The LDS Mission Podcast

In Episode 250: The View From Here, I'm reflecting on turning 50, reaching 250 podcast episodes, and what I've learned about the patterns of life through years of coaching missionaries, returned missionaries, and missionary moms. This episode is deeply personal as I share stories from my life—moments of faith, growth, heartbreak, uncertainty, and purpose—and how they've revealed a powerful truth: life doesn't move in a straight line. Instead, it unfolds in cycles of beginning, growing, unraveling, realigning, and becoming something new. Throughout this episode, I explore how this pattern shows up everywhere—on your mission, after your mission, and in everyday life. When things feel like they're falling apart, it's easy to believe something has gone wrong. But what if you're just in the "unraveling" phase? I talk about how these moments are actually where deeper faith, clarity, confidence, and transformation begin. Whether you're navigating discouragement, self-doubt, identity shifts, or emotional challenges, this episode will help you see that nothing has gone wrong—you're right on track in your growth. In Episode 250: The View From Here, I invite you to zoom out and trust the pattern of your life, just like the message of Easter teaches us—there is always renewal after unraveling. You are not behind, you are not broken, and you are not doing it wrong. You are becoming. As always, if you found this episode helpful, I want to invite you to subscribe if you aren't already, share this episode with your friends and missionaries you know, and write a review. I know this work will help LDS missionaries around the world and it would mean so much to me if you did. Until next week my friends.     00:00 Intro 00:56 Birthday week, 250 episodes, and why this feels meaningful 02:29 The life pattern Jennie keeps seeing 04:29 Life doesn't move in a straight line 07:24 Choosing belief for yourself 10:11 Growth, control, and learning to let go 13:12 When life unravels: Lydia's surgery story 19:59 Unraveling leads to deeper faith and realignment 20:25 Discovering the work with missionaries 26:51 Why missionaries think something is wrong with them 29:33 Easter, renewal, and the cycle beginning again 30:47 Recording episode one and seeing the pattern now 31:58 Final thoughts: you are becoming     Website | Instagram | Facebook   5 Ways to Process Any Less-Than Happy Mission Memories Article: HERE   Get the Full Show Notes and Text/PDF Transcripts: HERE   Free PDF Download:  Podcast Roadmap   Free PDF Download:  Preparing Missionary Cheat Sheet   Free Training for Preparing Missionaries:  Change Your Mission with this One Tool   RM Transition Free Video Series:  3 Tools to Help RMs in Their Transition Home   Free Guide:  5 Tips to Help Any Returning Missionary   Schedule a Free Strategy Call:   Click Here    

Here on The LDS Mission Podcast, Episode 249 - You Can't Go Back to Your Comfort Zone, we talk about why the "comfort zone" your brain wants to return to doesn't actually exist—and what to do instead. Whether you're a preparing missionary, currently serving, a returned missionary, or a missionary mama, it's so normal to find yourself thinking, "I just want things to feel like they used to." But the truth is, life only moves forward, and the version of you (and your circumstances) from the past have already changed. In this episode, I break down why your brain craves familiarity, how it attaches feelings like safety, belonging, and happiness to people and places, and why that can keep you feeling stuck. We talk about how those feelings were never actually created by a person, place, or situation—but by your thoughts—and what that means for your ability to create those feelings again moving forward. I share powerful mindset shifts to help you navigate discomfort, identity shifts, breakups, and mission challenges, and how to stop trying to "go back" and instead step into growth. You'll also learn practical tools like giving discomfort a purpose, anchoring confidence in your capability (not outcomes), and untangling your emotions from external circumstances. Most importantly, I teach you how to become your own comfort zone—so you can feel steady, confident, and grounded no matter where you are or what's happening around you. This is one of the most empowering skills you can develop on your mission and in your post-mission life. If you've been wishing things could go back to how they were, this episode will help you see why that's not the goal—and how moving forward with trust in yourself is where your real power lies. Here on The LDS Mission Podcast, Episode 249 - You Can't Go Back to Your Comfort Zone, we learn how to stop looking backward and start becoming the kind of person who can feel at home anywhere. As always, if you found this episode helpful, I want to invite you to subscribe if you aren't already, share this episode with your friends and missionaries you know, and write a review. I know this work will help LDS missionaries around the world and it would mean so much to me if you did. Until next week my friends.   Website | Instagram | Facebook   5 Ways to Process Any Less-Than Happy Mission Memories Article: HERE   Get the Full Show Notes and Text/PDF Transcripts: HERE   Free PDF Download:  Podcast Roadmap   Free PDF Download:  Preparing Missionary Cheat Sheet   Free Training for Preparing Missionaries:  Change Your Mission with this One Tool   RM Transition Free Video Series:  3 Tools to Help RMs in Their Transition Home   Free Guide:  5 Tips to Help Any Returning Missionary   Schedule a Free Strategy Call:   Click Here  

In Episode 248 – The Truth About "Finding Joy in the Work", I share a powerful mindset shift for missionaries, returned missionaries, preparing missionaries, and missionary moms who feel discouraged when they're "not finding joy in the work." In this episode of the LDS Mission Podcast, I break down why the phrase finding joy can actually be misleading and why joy isn't something you discover out on your mission or in your circumstances—it's something you create internally. We talk about agency, mindset, emotional resilience, and how the way you think about your mission, your purpose, and the people you serve directly influences the joy you experience. I also explore the difference between joy, happiness, motivation, and commitment, and why missionary work (and life in general) often requires courage, discipline, determination, and faith—even when it doesn't feel exciting. Drawing on scriptures, teachings from President Nelson, and real-life missionary experiences, I explain how joy is actually the fullness of the human experience, including both the stretching moments and the rewarding ones. I also share three practical tools to help missionaries create more joy right now: evaluating novelty versus consistency, checking your level of rest, and taking ownership of how you choose to show up. If you've ever wondered why the mission feels harder than expected, why motivation comes and goes, or how to actually experience more peace and joy while serving, this episode will give you powerful perspective and tools to help you move forward with confidence. Episode 248 – The Truth About Finding Joy in the Work reminds us that joy isn't something waiting to be discovered—it's something you can intentionally create through your focus, your thoughts, and your relationship with God. As always, if you found this episode helpful, I want to invite you to subscribe if you aren't already, share this episode with your friends and missionaries you know, and write a review. I know this work will help LDS missionaries around the world and it would mean so much to me if you did. Until next week my friends.   Website | Instagram | Facebook   5 Ways to Process Any Less-Than Happy Mission Memories Article: HERE   Get the Full Show Notes and Text/PDF Transcripts: HERE   Free PDF Download:  Podcast Roadmap   Free PDF Download:  Preparing Missionary Cheat Sheet   Free Training for Preparing Missionaries:  Change Your Mission with this One Tool   RM Transition Free Video Series:  3 Tools to Help RMs in Their Transition Home   Free Guide:  5 Tips to Help Any Returning Missionary   Schedule a Free Strategy Call:   Click Here

Here on The LDS Mission Podcast, Episode 247 – Stop Fighting Yourself, I'm sharing a powerful mindset shift for missionaries, returned missionaries, and missionary moms who feel like they're constantly battling their own thoughts, emotions, or motivation. So many of us have been taught that growth requires fighting ourselves—battling the natural man, conquering weakness, or pushing through fear with sheer force. But in this episode, I challenge that idea and explain why internal war with yourself actually slows growth instead of creating it. When missionaries shame themselves for normal human emotions like anxiety, sadness, fear, or exhaustion, they often end up feeling divided, discouraged, and exhausted instead of empowered. I talk about how our lower brain is wired for survival—seeking pleasure, avoiding pain, and conserving energy—and why compassion toward that part of ourselves is actually the key to emotional resilience and personal growth. In this episode we explore the difference between intentional growth and internal aggression, and why beating yourself up isn't the same thing as discipline. I explain how fighting your thoughts and emotions often makes them louder, drains your energy, and splits you into "good" and "bad" versions of yourself. Instead of living in a constant tug-of-war with your lower brain, I teach how to drop the rope and bring your higher brain and lower brain into harmony. Through self-compassion, awareness, and intentional self-leadership, missionaries can move out of the boxing ring with themselves and begin creating peace, confidence, and emotional strength. When you stop shaming yourself for normal human experiences and instead lead yourself with kindness, you actually accelerate growth and create the mission experience—and life—you truly want. You are not meant to live at war with yourself. You are meant to become whole. By learning to approach your thoughts, fears, anxiety, and emotions with compassion instead of hostility, you create the internal peace that allows real progress to happen. If you've ever felt frustrated with yourself, overwhelmed by your thoughts, or stuck in a cycle of self-criticism, this episode will help you step out of the tug-of-war and move forward with clarity and self-trust. Episode 247 – Stop Fighting Yourself reminds us that growth doesn't come from conquering ourselves, but from learning to lead ourselves with compassion and harmony. As always, if you found this episode helpful, I want to invite you to subscribe if you aren't already, share this episode with your friends and missionaries you know, and write a review. I know this work will help LDS missionaries around the world and it would mean so much to me if you did. Until next week my friends. Underneath Summary on Libsyn and Website -    Website | Instagram | Facebook   5 Ways to Process Any Less-Than Happy Mission Memories Article: HERE   Get the Full Show Notes and Text/PDF Transcripts: HERE   Free PDF Download:  Podcast Roadmap   Free PDF Download:  Preparing Missionary Cheat Sheet   Free Training for Preparing Missionaries:  Change Your Mission with this One Tool   RM Transition Free Video Series:  3 Tools to Help RMs in Their Transition Home   Free Guide:  5 Tips to Help Any Returning Missionary   Schedule a Free Strategy Call:   Click Here

Here on The LDS Mission Podcast, Episode 246 – Reclaiming Purpose, we talk about what to do when you feel like you've lost your purpose on the mission, after the mission, or even as a missionary mama. If you're currently serving and struggling with anxiety, rejection, comparison, or discouragement, or if you're a returned missionary feeling directionless and wondering what's next, this episode is for you. I share why purpose is not something assigned externally through a calling, leadership role, or title—but something you intentionally create. When life feels hard, when you're on the "struggle bus," or when your lower caveman brain tells you something has gone wrong, you are not broken. Highs and lows are part of the plan. In this episode, we explore how to reclaim purpose by shifting from "this is happening to me" to "this is happening for me." I teach how to reframe rejection, conflict with companions, anxiety, post-mission transition struggles, and unmet expectations into resilience, growth, compassion, and future leadership capacity. We talk about consecrating our afflictions for our gain (2 Nephi 2:2), giving meaning to difficult experiences, and choosing empowering purpose instead of victim energy. Through stories like David and Goliath, Romans 8:28, and real coaching examples, I show you how your struggles can become preparation—not proof that you're failing. You may not control what happens on your mission or after it, but you do get to choose the meaning you assign to it. Ask yourself: What is happening? What purpose am I currently giving it? What purpose would I like to give it instead? When you intentionally reclaim your purpose, even anxiety, rejection, loneliness, or transition seasons can become fuel for growth, momentum, and becoming more like Christ—because that is the ultimate work and glory. Episode 246 – Reclaiming Purpose reminds you that purpose isn't discovered… it's created. As always, if you found this episode helpful, I want to invite you to subscribe if you aren't already, share this episode with your friends and missionaries you know, and write a review. I know this work will help LDS missionaries around the world and it would mean so much to me if you did. Until next week my friends.   Website | Instagram | Facebook   5 Ways to Process Any Less-Than Happy Mission Memories Article: HERE   Get the Full Show Notes and Text/PDF Transcripts: HERE   Free PDF Download:  Podcast Roadmap   Free PDF Download:  Preparing Missionary Cheat Sheet   Free Training for Preparing Missionaries:  Change Your Mission with this One Tool   RM Transition Free Video Series:  3 Tools to Help RMs in Their Transition Home   Free Guide:  5 Tips to Help Any Returning Missionary   Schedule a Free Strategy Call:   Click Here  

Here on The LDS Mission Podcast, Episode 245 – A Leadership Framework, we explore what Christlike leadership really looks like on the mission and in everyday life. In this episode, I share a simple but powerful framework that has been on my mind ever since a stake leadership training: identity before instruction, worth before correction, and belonging before belief. Whether you're a district leader, sister training leader, zone leader, trainer, missionary companion, returned missionary, or missionary mama, this leadership mindset will change the way you approach growth, correction, testimony building, and influence. We talk about how our "lower brain" reacts when we lead with instruction, correction, or pressure to believe before someone feels secure in their identity as a child of God. I break down how identity stabilizes a person, worth secures the heart, and belonging calms the brain so that real transformation can happen. Using examples from missionary life—training a greenie, working through obedience struggles, supporting homesick missionaries, helping RMs navigate awkward transitions—I show how this order creates emotional safety, deeper testimony, and lasting growth. If you want to lead like Jesus Christ—with love, calm confidence, compassion, and clarity—this episode will give you a practical leadership framework you can apply immediately in your companionship, district, ward, or home. Episode 245 – A Leadership Framework will help you anchor identity, restore worth, create belonging, and lead in a way that truly transforms hearts.  As always, if you found this episode helpful, I want to invite you to subscribe if you aren't already, share this episode with your friends and missionaries you know, and write a review. I know this work will help LDS missionaries around the world and it would mean so much to me if you did. Until next week my friends.   Website | Instagram | Facebook   5 Ways to Process Any Less-Than Happy Mission Memories Article: HERE   Get the Full Show Notes and Text/PDF Transcripts: HERE   Free PDF Download:  Podcast Roadmap   Free PDF Download:  Preparing Missionary Cheat Sheet   Free Training for Preparing Missionaries:  Change Your Mission with this One Tool   RM Transition Free Video Series:  3 Tools to Help RMs in Their Transition Home   Free Guide:  5 Tips to Help Any Returning Missionary   Schedule a Free Strategy Call:   Click Here

Here on The LDS Mission Podcast, Episode 244 – Creating Clarity, we talk about what to do when you feel stuck, confused, directionless, or unsure about your next step on the mission, in college, or in life. I share in real time what it looked like for me to create clarity while recording this very episode, and why clarity rarely comes before movement. Whether you're deciding if you should serve a mission, navigating a hard transfer, choosing a major, or wondering what's next after you come home, this episode explores faith, agency, uncertainty, growth, discomfort, and how to trust God while stepping into the unknown. We dive into the powerful analogy of stepping into the forest before you can find the clearing, and why your lower brain's discomfort is not a red flag—but often a sign you're on the verge of expansion. I talk about how clarity comes through momentum, why discomfort doesn't disqualify you, how to stop letting "I don't know" shut you down, and how Joseph Smith's First Vision models movement before revelation. We also explore the difference between advice and tools, internal preparation through Mission Prep Plus, and how practicing faith one step at a time builds confidence, peace, and direction. If you've been waiting for certainty before taking action, this episode will remind you that you only need the next step. Discomfort isn't proof you're on the wrong path—it may be proof you're growing. Join me here on The LDS Mission Podcast, Episode 244 – Creating Clarity, as we learn how movement creates the clarity we've been searching for. As always, if you found this episode helpful, I want to invite you to subscribe if you aren't already, share this episode with your friends and missionaries you know, and write a review. I know this work will help LDS missionaries around the world and it would mean so much to me if you did. Until next week my friends.     Website | Instagram | Facebook   5 Ways to Process Any Less-Than Happy Mission Memories Article: HERE   Get the Full Show Notes and Text/PDF Transcripts: HERE   Free PDF Download:  Podcast Roadmap   Free PDF Download:  Preparing Missionary Cheat Sheet   Free Training for Preparing Missionaries:  Change Your Mission with this One Tool   RM Transition Free Video Series:  3 Tools to Help RMs in Their Transition Home   Free Guide:  5 Tips to Help Any Returning Missionary   Schedule a Free Strategy Call:   Click Here

LDS Mission Podcast Episode 243: Relationship Strategies with Mike Dildine is a Valentine's-week conversation with my favorite human—my husband, Mike—and it's packed with real-life relationship strategies that apply to marriage, companionships, family relationships, roommates, and mission culture. We talk about what coaching has taught us about thoughts, emotions, agency, and how to stop living like a victim of your circumstances and start becoming the author of your own story—especially when relationships feel messy, intense, or confusing. In this episode, we dive into mindset tools that have strengthened our relationship over the years: being careful about adding meaning to everything, learning to give love and respect to people who are different from you, and creating a safe space for the full range of emotions instead of trying to "fix" everything. Mike shares how coaching helped him feel more empowered in relationships, and we talk about the truth that you can't "make" someone feel loved—love is created internally through thoughts, self-awareness, and emotional ownership, not flowers, date nights, or perfect behavior. Mike also shares an unforgettable story from a spontaneous Penn State White Out trip that becomes the perfect mission and marriage analogy: you can't control everything, but you can embrace the journey—the good, the bad, the uncertainty—and still have an incredible experience. LDS Mission Podcast Episode 243: Relationship Strategies with Mike Dildine will help you build stronger relationships through compassion, maturity, agency, and Christlike love—no matter what stage of the mission experience you're in. Mike Dildine is a custom home builder and entrepreneur based in Eagle, Idaho, known for his leadership at Highland Homes. With a passion for building both beautiful homes and meaningful relationships, Mike balances a thriving business with family life and personal growth. He brings his strategic mindset and wise insight into everyday relationships, offering a thoughtful perspective on connection and growth. Whether in business, family, or faith, Mike's focus is building a legacy of trust and purpose. As always, if you found this episode helpful, I want to invite you to subscribe if you aren't already, share this episode with your friends and missionaries you know, and write a review. I know this work will help LDS missionaries around the world and it would mean so much to me if you did. Until next week my friends. Learn more from Mike - Highland Homes: Website | Instagram Learn more from Jennie: Website | Instagram | Facebook   Get the Full Show Notes and Text/PDF Transcripts: HERE   Free PDF Download:  Podcast Roadmap   Free PDF Download:  Preparing Missionary Cheat Sheet   My Free Training for Preparing Missionaries:  Change Your Mission with this One Tool   RM Transition Free Video Series:  3 Tools to Help RMs in Their Transition Home   Free Guide:  5 Tips to Help Any Returning Missionary   Schedule a Free Strategy Call:   Click Here  

LDS Mission Podcast Episode 242: How to Know If You're Making Progress is all about answering a question I hear all the time from missionaries, returned missionaries, and missionary moms: How do I know if the internal work I'm doing is actually working? When growth is emotional, mental, and spiritual—like confidence, anxiety, fear, perfectionism, or self-trust—it can feel invisible. In this episode, I talk about why progress isn't about making fear or insecurity disappear, but about changing your relationship with it. I share a powerful reframe that applies on the mission, after the mission, and throughout life: progress is not the absence of fear—it's how you respond when fear shows up. I walk you through four clear indicators of internal progress, including having less self-judgment and more compassion, increased willingness to feel emotions, faster emotional recovery time, and the ability to interrupt old mental patterns before they spiral. These tools help you measure real growth when goals aren't easily trackable. If you've ever felt stuck, discouraged, or worried that you "should be further along by now," LDS Mission Podcast Episode 242: How to Know If You're Making Progress will help you recognize the meaningful internal shifts you may be overlooking and trust the work you're doing—even when growth feels slow or unseen. As always, if you found this episode helpful, I want to invite you to subscribe if you aren't already, share this episode with your friends and missionaries you know, and write a review. I know this work will help LDS missionaries around the world and it would mean so much to me if you did. Until next week my friends.   Website | Instagram | Facebook   5 Ways to Process Any Less-Than Happy Mission Memories Article: HERE   Get the Full Show Notes and Text/PDF Transcripts: HERE   Free PDF Download:  Podcast Roadmap   Free PDF Download:  Preparing Missionary Cheat Sheet   Free Training for Preparing Missionaries:  Change Your Mission with this One Tool   RM Transition Free Video Series:  3 Tools to Help RMs in Their Transition Home   Free Guide:  5 Tips to Help Any Returning Missionary   Schedule a Free Strategy Call:   Click Here

Here on The LDS Mission Podcast, Ep. 241 - Flavors of Motivation, is all about changing the way we think about motivation—especially when it feels like it's "on" one day and completely gone the next. I share why motivation isn't actually black-and-white, and how judging yourself for feeling unmotivated usually makes everything heavier. Instead, I teach a simple framework that helps you identify your unique "flavor of motivation," so you can create forward momentum in a way that actually works for your brain, your personality, and your mission experience. In this episode, I break down six different motivation styles: the strategist, the visionary, the builder, the provider, the refiner, and the observer. We talk about what each one looks like, what it's good at, what can trip it up (hello, perfectionism, overthinking, rigidity, comparison, burnout, or shutting down), and how to use your motivation flavor to get unstuck—whether you're preparing for a mission, trying to meet goals while currently serving, rebuilding after your mission, or supporting a missionary as a mom. I also share a simple fill-in-the-blank prompt you can use to quickly pinpoint what motivates you: "I'd be down to do this if…" If you've been feeling stuck, heavy, or like you "should" be more motivated, The LDS Mission Podcast Episode 241: Flavors of Motivation will help you understand what makes you tick, motivate yourself with more compassion, and even better understand what might motivate your companion, your district, or the people you're teaching. As always, if you found this episode helpful, I want to invite you to subscribe if you aren't already, share this episode with your friends and missionaries you know, and write a review. I know this work will help LDS missionaries around the world and it would mean so much to me if you did. Until next week my friends.   Website | Instagram | Facebook   5 Ways to Process Any Less-Than Happy Mission Memories Article: HERE   Get the Full Show Notes and Text/PDF Transcripts: HERE   Free PDF Download:  Podcast Roadmap   Free PDF Download:  Preparing Missionary Cheat Sheet   Free Training for Preparing Missionaries:  Change Your Mission with this One Tool   RM Transition Free Video Series:  3 Tools to Help RMs in Their Transition Home   Free Guide:  5 Tips to Help Any Returning Missionary   Schedule a Free Strategy Call:   Click Here

In Episode 240, "Advice vs. Tools," I talk about something I feel deeply passionate about right now—especially as I work with younger preparing missionaries and get ready to launch Mission Prep Plus again—and that is the powerful difference between receiving advice and learning actual tools. Advice often sounds helpful and well-intended, but it's usually based on someone else's experience, personality, timing, or mission culture. Tools, on the other hand, are designed to help you decide what works best for you, based on your emotions, leadership style, background, and the kind of mission (and life) you want to build. In this episode, I break down why advice is often subjective, inconsistent, and hard to apply long-term, especially in emotionally intense missionary experiences like anxiety, rejection, leadership changes, or coming home from a mission. I explain how tools are skill-based, objective, internally grounded, and transferable—meaning they work on the mission, after the mission, in school, marriage, and beyond. Using analogies like building a house or learning how to fish, I show why having a full tool belt gives missionaries confidence, agency, and freedom instead of relying on someone else's blueprint. If you're preparing for a mission, currently serving, a returned missionary, or a missionary mom trying to support your missionary, Episode 240, "Advice vs. Tools," will help you rethink what actually creates emotional resilience, confidence, and long-term growth—and why learning the how of doing hard things is what truly changes everything. As always, if you found this episode helpful, I want to invite you to subscribe if you aren't already, share this episode with your friends and missionaries you know, and write a review. I know this work will help LDS missionaries around the world and it would mean so much to me if you did. Until next week my friends.   Website | Instagram | Facebook   5 Ways to Process Any Less-Than Happy Mission Memories Article: HERE   Get the Full Show Notes and Text/PDF Transcripts: HERE   Free PDF Download:  Podcast Roadmap   Free PDF Download:  Preparing Missionary Cheat Sheet   Free Training for Preparing Missionaries:  Change Your Mission with this One Tool   RM Transition Free Video Series:  3 Tools to Help RMs in Their Transition Home   Free Guide:  5 Tips to Help Any Returning Missionary   Schedule a Free Strategy Call:   Click Here

Episode 239 – Six Super Skills is all about the mindset and emotional tools that help missionaries (and humans) keep going when things feel hard. This episode was inspired by a powerful coaching session and a simple question: What skills do superheroes use that actually help them win in the end? Whether you're preparing to serve, currently serving, recently returned, or a missionary mom supporting from home, these six "super skills" apply directly to mission life, post-mission transitions, and everyday challenges. In this episode, I walk through six essential skills: moving forward instead of getting stuck in the past, adapting to constant change, supporting others without drowning yourself, holding onto dreams with patience, embracing discomfort as growth, and practicing humility. We look at real missionary examples—transfers, companions, post-mission letdown, dating, careers—and connect them to how emotional resilience, confidence, and agency are built over time. Growth doesn't require superhuman effort; it requires consistency, self-trust, and willingness to feel uncomfortable. I also share a powerful reminder from Elder Uchtdorf that growth happens gradually, patiently, and consistently—and that Jesus Christ already did the superhuman part. If you're feeling discouraged, overwhelmed, or unsure of yourself, Episode 239 – Six Super Skills is here to help you reconnect with your inner strength, develop emotional maturity, and remember that you already have what it takes to keep moving forward. As always, if you found this episode helpful, I want to invite you to subscribe if you aren't already, share this episode with your friends and missionaries you know, and write a review. I know this work will help LDS missionaries around the world and it would mean so much to me if you did. Until next week my friends.   Website | Instagram | Facebook   5 Ways to Process Any Less-Than Happy Mission Memories Article: HERE   Get the Full Show Notes and Text/PDF Transcripts: HERE   Free PDF Download:  Podcast Roadmap   Free PDF Download:  Preparing Missionary Cheat Sheet   Free Training for Preparing Missionaries:  Change Your Mission with this One Tool   RM Transition Free Video Series:  3 Tools to Help RMs in Their Transition Home   Free Guide:  5 Tips to Help Any Returning Missionary   Schedule a Free Strategy Call:   Click Here

Hey there! Today, Episode 238 – Fear + Christ = Change is a deeply meaningful conversation I had with my friend Erin Ropelato from the Seek This Jesus Summit, and it's been sitting with my heart for a while. In this episode, we explore a simple but powerful truth I've been teaching missionaries, missionary moms, and leaders for years: fear plus fear only creates more fear, but fear plus Christ creates change. We talk about anxiety, sadness, shame, self-doubt, and discouragement—and why the real struggle often isn't the emotion itself, but what we add to it. We walk through how Jesus Christ consistently brought something different to human suffering—compassion instead of judgment, love instead of shame, confidence instead of fear—and how that shift created healing, miracles, and transformation. I share real missionary coaching examples, gospel stories, and practical emotional tools that help you stop fighting your feelings and instead partner with Christ to transform them. This episode is especially powerful for missionaries navigating anxiety, missionary moms supporting struggling kids, and anyone who feels stuck in emotional overwhelm. If you've ever wondered why trying harder, fixing yourself, or judging your emotions hasn't brought peace, this episode will offer a new framework rooted in Christlike compassion, awareness, and emotional maturity. Episode 238 – Fear + Christ = Change is an invitation to meet yourself where you are, add what Christ would add, and allow real change to unfold. Erin Ropelato is the owner of Seek This Jesus Study and host of the Seeking Jesus Summit. A former kindergarten teacher, Erin helps women discover their unique learning styles and use them to study the scriptures in simple, grace-filled ways. She loves teaching that connecting with Jesus Christ can look different for everyone, one small and simple step at a time. As always, if you found this episode helpful, I want to invite you to subscribe if you aren't already, share this episode with your friends and missionaries you know, and write a review. I know this work will help LDS missionaries around the world and it would mean so much to me if you did. Until next week my friends. Learn more from Erin: Website | Instagram | Facebook Learn more from Jennie: Website | Instagram | Facebook   Get the Full Show Notes and Text/PDF Transcripts: HERE   Free PDF Download:  Podcast Roadmap   Free PDF Download:  Preparing Missionary Cheat Sheet   My Free Training for Preparing Missionaries:  Change Your Mission with this One Tool   RM Transition Free Video Series:  3 Tools to Help RMs in Their Transition Home   Free Guide:  5 Tips to Help Any Returning Missionary   Schedule a Free Strategy Call:   Click Here  

Episode 237 – I'm Not Good at Change is a compassionate, empowering conversation about what's actually happening in your brain when change feels overwhelming—especially on the mission, after the mission, or in any major life transition. In this episode, I break down why "I'm bad at change" isn't a personality flaw or spiritual weakness, but a normal human brain response rooted in survival, predictability, and energy conservation. We talk about how fear of change can quietly take away our sense of power—and how to gently take that power back. I share a real missionary coaching example and walk you through how resisting change keeps your brain stuck, while accepting discomfort actually creates clarity, confidence, and momentum. You'll learn how to calm your nervous system, stop reinforcing fear-based beliefs, and access your problem-solving brain so you can feel more capable, adaptable, and resilient. We also explore how traits we often judge—like wanting control, structure, or preparation—can actually be leadership strengths when used intentionally. If transfers, new callings, new semesters, new relationships, or new seasons of life feel heavy right now, this episode will help you reframe change as the pathway to growth rather than proof that something is wrong with you. Episode 237 – I'm Not Good at Change will remind you that you are not broken, you are human—and you already have what it takes to move forward with courage, trust, and self-compassion. As always, if you found this episode helpful, I want to invite you to subscribe if you aren't already, share this episode with your friends and missionaries you know, and write a review. I know this work will help LDS missionaries around the world and it would mean so much to me if you did. Until next week my friends.     Website | Instagram | Facebook   5 Ways to Process Any Less-Than Happy Mission Memories Article: HERE   Get the Full Show Notes and Text/PDF Transcripts: HERE   Free PDF Download:  Podcast Roadmap   Free PDF Download:  Preparing Missionary Cheat Sheet   Free Training for Preparing Missionaries:  Change Your Mission with this One Tool   RM Transition Free Video Series:  3 Tools to Help RMs in Their Transition Home   Free Guide:  5 Tips to Help Any Returning Missionary   Schedule a Free Strategy Call:   Click Here

In episode 236 – Cultivating Commitment, I'm talking all about what commitment really is, why it matters, and how it shows up in your mission and post-mission life. We'll look at the difference between feeling like life is just "happening to you" versus owning your choices with emotional maturity and agency. I share stories about my own commitment to this podcast, why December 26th is secretly my favorite day of the year, and how we can rethink phrases like "no excuses," "sleep when you're dead," and "winners never quit" in a more compassionate, Christ-centered way. In this episode, I'll teach you a simple definition of commitment as a feeling created by the thought "no matter what," and how that applies to missions, school, work, dating, goal setting, and even picking up your little sister or daughter from school every day. We'll talk about the difference between obligation and choice, how to stop farming out your emotions to companions, professors, bosses, or mission leaders, and how to step into being an agent and co-creator with God in your own life. If you're a preparing missionary, currently serving, a returned missionary, or a missionary mama who wants to feel more empowered and less resentful, episode 236 – Cultivating Commitment will help you see your decisions, your goals, and your future in a whole new way. As always, if you found this episode helpful, I want to invite you to subscribe if you aren't already, share this episode with your friends and missionaries you know, and write a review. I know this work will help LDS missionaries around the world and it would mean so much to me if you did. Until next week my friends.     Website | Instagram | Facebook   5 Ways to Process Any Less-Than Happy Mission Memories Article: HERE   Get the Full Show Notes and Text/PDF Transcripts: HERE   Free PDF Download:  Podcast Roadmap   Free PDF Download:  Preparing Missionary Cheat Sheet   Free Training for Preparing Missionaries:  Change Your Mission with this One Tool   RM Transition Free Video Series:  3 Tools to Help RMs in Their Transition Home   Free Guide:  5 Tips to Help Any Returning Missionary   Schedule a Free Strategy Call:   Click Here

In Episode 235, Love's Pure Light, I'm sharing the Christmas message that has been resting on my heart this year—one centered on light, love, Jesus Christ, hope, burdens made light, and the unique divine light within you. As I've rehearsed with Millennial Choirs and Orchestras this season, one lyric from Silent Night has stayed with me: "Son of God, love's pure light." This episode explores what that really means for missionaries, returned missionaries, and families navigating the highs and lows of December. We'll talk about light as a noun, light as an adjective, and light as a verb, and how Christ's light continues to guide, lift, and illuminate our personal paths. I also dive into how your own divine light—your gifts, traits, personality, and spiritual DNA—are meant to shine, not shrink. Christmas can be heavy. Expectations run high. Darkness feels real. But the beauty of Christ's birth is that His light not only fills the world, it fills you. We explore how to receive His light, share it, lighten burdens (your own and others'), reconnect with joy, and allow yourself to shine in the unique way Heavenly Parents designed you to shine. My hope is that this episode gives you a moment of peace, clarity, and warmth during the holiday rush. Whether you're navigating missionary work, coming home from the mission, preparing to leave, or holding down the fort as a missionary mama — may you feel loved, lifted, and lit from within by love's pure light. As always, if you found this episode helpful, I want to invite you to subscribe if you aren't already, share this episode with your friends and missionaries you know, and write a review. I know this work will help LDS missionaries around the world and it would mean so much to me if you did. Until next week my friends.     Website | Instagram | Facebook   5 Ways to Process Any Less-Than Happy Mission Memories Article: HERE   Get the Full Show Notes and Text/PDF Transcripts: HERE   Free PDF Download:  Podcast Roadmap   Free PDF Download:  Preparing Missionary Cheat Sheet   Free Training for Preparing Missionaries:  Change Your Mission with this One Tool   RM Transition Free Video Series:  3 Tools to Help RMs in Their Transition Home   Free Guide:  5 Tips to Help Any Returning Missionary   Schedule a Free Strategy Call:   Click Here

In Episode 234: Expectation Roadblocks, I'm diving into one of the biggest hidden barriers to connection—especially during the holidays, on the mission, and in our closest relationships: expectations. This time of year brings an avalanche of pressure—how we "should" show up, how others "should" behave, how family gatherings "should" feel. But in this episode, I unpack why expectations—spoken or unspoken—almost always create disconnection, frustration, resentment, and emotional distance. And more importantly, I show you how to shift from expectation to true connection, autonomy, compassion, and emotional maturity. You'll learn why expectations feel like safety to your caveman brain, why they function as subtle attempts at emotional control, and how they create unnecessary pain—for both the person holding the expectation and the person living under it. I walk you through real-life mission examples, family dynamics, missionary companionships, and holiday interactions to show exactly how expectation roadblocks form—and how to move beyond them using supportive tools like boundaries, requests, intentions, emotional ownership, and unconditional Christlike love. We'll talk about the signs you're stuck in expectation mode, the emotional fallout it creates, and the powerful mindset shifts that help you release pressure, drop resentment, and create genuine connection with the people in your life—companions, roommates, family members, mission leaders, friends, and even yourself. If you want more peace, more authenticity, and more connection this season (and always), this episode will feel like a breath of fresh air. As always, if you found this episode helpful, I want to invite you to subscribe if you aren't already, share this episode with your friends and missionaries you know, and write a review. I know this work will help LDS missionaries around the world and it would mean so much to me if you did. Until next week my friends.     Website | Instagram | Facebook   5 Ways to Process Any Less-Than Happy Mission Memories Article: HERE   Get the Full Show Notes and Text/PDF Transcripts: HERE   Free PDF Download:  Podcast Roadmap   Free PDF Download:  Preparing Missionary Cheat Sheet   Free Training for Preparing Missionaries:  Change Your Mission with this One Tool   RM Transition Free Video Series:  3 Tools to Help RMs in Their Transition Home   Free Guide:  5 Tips to Help Any Returning Missionary   Schedule a Free Strategy Call:   Click Here

In Episode 233 – Not So Happy Mission Memories, I'm diving into a topic I know so many missionaries and returned missionaries quietly carry: the moments from the mission that didn't feel joyful, spiritual, or "life-changing" in the way we were told they would. In this episode, I talk openly about disappointment, unmet expectations, mission culture, emotional complexity, grief, and the real challenges that come when people—including mission presidents, companions, district leaders, roommates, or members—don't show up the way we hoped they would. I also share more about the new article I wrote for the Church and why this emotional work matters so deeply, especially with the recent age-change for sister missionaries. I walk you through five gentle but powerful themes for healing: finding safe support, grieving unmet expectations, exploring your inner narrative, understanding others through compassion, and offering yourself the same gentleness that the Savior offers you. Together, we'll talk about reframing your mission experience, processing emotions instead of avoiding them, navigating disappointment, creating new meaning, and how faith, agency, and emotional resilience help you move forward with confidence. Healing doesn't mean condoning what happened—it means reclaiming your power, your peace, and your future. Whether you're freshly returned, years post-mission, preparing to leave, or supporting someone who served, this episode will help you feel seen, validated, understood, and reminded that transformation often comes through the messiest parts of our story. You are not behind. You're not broken. And you're never alone as you sort through your not-so-happy mission memories. As always, if you found this episode helpful, I want to invite you to subscribe if you aren't already, share this episode with your friends and missionaries you know, and write a review. I know this work will help LDS missionaries around the world and it would mean so much to me if you did. Until next week my friends.   Website | Instagram | Facebook   5 Ways to Process Any Less-Than Happy Mission Memories Article: HERE   Get the Full Show Notes and Text/PDF Transcripts: HERE   Free PDF Download:  Podcast Roadmap   Free PDF Download:  Preparing Missionary Cheat Sheet   Free Training for Preparing Missionaries:  Change Your Mission with this One Tool   RM Transition Free Video Series:  3 Tools to Help RMs in Their Transition Home   Free Guide:  5 Tips to Help Any Returning Missionary   Schedule a Free Strategy Call:   Click Here

Episode 232 — "Intentions and Attitudes." In this episode, I dig into why an attitude of gratitude actually works on your brain and your day-to-day experience. We talk about the lower "caveman brain" (seek pleasure, avoid pain, conserve energy), confirmation bias (what you focus on grows), and how setting intentions ahead of time can shape the attitudes you'll have later—in district meetings, at family gatherings, on the mission, and post-mission. I share simple ways to direct your higher brain to look for connection, faith, abundance, calm, and purpose—especially during Thanksgiving week when emotions and expectations can run high. I also explore how prayer functions as powerful intention setting—expressing gratitude and asking for blessings tells your brain what to pay attention to while inviting divine help. We connect this with Doctrine & Covenants 29: creating things spiritually first (in thought and feeling) so they're more likely to appear physically in your life. Whether you're a preparing missionary, currently serving, a returned missionary, or a missionary mama, you'll get practical tools to train your focus, regulate emotions, and choose thoughts that fuel connection over comparison. You'll leave with doable practices: pre-deciding what you want to notice, choosing language your brain understands ("I want more peace" vs. "I don't want stress"), and building a simple gratitude rhythm that resets perspective fast. If you're ready to experience more calm, clarity, and Christ-centered confidence this season, this conversation on intentions and attitudes will help you create it. As always, if you found this episode helpful, I want to invite you to subscribe if you aren't already, share this episode with your friends and missionaries you know, and write a review. I know this work will help LDS missionaries around the world and it would mean so much to me if you did. Until next week my friends.     Website | Instagram | Facebook   Get the Full Show Notes and Text/PDF Transcripts: HERE   Free PDF Download:  Podcast Roadmap   Free PDF Download:  Preparing Missionary Cheat Sheet   Free Training for Preparing Missionaries:  Change Your Mission with this One Tool   RM Transition Free Video Series:  3 Tools to Help RMs in Their Transition Home   Free Guide:  5 Tips to Help Any Returning Missionary   Schedule a Free Strategy Call:   Click Here

In Episode #231: About Wasting Time, I dive into one of the most common thoughts I hear from missionaries, returned missionaries, and even missionary moms — the fear that we're somehow "wasting time." Whether it's not being productive enough, not using P-day perfectly, or feeling like we should always be doing more, this mindset creates unnecessary stress, guilt, and disconnection from what really matters. In this episode, I explore where that pressure comes from, why it's so common, and how we can start seeing time through a more peaceful, purposeful lens. I'll share my own story of struggling with "time guilt," how I learned to trust divine timing, and what it means to stop labeling time as wasted or productive. Together, we'll talk about how every season has a purpose, how to recognize your internal clock, and how to align with your own divine rhythm — whether you're serving a mission, transitioning home, or managing the busy pace of post-mission life. If you've ever felt behind, lazy, or like you're not doing enough, this episode will help you breathe easier and reconnect with the truth that you're not behind — you're right on time. As always, if you found this episode helpful, I want to invite you to subscribe if you aren't already, share this episode with your friends and missionaries you know, and write a review. I know this work will help LDS missionaries around the world and it would mean so much to me if you did. Until next week my friends.     Website | Instagram | Facebook   Get the Full Show Notes and Text/PDF Transcripts: HERE   Free PDF Download:  Podcast Roadmap   Free PDF Download:  Preparing Missionary Cheat Sheet   Free Training for Preparing Missionaries:  Change Your Mission with this One Tool   RM Transition Free Video Series:  3 Tools to Help RMs in Their Transition Home   Free Guide:  5 Tips to Help Any Returning Missionary   Schedule a Free Strategy Call:   Click Here