The Next Right Thing

The only person you’re guaranteed to be with every day of your life is you. Maybe your next right thing is to make some peace with yourself and come back home. For a complete transcript of this episode visit the show notes right here. Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman + get the monthly letter here: emilypfreeman.com/letter

When I have a question, the first thing I want is an answer. Sometimes answers are fairly easy to come by – How do you make pizza? What should I wear today? Who can drive to piano practice? But so often, the questions we have in life that give us trouble are the ones that aren’t so linear. In my experience, these usually have to do with things like faith, vocation, and relationships. Today I'm sharing about a time in our life when my husband John and I desperately wanted answers but what we got instead was a series of arrows. This is a story of where they led. Links + Resources From This Episode: What Now? by Ann Patchett Episode 14: Know What You Want Grace Discipleship|| John Freeman A Million Little Ways: Uncover The Art You Were Made To Live by Emily P. Freeman The Divine Conspiracy: Rediscovering Our Hidden Life In God by Dallas Willard Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman Get the monthly letter! emilypfreeman.com/letter

How can we discern our next right thing when we're confronted with unpredictable people? Today we'll explore the difference between a loving intention and a fear-based agenda.  More From This Episode: Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman Get the monthly letter here: emilypfreeman.com/letter Download a transcript of episode 23 at The Next Right Thing Podcast

When you finally find, name, and move toward the things you feel most called to, you will quickly discover some roadblocks in the form of some kind of limitation like time, money, fatigue, or support. Instead of fighting those, perhaps your next right thing is to embrace them. Links + Resources From This Episode: Let Your Life Speak by Parker J. Palmer Gary Morland, my Dad Psalm 23 Strengthening the Soul of Your Leadership by Ruth Haley Barton My books, A Million Little Ways + Simply Tuesday (+ the Simply Tuesday small group leader guide) A Creative Liturgy of Everyday Life: Makers & Mystics Podcast - A further conversation I had about embracing limits with Sarah and Stephen Roach Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman Get the monthly letter here: emilypfreeman.com/letter  Visit The Next Right Thing Podcast show notes to download a complete transcript of this episode.

What do you do when you can't make a decision and you’re too close to even know what you want and don’t want? You need to find a No Mentor and eventually, learn to be your own. Links + Resources From This Episode: The Nester, my sister (my No Mentor) The Lazy Genius Collective Kendra Adachi (my other No Mentor) Bonita Lillie To Bless This Space Between Us by John O'Donohue Find me on instagram @emilypfreeman Join my monthly list

With computers in our pockets, the truth is we all have low-grade anxiety that messes with our ability to discern our next right thing. Today I'll share practical steps to take to eliminate of one of the most common anxiety triggers: the ones that show up in our feeds, our follows, and our online accounts. Mentions in this Episode: John Freeman - my husband The Tech-Wise Family: Everyday Steps for Putting Technology In Its Proper Place by Andy Crouch The Monastery of the Heart: An Invitation to a Meaningful Life by Joan Chittister Instagram: @emilypfreeman Get the monthly letter here: emilypfreeman.com/letter Find a complete transcript for this episode right here.

In January it's tempting to search the horizon for what might be next and open ourselves up to new opportunities. But decision fatigue can set in when every opportunity that comes our way seems to have potential. How can we choose which opportunities to take and which ones to pass up? That's today's episode. Links + Resources From This Episode: Myquillyn Smith, The Nester Crazy Busy: A (Mercifully) Short Book about a (Really) Big Problem by Kevin DeYoung Receive Book Recommendations in the Monthly Letter Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman Visit The Next Right Thing Podcast show notes to download a transcript of this episode

Astronaut Scott Kelly was the first American to spend 340 consecutive days in space. But the night he returned home, the news cameras were looking in another direction. In our last episode of 2017, we'll take a few moments to consider what it means to wait with great hope during one of the busiest months of the year. Mentions in this Episode: The Quiet Collection for Christmas (available until December 12) Find me on instagram @emilypfreeman

When it comes to discerning your next right thing, maybe this one small word will make a difference for you as it has for me. Visit thenextrightthingpodcast.com for a full transcript and a copy of today's prayer. Mentions in This Episode: My Utmost for His Highest by Oswald Chambers The Memoir Project: A Thoroughly Non-Standardized Text For Writing and Life by Marion Roach Smith Simply Tuesday: Small-Moment Living In A Fast-Moving World by Emily P. Freeman It's Simply Tuesday: A Coloring Book by Emily P. Freeman To Bless This Space Between Us: A Book of Blessings by John O'Donohue Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman #itssimplytuesday Receive my monthly letter

During the holidays, the transition from our regular schedule to extended time with family can be great in theory but more difficult in practice. Here's one simple step you can take to help you be a sane person with your people this week. Mentions in This Episode: Soul Keeping by John Ortberg Simply Tuesday by Emily P. Freeman Join my letter list Instagram @emilypfreeman Find complete transcripts at thenextrightthingpodcast.com

In 2014, Nancy Writebol was one of the first Americans diagnosed with the Ebola virus infection in West Africa. What happened after that could provide surprising comfort for anyone who feels stuck or discouraged in the midst of a hard time. Visit thenextrightthingpodcast.com for resources mentioned + a full transcript. Join our little tribe at emilypfreeman.com/join and say hi on instagram @emilypfreeman.

Knowing what you want is not selfish; it's actually crucial to making decisions. It builds confidence, hastens healing, and is a gift to the people you love. Visit thenextrightthingpodcast.com for resources mentioned in this episode + a full transcript. To connect beyond the podcast, join our little tribe at emilypfreeman.com/join for weekly reminders to help create space for your soul to breathe so you can discern your next right thing in love.

We usually save this conversation for January, but maybe we need it now more than ever. If you feel busy but not productive or rushing to get somewhere but never feel like you’ve arrived, it's time to focus on what is essential. To connect beyond the podcast, join our little tribe at emilypfreeman.com/join and find me on instagram @emilypfreeman Mentioned in This Episode: Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less by Greg McKeown The Listening Life: Embracing Attentiveness in a World of Distraction by Adam McHugh A Million Little Ways: Uncover the Art You Were Made to Live by Emily P. Freeman  

Scattered and rushed doesn't have to be the norm. Listen in for one simple way to gather yourself and practice presence today. Come join our little tribe for even more help to create space for your soul to breathe: emilypfreeman.com/join and find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman. Mentioned in This Episode: The Jesus Way by Eugene Peterson Guerillas of Grace by Ted Loder

Perhaps today, your next right step is simply to release something you no longer need so that you can move one step closer to becoming who you already are. And no, this episode title is not a metaphor for something else. Today, we need to have a talk about pants. Visit the thenextrightthingpodcast.com and click on episode 11 to download a copy of today's prayer for self-acceptance. Find me on Instagram @emilypfreeman or here: emilypfreeman.com

If your to-do list feels never ending, here is one action and one question to help you take your next right step today. Visit The Next Right Thing Podcast for show notes + full transcript + more resources to help you create space for your soul to breathe today. For weekly reminders to do your next right thing, join our community right here.

This week, our country grieves after the horrific mass shooting Las Vegas. We belong to each other. But how do we move forward together without losing hope or becoming overwhelmed that we can't do anything at all? One way to discover your next right step in the aftermath of tragedy is to push away blanket statements and generalities and instead, start to be specific. To print out today’s prayer and/or a complete transcript of this episode, visit The Next Right Thing Podcast. You can also find me on Twitter + Instagram. Mentions in this episode: A Circle of Quiet by Madeleine L'Engle Sandra Peoples Heart Wrestling by Shannan Martin Here and Now by Henri Nouwen

Fear of choosing wrong or missing what's best can lead to an obsession with clarity and the quick fix. Today’s collection of stories shows how often the best parts of life can't be planned and how God often works in small surprises in the midst of the long haul. If you’ve left a review or just want to say hello, visit thenextrightthingpodcast.com and tell me so I can thank you directly! You can also find me on Twitter + Instagram. Mentions in this episode: Sarah Masen Hutchmoot The Rabbit Room Simply Tuesday

Fame is messing with us, interfering with our ability to discern our next right thing because maybe we're waiting for the next big thing. What a singer, a cyclist, and a make-believe boss have to teach us about faithfulness, fame, and the gift of obscurity. If it seems like the people around you are taking big steps while all yours feel small and inconsequential, listen in. Visit thenextrightthingpodcast.com for show notes + a full transcript. Find me on instagram @emilypfreeman

Sometimes indecision is the result of a busy schedule or a hesitant personality. Other times, though, it's because there is something within us that remains unnamed. In today's episode: what a robocall and a New York chef have to teach us about the power of naming to help us take our next right step. Visit thenextrightthingpodcast.com for show notes + resources mentioned. Find me on instagram @emilypfreeman.