Shows
To The Heights#64 Holding Hard And Beautiful TogetherSend us Fan MailLife feels heavy sometimes, and I remind you that hard seasons are not proof something has gone wrong. I share a faith-centered perspective that helps us accept life as a training ground, pray with honesty, and learn to hold hard and beautiful together. • noticing how “life should be easy” thinking sets us up to panic • changing perspective after confession and remembering earth as a training ground • naming real hard things like grief, health worries, and family stress • accepting life as 50-50 so we stop assuming disaster • praying for relief while also a...
2026-05-2123 min
Ultraviolet Art TalksUltraviolet Art Talks Season 18 EP05 Sharon MurphyOn this episode, Caren Sullivan talks to Artist and Curator Sharon Murphy in her studio in 2024. Curious about what is like inside an artist studio? Watch full episode here!Sharon Murphy is a visual artist and curator based between Dublin and Paris whose practice encompasses photography, video and installation. Drawing on a background in theatre and informed by psychoanalysis and magic realism, her work provokes viewers to question what they are seeing, bringing their own histories and narratives to ‘complete’ the meaning of the image. Balancing the theoretical and the experiential (including that of the viewer), Murp...
2026-05-2014 minTo The Heights#63 The Power Of WhySend us Fan MailWe unpack how instant answers train us to rush toward fixing and judging, and why that habit quietly erodes connection. We practice using one simple word, why, to replace assumptions with curiosity so our relationships feel safer and more understood. • the hidden cost of information overload on reflection and attention • how quick conclusions turn into assumptions about motives and character • why understanding deepens relationships more than fixing • why questions that uncover fear, pain, unmet needs, and deeper desires • how to ask “why” with the right tone so it invites connecti...
2026-05-1420 minTo The Heights#60 Holy Self-Care With Denise JelinekSend us Fan MailDenise Jelinick joins me to reclaim self-care as something holy, simple, and deeply Catholic rather than selfish or indulgent. We talk about boundaries, guilt, and the practical habits that help us stay peaceful and present in our real lives. • self-care through a Catholic lens as stewardship of the body and mind • the five P’s rule of life: prayer then person then partner then parent then provider • why moms skip “person” and how that creates burnout • the difference between authentic sacrifice and people-pleasing • how serving and fixing can become a way to avoid...
2026-04-2339 minTo The Heights#59 What Type Of Mom Are You?Send us Fan MailWe’re in a big transition when our kids become adults, and it can leave us wondering what our role even is anymore. We name four common “mom modes” that steal peace and share practical mindset shifts that help us show up with more trust, grace, and calm. • The shock of moving from active parenting to guiding adults • The anxious protector pattern and the love vs fear pause • Releasing control through trust and a short prayer of surrender • The guilty reflector pattern and choosing grace over rumination • Making amends when ne...
2026-04-1625 minTo The Heights#57 When Your Husband Isn't Concerned...But You AreSend us Fan MailWe talk about the tension of lying awake worried about our adult kids while our husband seems calm, and how that can make us feel alone and pressured. We reframe what his “lack of concern” may mean and practice a calmer way to respond so we can be peaceful, grounded, and present. • common differences in how mothers and fathers process concern • the meaning we attach to his calm and how it fuels loneliness • awareness versus urgency and why urgency creates tension • the trap of seeking validation so we can feel relief ...
2026-04-0215 minTo The Heights#55 How Your Thoughts Shape Motherhood And RelationshipsSend us Fan MailWe explore why parenting triggers hit so hard and how the story in our mind creates the emotion we blame on our kids. We use a simple CBT based coaching model to help us choose peace, protect our relationships, and stay grounded in faith when our children make choices we do not control. • the difference between circumstances and interpretations • the coaching model: circumstance, thought, feeling, action, result • why the same event produces different emotions in different people • how anxious thoughts lead to withdrawal, control, preaching, and pressure • how these react...
2026-03-1929 minTo The Heights#52 Ten Lessons From Launching A Podcast And Learning To Live With CourageSend us Fan MailEver notice how “I’ll start when I feel ready” quietly turns into never? We’re celebrating a full year of weekly publishing with ten hard-won lessons about choosing courage over comfort, plus a bonus that changes how we lead at home and at work. From battling resistance that looks suspiciously like reorganizing the laundry drawer to recording on the road with imperfect gear, Sharon pulls back the curtain on what it really takes to build momentum and keep going.We unpack why confidence shows up after the reps, not before; how comm...
2026-02-2631 minTo The Heights#51 Are You Drifting Or Designing?Send us Fan MailWe explore why so many responsible, capable people slip into a quiet drift and how small, intentional practices restore clarity, purpose, and faith. Sharon shares simple questions, mindset shifts, and gentle steps to move from managing life to designing it.• defining drifting as reactive, comfortable living that dulls purpose• signs of drift in work, marriage, friendships, and personal life• why we drift: overload, fear of disruption, gratitude confusion• fixed mindset versus growth mindset and why it matters• four reflection questions to regain agency• living with intention: align choice...
2026-02-1925 minTo The Heights#49 Enough Is Enough: The Key To Lasting Self-Control---Part 4 of Virtue SeriesSend us Fan MailWe explore gluttony as modern overconsumption and show how temperance restores clarity, margin, and freedom across body, mind, and soul. Practical tools, gentle mindset shifts, and a simple invitation help us trade excess for peace as Lent approaches.• defining gluttony as excess used to seek comfort or escape• links between gluttony and sloth in a comfort-rich culture• how emotional eating, binge scrolling, and overspending mimic drunkenness• why temperance creates financial, time, and physical margin• pillars of temperance: sobriety, fasting, continence, restraint, control• practical steps: boundaries, fasting from one com...
2026-02-0524 minTo The Heights#48 From Wrath To Patience: How To Stop Reacting And Start Responding --- Part 3 of Virtue SeriesSend us Fan MailAnger doesn’t only shout. Sometimes it slips in as a clipped tone, a snarky reply, or the tightness that creeps into your chest after a long day. We take an honest look at wrath as a habit—and why reacting feels easier than responding—then map out a practical path toward patience that actually holds under pressure. Sharon shares a vulnerable “Old Yeller” parenting moment, not to heap shame, but to show how awareness and small choices can transform the emotional climate at home.We break down the many faces of anger...
2026-01-2932 minTo The Heights#47 The One Thing Keeping You From Achieving Your Goals --- Part 2 of Virtue SeriesSend us Fan MailWe explore sloth as more than laziness and show how diligence restores purpose, peace, and spiritual clarity. Practical tools, honest language, and simple habits help you move even when you don’t feel like it.• defining sloth as resistance to rightful effort• distinguishing rest from avoidance• faces of sloth: laziness, negligence, apathy, effeminacy, acedia• why lukewarm faith harms discernment and desire• costs of sloth: regret, lost confidence, stalled growth• diligence as steady stewardship, not striving• perseverance, dedication, fortitude, resilience, toughness• routines, accountability, prayer, and remembering your w...
2026-01-2226 minTo The Heights#46 Winning The War Against Pride: Practicing Humility For A Fuller Life ---Part 1 of Virtue SeriesSend us Fan Mailhttps://mercyisnew.com/wp-content/uploads/Litany-of-Humility-.jpgWe explore why humility sits at the root of spiritual growth and how pride quietly fragments our lives. Practical tools, scripture, and real habits show a path toward character that influences home, work, and community with integrity.• defining virtue as habit and vice as distortion• culture of self-promotion contrasted with holiness• catechism insights and the aim of becoming like God• beyond avoiding sin toward practicing virtue daily• faces of pride: ambition, presumption, vanity, stubbornness, pretension• marks of humility: do...
2026-01-1535 minTo The Heights#45 The Power Of Confident Decision MakingSend us Fan MailWe explore how fast, confident decisions reduce anxiety and create momentum, from the chaos of new-parent choices to the pressure of big life moves. We break down six practical skills to defeat decision fatigue, stop stalling, and choose from hope rather than fear.• modern choice overload and why time feels faster• decision fatigue from constant micro choices• the high cost of indecision and self-doubt• the myth of right vs wrong when both align with values• choosing from hope and desired outcomes• setting deadlines and building criteria lists•...
2026-01-0835 minTo The Heights#43 Part 3 of 3: Who Are You - In The Making of Their MemoriesSend us Fan MailWe explore how old home videos exposed the tiny choices that shape family memories and identity. As holidays approach, we choose presence over perfection and practice small habits that turn chaos into connection.• series focus on who you are across hustle, waiting, and memory• cozy family night triggers a home video deep dive• forgotten details reveal mood, tone and micro-moments• noticing impatience and missed bids for attention• why small gestures carry long emotional weight• practical ways to choose presence at gatherings• imagining a red light to guide respo...
2025-12-1816 minTo The Heights#42 Part 2 or 3: Who Are You - In The WaitingSend us Fan MailWe explore how waiting is a neutral space shaped by our thoughts, from holiday lines to life’s bigger delays, and how Advent invites expectant joy over impatience. Practical reframes and preparation steps turn delays into growth in relationships, home, work, and faith.• waiting seen as neutral time shaped by thought• examples from checkout lines, traffic, and a four-hour theme park line• impatience, annoyance, and frantic urgency traced to specific thoughts• reframing toward empathy, trust in timing, and expectant joy• preparation during waiting for relationships, marriage, home, and work
2025-12-1114 minTo The Heights#41 Part 1 of 3: Who Are You - In The HustleSend us Fan MailWe open a three-part December series by naming the holiday hustle and offering a path to peace. We reframe stress by shifting thoughts, set kinder boundaries with family, and build simple practices that protect joy, gratitude, and presence.• emotions arising from thoughts rather than events• replacing have to and should with choose to• trying on supportive thoughts for calm and agency• listing obligations that drain energy• honest conversations with spouse and family• prioritizing what truly matters and calendaring it• keeping prayer, movement, sleep, and hobbies• daily gr...
2025-12-0422 minTo The Heights#40 The 10 (Surprising) Things I'm Thankful ForSend us Fan MailWe explore ten unexpected places where thanks took root, from back surgery and Wisconsin winters to thrift choices, long road trips, and a peaceful goodbye at a father’s bedside. The conversation invites you to pan out, reframe hard memories, and practice deeper gratitude with intention.• lessons from back surgery on compassion and health• rhythms and beauty of Wisconsin’s four seasons• stewardship, thrift, and modeling money wisdom for kids• road trip chaos turning into family legacy and lore• the grace of a peaceful death and presence at the bedside...
2025-11-2730 min
Mastering Business SkillsScaling Smart and Networking Wins with Pauleen MurphyIn this episode of Mastering Business Skills, hosts Sharon Savage and Erin Alli welcome Pauleen Murphy, founder of Politan Marketing and seasoned fractional chief marketing officer. Pauleen shares her expertise in helping founder-led businesses scale more effectively, covering everything from emotional leadership transitions to the systems and organization that sustain fast growth. Discover what kinds of clients thrive with fractional marketing leadership, and why networking is an essential ingredient not just for business results but for personal growth and confidence.
Key takeaways include:
Pauleen’s unique approach as the first marketing leader for owner-driven companies, ty...
2025-11-2026 minTo The Heights#38 Rediscovering Joy: How Play, Wonder, And Awe Heal Stress And Reignite FaithSend us Fan MailWe explore how play opens the heart, wonder opens the eyes, and awe opens the soul, weaving stories, science, and faith into a simple path back to joy. Practical steps help us slow down, laugh more, and meet God in ordinary beauty.• laughter on the lake and the freedom of aging lightly• clear definitions of play, wonder, and awe• how play leads to wonder and wonder matures into awe• why adulthood replaces curiosity with efficiency• imitation thrills versus nourishing delight• childlike faith as purity of heart, not immaturi...
2025-11-1327 minTo The Heights#37 Ask, Don't AssumeSend us Fan MailWe reflect on a missed moment with a student and uncover how assumptions, vague labels, and fast advice block real connection. Practical scripts show how clarifying questions deepen understanding at home, at work, and in faith conversations.• the problem with assuming shared definitions• how labels replace facts and distort meaning• simple clarifying questions that open people up• shifting from advice to curiosity for connection• examples for kids, partners, and coworkers• using reflection to repair missed momentsIf you have any questions or would like to go deeper...
2025-11-0615 min
Conversations with KevinMEET AUSTRALIAN HAIR ICON SHARON BLAINIn this episode of Conversations with Kevin, Nathan Gorman sits down with the legendary Sharon Blain, one of Australia’s most celebrated and internationally recognised hairdressing icons. With a career spanning decades, Sharon gives us insight into her extraordinary legacy, from humble beginnings to becoming a global educator, mentor, and creative force shaping the hairdressing world. Sharon opens up about the moments that inspired her to step into hairdressing, the challenges she faced as a self-made artist, and the deep passion that continues to drive her today. Known for her boundless creativity, technical mastery, and her ability to make pe...
2025-10-2330 minTo The Heights#33 Self Doubt vs. Self JudgementSend us Fan MailWe draw a clear line between self-doubt that questions ability and self-judgment that attacks worth, then offer tools to break both cycles. We share a simple framework—pause, identify, replace—to help you build courage, practice compassion, and take steady action.• difference between doubt (ability) and judgment (identity)• how they show up as procrastination, perfectionism, and shame• why courage reduces doubt and compassion disarms judgment• collecting small wins and borrowing belief for confidence• reframing with curiosity and “I wonder” language• prosecuting harsh thoughts and shifting to growth• the pau...
2025-10-0918 minTo The Heights#28 The Present: You Are HereSend us Fan MailSharon Murphy, certified life and mindset coach, explores the transformative power of living in the present moment and how it creates a foundation for peace and purposeful action.• Being stuck in the past or anxious about the future robs us of our power in the present• Like a hiking map that marks "You Are Here" rather than where you've been, our focus should be on our current position• Past trauma deserves healing, but we must choose what meaning we assign to our experiences• Mindfulness is not "woo-woo" but rather t...
2025-09-0428 minTo The Heights#21 Beyond Scarcity: Embracing AbundanceSend us Fan MailDo you constantly feel like you don't have enough time, money, or resources? This perpetual state of "not enough" might be a scarcity mindset that's creating unnecessary stress in your life. Sharon Murphy explores the prison of scarcity thinking and how it manifests in three primary areas of our lives. She shares her personal struggle with time scarcity, revealed through recurring dreams about not being able to open her high school locker - a dream her mother and sisters surprisingly share. This common dream experience points to a universal fear of n...
2025-07-1726 min
Real Lives Raw StoriesEp 29: Sharon Armstrong - Relationship Scams: It's Simple Really.In this episode, we meet Sharon Armstrong—justice advocate, author, and speaker. In 2011, Sharon’s life changed overnight when she was arrested in Argentina, caught in an international drug scam that started as an online romance. What sounds like a movie plot is, sadly, a reality for many. Sharon shares how she was manipulated, her time in prison, and how she’s turned her experience into a powerful mission to educate others and inspire hope and resilience.
2025-06-3051 minTo The Heights#18 Courage vs. ConfidenceSend us Fan MailWhat's the real difference between courage and confidence, and which do you actually need more of? In this illuminating exploration, life and mindset coach Sharon Murphy unravels a common misconception that holds many of us back from living fully.Courage isn't an emotion but a choice available to all of us—the decision to take action despite uncertainty or fear. Meanwhile, confidence is a belief that grows only after we've taken those brave steps forward. This revelatory perspective flips conventional thinking on its head: we don't need confidence before starting; we ne...
2025-06-2632 minTo The Heights#15 TransitionsSend us Fan MailSharon Murphy explores how to navigate life transitions, from major milestones to daily shifts that challenge our mental energy and emotional wellbeing.• Life transitions require significant decision-making, which exhausts our brains• Our brains register unknowns as threats, making transitions feel uncomfortable• Change in identity is one of the hardest aspects of transitions to navigate• Daily transitions like the after-work/before-dinner window (3-6 pm) can be just as challenging as major life changes• Buffering behaviors like mindless eating often emerge during transition periods• Planning ahead and creating flexible rou...
2025-06-0531 min