Shannan Martin | Balancing the World's Heaviness

In this episode of the Untidy Faith Podcast, I sit down with Shannan Martin, author of Counterweights, for a grounding conversation about how her dad’s blue-collar farm wisdom—”carry something equally heavy in the other hand”—became a daily practice for staying upright in a world that feels increasingly overwhelming.Rather than focusing on “toxic positivity” or the “count your blessings” mantra, Shannan teaches us to honestly name the weights we carry and intentionally find counterweights that pull us back to center so we can keep breathing through the chaos and moving toward justice without burning out.Topics Covered* How a blue-collar dad’s practical advice about carrying heavy things to the barn became a metaphor for pulling ourselves back to center when we’re lurching under the weight of collective trauma and constant news cycles* Understanding counterweights as different from gratitude or mindfulness* Why the “abundant life” Jesus promised isn’t prosperity gospel glitter but getting all of it* Learning from incarcerated people at the work release center what accessible counterweights look like* How protecting your peace can mean staying engaged and bearing witness to trauma (especially for those with power and privilege) rather than opting out* Why counterweights are always happening and how naming them with intention increases capacity for moving toward justiceTimestamps: 01:00 Defining Counterweights: Dad’s Blue-Collar Wisdom 05:00 Why This Cultural Moment Needs This Practice 11:00 The Abundant Life: We Get It All 16:00 Avoiding Toxic Positivity While Staying Grounded 21:00 Accessible Counterweights: From Cabinet Scrubbing to Dancing 27:00 Learning from Incarcerated Neighbors About What’s Accessible 32:00 Beauty as Emergency: Increasing Capacity for Justice Work 37:00 Finding the Book and Shannan’s Work This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit kateboyd.substack.com/subscribe