Whole Again: Mindfulness and Resilience Through Kintsugi Wisdom
by Michael OBrien | Mindfulness & Resilience Coach
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 metapho
Episodes
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Mono No Aware: Growth Mindset Tip for A Meaningful Life
Have you ever wanted a beautiful moment to last forever? I feel that way every fall. The reds, oranges, and yellows, sweater weather, fire pit season. When I lived in Washington, D.C., I felt it during cherry blossom season too, when the streets turned pink and I never wanted it to end. In this...
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You Are Worthy: A Key for Mindfulness and Resilience
Have you ever measured your worth by whether someone picked you? For me, it started in gym class. Getting picked first made me feel like I was on top of the world. Getting picked last crushed me. That need to be chosen followed me for years, into the right university, the right job, the right...
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A Perfectly Imperfect Union: Reflections on America 250 a Wrap Up
Tired of the noise and division, but not ready to give up on us? In 2022, a table of strangers at a small coffee shop in Rushville, Indiana, called over Michael mid-ride across America, peppered him with questions, and sent him off with “God bless you.” That moment frames this recap of A…
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Setting Your Intentions: A Microdose Meditation for Mindfulness and Resilience
The best way to start your day is by setting your intentions. How do you wish to show up? What ripples do you want to create? What values do you wish to honor? You can now download my Pause Breathe Reflect App with Microdose EQ for FREE on Apple’s App Store or Google Play. Discover how to spend...
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A Perfectly Imperfect Union: Reflections on America 250 with Fatima Shahid
In the latest episode of A Perfectly Imperfect Union, we end in Mount Rushmore State and connect with Fatima Shahid. Fatima is a sophomore studying neuroscience at the University of South Dakota in Vermillion, and an international student from Pakistan. She’s also the final conversation in A...
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Stop Saying “Let Me Know If You Need Anything”: How to Truly Support Someone Mindfulness and Resilience
What do you say when someone you care about is going through something hard? If your first instinct is “Let me know if you need anything,” you’re not alone. I’ve said it. And after my Last Bad Day, I heard it more times than I can count. It comes from a good place. But when you’re already buried...
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A Perfectly Imperfect Union: Reflections on America 250 with Rodger Ruge
In the latest episode of A Perfectly Imperfect Union, I travel to South Dakota to connect with Rodger Ruge. Can you have the strength to win a fight and the peace to never throw a punch? Rodger believes we’ve contracted into echo chambers where a different opinion feels like a threat rather than…
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The Mini Peanut Butter Cup Problem: How to Mindfully Use AI Without Losing Yourself
Are you using AI, or is it slowly using you? With Halloween coming up, I’m taking you on a walk-and-talk to share a theory I first floated with fellow podcasters: AI is like a bowl of mini peanut butter cups. One or two seem harmless. They’re small. Hardly any calories, right? But grab a couple…
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A Perfectly Imperfect Union: Reflecting on America 250 with Chad Hufford
In the latest episode of A Perfectly Imperfect Union, I travel to The Last Frontier to connect with Chad Hufford. Chad is a lifelong Alaskan from Anchorage, a dad of six, and the owner of Veritas, a financial services company focused on retirement and legacy planning. For Chad, the American dream...
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Finding Acceptance: A Microdose Meditation for Mindfulness and Resilience
A microdose meditation to start the week. If you find yourself "arguing with reality," then this practice is for you. You can now download my Pause Breathe Reflect App with Microdose EQ for FREE on Apple’s App Store or Google Play. Discover how to spend less time on your phone and more time on...
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A Perfectly Imperfect Union: Reflections on America 250 with Captain Kindman
In the latest episode of A Perfectly Imperfect Union, I travel to The Hawkeye State to connect with Randy McNeely, aka Captain Kindman. Randy’s mission to grow love through kindness comes from a very personal place. As a teenager, he hit a moment so dark he didn’t want to go on. Friends and their...
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A Perfectly Imperfect Union: Reflecting on America 250 with Julia Krazt
In the latest episode of A Perfectly Imperfect Union, I head to The Hoosier State and connect with Julie Krazt. In 2000, Julie cast her very first vote alongside her mom. They picked different people, then went out to eat. No big deal. Twenty-six years later, she wonders if that moment is even...
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Growth Mindset Tip for Mindfulness and Resilience: Sorry Not Sorry
It's time for another Friday Growth Mindset Tip. This episode packs two tips into one word: Sorry. In 2026, to celebrate My Last Bad Day, I'm sharing tips I've learned over the last twenty-five years to help you step into the person you're becoming and build a meaningful life. You can now…
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A Perfectly Imperfect Union: Reflecting on America 250 with Sofia Gibson
In the latest episode of A Perfectly Imperfect Union, I travel to The Cornhusker State and connect with Sofia Gibson. For her, America means community. Wherever you go, someone knows someone. Still, she sees many people stuck in their ways. Her ask is simple: set your stubbornness aside and…
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The Obvious Focus That Could Mean Fewer Fraternity Sexual Assaults (Cornell 7)
What if the best way to prevent sexual assault starts long before anyone walks into a fraternity house? Since the news broke about The Cornell 7 and Jane Doe, many have weighed in on how to make things right. Some want Cornell's President to resign; others suggest banning frats or making them...
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A Perfectly Imperfect Union: Reflecting on America 250 with John Ramer
In the episode of A Perfectly Imperfect Union, I travel to The Equality State to connect with John Ramer. We start here: What happens when you put a beagle in a room full of politicians? John Roemer knows. He’s the executive director of Kindness Ranch Animal Sanctuary, a home for animals retired...
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Regain Your Focus with A Microdose Meditation for Mindfulness and Resilience
Having trouble focusing? Here's a simple microdose meditation to help you start again. You can also find it in the free Pause Breathe Reflect app, available on Apple's App Store or Google Play. You can now download my Pause Breathe Reflect App with Microdose EQ for FREE on Apple’s App Store or...
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A Perfectly Imperfect Union: Reflection on America 250 with Jaime Pellegrene
In the latest episode of A Perfectly Imperfect Union, I travel to The North Star State to connect with Jaime Pellegrene. What would change if we led with our hearts a little more? Jamie is a holistic wellness coach who specializes in Ayurveda and mindfulness, teaches meditation, and leads…
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A Perfectly Imperfect Union: Reflecting on America 250 with Randy'L Teton
In the latest episode of A Perfectly Imperfect Union, I travel to The Gem State to connect with Randy'L Teton. We talk about a range of topics, including how well we know the history of the land beneath your feet. Randy’L Teton does. She’s a member of the Shoshone-Bannock Tribes and the model for...
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Believe Them the First Time: Rethinking Your Relationship with Social Media for More Mindfuness
When was the last time you closed a social media app feeling better than when you opened it? In Tip #40 of 25 Lessons in 25 Years, Michael moves up a tip he had been saving for December. The night before recording, he saw The Social Reckoning, Aaron Sorkin’s new film about Facebook whistleblower...
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A Perfectly Imperfect Union: Reflections on America 250 with Rich Sheridan
In the latest episode of A Perfectly Imperfect Union, I travel to The Wolverine State and meet Rich Sheridan, whose mission is to bring joy to work. He believes we can. In his mid-30s, Rich had everything on paper. Raises, promotions, praise. Inside, he wasn’t happy, and he was ready to quit tech...
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Ted Lasso Episode 10 Season 4: Embrace the Messy to Embrace Life with Mindfulness and Resilience
What does it take to finally stop waiting and start living? Rebecca asks a version of that question near the end of the Ted Lasso season four finale. Here's the final episode in my Ted Lasso Season 4 series, and it captures what is beautiful about life. It's its messiness. We spend so much energy...
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A Perfectly Imperfect Union: Reflecting on America 250 with Grace Pak
Early in the series, I asked people what kind of birthday cake they would serve for America's 250th. So I thought it would be fitting to connect with Grace Pak, who, with help from Capitol Hill, baked America's 250th birthday cake. Something happened in those offices. The politics fell away, and...
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Milkshakes and Stress - A Mircodose Meditation for Mindfulness and Resilience
Start your day with a Pause Breathe Reflect Mircodose Mediation to support your mindfulness and resilience. This one is about milkshakes and stress, which, in the right amounts, I'm a fan of both. You can now download my Pause Breathe Reflect App with Microdose EQ for FREE on Apple’s App Store or...
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A Perfectly Imperfect Union: Reflecting on America 250 with Heidi Dohse
Please help me co-create the future of Whole Again by completing our community survey. You start here. In the latest episode of A Perfectly Imperfect Union, I travel to The Gem State and connect with a fellow cyclist who likes to get dirty, Heidi Dohse. She calls herself a professional heart...
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It's Time to a Mindfulness and Resilience Celebration - It's Episode 500 or is it 502?
Please help me co-create the future of Whole Again by completing our community survey. You start here. Why celebrate episode 502 instead of 500? Because 502 is two more than 500. And because most podcasts never make it this far. When I started podcasting back in 2019 under the show's old name…
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A Perfectly Imperfect Union: Reflecting on America 250 with Anita Rivers
Please help me co-create the future of Whole Again by completing our community survey. You start here. In the latest episode of A Perfectly Imperfect Union, I stay in The Garden State and connect with Anita Rivers. She's a lifelong educator and the heart behind Fairleigh Dickinson University's…
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Ted Lasso Episode 9 Season 4 - Life Be Lifing
Please help me co-create the future of Whole Again by completing our community survey. You start here. We like to think life arrives in tidy chapters. A season of struggle, then a season of joy. A season of grief, then a season of happiness. But life doesn't work that way. Life be lifing. I know...
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A Perfectly Imperfect Union Series: Reflections on America 250 with Dr. Beatrice Anduze-Faris
For the latest episode of A Perfectly Imperfect Union, I stay right here in The Garden State and connect with Dr. Beatrice Anduze-Faris. What if some of the weight you're carrying was never yours to begin with? Beatrice was born in Canada, raised in Paris, and became a US citizen in 2011. After...
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A Mood Boost to Start the Week: A Mircodose Meditation for Mindfulness and Resilience
Here's a microdose meditation to help you boost your mood as you start the week. Will you help me co-create the future of Whole Again by taking a minute to fill out our community survey? Start here. Discover how to scroll less and live more by taking my Free Smartphone Wellness Audit by clicking...
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A Perfectly Imperfect Union: Reflection on America 250 with Dr. Mike Roizen
In the latest episode of A Perfectly Imperfect Union, I travel to The Buckeye State to connect with Dr. Mike Roizen and we talk about this question. What would you do with 25 more good years? Dr. Mike Roizen believes this is possible for most of us. For him, America means freedom of opportunity…
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Growth Mindset Tip #39 - Equanimity and Wu Wei for Mindfulness and Resilience
How tightly are you gripping the handlebars right now? I explore why so many of us are clenching against a world of accelerating uncertainty, why that grip leaves us exhausted and feeling every bump in the road, and how easing up lets us absorb setbacks without losing momentum. You don't give up...
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A Perfectly Imperfect Union: Reflecting on America 250 with Robert Mixon
In the latest episode of A Perfectly Imperfect Union, I travel to The Sunshine State and connect with Robert Mixon. He served 33 years as a soldier, became a corporate executive, and now runs Level 5 Associates, a leadership company, from Melbourne, Florida, where his wife, Ruthie, declared their...
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Ted Lasso Episode 8 Season 4 - You Matter: A Key for Resilience
What happens when the concern fades, and all that's left is silence? Alice knows. And in episode eight of Ted Lasso season four, she finally says it out loud. I know it too. Apple titled this one "Follow the Anger." Michael has a better name for it: The Road Back. It's the stage of the hero's...
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A Perfectly Imperfect Union: Reflecting on America 250 with Andy Moore
In the latest episode of A Perfectly Imperfect Union, I travel to the Sooner State to connect with Andy Moore. We discuss whether America is a noun or a verb. He runs Let's Fix This, a nonpartisan civic hub for Oklahoma, and serves as executive director of the National Association of Nonpartisan...
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And Something Else - A Microdose Meditation for More Mindfulness and Resilience
A microdose meditation to start the day with more mindfulness and resilience. Today, we tap into one of the most powerful words in the English language: And. You can now download my Pause Breathe Reflect App with Microdose EQ for FREE on Apple’s App Store or Google Play. Discover how to spend…
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A Perfectly Imperfect Union: Reflecting on America 250 with Angela Arntz
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...
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Growth Mindset Tip #38: Take Care of Your Health or Be Force To Take Time for Illness
What do a splinted finger and a fifteen-year-old fingernail groove have to do with your health? More than you'd think. In this episode, I share tip number 38 in his year-long series celebrating the 25th anniversary of my last bad day, and it comes straight from personal experience. A small groove...
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A Perfectly Imperfect Union: Reflecting on America 250 with Mia Kyricos
In the latest episode of A Perfectly Imperfect Union, I stay in Maine to connect with my very first Chief Love Officer, Mia Kyricos. Mia built her career on a simple bet: that love, the highest form of positivity, can be a real business strategy, not just a nice idea. Mia's family story runs...
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Ted Lasso Episode 7, Season 4 - Yes And or Yes, Baby!
What does saying "yes" actually cost you if there's nothing after it? As I continue diving into season 4 of Ted Lasso, this question can help us strengthen our resilience and mindfulness practices. In this episode, Alice is mid-transformation, working her way out of what Michael calls the messy...
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A Perfectly Imperfect Union: Reflecting on America 250 with Jack Wilson
In the latest episode of A Perfectly Imperfect Union, I travel to the Vacationland State to visit with Jack Wilson. We talk about how you only really understand freedom once you've lived outside this country and come back. Jack doesn't think the divide we're in is unfixable. He thinks it's a...
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A Microdose Meditation for Mindfulness and Resilience - 10 Breaths
It's just 10 breaths. An intentional way to start the day for more mindfulness and resilience. Join me most Mondays and Fridays for live practices to start and end your week in community. You can now download my Pause Breathe Reflect App with Microdose EQ for FREE on Apple’s App Store or Google...
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A Perfectly Imperfect Union: Reflecting on America 250 with Vince Caruso
In the latest episode of A Perfectly Imperfect Union, I travel to The Mountain State, cue up the John Denver, to connect with poet Vincent Caruso. We talk about whether or not we've been measuring success in America by all the wrong things He's watched teachers pay out of pocket for their...
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Growth Mindset Tip #37: Progress not Perfection for More Resilience
Can doing something less than perfect actually be the better choice? That's the question behind this week's tip, number 37 in the 25 Lessons in 25 Years series. It starts with a line from Anne-Marie Bonneau, "The Zero-Waste Chef," who said back in 2019, "We don't need a handful of people doing…
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A Perfectly Imperfect Union: Reflecting on America 250 with Joshua Jones
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...
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Ted Lasso Season 4, Episode 6: The No Mud, No Lotus of Mindfulness and Resilience
Can you actually rush your way to resilience, or does healing only happen once you're willing to sit in the mess? Welcome to episode six of season 4 and the messy middle. Jamie's back, and he's still, with love, a bit of a prick. Roy's nursing an injury and some relationship drama. Coach Beard is...
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A Perfectly Imperfect Union: Reflecting on America 250 with Katy Talento
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...
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A Microdose Meditation for Mindfulness and Resilience - Box Breathing
A simple way to welcome the day. You can now download my Pause Breathe Reflect App with Microdose EQ for FREE on Apple’s App Store or Google Play. Discover how to 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...
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A Perfectly Imperfect Union: Reflecting on America 250 with Madhavi Parikh
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...
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Remembering 9/11: Never Forget and Forgiveness (Growth Mindset Tip #36)
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...
About this show
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 metapho
Hosted by
Michael OBrien | Mindfulness & Resilience Coach