247 - The Hidden Ways We Create Our Own Pain

What if when things fall apart… that’s actually where healing begins?

In this week’s episode of Life Happens with Barb & Michelle, we’re diving into the wisdom of Pema Chödrön and her transformational book When Things Fall Apart — a powerful guide for navigating hardship, fear, failure, and suffering.

When life feels overwhelming, our instinct is often to escape the discomfort. But what if leaning into fear is actually the path to resilience? What if the suffering we experience isn’t just about what happened — but the meaning we attach to it?

This episode explores how to stop adding to your own suffering and start turning life’s hardest moments into growth and healing.

💬 Barb shares how When Things Fall Apart helped her navigate her mother’s terminal cancer diagnosis and shift from fear to grounded presence.

💬 Michelle opens up about recognizing where she was compounding her own suffering — and how she now approaches hardship with greater awareness, compassion, and courage.

This conversation is an invitation to step out of denial, stop fighting reality, and begin building emotional resilience — especially when everything feels like it’s unraveling.

✨ In This Episode, We Explore:

• When Things Fall Apart – Why hardship and failure are not the end, but the beginning of transformation.
• How We Add to Our Own Suffering – The stories we tell ourselves that keep us stuck in guilt, denial, or fear.
• Leaning Into Fear – How facing discomfort builds real resilience.
• Reframing Failure – Why failure can be your greatest teacher.
• From Denial to Acceptance – Feeling difficult emotions instead of escaping them.
• The Danger of Passive Hope – Moving from wishing things were different to taking grounded, proactive steps.
• Building Emotional Resilience – Navigating small challenges so we’re stronger in life’s biggest storms.
• Being Fully Alive – Living with presence, curiosity, and compassion.

True healing begins when we stop resisting what is. When we meet pain with compassion instead of judgment. When we realize that fear and hardship are not signs that we’re broken — but invitations to grow.

If life feels heavy right now, this episode is for you.

💗 Mentioned in today’s episode:

Pema Chödrön’s When Things Fall Apart: https://bit.ly/3OAynj2

📘 Continue the Conversation

If this episode resonates, you may also love Michelle’s USA TODAY bestselling book, Dear Friend — a daily reflection companion designed to help you reconnect with yourself, strengthen your inner voice, and practice emotional clarity one day at a time.

Because the most important relationship you’ll ever build… is the one you have with yourself.

👉 Order your copy: https://amzn.to/3Us9eqg

🎧 Listen to the audiobook and step into a year that truly loves you back: https://amzn.to/459zSdt

💬 We’d love to hear from you! What insight or moment resonated most with you in this episode? Share in the comments—we truly read every one.

📅 Subscribe & Join Us Next Tuesday for another heartfelt episode of Life Happens with Barb and Michelle! 💕

🎙️ Host by:

• https://www.instagram.com/peaceful_barb/
• https://www.instagram.com/michellemaros/

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