Faith, Fear, and the Fork in the Road: Resilient Decision Making
Release Date: 08/20/2025
When Something Quietly Hurts
Diamonds in Dumpster Fires
When Something Quietly Hurts Resilience, Dopamine, and the Wisdom of Letting Go There’s a part of resilience no one really prepares you for. Not the crisis. Not the breakdown. But the quiet moment when you realize something in your life is slowly, subtly hurting you. In this episode of Diamonds in Dumpster Fires, Melie explores what real resilience feels like in the nervous system, why calm can feel uncomfortable after prolonged stress, and how dopamine-driven habits can quietly erode our sense of safety. Using dating apps as a personal example, she unpacks how constant anticipation and...
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Self-Compassion, Shame, and How God Designed Your Brain
Diamonds in Dumpster Fires
For many people of faith, self-compassion can sound uncomfortably close to self-indulgence or letting ourselves off the hook. In this episode, Melie explores why that tension exists—and why self-compassion, when rooted in Scripture, is not opposed to growth but essential to it. Drawing from research by Kristin Neff, this conversation reframes self-compassion through a Christian lens, separating grace from shame and accountability from self-punishment. You’ll hear how neuroscience, faith, and Jesus’ own example all point toward compassion as a catalyst for lasting transformation....
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What Real Resilience Looks Like with Eric Davis
Diamonds in Dumpster Fires
What does resilience actually look like when life is heavy and you’re tired of being told to “just push through”? In this episode, Melie sits down with Eric Davis, combat-decorated U.S. Navy SEAL and author of Raising Men, to talk about a grounded, practical definition of resilience that goes far beyond grit and hustle. Instead of white-knuckling hardship, Eric reframes resilience as maintaining and restoring your capacity to take action—especially in hard seasons like burnout, divorce, grief, or rebuilding. Together, they explore purpose, passion, rest, habits, and why so many...
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You Don’t Need to Remind People That You Exist
Diamonds in Dumpster Fires
Have you ever felt invisible? Even while showing up, engaging, and trying to connect? In this episode of Diamonds in Dumpster Fires, Melie explores the quiet loneliness of feeling overlooked, forgotten, or ghosted. She talks about why moments like repeated introductions, unanswered texts, and fading connections can hurt so deeply, and why that pain isn’t a personal flaw: it’s human wiring. This episode blends personal stories, faith, and neuroscience to unpack: Why feeling unseen hits harder than we expect What research says about social exclusion and belonging How ghosting and...
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Gentle Resilience for the New Year
Diamonds in Dumpster Fires
January doesn’t always feel fresh, clear, or motivating — and if the new year feels heavier than expected, you are not alone. In this short, grounding episode, Melie offers a compassionate alternative to resolutions, reinvention, and pressure. Instead of goals to achieve, she shares three gentle practices you can carry with you into the new year — especially on days when your energy, clarity, or motivation feels limited. These practices are designed to support your nervous system, your faith, and your real life — not an idealized version of who you think you should be. You don’t need...
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Still here (and that counts)
Diamonds in Dumpster Fires
New Year’s Eve is often framed as a celebration of fresh starts, big goals, and reinvention. But for many of us, this night feels quieter, heavier, or more complicated than that. In this episode, Melie offers a gentle New Year’s Eve reflection for anyone who didn’t “win the year,” set big goals, or feel ready for resolutions. Instead of focusing on becoming someone new, we honor something simpler and often overlooked: the courage it takes to stay. If this past year was about survival rather than thriving, this episode is for you. We talk about endurance, unseen strength, and why...
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Light in the In-Between: A Christmas Eve Episode
Diamonds in Dumpster Fires
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...
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Resilience When You’re Sick: Why Rest Is Not Failure
Diamonds in Dumpster Fires
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...
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The Hidden Cost of High-Functioning Anxiety with Lisa Skeffington
Diamonds in Dumpster Fires
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”...
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One Year Later: What Podcasting Taught Me About Resilience
Diamonds in Dumpster Fires
This week marks a full year of Diamonds in Dumpster Fires—52 episodes of showing up, telling the truth, and letting God work through the messy middle. Instead of a highlight reel, Melie shares seven lessons this year of podcasting taught her about resilience, creativity, faith, and showing up when life feels anything but polished. In this episode, you’ll hear: Why resilience is built through tiny acts of consistency How vulnerability strengthens connection and calms the nervous system Why creativity regulates your body and grounds your spirit How structure—not motivation—keeps...
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Decision fatigue? Faith fog? Fear yelling louder than your intuition? In this episode, Melie breaks down what it really looks like to make decisions when you're standing at a life crossroad—or just overthinking a second date.
With humor, heart, and a blend of faith and neuroscience, we explore how your brain responds to uncertainty, why fear often disguises itself as logic, and how to move forward with clarity even when the way isn’t crystal clear.
You’ll learn:
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Why decision-making feels harder after a major life event
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The neuroscience behind overthinking and avoidance
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The difference between big-feeling and big-impact decisions
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Tools like pro-and-con lists, value checks, and faith-based pauses
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Tips for ADHD brains that struggle with choice overload
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How to trust God even when there’s no perfect answer
Whether you're deciding to quit a job, walk away from a relationship, or simply choose what’s next for dinner—this episode gives you permission to choose with courage, not perfection.
🔧 Mentioned Tools & Tips:
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Pro-and-con list backed by neuroscience
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ADHD-friendly hacks for decision clarity
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Isaiah 30:21 — “This is the way; walk in it.”
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Reflection question: Is this fear or faith talking?
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