I recently overheard a conversation (yeah, there’s no denying it - writers are serial eavesdroppers) - where someone was struggling with a previous verbal commitment they had made.

They'd given their word to someone about something… but then the facts and situation changed, and they were grappling with what to do.

I’m paraphrasing - but they said something like, “I gave my word, but now that relationship and person are really different.”

From what I could grasp, they felt as if they’d kind of been bamboozled.

And since they were a “person of their word” - cue the psychological turmoil and suffering.

I could practically feel the mental wringing of their hands in my own body.

Look, I really do my best not to offer unsolicited advice or coaching to total strangers - so I kept my big mouth shut - but I still thought it was worth talking about with you! 😆

So, on this episode of The Karen Kenney Show, I’m getting into what it really means to give your word, keep your word, and when you absolutely have to 👉 how to break your word.

I share some personal stories from my own life, touch on how repeated broken promises can mess with our nervous system and sense of safety, and why reliability and integrity matter so damn much to us.

We’ll also dive into the tricky territory of when breaking your word might just be the most honest, self-loving, and spiritually aligned thing you can do…

Especially if you find yourself in a harmful or abusive situation.

We’ll walk through how you can do it with as much responsibility, compassion, and integrity as possible.

That way, if or when it’s ever necessary, you can do the most ethical and self-respecting thing - without being a total dick or abandoning what really matters.

If you’ve ever wrestled with a commitment that no longer feels right - but you’re wicked scared of being seen as “bad,” “selfish,” or “unreliable” - this one’s for you. ❤️

KAREN KENNEY BIO:

Karen Kenney is a writer, speaker, podcaster, certified spiritual mentor, and coach.

She’s known for her dynamic storytelling, her sense of humor, her Boston accent, and her no-bullshit approach to spirituality, self-development, and transformational work.

Karen helps people to navigate this whole “being human” experience using a variety of resources: practical tools, personal stories, and universal principles.

KK has been a yoga teacher for 25+ years, has been a Thai Yoga Massage practitioner since 2008.

She's also a Gateless Writing Instructor, the creator of WRITE CLUB, and the host of The Karen Kenney Show podcast.

She coaches clients individually in her 1:1 program THE QUEST and in her HEART-TO-HEART DAYS using Voxer.

She also leads a group program and community called THE NEST.

CONNECT WITH KK:

🙋🏼‍♀️ WEBSITE: https://www.karenkenney.com/

📬 GET MY EMAILS: https://www.karenkenney.com/signup

📝 WRITE CLUB: https://www.karenkenney.com/writeclub

🪺 THE NEST - COACHING + COMMUNITY: https://www.karenkenney.com/nest

🗡️ THE QUEST - 1:1 MENTORING: https://www.karenkenney.com/quest

❤️ HEART-TO-HEART DAY: https://www.karenkenney.com/hearttoheart

🫙 TIPJAR: https://www.karenkenney.com/tipjar