Whole Again: Mindfulness and Resilience Through Kintsugi Wisdom

Michael OBrien | Mindfulness & Resilience Coach
  • 5.0 (54)
  • Society & Culture
  • Updated Daily

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. 55m ago

    A Perfectly Imperfect Union: Reflecting on America 250 with Heather Wagner

    The Whole Again Podcast: Mindfulness and Resilience through Kinstugi Wisdom airs every Monday, Wednesday and Friday with Pause Breathe Reflect Microdose Meditations, Growth Mindset and Mindfulness Tips, to help us transform our scars into healing and resilience. And between May and October, I'm sharing a new series I'm calling: A Perfectly Imperfect Union. It's about connecting with every day folks as they reflect on America at 250. Conversations will air every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. ------- In the latest episode of A Perfectly Imperfect Union, we travel to Maryland and sit down with Heather Wagner. She runs a nonprofit in DC, works in the anti-human trafficking space, and identifies openly as an autistic ADHD leader raising two neurodivergent kids. She's also been a minister, an executive coach, and a "rail fan mom" chasing trains with her son across Maryland. Heather shares that her views of America have shifted across different seasons of her life, from the girl who grew up near Seneca Falls believing she could change the world, to someone who now sees the country's story as a bit of a tragedy, one she still holds hope for. She shares a vivid image from a trip to Italy, sitting near the Colosseum and realizing America is like a petulant teenager, sure it has all the answers but still nowhere near fully grown. Her prescription for healing isn't complicated. Stop looking for difference. Start anchoring into what we all actually share: grief, love, fear, the wish to be seen and valued. To discover more about Heather, please use this link to connect on LinkedIn. And Heather's question for you and our next guest is: If you could sit down and have coffee with one person, past, present, or future, who would it be? Share your thoughts in the comments and share this episode with one of your neighbors. You can now download my Pause Breathe Reflect App with Microdose EQ for FREE in Apple’s App Store or Google Play. Discover how 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.” Join me on Substack https://substack.com/@milkshakeswithmichael for more ways to stay resilient and navigate today’s uncertainty with more grace. 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. With Whole Again: Mindfulness and Resilience through Kintsugi Wisdom, listeners explore mindfulness and resilience through personal stories of trauma, scars, and injury while learning to overcome, imposter syndrome, self-doubt, and perfectionism with self-compassion, self-love, and self-worth. Through insightful discussions on building resilience, fitness, and stress management, as well as mindfulness practices and digital wellness, the show offers practical tools such as breathwork, micro-dose meditation, grounding techniques, visualization, and daily affirmations for anxiety relief and stress reduction. Inspired by the art of kintsugi, the podcast embodies healing as a transformative process, encouraging a shift in perspective from worry and overwhelm to gratitude and personal growth. By exploring the mind-body connection, micro-dosing strategies for emotional well-being, and

    A Perfectly Imperfect Union: Reflecting on America 250 with Heather Wagner

  2. 22h ago

    What to do Before Walking into Your Next Room for more Mindfulness and Resilience

    The Whole Again Podcast: Mindfulness and Resilience through Kinstugi Wisdom airs every Monday, Wednesday and Friday with Pause Breathe Reflect Microdose Meditations, Growth Mindset and Mindfulness Tips, to help us transform our scars into healing and resilience. And between May and October, I'm sharing a new series I'm calling: A Perfectly Imperfect Union. It's about connecting with every day folks as they reflect on America at 250. Conversations will air every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. ------- In this episode of Whole Again, Michael shares a story from a recent corporate off-site where a team had been running on empty for six months. So they paused and did the thing most of us never do: took a deep breath. It turns out we take somewhere between 20,000 and 25,000 breaths a day, and we're rarely present for a single one. That's the tension at the heart of this episode: we're moving through our days on autopilot, and our energy is leaking out into every space we enter without us even noticing. The anchor here is a sign Michael found at an Indiana University Health Center years ago, asking people to take responsibility for the energy they bring into a space before they enter it. It's a simple idea with a big ripple effect: when we're reactive, our words and behaviors can cause real harm. When we're intentional, they can do real good. This episode also builds on yesterday's A Perfectly Imperfect Union conversation with Robina from Maui, who left listeners with a question of her own: Are you breathing deeply? Before you go, try this: take one deep breath before your next meeting, conversation, or doorway you walk through today. Share your thoughts in the comments and share this episode with one of your neighbors. You can now download my Pause Breathe Reflect App with Microdose EQ for FREE in Apple’s App Store or Google Play. Discover how 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.” Join me on Substack https://substack.com/@milkshakeswithmichael for more ways to stay resilient and navigate today’s uncertainty with more grace. 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. With Whole Again: Mindfulness and Resilience through Kintsugi Wisdom, listeners explore mindfulness and resilience through personal stories of trauma, scars, and injury while learning to overcome, imposter syndrome, self-doubt, and perfectionism with self-compassion, self-love, and self-worth. Through insightful discussions on building resilience, fitness, and stress management, as well as mindfulness practices and digital wellness, the show offers practical tools such as breathwork, micro-dose meditation, grounding techniques, visualization, and daily affirmations for anxiety relief and stress reduction. Inspired by the art of kintsugi, the podcast embodies healing as a transformative process, encouraging a shift in perspective from worry and overwhelm to gratitude and personal growth. By exploring the mind-body connection, micro-dosing strategies for emotional well-being, and

  3. 2d ago

    A Perfectly Imperfect Union: Reflecting on America 250 with Robena

    The Whole Again Podcast: Mindfulness and Resilience through Kinstugi Wisdom airs every Monday, Wednesday and Friday with Pause Breathe Reflect Microdose Meditations, Growth Mindset and Mindfulness Tips, to help us transform our scars into healing and resilience. And between May and October, I'm sharing a new series I'm calling: A Perfectly Imperfect Union. It's about connecting with every day folks as they reflect on America at 250. Conversations will air every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. ------- In this episode of A Perfectly Imperfect Union, we travel to Hawaii and visit with Robena. We talk about aloha as currency, life on an isolated island where everyone has to take care of each other, and why she believes America is, at its core, an aspirational line of thinking. She traces her family's roots back to 1600s Virginia and a long westward pull that eventually landed her in Hawaii. Her prescription for healing the country is simple and hard at the same time: more empathy, more patience, and more deep breathing to calm a nervous system stuck in fear. And her question for you and our next guest is: Are you breathing deeply? Visit Robena's Galley via this link. Share your thoughts in the comments and share this episode with one of your neighbors. You can now download my Pause Breathe Reflect App with Microdose EQ for FREE in Apple’s App Store or Google Play. Discover how 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.” Join me on Substack https://substack.com/@milkshakeswithmichael for more ways to stay resilient and navigate today’s uncertainty with more grace. 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. With Whole Again: Mindfulness and Resilience through Kintsugi Wisdom, listeners explore mindfulness and resilience through personal stories of trauma, scars, and injury while learning to overcome, imposter syndrome, self-doubt, and perfectionism with self-compassion, self-love, and self-worth. Through insightful discussions on building resilience, fitness, and stress management, as well as mindfulness practices and digital wellness, the show offers practical tools such as breathwork, micro-dose meditation, grounding techniques, visualization, and daily affirmations for anxiety relief and stress reduction. Inspired by the art of kintsugi, the podcast embodies healing as a transformative process, encouraging a shift in perspective from worry and overwhelm to gratitude and personal growth. By exploring the mind-body connection, micro-dosing strategies for emotional well-being, and

    A Perfectly Imperfect Union: Reflecting on America 250 with Robena

  4. 3d ago

    A Pathway to Forgiveness: A Ho'oponopono Microdose Meditation (Mindfulness and Resilience)

    The Whole Again Podcast: Mindfulness and Resilience through Kinstugi Wisdom airs every Monday, Wednesday and Friday with Pause Breathe Reflect Microdose Meditations, Growth Mindset and Mindfulness Tips, to help us transform our scars into healing and resilience. And between May and October, I'm sharing a new series I'm calling: A Perfectly Imperfect Union. It's about connecting with every day folks as they reflect on America at 250. Conversations will air every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. ------- In this Microdose Monday practice from the Pause, Breathe, Reflect app, Michael shares the Ho'oponopono prayer, a healing meditation that originated in Hawaii and carries a simple but profound message: I am sorry. Please forgive me. I love you. Thank you. Michael first learned to repeat this mantra while cycling up Mount Haleakala in Maui, and he brings that same spirit of forgiveness and connection into this guided practice. Rooted in the belief that we are all one and that changing the world begins with changing ourselves, this meditation invites you to place your hands on your heart, breathe into it, and let your higher self offer you the compassion you may be withholding from yourself. You can now download my Pause Breathe Reflect App with Microdose EQ for FREE in Apple’s App Store or Google Play. Discover how 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.” Join me on Substack https://substack.com/@milkshakeswithmichael for more ways to stay resilient and navigate today’s uncertainty with more grace. 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. With Whole Again: Mindfulness and Resilience through Kintsugi Wisdom, listeners explore mindfulness and resilience through personal stories of trauma, scars, and injury while learning to overcome, imposter syndrome, self-doubt, and perfectionism with self-compassion, self-love, and self-worth. Through insightful discussions on building resilience, fitness, and stress management, as well as mindfulness practices and digital wellness, the show offers practical tools such as breathwork, micro-dose meditation, grounding techniques, visualization, and daily affirmations for anxiety relief and stress reduction. Inspired by the art of kintsugi, the podcast embodies healing as a transformative process, encouraging a shift in perspective from worry and overwhelm to gratitude and personal growth. By exploring the mind-body connection, micro-dosing strategies for emotional well-being, and

  5. 5d ago

    Jessica Starks: A Perfectly Imperfect Union: Reflecting on America 250

    The Whole Again Podcast: Mindfulness and Resilience through Kinstugi Wisdom airs every Monday, Wednesday and Friday with Pause Breathe Reflect Microdose Meditations, Growth Mindset and Mindfulness Tips, to help us transform our scars into healing and resilience. And between May and October, I'm sharing a new series I'm calling: A Perfectly Imperfect Union. It's about connecting with every day folks as they reflect on America at 250. Conversations will air every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. ------- What does it look like when honesty becomes the foundation for healing? In our next episode of A Perfectly Imperfect Union, we travel to the great state of Mississippi and sit down with Jessica Starks, entrepreneur, writer, storyteller, and community builder. I love how Jessica pushes back on Mississippi's reputation, pointing to a state full of hospitality and accomplished, well-read people that outsiders rarely see. As a creative, she's candid about AI too, calling it a "frenemy" that can help the process but can never replace the human soul behind real art. And through her genealogy work, she's uncovered a family story that includes both the weight of slavery and the surprise of being welcomed by white relatives she once feared would turn away. You can discover more about her via this link. And Jessica's question for you and our next guest is: If you could build a museum on anything you chose, what would it be about? Share your thoughts in the comments and share this episode with someone you love. You can now download my Pause Breathe Reflect App with Microdose EQ for FREE in Apple’s App Store or Google Play. Discover how 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.” Join me on Substack https://substack.com/@milkshakeswithmichael for more ways to stay resilient and navigate today’s uncertainty with more grace. 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. With Whole Again: Mindfulness and Resilience through Kintsugi Wisdom, listeners explore mindfulness and resilience through personal stories of trauma, scars, and injury while learning to overcome, imposter syndrome, self-doubt, and perfectionism with self-compassion, self-love, and self-worth. Through insightful discussions on building resilience, fitness, and stress management, as well as mindfulness practices and digital wellness, the show offers practical tools such as breathwork, micro-dose meditation, grounding techniques, visualization, and daily affirmations for anxiety relief and stress reduction. Inspired by the art of kintsugi, the podcast embodies healing as a transformative process, encouraging a shift in perspective from worry and overwhelm to gratitude and personal growth. By exploring the mind-body connection, micro-dosing strategies for emotional well-being, and

    Jessica Starks: A Perfectly Imperfect Union: Reflecting on America 250

  6. 6d ago

    Growth Mindset Tip #29: Nobody Will Remember Your Strava Feed

    The Whole Again Podcast: Mindfulness and Resilience through Kinstugi Wisdom airs every Monday, Wednesday and Friday with Pause Breathe Reflect Microdose Meditations, Growth Mindset and Mindfulness Tips, to help us transform our scars into healing and resilience. And between May and October, I'm sharing a new series I'm calling: A Perfectly Imperfect Union. It's about connecting with every day folks as they reflect on America at 250. Conversations will air every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. ------- Once you're gone, will anyone remember your Strava feed? We are up to Growth Mindset Tip #29, as I celebrate 25 years since my Last Bad Day. Fitness apps like Strava can be genuinely useful. They track progress, map new routes, and connect you with other athletes. But Michael digs into the flip side. These same platforms can quietly pull us into comparison, ego, and shoulding all over ourselves, chasing a version of fitness that has nothing to do with the life we actually want to build. He's honest that his own posts still matter to him, but his happiness can't be tied to them. Because at the end of it all, no one will remember your mile splits. They'll remember how you made them feel. If you've ever caught yourself comparing your pace, your body, or your progress to someone else's feed, this one's for you. Share your thoughts in the comments and share this episode with an athlete you love. You can now download my Pause Breathe Reflect App with Microdose EQ for FREE in Apple’s App Store or Google Play. Discover how 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.” Join me on Substack https://substack.com/@milkshakeswithmichael for more ways to stay resilient and navigate today’s uncertainty with more grace. 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. With Whole Again: Mindfulness and Resilience through Kintsugi Wisdom, listeners explore mindfulness and resilience through personal stories of trauma, scars, and injury while learning to overcome, imposter syndrome, self-doubt, and perfectionism with self-compassion, self-love, and self-worth. Through insightful discussions on building resilience, fitness, and stress management, as well as mindfulness practices and digital wellness, the show offers practical tools such as breathwork, micro-dose meditation, grounding techniques, visualization, and daily affirmations for anxiety relief and stress reduction. Inspired by the art of kintsugi, the podcast embodies healing as a transformative process, encouraging a shift in perspective from worry and overwhelm to gratitude and personal growth. By exploring the mind-body connection, micro-dosing strategies for emotional well-being, and

  7. Jul 23

    Nelson Wang: A Perfectly Imperfect Union: Reflecting on America 250

    The Whole Again Podcast: Mindfulness and Resilience through Kinstugi Wisdom airs every Monday, Wednesday and Friday with Pause Breathe Reflect Microdose Meditations, Growth Mindset and Mindfulness Tips, to help us transform our scars into healing and resilience. And between May and October, I'm sharing a new series I'm calling: A Perfectly Imperfect Union. It's about connecting with every day folks as they reflect on America at 250. Conversations will air every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. ------- In the latest episode of A Perfectly Imperfect Union, I sit down with Nelson Wang, a huge NY Knicks fan, at a Capital One Cafe in New York City. Nelson believes America's real strength is the willingness to be stronger for our differences instead of weaker because of them, and he's watched that play out on the streets of New York every day. The story that anchors it all is his father's, a man who fled Shanghai for Hong Kong ahead of the Cultural Revolution and eventually built a new life in America, a life Nelson was the first in his family to be born into here. You can discover more about Nelson via this link. And Nelson's question for you and our next guest, Jessica, is: What subject do you wish documentarian Ken Burns would tackle next? Share your thoughts in the comments and share this episode with someone you love.

    Nelson Wang: A Perfectly Imperfect Union: Reflecting on America 250

  8. Jul 22

    Mindfulness and Resilience: Who Gave You Permission to Change?

    The Whole Again Podcast: Mindfulness and Resilience through Kinstugi Wisdom airs every Monday, Wednesday and Friday with Pause Breathe Reflect Microdose Meditations, Growth Mindset and Mindfulness Tips, to help us transform our scars into healing and resilience. And between May and October, I'm sharing a new series I'm calling: A Perfectly Imperfect Union. It's about connecting with every day folks as they reflect on America at 250. Conversations will air every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. ------- Do you need someone's permission to change? That's the question a leader Michael coaches recently put to him: before his accident, was he ever given permission to become someone new? It's a question most of us are quietly asking ourselves too, even if we've never said it out loud. In this episode, Michael unpacks why we don't need anyone's permission to shift, evolve, or outgrow the groove we've settled into, and why staying stuck there creates a quiet, constant tension. He calls out the corporations that profit from our self-doubt, the ones selling us a fix for a story we were never meant to believe in the first place. He also revisits the rocks in our backpack, the DO HAVE BE trap so many of us live inside without realizing it, and why finding the right peloton matters more than finding permission. You will discover: Why change never actually requires anyone else's approval, including your own past self'sHow to recognize when you're stuck in a groove that no longer fits who you're becomingThe DO HAVE BE trap and how corporate culture profits from keeping us in itA simple set of questions to ask yourself about what still fits and what you've outgrownWhy surrounding yourself with the right peloton matters more than waiting for permission. You can now download my Pause Breathe Reflect App with Microdose EQ for FREE in Apple’s App Store or Google Play. Discover how 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.” Join me on Substack https://substack.com/@milkshakeswithmichael for more ways to stay resilient and navigate today’s uncertainty with more grace. 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. With Whole Again: Mindfulness and Resilience through Kintsugi Wisdom, listeners explore mindfulness and resilience through personal stories of trauma, scars, and injury while learning to overcome, imposter syndrome, self-doubt, and perfectionism with self-compassion, self-love, and self-worth. Through insightful discussions on building resilience, fitness, and stress management, as well as mindfulness practices and digital wellness, the show offers practical tools such as breathwork, micro-dose meditation, grounding techniques, visualization, and daily affirmations for anxiety relief and stress reduction. Inspired by the art of kintsugi, the podcast embodies healing as a transformative process, encouraging a shift in perspective from worry and overwhelm to gratitude and personal growth. By exploring the mind-body connection, micro-dosing strategies for emotional well-being, and

See All (441)

Trailer

5
out of 5
54 Ratings

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.

Information