069 | Calming an Anxious Heart: How to Stop Letting Others Control Your Decisions

Hi, friend: It's 2 a.m. and you're lying in bed, heart racing, running through tomorrow's to-do list for the hundredth time. School supplies. New clothes. Making sure everything looks perfect. But it's not really about the supplies, is it? It's about that voice in your head—your ex's voice (in my case)—judging every decision, questioning every choice, finding you lacking. Even though he's miles away, he's right there stealing your peace. You've become an invisible puppet, and you didn't even realize someone else was pulling the strings. In this deeply personal episode, I share my journey through five stages of anxiety following my breakup with Mr. Conditional—from the puppet master stage where I didn't realize he still controlled my decisions, through the anxiety spiral of trying to prove I was enough, to finally finding the freedom and peace that only God can give. I reveal specific moments when my anxiety reached crisis levels with my kids, the turning point that changed everything (spoiler: it involved a Sandra Bullock movie), and what I would do differently now if I could go back. Most importantly, I show you how to recognize whose voice you're really listening to and how to replace it with God's. Key Takeaways: The Invisible Puppet Master: People who've hurt us continue controlling our decisions long after they're gone, unless we recognize it and cut those strings.Anxiety Multiplies When We Control Wrong Things: Trying to control someone else's opinion of you is impossible and destructive; focus on what God thinks instead.Your Kids Need You Free, Not Perfect: Children don't need flawless parents with unlimited resources. They need parents who trust God more than they fear judgment.Identify the Voice Behind the Anxiety: That critical voice in your head may sound like yours, but it's often echoing someone who hurt you.Peace Doesn't Make Sense on Paper: God's supernatural peace isn't about circumstances changing; it's about your heart changing from "what if" to "even if."Hindsight Reveals Freedom You Didn't Know You Had: Looking back with wisdom helps you make better choices moving forward. Key Themes: Single mom anxiety, co-parenting with difficult ex, overcoming parenting fears, breaking free from control, whose voice matters, fear of judgment, God's peace that transcends understanding, anxiety over kids' success, proving you're enough, invisible control after breakup, Hope Floats lessons, replacing lies with truth, making decisions from freedom not fear, walking in God's identity Who Will Benefit from This Episode: Whether you're a single parent constantly worried about your ex's judgment, you're making decisions based on someone else's opinion rather than God's leading, you struggle with anxiety about your kids' performance reflecting on you, you feel controlled by someone who's no longer in your daily life, or you need supernatural peace in the midst of parenting storms, this episode will help you identify whose voice you're hearing and how to tune into God's instead. This is especially powerful for anyone who's broken free physically but is still imprisoned emotionally. Content Note: This episode discusses post-breakup anxiety, co-parenting challenges, parenting fears, anxiety spirals with children, fear of judgment, and the journey from control to freedom. The testimony demonstrates how recognizing whose voice controls us is the first step toward experiencing God's supernatural peace. Friend, if you're lying awake at 2 a.m., worried about tomorrow, this episode is for you. God has peace waiting that makes absolutely no sense on paper. And it's available right now, in the midst of your storm. Always, Anna CTAs If you've been blessed by this podcast, help us bless others with your financial giving. It might be the best money you've ever spent.In addition to the podcast, join the communitySecure your copy of Legacy, book one of my biblical fiction series The Lambswool Chronicles Secure your copy of Lunacy, book two of my biblical fiction series The Lambswool ChroniclesAsk me to speak or facilitate at your eventFollow me on Instagram: anna.moore.bradfieldFollow me on Facebook: anna.moore.bradfield.author