#148 I Used Gratitude to Stay in a Marriage That Was Killing Me with Rachel Martin
Wed Feb 04 2026
You can't ride the middle between joy and bitterness.
Rachel Martin thought she could. She thought if she just held it together, stayed grateful, did everything right, the chaos would fix itself.
But the truck got repossessed. The finances were abysmal. And she kept saying "it is what it is" like it was protection, when really, it was surrender.
The wake-up call came on a winter road in Minnesota when she heard: You have to choose. Not someday. Not when things get better. Now.
This conversation is about the moment you stop tolerating and start owning your life. Rachel opens up about the messy middle, the emotional stages of taking responsibility, and what it really means to choose truth over comfort.
Here's what unfolds in this episode:
🔹 The phrase that signals you're choosing bitterness without realizing it
🔹 How gratitude became Rachel's numbing mechanism, and why that almost destroyed her
🔹 What it feels like to go from powerless to sole provider while everyone thinks you've lost your mind
🔹 The permission her friend gave her that changed everything: "That's not normal."
If you've been waiting for life to fix itself before you step into who you really are, this episode will shake something loose.
Listen now and stop riding the middle.
Connect with Genea
Weekly Clarity Call - Wednesdays 7a PST/10a EST - Join the call here: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/Mr9xoteOSj-pYabKDTNBRA
Inquire about Events, Firewalking, Coaching, being a guest on Be the Wolf LIVE or Be the Wolf Podcast https://bethewolfnow.com/connect/
Website: http://bethewolfnow.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/geneabarnes/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bethewolfnow
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@geneabarnes
Connect with Rachel
Website: https://findingjoy.net
Facebook link: https://facebook.com/findingjoyblog
Email: rachel@findingjoy.net
About Rachel
Rachel Marie Martin believes in the quiet, unshakable strength of the human spirit and its ability to rise again, to rebuild, and to rediscover joy.
She is the author of Get Your Spark Back, Mom Enough, and The Brave Art of Motherhood, and the voice behind FindingJoy.net, an online community reaching millions of readers each month.
Her words have been translated into more than 25 languages and featured on The Today Show, Good Morning America, NPR, The Huffington Post, Tiny Buddha, Parents, PopSugar, and more. A founding partner of Audience Industries, Rachel also equips entrepreneurs around the world to build message-driven, sustainable businesses that make a difference.
with over 50 million pageviews, 1.1 million+ Facebook followers, and a deeply engaged community across social media, Rachel’s work reminds people that their stories matter, they can create an impact, and that joy can be found.
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You can't ride the middle between joy and bitterness. Rachel Martin thought she could. She thought if she just held it together, stayed grateful, did everything right, the chaos would fix itself. But the truck got repossessed. The finances were abysmal. And she kept saying "it is what it is" like it was protection, when really, it was surrender. The wake-up call came on a winter road in Minnesota when she heard: You have to choose. Not someday. Not when things get better. Now. This conversation is about the moment you stop tolerating and start owning your life. Rachel opens up about the messy middle, the emotional stages of taking responsibility, and what it really means to choose truth over comfort. Here's what unfolds in this episode: 🔹 The phrase that signals you're choosing bitterness without realizing it 🔹 How gratitude became Rachel's numbing mechanism, and why that almost destroyed her 🔹 What it feels like to go from powerless to sole provider while everyone thinks you've lost your mind 🔹 The permission her friend gave her that changed everything: "That's not normal." If you've been waiting for life to fix itself before you step into who you really are, this episode will shake something loose. Listen now and stop riding the middle. Connect with Genea Weekly Clarity Call - Wednesdays 7a PST/10a EST - Join the call here: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/Mr9xoteOSj-pYabKDTNBRA Inquire about Events, Firewalking, Coaching, being a guest on Be the Wolf LIVE or Be the Wolf Podcast https://bethewolfnow.com/connect/ Website: http://bethewolfnow.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/geneabarnes/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bethewolfnow TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@geneabarnes Connect with Rachel Website: https://findingjoy.net Facebook link: https://facebook.com/findingjoyblog Email: rachel@findingjoy.net About Rachel Rachel Marie Martin believes in the quiet, unshakable strength of the human spirit and its ability to rise again, to rebuild, and to rediscover joy. She is the author of Get Your Spark Back, Mom Enough, and The Brave Art of Motherhood, and the voice behind FindingJoy.net, an online community reaching millions of readers each month. Her words have been translated into more than 25 languages and featured on The Today Show, Good Morning America, NPR, The Huffington Post, Tiny Buddha, Parents, PopSugar, and more. A founding partner of Audience Industries, Rachel also equips entrepreneurs around the world to build message-driven, sustainable businesses that make a difference. with over 50 million pageviews, 1.1 million+ Facebook followers, and a deeply engaged community across social media, Rachel’s work reminds people that their stories matter, they can create an impact, and that joy can be found.