Christmas Eve sits in the in-between space. Not the miracle yet. Not the ending. Just the waiting.

In this special Christmas Eve episode, Melie speaks to those who feel stuck in the middle of healing, rebuilding, and figuring things out. If life feels unresolved right now, this message offers gentleness, perspective, and permission to rest without forcing clarity or cheer.

You'll hear reflections on:

• Why waiting seasons feel so uncomfortable

• How uncertainty impacts the nervous system

• Why unfinished does not mean unworthy

• What quiet, realistic hope can look like

• Why being "still becoming" is enough

This episode is for anyone spending the holidays in the middle of the story, trusting that light is coming, even if it hasn't arrived yet.

✨ Mentioned in this episode:
Renewed Mind — a gentle resilience app for seasons that feel uncertain. Learn more at renewedmind.app

What does resilience look like when your body is worn down, your energy is gone, and productivity feels impossible?

In this gentle, honest episode of Diamonds in Dumpster Fires, Melie talks about resilience on sick days. Not the "power through" kind, but the kind that honors your limits, listens to your nervous system, and allows rest without guilt.

Blending neuroscience, faith, and real-life compassion, this episode is for anyone who feels emotionally fragile when they're sick, struggles with guilt around rest, or needs permission to slow down. If you've ever felt like taking a nap meant you were failing at life, this one's for you.

Grab your tea, wrap up in a blanket, and let's redefine what strength really looks like.

• Why being sick often comes with guilt, anxiety, and emotional heaviness

• The neuroscience of sickness, inflammation, and emotional regulation

• How illness impacts your brain, mood, patience, and decision-making

• Why resilience is sometimes about stopping, not pushing harder

• The faith reminder that even Jesus rested and honored His limits

• How to redefine resilience on low-capacity days

• Gentle, practical tools to support your nervous system when you're sick

• Why rest is not falling behind, but part of healing and restoration

• A 3-minute honesty check-in to ground yourself when capacity is low

• Replacing productivity goals with compassion goals

• A simple breath prayer to calm your nervous system

• Choosing one tiny win and letting that be enough

• Why sick days are not the time for big life decisions

Your emotions are louder when you're sick because your brain and body are working hard to heal. That doesn't mean you're weak or failing. It means you're human.

Rest is not quitting.
Rest is not laziness.
Rest is part of resilience.

Renewed Mind – a gentle, faith-informed, neuroscience-guided app designed for real life.
Created for days when you're overwhelmed, emotionally tired, sick, grieving, or simply not operating at full capacity.

Renewed Mind helps you:

• Pause and check in with how you're really doing

• Gently support your nervous system

• Practice resilience without hustle or pressure

Learn more at renewedmind.app

If you're listening to this while sick, run down, or curled up under blankets, hear this:

You are loved.
You are allowed to rest.
You are still resilient.

Even on your weakest days, you are still a diamond.

Today's guest, Lisa Skeffington, is a multi–award-winning psychotherapist, executive coach, and self-esteem expert who has spent more than 25 years helping high-achieving women navigate anxiety, burnout, and hidden emotional wounds.

In this conversation, we talk about:

• What imposter syndrome actually is (and why it's so common for high achievers)

• How high-functioning anxiety hides behind competence, control, and "hustle"

• Why traditional therapy often misses what high-performing women really need

• How childhood pressure, conditional approval, and later "dumpster fire" moments (divorce, loss, layoffs) fuel burnout

• Early warning signs your nervous system is heading toward burnout

• The difference between doing a lot… and doing a lot of what doesn't nourish you

• Practical first steps to start healing, even when you can't just quit your life

Lisa also shares about her coastal escapes on the Dorset coast, her online mentoring, and a free self-esteem quiz to help you understand what might be running in the background of your own story.

• High-functioning anxiety often looks like "drive" and "motivation," which is why so many of us miss it.

• Imposter syndrome isn't about how qualified you are – it's about old narratives you absorbed about your worth.

• Burnout isn't simply doing too much; it's doing too much of what drains you and not enough of what nourishes you.

• Emotional wellbeing doesn't kill your ambition – it fuels better, calmer, more sustainable performance.

• Healing begins when you stop performing and start telling the truth about what you feel and what you need.

• You don't have to choose between being high-functioning and being healthy. The shift is moving from chaos to calm.

• Lisa's Self-Esteem Reality Check Quiz & Resources: welcome.empoweredmomentum.com

• Learn more about Lisa's Empowered Momentum work, coastal escapes, and mentoring via the link above.