241 - Rethinking the New Year: Why “Changing Yourself” Is the Wrong Goal | Life Happens
Life Happens with Barb & MichelleShow Notes
You don’t need to reinvent yourself this year 💫 With all the pressure to “fix” your life overnight and become a brand-new version of yourself, we’re taking a different approach to the new year—one that feels grounded, compassionate, and sustainable. In this week’s episode of Life Happens with Barb & Michelle, we’re answering your questions on how to start the year with clarity and confidence—without stress, overwhelm, or unrealistic expectations. From self-acceptance to pursuing your dreams, this episode is a gentle guide to stepping into a year that loves you back. 💬 Barb shares how she’s redefined purpose and goals in her life, releasing pressure and unrealistic expectations. 💬 Michelle opens up about why self-care can feel “boring,” and how she discovered a practice that actually works in real life. ✨ What We Talk About
Starting the year intentionally: Releasing urgency, reframing the “new year pressure,” and letting go of unrealistic timelines
Practicing self-care consistently: Finding what supports you without feeling impractical or forced
Navigating triggering topics: Knowing your boundaries, honoring your standards, and speaking up when something feels unaligned with your values
Approaching goals with grace: Breaking your dreams into realistic milestones while staying connected to what you truly want
The pressure to reinvent yourself every January is exhausting. You don’t need a new version of you — you just need more compassion for the person you already are. 📘 USA TODAY BESTSELLER — Dear Friend by Michelle Maros Start 2026 with New Year, Brave You. Dear Friend is the perfect 365-day companion to help you cultivate self-love, clarity, presence, and inner peace—one gentle reflection at a time.✨ Begin the year with intention and courage. 👉 Order your copy: https://amzn.to/3Us9eqg 🎧 listen to the audiobook today and step into a year that truly loves you back. 👉https://amzn.to/459zSdt Mentioned in the episode: 💛 The Three Gates of Speech Principle: Is it true? Is it kind? Is it necessary? 💬 We’d love to hear from you! What insight or moment resonated most with you in this episode? Share in the comments—we truly read every one. 📅 Subscribe & Join Us Next Tuesday for another heartfelt episode of Life Happens with Barb and Michelle! 💕 Today’s Episode Sponsors: 🎙️ Host by:
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✨ Available Now✨ Order Dear Friend to receive daily doses of clarity, hope, and heartfelt encouragement.💌 https://amzn.to/3Us9eqg ✨Coming soon✨ You asked. We answered. We've been quietly creating a platform designed to support your emotional and mental wellbeing with practical tools, heartfelt teachings, and science-backed practices. Next month, our new Emotional Wellbeing Toolkit will be LIVE! Save the date and join us in stepping into a year that loves us back💕 Be the first to know and have access by signing-up for our newsletter: https://peacefulmindpeacefullife.substack.com/
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More from Life Happens with Barb & Michelle
“It’s not about you needing to be fixed. It’s about you needing to understand that you already are worthy.” - Barb Self-love, toxic relationships, and feeling overwhelmed: these are just a few of the topics in this week’s episode of Life Happens with Barb and Michelle, where the mother-daughter duo are back with one of their favorite formats, a Q&A from their community. Barb shares how she gets through difficult family gatherings, from volunteering for the grocery run to taking the grandkids out for ice cream. Michelle reflects on Scott Peck’s line that life is difficult, and how once you accept that, it can take the edge off when someone rubs you the wrong way. They then get into how to build self-love and how to keep it even when it feels like life is knocking you down.
"I'm okay with people having their opinions … but I'm not okay with them saying it's the only way." – Barb
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In today’s episode of Life Happens with Barb and Michelle, Barb and Michelle are joined by writer, speaker, and advocate Libby Ward, author of Honest Motherhood: On Losing My Mind and Finding Myself. In a deeply moving and vulnerable conversation, we talk about the realities of modern motherhood, including the mental load, overwhelm, the pressure to do it all, and what it takes to let go of perfection. Together, Libby, Barb, and Michelle explore the hidden roots of rage, overstimulation, and people-pleasing, unpacking how childhood trauma and hypervigilance make setting simple boundaries feel like a matter of life or death. Libby shares her candid "Granola Bar" story, a pivotal moment of maternal rage that forces her to confront her limits and explains why genuine repair and self-compassion are the true keys to breaking generational cycles. From validating our children's experiences to unlearning the myth of the "perfect mother," this episode offers an honest, hopeful blueprint for reconnecting with your authentic self.
On this week’s episode of Life Happens with Barb and Michelle, Barb and Michelle are joined by Kelly Rizzo, host of the podcast Comfort Food and widow of beloved comedian Bob Saget. In this vulnerable conversation about grief and loss, Kelly shares the deep love she had for Bob, the heartbreak that followed his death in 2022, and how she continues to manage her relationship with grief and the trauma she experienced processing such a loss in the public eye. Kelly also shares her personal experience of finding love again after loss, how she knew she was ready to date again, and also talks of her personal experience of choosing to live child-free. We felt such a beautiful connection with Kelly in this episode and we hope you love it as much as we do! Episode Highlights: Grief after sudden loss while grieving in the public eye The trauma of grief, PTSD, and the blessing of sharing your story to help others Finding love again and the importance of not settling in relationships Choosing a child-free life and breaking free from societal expectations