A HOLY MESS | Nervous System, Somatic, Regret, Exhausted, Burnout, Boundaries, Emotional Healing, Christian Mindset, Recovery

Dani Sumner | Christian Life Coach, Spiritual Director, Spiritual Transformation Coach
  • 5.0 (180)
  • Christianity
  • Updated Weekly

Do you ever feel stuck, emotionally drained, or like you’re constantly striving but never “enough”? You’re in the right place! Welcome to A HOLY MESS Podcast (ranked in the top 1% globally🎉), a podcast designed for you if you’re ready to break free and heal from self-doubt, burnout, and overgiving—so you can step into confidence, peace, God’s grace and purpose with clarity. Each week, I share biblical wisdom, mindset shifts, and real conversations to help you: ✨ Overcome self-doubt and fear with faith-based confidence. ✨ Let go of striving and perfectionism and embrace God’s grace. ✨ Set healthy boundaries and stop people-pleasing without guilt. ✨ Heal from burnout, shame, regret, and emotional exhaustion. ✨ Renew your mind with God’s truth and step into your purpose. There’s no magic wand to find more freedom, but there are practical tools that can help. Even as Christians who sometimes feel unworthy and shame about our past, anxious about our future, or feel like we are not enough. There is so much more for us! There’s hope, joy, peace, fun, purpose, and a reason that YOU are on this planet. If you’re ready to rediscover your worth, reconnect with God, and finally feel at peace, you’re in the right place. We can have fun and laugh while trudging through our messes; this stuff doesn’t need to be dry and boring. I can’t wait to journey with you. Your new friend, Dani Learn -＞ www.danisumner.com Connect -＞ hello@danisumner.com Facebook -＞ https://www.facebook.com/DaniSumnerCoaching Instagram -＞ https://www.instagram.com/danisumner/

  1. 17h ago

    229. How to Stop the Overthinking Spiral: 4 Body-Based Practices to Calm Your Monkey Brain

    Your brain is doing the thing again. Spinning every scenario, asking every question, mapping every worst case. You can feel the anxiety climbing and you cannot think your way out of it. In this episode, Dani gets real about the overthinking spiral, the gift hiding inside your monkey brain, and the one line that changes everything: overthinking is not healed by more thinking. She shares the box breathing pattern she uses with clients, the truth that your s****y committee does not get to run the rest of your day, and why getting out of your head and into your body is how the Holy Spirit actually speaks to you. In this episode, Dani talks about: Why your overthinking brain is a gift, not a curse The one-line reframe: overthinking is not healed by more thinking How to name the spiral out loud so it loses its grip Box breathing (4-4-4) for when your nervous system is racing Getting back into your body so you can actually hear your intuition How to shut down the s****y committee and the critic upstairs If your s****y committee has been running you ragged and you're ready to actually become friends with your brain instead of being attacked by it, this is exactly the work I do with my 1:1 clients. Book a free discovery call at aholymess.com and let's figure out your next right step. And if you're not ready for that yet, this episode will hit like a deep breath and a hug and a kick in the tail all at once. Glad you're here, Dani Ready to Go to Your Next Level? 💫 Friend, if you're feeling the tug, that stirring inside that says there's MORE for you, I want to talk to you. Whether you're ready to do the deep life transformation work or you feel called to help OTHER people transform their lives, I've got something for you. 🌟 1:1 Life Coaching & Transformation Programs If you're craving more peace, more joy, more purpose, and you're ready to stop just surviving and start THRIVING! Let's connect. Book a free discovery call and let's figure out together if one of my programs is your next right step. 🌟 "Messy Life Transformation Life Coach Certification" --Do you feel called to help people? Are you someone who's been through the hard stuff and now wants to turn that pain into purpose? Getting certified as a life coach through my program is one of the most holy, rich, and powerful things you can do; not just for your clients, but for YOU. It changed my life. And it can change yours. ➡️ Book Your FREE Discovery Call Today to schedule your call with Dani. No magic wand. No magic pill. Just the process, and you don't have to do it alone. If This Episode Spoke to You… Would you do me a favor and leave a review? It helps so many more people find this community. And share this episode with a friend who needs to hear that they're not where they used to be, and that's WORTH celebrating. 🤍 🌟To learn more about Dani & to join the newsletter list-> https://www.danisumner.com/ 🌟 Follow me on YouTube 🤳🏼 ALSO, let's connect on social media: Facebook, Instagram -> Facebook and Instagram

    20 min

  2. 4d ago

    228. Stop Waiting for Motivation. 5 Daily Practices to Prioritize Yourself and Regulate Your Nervous System.

    Life keeps lifing. You know what you need to do for yourself, but somewhere between the to-do list and the people who need you, you keep landing at the bottom of your own priority list. In this episode, Dani gets real about the foundational practices she comes back to every time she starts to drift, and the mantra that rewired everything. She shares the magical moment in Paris where she thanked the past version of herself for the work that set her up to be on that solo trip, the line that has changed her mornings ("I'm unavailable to put Dani on the back burner"), and why she thinks motivation is, in her words, a crock of shit. In this episode, Dani talks about: - Why prioritizing yourself is the opposite of selfish (and how to spot the lie) - The 5 non-negotiable morning practices that keep her grounded - The alarm clock trick that gets you out of bed every time - Why burnout heals in the middle of life, not on a six-month sabbatical - Gentle somatic practices to wake up a fried nervous system - The Serenity Prayer as a daily reset button If you've been carrying everyone else and you keep landing last on your own list, this episode will hit like a deep breath and a hug and a kick in the ass all at once. When you're ready to stop putting yourself on the back burner for real, book a free discovery call and let's figure out your next right step together. Glad you're here, Dani Ready to Go to Your Next Level? 💫 Friend, if you're feeling the tug, that stirring inside that says there's MORE for you, I want to talk to you. Whether you're ready to do the deep life transformation work or you feel called to help OTHER people transform their lives, I've got something for you. 🌟 1:1 Life Coaching & Transformation Programs If you're craving more peace, more joy, more purpose, and you're ready to stop just surviving and start THRIVING! Let's connect. Book a free discovery call and let's figure out together if one of my programs is your next right step. 🌟 "Messy Life Transformation Life Coach Certification" --Do you feel called to help people? Are you someone who's been through the hard stuff and now wants to turn that pain into purpose? Getting certified as a life coach through my program is one of the most holy, rich, and powerful things you can do; not just for your clients, but for YOU. It changed my life. And it can change yours. ➡️ Book Your FREE Discovery Call Today ➡️ Visit https://calendly.com/danisumner to schedule your call with Dani. No magic wand. No magic pill. Just the process, and you don't have to do it alone. If This Episode Spoke to You… Would you do me a favor and leave a review? It helps so many more people find this community. And share this episode with a friend who needs to hear that they're not where they used to be, and that's WORTH celebrating. 🤍 🌟To learn more about Dani & to join the newsletter list-> https://www.danisumner.com/ 🌟 Follow me on YouTube 🤳🏼 ALSO, let's connect on social media: Facebook, Instagram -> Facebook and Instagram

    26 min

  3. May 28

    227. You've Done the Work. Now What? Jim Beebe on Turning Your Pain Into Your Purpose

    You've done the inner work. So why does it still feel like you're circling the same mountain? In this episode, Dani gets real with her longtime therapist Jim Beebe about what's next when the healing work starts asking to become something bigger. She shares the moment Jim called her "a trauma looking for a drama," the Richard Rohr line that changed her ("those who don't transform their pain will transmit their pain"), and the reframe that landed hardest: the past becomes a story you own, not an experience you keep living.   In this episode, Dani and Jim talk about: - Why some of us get addicted to our own trauma - The shift from "what then" work to "what now" work - The wounded healer paradox: you grow by giving it away - How to tell when you're ready to coach others (and when you're not) - The difference between business coaching and transformational coaching - What it feels like to move from reactive to responsive   If you've felt the tug to turn what you've walked through into something that helps other people walk through their own mess, the Messy Life Transformation Life Coach Certification was built for this season. Book a free discovery call at https://calendly.com/danisumner and let's see if it's your next right step. And if you're not there yet, this episode will still hit like a deep breath and a hug and a kick in the ass all at once.   Glad you're here, Dani   Ready to Go to Your Next Level? 💫 Friend, if you're feeling the tug, that stirring inside that says there's MORE for you, I want to talk to you. Whether you're ready to do the deep life transformation work or you feel called to help OTHER people transform their lives, I've got something for you. 🌟 1:1 Life Coaching & Transformation Programs If you're craving more peace, more joy, more purpose, and you're ready to stop just surviving and start THRIVING! Let's connect. Book a free discovery call and let's figure out together if one of my programs is your next right step. 🌟 "Messy Life Transformation Life Coach Certification" --Do you feel called to help people? Are you someone who's been through the hard stuff and now wants to turn that pain into purpose? Getting certified as a life coach through my program is one of the most holy, rich, and powerful things you can do; not just for your clients, but for YOU. It changed my life. And it can change yours. ➡️ Book Your FREE Discovery Call Today ➡️ Visit https://calendly.com/danisumner to schedule your call with Dani. No magic wand. No magic pill. Just the process, and you don't have to do it alone. If This Episode Spoke to You… Would you do me a favor and leave a review? It helps so many more people find this community. And share this episode with a friend who needs to hear that they're not where they used to be, and that's WORTH celebrating. 🤍 🌟To learn more about Dani & to join the newsletter list-> https://www.danisumner.com/ 🌟 Follow me on YouTube 🤳🏼 ALSO, let's connect on social media: Facebook, Instagram -> Facebook and Instagram

    21 min

  4. May 23

    226. Encore: A Christian's Journey Through Stage Four Cancer (with Dani's Dear Friend Deb Schultz)

    What do you do when life hands you a diagnosis you never saw coming, and the future you'd been quietly building gets stripped away one loss at a time? In this encore episode (originally episode 160), Dani sits down with one of her dearest friends, Deborah Schultz, who was diagnosed with stage four ovarian cancer over five years ago and was told she had maybe five years to live. Spoiler: she's still here, still standing, and just finished her 105th chemo infusion. In this episode, Dani gets real about what it looks like to walk through the unthinkable with grit, honesty, humor, and Jesus. She shares Deb's stunning story of being prayed over for her health by a fellow board member before she even knew anything was wrong, the brutal honesty of "the red devil" chemo and the agony of 30 mouth blisters, the line that's going to stick with you long after this episode ends ("pull on your big girl panties and just do it"), and Deb's quiet refusal to be a victim even after a lifetime of reasons she could have been one. In this episode, Dani and Deb talk about getting a stage four diagnosis and the grief work that has to come before acceptance can show up, why you have to actively mourn the loss of who you used to be so you can build a new normal, why being victimized in your past does not mean you have to live as a victim now, how to spot the red flag of isolating yourself when you're struggling, the truth that pity parties are okay as long as they have an end time, the way God shows up most often in the small subtle moments, and what it looks like to carry stage four cancer and still ooze joy because you're not carrying it alone. If you're walking through any kind of "this is not the life I planned" season, whether it's a diagnosis, a loss, a career ending, a body that doesn't work the way it used to, or just the slow ache of becoming someone new because the old version of you doesn't fit anymore, this episode will feel like a deep breath and a hug and a kick in the ass all at once. Deb is the real deal. And she's living proof that joy and suffering can live in the same body at the same time. Glad you're here, Dani Ready to Go to Your Next Level? 💫 Friend, if you're feeling the tug, that stirring inside that says there's MORE for you, I want to talk to you. Whether you're ready to do the deep life transformation work or you feel called to help OTHER people transform their lives, I've got something for you. 🌟 1:1 Life Coaching & Transformation Programs If you're craving more peace, more joy, more purpose, and you're ready to stop just surviving and start THRIVING! Let's connect. Book a free discovery call and let's figure out together if one of my programs is your next right step. 🌟 "Messy Life Transformation Life Coach Certification" --Do you feel called to help people? Are you someone who's been through the hard stuff and now wants to turn that pain into purpose? Getting certified as a life coach through my program is one of the most holy, rich, and powerful things you can do; not just for your clients, but for YOU. It changed my life. And it can change yours. ➡️ Book Your FREE Discovery Call Today ➡️ Visit https://calendly.com/danisumner to schedule your call with Dani. No magic wand. No magic pill. Just the process, and you don't have to do it alone. If This Episode Spoke to You… Would you do me a favor and leave a review? It helps so many more people find this community. And share this episode with a friend who needs to hear that they're not where they used to be, and that's WORTH celebrating. 🤍 🌟To learn more about Dani & to join the newsletter list-> https://www.danisumner.com/ 🌟 Follow me on YouTube 🤳🏼 ALSO, let's connect on social media: Facebook, Instagram -> Facebook and Instagram

    52 min

  5. May 19

    225. Rough Days Happen. The One-Degree Shift That Will Get You Through Today.

    Rough Days Happen. The One-Degree Shift That Will Get You Through Today. Some days are just cloudy. Inside and out. You didn't sleep well, your energy is off, everything feels a little heavier than it should, and even the work you love feels like a slog. In this episode, Dani gets real about what to do when you're in the middle of a rough day, and why having one doesn't mean you're going backwards. She shares a beautiful story about a client who almost let Mother's Day spiral her into six months of resentment, until she paused, asked herself, "What would Dani do right now?", and picked up the phone instead. It's a small shift with a huge ripple, and it's exactly the kind of one-degree move that changes everything. In this episode, Dani talks about why it's okay to be having a hard day (even when you've done all the work), the rule about not making big life or business decisions when you're vibing low, the power of advocating for yourself before bitterness takes root, why "this too shall pass, even if it passes like a kidney stone" is the line you need today, simple somatic moves like 10 jumping jacks or a quick dance break to shift your nervous system, the s****y committee in your head and why you don't have to let it run the next 30 days of your life, and the reminder that resilience isn't about avoiding rough moments, it's about getting through them with grace. If you're having one of those cloudy, overcast, low-energy days, this episode will feel like a deep breath and a hug and a kick in the ass all at once. You're not broken. You're not behind. You're just human, and you're allowed to have a rough day without it meaning anything about who you are. Glad you're here, Dani   Ready to Go to Your Next Level? 💫 Friend, if you're feeling the tug, that stirring inside that says there's MORE for you, I want to talk to you. Whether you're ready to do the deep life transformation work or you feel called to help OTHER people transform their lives, I've got something for you. 🌟 1:1 Life Coaching & Transformation Programs If you're craving more peace, more joy, more purpose, and you're ready to stop just surviving and start THRIVING! Let's connect. Book a free discovery call and let's figure out together if one of my programs is your next right step. 🌟 "Messy Life Transformation Life Coach Certification" --Do you feel called to help people? Are you someone who's been through the hard stuff and now wants to turn that pain into purpose? Getting certified as a life coach through my program is one of the most holy, rich, and powerful things you can do; not just for your clients, but for YOU. It changed my life. And it can change yours. ➡️ Book Your FREE Discovery Call Today ➡️ Visit https://calendly.com/danisumner to schedule your call with Dani. No magic wand. No magic pill. Just the process, and you don't have to do it alone. If This Episode Spoke to You… Would you do me a favor and leave a review? It helps so many more people find this community. And share this episode with a friend who needs to hear that they're not where they used to be, and that's WORTH celebrating. 🤍 🌟To learn more about Dani & to join the newsletter list-> https://www.danisumner.com/ 🌟 Follow me on YouTube 🤳🏼 ALSO, let's connect on social media: Facebook, Instagram -> Facebook and Instagram

    17 min

  6. May 16

    224. Your Scars Don't Disqualify You. They Qualify You.

    You know the phrase: hurt people hurt people. But this week, Dani’s client Nici flipped it in a way that stopped her in her tracks: hurt people also help people and heal people. Dani shares why your wounds don’t disqualify you from meaningful work — they often qualify you. She talks about leaving her old career to follow a calling that scared her, but was one of the best decisions she ever made. And why helping others is part of the healing process, and why waiting until you’re “all healed” before showing up is what keeps you stuck.   In this episode, you’ll hear: Why your scars can make you more qualified, not less The moment Dani knew she had to leave her career and follow her calling Why helping others can be healing for you too What Nici’s “uprooted and replanted” illustration means for your next season Why you don’t have to be perfect to hire a coach or become one   Glad you're here, Dani   Ready to Go to Your Next Level? 💫 Friend, if you're feeling the tug, that stirring inside that says there's MORE for you, I want to talk to you. Whether you're ready to do the deep life transformation work or you feel called to help OTHER people transform their lives, I've got something for you. 🌟 1:1 Life Coaching & Transformation Programs If you're craving more peace, more joy, more purpose, and you're ready to stop just surviving and start THRIVING! Let's connect. Book a free discovery call and let's figure out together if one of my programs is your next right step. 🌟 "Messy Life Transformation Life Coach Certification" --Do you feel called to help people? Are you someone who's been through the hard stuff and now wants to turn that pain into purpose? Getting certified as a life coach through my program is one of the most holy, rich, and powerful things you can do; not just for your clients, but for YOU. It changed my life. And it can change yours. ➡️ Book Your FREE Discovery Call Today ➡️ Visit https://calendly.com/danisumner to schedule your call with Dani. No magic wand. No magic pill. Just the process, and you don't have to do it alone. If This Episode Spoke to You… Would you do me a favor and leave a review? It helps so many more people find this community. And share this episode with a friend who needs to hear that they're not where they used to be, and that's WORTH celebrating. 🤍 🌟To learn more about Dani & to join the newsletter list-> https://www.danisumner.com/ 🌟 Follow me on YouTube 🤳🏼 ALSO, let's connect on social media: Facebook, Instagram -> Facebook and Instagram

    19 min

  7. May 12

    223. Why Nothing Ever Feels Like Enough (And What to Do About It)

    "Expectations are premeditated resentments." In this episode, Dani breaks down the difference between high standards and unrealistic expectations, and why that moving finish line is keeping you from celebrating how far you've actually come. She shares a real conversation with her new project manager, the quote that's stuck with her for 15 years, and why Psalm 139 might be the permission slip you didn't know you needed. If you've ever hit a goal and immediately moved the goalpost, or if you're harder on yourself than you'd ever be on someone you love, this one's for you. Ready to Go to Your Next Level? 💫 Friend, if you're feeling the tug, that stirring inside that says there's MORE for you, I want to talk to you. Whether you're ready to do the deep life transformation work or you feel called to help OTHER people transform their lives, I've got something for you. 🌟 1:1 Life Coaching & Transformation Programs If you're craving more peace, more joy, more purpose, and you're ready to stop just surviving and start THRIVING! Let's connect. Book a free discovery call and let's figure out together if one of my programs is your next right step. 🌟 "Messy Life Transformation Life Coach Certification" --Do you feel called to help people? Are you someone who's been through the hard stuff and now wants to turn that pain into purpose? Getting certified as a life coach through my program is one of the most holy, rich, and powerful things you can do; not just for your clients, but for YOU. It changed my life. And it can change yours. ➡️ Book Your FREE Discovery Call Today ➡️ Visit https://calendly.com/danisumner to schedule your call with Dani. No magic wand. No magic pill. Just the process, and you don't have to do it alone. If This Episode Spoke to You… Would you do me a favor and leave a review? It helps so many more people find this community. And share this episode with a friend who needs to hear that they're not where they used to be, and that's WORTH celebrating. 🤍 🌟To learn more about Dani & to join the newsletter list-> https://www.danisumner.com/ 🌟 Follow me on YouTube 🤳🏼 ALSO, let's connect on social media: Facebook, Instagram -> Facebook and Instagram

    16 min

  8. May 9

    222. Mother's Day Is Complicated. And That's Okay (Here's What to Do About It)

    Mother's Day is complicated, for almost all of us. In this episode, Dani gets real about what it means to mother yourself when the holiday brings up more grief than gratitude. She shares a conversation from her massage therapist that stopped her in her tracks, why being alone with yourself is actually the goal, and why what we don't heal, we pass on. In this episode, Dani talks about why Mother's Day brings up so much for so many of us, what it actually looks like to mother yourself as a grown woman (and why it's not selfish), the one thing her acupuncture therapist said about being alone with yourself that changed her perspective, how to stop running on fumes and start prioritizing yourself without the guilt, and why what we don't heal, we pass on to the people we love most. If you're navigating complicated feelings this Mother's Day, or any day, this episode will feel like a deep breath and a hug and a kick in the ass all at once. Glad you're here, Dani ➡️ Book Your FREE Discovery Call Today ➡️ HERE  Ready to Go to Your Next Level? 💫 Friend, if you're feeling the tug, that stirring inside that says there's MORE for you, I want to talk to you. Whether you're ready to do the deep life transformation work or you feel called to help OTHER people transform their lives, I've got something for you. 🌟 1:1 Life Coaching & Transformation Programs If you're craving more peace, more joy, more purpose, and you're ready to stop just surviving and start THRIVING! Let's connect. Book a free discovery call and let's figure out together if one of my programs is your next right step. 🌟 Messy Life Transformation Life Coach Certification Do you feel called to help people? Are you someone who's been through the hard stuff and now wants to turn that pain into purpose? Getting certified as a life coach through my program is one of the most holy, rich, and powerful things you can do; not just for your clients, but for YOU. It changed my life. And it can change yours. ➡️ Book Your FREE Discovery Call Today ➡️ Visit https://calendly.com/danisumner to schedule your call with Dani No magic wand. No magic pill. Just the process, and you don't have to do it alone.   If This Episode Spoke to You… Would you do me a favor and leave a review? It helps so many more people find this community. And share this episode with a friend who needs to hear that they're not where they used to be, and that's WORTH celebrating. 🤍   🌟To learn more about Dani & to join the newsletter list-> https://www.danisumner.com/ 🌟 Follow me on YouTube 🤳🏼 ALSO, let's connect on social media: Facebook, Instagram -> Facebook and Instagram

    15 min
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About

Do you ever feel stuck, emotionally drained, or like you’re constantly striving but never “enough”? You’re in the right place! Welcome to A HOLY MESS Podcast (ranked in the top 1% globally🎉), a podcast designed for you if you’re ready to break free and heal from self-doubt, burnout, and overgiving—so you can step into confidence, peace, God’s grace and purpose with clarity. Each week, I share biblical wisdom, mindset shifts, and real conversations to help you: ✨ Overcome self-doubt and fear with faith-based confidence. ✨ Let go of striving and perfectionism and embrace God’s grace. ✨ Set healthy boundaries and stop people-pleasing without guilt. ✨ Heal from burnout, shame, regret, and emotional exhaustion. ✨ Renew your mind with God’s truth and step into your purpose. There’s no magic wand to find more freedom, but there are practical tools that can help. Even as Christians who sometimes feel unworthy and shame about our past, anxious about our future, or feel like we are not enough. There is so much more for us! There’s hope, joy, peace, fun, purpose, and a reason that YOU are on this planet. If you’re ready to rediscover your worth, reconnect with God, and finally feel at peace, you’re in the right place. We can have fun and laugh while trudging through our messes; this stuff doesn’t need to be dry and boring. I can’t wait to journey with you. Your new friend, Dani Learn -＞ www.danisumner.com Connect -＞ hello@danisumner.com Facebook -＞ https://www.facebook.com/DaniSumnerCoaching Instagram -＞ https://www.instagram.com/danisumner/

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