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Thank you Newsstand Studio at 1 Rockefeller Plaza for producing this podcast!!

I am completely fangirling over today’s podcast guest— I have read all of her books over the years and I can’t wait for you to get to know her. Shauna Niequist is the NYT Bestselling author of Cold Tangerines, Bittersweet, Bread & Wine, Savor, Present Over Perfect, and I Guess I Haven’t Learned That. Today, we’re talking about trusting your gut feelings, the hard parts of deconstruction that people don’t really talk about, embracing learning instead of shaming not knowing, and what prayer looks like in a season of deconstruction.

When is it time to let go?

• Shauna shares her story of packing up her hometown and moving to NYC years after she had outgrown her life in her hometown.

• “At any point, we have permission to rewrite the story.” - Kat Harris

• Shauna emphasizes the importance of trusting your gut feelings, despite how Christian culture tells people they can’t trust their gut feelings.

• “I don’t believe our intuition, if we listen to it deeply and faithfully, will ever lead us outside of the bounds of God’s vision for humanity.” - Shauna Niequist

Deconstructing 101

• Shauna shares her experience as a high schooler watching her mother deconstruct in her 40s and how she realized deconstruction is such an act of faith and love.

• Deconstructing can be incredibly lonely— find people to travel with, even if they aren’t at the same point in the journey.

• “As we age, we can either get more certain or more curious and I always want to land on the side of the more curious, more willing to be wrong, more willing to learn, and less certain that I’ve got the corner on truth.” - Shauna Niequist

I guess I haven’t learned that yet…

• When Shauna and her family moved, her kids were feeling overwhelmed. To help their perspective, she told them to all say “I guess I haven’t learned that yet” every day in order to celebrate opportunities for learning instead of feeling ashamed for not knowing something.

• Since adopting this practice, Shauna has felt more freedom to be wrong.

Praying in this season

• We are given a limited toolbox for feeling spiritually connected— but what if we try new tools? What if we learned from other traditions?

• Shauna shares some tools you may not have learned: breath prayer, centering prayer, liturgical prayer, and praying with a spiritual director.

Resources

• You can buy Shauna’s new book I Guess I Haven’t Learned That Yet here.

• Keep up with Shauna Niequiist on Instagram at @sniequist.

• Check out Danielle Shroyer’s Original Blessing here.

• Check out Father John O’Donohue’s To Bless the Space Between Us here.

• Join Patreon at the $5/month level to get access to monthly group coaching calls. 

• Check out Rockefeller Center on IG at @rockefellercenter and Twitter at @rockcenternyc.

Growing up, I was given abstinence only sex ed. Because I lacked knowledge, I found myself in situations I didn’t want to be in and didn’t know how to handle. Dr. Celeste Holbrook and I are hosting a 4-week Sex Ed Workshop starting April 19th. We’ll cover everything from anatomy, pleasure, mechanics, what to expect, how to navigate consent, theology, self-pleasure, and SO much more. Go to bit.ly/trcsexed to register!