03: Life Feels Heavier Than Expected

07: When It Doesn't Feel the Way You Thought It Would

What do you do when your life looks different than the version you once imagined for yourself? If you’ve been feeling disappointed, disoriented, quietly lonely, or wondering why adulthood an especially midlife, feels harder or more ordinary than you expected, this episode might feel familiar. In this episode, I talk about returning to Romania after almost twenty-five years away — and the strange realization that going back is not the same thing as recovering what was lost. We explore disappointment, changing relationships, midlife expectations, and what it means to stay tender inside a life that hasn’t unfolded the way you thought it would. In this episode:  – the grief of unmet expectations  – why disappointment can quietly harden us  – how to name what hurts without rushing to fix it If this is where you are right now, this episode might help you stay honest, hopeful, and a little less alone. Links + Resources From This Episode: * Start with a 21-day Guest Seat at The Table [https://denisaonica.myflodesk.com/the-table-guestseat] * Find me on Instagram @denisa.o.nica [https://www.instagram.com/denisa.o.nica/] * Listening to Your Life [https://www.frederickbuechner.com/listening-to-your-life], by Frederick Buechner  * Download a transcript of this, and every episode at www.denisaonica.com [https://www.denisaonica.com/] Find Denisa Elsewhere: * Leave a review on Apple Podcasts * Order Kairos, When The Holy Meets The Daily [https://books2read.com/u/bWpQXD] * Join Denisa's Substack [https://substack.com/@denisaonica] * Get the monthly letter [https://denisaonica.myflodesk.com/letters-from-the-middle] Episode Website [https://www.denisaonica.com/walking-anyway-podcast]

06: You Don't Have Energy For More

What do you do when you’ve been pushing through for so long that exhaustion starts to feel normal? If you’ve been feeling emotionally tired, stretched thin, or quietly overwhelmed by your own life lately, this episode might feel familiar. In this episode of Walking Anyway, I talk about a season of burnout that slowly forced me to face my own limits — and what I’m learning now about exhaustion, ceasing, and why slowing down felt much harder than I expected. In this episode:  – why exhaustion is not always visible  – the difference between numbing yourself and actually resting  – what faithful living can look like when life feels emotionally unsustainable Here on Walking Anyway, we practice staying with our lives in uncertain seasons, without rushing ourselves past what is real. If this is where you are right now, I hope this episode helps you slow down long enough to notice what you need. Links + Resources From This Episode: * Start with a 21-day Guest Seat at The Table [https://denisaonica.myflodesk.com/the-table-guestseat] * Find me on Instagram @denisa.o.nica [https://www.instagram.com/denisa.o.nica/] * Download a transcript of this, and every episode at www.denisaonica.com [https://www.denisaonica.com/] Find Denisa Elsewhere: * Leave a review on Apple Podcasts * Order Kairos, When The Holy Meets The Daily [https://books2read.com/u/bWpQXD] * Join Denisa's Substack [https://substack.com/@denisaonica] * Get the monthly letter [https://denisaonica.myflodesk.com/letters-from-the-middle] Episode Website [https://www.denisaonica.com/walking-anyway-podcast]

05: When God Feels Quiet

What do you do when God feels quiet—or silent—in something you’ve been asking God for… and nothing has changed? If you’ve been praying or waiting—and nothing has changed—and you’re starting to wonder, does God hear me?—this might feel familiar. In this episode, I talk about what it’s like when God feels quiet—and how to stay in relationship with Him when you don’t feel His presence. Here on Walking Anyway, we practice faithfully staying with our lives in uncertain seasons. In this episode:  – what it feels like when God seems silent  – the questions that come up when nothing is changing  – a simple way to stay with God when you don’t feel His presence If this is where you are right now, this episode might help you keep walking anyway without losing your footing. Links + Resources From This Episode: * Start with a 21-day Guest Seat at The Table [https://denisaonica.myflodesk.com/the-table-guestseat] * Find me on Instagram @denisa.o.nica [https://www.instagram.com/denisa.o.nica/] * A Grief Observed [https://www.amazon.com/dp/006348773X/ref=sspa_dk_detail_0?psc=1&pd_rd_i=006348773X&pd_rd_w=hTOHQ&content-id=amzn1.sym.85ceacba-39b1-4243-8f28-2e014f9512c7&pf_rd_p=85ceacba-39b1-4243-8f28-2e014f9512c7&pf_rd_r=80AEPR0EF297R2AZSEEB&pd_rd_wg=xxDWc&pd_rd_r=bb7ae615-ada3-4235-a2e6-203fe6503112&sp_csd=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9kZXRhaWxfdGhlbWF0aWM], by C.S. Lewis * Order Kairos, When The Holy Meets The Daily [https://books2read.com/u/bWpQXD] * Download a transcript of this, and every episode at www.denisaonica.com [https://www.denisaonica.com/] Find Denisa Elsewhere: * Leave a review on Apple Podcasts * Join Denisa's Substack [https://substack.com/@denisaonica] * Get the monthly letter [https://denisaonica.myflodesk.com/letters-from-the-middle] Episode Website [https://www.denisaonica.com/walking-anyway-podcast]

04: Not Knowing What Comes Next

What do you do when you don’t know what comes next… but feel like you should by now? If you’ve been feeling uncertain, or a little stuck in a season where nothing feels settled, this might feel familiar. In this episode, I talk about the space between something ending and something new beginning—and what it’s like to live inside that moment when life doesn’t have a clear next step. In this episode:  – what it feels like when you don’t know what comes next  – the pressure to figure things out  – how to come back to what is true right now If you’re in a season like this, this might help you feel less pressure to figure it all out—and a little more grounded in the middle of it. You don’t have to figure it all out today. Links + Resources From This Episode: * Start with a 21-day Guest Seat at The Table [https://denisaonica.myflodesk.com/the-table-guestseat] * Find me on Instagram @denisa.o.nica [https://www.instagram.com/denisa.o.nica/] * Download a transcript of this, and every episode at www.denisaonica.com [https://www.denisaonica.com/] Find Denisa Elsewhere: * Leave a review on Apple Podcasts * Join Denisa's Substack [https://substack.com/@denisaonica] * Order Kairos, When The Holy Meets The Daily  [https://books2read.com/u/bWpQXD] * Get the monthly letter [https://denisaonica.myflodesk.com/letters-from-the-middle] Episode Website [https://www.denisaonica.com/walking-anyway-podcast]

03: Life Feels Heavier Than Expected

What do you do when life feels heavy? If you’ve been carrying something you can’t quite name, this might feel familiar. In this episode, I talk about that kind of heaviness—and what it looks like to stay with it without rushing past it. In this episode:  – what it feels like to carry heavy feelings  – why we try to move past discomfort  – a simple practice that may help you when things feel heavier than expected If this is where you are, this episode might help you stay with your life, without needing to fix it. Links + Resources From This Episode: * Start with a 21-day Guest Seat at The Table [https://denisaonica.myflodesk.com/the-table-guestseat] * Find me on Instagram @denisa.o.nica [https://www.instagram.com/denisa.o.nica/] * Download a transcript of this, and every episode at www.denisaonica.com [https://www.denisaonica.com/] Find Denisa Elsewhere: * Leave a review on Apple Podcasts * Join Denisa's Substack [https://substack.com/@denisaonica] * Order Kairos, When The Holy Meets The Daily  [https://books2read.com/u/bWpQXD] * Get the monthly letter [https://denisaonica.myflodesk.com/letters-from-the-middle] Episode Website [https://www.denisaonica.com/walking-anyway-podcast]