Episode 22: Maintenance Over Mastery- Mantras, Forgiveness, and a God Who Stays

Send us Fan MailAs we step into a new year, Episode 22 of Earth Tones offers a gentle alternative to the pressure of New Year’s resolutions!This episode explores why mantras are more invitational than resolutions — why they don’t demand perfection, discipline, or constant self-correction, but instead invite us back to ourselves again and again. Mantras are not about mastery. They’re about maintenance. About staying. About returning.At the beginning of the episode, I take a moment to look back on 2025 — not only through the lens of Earth Tones but through my own personal becoming.✨ Earth Tones reached 796 downloads, listeners in 31 countries, and over 130 cities — something I never imagined when this podcast began. But beyond the numbers, 2025 was a year of stillness. A year of choosing presence over escape. Of learning how to stay with myself in difficult moments instead of running from them.This year also reshaped how I see God.I share how my understanding of God has deepened — how God is no longer attached to outcomes, blessings, or perceived rewards. I don’t believe God deals “good hands” or “bad hands” based on worthiness. Our environments, systems, and circumstances create much of what we experience — and God sits with us through all of it.When we tie God only to outcomes, we risk underestimating the quiet, constant presence of God in the world — especially in moments that don’t resolve neatly.The episode closes with me sharing my personal mantra and intention for 2026, centered on forgiveness — forgiving others, forgiving myself, and learning how deeper love often lives on the other side of that work.This episode isn’t about becoming someone new. It’s about learning how to stay with who you already are!🌿 In this episode:Why mantras are more sustainable than resolutionsMaintenance vs. mastery as a spiritual and emotional practiceA reflective look back at 2025 — personally and with Earth Tones!Reframing how we understand God, presence, and circumstanceMy 2026 mantra centered on forgivenessConnect with Host, Ella🎞️ Earth Tones Podcast Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/earthtones.podcast🎞️ Personal Instagram https://www.instagram.com/earthmamaella🎬 TikTok:https://www.tiktok.com/@earthtones.podcast🎥 YouTube:https://www.youtube.com/@earthtones-podcast