What if the interruptions we work so hard to avoid are actually invitations to become more present, resilient, and fully human? In this episode, Dr. Autumn sits down with Chrissy Weeks, Executive Director of DC127, to explore what it means to live an interruptible life. In a culture that ties our value to productivity and constant accessibility, Chrissy challenges us to consider what our response to interruption reveals about what we value, and what might change if we made more margin for God, ourselves, and the people around us. Chrissy shares stories from her work with families impacted by the foster care system, illustrating a truth as humbling as it is universal: even the strongest among us still need people, and community can build the resilience necessary for lasting change. This episode is an invitation to ask how you respond when you're interrupted, where you might need more margin, and whether you have the kind of community around you that helps you flourish. Because sometimes becoming more whole isn't about adding something else to your life. It may be about creating space to be interrupted.

Guest Info: Chrissy Weeks

www.dc127.org

Article Link: https://mailchi.mp/dc127/living-an-interruptible-life

Intro and Outro Music Credit: Savage by Beat Mekanik, Free Music Archive, License type: CC BY

Please visit: www.autumnswain.com

Contact: autumn@thealignedleader.org

IG: @drautumnswain

FB: Autumn Alena Swain

Prayer and Scripture get most of the credit for spiritual growth, but Dr. Autumn unpacks a piece we usually skip: the body. This episode makes the case that sleep, emotional health, relationships, and daily rhythms aren't distractions from discipleship, they're part of how the Holy Spirit actually forms us. The payoff is practical too: the self-control and discernment we need to live out what we already know God is calling us to do.

Intro and Outro Music Credit: Savage by Beat Mekanik, Free Music Archive, License type: CC BY

Please visit: www.autumnswain.com

Contact: autumn@thealignedleader.org

IG: @drautumnswain

FB: Autumn Alena Swain

Most of us know what we should do—so why don't we do it?

Because beneath our choices are stories. Exhaustion is normal. My value comes from achievement. Busy means important.These narratives quietly shape our health, relationships, leadership, and well-being in ways we rarely examine.

In this episode, Dr. Autumn helps you identify the hidden stories running your life—and what it looks like to replace them with something rooted in wholeness, wisdom, and shalom.

The question this episode will help you ask: What story is shaping my choices?

Intro and Outro Music Credit: Savage by Beat Mekanik, Free Music Archive, License type: CC BY

Please visit: www.autumnswain.com

Contact: autumn@thealignedleader.org

IG: @drautumnswain

FB: Autumn Alena Swain

You're sleeping. Eating well. Taking the supplements. And still — you're exhausted.

In this episode, Dr. Autumn breaks down why energy isn't just physical, and why no amount of sleep will fix a nervous system that's overloaded, a mind full of clutter, or emotions you haven't had the chance to process. She unpacks the hidden forces quietly draining you, including disrupted sleep rhythms, dehydration, spiritual misalignment, and the invisible weight of modern life.

This isn't another wellness checklist. It's a real conversation about what's actually happening in your body and mind, plus what it looks like to restore energy from the inside out.

Intro and Outro Music Credit: Savage by Beat Mekanik, Free Music Archive, License type: CC BY

Please visit: www.autumnswain.com

Contact: autumn@thealignedleader.org

IG: @drautumnswain

FB: Autumn Alena Swain

In this episode of Aligned Living, Dr. Autumn speaks with Joshua Symonette—pastor of Hopeville in Baltimore, nonprofit leader, husband of 23 years, and father of four—to explore the hidden cost of unprocessed emotions in leadership and everyday life. Joshua shares a vulnerable turning point when an unexpected emotional breakdown revealed he had been living in constant problem-solving mode—running on “survival skills” instead of “thriving skills.”

Together, they unpack why emotional health isn’t optional for leaders, why ignoring emotions quietly shapes our relationships and environments, and how practices like silence, slowing down, naming emotions, and prayer help cultivate true wholeness. If you’ve ever felt like you’re holding everything together on the outside while something inside feels off, this conversation offers a powerful invitation to pause, pay attention, and ask one honest question: Why do I feel this way?

Intro and Outro Music Credit: Savage by Beat Mekanik, Free Music Archive, License type: CC BY

Please visit: www.autumnswain.com

Contact: autumn@thealignedleader.org

IG: @drautumnswain

FB: Autumn Alena Swain

Guest Info: Joshua Symonette

IG: jmsymonette

iamhopeville.com

Ever whispered, “God… what is happening?”

In this episode, Dr. Autumn speaks to the seasons that rattle your certainty — heartbreak, disappointment, unanswered prayers, emotional exhaustion — and shows you how to walk through them without losing your faith, your nervous system, or your integrity.

Blending biblical lament, nervous system regulation, and the principles of Aligned Living, she reframes hard seasons not as punishment, but as preparation. Learn how to steady your body, guard your thoughts, protect your character, and stay anchored — even when life feels disorienting.

Intro and Outro Music Credit: Savage by Beat Mekanik, Free Music Archive, License type: CC BY

Please visit: www.autumnswain.com

Contact: autumn@thealignedleader.org

IG: @drautumnswain

FB: Autumn Alena Swain

Mentioned Resources:

The Playground Leader by Dr Autumn Swain

Prophetic Lament by Soong-Chan Rah

In the series finale of Aligned Living with Dr. Autumn, we break down why making wise choices isn’t just about discipline or willpower. It’s about whether your mind and body feel regulated enough to support good decision-making. This episode explains how emotions provide important information, how a calm nervous system keeps the brain’s decision-making center (the prefrontal cortex) functioning, and how chronic stress disrupts judgment and self-control. Drawing from neuroscience, emotional intelligence, and faith, Dr. Autumn shows how caring for your whole self helps you make consistent, aligned choices—without burnout or constant struggle.

Intro and Outro Music Credit: Savage by Beat Mekanik, Free Music Archive, License type: CC BY

Please visit: www.autumnswain.com

Contact: autumn@thealignedleader.org

IG: @drautumnswain

FB: Autumn Alena Swain

In this episode, Dr. Autumn sits down with spoken word artist Cookie B, who discovered her gift through a reluctant college assignment—and later had to fight to reclaim it. Together they explore what it means to walk in your God-given gifts, heal from what silences you, and find freedom in creativity and faith. Through personal stories and powerful poetry, Cookie reminds us: when you live out your purpose, you don’t just serve others—you come alive.

Intro and Outro Music Credit: Savage by Beat Mekanik, Free Music Archive, License type: CC BY

Please visit: www.autumnswain.com

Contact: autumn@thealignedleader.org

IG: @drautumnswain

FB: Autumn Alena Swain

How to find our guest, Cookie B.

https://www.itscookieb.com/

IG: itscookieb

You can find her Spoken Word pieces including her new album on all listening platforms.