Whole Again: Mindfulness and Resilience Through Kintsugi Wisdom
by Michael OBrien | Mindfulness & Resilience Coach
Latest episode
Keep the Friction: How Good Stress Builds Resilience
Keep the Friction: How Good Stress Builds Resilience
About this podcast
Discover how to create a meaningful life on your way to who you are becoming.
Whole Again: Mindfulness and Resilience Through Kintsugi Wisdom provides the support you need to heal, develop a growth mindset, and embrace who you are becoming.
Inspired by the Japanese art of “Golden Repair,” Kintsugi teaches us that even when life breaks us, we can rebuild—stronger, wiser, and more beautiful than before.
Listen to discover weekly growth-mindset tips, build emotional resilience and manage stress through microdose meditations, and learn ways to live a meaningful life and become the person you are becoming.
I’m Michael O’Brien—husband, Girl Dadx2, son, friend, animal lover, endurance cyclist, and survivor. After a near-death cycling accident—what I call My Last Bad Day—the metaphor of Kintsugi helped me see that I could be whole again.
Today, as a Mindset & Resilience Leadership coach, Corporate Speaker, Meditation Teacher, and founder of The Pause Breathe Reflect Method, I'm here to support you as you create a meaningful life and become the person you are becoming.
Join me every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday for micro-episodes designed to help you embrace the Kintsugi spirit within you and truly feel Whole Again. And each Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday, check out my new series, A Perfectly Imperfect Union, as America turns 250 this year.
Episodes
The newest 50 of 200 episodes
- Keep the Friction: How Good Stress Builds Resilience · 7 min · Episode 531Have you ever noticed that the hardest moments are often the ones you remember most? Growing up in Rochester, New York, I trick-or-treated through rain, wind, cold, and sometimes…
- The Change Formula: Why Dissatisfaction Alone Won’t Get You Unstuck · 7 min · Episode 530Ready for another walk and talk. This one is about change. Two days after the election, I walked to check on my turtles at the nature center, and I couldn’t stop thinking about…
- Ho'oponopono: A Microdose Meditation for Forgiveness and Resilience · 7 min · Episode 529Join us most Mondays at 7:30 am (NYC) and Fridays at 12:00 pm (NYC) for a free, live community meditation practice. Get direct access to our calendar and link here. Ho'oponopono…
- Mono No Aware: Growth Mindset Tip for A Meaningful Life · 6 min · Episode 528Have you ever wanted a beautiful moment to last forever? I feel that way every fall. The reds, oranges, and yellows, sweater weather, fire pit season. When I lived in Washington…
- You Are Worthy: A Key for Mindfulness and Resilience · 7 min · Episode 527Have you ever measured your worth by whether someone picked you? For me, it started in gym class. Getting picked first made me feel like I was on top of the world. Getting picked…
- A Perfectly Imperfect Union: Reflections on America 250 a Wrap Up · 42 min · Episode 526Tired of the noise and division, but not ready to give up on us? In 2022, a table of strangers at a small coffee shop in Rushville, Indiana, called over Michael mid-ride across…
- Setting Your Intentions: A Microdose Meditation for Mindfulness and Resilience · 5 min · Episode 525The best way to start your day is by setting your intentions. How do you wish to show up? What ripples do you want to create? What values do you wish to honor? You can now…
- A Perfectly Imperfect Union: Reflections on America 250 with Fatima Shahid · 35 min · Episode 524In the latest episode of A Perfectly Imperfect Union, we end in Mount Rushmore State and connect with Fatima Shahid. Fatima is a sophomore studying neuroscience at the University…
- Stop Saying “Let Me Know If You Need Anything”: How to Truly Support Someone Mindfulness and Resilience · 6 min · Episode 523What do you say when someone you care about is going through something hard? If your first instinct is “Let me know if you need anything,” you’re not alone. I’ve said it. And…
- A Perfectly Imperfect Union: Reflections on America 250 with Rodger Ruge · 37 min · Episode 522In the latest episode of A Perfectly Imperfect Union, I travel to South Dakota to connect with Rodger Ruge. Can you have the strength to win a fight and the peace to never throw…
- The Mini Peanut Butter Cup Problem: How to Mindfully Use AI Without Losing Yourself · 7 min · Episode 521Are you using AI, or is it slowly using you? With Halloween coming up, I’m taking you on a walk-and-talk to share a theory I first floated with fellow podcasters: AI is like a…
- A Perfectly Imperfect Union: Reflecting on America 250 with Chad Hufford · 34 min · Episode 520In the latest episode of A Perfectly Imperfect Union, I travel to The Last Frontier to connect with Chad Hufford. Chad is a lifelong Alaskan from Anchorage, a dad of six, and the…
- Finding Acceptance: A Microdose Meditation for Mindfulness and Resilience · 6 min · Episode 519A microdose meditation to start the week. If you find yourself "arguing with reality," then this practice is for you. You can now download my Pause Breathe Reflect App with…
- A Perfectly Imperfect Union: Reflections on America 250 with Captain Kindman · 33 min · Episode 518In the latest episode of A Perfectly Imperfect Union, I travel to The Hawkeye State to connect with Randy McNeely, aka Captain Kindman. Randy’s mission to grow love through…
- A Perfectly Imperfect Union: Reflecting on America 250 with Julia Krazt · 36 min · Episode 517In the latest episode of A Perfectly Imperfect Union, I head to The Hoosier State and connect with Julie Krazt. In 2000, Julie cast her very first vote alongside her mom. They…
- Growth Mindset Tip for Mindfulness and Resilience: Sorry Not Sorry · 11 min · Episode 516It's time for another Friday Growth Mindset Tip. This episode packs two tips into one word: Sorry. In 2026, to celebrate My Last Bad Day, I'm sharing tips I've learned over the…
- A Perfectly Imperfect Union: Reflecting on America 250 with Sofia Gibson · 32 min · Episode 515In the latest episode of A Perfectly Imperfect Union, I travel to The Cornhusker State and connect with Sofia Gibson. For her, America means community. Wherever you go, someone…
- The Obvious Focus That Could Mean Fewer Fraternity Sexual Assaults (Cornell 7) · 12 min · Episode 514What if the best way to prevent sexual assault starts long before anyone walks into a fraternity house? Since the news broke about The Cornell 7 and Jane Doe, many have weighed…
- A Perfectly Imperfect Union: Reflecting on America 250 with John Ramer · 40 min · Episode 513In the episode of A Perfectly Imperfect Union, I travel to The Equality State to connect with John Ramer. We start here: What happens when you put a beagle in a room full of…
- Regain Your Focus with A Microdose Meditation for Mindfulness and Resilience · 6 min · Episode 512Having trouble focusing? Here's a simple microdose meditation to help you start again. You can also find it in the free Pause Breathe Reflect app, available on Apple's App Store…
- A Perfectly Imperfect Union: Reflection on America 250 with Jaime Pellegrene · 33 min · Episode 511In the latest episode of A Perfectly Imperfect Union, I travel to The North Star State to connect with Jaime Pellegrene. What would change if we led with our hearts a little…
- A Perfectly Imperfect Union: Reflecting on America 250 with Randy'L Teton · 44 min · Episode 510In the latest episode of A Perfectly Imperfect Union, I travel to The Gem State to connect with Randy'L Teton. We talk about a range of topics, including how well we know the…
- Believe Them the First Time: Rethinking Your Relationship with Social Media for More Mindfuness · 12 min · Episode 509When was the last time you closed a social media app feeling better than when you opened it? In Tip #40 of 25 Lessons in 25 Years, Michael moves up a tip he had been saving for…
- A Perfectly Imperfect Union: Reflections on America 250 with Rich Sheridan · 30 min · Episode 508In the latest episode of A Perfectly Imperfect Union, I travel to The Wolverine State and meet Rich Sheridan, whose mission is to bring joy to work. He believes we can. In his…
- Ted Lasso Episode 10 Season 4: Embrace the Messy to Embrace Life with Mindfulness and Resilience · 12 min · Episode 507What does it take to finally stop waiting and start living? Rebecca asks a version of that question near the end of the Ted Lasso season four finale. Here's the final episode in…
- A Perfectly Imperfect Union: Reflecting on America 250 with Grace Pak · 31 min · Episode 506Early in the series, I asked people what kind of birthday cake they would serve for America's 250th. So I thought it would be fitting to connect with Grace Pak, who, with help…
- Milkshakes and Stress - A Mircodose Meditation for Mindfulness and Resilience · 7 min · Episode 505Start your day with a Pause Breathe Reflect Mircodose Mediation to support your mindfulness and resilience. This one is about milkshakes and stress, which, in the right amounts…
- A Perfectly Imperfect Union: Reflecting on America 250 with Heidi Dohse · 28 min · Episode 504Please help me co-create the future of Whole Again by completing our community survey. You start here. In the latest episode of A Perfectly Imperfect Union, I travel to The Gem…
- It's Time to a Mindfulness and Resilience Celebration - It's Episode 500 or is it 502? · 8 min · Episode 503Please help me co-create the future of Whole Again by completing our community survey. You start here. Why celebrate episode 502 instead of 500? Because 502 is two more than 500…
- A Perfectly Imperfect Union: Reflecting on America 250 with Anita Rivers · 35 min · Episode 502Please help me co-create the future of Whole Again by completing our community survey. You start here. In the latest episode of A Perfectly Imperfect Union, I stay in The Garden…
- Ted Lasso Episode 9 Season 4 - Life Be Lifing · 11 min · Episode 501Please help me co-create the future of Whole Again by completing our community survey. You start here. We like to think life arrives in tidy chapters. A season of struggle, then…
- A Perfectly Imperfect Union Series: Reflections on America 250 with Dr. Beatrice Anduze-Faris · 29 min · Episode 500For the latest episode of A Perfectly Imperfect Union, I stay right here in The Garden State and connect with Dr. Beatrice Anduze-Faris. What if some of the weight you're…
- A Mood Boost to Start the Week: A Mircodose Meditation for Mindfulness and Resilience · 5 min · Episode 499Here's a microdose meditation to help you boost your mood as you start the week. Will you help me co-create the future of Whole Again by taking a minute to fill out our community…
- A Perfectly Imperfect Union: Reflection on America 250 with Dr. Mike Roizen · 29 min · Episode 498In the latest episode of A Perfectly Imperfect Union, I travel to The Buckeye State to connect with Dr. Mike Roizen and we talk about this question. What would you do with 25…
- Growth Mindset Tip #39 - Equanimity and Wu Wei for Mindfulness and Resilience · 12 min · Episode 497How tightly are you gripping the handlebars right now? I explore why so many of us are clenching against a world of accelerating uncertainty, why that grip leaves us exhausted…
- A Perfectly Imperfect Union: Reflecting on America 250 with Robert Mixon · 30 min · Episode 496In the latest episode of A Perfectly Imperfect Union, I travel to The Sunshine State and connect with Robert Mixon. He served 33 years as a soldier, became a corporate executive…
- Ted Lasso Episode 8 Season 4 - You Matter: A Key for Resilience · 13 min · Episode 495What happens when the concern fades, and all that's left is silence? Alice knows. And in episode eight of Ted Lasso season four, she finally says it out loud. I know it too…
- A Perfectly Imperfect Union: Reflecting on America 250 with Andy Moore · 33 min · Episode 494In the latest episode of A Perfectly Imperfect Union, I travel to the Sooner State to connect with Andy Moore. We discuss whether America is a noun or a verb. He runs Let's Fix…
- And Something Else - A Microdose Meditation for More Mindfulness and Resilience · 6 min · Episode 493A microdose meditation to start the day with more mindfulness and resilience. Today, we tap into one of the most powerful words in the English language: And. You can now download…
- A Perfectly Imperfect Union: Reflecting on America 250 with Angela Arntz · 25 min · Episode 492The Whole Again Podcast: Mindfulness and Resilience through Kinstugi Wisdom airs every Monday, Wednesday and Friday with Pause Breathe Reflect Microdose Meditations, Growth…
- Growth Mindset Tip #38: Take Care of Your Health or Be Force To Take Time for Illness · 9 min · Episode 491What do a splinted finger and a fifteen-year-old fingernail groove have to do with your health? More than you'd think. In this episode, I share tip number 38 in his year-long…
- A Perfectly Imperfect Union: Reflecting on America 250 with Mia Kyricos · 28 min · Episode 490In the latest episode of A Perfectly Imperfect Union, I stay in Maine to connect with my very first Chief Love Officer, Mia Kyricos. Mia built her career on a simple bet: that…
- Ted Lasso Episode 7, Season 4 - Yes And or Yes, Baby! · 12 min · Episode 489What does saying "yes" actually cost you if there's nothing after it? As I continue diving into season 4 of Ted Lasso, this question can help us strengthen our resilience and…
- A Perfectly Imperfect Union: Reflecting on America 250 with Jack Wilson · 33 min · Episode 488In the latest episode of A Perfectly Imperfect Union, I travel to the Vacationland State to visit with Jack Wilson. We talk about how you only really understand freedom once…
- A Microdose Meditation for Mindfulness and Resilience - 10 Breaths · 4 min · Episode 487It's just 10 breaths. An intentional way to start the day for more mindfulness and resilience. Join me most Mondays and Fridays for live practices to start and end your week in…
- A Perfectly Imperfect Union: Reflecting on America 250 with Vince Caruso · 41 min · Episode 486In the latest episode of A Perfectly Imperfect Union, I travel to The Mountain State, cue up the John Denver, to connect with poet Vincent Caruso. We talk about whether or not…
- Growth Mindset Tip #37: Progress not Perfection for More Resilience · 7 min · Episode 485Can doing something less than perfect actually be the better choice? That's the question behind this week's tip, number 37 in the 25 Lessons in 25 Years series. It starts with a…
- A Perfectly Imperfect Union: Reflecting on America 250 with Joshua Jones · 26 min · Episode 484The Whole Again Podcast: Mindfulness and Resilience through Kinstugi Wisdom airs every Monday, Wednesday and Friday with Pause Breathe Reflect Microdose Meditations, Growth…
- Ted Lasso Season 4, Episode 6: The No Mud, No Lotus of Mindfulness and Resilience · 11 min · Episode 483Can you actually rush your way to resilience, or does healing only happen once you're willing to sit in the mess? Welcome to episode six of season 4 and the messy middle. Jamie's…
- A Perfectly Imperfect Union: Reflecting on America 250 with Katy Talento · 24 min · Episode 482The Whole Again Podcast: Mindfulness and Resilience through Kinstugi Wisdom airs every Monday, Wednesday and Friday with Pause Breathe Reflect Microdose Meditations, Growth…
