Leanne Ellington (9:54)

You know, for the longest time I thought happiness was on the other side of weight loss or career success or finding a mate. And I mean, trust me, I've used every golden carrot you can imagine. And I just thought that, like, you know, once I figured that out or had that or reached that, then I could finally feel at peace or happy or insert fill in the blank. But wow, like, that was the part I was wrong about. And the real breakthrough for me was realizing that happiness wasn't about fixing every problem or Flaw that I thought was keeping me from being happy. It was about how I show up for myself when life felt messy or unfinished or unclear. And trust me, life will get messy and confusing. But learning to approach those moments with compassion and surrender was a total game changer for me. But also, you know, understanding how to have that compassion and surrender in the context of how my brain works so that I could find that strength in the midst of the chaos. And that's what I shared in my Faith Brain Connection episode over on the God podcast. You know, talking about where self image and compassion and creating new measuring sticks meets neuroscience, and surrendering to this idea that I don't have to have all the answers and leaning into that.

Amy Brown (11:06)

All right, the second quote is, feeling sad after making a decision does not mean it was the wrong decision. And with this one, have you ever had to make a really difficult call, and then you felt this, like, wave of sadness, like maybe you broke off a relationship? I know I went through that when Ben and I were getting a divorce. I struggled with whether or not it was the right call or not. We both did. And I felt ultimately at the end of it that it was the right decision. But I also was so incredibly sad. So then it made me question, oh, shoot, was that not the right decision? But then that's where this quote comes in handy. Feeling sad after making a decision does not mean it was the wrong decision. Maybe you broke off a relationship as well. Maybe you turned down a really big opportunity. The sadness doesn't mean that you messed up or did something wrong. It's just a part of letting go. Imagine someone decides to move away from their hometown to pursue a dream job. Like, they know it is the right decision, but on their last night, they feel really sad as they say goodbye to friends and family. And that sadness is totally natural. I think what the sadness is is it's proof that these people matter to you. This relationship matters. My sadness about my relationship ending with Ben is because that relationship mattered to me. It still does. I do think that we can grieve what we're leaving behind and still get excited about moving forward with confidence. So y'all like my little scenarios that are not real? I'm trying something new here for a second, but then I'm throwing in my own personal experience as well. But, you know, just picturing someone moving to a new city to pursue their dream job. I know that we all know someone who has done that. I have done it. We moved to Nashville not knowing anybody, and I had just moved back to Austin, my hometown, Ben's hometown, where we wanted to be. Our family was there. And I was really sad to leave Austin to come to Nashville, but it was absolutely the right decision for our family and what we needed to do. I think I like the personal touch than the. The random examples. All right, Houston, roll that beautiful Leanne audio.

Leanne Ellington (13:50)

So this is one of those lessons I've had to learn over and over, to be honest. And I used to think that if I felt sad or unsure after making a decision, it must mean that I'm either insecure or that I made the wrong decision, and both of those things would just fester in my mind and take me down rabbit holes. But, you know, the compassionate truth, or at least what I say about it now, is that those feelings are just a part of the process of what I was going through when I didn't trust myself or I didn't believe in myself or I just didn't know how to stand in the certainty of who I am or the decisions that I made, and I didn't know that it's okay to feel sad, and it's okay to question yourself. And, you know, the bigger lesson for me was learning to trust myself in spite of those feelings and to know that my decisions are rooted in my growth and just to stand confidently in that and in them. And I share my experiences on what that process looked like for me in the episode of Out Way about earning back your own trust and how to stand in that confidence in yourself.

Bobby Bones (14:59)

Hey, it's Bobby Bones. Join me and former NFL quarterback Matt Castle every Wednesday for our new podcast, Lots to say. With Bobby Bones and Matt Castle between us, we have over 17,500 passing yards, multiple New York Times bestsellers, and one Mirror ball trophy from Dancing with the Star. So where else are you going to find a show with that much athleticism and football insight? Based in Nashville, we're more than just your basic NFL show. We talk sports, but we talk pop culture and music and a little bit of everything because we got lots to say. I. I texted you, and you texted me back. Now, I don't know if you have the update, but, like, all the little thumbs up and heart and stuff, like, it's all colored.

Amy Brown (15:37)

They changed it.

Bobby Bones (15:38)

And the. The heart's a little pink. It felt like I told you I loved you. I'm gonna be honest. It was a little pink.

Amy Brown (15:43)

There was something sentimental when you. Like when. When you send it, you. It's like, dude, do I send the heart now?

Bobby Bones (15:49)

I don't like the color edition.

Amy Brown (15:50)

It's extremely pink.

Bobby Bones (15:52)

Listen to Lots to say with Bobby Bones and Matt castle on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Jon Stewart (15:59)

Jon Stewart is back in the host chair at the Daily show, which means he's also back in our ears on the Daily Show Ears Edition podcast. The Daily show podcast has everything you need to stay on top of today's news and pop culture. You get hilarious satirical takes on entertainment, politics, sports, and more from John and the team of correspondents and contributors. The podcast also has content you can't get anywhere else, like extended interviews and a roundup of the weekly headlines. Listen to the Daily Show Ears edition on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Amy Brown (16:42)

All right, third quote. You're not stressed because you're doing too much. You are stressed because you are doing too little of what makes you feel the most alive. I'm gonna say that one again. You're not stressed because you're doing too much. You are stressed because you're doing too little of what makes you feel the most alive. Which I guess I should say that with these quotes, I did a lot of research, and there's not any one person that said these things first. I feel like these have been said in a few different ways lots of times over and over. So we're just more unknown quotes. So again, you're not stressed because you are doing too much. You are stressed because you're doing too little of what makes you feel the most alive. And I read that again because this is one that I need to read often. It flips the script on stress. Like, we always think I need to do less. That's why I say I need this quote more and more, because I say that that is me on my Hinge profile. A long time ago, it was like, what do you want to do this year? And I just kept my answer short and sweet, and I just said, do less. And some of the guys that would, you know, initiate conversation with me around that, they'd be like, oh, I love that. And then I could tell the other guys weren't really feeling that answer, and they would, like, challenge it a little bit. And I don't know, for me, in that moment, that's what I felt resonated with me the most for the year, I wanted to do less. But the example that I got for you, you know, of someone that I don't even know, like, let's say someone's plate is full, like, they've got work meetings They've got, like, a full kid calendar. There's chores, there's errands. We all know what that is. Like, they're running on empty, exhausted. But when was the last time that maybe they did something that truly lit them up? Like maybe this person loves painting or hiking or even just sitting at a coffee shop with a good book. Adding one thing that makes you feel alive can completely shift your energy. And sometimes it's not about doing less. It's about doing more of the right things. But sometimes we just have a lot of things to get done that are just on our list to get done, and we don't really have a choice, because if we don't do them, how will they get done? I mean, we can have help and different people that we work with and whatnot, but still, there can be an ongoing list of things that we need to get done. And it can feel overwhelming. But if you sprinkle in the things that give you that joy, that fill your cup up. Leanne and I were actually even talking about this today with each other, of community and connection with friends and how sometimes we isolate and we think we're having solitude, but it turns into isolation, and then we don't really have community and connection with our friends, and we don't realize that's all we need. And if we were to have one hike with a friend, one coffee date with a friend, even one chat with a friend over the phone or FaceTime or something, instantly our cup can start to fill up and our energy can start to shift. So it doesn't have to be this drastic thing. It can be as simple as a phone call with a friend. So take that little nugget and, yeah, Houston, roll that beautiful Leanne audio.

Leanne Ellington (20:11)

Okay, so this message hit me like a ton of bricks when I first, you know, got the memo, because for so long, I thought I was stressed because I had too much on my plate. But what I've come to realize is that my stress wasn't from doing too much. It was from who I was or wasn't being when I was doing the doing. And for me, I was trying to do all the things from a place of stress or disorder or just, you know, total lack of belief in myself. And then the big one for me was doing all the things that I thought I was supposed to do or that I thought that I was supposed to want to do, and totally ignoring what makes me more of who I am and what truly lights me up. And when I finally started prioritizing the things that made Me feel alive. And that's things like, you know, writing and teaching what I'm meant to be teaching and connecting with people who just get me, or, you know, just simple things like taking a walk outside and feeling the sunshine on my face and knowing that those things do have value, even if, you know, society doesn't necessarily deem that stuff productive. All of that completely shifted my relationship with stress and that hustle mentality. And I actually just talked about this on the God pod, about how I navigate the noise and find peace in a world of overstimulation.

Amy Brown (21:26)

The lesson you struggle with will repeat itself until you learn from it. Now, this one is a little tough love, that's for sure, but it is so true. Like, life has a way of sending us the same challenges over and over until we figure out, like, what we're supposed to learn. And I know that I have certainly seen that happen in my own life. Imagine someone who keeps ending up in toxic friendships like, they're always the one giving, always the one fixing, and it always ends in drama. Like, it's easy to blame the other person. But what if the real lesson is about boundaries? And until this person learns how to set boundaries and they're going to keep finding themselves in the same situation, once they get it, though, it really is a total game changer and the pattern will stop and they will move forward stronger than ever. But the lesson will keep popping up. So if you have something going on in your life and you're like, ugh, why does this keep happening to me? Maybe say, oh, wow, this just happened again. I recognize this. What am I supposed to be learning from this? Invite the information to come to you. Invite the lesson in ask questions. If you are confiding in a friend, like, say you're this person that ends up in these toxic friendships, right? What if you have a confidant that you can talk to about these toxic friendships and they notice it too, are you going to be willing to receive that information from a trusted friend? Can you open up to that friend and say, hey, hey, I'd love to get your insight on something. Like, I keep ending up in these same patterns. Is there anything you notice that I could do differently? Or if you have a therapist being honest about these relationships instead of just going into the conversation with your friend and gossiping about the toxic person and just being the victim and talking all about what this other person did, open up to where you could have done some things differently. And if you're talking to your therapist and sometimes a good vent session is needed. But instead of just bashing the other person, but in a healthy way, maybe you vent and then ask for how you could have shown up differently because then that's where the change is going to be. The lesson you struggle with will repeat itself until you learn from it. That is the quote, and I love it. So, Houston, roll that beautiful Leanne audio.

Leanne Ellington (24:02)

Oh, man. This is a lesson I really didn't want to learn. But it. It just keeps showing up, right? And so for years, I felt stuck in this cycle, you know, facing the same challenges over and over again, like Groundhog's Day, until I realized, okay, I'm the problem. It's me. And more specifically, it really was my brain. And it wasn't until I stopped trying to, you know, air quotes fix everything. And I just started asking, you know, what is this here to te and who do I need to become and what patterns do I need to transcend and actually take care of? And what's the next iteration of myself that I need to step into? And questions like that, that is when I started to break free. And the truth is, is that we can't, you know, do our way out of some struggles. We have to become the version of ourselves who's already learned the lesson. And we talk about this a lot, Amy, in our Acting as if series. And it's all about stepping into the beliefs that would reflect learning the lessons and evolving past those old patterns.

Amy Brown (25:06)

All right, thanks, Leigh Ann, for your contribution to all four quotes. That's a wrap for today. Four quotes, four things, and hopefully a new way to look at some of the challenges and opportunities in your life. We talk about this all the time. Change can be uncomfortable, but it's also where the growth happens and where my word of the year happens. My word of the year for 2025 is alignment. Growth and alignment come with change. They come with being uncomfortable. So if any of these quotes spark something in you, let me know. We love hearing from you. Four things with amybrownmail.com if you've got a quote you want to share, send it on over. If you have thoughts based on any of these quotes, please reach out. This is a year of connection, of learning, growing, becoming the best version of ourselves. And I do think that these quotes are something that stretch us, that challenge us, that will change the way we see life if we focus on them. These are quotes that you can, you know, write down, put on your mirror, have in your journal, put in your car, wherever you need to see them. These are life changing quotes in my opinion. Okay, radioaime on Instagram and hope y'all are having the day that you need to have. I'll see you on Saturday for out way and then I will see you on Tuesday with Kat for the fifth thing and then Kat and I are gonna have a fun announcement very, very, very, very soon. Stay tuned. Can't wait. Bye.

Bobby Bones (26:47)

Hey, it's Bobby Bones. Join me and former NFL quarterback Matt Castle every Wednesday for our new PODC with Bobby Bones and Matt Castle. Between us, we have over 17,500 passing yards, multiple New York Times bestsellers, and one mirror ball trophy from Dancing with a Star. So where else are you going to find a show with that much athleticism and football insight? We talk sports, but we talk pop culture and music and a little bit of everything. Listen to lots to say with Bobby Bones and Matt castle on the iHeartRadio app, Apple podcast or wherever you get your podcasts.

Jon Stewart (27:17)

Jon Stewart is back in the host chair at the Daily show, which means he's also back in our ears on the Daily Show Ears Edition podcast. Join late night legend Jon Stewart and the best news team for today's biggest headlines, exclusive extended interviews and more. Now this is a second term we can all get behind. Listen to the Daily Show Ears edition on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.