Whole Again: Mindfulness and Resilience Through Kintsugi Wisdom

Michael OBrien | Mindfulness & Resilience Coach
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Discover how to create a meaningful life on your way to who you are becoming. Whole Again: Mindfulness and Resilience Through Kintsugi Wisdom provides the support you need to heal, develop a growth mindset, and embrace who you are becoming. Inspired by the Japanese art of “Golden Repair,” Kintsugi teaches us that even when life breaks us, we can rebuild—stronger, wiser, and more beautiful than before. Listen to discover weekly growth-mindset tips, build emotional resilience and manage stress through microdose meditations, and ways to live a meaningful life and the person you are becoming. And as America turns 250, tune in to hear your neighbors share their reflections on our Perfectly Imperfect Union and on ways we can come together to end the divisions that prevent us from realizing our collective potential. I’m Michael O’Brien—husband, Girl Dadx2, son, friend, animal lover, endurance cyclist, and survivor. After a near-death cycling accident—what I call My Last Bad Day—the metaphor of Kintsugi helped me see that I could be whole again. Today, as a Mindset & Resilience Leadership coach, Corporate Speaker, Meditation Teacher, and founder of The Pause Breathe Reflect Method, I'm here to support you as you create a meaningful life and become the person you are becoming. Join me every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday for micro-episodes designed to help you embrace the Kintsugi spirit within you and truly feel Whole Again. And each Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday, check out my new series, A Perfectly Imperfect Union, as America turns 250 this year.

  1. 15h ago

    A Perfectly Imperfect Union: Reflections on America 250 a Wrap Up

    Tired of the noise and division, but not ready to give up on us? In 2022, a table of strangers at a small coffee shop in Rushville, Indiana, called over Michael mid-ride across America, peppered him with questions, and sent him off with “God bless you.” That moment frames this recap of A Perfectly Imperfect Union, released on Election Day after 79 conversations with everyday Americans from every corner of the country. Michael shares what landed on him most: we don’t need more like-mindedness. We need more like-heartedness, the kind that leads with curiosity, kindness, and the humility to admit we might be wrong. Along the way, he calls back to guests like Jeff Gold, who reminded us that everyone has a story, Demetria and her radical empathy, and Grace, who got a Democrat and a Republican baking America’s 250th birthday cake together. The election won’t heal us. But the way we show up for each other on day one after it just might. The series isn’t ending. A Perfectly Imperfect Union continues as its own podcast after Election Day. You can now download my Pause Breathe Reflect App with Microdose EQ for FREE on Apple’s App Store or Google Play. Discover how to spend less time on your phone and more time on things that bring you joy. Also, find the support you need to navigate today’s uncertainty with more calm and grace. Receive a FREE copy of my book: “My Last Bad Day Shift.” We can also connect on LinkedIn. Subscribe to be sure you don’t miss any of the micro-meditations, wellness tips, and guidance that I publish every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday at 7:11 am.

    A Perfectly Imperfect Union: Reflections on America 250 a Wrap Up

  2. 1d ago

    Setting Your Intentions: A Microdose Meditation for Mindfulness and Resilience

    The best way to start your day is by setting your intentions. How do you wish to show up? What ripples do you want to create? What values do you wish to honor? You can now download my Pause Breathe Reflect App with Microdose EQ for FREE on Apple’s App Store or Google Play. Discover how to spend less time on your phone and more time on things that bring you joy. Also, find the support you need to navigate today’s uncertainty with more calm and grace. Receive a FREE copy of my book: “My Last Bad Day Shift.” We can also connect on LinkedIn. Subscribe to be sure you don’t miss any of the micro-meditations, wellness tips, and guidance that I publish every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday at 7:11 am.

  3. 3d ago

    A Perfectly Imperfect Union: Reflections on America 250 with Fatima Shahid

    In the latest episode of A Perfectly Imperfect Union, we end in Mount Rushmore State and connect with Fatima Shahid. Fatima is a sophomore studying neuroscience at the University of South Dakota in Vermillion, and an international student from Pakistan. She’s also the final conversation in A Perfectly Imperfect Union, and the perfect person to close out 79 conversations across the country. When Fatima thinks of America, the first word that comes to mind is opportunity. But living here has shown her something more: a place where people from completely different cultures and faiths can share who they are with neighbors who genuinely want to learn. Her hope for America is simple. Listen more, judge less, and remember that we rarely know what someone else is carrying. You can now download my Pause Breathe Reflect App with Microdose EQ for FREE on Apple’s App Store or Google Play. Discover how to spend less time on your phone and more time on things that bring you joy. Also, find the support you need to navigate today’s uncertainty with more calm and grace. Receive a FREE copy of my book: “My Last Bad Day Shift.” We can also connect on LinkedIn. Subscribe to be sure you don’t miss any of the micro-meditations, wellness tips, and guidance that I publish every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday at 7:11 am.

    A Perfectly Imperfect Union: Reflections on America 250 with Fatima Shahid

  4. 4d ago

    Stop Saying “Let Me Know If You Need Anything”: How to Truly Support Someone Mindfulness and Resilience

    What do you say when someone you care about is going through something hard? If your first instinct is “Let me know if you need anything,” you’re not alone. I’ve said it. And after my Last Bad Day, I heard it more times than I can count. It comes from a good place. But when you’re already buried under a pile of problems to solve, that well-meaning offer quietly hands you one more. In this walk-and-talk, Tip #43 in my year-long series celebrating the 25th anniversary of my Last Bad Day, I share two simple shifts that can help your support land when it matters most. The first is to get specific. Instead of a general offer, ask a question the other person can answer with a simple yes or no. Can I mow your lawn? Can I pick up your groceries? Better yet, if you already know what they need, just do it. The second is to keep showing up. Support pours in during the first few weeks, and then it fades. But healing doesn’t follow that timeline. It took me about a year to feel like myself again. A text, a phone call, a simple “I’m thinking about you, how are you doing today?” can mean everything months after everyone else has moved on. And when they answer, let them be. Tears, anger, small celebrations. All of it is welcome. You can now download my Pause Breathe Reflect App with Microdose EQ for FREE on Apple’s App Store or Google Play. Discover how to spend less time on your phone and more time on things that bring you joy. Also, find the support you need to navigate today’s uncertainty with more calm and grace. Receive a FREE copy of my book: “My Last Bad Day Shift.” We can also connect on LinkedIn. Subscribe to be sure you don’t miss any of the micro-meditations, wellness tips, and guidance that I publish every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday at 7:11 am.

  5. 5d ago

    A Perfectly Imperfect Union: Reflections on America 250 with Rodger Ruge

    In the latest episode of A Perfectly Imperfect Union, I travel to South Dakota to connect with Rodger Ruge. Can you have the strength to win a fight and the peace to never throw a punch? Rodger believes we’ve contracted into echo chambers where a different opinion feels like a threat rather than a possibility. His way forward is simple and hard at the same time. Before you decide about someone, walk in their shoes. You don’t have to agree. You just have to understand. And then there’s the story that changed his life. A 250-pound prison guard challenged Roger’s 135-pound martial arts teacher to a fight. For 90 seconds, his teacher only blocked. When the bigger man collapsed from exhaustion, his teacher helped him up, dusted him off, and thanked him. That moment sent Rodger to his first meditation group, and it might just change how you think about strength. And his question for you and our next guest is: What is one action step you can take tomorrow to help repair this country? You can now download my Pause Breathe Reflect App with Microdose EQ for FREE on Apple’s App Store or Google Play. Discover how to spend less time on your phone and more time on things that bring you joy. Also, find the support you need to navigate today’s uncertainty with more calm and grace. Receive a FREE copy of my book: “My Last Bad Day Shift.” We can also connect on LinkedIn. Subscribe to be sure you don’t miss any of the micro-meditations, wellness tips, and guidance that I publish every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday at 7:11 am.

    A Perfectly Imperfect Union: Reflections on America 250 with Rodger Ruge

  6. 6d ago

    The Mini Peanut Butter Cup Problem: How to Mindfully Use AI Without Losing Yourself

    Are you using AI, or is it slowly using you? With Halloween coming up, I’m taking you on a walk-and-talk to share a theory I first floated with fellow podcasters: AI is like a bowl of mini peanut butter cups. One or two seem harmless. They’re small. Hardly any calories, right? But grab a couple off a coworker’s desk in the morning, a few more after lunch, and a few more before you head home, and suddenly you’ve eaten two full packs. Double the sugar. Double the guilt. I don’t believe AI will destroy us with a big bang. I think it’s more likely to wear us down one little handoff at a time -- the email we didn’t write, the plan we didn’t think through, the map we never looked at -- until the things that make us human start to fade. Our ability to write in our own voice. To think. To find our way. Even our compassion and empathy. That doesn’t mean swearing off the candy bowl. For deep research, AI can be a remarkable tool. The difference comes down to one foundation of mindfulness: intention. Knowing what you’re reaching for, and why. My advice for the season? Be intentional about how you use AI. And be just as intentional about how you sneak candy from your kids’ Halloween bags. You can now download my Pause Breathe Reflect App with Microdose EQ for FREE on Apple’s App Store or Google Play. Discover how to spend less time on your phone and more time on things that bring you joy. Also, find the support you need to navigate today’s uncertainty with more calm and grace. Receive a FREE copy of my book: “My Last Bad Day Shift.” We can also connect on LinkedIn. Subscribe to be sure you don’t miss any of the micro-meditations, wellness tips, and guidance that I publish every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday at 7:11 am.

  7. Oct 27

    A Perfectly Imperfect Union: Reflecting on America 250 with Chad Hufford

    In the latest episode of A Perfectly Imperfect Union, I travel to The Last Frontier to connect with Chad Hufford. Chad is a lifelong Alaskan from Anchorage, a dad of six, and the owner of Veritas, a financial services company focused on retirement and legacy planning. For Chad, the American dream isn’t about getting as rich as you can. It’s about using your unique gifts to make the biggest impact on the people around you. He also makes the case that we spend too much time on the 5% that divides us and not nearly enough on the 95% that unites us. And he reminds us that miracles become mundane if we let them. Plus, a bit of Alaska trivia that might just win you a bar bet. To learn more about Chad, please visit his website. And his question for you and our next guest is: What's one place in the United States you would love to visit, and why? You can now download my Pause Breathe Reflect App with Microdose EQ for FREE on Apple’s App Store or Google Play. Discover how to spend less time on your phone and more time on things that bring you joy. Also, find the support you need to navigate today’s uncertainty with more calm and grace. Receive a FREE copy of my book: “My Last Bad Day Shift.” We can also connect on LinkedIn. Subscribe to be sure you don’t miss any of the micro-meditations, wellness tips, and guidance that I publish every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday at 7:11 am.

    A Perfectly Imperfect Union: Reflecting on America 250 with Chad Hufford

  8. Oct 26

    Finding Acceptance: A Microdose Meditation for Mindfulness and Resilience

    A microdose meditation to start the week. If you find yourself "arguing with reality," then this practice is for you. You can now download my Pause Breathe Reflect App with Microdose EQ for FREE on Apple’s App Store or Google Play. Discover how to spend less time on your phone and more time on things that bring you joy. Also, find the support you need to navigate today’s uncertainty with more calm and grace. Receive a FREE copy of my book: “My Last Bad Day Shift.” We can also connect on LinkedIn. Subscribe to be sure you don’t miss any of the micro-meditations, wellness tips, and guidance that I publish every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday at 7:11 am.

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About

Discover how to create a meaningful life on your way to who you are becoming. Whole Again: Mindfulness and Resilience Through Kintsugi Wisdom provides the support you need to heal, develop a growth mindset, and embrace who you are becoming. Inspired by the Japanese art of “Golden Repair,” Kintsugi teaches us that even when life breaks us, we can rebuild—stronger, wiser, and more beautiful than before. Listen to discover weekly growth-mindset tips, build emotional resilience and manage stress through microdose meditations, and ways to live a meaningful life and the person you are becoming. And as America turns 250, tune in to hear your neighbors share their reflections on our Perfectly Imperfect Union and on ways we can come together to end the divisions that prevent us from realizing our collective potential. I’m Michael O’Brien—husband, Girl Dadx2, son, friend, animal lover, endurance cyclist, and survivor. After a near-death cycling accident—what I call My Last Bad Day—the metaphor of Kintsugi helped me see that I could be whole again. Today, as a Mindset & Resilience Leadership coach, Corporate Speaker, Meditation Teacher, and founder of The Pause Breathe Reflect Method, I'm here to support you as you create a meaningful life and become the person you are becoming. Join me every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday for micro-episodes designed to help you embrace the Kintsugi spirit within you and truly feel Whole Again. And each Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday, check out my new series, A Perfectly Imperfect Union, as America turns 250 this year.

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