Start Your Comeback: Rebuilding after Divorce, Empty Nest, and Loss of Spouse
Toni Thrash
110 episodes
6 days ago
I would love to hear from you! Send a text! Big life transitions can leave you staring into the mirror, wondering who’s looking back. We go straight to the heart of the comeback: rebuilding identity when the old labels don’t fit. From divorce to retirement to empty nesting and loss, we unpack a practical, faith-centered way to release what’s gone and build what’s next with clarity, courage, and small daily wins that actually stick. We start by naming the moment: titles are tools, not your w...
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I would love to hear from you! Send a text! Big life transitions can leave you staring into the mirror, wondering who’s looking back. We go straight to the heart of the comeback: rebuilding identity when the old labels don’t fit. From divorce to retirement to empty nesting and loss, we unpack a practical, faith-centered way to release what’s gone and build what’s next with clarity, courage, and small daily wins that actually stick. We start by naming the moment: titles are tools, not your w...
I would love to hear from you! Send a text! Big life transitions can leave you staring into the mirror, wondering who’s looking back. We go straight to the heart of the comeback: rebuilding identity when the old labels don’t fit. From divorce to retirement to empty nesting and loss, we unpack a practical, faith-centered way to release what’s gone and build what’s next with clarity, courage, and small daily wins that actually stick. We start by naming the moment: titles are tools, not your w...
I would love to hear from you! Send a text! Change has a way of shaking the ground under our feet, and that’s exactly where this conversation begins: with the honest wobble of faith during big life transitions. We unpack a practical path toward steadiness, not through grand spiritual marathons, but through a handful of small, repeatable choices that anyone can sustain. If you’ve felt overwhelmed by the idea of “doing faith right,” you’ll find relief in a simple rhythm designed to fit busy li...
I would love to hear from you! Send a text! When life flips the script—divorce, retirement, an empty nest, or a full-blown reset—the question isn’t “How do I leap?” It’s “How do I move at all?” I walk you through a practical, compassionate approach to rebuilding momentum using small wins that are easy to miss and powerful to stack. Instead of measuring today against your old life, we redefine what counts: getting out of bed, paying one bill, calling a friend, breathing through a trigger. The...
I would love to hear from you! Send a text! Big change can make even simple tasks feel impossible, but there’s a quieter path that actually holds: small, steady actions that bring your footing back. We kick off a four‑week series called The Little Things Matter by laying out six daily anchors that help you move through divorce, retirement, empty nest, loss, or a major identity shift without burning out or shutting down. First, we get practical about momentum: why a 20‑minute walk, a stretch...
I would love to hear from you! Send a text! Stop letting the clock boss your confidence around. We turn a birthday week into a working blueprint for a comeback—one grounded in gratitude, courage, and small, repeatable steps. The theme is simple and strong: aging isn’t decline; it’s refinement. Instead of measuring ourselves against old photos or past versions, we reframe age as a data point that offers insight into what matters, who we trust, and what we won’t settle for anymore. We start w...
I would love to hear from you! Send a text! The question isn’t “what’s next?” so much as “where does safety live now?” That’s where our conversation with Karla begins—mid-shock, mid-limbo—after she leaves her marriage, her home, and the routines that once defined her. Karla is a violinist with The OK Factor and the founder of The Inspired Foundry, and she brings the kind of honesty that disarms you: panic attacks during a tour stop, court emails that feel like alarms, and the way sharing dog...
I would love to hear from you! Send a text! We explore how structure and routine become anchors when transition blows up your playbook, from empty nest and retirement to divorce and the loss of a spouse. Small, intentional habits become scaffolding that restores safety, momentum, and meaning. • why a blank slate overwhelms after a change • routines as practice drills that build confidence • empty nest strategies for connection and mastery • retirement anchors that restore purpose and variet...
I would love to hear from you! Send a text! Have you ever felt trapped in an impossible situation with no way out? That's exactly where we find Benaiah in one of Scripture's most overlooked stories – facing a lion in a pit on a snowy day. The symbolism couldn't be clearer: a predator stronger than us, nowhere to run, and treacherous conditions making every move dangerous. This powerful biblical account perfectly mirrors those major life transitions many of us face: divorce, retirement, job ...
I would love to hear from you! Send a text! What happens when our love of the familiar becomes the very thing that keeps us stuck? That's the question at the heart of this deeply reflective episode on breaking free from comfort ruts. As someone who thrives on routine and predictability—"If sameness has a fan club, I'd be president and treasurer"—I've come to recognize the subtle but significant difference between being predictable and being faithful. While predictability clings to what's wo...
I would love to hear from you! Send a text! Life transitions often force us into uninvited pauses that feel like being benched, but these pauses are actually opportunities for formation and growth. The stillness after major changes like divorce, empty nesting, or job loss isn't punishment but rather a necessary halftime that prepares us for our comeback. • Pauses feel terrible—lonely, confusing, and full of doubt—but they're where champions are made • Life's pauses trick us into thinking th...
I would love to hear from you! Send a text! We've reached a milestone with our 100th episode, celebrating 100 weeks of showing up to share coaching, strategies, and stories about navigating life's transitions. This journey has been a joy, and I'm grateful for every listener who has allowed me to be part of their comeback story. • Understanding the three phases of transition: shock, limbo, and re-entry • Navigating the disorientation of shock—the first step in your comeback • Dealing with li...
I would love to hear from you! Send a text! The classroom door closes behind you. It's just you and thirty expectant faces. Your teaching degree prepared you for lesson plans and pedagogy—but did it ready you for the real-world challenges of your first year? Whether you're a brand-new educator or a seasoned veteran, this episode delivers candid insights about navigating the often overwhelming transition into the teaching profession. Toni Thrash unpacks the common hurdles first-year teachers...
I would love to hear from you! Send a text! Brittany Tinsley, author of "Stories Our Scars Tell," shares her 20-year journey through self-injury, healing, and finding purpose in her pain. This raw conversation explores how scars—both literal and metaphorical—can become powerful storytellers of hope and redemption. • Brittany explains how her struggle with self-injury began at age 15 and continued into adulthood • The crucial role of hope in sustaining her through dark periods: "Eventually t...
I would love to hear from you! Send a text! That gentle whisper of "it's time"—have you felt it lately? That nudge toward something new, even when everything familiar feels comfortable enough? In this deeply moving conversation with Andrea Ward Fernandez, we explore the complex emotions and practical realities of knowing when it's time to move. Andrea shares her remarkable journey from living her entire life in Spain to suddenly relocating to America to pursue teaching at a Christian school...
I would love to hear from you! Send a text! Ready to retire but feeling uncertain about what comes next? You're not alone. That identity crisis of "Who am I now?" hits harder than most expect when contemplating retirement. This episode dives deep into the emotional side of ending your career—something rarely discussed in traditional retirement planning. Drawing from my own experience leaving tennis coaching after 20+ years, I share the unexpected identity shift that comes when your career h...
I would love to hear from you! Send a text! Have you ever found yourself questioning whether your workplace loyalty has crossed the line into simply being stuck? That gnawing feeling on Sunday nights, the constant daydreaming about being somewhere—anywhere—else, or the realization that your physical and mental health are suffering at the hands of your job? This deeply resonant episode tackles the complex relationship between workplace loyalty and personal growth. We explore the fine line be...
I would love to hear from you! Send a text! Divorce is one of the most difficult decisions a loyalist can face, especially when loyalty has crossed into codependence. I share my personal experience and four critical questions to ask yourself before making this life-altering decision. • Loyalty is noble and necessary, but becomes toxic when it binds you to someone not interested in mutual growth • The emotional weight of considering divorce includes guilt, shame, anxiety, and anger • Have yo...
I would love to hear from you! Send a text! Have you ever defended someone's behavior while secretly knowing things were exactly as bad as others suspected? That's not loyalty—that's the slippery slope into codependency. Drawing from my own painful journey, I open up about the fine line between standing by those we love and losing ourselves in the process. After my parents' divorce in my twenties, I was determined to be the family fixer, the loyal one who would keep everything together. Thi...
I would love to hear from you! Send a text! Feeling stuck in a holding pattern? You're not alone. Life's major transitions—divorce, job loss, empty nesting, or losing a loved one—can plunge us into what feels like solitary confinement. Not the restful solitude we sometimes crave, but the punishing isolation that whispers lies about our worth and future. This episode explores the profound difference between sacred solitude and destructive isolation. When we're suddenly "benched" from the gam...
I would love to hear from you! Send a text! Have you ever noticed how, after surviving a major life upheaval, you suddenly find yourself standing on solid ground—yet still bracing for waves that aren't coming? That disorienting moment marks the beginning of an unexpected freedom journey. Freedom after transition arrives quietly. After treading water through divorce, empty nesting, retirement, or career changes, many discover they've drifted to life's shallow end. Their feet touch bottom, bu...
Start Your Comeback: Rebuilding after Divorce, Empty Nest, and Loss of Spouse
I would love to hear from you! Send a text! Big life transitions can leave you staring into the mirror, wondering who’s looking back. We go straight to the heart of the comeback: rebuilding identity when the old labels don’t fit. From divorce to retirement to empty nesting and loss, we unpack a practical, faith-centered way to release what’s gone and build what’s next with clarity, courage, and small daily wins that actually stick. We start by naming the moment: titles are tools, not your w...
