Sharing Awe: What 19,000 Likes Can Teach Us About Supporting One Another's Mental Health
The Wellness Compass Podcast
Sharing Awe: What 19,000 Likes Can Teach Us About Supporting One Another's Mental Health Wellness Compass Podcast Hosted by Holly Hughes Stoner, LMFT & Scott Stoner, LMFT Episode Overview Something unexpected happened after Holly and Scott's last column and podcast about the Artemis II astronauts — a quote about the view of Earth from space, and how it reveals no borders, no divisions, only our shared humanity, went viral on Facebook with nearly 20,000 likes and almost 7,000 shares. In this episode, Holly and Scott reflect on what that overwhelming response reveals about what people...
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"What Artemis II Can Teach Us About Mental Health," Episode #176, April 9, 2026
The Wellness Compass Podcast
Wellness Compass Podcast — Show Notes Episode: What Artemis II Can Teach Us About Mental Health About This Episode Scott and Holly Stoner, licensed marriage and family therapists and co-founders of the Wellness Compass Initiative, reflect on the Artemis II moon voyage and draw out four wellness lessons for our everyday lives. Recorded the night before the crew's scheduled return to Earth, this episode connects the wonder of outer space exploration to the inner work of mental health and well-being. In This Episode 1. There Is Power in Expanding Our Perspective The Artemis II...
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"Only Love Can Do That," Episode #175, March 27, 2026
The Wellness Compass Podcast
What follows is the Wellness Compass Column that was send out today and based on the same topic as this podcast episode: Only Love Can Do That Theo of Golden by Allan Levi is the book I (Holly) am currently reading and loving. Only three quarters of the way through it, the main character Theo and his story has really captivated me as he is everything I’d like to be: curious about others, a good listener to everyone, generous, and non-judgmental. I’ve been telling Scott about it all week, sharing many of the stories about Theo’s loving kindness and how I find it to be...
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"The Gift We So Often Forget to Give Ourselves," Episode #174, March 13, 2026
The Wellness Compass Podcast
The Gift We So Often Forget to Give Ourselves Wellness Compass Podcast Self-Compassion and Self-Care Episode Summary We hear about self-compassion and self-care so often that the words can start to wash over us — and yet most of us are still much better at offering compassion to others than to ourselves. In this episode, Holly and Scott Stoner explore why these practices are not luxuries or signs of self-indulgence, but the very foundation of sustained wellness, healthy relationships, and genuine care for others. Drawing on their work as marriage and family therapists, their...
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"The Courage to Reset: Lessons from an Olympic Champion," Episode #173, February 27, 2026
The Wellness Compass Podcast
Wellness Compass Podcast Show Notes Episode #173: The Courage to Reset: Lessons from an Olympic Champion, Overview Scott Stoner and Holly Hughes Stoner explore the power of making intentional resets in our lives — drawing inspiration from Olympic figure skater Alyssa Liu, who took two years away from skating at age 16 to prioritize her mental health, then returned to win gold at age 20. The Inspiring Story of Alyssa Liu Alyssa Liu's journey offers a compelling model for all of us. At 16, at the height of her competitive career, she stepped away from elite figure skating because the...
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"Love as Practice: Beyond the Feelings of Valentine's Day," Episode #172
The Wellness Compass Podcast
What follows is our Weekly Wellness Column that is always on the same topic as our Weekly Podcast: Valentine's Day invites us to celebrate love with cards, flowers, and chocolates—gestures that honor the warm feelings we have for the people we care about. Feelings are an important aspect of love, but love is so much more than that. What sustains love through ordinary days, difficult seasons, and genuine hardship? This week, nineteen Buddhist monks completed a 2,300-mile walk from Texas to Washington, D.C., covering over twenty miles each day for 108 days. Some walked barefoot. Some nights...
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"Start With Why" (Part 2 of a six-part series on change) Episode #171, January 30, 2026
The Wellness Compass Podcast
What follows is our Weekly Wellness Column that is always on the same topic as our Weekly Podcast: Start With Why (Part 2 of a six-part series on change). Most attempts to make a change will fail if they are not connected to a clear "why"—a clear reason for making the change. The "why" is the root system that grounds and nurtures change. Without a strong root system, most attempts at change will wither or die out altogether. For example, if a person makes a New Year’s resolution simply because it’s the popular thing to do, there is a good chance that resolution won’t stick. If,...
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"Listening for a Change," Episode #170, January 16, 2026
The Wellness Compass Podcast
In this episode we mention our Wellness Compass Self Assessment. Here is a link to our assessment(s). Click to learn more, and/or to download the self-assessment for your own use. And Holly mentions her personal trianer in this episode--the amazing Luanne Vogel. You can learn more about Luanne, including her contact info . And if you would like to join our upcoming Wellness Compass "pop up" session on Thursday, January 22, 7:00 PM Central Time, click . There are 8 dimensions of wellness in our Wellness Compass and for this session we will focus on the Relationship dimension...
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"Sharing Light in the Darkness," Episode #169, December 19, 2025
The Wellness Compass Podcast
Sharing Light in the Darkness In the 1990’s, there was a children’s show on the Nickelodeon Network that our children and we loved, called Are You Afraid of the Dark? One thing that made the show special was that it was just scary enough, without being terrifying. We find ourselves thinking about that show now as we in the Northern Hemisphere approach the darkest night of the year. There is a lot of fear, a lot of scary things happening in the world, things that can seem dark and overwhelming at times. As therapists, we find ourselves invited into so many conversations these days about how...
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"The Spirit (and Neuroscience) of Generosity," Episode #168, December 12, 2025
The Wellness Compass Podcast
What follows is our Weekly Wellness Column that is always on the same topic as our Weekly Podcast: The Spirit (and Neuroscience) of Generosity The holidays are a time for gift giving and generosity. Nonprofits receive more donations of both money and volunteer hours this time of year than at any other time. With that in mind, we offer a few thoughts on practicing generosity—not just during the holidays, but all year long. Our Brains Are Wired for Generosity The Dalai Lama and Archbishop Desmond Tutu, in their book entitled The Book of Joy, remind us that generosity is fundamental by...
info_outlineWhat follows is the Weekly Wellness Column which we send out by email each Friday on the same topic as our weekly podcast.
ASAP: As Slow As Possible
As we prepare to transition to summer, many people look forward to two things: more time outdoors and a slower rhythm of life. If you are a regular reader/listener of our weekly column and podcast, you know we take a break from producing this content between Memorial Day and Labor Day. We do this so that we, too, can spend more time outdoors and live our lives at a slower pace.
When we recently came across several creative versions of the well-known phrase ASAP (see box above), we posted them on our refrigerator to serve as a compass for how we intend to enjoy this coming summer. All of these are a reminder to us that there is more to life than hurrying. And we have been fun creating our own versions, too.
In our fast-paced, always "on" world, hurrying is seen by some as a badge of honor. Many of us rush from task to task, conversation to conversation, rarely pausing to breathe, let alone reflect. While we may equate speed with productivity and importance, this culture of constant motion comes at a cost—one that takes a toll on our mental, emotional, physical, and spiritual well-being.
There is an excellent quote that also appears on our refrigerator door. "Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished." The quote is often attributed to Lao-tzu's ancient book Tao Te Ching, or Book of the Way, but we have seen it attributed to other sources, too. No matter the source, the wisdom is a good reminder for us all as we transition to the rhythms of summer.
And let's not confuse slowness with laziness. Slowing down is an intentional choice in the midst of a culture addicted to urgency. It's one thing we can do to reclaim our wellness, our spirit, and our lives.
We invite you to consider alternatives to the familiar ASAP that might guide your rhythm this summer as we have been doing. One idea we came up with is to make this summer a time to"Allow Space And Pause," which is precisely what we will be doing with pausing our column and podcast over the coming months. And as we take a break until September, we wish you all a wonderful summer, a summer where you might…
Align Summer Aspirations Purposefully
Adjust Slowly Allowing Peace
Admire Summer’s Awesomeness Plentifully
Anchor Summer Adventures Peacefully
Appreciate Summer Abundance Playfully
Awaken Summer Adventure Passion
Activate Summer Aliveness Practices
….."And Similarly Add Phrases" to our list. In other words, feel free to play with and create your own wisdom version of ASAP.