The Next Right Thing with Emily P. Freeman
Older episodes
- 217207: The Prayer of St. FrancisOne 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. Links + Resources From This Episode: 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.
- 218208: Hold the Tension LongerWhat 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. Links + Resources From This Episode: A Hidden Wholeness by Parker Palmer 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.
- 219209: Find Life After the Death of A Dream with Scott EricksonWhat 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. Links + Resources From This Episode: Say Yes by Scott Erickson (out January 25th!) Find Scott online and on Instagram 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.
- 220210: What if You Could Trust Yourself?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. Links + Resources From This Episode: Do you receive One Last Thing? If not, join the list here. Seasons of Your Heart by Macrina Wiederkehr 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.
- 221211: The Daily ExamenWhat is the Daily Examen? How does it work? What is the purpose? And what does it have to do with discerning my next right thing? Today I'll share a spiritual practice that I've found to be personally transformative in my daily life. Listen in. Links + Resources From This Episode: 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 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.
- 222212: How to Walk Out of A RoomSome rooms are not for us. Other rooms are not for us anymore. What do we do when a room we've walked into is no longer a room where we belong? Listen in. Links + Resources From This Episode: 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? 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.
- 223213: How to Make Embodied Decisions with Dr. Hillary L. McBrideWhat do you do when you feel like your decisions are running counter to your bodily experience? How can you know when you are living a disembodied life? My guest today has asked (and answered) these questions and more in her years-long work as a psychologist, a researcher, an author and a teacher. Dr. Hillary McBride is the author of the new release The Wisdom of Your Body where she writes about what it means to find healing, wholeness, and connection through embodied living. Listen in. Links + Resources From This Episode: Dr. Hillary McBride on Instagram and online The Wisdom of Your Body by Dr. Hillary McBride 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.
- 224214: Psalm 22Sometimes 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. Links + Resources From This Episode: Psalm 22, read from the Common English Bible Other episodes like this one: Psalm 139 and Read Psalm 23 Order The Next Right Thing Guided Journal Grab a copy of my book The Next Right Thing Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman Download a copy of this, and every, transcript at emilypfreeman.com.
- 225215: A Soul Minimalist's Guide to SpringAs 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. Links + Resources From This Episode: Episode 1: Become a Soul Minimalist Episode 34: Pick What You Like 10 Questions for Reflection & Discernment 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.
- 226216: How to Collect Your Favorite QuotesWe underline a quote because it mirrors, questions, or inspires something in us. But it does no good for us if we don't have a way of recording and organizing it for later use and reflection. Today I'll share my four bucket system for capturing and organizing my favorite quotes so that they might make a difference in my everyday life. Listen in. Links + Resources From This Episode: 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 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.
- 227217: An Early Spring ReflectionTwo days a year, the earth from pole to pole receives an equal distribution of light and dark, day and night. The equinox is always around this time of year — spring for those above the equator, autumn for those below. How can we be balanced on the inside even when we're in full shadow or full light? How can we bring peace to the world even in the midst of chaos? What does equanimity mean for me today? As we approach the Spring Equinox, here is a short reflection. Listen in. Links + Resources From This Episode: Garden Maker by Christie Purifoy 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.
- 228218: A Story of Discernment with Jamin GogginWhat do you do when you work hard on something for years of your life, you believe you're being faithful to your next right thing, and then you release your prayed for work into the world only to later learn new information that forces you to question what you worked so hard to offer? Author, pastor, and spiritual director, Jamin Goggin, had to wrestle with that very question and is here to tell the story. Listen in. Links + Resources From This Episode: The Way of the Dragon or The Way of the Lamb by Jamin Goggin and Kyle Strobel Jamin Goggin on Twitter and online 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.
- 229219: 20 Questions to Ask Before You Say Yes to A Great OpportunityHow 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. Links + Resources From This Episode: 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 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.
- 230220: Our Favorite YesesWhen was a time you said yes and were so glad you did? I asked you that question last week and this week we'll share your answers. We're celebrating your favorite yeses and a few of mine too. Listen in. We're also celebrating a huge milestone: We've sold 100,000 copies The Next Right Thing! I'm so glad I said yes to writing that book and I'm equally glad you said yes to reading it. Links + Resources From This Episode: Year of Yes by Shonda Rhimes A Million Miles In a Thousand Years by Donald Miller Say Yes by Scott Erickson 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.
- 231221: Psalm 46May 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. Links + Resources From This Episode: 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.
- 232222: What's Saving My Life Right NowIt'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. Links + Resources From This Episode: 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 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.
- 233223: How to Move Through Small DisappointmentsWhether 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. Links + Resources From This Episode: A Rhythm of Prayer by Sarah Bessey Burnout by Emily and Amelia Nagoski 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.
- 234224: Naming What Matters in Friendship, Life, and the Kitchen with Kendra AdachiToday'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. Links + Resources From This Episode: The Lazy Genius Kitchen by Kendra Adachi 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.
- 235225: Discerning Your Next Right Thing After High SchoolToday's episode is especially for high school students and those who love and advise them. As my twins prepare to graduate from high school, I've been thinking a lot about our past year and how we've helped them make decisions about their next right thing. This is the episode I wish I'd had a year ago and I hope it's helpful for you. Listen in. Links + Resources From This Episode: A Million Little Ways by me! 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.
- 236226: When Someone You Love is IndecisiveMaybe you're not the one who is chronically hesitant but someone you love seems to always struggle with making decisions. What's the best way to help the indecisive along? How can you help them move forward in the midst of their hesitation? Great question. Listen in. Links + Resources From This Episode: Episode 94: Ask the Second Question 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.
- 237227: Trust the Process with Stephanie Duncan SmithHow can you move forward when you feel stuck, overwhelmed, out of control, or like you're doing it all wrong? My guest today brings simple advice with a nuanced angle inviting us all to trust the process. Stephanie Duncan Smith is a senior editor at Baker Books, where she coaches and champions authors to bring the best out of their message. She's worked in book and digital media publishing for over a decade, developing bestselling and award-winning writers, and personally pens SLANT LETTER, an email newsletter for writers looking to deepen their craft and tend to the soul of their work which we plan to tell you all about. So what does it look like to trust the process in parenting, faith, and writing? Listen in. Links + Resources From This Episode: Find Stephanie on Instagram here and online here Get Stephanie's newsletter SLANT LETTER here Learn more about my Summer Writing Intensive with hope*writers 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.
- 238228: The Good and Beautiful You with James Bryan SmithWhat is the soul and what is the impact of fame and success on it? Also, how can we cultivate a good and beautiful life with spiritual practices without sinking into judgment or legalism? Today I'm thrilled to talk to my friend, Dr. James Bryan Smith, who has been a theology professor at Friends University for several decades and was recently named the inaugural Dallas Willard Chair in Christian Spiritual Formation. Jim is an ordained minister in the United Methodist Church and a co-founding pastor of Chapel Hill UMC, in Wichita, Kansas. He is also a best-selling author of twelve books, most notably The Apprentice Series (InterVarsity Press), which includes The Good and Beautiful God as well as his most recent release, The Good and Beautiful You that we'll talk about today. Listen in. Links + Resources From This Episode: 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 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.
- 239229: A Blessing for the GraduatesFor 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. Links + Resources From This Episode: 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.
- 240230: Psalm Summer: A SeriesWe'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. Links + Resources From This Episode: Episode 214: Psalm 22 Episode 221: Psalm 46 Episode 190: Psalm 139 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.
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