299. Fun Filter: Deciding What Lights You Up (with Dr. Melissa Parsons)
In this special co-released episode, we’re joined by Dr. Melissa Parsons—fellow retired pediatrician, coach, and kindred spirit—for a conversation about living through a “fun filter.” We explore what it looks like to let joy, ease, and alignment guide our decisions instead of obligation, striving, or outdated beliefs. Together, we reflect on our own transitions out of pediatrics, how we’ve redefined success, and the freedom that comes when we allow ourselves to change, grow, and choose what lights us up. We also share honest moments about parenting adult children, reimagining purpose, and how sometimes the most meaningful transformations begin when we stop pushing and start listening. If you’ve been wondering what gets to be “enough,” this episode offers a gentler compass.
In this episode, we explore:
What a “fun filter” is (and what it isn’t)
Redefining success after leaving a long-held identity
Why we don’t have to earn rest, joy, or white space
How change can be a sign of being fully alive
Letting alignment and impact coexist
Pearls of Wisdom
Choosing what’s fun is not frivolous and it can be freeing.
You don’t have to earn rest, white space, or joy.
Change doesn’t make you flighty, it means you’re alive.
Fun and impact can coexist.
“Enough” isn’t a milestone; it’s a mindset.
Reflection Questions
What currently feels fun, easy, or light in your life?
Where might you be holding onto old definitions of “success” or “productivity”?
What might open up if you trusted fun as a valid reason to say yes—or no?
Resources & Links
Enjoy these Mindful Yoga Classes about Fun
Playfulness + Connection + Flow = Fun Mindful Yoga with Jessie Mahoney
Breathe in Fun, Lightness, and Love. Exhale Stress and Anxiety. Mindful Yoga to Explore Ease.
Coaching: www.jessiemahoneymd.com/coaching
Retreats: www.jessiemahoneymd.com/retreats
Speaking/Workshops: www.jessiemahoneymd.com/speaking
Dr. Melissa Parsons: melissaparsonscoaching.com
Listen to Melissa’s podcast, Your Favorite You: https://www.melissaparsonscoaching.com/podcast
Melissa Parsons, MD, is a board-certified pediatrician, who practiced in Columbus, Ohio for 22 years, retiring in 2021. She became interested in coaching in 2017, recognizing that she liked her life, but she did not love it, and could not figure out why. Coaching helped her create a life she never dreamed possible. Melissa started her business, Melissa Parsons Coaching, in May 2020 and she has not looked back since, except to help other amazing women learn to love themselves and their lives, too! Melissa hosts a popular podcast called Your Favorite You,. She runs a group coaching program by the same name, for small groups of women looking to become their favorite versions of themselves, often by treating themselves as they would their own best friend. She also works with women 1:1 to help them become a favorite version of themselves!
Disclaimer: Nothing shared on the Healing Medicine Podcast is medical advice.
FAQ
What is a “fun filter”?
A way of making decisions by noticing what feels light, aligned, energizing, and easeful—rather than choosing from obligation or striving.
Is choosing fun the same as avoiding responsibility?
No. In this conversation, “fun” is framed as a wise compass—one that can coexist with meaningful impact.
Who is this episode for?
Anyone navigating a transition, redefining success, or craving more joy and ease in their next season—especially high-achievers and helping professionals.