Episode 299 - The Roadmap We Inherit (ft. Audra Phelps)

How much of the roadmap we follow through life is one we actually chose — and how much of it was handed to us? On today's episode of the podcast, Audra Phelps (aka Mama Audra) joins Joe to discuss her journey from growing up in the Mormon faith to eventually choosing to leave after a decade-long process of questioning, discovery, and change. Audra shares how motherhood, friendships outside the church, returning to school, and living around the world helped her begin separating who she was expected to be from who she actually wanted to become. Joe and Audra also discuss letting go of other people's expectations, rebuilding family values without a prescribed blueprint, giving our kids the freedom to discover what they believe for themselves, and the work Audra now does helping ex-Mormon moms navigate identity, grief, guilt, and life after leaving the church. Enjoy! About Audra Phelps I left the church in 2015 after more than 10 years of wrestling with doctrine that I did not agree with. I was depressed, anxious, irritable, and moody. I knew there were times when I was overwhelmed and out of control - and I vowed to start taking inventory of my life to make some changes. I realized that when I left the church, I was also giving up the built-in support and roadmap to raising kids. I had to figure out how to raise them in a different way - a way I had never seen or experienced. This was terrifying. I was free of the church's rules and never felt so unhindered - but I was terrified that I would do it all wrong! At first I leaned on what I had learned in a parenting class that I enrolled in at my daughter's preschool several years ago. That gave me a new starting place. Then I relied on my education in child development, and that helped me navigate my children's behaviors and emotions . I also realized that I had spent all my energy doing what the church told me to do as a woman - make my kids and my husband happy - and had forgotten what brought me joy. I no longer knew who I was - there was only a memory of the woman I was before I had children. I had to re-create my identity. Who was I without the church? What were my core beliefs and values that would inform my every decision and pass on to my children? As I started on the long path of self-discovery and re-learning how to be a mom, I began to feel empowered to stand in my truth with confidence. Make sure to check out the Dtalkspodcast.com website! Thanks to Empire Toys for this episode of the podcast! Nostalgia is something everyone loves and Empire Toys in Keller Texas is on nostalgia overload. With toys and action figures from the 70's, 80's, 90's, and today, Empire Toys is a one-stop-shop for a trip down memory lane and a chance to reclaim what was once yours (but likely sold at a garage sale) Check out Empire Toys on Facebook, Instagram, or at TheEmpireToys.com AND Thanks to Self Unbound for this episode of the podcast: Your quality of life: physically, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually, is a direct reflection of the level of abundant energy, ease, and connection your nervous system has to experience your life! At Self Unbound, your nervous system takes center stage as we help unbind your limited healing potential through NetworkSpinal Care. Access the first steps to your Unbound journey by following us on Facebook, Instagram, or at www.selfunbound.com