The stories we tell ourselves impact every area of our life.
We begin telling ourselves stories as children--about ourself, others, life, God. We continue adding to our stories as adults.
Live Only True Stories empowers people to learn to investigate their stories. Keep those that are true. Change those that aren't.
Research-informed and Biblically sound insights offer real hope and help for growing spiritually strong, emotionally healthy, and relationally wise.
Stephanie brings depth and winsomeness, authority and vulnerability. A wife, mom, mother-in-law, and Nana, Stephanie is a speaker and writer who loves helping others flourish.
Learn more at her website, https://www.stephaniepresents.com/
Publisher
Stephanie Smith
Category
education · kids & family · religion & spirituality
Often the most difficult decisions aren't between what's good and bad but between what's good, better, and best. What can be "best" in one season or situation might become "good" or "better" in another.
Unfortunately, decisions seldom (never?) come labeled as "Good, Better, and Best." Instead, we rely on God's direction which can take many different forms.
Today's episode will be the last for awhile...or maybe forever. I may return to the Godly Impact podcast with a similar format, a complete make-over, or launch a brand-new version. I may never host a podcast again. Only God knows what the future holds.
I value you, whether you're a brand-new or long-time listener. If we're not already connected through my weekly newsletter, I invite you to sign up at Stephanie Presents (https://www.stephaniepresents.com).
So whether this is "Goodbye" for now or for good, remember my sign-off statement: You have an impact that is immeasurable, eternal, and irreplaceable. I pray you make it godly!
#spiritual
#emotionalhealth
#relationships
#family
#familylife
#moms
#dads
#parenting
#raisinggodlykids
#bible
#faith
#truth
#biblestudy
#christianfaith
#christianwomen
#christianity
#humanbehavior
#humandesign
26 May 2026
Is Your Purpose Like a Pencil or a Diamond?
Carbon is like purpose.
The chemical backbone of all known life, carbon is the fourth most abundant element in the universe and the second most abundant in your body. It forms more compounds than all other elements combined.
Carbon creates diamonds -- and pencils. Both have worth, but not equal value. Our purposes are similar.
In the "You're in the People Business," series, I've used the six essential chemical elements for physical life to demonstrate the six vital elements of the inner life. I've covered:
Empathy (oxygen)
Repair (sulfur)
Expectations (phosphorus)
Curiosity (hydrogen)
Identity (nitrogen)
Today's episode is about Purpose (carbon).
Purpose is a backbone, not a bonus. Purpose is not a luxury but the framework everything else is dependent on. All purposes are not created equal. Some are diamond and others are pencils. The difference is how it's connected — and the pressure it undergoes.
The same is true for people. Purpose forged under pressure, properly connected to others, produces something extraordinary.
Purpose decays by default. We use carbon dating to measure how alive or dead something is. Purpose works the same way — left unattended, it deteriorates. It doesn't grow on its own. It requires intention.
Purpose operates on two levels:
1. Big meaning — the universal "why" that applies to everyone
2. Small meaning — the specific "why" that applies uniquely to you
Purpose isn't required to survive — people survive all the time without it. We keep taking the next step, hitting the next milestone, staying busy. But to truly thrive, purpose is non-negotiable. Its absence is easy to avoid confronting, which is exactly why so many people never do.
This Week's Challenge
• Where has purpose been quietly decaying in your life — in your work, relationships, or sense of self?
• Can you articulate both levels: the big meaning that connects you to others, and the specific meaning that is uniquely yours?
• What pressure in your life might actually be forming something valuable, if you stay connected to purpose through it?
Visit Stephanie Presents (https://www.stephaniepresents.com) for resources, to book speaking (https://www.stephaniepresents.com/speaking)engagements, and get the weekly newsletter, Godly Impact.
Click here to order your copy of The Great Brain Remodel of Adolescence (https://shop.ingramspark.com/b/084?params=8usDQqm4MrwFkdhxNJwFAxDWkkGiVjS3NDpOwoSYXor) or purchase from Amazon (https://www.amazon.com/Great-Brain-Remodel-Adolescence-Understanding/dp/1967467005/ref=sr_1_2?sr=8-2)
#spiritual
#emotionalhealth
#relationships
#family
#familylife
#moms
#dads
#parenting
#raisinggodlykids
#bible
#faith
#truth
#biblestudy
#christianfaith
#christianwomen
#christianity
#humanbehavior
#humandesign
19 May 2026
What's Your Identity Worth?
Nike's swoosh and Apple's logo are worth billions not because of their design, but because those companies intentionally created, promoted, and protected them. You have a brand too — as an individual, a family, a team, an organization. The question is whether you're being intentional about it.
In Part 5 of the "You're in the People Business" series, I explore how individualism weakens identity and how independence has been confused with maturity. True maturity is recognizing we are interdependent by design. Strong identity is never formed in isolation — it's realized in the context of belonging to something larger than ourselves.
The other extreme is just as damaging. Australia's "tall poppy syndrome" and Germany's prioritization of uniformity over individuality show what happens when the pendulum swings too far the other way. The goal is balance: individual expression and corporate belonging.
Three ways identity is shaped:
Words — what we say about ourselves and others
Values — stated clearly, not assumed. "We tell the truth" as a family value forges character in a way "don't lie" never will.
Actions — showing up, helping others, being present. Name these actions out loud, especially with kids. The phrases eventually become part of who they are.
This Week's Challenge
Audit your brand. Ask yourself:
What words about yourself or others need to be retired — and what truthful words should replace them?
What values does your family, team, or organization hold that have never been spoken out loud?
What actions do you need to start, continue, or stop to align with the identity you want to build?
Visit Stephanie Presents (https://www.stephaniepresents.com) for resources, to book speaking (https://www.stephaniepresents.com/speaking)engagements, and get the weekly newsletter, Godly Impact.
Click here to order your copy of The Great Brain Remodel of Adolescence (https://shop.ingramspark.com/b/084?params=8usDQqm4MrwFkdhxNJwFAxDWkkGiVjS3NDpOwoSYXor) or purchase from Amazon (https://www.amazon.com/Great-Brain-Remodel-Adolescence-Understanding/dp/1967467005/ref=sr_1_2?sr=8-2)
#spiritual
#emotionalhealth
#relationships
#family
#familylife
#moms
#dads
#parenting
#raisinggodlykids
#bible
#faith
#truth
#biblestudy
#christianfaith
#christianwomen
#christianity
#humanbehavior
#humandesign
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