#MentalHealthMonday - The Rule Of Thirds

ARBONNE - Healthy Whole & Complete

Welcome to Mental Health Monday
Today I want to share a mindset that has completely reframed the way I move through hard seasons, creative stretches, motherhood, business, aging, healing — life. It's called The Rule of Thirds, and it's something I first heard articulated so powerfully by Emma Grede on the ASPIRE Podcast. And the moment she explained it, my entire nervous system exhaled. What Emma Grede teaches in ASPIRE Emma says this:
When you are doing something meaningful — building a company, raising children, pursuing a dream, changing your life — your experience will naturally fall into thirds.

One-third of the time, things feel great.
You're aligned. Energized. Confident. Everything clicks.
One-third of the time, things feel… fine.
Not amazing. Not terrible. You're showing up, doing the work, moving forward.
One-third of the time, things feel hard.
Heavy. Uncertain. Frustrating. Emotional. Doubt creeps in.

And here's the key insight Emma shares on ASPIRE: 👉 The hard third is not a problem. It's part of the design. That one sentence alone can save you years of self-judgment. Why this matters for your mental health So many of us were taught — directly or indirectly — that if something is right, it should feel good most of the time. And when it doesn't, we assume:

"I'm failing."
"I've lost my spark."
"Something is wrong with me."
"Maybe I should quit."

But the Rule of Thirds gives us a truth-based framework instead of an emotional one. Hard days don't mean you're off track.
They mean you're in the hard third. And once you expect that third, you stop panicking when you land there. Let me teach you how to use this (Meredith-style) This isn't just an idea. It's a practice. 1. Identify the third you're in — without making it mean anything Instead of spiraling, try saying: "Ah. I'm in the hard third today." No drama.
No diagnosis.
No identity crisis. Emma talks on ASPIRE about how naming the season removes its power. You stop arguing with reality — and that alone regulates your nervous system. 2. Create three different ways to support yourself Because here's the truth:
You don't need the same version of yourself every day. Great third (expand):

take the risk
make the pitch
train harder
dream bigger

Okay third (maintain):

do the basics
keep promises small
one meaningful task
steady over spectacular

Hard third (protect):

fewer decisions
nervous system first
rest without guilt
minimum viable day

This isn't weakness.
This is wisdom. 3. Stop rewriting your identity in the hard third This is where most of the damage happens. On hard-third days, the mind loves to say:

"See? You're inconsistent."
"You've changed."
"You're losing momentum."

No.
You're human. Emma makes this distinction beautifully: if your life is always in the hard third, something needs support or adjustment. But visiting the hard third? That's not failure — that's growth. 4. Let this end comparison When you're watching someone online and thinking,
"How are they thriving all the time?" Remember:
You're seeing their good third, edited and curated. You have no idea what third they were in yesterday.
Or what third they're in when the camera's off. The Rule of Thirds brings you back into compassion — for yourself and for others. 5. Use it to be braver This might be my favorite part. Once you stop fearing the hard third, you stop building your life around avoiding discomfort. You stop waiting to feel "ready."
You stop postponing joy.
You stop thinking confidence comes before action. And if Broadway — especially performing through 9/11 and everything that followed — taught me anything, it's this: You don't get to a bigger life by skipping the hard parts.
You get there by learning you can survive them. A 2-minute practice for today Write this down or put it in your notes app:

Today I'm in the: Great / Okay / Hard third
What my mind is saying: _______
What's actually true: _______
One loving action I can take today: _______

That's it. That's the work. Journal Prompt Where am I judging myself for being in the hard third — instead of honoring it? If this episode landed for you, share it with someone who's been quietly struggling and thinking they're "behind." And if you are in the hard third right now, hear me clearly: You are not broken.
You are not failing.
You are not off track. You're just in the part that asks you to soften, simplify, and stay. Because bliss isn't something you earn when everything is easy. Bliss is your birthright. 💙

Kokeile Premiumia

Nauti 14 päivää ilmaiseksi

Tilaa Premium

Jaksot(100)

How To Act As If You Are The Luckiest Person Alive

How To Act As If You're the Luckiest Person Alive Welcome back to The Meredith Patterson Podcast. I'm Meredith — and today we're going deep into something I call living life as if you already have wha...

6 Maalis 19min

#MentalHealthMonday - How to Make the Most of the Year of The Fire Horse

Mental Health Monday "How to Make the Most of the Year of the Fire Horse" Hello my beautiful friends — and welcome back to Mental Health Monday here on The Meredith Patterson Podcast. First, let me sa...

2 Maalis 15min

#MentalHealthMonday - Creating Your New Year Rituals: Routines, Energy, and Habits for a Powerful 2026

Hello, my beautiful friends, and welcome back to The Meredith Patterson Podcast. Today's episode is all about creating a powerful New Year Ritual — one that supports your mind, your body, your creativ...

26 Tammi 11min

Tell Your Story - Why Your Truth Is Not Too Much

TELL YOUR STORY: Why Your Truth Is Not Too Much In this deeply personal solo episode, Meredith explores why telling your story is an essential part of healing—not an act of drama, revenge, or destruct...

23 Tammi 24min

#MentalHealthMonday - Doing Everything With Excellence

Hello, my beautiful people. Welcome to Mental Health Monday. Today's episode is a love letter to the way you show up. Not the highlight-reel version of you. Not the "when I have more time" version of ...

19 Tammi 17min

A Special Guided Meditation - Transformative, Meditative, Inspirational Affirmations to Change Your Life

Hello, beautiful friends, and welcome back to The Meredith Patterson Podcast — the place where inspiration meets transformation, where creativity meets consciousness, and where you're reminded every s...

16 Tammi 15min

#MentalHealthMonday - Being a Good Mom Doesn't Mean Being a Martyr

Hi friends—welcome back to The Meredith Patterson Podcast. Today's topic is one I know so many mothers struggle with, often silently: the idea that to be a "good mom," you have to be a martyr. That be...

12 Tammi 15min

Live Fully, Love Deeply: A Conversation with Broadway's Bret Shuford (Re-Post In Loving Memory)

Today's episode is a special re-post (from Meredith Patterson's previous podcast Confessions Of An Actress in 2021). This repost is in loving memory of Broadway veteran and "Broadway Husbands" creato...

9 Tammi 58min

Kaikki yhdessä sovelluksessa

Kuuntele kaikki suosikkipodcastisi ja -äänikirjasi yhdessä paikassa.

Sinulle valikoitua sisältöä

Podme-sovelluksessa kokoat suosikkisi helposti omaan kirjastoosi. Saat meiltä myös kuuntelusuosituksia!

Jatka kuuntelua koska tahansa

Voit jatkaa siitä mihin jäit, myös offline-tilassa.

Premium

9,99 €/kk

Kaikki premium-podcastit
Ei mainoksia
Ei sitoutumista, peruuta koska tahansa

Aloita 14 päivän kokeilu

Premium

13,99 €/kk

Kaikki premium-podcastit
Ei mainoksia
Ei sitoutumista, peruuta koska tahansa
Yksi lisäkäyttäjä

Kokeile 14 päivää maksutta

Suosittua kategoriassa Koulutus

Tarinat ja äänet, joita rakastat kuunnella

Kuuntele kaikki suosikkipodcastisi ja -äänikirjasi

Lue lisää