WAVE: A Simple Tool for Riding Life's Emotional Intensities

I have this incredible friend, Amy Fogarty — she's a nurse, a yoga teacher, and honestly just a stellar human being. I've done retreats with her in Santa Fe, and a while back she shared this acronym with me and I was like... wait, what? I've been lovingly pestering her ever since to let me bring it to you. So Amy, thank you — because I truly believe this can help people.We're calling this episode WAVE, and it's not just a cute name. When emotions are washing over you — and they will — it can feel exactly like being caught in the spin cycle at Pipeline. (Monique actually tried to swim out past those 20-foot waves in Hawaii and... yeah. That did not go as planned.) The intensity builds, you're waiting for the crest, and then it crashes back on you again. Sound familiar?Monique shared something really personal this episode — going through the college admissions process with her daughter, waiting for that email to open, trying to manage her own emotions and her daughter's at the same time. It was raw, it was real, and it's exactly the kind of moment this tool was made for.Key Themes + TakeawaysW — Witness: Step outside the emotion and just observe it. You're not buying into the story — you're noticing. I'm emotionally flooded right now. That's it. Feelings are not who you are; they're windows into what's going on inside.A — Allow: Let the emotion exist without pushing it down, pushing it away, or distracting yourself out of it. You can't hide from what's already within you.V — Validate: Give yourself compassion. This is hard. This is real. Being human is hard — we didn't come with owner's manuals. Don't gaslight yourself into thinking you shouldn't feel what you feel.E — Explore: Where do you feel it in your body? Would a hand on your heart help? Breath? Gentle movement — yoga, a walk? What color is this emotion? What would it feel like to send it love instead of resistance?When you run from hard emotions, they get bigger. They become the dragon in the corner that just keeps growing — until you finally go make friends with it.Two things can be true at once: you can be sad about something and excited about what's next. But if you skip the validation step, you're still gripping — and you can't hold something new when your hands are full.This is a tool for everyone — kids, adults, men, women. Waves don't stop. Emotional intensities don't stop. So it's not about avoiding them, it's about having the right surfboard.Our Favorite Quotes"You can't hide from what's already within you.""Feelings are not who we are — they're just mirrors and windows into what's going on inside.""How can you hold something new when you're gripping?""I finally realized I need to go pet the motherfucking dragon." 🐉"Memories are built riding these waves — it isn't when the seas are calm."Chapter Markers0:00 — Good vibes and a big tease2:29 — Meet Amy Fogarty (and why Mariah wouldn't let this stay on Instagram)3:52 — Monique's real-life wave: the college admissions rollercoaster6:00 — Why it's called WAVE (and what happened at Pipeline)7:46 — Breaking down the acronym: W, A, V, E10:48 — The dragon in the corner (and why running makes it worse)12:13 — What WAVE looks like in parenting — and why it mattersYour Turn 🌊This week's reflection:"Think about the last emotion that surprised you with its intensity. Where did you feel it? Did you witness it, or did you run? What might it look like to allow it — just for a moment — without trying to fix or explain it away?"-----All Heart & Soul's Details:Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.heartandsoulmastermind.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Join the mastermind program:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠https://www.heartandsoulmastermind.com/heartsoul⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Say hi to Mariah on Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠@mariahmckechnieSay hi to Monique on Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠@moniqueforcierLeave a review on the Apple Podcast app and the Spotify app: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️MB016FYWIYHORQU