To The Heights

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We explore how fast, confident decisions reduce anxiety and create momentum, from the chaos of new-parent choices to the pressure of big life moves. We break down six practical skills to defeat decision fatigue, stop stalling, and choose from hope rather than fear.

• modern choice overload and why time feels faster
• decision fatigue from constant micro choices
• the high cost of indecision and self-doubt
• the myth of right vs wrong when both align with values
• choosing from hope and desired outcomes
• setting deadlines and building criteria lists
•...

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Resolutions fade when they’re built on pressure instead of purpose. We offer a calmer way to start 2026: five simple questions that reveal what to release, what to keep, what to learn, what to explore, and what to create more of. Rather than chasing another crowded checklist, we guide you to a reflective reset that aligns with your values, faith, and season of life.

We begin by naming the hidden costs of post-holiday stress and why January promises so often collapse by February. From there, we map a practical life audit ac...

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We explore how old home videos exposed the tiny choices that shape family memories and identity. As holidays approach, we choose presence over perfection and practice small habits that turn chaos into connection.

• series focus on who you are across hustle, waiting, and memory
• cozy family night triggers a home video deep dive
• forgotten details reveal mood, tone and micro-moments
• noticing impatience and missed bids for attention
• why small gestures carry long emotional weight
• practical ways to choose presence at gatherings
• imagining a red light to guide respo...

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We explore how waiting is a neutral space shaped by our thoughts, from holiday lines to life’s bigger delays, and how Advent invites expectant joy over impatience. Practical reframes and preparation steps turn delays into growth in relationships, home, work, and faith.

• waiting seen as neutral time shaped by thought
• examples from checkout lines, traffic, and a four-hour theme park line
• impatience, annoyance, and frantic urgency traced to specific thoughts
• reframing toward empathy, trust in timing, and expectant joy
• preparation during waiting for relationships, marriage, home, and work Duration: 00:14:21

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We open a three-part December series by naming the holiday hustle and offering a path to peace. We reframe stress by shifting thoughts, set kinder boundaries with family, and build simple practices that protect joy, gratitude, and presence.

• emotions arising from thoughts rather than events
• replacing have to and should with choose to
• trying on supportive thoughts for calm and agency
• listing obligations that drain energy
• honest conversations with spouse and family
• prioritizing what truly matters and calendaring it
• keeping prayer, movement, sleep, and hobbies
• daily gr...

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We explore ten unexpected places where thanks took root, from back surgery and Wisconsin winters to thrift choices, long road trips, and a peaceful goodbye at a father’s bedside. The conversation invites you to pan out, reframe hard memories, and practice deeper gratitude with intention.

• lessons from back surgery on compassion and health
• rhythms and beauty of Wisconsin’s four seasons
• stewardship, thrift, and modeling money wisdom for kids
• road trip chaos turning into family legacy and lore
• the grace of a peaceful death and presence at the bedside...

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We explore why life’s messiness catches us off guard and how shifting expectations and practicing surrender build true resilience. Stories from family, work, health, and finances ground a simple two-part framework to move through hardship without blame, guilt, or panic.

• redefining hidden expectations about “how life should be”
• common stressors across family, work, money, and health
• the childbirth analogy to normalize pain with purpose
• avoiding blame, shame, and comparison that compound pain
• resilience through mindset shifts and trust-filled surrender
• hope without doom, boundaries without becoming a doormat
• ho...

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We explore how play opens the heart, wonder opens the eyes, and awe opens the soul, weaving stories, science, and faith into a simple path back to joy. Practical steps help us slow down, laugh more, and meet God in ordinary beauty.

• laughter on the lake and the freedom of aging lightly
• clear definitions of play, wonder, and awe
• how play leads to wonder and wonder matures into awe
• why adulthood replaces curiosity with efficiency
• imitation thrills versus nourishing delight
• childlike faith as purity of heart, not immaturi...

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We reflect on a missed moment with a student and uncover how assumptions, vague labels, and fast advice block real connection. Practical scripts show how clarifying questions deepen understanding at home, at work, and in faith conversations.

• the problem with assuming shared definitions
• how labels replace facts and distort meaning
• simple clarifying questions that open people up
• shifting from advice to curiosity for connection
• examples for kids, partners, and coworkers
• using reflection to repair missed moments

If you have any questions or would like to go deeper...

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Ever try to shame yourself into a habit only to feel stuck and tired? We explore why guilt can force short-term compliance but rarely creates the deep, steady motivation that sustains prayer, health, and order. Drawing on a faith-centered lens and practical psychology, we unpack how curiosity and acceptance become catalysts for lasting change—and how that same posture can transform the way we motivate our kids, spouses, and teams.

We start with a relatable morning misstep and use it to reveal the inner scripts that keep us stuck: shoulds, harsh se...

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We explore why overwhelm is a thought problem, not a schedule problem, and how to shift into calm through mindset, boundaries, and simple tools grounded in faith and practicality. We share reframes, stories, and steps to help you choose the next right thing with peace.

• defining overwhelm as an emotion created by thoughts
• personal story of survival mode and powerlessness
• hidden causes: perfectionism, people pleasing, “it’s all on me”
• lack of priorities, negative self-talk, unmanaged mind
• faith lens: focus on one thing and let go
• mindset reframes t...

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We explore the quiet ways spiritual warfare shows up in daily life and how to respond with truth, intention, community, and hope. We name four common tactics—deception, diversion, division, and discouragement—and offer practical, faith-filled counters to each.

• the Four D’s of spiritual warfare and why awareness matters
• how subtle lies distort identity and God’s character
• practical ways to root yourself in Scripture and sacraments
• why busyness is a strategy and how to choose silence
• repairing unity with humility, forgiveness, and community
• spotting shame’s pull and run...

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We draw a clear line between self-doubt that questions ability and self-judgment that attacks worth, then offer tools to break both cycles. We share a simple framework—pause, identify, replace—to help you build courage, practice compassion, and take steady action.

• difference between doubt (ability) and judgment (identity)
• how they show up as procrastination, perfectionism, and shame
• why courage reduces doubt and compassion disarms judgment
• collecting small wins and borrowing belief for confidence
• reframing with curiosity and “I wonder” language
• prosecuting harsh thoughts and shifting to growth
• the pau...

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We explore why peace feels scarce in a fast world and how to build lasting inner stillness through prayer, mindset, and simple daily choices. We share practical tools for family conflict, future uncertainty, and perfectionism, and invite you to choose one practice this week.

• defining peace as more than calm circumstances
• scripture’s promise of unshakable peace
• common peace stealers: overthinking, perfectionism, comparison
• disconnection from God as a root cause
• prayer and surrender as daily anchors
• thought management that changes emotions
• grounding practices to settle the body
• b...

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We explore one of the simplest yet most powerful principles for living a meaningful life: showing up consistently for yourself and others. The quality of our relationships and personal growth depends not on grand gestures or perfection, but on our willingness to be present when it matters most.

• Showing up means being present - it doesn't require perfection or having everything figured out
• The power of showing up was demonstrated when family members supported each other during marathon races
• You can't consistently show up for others if you're not first...

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We explore the balance between creating and consuming in our lives, examining how modern lifestyles often tilt toward overconsumption and the resulting impacts on our fulfillment and growth. This episode challenges listeners to evaluate their own balance while offering practical strategies for incorporating more intentional creation and mindful consumption.

• Creating means bringing something into existence—cooking, writing, gardening, or sharing knowledge
• Consuming means taking in—food, information, products, or media
• Both activities are necessary but become problematic when significantly imbalanced
• Overconsumption leads to stagnation, keeping us comfortable but unfulfilled<...

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We explore how our relationship with the future shapes our present and discover ways to find purpose in every season of life. The key is balancing present awareness with purposeful vision for tomorrow, rather than constantly waiting for the next phase to bring happiness.

• Your perspective changes as you "climb the mountain" mentally, emotionally, and spiritually
• Small decisions today create ripple effects that shape your entire future trajectory
• Different areas of life may evoke different feelings about the future (excitement vs. anxiety)
• Life will always be 50-50 - challeng...

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Sharon Murphy, certified life and mindset coach, explores the transformative power of living in the present moment and how it creates a foundation for peace and purposeful action.

• Being stuck in the past or anxious about the future robs us of our power in the present
• Like a hiking map that marks "You Are Here" rather than where you've been, our focus should be on our current position
• Past trauma deserves healing, but we must choose what meaning we assign to our experiences
• Mindfulness is not "woo-woo" but rather t...

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Are you trapped in stories from your past? That painful conversation from years ago, the mistake you can't forgive yourself for, or even those "better times" you wish you could return to? This episode dives deep into how our thoughts about past experiences—both traumatic and wonderful—can keep us from fully experiencing our present lives.

When we continuously revisit past hurts or disappointments, we're not just remembering them—we're actively recreating those emotional experiences in our present moment. Each time we think those familiar thoughts, we strengthen the neural pathways that m...

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Do you start enthusiastic projects only to abandon them weeks later? Feel repelled by rigid schedules despite knowing structure helps achieve goals? You're not broken—you're wired differently.

This episode challenges the one-size-fits-all approach to discipline that dominates personal development culture. For those who thrive on variety, spontaneity, and excitement, traditional productivity systems often feel like straitjackets rather than tools for success. Instead of viewing your distractibility as a character flaw, I invite you to see it as pointing toward your natural strengths.

The tendency to seek novelty and ex...

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Have you ever desperately wished for a do-over in life? That childhood plea of "I want a redo!" still echoes in our adult lives when we fall short of our expectations. While true redos aren't possible, something more powerful is: the reset button.

Just as IT professionals suggest restarting your device when things malfunction, we too can restart our minds, habits, and intentions at any moment. This episode explores how summer's carefree nature gradually eroded my carefully constructed routines and disciplined habits from January. Rather than dwelling in disappointment, I'm choosing...

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We explore how dreaming is a divine gift that many adults have abandoned, and why reclaiming this ability is essential for living our fullest lives and discovering our God-given purpose.

• Most of us naturally dreamed as children but lost this ability through criticism or practical advice from well-meaning adults
• When we stop dreaming, we tend to become cynical and critical of others who dare to dream
• The belief that dreaming is selfish or unrealistic often prevents us from exploring our true potential
• We encourage children and teenagers to dream bi...

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We explore the true meaning of success and why we need to redefine it according to our personal aims and values, not society's standards of wealth and prestige.

• Success by definition is simply "the accomplishment of an aim or purpose"
• Society associates success with certain jobs and titles (doctors, lawyers, entrepreneurs)
• We don't typically use "successful" to describe stay-at-home parents or teachers, even when they excel
• Small daily accomplishments are legitimate successes worth celebrating
• Getting up early to work out or pray is a success
• Organizing a neglected...

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Have you ever found yourself paralyzed by indecision, perpetually worried, or constantly overwhelmed? These emotions might not be what they seem. They could be protective shields keeping you from experiencing deeper, more uncomfortable feelings.

In this revealing episode, I share my journey discovering how the simple phrase "I don't know" became my default response to difficult questions until I was challenged to push beyond it. This awakening led me to recognize a pattern many of us experience - indulging in certain emotions that prevent growth rather than processing the vulnerable feelings...

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Do you constantly feel like you don't have enough time, money, or resources? This perpetual state of "not enough" might be a scarcity mindset that's creating unnecessary stress in your life. 

Sharon Murphy explores the prison of scarcity thinking and how it manifests in three primary areas of our lives. She shares her personal struggle with time scarcity, revealed through recurring dreams about not being able to open her high school locker - a dream her mother and sisters surprisingly share. This common dream experience points to a universal fear of n...

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Our focus creates our reality and has a profound impact on our experience of the world. What we choose to pay attention to shapes not only our thoughts but our emotions, actions, and ultimately the results we get in life.

• Mental blinders can both help us achieve our goals and prevent us from seeing the complete picture
• What we focus on grows—positive attention breeds positive outcomes, while negative attention breeds negative results
• Social media algorithms and our brains work similarly, offering us more of what we've previously engaged with Duration: 00:21:42

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We all create unspoken operating manuals for the people in our lives that establish our expectations of how they should behave, think, and act. These unexpressed expectations become the source of frustration, resentment, and relationship problems when others don't follow rules they never agreed to.

• Our manuals often contain "shoulds" – assumptions that others should know what we want without being told
• We tie our happiness to someone else's behavior, giving away control of our emotional wellbeing
• The differences that initially attracted us to our partners often become sources of frustrat...

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What's the real difference between courage and confidence, and which do you actually need more of? In this illuminating exploration, life and mindset coach Sharon Murphy unravels a common misconception that holds many of us back from living fully.

Courage isn't an emotion but a choice available to all of us—the decision to take action despite uncertainty or fear. Meanwhile, confidence is a belief that grows only after we've taken those brave steps forward. This revelatory perspective flips conventional thinking on its head: we don't need confidence before starting; we ne...

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What's the difference between things you accomplish and things that remain perpetual dreams? The answer lies in one powerful word: commitment.

Drawing inspiration from Father's Day reflections and my mother's 84th birthday celebration, this episode explores what true commitment looks like in our lives. We all know people who demonstrate unwavering dedication – whether to their families, faith, or calling. Their example shows us that commitment isn't just about intention; it's about making a decision and refusing to give yourself an out.

Many of us struggle not because we lack go...

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We explore the deeper meaning behind our surface-level desires and how to recognize what truly lies beneath our wants for more time, money, relationships, or possessions.

• Understanding how our external desires often mask deeper needs for peace, freedom, security, and contentment
• Examining how our individual strengths and tendencies shape our approach to planning and uncertainty
• Reflecting on Matthew 6:21 - "For where your treasure is, there your heart will also be"
• Questioning why we delay experiences we value until retirement rather than incorporating them now
• Recognizing that money is just a...

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Sharon Murphy explores how to navigate life transitions, from major milestones to daily shifts that challenge our mental energy and emotional wellbeing.

• Life transitions require significant decision-making, which exhausts our brains
• Our brains register unknowns as threats, making transitions feel uncomfortable
• Change in identity is one of the hardest aspects of transitions to navigate
• Daily transitions like the after-work/before-dinner window (3-6 pm) can be just as challenging as major life changes
• Buffering behaviors like mindless eating often emerge during transition periods
• Planning ahead and creating flexible rou...

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Do you constantly tell yourself that certain tasks are "too hard"? From waking up early to putting down your phone, we label countless everyday activities as difficult when they're simply uncomfortable. This mindset creates unnecessary barriers in our lives, preventing us from taking actions that could lead to meaningful growth and positive change.

As a certified life and mindset coach, I've noticed this pattern repeatedly in my clients and even caught myself falling into the same trap. When we examine what makes something "hard," we often discover it's just resistance to...

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Our words carry significant weight, especially the ones we use in our own thoughts. The language patterns of "I have to," "I need to," "I should," and "I can't" create feelings of powerlessness and anxiety in our daily lives.

• Feeling overwhelmed or anxious often stems from our thoughts, not our circumstances
• These feelings typically emerge when we use disempowering language in our internal dialogue
• Challenging the truth of statements like "I need to" or "I have to" reveals that very few things are absolute necessities
• Replacing disempowering language with phr...

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Have you ever stopped to consider how your expectations shape your reality? From the standards we set for ourselves to the unspoken rules we create for others, expectations function as powerful forces that determine our happiness, relationships, and life outcomes.

In this episode, we dive into the three dimensions where expectations exercise their greatest influence. First, we examine how our expectations of ourselves can either propel us toward growth or crush us under the weight of perfectionism. The key distinction? Setting high standards for our efforts rather than our outcomes.
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In today's episode we talk about what's possible in your life.  About why we don't consider the possibilities available to us and how our thinking and perspective can change when we are presented with new possibilities.  When our thinking and perspective change, we change our lives, because what we think is possible drives the decisions we make in every area of our life.   I talk about how we can tend to feel stuck and unfulfilled due to beliefs that what's available to others isn't available to us.  We can also live small because we f...

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In today's episode we talk about the importance of pursuing excellence in our lives.  How this differs from trying to achieve perfection and how this pursuit should be something we strive for in every area of our lives.  Not because we desire to be the best in everything, but because it's been placed on our hearts from God that we are called to greatness and that to use the gifts and talents we've been given to the best of our ability each and every day is the way we honor God.   I mention how...

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On today's episode I share about the recent pilgrimage my daughter and I made to Portugal and Spain where we did The Camino for nearly two weeks.   I share about some of the challenges we faced and the lessons learned in the planning, executing and navigating of our trip.  I discuss 4 main points or takeaways that I believe are important for each of us to take into our daily lives.  As we are all on a pilgrimage, being that we are traveling in a foreign land (this is not our home) and have a de...

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Today we're talking family, which is part 2 of our series on happiness.  Understanding that what family means for all of us can be different, we take a look at how God created us for family and that within the context of this relationship we are to help each other grow in holiness as well as get to heaven.   Even when it's challenging, which it will be, we're called to love those people closest to us.  I discuss 5 major areas where we create obstacles to growing in relationship.  Those being, locus of control, manual, list...

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Today we wrap up our 4 part series on Happiness.  We talk about how finding work that is meaningful and has purpose in your life is essential to happiness.  I stress the fact that this doesn't mean it must be your full time job as sometimes family situations and needs aren't able to support that.  However, doing work that has meaning and purpose can be done part time or even as a volunteer.  As long as it involves some aspect of using your gifts and talents to serve others, it will fulfill your purpose and...

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In part 3 of our 4 part series on happiness, we talk about the importance of investing in friendships.  I talk about the friendship that we witnessed when Mary visited her cousin Elizabeth and how it required Mary to think about the needs of her friend before those of her own.  I talk about the importance of committing to our friendships even when life is busy and we feel we don't have the time or energy to foster these relationships.   There are 5 tips I give for finding and keeping those friendships that make our lives bett...

Today we're talking family, which is part 2 of our series on happiness.  Understanding that what family means for all of us can be different, we take a look at how God created us for family and that within the context of this relationship we are to help each other grow in holiness as well as get to heaven.   Even when it's challenging, which it will be, we're called to love those people closest to us.  I discuss 5 major areas where we create obstacles to growing in relationship.  Those being, locus of control, manual, listening well, becoming who we were mean...

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Today we begin a 4 part series where we take a closer look at the 4 pillars of Happiness as outlined by Dr. Arthur Brooks.   The first topic is faith.  Why is our faith important and what are some practical daily practices we can use to grow in faith.  Next we talk about obstacles to continuing with our daily habits of prayer and faith works.  How the enemy uses tactics of distraction (even on good things) and discouragement to keep us from those daily habits.   I introduce the idea that keeping the end in mind - mea...

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Today we dive into habits.  What they are, why their important in our pursuit of happiness and holiness and why we find it difficult to create new habits.   We discuss why it's difficult to stick to new habits and the neuroscience behind that and that every habit is driven by a reward.  Without the reward, there would be no habit.   We dive into what to do when we are in the throws of urges as we work to quit old habits and create new ones.   We revisit the importance of creating new thoughts to cr...

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Today we're talk all about happiness.  How to be happy & holy, which is the focus of what I do.    This work - seeking happiness while striving for holiness is for all.  Young, not so young, men and women alike.   We dive into beliefs we have about happiness and how it fits in with our Catholic faith and striving for holiness.  We discuss what happiness is and the 4 pillars that are the foundation of happiness as outlined by Dr. Arthur Brooks who is Harvard Professor and behavioral scientist who is considered one of the world...

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In todays episode we dive into mindset - what it means and why it matters.  We discuss how in order to make real change in your life, you must become aware of the impact your thoughts and emotions have on your actions.   To experience real transformation, from the inside out, which is the goal of anyone on their journey to the heights, you must learn to take captive thoughts that are no longer serving and replace them with thoughts and emotions that align with  your values and who you want to be.   The firs...

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In this introduction episode I tell you a little bit about myself as well as what you can expect in this podcast.   I give the origin of To The Heights along with the importance of elevating your thinking to elevate your life and that when we change our perspective, everything changes.  I discuss how awareness, ownership and freedom are the phases we'll go through as we journey To The Heights, but it up to each of us to decide.  In the words of JPII - you must choose.  

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