A Wise and Happy Life Podcast

How Pastor Allen Is Reshaping Faith One Garden Gathering At A Time (Part 1) | Pastor Allen Cudahy | A Wise and Happy Life Podcast

What makes someone walk away from a thriving megachurch in the U.S. to build a spiritual community on a front porch in Costa Rica? 
What leads a respected Lutheran pastor to step away from a thriving megachurch and choose a slower, simpler life centered around real connection? In this episode of A Wise and Happy Life, host Bob Martin talks with Pastor Allen Cudahy about the calling that led him from U.S. pulpits to a quiet front porch in Costa Rica.
In Part 1, Pastor Allen opens up about the pressure of church performance culture, his early decisions to reject elite academic paths, and how he realized “the church left me first.” With warmth and honesty, he shares how decades in ministry shaped his understanding of grace, burnout, and the deeply human desire for belonging and meaning.
Highlights:
"The church left me before I left the church." Allen reflects on how the spiritual culture he once helped lead began drifting from the values that mattered most—and why that pushed him toward a new kind of ministry.
Burnout isn’t failure, it’s a signal. Learn how the emotional and spiritual exhaustion of megachurch life became a wake-up call for deeper purpose.
Ministry isn’t a brand. Pastor Allen unpacks the difference between performing church and living it, and why he believes authenticity begins with being present, not polished.
Tune in to hear how Pastor Allen is reshaping faith and fellowship one porch gathering at a time. Subscribe to A Wise and Happy Life, leave a review, and share this episode with anyone seeking meaning, especially in midlife and beyond.
 
Connect with Pastor Allen Cudahy:
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/allen-cudahy-26439023 
Website: http://destinationweddingscostarica.com/ 
 
Connect with Bob Martin
Website: https://www.awiseandhappylife.com/ 
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bob-martin-995b30127/ 
Podbean: https://awiseandhappylife.podbean.com/ 
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@IamBobMartin 
Email: bob@awiseandhappylife.com 
Download my Free Meditation Ebook: https://www.awiseandhappylife.com/what-is-meditation-anyway/ 
Join my Free Monthly Q&A Session: https://register.awiseandhappylife.com/bob-martins-mindfulness-meetup 
Explore My Published Books: https://www.awiseandhappylife.com/books/ 
 
This episode is brought to you by A Wise and Happy Life, a show where Bob Martin shares thoughtful, heartfelt conversations about what really makes life worth living.
Developed by TMX Creative – making podcasting easy and professional. Learn more about our video editing services and how we can help you grow! 
 
#AWiseAndHappyLife #BobMartin #Happiness #Meditation #AnxietyRelieve #Mindfulness #StressManagement #TMXCreative #PastorAllenCudahy #FaithAndPurpose #Costa Rica #ChurchInCostaRica #PostChristianEra #GraceNotJudgment #GardenOfGrace #SpiritualLife #MeaningfulLiving #PodcastSEO #HappinessPodcast

How Yoga, Music & Showing Up Build a Joyful Life | Cricket Foster | Part 2 | A Wise and Happy Life Podcast

In Part 2 of this heartfelt chat, Bob and Cricket explore how touch, self-kindness, and spiritual connection deepen our well-being. They talk about restorative yoga, demystifying its spiritual roots, and why creating space for joy is a non-negotiable part of life.
If you’ve ever felt stuck or overwhelmed, this conversation will remind you that healing is possible and it starts with presence. You’ll hear stories of discipline, connection, and what happens when you give yourself permission to begin again, over and over. 
Whether you’re 25 or 75, Cricket reminds us that it’s never too late to feel stronger, lighter, and more alive in your own body.
 
What you'll hear in this episode:
How yoga and mindfulness help manage anxiety and stress
Spirituality in yoga, from Psalms to samadhi
Creating a joyful life by connecting with your inner child
 
Give it a listen if…
You’ve been meaning to get back to the gym, try yoga, or reconnect with what makes you feel alive. Bob and Cricket make this conversation feel like sitting on the porch with old friends: thoughtful, funny, and full of heart.
 
🎙️ Podcast Quote:
"It feeds my soul to teach you yoga." - Cricket Foster
 
Connect with Cricket Foster:
Website: https://evolvemovementstudio.com/ 
Phone: (336) 675-5639 
Connect with Bob Martin
Website: https://www.awiseandhappylife.com/ 
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bob-martin-995b30127/ 
Podbean: https://awiseandhappylife.podbean.com/ 
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@IamBobMartin 
Email: bob@awiseandhappylife.com 
 
This episode is brought to you by A Wise and Happy Life, a show where Bob Martin shares thoughtful, heartfelt conversations about what really makes life worth living.
Developed by TMX Creative – making podcasting easy and professional. Learn more about our video editing services and how we can help you grow! 
 
#AWiseAndHappyLife #BobMartin #Happiness #Meditation #AnxietyRelieve #Mindfulness #StressManagement #YogaLife #PilatesJourney #ShowUp #MindfulLiving #YogaForEveryone #SpiritualWellbeing #BodyMindConnection #WomenWhoInspire #WellnessConversations #HolisticHealing #DanceAndWellness #PodcastForGrowth #Podcast #Interview #CricketFoster

How Yoga, Music & Showing Up Build a Joyful Life | Cricket Foster | Part 1 | A Wise and Happy Life Podcast

Cricket Foster has lived a big, creative life. From dancing across the globe to leading yoga classes and belting out rock songs in a wedding band. In Part 1, Bob Martin sits down with his longtime friend to talk about the early roots of her journey: ballet discipline, performing joy, and what it means to truly show up for your own life.
You’ll hear how daily practices, even in small ways, help build self-trust, and why rituals like yoga and music aren't just habits, they’re healing.
 
What you'll hear in this episode:
Why “showing up” is more powerful than perfection
The role of movement in emotional clarity and confidence
Reframing discipline as self-love
 
Give it a listen if…
You’ve been meaning to get back to the gym, try yoga, or reconnect with what makes you feel alive. Bob and Cricket make this conversation feel like sitting on the porch with old friends: thoughtful, funny, and full of heart.
 
🎙️ Podcast Quote:
"Just show up. That’s it. Just show up." - Cricket Foster
 
Connect with Cricket Foster:
Website: https://evolvemovementstudio.com/ 
Phone: (336) 675-5639 
Connect with Bob Martin
Website: https://www.awiseandhappylife.com/ 
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bob-martin-995b30127/ 
Podbean: https://awiseandhappylife.podbean.com/ 
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@IamBobMartin 
Email: bob@awiseandhappylife.com 
 
This episode is brought to you by A Wise and Happy Life, a show where Bob Martin shares thoughtful, heartfelt conversations about what really makes life worth living.
Developed by TMX Creative – making podcasting easy and professional. Learn more about our video editing services and how we can help you grow! 
 
#AWiseAndHappyLife #BobMartin #Happiness #Meditation #AnxietyRelieve #Mindfulness #StressManagement #YogaLife #PilatesJourney #ShowUp #MindfulLiving #YogaForEveryone #SpiritualWellbeing #BodyMindConnection #WomenWhoInspire #WellnessConversations #HolisticHealing #DanceAndWellness #PodcastForGrowth #Podcast #Interview #CricketFoster

Welcome to A Wise and Happy Life Podcast

This is The Wise and Happy Life Podcast—a space where ancient wisdom meets modern science. Mindfulness, philosophy, and happiness practices blend with brain research, compassion, and common sense.
Hosted by Bob Martin—meditation mentor, happiness coach, trial lawyer, and entrepreneur—this podcast is your companion for navigating life’s joys and difficulties with grace, humor, stability, and success.
Whether you're feeling overwhelmed, seeking deeper meaning, or simply aiming to live more wisely, effectively, and humanely in a chaotic world, each episode offers soulful insights, practical tools, and conversations to support the art—and the work—of being fully human.