DiscoverReimagining the Good Life with Amy Julia BeckerHow to Break the Self-Improvement Cycle with Sharon Hodde Miller
How to Break the Self-Improvement Cycle with Sharon Hodde Miller

How to Break the Self-Improvement Cycle with Sharon Hodde Miller

Update: 2025-11-18
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S9 E4 — What if real freedom doesn’t come from more self-esteem—but from self-forgetfulness? Amy Julia Becker and author and pastor Sharon Hodde Miller explore the difference between the false self and the true self—and how thinking about ourselves less without thinking less of ourselves leads to healing, humility, and purpose.

00:00 Introduction
01:58 Defining Self and Self-Forgetfulness
07:33 Understanding the Self and Healing
09:50 Noticing Ourselves
14:12 False Self vs. True Self
16:31 The Concept of Self-Denial
19:18 The Role of the Body in Self-Understanding
22:08 Embracing Insecurity, Humility, and Limitations
29:33 The Role of Self in Parenting
31:34 Beyond Self: Purpose and Community
38:12 Practicing Humility in Daily Life

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

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WATCH this conversation on YouTube: Amy Julia Becker on YouTube

SUBSCRIBE to Amy Julia's Substack: amyjuliabecker.substack.com

JOIN the conversation on Instagram: @amyjuliabecker

LISTEN to more episodes: amyjuliabecker.com/shows/

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ABOUT OUR GUEST:

Sharon Hodde Miller (PhD, Trinity Evangelical Divinity School) leads Bright City Church in Durham, NC with her husband, Ike. She writes, travels around the country speaking at churches and conferences each year, and holds a PhD on women and calling. Sharon is the author of three books: Gazing at God, Free of Me, and Nice. Sharon lives in North Carolina with her husband and 3 young children. To read more of her writing, you can visit her site, SheWorships.com, and you can connect with her on Instagram at @sharonhmiller. 


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How to Break the Self-Improvement Cycle with Sharon Hodde Miller

How to Break the Self-Improvement Cycle with Sharon Hodde Miller

Amy Julia Becker, Sharon Hodde Miller