PFO Newsletter- 06.06.25

June 06, 2025

I’m going to share something with you that’s critical to your overall health…

But first, ever had an epic vacation, only to have nightmare travel on the way home put a wet blanket on your trip? 

I’ve traveled a lot in my life, especially when I worked at ABC News, covering all kinds of stories and traveling to a myriad of different places and countries. 

However, I’ve never had the experience my family and I had on Monday. 

We had just wrapped up a great vacation in the Florida Keys making core memories like deep sea fishing and snorkeling. But our return flight on Monday was delayed over 12 hours and when we finally got on the plane, we sat for another two hours, not taking off until 1am! We finally landed at the Atlanta airport at 3:30am but we had another 2 ½ hour drive home. Which meant it was almost 6am by the time we got home. 

Here is a photo of us at the Atlanta airport…at 3:30am…feeling a little upside down.

I told John that I would tackle that treacherous drive from the Atlanta Airport to our home (it gave me flashbacks from college when my friends and I would drive to Florida through the night for spring break) and I was able to stay awake for two reasons: 

  1. I drank an energy drink. Don’t judge. LOL

  2. I cued up my 80’s and 90’s playlist of songs that I can sing BY HEART (think: Air Supply, Survivor, Chicago, Boston, Journey, etc) and sang my heart out for 2 hours. 

That said, the whole ordeal was an exercise in patience and attitude. We kept telling the kids "everything happens for a reason” and they fed off our attitudes…it was so frustrating, but blowing a gasket wasn’t going to change the situation. 

Speaking of things that aren’t great for your health, not having deep, close friendships is one of the WORST things you can do for your overall health. 

We’re talking about FRIENDSHIP all month on the podcast from a myriad of angles, but this week we kicked off the series by talking about Why We’re Starving for Deep Friendship and How To Cultivate It. We are communal beings and were meant for community, yet we’re in the midst of a loneliness epidemic.

Do you have DEEP friendships?

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Many of us feel like we have a ton of acquaintances, but lack deep, true friendship. As you’ll hear in this week’s episode, we only need 3-5 close, deep friends. My guest is best-selling author and speaker Jennie Allen, who shares how we find and cultivate those deep friendships. Plus, the ONE THING that differentiates an acquaintance from a close friend. 

Next week, Dan Harris (my former GMA co-anchor and dear friend)  joins me to talk about the importance of having friends who aren’t like you. You’ll hear how our differences actually made us better, plus our take on media bias. Don’t Miss It! 

Until then, happy June! I hope you have some great beach reads lined up for the summer (I may be able to help you with that in my FAVORITES below). 

Have a wonderful week, friends!

-Paula xo

FARIS FAVORITES 🤎

1. Summer Grilling Hacks!

John sent me this IG reel of summer grilling hacks and I’ve watched it about 10 times. My fave: the smartest way to grill hotdogs and brats

2. The BEST Tool For Building Muscle In Midlife

Build that muscle! I’m assuming most of you reading this are midlife (ages 36+) and that means it’s crucial to start building bone density and muscle mass. Wearing a weighted vest on a walk or at your home during the day is the best way to do just that. My hands down favorite is THIS one off Amazon. You’lll want to order a weighted vest that’s approximately 10% of your body weight. Mine is 16 lbs because I’m 160 lbs

3. My New FAVORITE Summer Read!

Everyone needs a great summer read and I have a fabulous one to add to your list. It’s Kristy Woodson Harvey’s newest page turner, Beach House Rules. Guess what? Kristy wants to giveaway 3 copies! If you want to claim yours, DM me on Instagram with your mailing address. Happy Reading, friends!

POLL RESULTS:

In our last poll, 51% of you said you use a BUDGET. Here are some of your responses: 

➡️ “We've always lived below our means. We've always done 10% tithe, 10% (or more) saving, the rest for living expenses.”

➡️ “We have a computer system and designated money goes to different things. We budget down to the penny.”

➡️ “I would love to be on a budget, but my husband is against it :( On a sidenote, I love your tattoo!”

➡️ “Never budgeted and am now 76 years old. We built our house and raised 3 children. We never went into debt for automobiles or anything that was not necessary. We did not come from money rich families. We started out with $10,000 and lived within our means. We were debt free from home loan and then sent and paid for our 3 kids to get their college degrees. I was a stay at home mom. My husband earned a little over average. It wasn’t easy but we did it. If we couldn’t afford it, we wouldn't buy it. Not saying you don’t need to budget, you need to live within your means.”

➡️ “My husband and I use the Every Dollar app.”

➡️ “At first it can feel restrictive, but when you see that holding back on something that is not necessary can help release money not just to pay down debt, but to do other fun things. With a blended family of 7 kids and 13 grandkids, it has really helped us so that we have a Christmas and birthday budget, as well as a travel budget to visit them–no one gets left out!”

➡️ “I have always had a budget. Sometimes it helped, other times it kept me up at night. Now that the kids are adults and make their own money, I can finally afford my lifestyle, and we are eliminating debt. I guess the children were more expensive than I thought!

➡️ “My husband is self-employed. There were times when we had nothing and times of plenty. So not having a consistent income made it hard to budget at all.”

➡️ “I feel that budgeting is even more important nowadays than it was 5 or 6 years ago. The way prices keep going up it’s important to keep a budget. We do buy ourselves treats here and there and we buy our sons special things but with only one income we have to budget”

➡️ “I'm the budget master for our family. We don't feel restricted by a budget but we often feel discouraged because we don't have any discretional funds.“

THE PAULA FARIS SHOW 🎙️

Shark Tank’s Barbara Corcoran on Women, Money, and Why We’re Insecure Handling It

Barbara Corcoran may be a Shark, but even she admits she didn’t know what to do with her money after selling her business, so she left all $66 million in a checking account for two years.  In this candid conversation, Barbara and I unpack why women, despite controlling the majority of the wealth in America, still feel uncertain handling it. Barbara shares her personal money missteps, her surprising struggle with impostor syndrome, and how becoming a grandma changed her hustle.

Why We’re Starving For Friendship (and What To Do About It) With Jennie Allen

We’re more connected than ever before, yet more isolated than we’ve ever been. In this raw and eye-opening conversation, bestselling author Jennie Allen and I tackle the loneliness epidemic head-on.  Why do so many of us feel like we have a million acquaintances but zero deep friends? Why do women say “I’m fine” instead of calling someone in the middle of a cry? And how do we build the kind of friendships that actually last—through conflict, growth, and all the mess in between? Jennie shares powerful truths, practical tips, and her personal story of how she created a circle of real friends who show up (even when it’s inconvenient).  You’ll learn: 💬 The 3 things to look for in a deep friend 📍 Why proximity matters more than you think 💔 Why conflict isn’t a friendship-ender 📞 How to start initiating, even when it feels awkward ❤️ And why friendship isn’t just a want—it’s a health need This one’s for anyone who’s ever whispered, “I feel alone”—and is ready to change that.

Join the Conversation!

If you’ve made it this far, I invite you to join (or start) the conversation in our comments section. What would you like to share? -Paula

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