The $400 Loaf: What Sourdough Taught Me About Happiness

The $400 Loaf: What Sourdough Taught Me About Happiness

February marks one year since I made my first loaf of sourdough bread. That loaf cost me about $400 in money, time, accessories, and anxiety. And it turns out, it was worth every penny. In this episode of The Self-Made Happyaire, I share what sourdough taught me about slowing down, inherited beliefs about productivity, resilience, and my evolving relationship with the frequency of happiness. I talk about my mother’s voice in my head, the anxiety of measuring grams when I “measure with my heart,” and how something that once felt fragile and overwhelming became rhythmic, forgiving, and deeply nourishing. Happiness, like sourdough, isn’t something you grab off a shelf pre-sliced. It’s something you tend, feed, and trust to rise in its own time.

Does Perfection Lie to You?

Voltaire once wrote, “The best is the enemy of the good,” and in this episode, I explore why perfection might be one of the sneakiest ways we disconnect from happiness. I share a story from my DIY website group about a new entrepreneur frozen by the illusion of getting it right before she begins. We talk about how perfection tightens the nervous system, how it fractures our sense of safety, and how it quietly links our worth to flawless performance. Then we take the conversation out to the pasture on a snowy day and learn from the horses. Because while humans chase perfect, horses nap in the snow without apology.

Finding Happiness Through the Body

In this episode of The Self-Made Happyaire, I’m joined by Brooke Seiz, somatic experiencing therapist and functional nutrition provider at Evolve Wellness KC. Together, we explore happiness as a bodily frequency — one that becomes accessible when the nervous system feels safe, regulated, and present. We talk about why happiness can feel “lost” when your body is busy protecting you, how somatic experiencing helps remove the barriers without forcing positivity, and why gut health plays a surprisingly powerful role in emotional regulation and joy. We also share simple, practical ways to begin tuning back into your body — even in the middle of a busy day. This conversation is for anyone who’s tired of being told to “just think positive” and is ready to experience happiness from the inside out. www.evolvewellnesskc.com https://www.instagram.com/brookeseiz/ www.linkedin.com/in/brooke-seiz brooke@evolvewellnesskc.com 913-213-1272 Brooke Seiz, LCPC, SEP, NTP, IFMCP is a somatic and relationship therapist and functional nutrition provider. She works with both individuals and couples, and specializes in developmental trauma, chronic pain, as well as overall nervous system regulation. As a certified functional medicine practitioner, Brooke helps women get to the root cause for their fatigue, gut issues, and hormone imbalance, addressing these root causes with somatic therapy, holistic nutrition, and counseling. She takes an integrative approach to help folks come into greater alignment with themselves so they can show up with more presence and fulfillment in their lives. Brooke is also trained in Touch Trauma skills and utilizes table and touch work in her practice.As a former musical theatre performer, Brooke loves how music, theatre, and dance bring connection to self and community. She enjoys helping folks integrate play into their lives and work! Brooke teaches workshops and continuing education trainings to empower folks with strategies and choice around their health and wellness. Brooke finds purpose and great joy in supporting folks in finding embodied connection to self and community!

Happiness in Motion: Lessons from the Fire Horse

Happiness isn’t always found in stillness. Sometimes it reveals itself only once we’re willing to move. In this episode of The Self-Made Happyaire, I take you out to the pasture to explore one of the most powerful lessons horses offer us as we approach the Year of the Fire Horse. Horses regulate, communicate, and make sense of the world through movement and momentum. They move first, discern while moving, and return to center once the energy has resolved. Drawing from horse behavior, embodiment, and Chinese Horse and Fire Horse energy, this episode explores how courage, clarity, play, truth, and regulation often require motion rather than quiet contemplation. Fire Horse energy amplifies vitality, momentum, and visibility, asking us to stay embodied, grounded, and honest as life speeds up. This is an invitation to tune into happiness not just as a feeling, but as a frequency that sometimes comes alive through action. Visit Live in Synchronicity https://liveinsynchronicity.com

Happiness Without the Self-Guilt Penalty

I consume the news every day. And every day, it sets my nervous system on fire. In this episode of The Self-Made Happyaire, I explore something many of us feel but rarely say out loud: the guilt that creeps in when we experience happiness during times of crisis or grief. From the pasture, alongside a resting herd of horses, I talk about why happiness is not denial, not disrespect, and not a moral failure even in a crisis. It’s a regulatory state. A stabilizer. A form of nervous system maintenance. Drawing on neuroscience, nature, and the quiet wisdom of horses, we explore how joy and grief are not opposites, how rest makes compassion possible, and why you are allowed to soften even when the world feels heavy. If you’ve ever caught yourself thinking, “How can I be happy when so much is wrong?” This episode is for you. Stay in the pasture as long as you’d like.