In this episode of Heart, Mind & Purpose, Dawn explores the quiet grief that often comes with growing older — the loss ofroles, energy, relevance, and the life we once imagined. With warmth and honesty, she reframes aging as not only a season of loss, but an invitation into deeper wisdom, presence, and spiritual depth. This conversation offers gentle insight and practical tools for navigating aging with grace, grief, and hope.
When Grief Has No Name: Abstract Loss
Not all grief comes from death—some comes from what never fully came to be. In this episode, we explore abstract loss, the grief of unmet hopes, broken trust, and lost belonging. Together, we make space for both honesty and healing, without rushing the process.
Grieving What We Hoped For
Unmet expectations can quietly turn into disappointment, anger, and shame. In this episode of Heart, Mind & Purpose, Dawn explores the difference between expectations and hopes—and why naming grief is essential for healing. This conversation offers practical tools and compassionate insight to help listeners respond to pain without turning against themselves. www.dawnmariehill.com/heart
When Expectations Hurt: Navigating Hope & Disappointment
In When Expectations Hurt: Navigating Hope & Disappointment, we explore how unspoken expectations shape our relationships and emotional reactions. Using practical tools like Expectations vs. Hopes, Sad–Mad–Bad, and the Peanut M&M metaphor, this episode helps listeners understand disappointment with clarity and compassion. Awareness becomes the first step toward healing and healthier connection.
Love With Limits: Boundaries In Romantic Relationships
Love with Limits explores how healthy boundaries actually make love safer, stronger, and more life-giving. From dating and marriage to adolescence and faith-informed relationships, this episode breaks down myths, red and green flags, and practical tools for setting limits without shutting intimacy down. Because boundaries aren’t walls — they’re bridges that protect connection.
Boundaries in Parenting: Hold the Line, Love the Child
In this episode, we explore why boundaries are not about control or punishment, but about safety, love, and guidance. Learn how holding clear, consistent limits actually strengthens connection and helps children feel secure. Parenting with boundaries isn’t harsh—it’s one of the most loving things we can do.
Boundaries: What They Are and Why They Matter
Boundaries are talked about everywhere, but rarely explained well. In this episode of Heart, Mind & Purpose, Dawn breaks down what boundaries really are, what they are not, and why they matter so much in our relationships. With practical examples, faith-grounded insight, and everyday language, listeners learn how healthy boundaries protect connection, prevent resentment, and help us say “yes” and “no” with clarity and peace.
The Trap Of Perfectionism
In this episode, we take a compassionate look at perfectionism — not the pursuit of excellence, but the fear-driven pressure to earn worth, avoid shame, and “get it all right.” Together, we’ll explore how perfectionism is formed, why it keeps us stuck, and how we can begin breaking free with understanding, self-compassion, and truth. If you’ve been living under the weight of “never enough,” this conversation offers hope, clarity, and a path toward peace.
Part 2: Forgiveness-What It Is & What It Isn't
Forgiveness is rarely instant—it’s a process of healing, grace, and emotional freedom. In this episode, Dawn continues the journey from Part 1, exploring the deeper “why” and “how” of forgiveness through Scripture, faith, and real-life reflection. A thoughtful conversation for anyone seeking peace, restoration, and spiritual growth in their relationships.
Forgiveness: What It Is and What It Isn’t
In today’s episode — Forgiveness: What It Is and What It Isn’t — Dawn unpacks one of the most misunderstood parts of healing. She explores what forgiveness really means, what it doesn’t, and why it’s less about excusing others and more about finding your own peace. If you’ve ever struggled to forgive or wondered how to start, this episode will meet you with honesty, hope, and grace.
Vocation: More Than a Paycheck
Vocation is more than what you do—it’s who you’re called to be. In this episode, Dawn explores purpose, faith, and calling through seasons of change—parenting, midlife, or post-crisis rebuilding. Learn how to discern your next chapter, move beyond myths about work and worth, and find meaning that lasts beyond a paycheck.
Love Beyond Butterflies: Building Lasting Relationships
Love isn’t just about butterflies — it’s about building something that lasts. In this episode, Dawn explores the stages, myths, and beauty of romantic relationships through both psychological and faith-based lenses. From first attraction to lasting commitment, learn what it means to love with depth, wisdom, and purpose.
The Push and Pull of Growing Up
In this episode, Dawn invites us into one of the most universal journeys — the push and pull of growing up. From the wonder of early childhood to the stretching independence of the teen years, she explores what it means to stay connected through every stage of change. You’ll hear how attachment, safety, and presence shape the way children — and parents — navigate that dance of “come here, go away.”
Whether you’re raising a child, teaching, mentoring, or just remembering your own growing-up years, this episode offers both insight and grace for the beautiful, messy process of becoming.
Friends Or Just Friendly?
Welcome to Heart, Mind & Purpose, the podcast that explores the layers of our relationships, our growth, and the words that shape both. In today’s episode, Dawn unpacks a curious cultural shift: the disappearance of the word acquaintance. From handwritten letters to social media “friends,” from sitcoms to TikTok “besties,” she traces how language and culture have blurred the lines of connection. You’ll hear how COVID accelerated this change, and why reclaiming the clarity of acquaintanceship and friendship matters for the way we live today.
Attachment Theory
Discover how our earliest bonds shape the way we connect, trust, and love throughout life. In this episode, we unpack Attachment Theory, explore the four attachment styles, and connect it with insights from neuroscience and faith. Learn why your attachment style isn’t a life sentence — and how healing and growth are always possible.
“I’m Dawn Hill, host of Heart, Mind & Purpose—a podcast where we explore what it means to live an aligned, wholehearted life. With a background in counseling and a deep love for meaningful conversation, I bring you honest reflections, soulful questions, and practical tools for navigating life.”
https://www.dawnmariehill.com/heart
His Brain/Her Brain Part 2
In today’s episode, Dawn continues with part two of a conversation that’s often oversimplified—or even politicized: the differences between male and female brains.
From hormones to emotions, problem-solving to connection, we’ll explore what science reveals and why these differences matter in how we think, feel, and relate.
This isn’t about stereotypes or competition—it’s about understanding the beautiful, intentional design behind our brains and how those differences can actually deepen our relationships.
So settle in, and let’s dive into His Brain / Her Brain, Part Two.
“I’m Dawn Hill, host of Heart, Mind & Purpose—a podcast where we explore what it means to live an aligned, wholehearted life. With a background in counseling and a deep love for meaningful conversation, I bring you honest reflections, soulful questions, and practical tools for navigating life.”
https://www.dawnmariehill.com/heart
His Brain/Her Brain
Welcome to Heart, Mind & Purpose. In today’s episode, Dawn takes us into a conversation that’s often oversimplified—or even politicized—the differences between male and female brains. From hormones to emotions, problem-solving to connection, we’ll hear what science reveals and why it matters in how we think, feel, and relate.
This isn’t about stereotypes or competition—it’s about understanding the beautiful, intentional design behind our brains and how those differences can actually deepen relationships. So settle in, and let’s explore His Brain / Her Brain, Part One.
“I’m Dawn Hill, host of Heart, Mind & Purpose—a podcast where we explore what it means to live an aligned, wholehearted life. With a background in counseling and a deep love for meaningful conversation, I bring you honest reflections, soulful questions, and practical tools for navigating life.”
https://www.dawnmariehill.com/heart
Some content adapted from:His Brain, Her Brain: How Divinely Designed Difference Can Strengthen Your MarriageBy Walt Larimore, MD, & Barb Larimore
Heart, Mind & Purpose: What's In Your Toolbox
Welcome to Heart, Mind and Purpose—a podcast about discovering the tools that shape how we live, grow, and connect.
We’re not talking about the box in your garage, but the one you carry inside—your habits, emotions, and coping strategies. Some tools you inherited, some you forged through experience, and some you’ve never taken out of the box. Together, they tell the story of how you survive, adapt, and move forward.
For some, the toolbox looks polished but rarely used. For others, it’s battered from years of survival, filled with worn-out strategies that once worked but now hold them back. Maybe you rely on one familiar tool—anger, perfectionism, or people-pleasing—because that’s all you’ve known. Or maybe your box is locked, hiding resources you haven’t yet explored.
This podcast invites you to notice what you’ve been carrying and ask:
Which tools still serve me?
Which need to be set aside?
What tools are missing?
How can I expand my toolbox for the life I want to build?
Each conversation blends honest stories with practical insights to help you grow beyond survival. We’ll explore how emotions like fear, sadness, or anxiety can become signals instead of setbacks. We’ll talk about adding tools like gratitude, forgiveness, reflection, and faith—practices that make space for healing, purpose, and resilience.
Your toolbox doesn’t define your worth. It reveals your journey. And like you, it can grow and change. Heart, Mind and Purpose will encourage you to open the lid, sort through what’s inside, and discover new tools for a more meaningful, purposeful life.
So, let’s begin—what’s in your toolbox?
Click the button to download our PDF handout: The Toolbox As A Metaphor