Episode 284: Merica Stum | Summer Quarter Review

I am really excited about the conversation going into your ears today. Both of these guests have been on the show separately, but now we had a conversation all together. I am happy to welcome Pete Enns and his daughter Lizz Petters back to the show. Pete was on episode 181 and Liz joined me for episode 229. Pete is a college professor who has been teaching, writing and speaking about the Bible for over 20 years. He is a storyteller which is one reason why I love his writing but I also love that Pete isn’t afraid to lean in and ask hard questions. He values hearing the stories of everyday people and their struggles with the Bible. That drives so much of what he does with his writing and with his podcast, The Bible For Normal People. He has authored many books which include his most recent one Curveball: When Your Faith Takes Turns You Never Saw Coming or How I Stumbled and Tripped My Way to Finding a Bigger God. Liz is a writer, co-host of the Deconstructing Mamas Podcast, and mom to two. She is passionate about creating space for spiritual misfits to find a sense of safety and belonging on their faith journeys. She is especially passionate about empowering young moms and parents who are doing the hard work of healing while raising kids. In this conversation, they share both of their perspectives about growing up and faith. And we really wrestle with the tensions we feel around raising kids while deconstructing and what that means when it comes to church. I really appreciate the honestly and vulnerability here.  Connect with Sarah: Website | Instagram Sign up for Sarah's monthly Survival Kit Newsletter

I am happy to welcome Kimberly Stuart back to the show. She joined me way back on Episode 155. Kimberly is an author, podcaster and writing coach. She’s published 8 novels and her most recent nonfiction book titled Star For Jesus: And Other Jobs I Quit. Her podcast, which I’ve been a guest on twice, is called For Real with Kimberly Stuart. And is a writing coach along with Bob Goff. In this conversation, we talk about what fiction she’s been reading and why it’s good to read fiction. Then, she talks about what grace has looked like in her life. She unpacks that through humorous storytelling so pull up a chair and join the conversation. Connect with Sarah: Website | Instagram Sign up for Sarah's Survival Kit Newsletter

I am happy to welcome Ally Fallon to the show. I’ve been interested in having her on the show for a long time so when I saw her name come through my inbox, I was very excited. Ally is an author, speaker, and founder of Find Your Voice, a community that supports anyone who wants to write anything. She is a self-described writing coach. I read her most recent book titled Write Your Story: A Simple Formula to Understand Yourself, Your Story and Your Purpose in the World.  In this conversation, we talk about how and why writing your story is so important and powerful—even if you only write for your own eyes. We also talk about how we’ve been in a creative drought and overall burnout as people and even a country. Her thoughts on creativity and how to get out of burnout were very helpful. Connect with Sarah: Instagram | Website Sign up for Sarah's monthly Survival Kit Newsletter

I am happy to welcome Danielle Bayard Jackson to the show. She is a female friendship coach and educator who speaks nationally about the science of women’s platonic connections. She is also the author of Fighting for Our Friendships which comes out in May. Danielle’s coaching business, Friend Forward, is dedicated to teaching women how to create and maintain better female friendships, and her expertise has been featured in The New York Times, Psychology Today, Wall Street Journal, Oprah Magazine, and Good Morning America. As former high school teacher, Danielle now uses her teaching skills as an educator to coach women through common friendship conflicts. As a member of the American Sociological Association, she uses the latest research to create practical, tangible strategies to help women create more depth in their platonic relationships. Companies like TikTok, the NBA, NFL, and Etsy have all booked Danielle as a speaker to address the topic of connection psychology. In this episode, we lean into her expertise. She shares some really practical ways for us especially as women in their 30’s and 40’s to build friendships. You will definitely want to make some mental notes, buy her book and follow her online because she so helpful. Connect with Sarah: Website | Instagram Sign up for Sarah's monthly Survival Kit Newsletter

I am so happy to welcome my friend, Retha Nichole, back to the podcast. She is no stranger to the show. She was on episodes 74 and 255. She and I go way back and found each other when we were both starting out as podcasters. Retha’s expertise includes real estate, small business operations as well as helping small business companies figure out how to include diversity and inclusion in their business. She really comes alongside the client to help them find their authentic self.  She is a sought after speaker, trainer and executive coach with a unique perspective on various issues and challenges facing the professional woman. This is exactly why I had her on the show today. We dive into what to do when you feel stuck—whether that is in business or life. She packs so much wisdom and clarity into this short conversation. I took many notes while chatting and I think you will too. So pull up a chair and join the conversation. Connect with Sarah: Website | Instagram Sign up for her monthly Survival Kit Newsletter

Today, is the launch day for my book: Is Everyone Happier Than Me? An Honest Guide to the Questions That Keep You up at Night I am so excited to share this book with you! To celebrate, I want to give you a gift! It is one of the audiobook chapters that I recorded. I had a hard time choosing which chapter I wanted to give you, but I decided to give the chapter on friendship titled: Does anybody like me? This is pulled straight from the audiobook of me reading that chapter. I hope you enjoy it. Thank you for listening to the show and for buying the book! Connect with Sarah: Instagram | Website Sign up for Sarah's monthly Survival Kit Newsletter

I am so happy to welcome Emily P. Freeman to the show. Emily is the Wall Street Journal bestselling author of five books and host of The Next Right Thing podcast. Emily just has a way about her that can make you feel seen, heard and at ease.  Many of us have experienced a lot of change in the last few years. And sometimes, we are left feeling uncertain and unsure on where we are or where we go next or even how to process what happened before. I asked Emily to join me on the show because she published a book titled How to Walk into a Room and it really is such a helpful guide to to navigate this. In this episode, we talk about the metaphor of the rooms we experience, how to know when to leave a room, what to do when you need closure, and how to walk into a room—especially when it comes to making your own decision and not by people pleasing. This is a thoughtful conversation, full of insight. I think you are really going to benefit from it. Connect with Sarah: Website | Instagram Sign up for Sarah's monthly Survival Kit Newsletter

I am so happy to welcome my dear friend, Rachel Macy Stafford, back to the podcast. Rachel is a New York Times bestselling author and one of the most compassionate humans I know. You may know her best as the Hands Free Mama. She has joined me on Surviving Sarah on episodes 58. I asked Rachel to join me on the show again because she speaks to often about how to find your authentic self and how to let go and get unstuck. She most recently has written a book on the subject called Soul Shift along with a retreat that focuses on it. In this episode, we talk about the shifts we can make internally to help us find self-acceptance and how to let go of perfection. Rachel is a compassionate guide as we navigate being human and being in process of letting go from things that keep us from self-acceptance and learning how to embrace ourselves.  (As a quick note, you’ll hear my dog, Murray, losing his mind in the distant background early on in the conversation. His favorite UPS driver showed up and his enthusiasm was obvious.) Connect with Sarah: Website | Instagram Sign up for Sarah's monthly Survival Kit Newsletter

I asked my friend Emily Ferrara to join me to talk about how to find a therapist. Emily is a licensed professional counselor based in Atlanta, GA who specializes in anxiety, OCD and work/life balance. We had a really great conversation when she joined me on Surviving Sarah back on episode 171. So you may want to add that one to your listening queue.  This conversation is pulled out of a larger conversation that I recorded with her about perfectionism. To gain access to this bonus content--a 3 part deep dive on perfectionism--simply purchase my book Is Everyone Happier Than Me? and then go to my sarahbragg.com/happy to gain access. In that deep divew, you'll hear us talk about what perfectionism looks like and where it comes from in part 1. In part 2, we’ll talk about how failure keeps us stuck, the difference between healthy striving and perfectionism and goal setting. And in part 3, we will talk about how perfectionism plays a role in parenting and she’ll provide some helpful resources to help you go further.  Connect with Sarah: Website | Instagram Sign up for Sarah's monthly Survival Kit Newsletter.

In this episode, Sarah shares how research shows that we, as adults, have been living in a "fun drought," why that is and what we can do to build more fun into our lives. If you want more helpful content like this, pre-order her new book Is Everyone Happier Than Me? An Honest Guide to the Questions That Keep You up at Night If you enjoy Surviving Sarah, then you will enjoy the audiobook version because Sarah reads it herself. Connect with Sarah: Instagram | Website Sign up for Sarah's monthly Survival Kit Newsletter to find out what you should read, watch and listen to.