Life Happens with Barb & Michelle

If you've ever felt lighter in your life after removing someone from it — this episode explains why. Barb & Michelle get real about the 5 signals that it might be time to cut someone out of your life — and why knowing the signals is only half the battle. This episode covers the guilt, the fantasy that people will change, the sunk cost of long relationships, and how to actually do it in a way that doesn't consume the next five years of your life. Barb speaks from experience — including her own 33-year untangling — and Michelle brings the practical, modern perspective on why even empathetic, self-aware people stay in relationships that cost them everything. This is the episode for anyone who already knows what they need to do but can't seem to let themselves do it. What You'll Learn:The 5 specific signals that a relationship is costing you more than it's givingWhy the apology is often the manipulation — not the resolutionHow to tell the difference between sunk cost and real loveWhy being "the bigger person" is sometimes just being controlledHow to release someone from your life without needing to hate them first See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

There are conversations every parent knows they should have — and most of them never do. In this episode of Life Happens with Barb & Michelle, mother and daughter go deep on the exact things they wish someone had said to them before life had to teach them the hard way. From family alcoholism surfacing after a 15-year-old's first drunken night, to growing up with two alcoholic parents and never once hearing 'I love you' — Barb and Michelle trace how silence passes down through generations, and what it actually takes to break that chain. This one is for every parent afraid to say the hard thing, and every adult child who's still waiting to hear it. In this episode, you'll learn: - Why 'protecting' your kids from hard truths usually means protecting yourself from discomfort - How to create a safe space so your child actually comes to you — without fishing or manipulating - The HALT tool (Hungry, Angry, Lonely, Tired) and how to make it a natural part of family life - What to do when you've already said something that closed your child off — and how to repair it - Why you don't need the perfect moment — and how to let hard conversations unfold naturally From psychiatrist and author M. Scott Peck's famous opening line in The Road Less Traveled: "Life is difficult." Rather than seeing this as pessimistic, Barb taught Michelle that accepting life's challenges is one of the greatest pathways to peace, resilience, and emotional freedom. “Life is difficult. This is a great truth, one of the greatest truths. It is a great truth because once we truly see this truth, we transcend it. Once we truly know that life is difficult ―once we truly understand and accept it― then life is no longer difficult. Because once it is accepted, the fact that life is difficult no longer matters.” - M. Scott Peck Don't wait for the sit-down talk. The moment is already here. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Comedian Jessi Cruickshank joins Barb and Michelle backstage at Lynn University for a raw, funny, and unexpectedly emotional conversation about motherhood, performance, anxiety, and becoming the women their mothers raised them to be. From professional perfectionism to internet criticism, the conversation moves from hilarious behind-the-scenes moments into deeper reflections on identity, mindfulness, and the pressure women carry in public and private life. Jessi opens up about the comment she never forgot, while Barb and Michelle unpack what they inherited — and what they had to unlearn. In this episode: • Why perfectionism quietly controls so many women • The emotional cost of always performing “fine” • How humor and mindfulness actually serve the same purpose • The parenting lessons they resisted most • Why confidence is usually built through embarrassment Learn how to stop performing perfection and start connecting honestly. Connect with Jessi: Follow her on Instagram & Facebook: @jessicruickshank  Follow her on TikTok: @jessicruickshanktok  Check out her Evening Club Tour: jessicruickshank.com/tour  Listen to her podcast: https://tr.ee/u6WMhIAnoi See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Healthy relationships require honesty, reciprocity, and the courage to stop self-silencing. In this episode of Life Happens, Barb and Michelle sit down with Alex Elle to unpack what it really means to outgrow people, rebuild trust, and tell the truth in your relationships before resentment takes over.  They discuss her new book, “The Company We Keep” which just launched today and can be found here: The Company We Keep -- Book link: https://bit.ly/4fe0kbw The Company We Keep tour link: https://sites.prh.com/alexelletour  This conversation will help anyone navigating changes in friendship, people pleasing, divorce, boundaries, and the painful reality that growth sometimes means letting go. Together, Barb, Michelle, and Alex explore why saying yes when you mean no creates disconnection, how reciprocity shapes healthy friendship, and why “clarity is a radical act of love.” If you’ve been questioning your friendships, struggling to use your voice, or trying to understand what trust and alignment actually look like in real life, this episode offers both the emotional validation and the language to begin.Learn how to recognize self-silencing and people-pleasing patternsUnderstand the difference between growing together and growing apartGet language for hard conversations about friendship, trust, and capacityReframe honesty as an act of love instead of conflictBuild healthier, more reciprocal relationships without abandoning yourselfIf you’ve ever stayed in a friendship longer than you should have because you didn’t want to be the one who left... this episode will meet you right there. Alex’s book, The Company We Keep, is available on May 19, 2026. Don’t miss it. 💗 Connect with Alex: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alex_elle/  Substack: https://alexelle.substack.com/  💬 We’d love to hear from you! What insight or moment resonated most with you in this episode? Share in the comments—we truly read every one. 📅 Subscribe & Join Us Next Tuesday for another heartfelt episode of Life Happens with Barb and Michelle! 💕 🎙️ Host by:https://www.instagram.com/peaceful_barb/https://www.instagram.com/michellemaros/Join our community⬇️ YouTube: www.youtube.com/@LifeHappensThePodcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lifehappensthepodcast/ Substack: https://lifehappensthepodcast.substack.com/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@lifehappensthepodcast Listen to our podcast anywhere→ https://michellemaros.com/podcast/  🎙️ New episodes of Life Happens with Barb and Michelle are released every Tuesday ✨ Available Now✨ Order Dear Friend to receive daily doses of clarity, hope, and heartfelt encouragement.💌 https://amzn.to/3Us9eqg See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

What happens after the book tour ends, the championship is won, and the calendar goes blank? Michelle opens up about the unexpected emptiness she felt after her biggest accomplishment, and Barb reveals something she has never experienced: a void. This mother-daughter conversation uncovers why success can feel like getting fired, what it means to live like you are running out of time, and why the quiet after the loud season might be the most important chapter of all. This episode dives into the generational divide between pushing through and pausing, the difference between rest and avoidance, and how two very different people navigate the same transition. Whether you just graduated, finished a big project, ended a season, or closed a chapter you poured everything into, this conversation will help you understand why the void is not a problem to fix but a space to fill on your own terms. What you'll take away:Why achieving your biggest goal can feel like getting fired overnightThe generational difference between 'keep moving' and 'feel your feelings' after a big momentHow Barb's micro-transitions throughout the day prevent her from ever hitting emptyThe connection between running out of time, grief, and never allowing a voidHow to recognize when sitting in the void becomes productive reflection vs. staying stuck Don't let the quiet after the loud season convince you that the best part is over. Learn how to make the space count. 💬 We’d love to hear from you! What insight or moment resonated most with you in this episode? Share in the comments—we truly read every one. 🎙️ Hosted by:https://www.instagram.com/peaceful_barb/https://www.instagram.com/michellemaros/ Join our community⬇️ YouTube: www.youtube.com/@LifeHappensThePodcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lifehappensthepodcast/ Substack: https://lifehappensthepodcast.substack.com/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@lifehappensthepodcast Listen to our podcast anywhere→ https://michellemaros.com/podcast/  🎙️ New episodes of Life Happens with Barb and Michelle are released every Tuesday 0:00 — Intro: Michelle's post-book-tour void 0:58 — Welcome to Life Happens with Barb and Michelle 1:14 — It's bigger than a book: any major milestone 1:45 — Indiana football national championship & the "now what?" 2:44 — Barb's reaction: the joy of the unexpected 3:51 — Michelle's book journey and the feeling of the drop-off 7:39 — Barb never felt a void — a generational contrast 14:35 — What is rest? Defining it differently for everyone 21:32 — Vulnerable question: does living like you're running out of time come from grief? 24:28 — How will you know when you've done what you came here to do? 38:32 — Barb's Italy trip: sometimes the transition is fast 41:01 — Closing reflections & takeaways See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.