The Next Right Thing

We all have the capacity to live our lives in such a way that we forget to remember who we are, we hurry through our minutes looking for the next important thing, we are overly attentive to what people think of us, and we are addicted to our own press.   So what is the next right thing for those of us who are so aware of other people’s opinions that we have a hard time knowing our own, making wise decisions, or doing our next right thing in love? Listen in. Links + Resources From This Episode: Get 10% off your first three months of Ritual Vitamins A Failure of Nerve by Edwin Friedman Episode 175: How to Find a Mentor with Natasha Sistrunk Robinson Order The Next Right Thing Guided Journal Grab a copy of my book The Next Right Thing  Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman DOWNLOAD TRANSCRIPT

For generations, people have wandered through the wilderness and the valley of the shadow; they have navigated life in the midst of difficulty, loss, and seemingly impossible circumstances. If you are walking through your own wilderness right now, you are not alone even if you feel alone. Listen in. Links + Resources From This Episode: Enjoy $100 off your first month with code NEXTRIGHTTHING at TalkSpace The Dusty Ones by AJ Swoboda Learning to Walk in the Dark by Barbara Brown Taylor Friends University's Christian Spiritual Formation and Leadership program Order The Next Right Thing Guided Journal Grab a copy of my book The Next Right Thing  Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman Download Transcript

How do you know if you're in the right place with the right people at the right time? And how can we find mentors to help us discern our next right thing? Natasha Sistrunk Robinson is a leader we all need in our lives and her voice inspires me to be the leader I'm meant to be. May she do the same for you. Listen in. Links + Resources From This Episode: Get 30% off your first month of KiwiCo with code NEXTRIGHTTHING Learn more about Natasha Sistrunk Robinson's work here Leadership Links, Inc. Mentor for Life: Finding Purpose through Intentional Discipleship by Natasha Sistrunk Robinson A Sojourner’s Truth by Natasha Sistrunk Robinson Our Stories in The Wilderness - Keynote at The Apprentice Gathering Find Natasha on Instagram here Discover where Annie is taking the That Sounds Fun Podcast on tour this summer Order The Next Right Thing Guided Journal Grab a copy of my book The Next Right Thing  Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman Download Transcript

When it comes to the decisions we make in our lifetime, questions about our job and vocation top the list as the ones that can cause the most decision fatigue. For 15 minutes, let’s consider the question beneath the question and see if we can uncover more information that could help you discern your next right thing. Listen in.   Links + Resources From This Episode: Explore a free trial of premium membership at Skillshare 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 Transcript

If you want to incorporate journaling into your daily rhythm but don’t know where to begin, here's how to use just one word to get started. Listen in. Links + Resources From This Episode: Enjoy 10% off your first three months of Ritual Episode 49: Collaborate Episode 172: Make These Two Lists Now You still have time to complete The Next Right Thing survey Managing Oneself by Peter Drucker Order The Next Right Thing Guided Journal Grab a copy of my book The Next Right Thing  Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman Download Transcript

When you have a decision to make, the first place to start is not with a pro/con list. Instead, start with a Q+A list: questions and arrows. I’ll use an example from my own life so you can see how this simple next-right-thing practice can help you discern your way through complicated, nuanced decisions. Listen in.   Links + Resources From This Episode: Share your opinions about The Next Right Thing Help, Thanks, Wow by Anne Lamott Order The Next Right Thing Guided Journal Grab a copy of my book The Next Right Thing  Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman Download Transcript

We've had a year of hearing about closings, shutdowns, and cancelations. We've become somewhat expert at navigating those last minute change of plans. But now that a new season is upon us and hope is creeping toward the door, maybe you're wondering why you still lack motivation and can't seem to get anything done? We've learned what to do when the world shuts down, but how are we supposed to move forward as it opens up again? Listen in. Links + Resources From This Episode: Enjoy 30% off with a new KiwiCo subscription using code NEXTRIGHTTHING Episode 120: What to do When The World Shuts Down Order The Next Right Thing Guided Journal Grab a copy of my book The Next Right Thing  Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman Download Transcript

As restrictions lift and the season changes, you might be facing more decisions now than you have all year. Instead of trying hard to move through decision fatigue, what if trying softer is your next right thing? I'm talking with author, counselor, and kind human Aundi Kolber. Listen in. Links + Resources From This Episode: Get a free premium trial of Skillshare just for being a listener Try Softer by Aundi Kolber Learn more about Aundi on her website or on Instagram Grab Aundi's self-compassion resource Episode 25: Come Home to Yourself Order The Next Right Thing Guided Journal Grab a copy of my book The Next Right Thing  Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman Download Transcript

From dinner time to bedtime, evening can often feel like a mad dash to end the day. Instead of closing the day with intention, we have more of a hurry up and rest mindset. Rather than giving you guideposts to design your entire evening, I'll offer a framework to help you personalize a 10 minute evening routine to help you transition from the day into the evening that you can do anywhere, in any season, no matter where you are, who you’re with, or what’s gone wrong. Listen in. Links + Resources From This Episode: Discover insights about your hormones with Modern Fertility (and get $20 off) Episode 76: Create a Simple Morning Routine Episode 90: Start with this Simple Rhythm Episode 141: Redo Your Morning Routine Hello Mornings by Kat Lee The Universal Path to Life-Giving Routine 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 Transcript

Of all the things we lost in the last 12 months, one that has taken the longest for me to name is a sense of possibility. Maybe 2020 was the year the dreamers stopped dreaming. So much felt impossible for so long (and some things still do) — but a question is rising up in me and I wonder if it would be helpful for you too: is it time to begin to dream again? Here are three things to consider. Listen in.   Links + Resources From This Episode: Match with a licensed therapist on Talkspace and get $100 off your first month with code NEXTRIGHTTHING Leeana Tankersley's Instagram We're Going There with Bianca Jaurez Olthoff James VanDerBeek's Instagram Order The Next Right Thing Guided Journal Grab a copy of my book The Next Right Thing  Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman Download Transcript

What is spiritual direction and how is it different from counseling, discipling, mentorship, teaching, coaching, soul care, or friendship? We'll answer this and more in today's episode, including how spiritual direction can be a helpful practice in discerning our next right thing. Listen in. Links + Resources From This Episode: Redefine learning with 30% off your first month of KiwiCo with code NEXTRIGHTTHING Spiritual Direction by Gary Moon and David Benner Soul Care in African-American Practice by Barbara L. Peacock Let Your Life Speak by Parker Palmer Sacred Companions by David Benner Order The Next Right Thing Guided Journal Grab a copy of my book The Next Right Thing  Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman Download Transcript

What is our next right thing when we’re confronted with disappointment? What do we do when someone else’s next right thing leads to our own broken heart? What if their win is our loss? What if their freedom leads to our grief? We’re asking some difficult questions and not demanding answers but remaining open for the arrows. Listen in. Links + Resources From This Episode: Explore your creativity and a trial premium membership at Skillshare Episode 76: Create A Simple Morning Routine Episode 90: Start with this Simple Rhythm Episode 141: Redoing Your Morning Routine Order The Next Right Thing Guided Journal Grab a copy of my book The Next Right Thing  Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman Download Transcript

One way to make more confident decisions for your future is to reflect on decisions you've made in the past. I do this on a seasonal basis, but the goal is not to obey the calendar. The goal is to pay attention to your life. Here are three ways to practice seasonal reflection even if you are in the middle of a season. Listen in. Links + Resources From This Episode: Get $20 off at Modern Fertility Christ Plays in Ten Thousand Places by Eugene Peterson Order The Next Right Thing Guided Journal Grab a copy of my book The Next Right Thing  Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman Download Transcript

When it comes to finding your purpose and knowing your why, many of us have mixed feelings. On the one hand, it's inspirational and motivating. But there is another hand, and that's the one filled with anxiety and questioning: how do we know if we're on the right track? What if we don't have a clear sense of purpose? Author and comedian Michael Jr. helps us discern our next right thing without making things complicated. Listen in. Links + Resources From This Episode: Try Talkspace for $100 off your first month with code NEXTRIGHTTHING Learn more about author and comedian Michael Jr. Funny How Life Works by Michael Jr. (available March 2) Know Your Why video on YouTube Order The Next Right Thing Guided Journal Grab a copy of my book The Next Right Thing  Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman Download Transcript

When we witness dissonance in the world around us, when we see people make terrible choices on live TV or in the parking lot of a Starbucks or in the sanctuary of our churches or in the halls of a federal building and then we still have to decide what to make for dinner that night, it’s disorienting at best, traumatizing at worst. Many of us want to know: What can I do? What is my next right thing in this? It's an important question and it's not rhetorical. Listen in. Links + Resources From This Episode: Get 15% off The Between Places Prayer Journal with code NEXTRIGHTTHING The Writing Life by Annie Dillard The Life of Reason by George Santayana One by Deidra Riggs Women I am listening to these days: Deidra Riggs, Dr. Lucretia Barry, Lisa Sharon Harper, Latasha Morrison, and Mattie James Order The Next Right Thing Guided Journal Grab a copy of my book The Next Right Thing  Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman Download Transcript

It's one thing to change your mind when you're sure of your decision. But how can you know if it's time to move on when circumstance, desire, and opinions are mixed? Here are 8 questions to ask yourself to find some clarity. Listen in. Links + Resources From This Episode: Next Right Thing listeners can enjoy a free trial of Skillshare premium membership Episode 161: Change Your Mind The Holy Longing by Ronald Rolheiser Real Church by Dr. Larry Crabb Order The Next Right Thing Guided Journal Grab a copy of my book The Next Right Thing  Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman Download Transcript

You are allowed to change your mind. In fact, this might be the most courageous, spiritually forming thing you could do. If we want to participate in true transformation, we may have to be willing to let go of what we’re good at, to move away from what we once knew for sure (or thought we knew for sure), and take a step into the mysterious shadow of unknowing. You might be surprised what you find there. Listen in.   Links + Resources From This Episode: Get 15% off The Between Places Prayer Journal with code NEXTRIGHTTHING In the Name of Jesus by Henri Nouwen Order The Next Right Thing Guided Journal Grab a copy of my book The Next Right Thing  Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman Download Transcript

This time of year encourages a new start, a letting go, a shaking loose of old skins and embracing a new kind of strength. Maybe growing and maturity means releasing. But what if part of releasing is allowing? What if shaking it off without first holding it out only means it will come back around again (and maybe not in very kind ways next time.)   What if letting go starts with letting in? That's what The Welcoming Prayer from Father Thomas Keating is all about. Listen in. Links + Resources From This Episode: Help your child explore their creativity with 30% off a KiwiCo crate with code NEXTRIGHTTHING Episode 114: Welcome Your Loneliness Preorder The Next Right Thing Guided Journal Grab a copy of my book The Next Right Thing  Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman Download Transcript

From favorite foods to honest confessions, 2020 has been a year of making beautiful things. In our final episode of the year, I'm sharing seven categories of things I made and encourage you to reflect on the significant memories, confessions, decisions and more that you made this year as well. Listen in. Links + Resources From This Episode: Listen to the other episodes in this series here: 5 Books I Read, 10 Things I Watched, and 5 Things I Listened To Kendra's Blank Canvas Cake and Bri McKoy's Doubleshot Iced Coffee The Lazy Genius Way by Kendra Adachi Artifact Uprising Photo Book (get $20 off your first purchase!) My IG Live with Natasha Sistrunk Robinson Preorder The Next Right Thing Guided Journal Grab a copy of my book The Next Right Thing  Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman Download Transcript

This episode is part of a mini-series where I'm sharing my favorite things I read, watched, listened to, and made this year.   If your year had a soundtrack, what would be on it? Today I'm sharing a few of my favorite things I listened to this year. Listen in. Links + Resources From This Episode: Get $100 off your first month of Talkspace with code NEXTRIGHTTHING Taylor Swift's folklore and evermore The Popcast with Knox and Jamie (Episodes 337, 361, and 380) My Spotify Playlists, specifically The Work The Gown: A Novel of the Royal Wedding by Jennifer Robson Voxer app Preorder The Next Right Thing Guided Journal Grab a copy of my book The Next Right Thing  Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman Download Transcript