Celebrating 300 Podcast Episodes 🥳

celebration podcast Jun 09, 2023

Show Notes:

[0:00] Welcome to the Simply Wholehearted Podcast!

[1:36] We’re celebrating 300 episodes of the podcast!

Can you believe it? Well, I certainly can't. That number feels so monumental and big and honestly, is beyond what I had vision for, but you know what? This episode and this celebration is about you. Yes, YOU who have listened to hundreds of hours, even if the sound quality was a little bit off.

Even if I was learning how to do intros and exits in a new way, or even if, well, the conversation wasn't even exactly what you needed to hear, you tuned in anyway, just in case there was a nugget of wisdom for you. So friend, thank you so, so much. Thank you for being a part of this community. Thank you for listening.

Thank you for leaving your podcast review and thank you for sharing with your friends and family, truly! You sharing it with others and helping this community grow is the biggest gift and compliment that you could give to me. I thought we would have a little bit of fun today and look through the history of some of this podcast now.

[2:53] Top Five Episodes of the podcast with media snippets of the most downloaded episodes over the past six years! Also sharing some really kind reviews we’ve received as far back as 2017!

[7:46] The most downloaded episode was Amy Gets Coached by Beth McCord (aka Your Enneagram Coach)!

It is Beth McCord coaching me on an Instagram live. It was an opportunity that she offered to some coaches in connection with their new book release last year. I thought, Hey, why not? It'll be fun. Little did I know I would cry a little. Of course, we laughed a little as well, and it was a really beautiful moment and conversation. I thought I would take that conversation on Instagram and share it all with you and. Lo and behold, you all really loved it, so I am grateful to share a little snippet from that conversation today.

[13:31] The first review I want to share is from back in 2020: “Amy is a joy to listen to. She reflects Christ in her radiating laughter and sympathy. She has a quick wit and asks intriguing questions others may not think of. She is a voice for GOOD. Listen to her for personal growth and freedom through the Enneagram, inspiration in your business, all things motherhood, and lots of laughs. And she invites incredible hosts on and prayerfully navigates the conversations to be full of meaning and good insight. Love it all!”

[14:26] The second most downloaded episode was Are You Stressed? The Enneagram Lines and What They Mean! “Friend, you may not feel like you are in a stressful season of life. Maybe things are pretty easygoing, and you may even be tempted to not utilize the information that you learn about your dominant personality, but the Enneagram is here to help you and to support you. Whether you are stressed out or not, you're human, and you're gonna slip up and go the wrong direction sometimes. So why not use the gift of self-awareness and practical guidance that I'm gonna offer you today so you can turn the car around and head the right way.”

[20:04] The second review is from instapants, and she said “Amy knows her stuff! I love her passion for the Enneagram, and I love how she makes understanding our numbers so easy. She helps you grow in the weaknesses of our numbers and level up in our strengths! Thanks, Amy; you are an incredible resource!”

[20:46] Coming in at number 3 most downloaded is Take a Break, Avoid Burnout and Find Momentum for Your Goals. Now, this one is from last summer and I had fun doing a mini summer series just for us Weary Mamas who are juggling so many things and wearing too many hats. I think you'll appreciate this illustration that I give here. About what balance actually looks like in this fast paced world when exhaustion, and depletion and stress are the normal way of living, soul care might feel radical. Hand rest assured radical soul care is not a one size fits all, nor is it in self-indulgent or limited to treating yourself friend.

[25:53] The third review is from Kim Stewart, and she says, “I love Amy’s heart for both serving moms and teaching the Enneagram. It’s so fascinating to learn about our different types and how that plays out in everything we do, especially as moms and wives. I enjoy hearing from Enneagram 9s, but My fave episode (which is hard to pick) is Practical Soul Care for all Enneagram Types.”

[26:43] The next episode on the Top 5 Charts is Finding the Hero in Your Husband | Guest Dr Juli Slattery Enneagram 5. A snippet from the episode: So one analogy I like to think of is, in your marriage, you're building a bridge. And you have to lay down the planks of the bridge. You can only walk as far as you've built. And so speaking life into your husband, just like understanding his need to feel like he's doing a good job and you respect him, you just see who he can be. You see his strengths and you're speaking into those. Every time you do that, that's laying a plank down on the bridge. And you can only walk as far as you've built. And so when you have to address the difficult issues, and you will have to address them. That's where you walk.”

[35:02] The fourth review says, “This podcast has made me laugh and cry...all in one episode! The truth presented has helped me as a parent in finding tools for engaging my kids. It has also touched the deep questions I’ve asked of God and has made me realize I’m not alone. Listening to this podcast allows me the time I need to refocus and gain an eternal perspective.”

[35:46] Our final episode is Understanding Enneagram Wings | Moving Forward with Purpose. I share a snippet of the episode regarding my paddle board analogy.

Now, each time I get on a paddle board or kayak, I'm struck about what the sport teaches me about balance and how it strengthens me differently. Because almost anytime I get the chance to be out on body of water, the weather is always different. I mean, sometimes it's been cold, other times, hot and windy, maybe really breezy, and on the rare occasion, I do get ideal conditions. But each time because of the elements in the weather, I have to find a different rhythm of paddling. Sometimes it's perfect. It's right then left and right then left. But most of the time, unless I want to paddle in circles, I have to dip that paddle in to see how far I can get it before I need to go correct and head the other direction and paddle in the other direction and go back and forth and adjust until I figure out that I could, you know, go how I need to go and go the way I need to go, and how the weather's gonna impact the direction that I glide on the water.

Rarely have I found that paddling is a perfect rhythm. I really constantly have to keep vigilant about where I'm headed and be aware of which side I'm paddling on and where my craft is taking me. Is the paddle keeping me pointed in the right direction in the destination that I wanna go? Or am I overcorrecting and about to spin in a circle and head into rougher waters?

I've come to love the process and the challenge. I could see it as a setback, or I could see it as an opportunity to not grow complacent and be mindful whenever I get on the water and whenever I engage in my favorite sport. I also see how the sport strengthens me. Sometimes it'll strengthen me more on the right side than my left side, but if I walk away, it means I've gone to my destination.

I didn't paddle around in circles, and I gained more balance in my body. I. So the same idea can be applied with taking time to better understand how your personality more naturally leans. If you lean to one side, you might need to be aware of how you can access the other wings' character traits for a time as you strengthen your personality.

If you hit rough waters in life, you might have to use one wing more than the other. The idea is to be vigilant about where you are headed and keep yourself pointed in the direction by accessing both wings of your personality and to stop spinning in circles.

[39:24] The last review I’ll share is from Capparoo, and she said, “Refreshing and encouraging! This podcast is my go-to whenever I start my workout at the gym! I find that I can glean something from each episode, but I especially loved episode #17 about parenting.”

[40:31] Thank you for celebrating with me! If you happen to be listening to this episode in the month of June, I also wanna encourage you to check the Show Notes for details to enter the biggest giveaway I've ever done.

The best is yet to come,

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Celebrating 300 Podcast Episodes 🥳

Show Notes:

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