"Spaciousness," Episode #188, October 8, 2026

Spaciousness | Living Compass Spirituality and Wellness Podcast

Episode summary When a friend called in the middle of a busy day, Scott's first instinct was regret at picking up. Then he stopped, took a breath, and made space. In this episode, Scott explores spaciousness — the inner, emotional, and spiritual room we need to create within ourselves so that we can offer it to others. In a world of busyness, screens, clutter, and worry, making space is countercultural. And the paradox is that we need it most precisely when it feels hardest to find.

In this episode

• The phone call that became an invitation to reset and make space
• The overstuffed glove compartment as a metaphor for how unspacious our lives can become
• Psalm 18:19: "He brought me forth into a spacious place"
• Revisiting "Be still and know" from last episode — and the freedom to say no
• The monk who meditates for two hours on her busiest days
• Jesus withdrawing to a deserted place when the crowds pressed in, and the gift of Sabbath
• Autumn leaves letting go: how making space sometimes means releasing something
• Making space for grief, illness, and recovery
• "Love your neighbor as yourself," reframed: make space for yourself so you can make space for others
• Holding space as the common thread of ministry and therapy — being a midwife to what wants to emerge
• Viktor Frankl: between stimulus and response there is a space, and in that space lies our freedom

Reflection questions

• Where in your life are you being invited to make space right now?
• What is one way you might be more intentional about making space in the next couple of days?
• How does the space you make (or don't make) for yourself shape how present you can be for others?

Resources

• Living Compass app: free on iPhone and Android, or at app.livingcompass.org
• Website: livingcompass.org