdose Meditations, Growth Mindset and Mindfulness Tips, to help us transform our scars into healing and resilience. And between May and October, I'm sharing a new series I'm calling: A Perfectly Imperfect Union. It's about connecting with every day folks as they reflect on America at 250. Conversations will air every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. ------- In this week's microdose meditation from the Pause, Breathe, Reflect app, Michael guides you through his own morning ritual, a practice he returns to each day to greet the day with clarity and purpose. Starting with a few generous, expansive breaths, you're invited to check in with your body, release any tension held in the shoulders, forehead, or jaw, and arrive fully in the present moment. From there, Michael leads you into the heart of the practice: setting an intention for the day, the half day, or even just the next hour and visualizing yourself showing up exactly as you wish to be. It's a simple, judgment-free practice you can do in bed, seated, standing, or on the go, designed to help you put a little more of the ripple you want to see out into the world. You can now download my Pause Breathe Reflect App with Microdose EQ for FREE on Apple’s App Store or Google Play. Discover how to spend less time on your phone and more time on things that bring you joy. Also, find the support you need to navigate today’s uncertainty with more calm and grace. Receive a FREE copy of my book: “My Last Bad Day Shift.” We can also connect on LinkedIn. Subscribe to be sure you don’t miss any of the micro-meditations, wellness tips, and guidance that I publish every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday at 7:11 am.
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#455
August 14 · 5 min
Growth Mindset Tip #32: Hold the Door Open
The Whole Again Podcast: Mindfulness and Resilience through Kinstugi Wisdom airs every Monday, Wednesday and Friday with Pause Breathe Reflect Microdose Meditations, Growth Mindset and Mindfulness Tips, to help us transform our scars into healing and resilience. And between May and October, I'm sharing a new series I'm calling: A Perfectly Imperfect Union. It's about connecting with every day folks as they reflect on America at 250. Conversations will air every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. ------- Have you ever had one of those days where absolutely nothing goes right, right down to a door that won't open the way you expect it to? That was Michael earlier this week. Not a bad day, not compared to July 11, 2001, but a day. Errands piling up, arms full of packages, and a post office door that stubbornly pulled open instead of pushing. Just as his frustration peaked, a stranger stepped in with four simple words: "Hey, let me get that for you." That small moment sparked tip number 32 in Michael's 25 Lessons in 25 Years series, celebrating the 25th anniversary of his last bad day. It sounds almost too small to count as a tip. Hold the door open for someone? But Michael digs into the psychology behind it, what researchers call the shared effort model, and shows why this tiny, split-second exchange between strangers does real work. It signals to another person that they're seen, that someone has enough time and generosity to slow down for them, even for a second or two. In a world that can feel lonely and divided, Michael makes the case that these small, subconscious social pacts matter more than we realize. They won't solve your biggest problems, but they can pull you out of the story that tells you you're on your own. Discover how to scroll less and live more by taking my Free Smartphone Wellness Audit by clicking phone. Did you know that stickers are wonderful visual cues to help you create healthy habits? You can get one of my free Pause Breathe Reflect sticker by clicking sticker. To discover more and sign up for My RIPPLE EFFECT newsletter by clicking Ripple Effect. We can also connect on LinkedIn. or at Michael@PauseBreatheReflect.com Subscribe to be sure you don’t miss any of the micro-meditations, wellness tips, and guidance that I publish every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday at 7:11 am. If you feel you need more mental health support, please contact NAMI. With Whole Again: A Fresh Approach to Healing, Growth & Resilience after Physical Trauma through Kintsugi Mindfulness listeners explore resilience through personal stories of trauma, scars, and injury while learning to overcome PTSD, imposter syndrome, self-doubt, and perfectionism with self-compassion, self-love, and self-worth. Through insightful discussions on stress management, mindfulness practices, and digital wellness, the show offers practical tools like breathwork, micro-dose meditation, grounding techniques, visualization, and daily affirmations for anxiety relief and stress relief. Inspired by the art of kintsugi, the podcast embraces healing as a process of transformation, encouraging a shift in perspective from worry and being overwhelmed to gratitude and personal growth. By exploring the mind-body connection, micro-dosing strategies for emotional well-being, and holistic approaches to self-care, this podcast empowers listeners to cultivate emotional resilience and live with greater balance and intention.
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