Lifting the Lifters: Recent Episodes
Jessica Rydalch
This show dedicated to “lifting the lifters” in the day-to-day business of raising families. We will use real-life experiences to discuss topics, ideas, resources, and tools to help lift and fortify the mind, body, and spirit of women and moms so she can nurture with confidence and love! When they are fortified the home, family, and community can thrive!
I love a good, tight pattern.
I love to see straight lines, uniform paterns, and regularities.
My eye doesn't just love a good pattern, but my brain does too!
Brains love patterns because they create safety, control, ease, and comfort.
With summer underway, are you creating a good summer pattern, or are you still struggling to get a good one going? Well, if so, this podcast is for you!
In today's podcast, we discuss why patterns are helpful, why some of our patterns are not so helpful, and how to recognize the patterns in our lives.
Then we discuss how to create a summer pattern that weaves in work, play, and so much more!
Listen in as I give some insight into the patterns we've created and love to help us connect, create, and more!
Do you remember your 5th-grade science classes, where we learned about rocks, weathering, and erosion? Where there is molding and shaping, weathering, and change?
This week, I took a journey back to those classes as I recalled the processes and related them to Jarred and my marriage.
We celebrated 25 years this week, and it has been a ride for sure!
There has been molding and shaping and building during those 25 years, and they have come through our life together, the family we have created, the work, the hobbies, and our homes!
In this episode, we talk about what builds, molds, and shapes us. We relate this molding and shaping to the processes of weathering and erosion, and learn how growth and change come through processes of breakdown and change.
I share the 25 things that have built Jarred and I, and as promised posted the YouTube video below!
Take a look back on your life and/or your marriages and see what things have broken you down, but also in the process molded and shaped who you are today!
Jarred and Jesser's 25th Anniversary Video
It's that time of year when graduations are happening in every corner, and it's exciting! The graduates of 2025 are giving commencement speeches and spreading their wings to take on their next adventure!
We celebrated Meg's graduation last week, and I have been overwhelmed by the support she's had throughout her life that has molded and shaped who she is.
While I hope I've been an influence for good in her life, I recognize that Jarred and I are not the only ones who have been on her journey! It has taken a village!
It takes a village is a phrase that signifies that raising a child, or achieving any significant goal, cannot be done by one person alone. It highlights the need for a supportive network of people who can provide guidance, resources, and encouragement.
Our "village" can include family members, friends, neighbors, teachers, community leaders, and even professionals like doctors or therapists. It is a concept that can be applied to various areas, including professional development, community projects, and even personal goals.
Trying to do the job alone doesn't usually go well. As humans, we need each other. We are made for connection and relationships, we need our village.
In today's podcast, we talk about our village when it comes to raising families, but also raising ourselves and each other! We need people to support, lift, and we need to do the lifting as well! Listen in!
Mel Robbins Podcast: Understanding This Will Change How You Experience Your Entire Life with Dr. Lisa Miller
You’ve heard the term: Take a chill pill!
Or take a chill pill and call me in the morning!
What does that even mean?!
Well, to put it simply, it means to relax!
There are, in fact, pills that we can take to relax, but that’s not always the most healthy or beneficial. There are other solutions to help us manage our stress because It is inevitable.
We all have stressful situations, relationships, and circumstances.
It isn’t really something that we can get away from.
How do you cope with stress?
Some of us lash out.
Some of us buffer or use other sources like food, work, and spending money to avoid the stress.
Some of us shut down, sleep
Some of us bottle it up, shove it away,
Some of us stay busy,
All of us do something, and we all hold that stress differently in our bodies. Maybe you feel tension in your shoulders, maybe you feel an upset stomach, maybe you have a headache. All of these can be linked to the way you’re coping with your stress. Is there a way that you cope with your stress that you know is helpful? There are many techniques like breathing, movement, journaling, exercise, and taking pills.
Have you ever thought of using water as your chill pill?
Yes, water.
Water can be a tool to help cope with your stress, anxiety, and overwhelm, and regulate your nervous system to get to a more relaxed state, so we can handle our stress.
In this episode, we are going to talk about using water as a way to help manage stress using H2O.
Hydrate: Drink water! Our bodies are made up of 63% water!
2 Activities: Swim, run your hands in it, wipe it on your face, so many options!
Observe: Listen and watch water!
Listen in to hear more! It really is the Chill Pill you need!
Mom Guilt.
This is a real thing.
A day doesn't go by that we don't experience this phsycological phenomenon.
All of the should have dones, could have dones, the mistakes we've made that we'd like to change. The times we did show up as our best, or show up at all.
We all have an expectation of what a "good mom" looks like, and spend a lot of time feeling guilt for these expectations.
These persistent feelings of guilt can lead to stress, anxiety, depression, or just a flat grumpy mom! And if they stay for long, can lead to bigger problems. This stress we feel is very disregulating and puts us into a fight, flight, and freeze mode just perpetuating the cycle of self-deprecating thoughts and stress.
But we don't have to stay here!
The guilt we feel is because of the gap that we see in our mothering.
What if we replaced this gap with grace. What if we offered it to other's but especially to ourselves!
In this podcast we talk abou grace and filling the gaps with grace!
This mother's day and every day, lets add grace to our gaps!
Listen In!
These past few weeks I’ve been working on my golf game, again… it seems as if that is a never ending battle. Once you get something going good, there’s another issue that arises. I have a golf coach who is amazing and so patient with me. She came and we worked on a few things and when I went and played a few rounds, the things we worked on worked! I was hitting straighter and more consistently. Then, something happened, and I started hit to the right. The far right. Not just a little. So our efforts with my last couple of lessons have been on correcting that. Apparently I don’t roll my hands quick enough. This is something that is going to take time, practice, and work to rewire my brain and muscle memory. In the mean time, we made a few tweaks with my hands and my feet to compensate for this. To make up for this challenge.
What is to compensate?
This means to counteract something unpleasant or unwelcome by exerting an opposite force.
To offset something.
To compensate someone is to give someone something for their loss or suffering.
Has there been a time you feel you’ve compensated for something or someone else has compensated you?
In this podcast episode we will discuss compensation and the compensatory growth and blessings we recieve through our challenges, circumstances, and lives.
We will discuss the first step, always believing, that we will be compensated, and that things will be made right in the end!
Listen In!
Pushing the Rock
Have you ever considered adding pondering to your day-to-day? Pondering is a time to reflect, think, and meditate.
In our fast-paced, go go-go-go, hurried world, it seems counterintuitive to slow down, ponder, and reflect. Slow down to speed up? Yep! That's exactly right.
There is great power in pondering. And the benefits are pretty remarkable.
- Improved decision-making: Pondering allows for thoroughly weighing options and potential consequences, leading to more informed and rational decisions.
- Deeper understanding: Pondering can reveal deeper insights and a more comprehensive understanding of complex issues by taking the time to consider a matter from multiple angles.
- Increased self-awareness: Pondering can promote introspection and self-reflection, leading to a better understanding of one's own thoughts, feelings, and motivations.
- Reduced impulse reactions: Pondering can help to slow down impulsive reactions and allow for a more thoughtful response in challenging situations.
- Enhanced creativity: Pondering can spark creative thinking and lead to innovative solutions by exploring different possibilities and connections.
- Greater appreciation: Pondering can deepen our appreciation for the world around us, fostering a sense of wonder and gratitude.
- Improved memory: Pondering helps to consolidate information and make it more accessible for future recall.
- Reduced stress: By allowing for a calm and thoughtful approach to situations, pondering can help to reduce stress and anxiety.
- Spiritual growth: Pondering can be a way to connect with one's inner self and explore deeper spiritual questions.
A greater sense of purpose: Pondering life's meaning and purpose can lead to a more fulfilling and meaningful existence.
In this episode, we talk about pondering, its benefits, and give some suggestions on how to add this into your day! Give it a try!
There was a queen once.... Do we look in the mirror and see that we are the queens and kings? Do we see that? Or do we see the person that could be better, isn't good enough, has no value, talents, or worth?
In this podcast we talk about an experience Megan had with a little girl who handed her a Burger King crown after a loss at a pageant. This crown reminded us both, we are queens even withouth the "title."
Do we act that way? Do we see ourselves in a way that we put our best foot forward and connect, create, and spread light?
Listen in as we talk more about this, how this mentality chages our behavior, and how even though we are royalty we are here to become "mountains" with unlimitted potential!
The Confident You: A Woman's Guide to Eternal Beauty Your Repentance Doesn’t Burden Jesus Christ; It Brightens His Joy The Greatest Salesman in the World
It seem’s like we can find conflicting information in everything. Politics, for sure. Health, for sure. Parenting. Education. You name it. So how in the world are we supposed to navigate all of that? How in the world are we to know who’s right and who’s wrong? It feels like we are in the weeds a lot of the time! Sorting and just looking for the “right” answer!
One quote said, "I'm more confused than a chameleon in a bag of Skittles!"
We live in a world where we can have access to information anywhere, anytime, and on any topic! However, this can be troubling because there is just too much! For example, when I walk into a store with too many items, I get completely overwhelmed!
In today's podcast, we are going to discuss how to get answers when there are opposing ideas.
First, consider your source.
Second, look for evidence.
And Third, experiment.
Listen in for more details to see if you can find some answers to your opposing ideas!
The Body Reset: How Women Should Eat & Exercise for Health, Fat Loss, & Energy | Dr. Stacy Sims
It's March Madness! And, we’re all rooting for our college basketball teams and brackets! We’ve all been following our teams, watching games and highlight reels of upsets, wins, victories, and celebrations. It’s easy to just breeze on by and not pay much attention to the other team. The losers of the games. One morning I had the TV on watching ESPN and the highlights of the winners, but then they switched to a reel of the teams that had upsets and losses. They did press conferences with many, and there were tears. BIG tears from players, coaches, and one young coach even had his 10 year old boy next to him during the press conference and he just cried and cried.
Those players and coaches have put in HOURS of work, practice, training, and time, and their season has come to an end. Unfortunately, there has to be a winner and loser in these games. There has to be one that walks away with the chance for one more game, and there has to be one that is done.
I was quickly reminded after watching this that this, my friends, is life. This is part of mortality. The highs and the lows, and it’s very easy to forget. It’s very easy to love the highs when they are high, to think “we’ve made it” and that it will last forever. And then, when there’s a low, it’s easy to get frustrated, resistant, mad, and gain the perspective that this “low” will last forever, never end. But this is not the case! These “losses and low points, they are part of the plan. They are part of life. And it doesn’t serve us to resist the lows.
If we want to make our lows a little less low, we need endurance.
How? What does endurance look like and mean for you and I?
Today's podcast is Six Tips to Enduring Well:
- Believe that you are made for this!
- Work
- Learn
- Be Humble
- Pray and Express Gratitude
- Write down your experiences.
Listen in to hear more!
Lessons on Endurance by Ty Hopkins
In this episode we talk about how to handle any hard.
There is hard all around us. It is supposed to be that way. We are meant to be here to struggle, work through challenges, learn and grow. But, it can be gruelling sometimes!
The way to handle ANY hard is to look beyond today. Look toward the future, get a bigger picture, a better perspective, and that is through focusing on something bigger than we are.
I focus on Jesus Christ, the atonement, and the Plan of Happiness.
When I do so, I feel peace, confidence, and comfort.
He knows what we are in for.
He knows our challenges.
And he knows our hearts.
When we focus on him, we will be better able to handle ANY hard!
Listen in to today's podcast to hear more about handling any hard, hear experiences, and examples, and be lifted!
When we go out to the cold, we layer. I love layers. I put on thermals, hoodies, coats, jackets, hats and gloves. I love layers in seven layer dip and I love layers in lasagna.
Sometimes, layers aren't helpful.
Sometimes, we layer emotions, only to amplify the emotions and make them worse.
We get frustrated over being frustrated.
Mad about being mad.
Irritated about being irritated.
In these scenarios, layering isn't helpful.
In today's podcast, we talk about our emotional layers and how to stop layering.
We talk about being aware, watching ourselves and paying attention to when we do this.
We talk about offering self-compassion, which is so hard to do sometimes.
And we talk about getting to the truth.
Today's podcast will help you recognize when you may be layering your emotional experience and how to stop!
Listen In!
Be Ye Therefor Perfect-Eventually by Jeffrey R. Holland
Spiritual Treasures by Russel M. Nelson
Jason Hunt is a human physiology professor at BYU Idaho, a husband, father, and lover of motorcycles! Besides teaching in the classroom, Jason also speaks to audiences about managing and overcoming weaknesses through deliberate actions of humility, self-love, and love for others.
He uses his knowledge of the human body and human behavior and the gospel of Jesus Christ to help others understand emotions and coping mechanisms we use to find relief. We learn about the "room" that we enter when we are trying to escape uncomfortable emotions, how to leave the "room" using the ACE acronym, and how to act deliberately based on our values system to have humility, love for ourselves, and love for others.
This interview is POWERFUL and will help you see the patterns and behaviors of yourself and others in a different light. One that will invite growth, learning, self-discovery, and change.
Managing Weakness YouTube Video
Managing Weakness PDF
The zoo is one of the funnest places to go as a kid. I remember taking a trip to Hogle Zoo in Salt Lake City one summer as a kid and observing the monkeys! It's crazy how much they resemble humans sometimes!
We all have a part of our brains that are monkey like. This is the part of our brain that wants to keep us safe, have fun, and conserve energy. This monkey part, although it is very helpful when in actual danger, sometimes isn't very helpful and can create problems.
In this podcast we talk about watching this part of our brain when it becomes dominant. Watching our own behaviors and patterns and what tendencies we have when activated.
We talk about our 3 teams.
Team Hyper
Home Team and
Team Hypo
All day long we hope to be flexible and go back and forth between these assigned states, and one of the best ways to practice being flexcible and moving back and forth is to observe the monkey! Then, reassure that monke everything is fine.
We all are just big, scared kids inside looking for safety and validation it's all ok.
We all do our best to cope with stress and manage our monkeys every day, but maybe taking a step back to be an observer and then reassuring ourselves are just the steps we need to be flexible and aware.
Listen in for more!
When shopping for a used car we always look for one that has had regular oil changes, good tires, good breaks, the interior is clean, and it’s been maintained.
When you think about all the places our cars take us, you need them to work! We drive them to school, to work, to activities. Our baseball games are just about to get started and we’ll be on the road many of the weekends from March until July and we need to be confident our vehicles will get us there.
Our cars drive through many different conditions! Today, snow and slick roads. Tomorrow, who knows here in Idaho!
Sometimes we go off-roading, sometimes for a nice drive in the hills, sometimes down gravel roads. We accelerate and hit the brakes all day long, sometimes easing into it, sometimes hard braking and quick acceleration!
We put our vehicles through a lot of stressful situations!
Our cars are like our bodies! They are put through many stressful situations.
We run at a faster pace than we should a lot of the times, we slam on the brakes here and there. We go on long rides, short rides, gravel, and bumpy roads, and sometimes we offroad with our bodies. And, We need to do some maintenance on these bodies of ours, or like our cars, we go nowhere.
Today I want to talk about 3 things we can do to manage the stress we put our bodies under.
And they have to do with our diets. We are going to use guardrails, greens, and grace to manage our stress!
Listen In!
Weight, weight loss, the scale, food—all of these can be very tricky and touchy topics for some of us, especially women.
Many of us want to maintain a healthy weight but don't know how to do so.
Or, maybe you've tried for years and are tired of the battle.
In today's podcast I share two simple tips to help you maintaintain a healthy weight.
Yes, there are a million tips, tricks, and other things, but today, just two.
- Weigh yourself regularly.
Hold on, hold on, don't leave me yet! I promise the scale isn't the enemy. There is a lot of unpacking to do around the scale, safety, and what happens when you are on the scale. But having a healthy number, a measurement, or how your clothes feel gives you some parameters to prevent extreme ups and downs in weight, and thus extremes in dieting.
- Listen to your body.
The "natural man" part wants all the sugar, fun, and exciting foods. It's normal to want all the desserts, but not the one we want to listen to all of the time. Listen to the part of you that drops down, takes a pause, takes an inventory of your fullness and how you feel. When you get that initial "urge" this is the part of you that wants the fun, exciting, and easy food, but a small pause will give you the headspace and time to think through, take an inventory and assessment, and make a conscious decision.
You can do this! Try these two tips this week and see if it makes a difference for you!
The Heart of the Matter by Russell M. Nelson
Traveling is one of our family's favorite things to do. We love to get away, to experience something new, and to take a break from our day-to-day, but it can also be stressful!
Today's podcast discusses 10 tips that can help you have a perfectly planned getaway!
- Consider your top priorities! What is most important, weather, accommodations, activities, what's the biggest priority on your list?
- Do your research! Start asking questions, reading reviews, and looking at a variety of different options before making a decision.
- Consider using a 3rd party. We just used Costco and it was fantastic!
- Break your trip into days to know what to pack. Take one day at a time and consider what you'll need to pack for clothes, what shoes, and what you'll need for travel days. (I always pack extra layers and blankets because airplanes and airports are cold!
- Use a cross-body bag for important things like passports and wallets, boarding passes and documents.
- Pack healthy snacks! Have some healthy options on hand so that you don't eat the junk!
- Use just a carry-on when you can! This will save on time waiting for your luggage or a risk of using your luggage! If you have to check a bag, keep a change of clothes and essentials in your carry-on!
- Ask questions! Don't be afraid to ask questions. Check and re-check confirmation emails and times.
- Be polite! When asking for help, questions, or directions, be polite! You're on their turf!
- Add variety to your activities! Something adventurous, learn something, serve somewhere, and of course! Down Time!
Last! Have FUN!!!
We just got back from Mexico and these tips helped us have an amazing vacation and we are looking forward to planning the next!
Family life is exhausting, tricky, and at times very hard, but it is also very rewarding and full of joy. It has ups and downs all along the way—I feel like we're on a roller coaster ride many days! Some days we feel like we are successful and some days, we don't.
In today's podcast, I interview guest Leah Davidson. She is a Nervous System Resilience Coach, a Speech and Language Pathologist, a wife, a mom, and more! She teaches about the Nervous System, regulation, what that means, how to do it, and how we can support our families with regulation.
We talk about life's challenges and disruptions, how those can turn into opportunities for growth, letting our children have their growth journeys, having faith in Heavenly Father's plan and process, and supporting ourselves through that process.
Listen in for so many nuggets, strategies, and more!
You can find Leah on Instagram:
@leahdavidsonlifecoaching
and Facebook:
@leahdavidsonlifecoaching
And her Mental Health Journal for Anxiety Relief, Stress Management & Self-Care: Guided Prompts for Nervous System Regulation, Mindfulness & Personal Growth
Failing. That's a pretty big term that we use. We avoid the F on report cards as kids, avoid taking risks to avoid failure, and every single day, we experience failure.
I can't tell ou the amount of times I hear:
"I failed that one."
"Epic Failure."
"Mom Fail"
But we forget, failure is just part of the journey. We think in our minds that it is the opposite of success, but it's not!
In today's podcast we discuss
- Failure is part of the success equation.
- There are different types of failure.
- Fail is actually just a "fall" with an opportunity to get back up!
Listen in to the podcast as we discuss failure and reframing that to be "fall" or "fell!"
Success.
This is something we all crave and are trying to attain.
Success personally and professionally, but what is it exactly? Can any one person define what success means for everyone?
The answer is no. Success is in the eye of the beholder.
Og Mandino said: "What is success other than a state of mind? Which two, among a thousand wise men, will define success in the same words;"
Success is determined by each and every one of us.
So what does success in family life look like? What does it mean?
In this podcast we talk about how to define success in family life, we give examples of what successful families do, and we implement habits to help build our successful families.
I would guess most of us are already doing this, we are already in the thick of it and doing a lot of good, but sometimes we just need to clarify and narrow down what exactly we want.
Listen in to today's podcast for more on building successful families!
The Greatest Salesman in the World by Og Mandino
Intention with Jarred Rydalch
9 Successful Family Traits by Embark Behavioral Health
Have you ever been in a conversation with someone and just stopped with one word they said? It either stopped you in your tracks, caused you to pause or think a little, gave you a reason to ask more questions, or taught you something.
One word can make all the difference in the trajectory of a conversation, decisions, and day.
When one of our kids went running into the parking lot at the grocery store with incoming cars…One word….Stop
When we went to Olive Garden this weekend the waitress asked for soup or salad?
Salad.
Again, one word.
As parents, the one word we use often, No.
No your not staying out past curfew
No, we don’t need that extra item at Walmart
No, we don’t need drinks with our meals, just water will do.
I’m sure you could think of a list of No’s!
When Jarred asked me to marry him, I said, one word…..Yes
On the day we were married, again, that same word….Yes
Words are powerful, and just one word can sometimes be more powerful than a phrase.
Every year, I pick a word for the year, and this year, my word is "Heart."
Why pick a word? Because it gives you focus for the year. It takes out the overwhelm of goals and lists, and gives you just one simple focus, a word, to learn about. You can take this word and grow, learn, create, study, and become.
Listen in to this podcast as we talk about a word for the year and I tell you about my word!
Heart!
At One Ment by Thomas McConkie
Happy New Year!!!
2025 is under way! If you took a minute to reflect on the past year, what do you see?
Do you see a year of Gaps or a year of Gains?
When we are in the gap, we see where we didn't measure up. Where we missed the mark and didn't reach the ideal or the perfect scenario. The problem is, is it ever "just right?" Did we ever see the ideal or the perfect scenario? Gap thinking leaves us deflated, unmotivated, and unhappy.
If we see a year of gains, we measure backward and see the progress we made. Even if it is little bits of progress, it is still progress. We see where we have learned, grown, and been successful. This leads us to feel more motivated, successful, and happy and to want to keep moving forward.
The beauty is we can see gains any time! It's not IF we were successful and had gains, it's how we look at it! In today's podcast, we talk more about my favorite book "The Gap and the Gain" by Benjamin Hardy and Dan Sullivan. We talk about measuring our gains for the year and seeing where we saw growth, change, and learning.
2024 was an amazing year full of GAINS for every one of us! Listen in to find out more!
The Gap and The Gain by Benjamin Hardy and Dan Sullivan
Little Children by Boyd K Packer
As we have just celebrated Christmas, the decorations will come down, the carols change to regular music, and family will go home, but Christ will still be there.
He is in each and every one of our stories. He's in the thick things and the thin things. Do we see Him?
In this podcast, I tell you a story about how we saw Crhist in our story and how we still see him. We talk about how he delivers, heals, changes, and provides miracles for each of us!
Listen in and identify where you see Christ in your story!
New. This is the word I’d use to sum up 2024. We had a whole lot of new experiences, changes, surprises, challenges, and blessings come our way! When a package arrives on our doorstep we love to see what new thing the UPS man has delivered, but when it comes to life experiences, the Rydalch family loves to know what’s going on, loves to have a plan, and doesn’t necessarily love “new surprises” in the beginning, but we eventually warm up and see that “new” allows us to learn, grow, change, and bless our lives.
In this podcast episode, I read you our family Christmas letter about the "new" in our lives this year! You've all been on the journey with me as we have navigated this year and this podcast sums it all up!
Merry Christmas!
This time of year can get a bit overwhelming and stressful with activities, social gatherings, gifts, and parties. I have the best of intentions to enjoy the holidays, but sometimes it is difficult to manage it all! So in today's podcast, we are going to talk about 10 Holiday Hacks to help with the stress!
- Make meal times easy!
- Make a list of what's on your mind.
- De-clutter a space or a room for projects or planning.
- Make time for you to "rest" and that doesn't necessarily mean sleep!
- Prioritize protein and eat less sugar.
- Drink WATER
- Don't eat late.
- PLAY!
- Communicate, and ask questions!
- PRAY!
In this podcast, we will dive into each one of these in detail, but as you implement even one or two, yo will notice a decrease in the stress and an increase in your enjoyment this holiday season!
Whenever we travel, we love to come HOME.
After a long day of school, work, and errands....HOME is the place we all want to be!
At home is a place we can relax, let our gaurds down, feel safe, comfortable, and at peace.
Maybe it's not necessarily your "home" that you feel this place, but if you have a "happy place" those feelings are the same. You feel safe.
Sometimes going home, or to our happy place, isn't always possible, but the good news is we can access those feelings of home by a few simple practices!
Every day our bodies go through what is called the stress response where we experience heightened levels of stress, and then our bodies try to recover. By us accessing our "HOME" base, we are better able to recover!
One of the ways we can be proactive in our stress response recovery and make getting home easier is taking care of the 5 pillars of living well.
Sleep, nutrition and hydration, movement, sunlight, and connection.
Taking care of these will prepare us in advance for the stress responses that will come.
Next, breathe. Just breathing will give us the reset that we need.
Then, access a point on your body, an anchor point, that you notice you use to self-soothe. Maybe it's rubbing your thigh or your hands, playing with your hair or a piece of clothing. These are ways your body is self-soothing. If we think about our HOME base, and the feelings of home as we touch these points, our bodies will relax and feel the same feeling as if we are at HOME.
We dive into this in today's podcast as we discus being HOME for the holidays!
Listen In!
Christmas is around the corner! This year Thanksgiving was a little late so Christmas will be here before we know it! As we set into motion our plans for holiday shopping and traditions, sometimes we can get lost in the shuffle and forget the reason for all of it.! Join in this episode as we discuss some gift-giving ideas and traditions, what they mean, and some of my favorite ideas to help you create and give some meaningful gifts and traditions with your loved ones!
New Era: Gold, Frankincense, and Myrrh
Sometimes the days can go by at our house when it didn't even feel like we connected as a family, we touched base, and got a chance to catch up! We just go through the motions moving from one commitment to the next! It requires some intentional effort to slow down and put aside what we are doing so that we can have these moments.
One of the practices we like to do as a family this time of year to help us slow down and connect is the Thankful Tree. We spend just a minute each morning writing what we are thankful for and putting it on the tree.
There are many ways we can practice gratitude as a family. A tree, notes and cards, texts, and of course prayer. In this episode, we talk about these practices and how to make them a simple and easy part of your day!
Join in and see if you discover any others as you listen!
What would you say if you could write a letter to your family, loved ones, and friends right now, in whatever phase you are in? What advice would you give?
On three different occasions this week, as I have been running around, listening, and studying, I have run into just that.
One was titled “Insights from my Life" by Neal A Maxwell.
One was in the Book of Mormon, chapter 7, Mormon is at the end of his life and makes a list.
Another was in the Don’t Miss This Scripture Study book
On each occasion, three seasoned people offered insights and various life lessons.
I have thought about what I’d say, and this podcast would probably be way too long if I tried to fit them all in!
But for today I just want to highlight ONE.
Be Grateful.
In today's podcast, we will talk about a little mishap I had this week. I fell off my bathroom counter and boy has it wreaked havoc on my back, routine, and schedule! Today I share some thoughts that have been helpful for me to practice gratitude. They are:
"It could have been so much worse."
"Thank goodness for help."
"I can still walk."
"This might be a good thing."
Listen in today as we discuss these and how we can all apply them in any situation or circumstance.
Insights From my Life a BYU Speech by Neal A. Maxwell
Insights From My Life from the Ensign Neal A. Maxwell
In your lives who would you say is your wingman?
A wingman can refer to a pilot in the Air Force or a friend or partner who helps and supports another person. They are there for help, support, backup.
Sometimes we feel lost and alone, like we have no one there for support and help or backup. In those times it is good for us to have a list handy of people who we know are there. Who are our wingmen?
So today, please take a minute to think about who those people are for you. We’re going to talk about this, an experience I had with some of my wingmen, and the importance of knowing you are supported and never alone.
When we feel alone and unsupported or abandoned, that triggers a sense of danger, causing us to hide, close in, or get really uptight, sressed, and anxious. When we acknowledge the support we do have, it signals to our bodies and brains safety and security. Then we are better able to cope, work, nurture, and support the ones we love.
Listen in!
Fear is upon us this time of year with all of the scary things in town! The Haunted Forests, Mills, and all other experiences that elicit fear! Fear is something we are all born with and is a very natural state of being for our mortal experience. It is there for protection, but we default to fear all too often!
In the scriptures, we hear to "Fear Not" repeatedly!
Why? Because fear blocks our ability to have FAITH! When we are fearful, we stop ourselves from progressing, see the world with different eyes, and hide.
When we have faith, we have forward progression, are more optimistic, find solutions, and so much more!
In this podcast we discuss the many health benefits of faith, we talk about ways to develop our faith, and we talk about ways we can act and communicate our faith!
Listen in!
President Nelson, Christ is Risen; Faith in Him Will Move Mountains!
When you start planning for a wedding, a theme, style, and colors are at the top of the list. That is where we began when Dylan and Rachael decided they were ready to tie the knot, Rachael chose pink and saige as her wedding colors and the hunt was on for the dress.
I looked everywhere from here to Timbuktu looking for a pink dress, and ordered several online just hoping I'd find that perfect dress that I had in my mind and that fit "me."
By the skin of my teeth just days before the wedding and with much turmoil, I found the dress, made it fit me the way I needed it to, and it was a HIT!
All of the searching, trying on, returning, and headache provided some insights I thought we could learn from.
- There’s not a cookie-cutter solution for everyone.
- If you have a vision of what you want, go get it.
- Don’t give up until you say Yes to the Dress!
Listen to Episode 236 to hear the story about the dress and the lessons learned, and be prepared for a good chuckle as you get a taste of my crazy!
There's a scene that I love in the movie Hook: Robin Williams, Peter Pan, returns to Neverland, and the Lost Boys and Peter himself don't believe he is Peter Pan! Peter has been gone from Neverland for years! He has taken on the traditions of work, family life, stress, climbing the corporate ladder, and more. Tinkerbell drug him back to Neverland to save his kidnapped children and enlist the help of the Lost Boys!
In one scene, Rufio, the new leader of the Lost Boys, draws a line in the sand and says, "Anyone who doesn’t believe this is Peter Pan crosses this line. " Peter himself crosses that line!
Tinkerbell drags him back over and the rest of the boys gather on the other side by Rufio. Except for one. He takes Peters’ glasses off, pulls his hair back, tugs, pulls, and straightens out the lines in his face, and after much studying says, “Oh There You are Peter!”
He was in there. The whole time. The Peter they knew, the Peter that hadn’t taken on the traditions of culture and norms, was there. They just couldn’t see it. He was no longer transparent.
What does it mean to be "Transparent?"
See-through, clear, unclouded, open and honest, sincere, vulnerable, humble. Honest with who we are, and who's we are! Divine Beings full of light!
In this podcast we talk about transparency, the ability we have to radiate the light we all carry, why sometimes we lose that transparency, and how to get it back!
God's Favourite by Karl Hirst
Is there someone who inspires you? Who makes you want to do better, be better, or give you the courage to try something new?
There have been many people in my life who have inspired me! I remember being in awe of Kelly Rippa's arms when she started weightlifting and I wanted to be ripped like Kelly Rippa! That led me on a journey full of exploration, knowledge, trial and error, and experiences that have taught me about weight lifting, diet, proper form, and so much more!
I was inspired!
Being inspired fosters creativity and the desire to take action! We can take someone's ideas and make them our own! Add our twist and experience to it!
Is there a difference between being inspired and copying? Sometimes we fear to take action because we don't want to "copy!"
There's a difference!
Copying is just transferring and duplicating. No creativity, spin, and no credit to the originator. There's not much thought, just replication.
We've probably all copied and been inspired.
For me, the difference is the fuel behind it. When I'm inspired, I am creative and thinking!
In this podcast we talk about being inspired, the difference between inspiration and copying, and taking action when we feel inspired!
Listen In!
Some of us have a morning routine that we stick close to. For me, I get up, brush my teeth, go to the bathroom, wash my face, put my contacts in, change my clothes, and exercise.
After exercising I make myself some herbal tea, then sit at my desk and read, write, study, pray, play, and meditate.
I don’t venture away too far from my routine, and when I do, I can tell something is just off.
Are you having a hard time setting up a morning routine?
Well, maybe a bedtime routine is where you need to start!
I heard it said that a good morning routine starts with a good nighttime routine.
In this podcast we will discuss nighttime routines, how they affect our morning routines and days, why it is important to set up a good night routine, and some strategies I'm going to implement into mine!
- Put away my phone
- Express gratitude through prayer and or journaling
- Decide on the 3 wins I’m going to have for the next day.
Listen in to today's podcast to hear more about setting up a nighttime routine to help with a good morning routine!
The Gap and the Gain by Benjamin Hardy and Dan Sullivan
When was the last time you said this is awesome!
Struck with pure amazement
When you were totally in awe
Maybe it was this morning
Maybe it was last week
Maybe it’s been a while!
Did you know that the feeling of being in awe is scientifically proven to increase happiness?
Research on the experience of awe has found that it can have many positive effects on people, including:
- Increased generosity
- Lower stress and inflammation
- A greater sense of meaning and connection
- Self-transcendence
- And More!
This list goes on for why we need to be AWED!
In today's podcast, we talk about being AWED! Why we need it, what happens when we experience it, and how we can!
Listen in to hear more about being AWED!
What legacy are you leaving behind?
Every day we interact with others, we work, play, love, serve, and so much more. What are we leaving trailing behind us as we go?
In this week's podcast, we talk about the legacy of Love that Jarred's uncle Butch left behind, the legacy of freedom for our God, religion, and families Captain Moroni left behind, and I ask for a special birthday wish that each of you leave a legacy of love!
President Alvin F. Meredith said in a recent podcast:
"In the church today, we need leaders who will love the people, lift the people, and witness the name of the Savior.”
We can all do the same, we can love, lift, and witness of the Savior and leave that legacy behind for others!
How I Lead as President of BYU-Idaho | An Interview with Elder Alvin F. Meredith III
When we make something to eat, we follow a recipe with all the key ingredients to make the meal successful! But what if one of those ingredients is missing?! Usually, that means a quick trip to the store, a call to a neighbor, or a substitution is made to make that ingredient part of the recipe.
When it comes to our pursuits in life, and in family life, sometimes we are missing a key ingredient that isn't something we can just run to the store and make a quick stop! Sometimes that missing ingredient has to come with some work, time, patience, persistence, and practice!
In today's podcast, we talk about missing some ingredients, working to get those ingredients, and asking for help in the process. We relate our missing ingredients to the people of Nephi in the Book of Mormon not having timber to build their homes. So what did they do? They became experts in cement!
Sometimes our NOT having something could bless us as we pursue attaining the missing ingredient or its substitute! And just like the people of Nephi, we can become experts at our craft! Listen in to hear more about missing ingredients!
If you could design and build your very own cruise ship, The Jesser Ship” What would that look like? What activities would be on there, what shows, what would the design be, the different stops, if it was all you and you had to answer to no one what would your ship look like?
My ship would be clean. Everything is in its place—a library FULL of books.
A track all the way around to run on
It would have a pool, and game rooms, a big kitchen to cook in, Full of Mexican food and diet coke. A surf boat would be attached, and a driver would take me surfing.
Now think of Yourself, as this lone ship.
What career path would you have taken? What dreams would you pursue if it was only the Jesser ship?
When I was younger, I wanted to be an Olympic swimmer.
I wanted to be a flight nurse.
Or a doctor.
Every one of us has an ideal “dream, or Jesser, ship”
But it doesn’t work that way for most of us.
What we have in reality, is the “Rydalch ship”
We all in a sense give up our dream ships, to be part of a bigger ship, the family ship.
We give up some things or come to some compromises as part of our family ships.
That family ship takes some sacrifice of each of us.
We sacrifice time, desires, wants, money, and needs to keep this family ship afloat and moving forward. Sometimes the family ship moves slower, sometimes faster, but we are always trying to keep that family ship afloat and moving forward.
As we move on our "Family Ship Journey" we can ask ourselves a question similar to the British Rowing team that won gold, "Will this make the boat move forward?"
Listen in to today's podcast to hear more about the "Family Ship" and moving that ship forward!
The Gap and the Gain by Dan Sullivan and Benjamin Hardy
If you ask any of our kids where their happy place is, they'd say up in Island Park at the cabin. My happy place, well, it also happens to be the cabin.
Island Park has had a special place in my heart since I was a little girl. We’d go up and stay at my grandma’s cabin and go boating in Island Park reservoir. It was here I learned to waterski, wakeboard, and surf. It’s in this reservoir that we fish, we jump off the docks to swim, and at night, we catch crawdads.
In the winter there is ice fishing and snowmobiling, and In the fall when the water drops and sometimes gets almost empty, we ride our four-wheelers and razors down in the mud and the muck.
Early in the spring and summer, if we’ve had a good snowpack, the reservoir will be completely full, and then as the weeks go by, the weather gets hot, and the farmers' crops grow, the reservoir water is used to irrigate the fields and the water levels drop. Every time we visit the cabin the water gets lower and lower.
Island Park Reservoir and many other reservoirs are man-made lakes that are created by building a dam across a river or over the outlet of a natural lake. The dam controls the water level and the amount of water that flows out of the reservoir. Reservoirs have been used since 3000 BCE to store water for watering crops and to provide continuous access to water.
They are a holding place, a storage facility for future usage.
There are many aspects of our lives that we have reservoirs, or holding and storage, for use in the future time.
Today we are going to talk about a few of our reservoirs, when to create them, and a few ideas on how!
Listen In!
Every single day we wake up with an agenda and to-do list. In a sense, we go to war or to battle to conquer the day. Are we prepared? What are we doing to prepare?
In this week's podcast we talk about preparing for our battles and talk about the armor we put on to do this. I liken our armor to football gear that my little grid kid player has.
They are:
Helmets: Fill our minds with goodness. Keep the garbage out and "Don't give the enemy a seat at our tables."
Mouthguards: Talk less and listen more to gain awareness, perspective, and understanding.
Padding: Gird up our loins with the 5 pillars of emotional wellness. Sleep, nutrition/hydration, movement, sunlight, and connection. These alone can make a BIG difference!
Cleats: Keep Moving! Don't give up! Everything we want is on the other side of hard!
The wars and battles will rage all around us, but "If we are prepared we shall not fear!"
D&C 38:30
Don't Give the Enemy a Seat at Your Table by Louie Giglio
Emotional Intelligence Habits by Travis Bradberry
What is the single best thing we can do for our health? What is it that makes the biggest difference?
What has the biggest return on investment?
Biggest bang for our buck?
In a study, people with arthritis who used the "Magic Pill" for 1 hour 3 times per week decreased their pain and disability by 47%.
Older patients who did this decreased their progression of Alzheimers and dementia by 50%.
For those patients who had diabetes, it reduced their progression by 58%.
Postmenopausal women who had 4 hours a week of this treatment had a decrease in the risk of hip fracture by 41%.
Right now we hear A LOT about anxiety in our culture. Many people experience symptoms of anxiety. This treatment reduced anxiety by 48 percent.
Of patients suffering with depression, 30% were relieved with a low dose of this treatment and it was bumped up to 47% relief as they increased the dose.
Following a group of Harvard alumni for over 12 years those who got the treatment decreased their risk of death by 23% than those who didn’t.
It is the #1 treatment of fatigue.
And this treatment has been shown over and over again to improve quality of life
So what’s the treatment?!
What’s the magic pill?
Exercise!!! Mostly Walking.
I’m going to say just MOVEMENT!
In this episode we discuss the many benefits of movement and how to get more into our day!
First, start where you are!! Notice what you are doing!
Second, start small! Increase by even just thinking about movement!
And third, introduce some new ways to move! I talk about my new favorite: REBOUNDING!
Movement is the ONE THING that impacts every aspect of our lives, physical, mental, emotional, social, and spiritual. It truly is the Magic Pill!
Listen in for more and follow the links below!
23 1/2 hours DocMikeEvans
Hood Fit 15 Minute Trampoline Routine
Jump and Jacked 2023 Top Hits Dance Party Rebounding
Hotel Maid Study
Who's in your circle? Your circle of people you can count on in good times and in bad.
Female elephants are a fascinating group of animals. They live in a herd together with mostly just females, one being the herd's matriarch, and the others the daughters.
When a pregnant female is about to give birth, the other females in the herd back in around the mother forming a circle. They create a circle of protection and safety. The mother in the center stands to give birth while being protected from predators in her circle of sisters. This circle of sisters kicks up dirt and dust to cover the scent of new birth and protects the mother and new baby from danger.
We witnessed this with the recent assassination attempt on Donald Trump. A circle of protection formed around him to keep him safe.
There are times we physically do have a circle of support and protection, and times we don't. But even the very thought of this circle can help create the same feeling, safety and security.
In Alma 34 we read about being "encircled them in the arms of safety" of the Savior.
In this episode, we talk about our circles, the support and safety we feel from them, and the fact that we can always take confidence in knowing we are encircled in safety by the Savior.
Listen in for more on our circles!
When we had babies, toddlers, and little kids, a routine saved my life. It was the saving grace for all of us to have good days. We had feeding routines, sleeping routines, bathing routines and rituals, nighttime routines, and more. You name it. When I was in the thick of little kids and these routines I would get frustrated and almost resent the fact that we had these routines, I would get teased for having routines and “schedules.” Now, that these routines are gone, that there is more flexibility and freedom, I am seeing how valuable they have been and are.
I Need A Routine! Even in the summer!
What are some of the benefits of routines;
Our brains like to have clarity. We find comfort in knowledge, routine, and rituals. It brings security and safety.
According to a study by researchers at Tel Aviv University, predictable, repetitive routines are calming and help reduce anxiety!
In this podcast, we discuss how can we create a simple routine that we can stick to!
First, look at your day, where do you notice you feel anxious and stressed. Would a routine help with this? Would a routine before this time help streamline this time of day?
Second, start with ONE thing. Make one decision like what's for dinner. This one decision can then lead to other small little decisions and help create the routine we are looking for.
Third, don't expect perfection. It will take TIME and there will be days it doesn't happen perfectly! It's OK! Try again.
Listen in for more examples, tips and ideas to help you create a summer routine!
With the celebration of our independence on July 4th, we talk a lot about freedom, liberty, and independence. One of the other words that comes to mind when I think of independence is CHOICE. The ability to choose.
We were given the gift of agency and freedom to choose from the very beginning. In the premortal existence, this was the basis of the plan of redemption. Choice. It goes against our very nature when we feel like we are without choice. This isn't just disturbing spiritually, but also physically. When we feel like we don't have a choice, our Autonomic Nervous System responds with fight, flight, or freeze.
Do you put up a fight when you feel like you are being forced?
Do you run, avoid, or hide?
Or do you do nothing? Freeze.
This is all a protective mechanism to establish safety!
The one phrase, "I Have To" seems harmless, but it can be signaling danger, because it communicates no choice.
Steven R. Covey calls this reactive language. It's no wonder many times we feel trapped, helpless, and prisoners to our own lives that we chose!
Proactive language is "I Choose To." I choose the option and the consequence that follows.
Listen in to hear more about independence and choice, and swap "have to" to "choose to!"
I always love a good recommendation and today I am giving one to you! Inside Out 2 is a must do!
Inside Out, the first one, was about a girl named Riley and her brain and emotions. In this film we become acquainted with Joy, Sadness, Anger, Fear, and Disgust as Riley experiences a move, making new friends, and the ups and downs that come with that.
In Inside Out 2, Riley has matured to a teenager and puberty enters the building along with the emotions of Anxiety, Envy, Embarrassment, and Ennui (boredom in French). In this movie we learn all about these new emotions and learn how Anxiety can wreak some havoc when left unchecked.
Some of the main takeaways that I learned and loved were:
- Fear and Anxiety are friends. They are companions.
- Anxiety can cause us to bottle up other emotions and leave us unable to feel anything else.
- Anxiety can cause us to behave in ways that don't align with our values and how we want to behave.
- JOY keeps Anxiety and the other emotions in check. She is the path to peace!
Do more of what help you feel JOY!
There were so many other lessons to take away from this film that really hit home for me! If you need a good summer flick, this one is a MUST!
We just had the opportunity to celebrate Father's Day and the men in our lives! WAY back, I did an episode sharing a few things that Jarred and I have both learned from our dads. They are good men who have been a gift and a blessing to our lives! In today's episode, we go back and revisit this episode about our dad's and the influence they have in our lives. I shared one of the biggest lessons Jarred and I have learned from these good men. Take time for quality time. In this episode, I share how they spent quality time with us and give some suggestions on how we can do the same in our families!
When we catch a common cold or the flu, our bodies respond and usually within a few days, we feel better and we are healed. Sometimes, healing doesn't come so fast.
In this episode we talk about healing. Healing from a surgery takes at least 6 weeks of post op care, and then even sometimes requires some physical therapy and some TLC for a year!
Each one of us is on a journey of healing. Maybe physical, maybe emotional, maybe mental, and maybe within relationships. Our healing may be from broken bones and also from broken hearts. But healing takes time.
In this podcast we talk about healing and what I've learned on our journey to help Cody heal.
First, understand that it does take time. We want to be in a hurry sometimes, and that creates a lot of pressure and stress. Give it some time.
Second, regulate your nervous system. Breathe, go for walks, do yoga, listen to music, all of these are ways that we can use to eleviate tension and stress and give us access to our brains.
Third, define healing. What does this mean? Is it going back to how things were before and is that realistic?
Fourth, keep moving forward. Don't give up!!! Keep going! Healing happens "as we go."
And last, remember Christ is the ultimate healer. Rely on Him during your healing and it will come!
Listen in for more about healing!
This weekend we’ve celebrated Memorial Day!
Memorial Day for us means a 3 day weekend. Sometimes we have baseball games, that we get rained out of, and sometimes we can sneak in a little camping, a little barbeque in the backyard, some yardwork, and some fun, and it means the end of school and the start of summer!!!
Memorial Day was a day that started way back in the 1860s as a day to remember those who passed in the Civil War. It was orinally known as Decoration Day, but has since evolved to Memorial Day and a day we celebrate all Veterans and other family members and friends.
How do you remember?
Do you go to the graves and headstones and decorate them?
Do you have a special tradition, a family food, a treat, or an experience you do to remember?
Remember is one of the most important words in our vocabulary.
Jeffrey R. Holland said, "The earliest meaning of “to remember” was “to remind.” That is, when you remembered something it was to remind you—to prompt you—to action."
In this podcast, we talk about remembering and actions we can take to remember and remind us of the ones who have gone before us. We discuss experiences, the use of stories, and many more!
Take the time today to "remember" by listening to this podcast and then TAKE ACTION!
Jeffrey R. Holland quote on Remember
History of Memorial Day
Ignaz Semmelweis was a Hungarian physician who discovered the cause of childbed fever and introduced the "germ theory" to the medical world. Unfortunately, it was through his experience of contaminating his patients that he learned that he was the problem. He was the carrier of the disease that led to many deaths in Vienna General Hospital.
Like Semmelweis, we are the problems to our problems. We don't always see it, because we are self-deceived, but we are the contributors to our problems.
In this podcast we discuss self-deception, how we contribute to our problems, and how to contribute to the solutions by using two simple questions.
- Is there any way I am contributing to this problem?
- What is the end result WE are looking for?
Listen in to hear more about Ignaz Semmelwis' story and discovery and how this relates to us in our day-to-day interactions and relationship, and then how to become the solution!
Leadership and Self-Deception
The school year is quickly wrapping up! With field trips, field days, finals, crazy schedules, and more, the month of May will be over before you know it and summer vacation will be underway!
These past few weeks I have loved getting my mail to see graduation announcements from the class of 2024. Friends and families all over are celebrating their seniors as graduation day approaches and they are off and running onto their next great adventure!
I have a couple of clients who are graduating this year and I have loved the chance to get their announcements. One mom asked me to write some advice specifically for her daughter and I loved having that opportunity. While her message was specifically designed for her, I thought about the advice I’d give to most all seniors! So if you have a senior pass this along and I’m pretty sure this podcast will apply to all of us!
As I started making my list it kept growing, so this in no means is a one-and-done list! While you are listening, think of some of the secrets you’d add, and keep it going! In today's podcast, we will discuss
- Learn something every day
- Express gratitude every day
- Work hard
- Move forward
- Be kind
- Continue to get to know God
Listen in!
God's Intent is to Bring You Home by Patrick Kearon
It's always a pleasure to interview one of my children for the podcast! This week I chat with my son Elder Cody Rydalch!
Cody has been serving a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in Costa Rica for the last 18 months. About a month ago, he came home for health reasons and we have had the joy of having him home while we work to get him well. As he has been home he has continued to serve as a service missionary. In this episode, I talk to Cody about his mission in Costa Rica and what he's learned from that experience, his experience as a service missionary, and much more!
Cody is a wealth of wisdom and knowledge! I have loved getting to spend time with him and hope you enjoy listening to him as much as I do!
Our bodies go through a lot in a day. They are the vehicles we use to work, play, serve, teach, nurture, and so much more! They require a little TLC!
Last week we talked about the Five Pillars to Living well.
Sleep
Nutrition
Movement
Sunlight
Connection
When one of these is ours, we naturally work to compensate by other means. Sometimes we eat more when we are tired. Sometimes we use coping strategies to compensate. Do you ever notice that when one of these areas is off, it affects our ability to feel the Holy Ghost?
In today's podcast, we talk about how prioritizing the five pillars can help us feel the impressions of the Holy Ghost, why it matters, and what we can do to take steps forward!
Listen In!
Revelation for the Church, Revelation for our Lives Russell M. Nelson
The Sanctity of the Body by Susan W. Tanner
Dying Well.
What does that look like?
When we think of dying well, it means probably with loved ones, home, comfortable, safe, enjoying life, free of pain and suffering.
Does living well look the same?
I have wondered if in our efforts to die well, we acutually live well.
This podcast discusses Five Pillars to Living (and Dying) Well!
They are
- Sleep
- Nutrition
- Movement
- Sunlight
- Connection
In each of these areas, there is so much information and so much every one of us has experience in, and also areas we could improve.
If we use these Five pillars to start and provide a foundation, we can live and die well!
Listen in for more!
Everywhere we go we can find rules and regulations. When we travel to a baseball tournament on the weekends, there are regulations for the number of innings, runs, and pitch counts. The purpose of these regulations is to maintain safety and provide proper rest for the players.
Just like a pitcher needs regulations and rest, so do we. We need nervous system regulation to help us flexibly fluctuate between states of arousal and not get stuck or so stimulated that we shut down.
In this podcast, we talk about Nervous System Regulation and I offer 5 of my favorite ways to regulate.
- Breathe
- Settle In
- Music
- Rubbing
- Hand over Heart
These are my favorites because they can be done anywhere and sometimes consecutively. They have helped me when feeling completely overwhelmed or exhausted and provided rest and relief so I can reset.
Listen in to today's podcast to get some ideas to use in your day-to-day!
Every single one of us has a problem or challenge that can feel like we are walking around with a 50 pound weight on our shoulders. They can be heavy, burdensom, and tiring. And sometimes it feels like we are completely alone when packing that challenge.
I know that I have a tendency to keep my worries and burdens to myself, to not ask for help from God or from anyone else. Probably due to some pride and also some fear. Fear of being vulnerable and letting my gaurd down. Fear of admitting that I don't have it all figured out and can't do it all alone.
In this podcast we talk about asking for help. Who do we ask?
First, Heavenly Father. The one who knows all and is always working in our favor. Ask Him. He will help us get the answers and solutions we will need to move forward, problem solve, and he will give us the strength to endure.
Second, ask others. There is a statistic that says that if we have a challenge and explain our situation to three trusted individuals, those 3 people will be able to help you get the answers and solutions you will need by either having the answer or helping you find the answer.
We are not alone in this life or in our challenges. We have many who care and love us and who want to help. All we have to do is ASK!
Listen in to hear more and ways to implement this!
There are many times when things go just as we thought they would. When we have planned and prepared and everything goes perfectly, and then there are times when they don't. In fact. As I think about most things, they often look different than I thought they would have in my mind, but it's OK.
This week we had a surprise text that followed with having our son Cody coming home from his mission from Costa Rica! He has been having several health challenges for months and we've done all we can to support him out there, but after months of "gutting it out" he decided it was time to come home to get some tests and care here.
In this podcast I talk about that and what it felt like on this journey. There was sadness, fear, frustration, anger, happiness, joy, and many other emotions. It's been a roller coaster for sure! And there are many things we have learned and are learning.
First: It's OK to be sad that things are different than you thought. It's OK to mourn that ideal expectation or scenario. However, sometimes our sadness gets layered on with many other emotions like anger and then we do things that aren't who we are. We can pull away, disconnect, and abandon our true selves.
After giving yourselves a minute to be sad, choose to see opportunity. Choose joy. Choose happiness. There will be blessings and more joy, there will be growth and learning, and there will be peace.
Listen in for more!
Easter is coming! I love this holiday and the opportunity to reflect on Jesus Christ. A few years ago I was asked to write an essay to enter into a compiled essay book. While the book is still in the works, I am sharing this essay with you today in celebration of the Easter holiday!
Mother's Who Know, Julie B. Beck
Will You Engage in the Wrestle? Sheri Dew
As promised, this week we are going to talk about Easter and some Traditions to incorporate with your families.
Some of you may do easter egg hunts, baskets, and bunnies, and some may not, and choose to just focus on the Savior, his life, and his resurrection. And some may do both. We try hard to find a balance between both. So I am going to give you a couple of ideas for both! There really isn’t a right or a wrong, it is whatever you feel is best for your family.
All traditions take a little bit of planning, work, and time.
Decide which ones you want to do.
Why do you want to do them?
Is it just a tradition you just do?
Why?
My why is because it brings us together.
It is fun to spend time together
Talk with your families if there is too much and see what they say about your traditions.
I know there are some nonnegotiables for me, but there may be some others that the kids could take or leave that you're spending A LOT of time and energy doing!
Sometimes, doing traditions can be a bit overwhelming, and a bit much.
Sometimes we can put a lot of pressure on ourselves to have everything look perfect, but we forget the reason we have them. Maybe even just a little bit of simplifying or asking for some help will make all of the difference and your traditions more enjoyable for you.
Is there a tradition you’d like to start?
So many talented people share ideas online! I always seem to find one that I love, and then make it my own.
The reason for traditions is to gather and build relationships with family.
They are to spend time together. To have experiences together that bind and create bonds that last, and at Easter to remember Christ.
We all have things we’re pretty good at.
I would say I’m a pretty good cook.
I’m a pretty good housekeeper.
I’m good at exercising.
I’m good at taking care of my family.
I’m good at something else.
Worrying.
I have heard myself say “I’m a worrier”
I spend a lot of time thinking, and overthinking, about things. Over and over and over.
I spend time worrying about things that others may or may not give a second thought over!
Do any of you worry?
In today's podcast, we are going to discuss worry, because it’s something that I’ve been learning more about, working on, and trying to help my family and clients with, and also teach you some pretty amazing things that one of my children taught me.
If you think about where you're head is when you worry, it’s not present, it’s in the future. It’s not here, it’s there. By keeping our brains busy on the worry, we don’t take action and move forward on items that can be done and off of our minds. We disconnect from present, what’s happening in the moment, and miss what is happening in front of us.
Listen to today's podcast as we discuss more about worry and how to handle worry! We will talk about
- Acknowledging when we are worrying
- Regulating our Nervous System
- Getting our worries out of our minds by writing them down or giving them away to something, and most importantly to our Heavenly Father.
- Believing everything is going to be OK and moving forward!
Every single one of us has stress. We have so much on our plates as we juggle family life, kids, jobs, and the list goes on. We all do our best to manage and deal and cope, but do we understand stress? In this podcast, we are going to discuss the stress response to help us better understand it, and by understanding it, we can help manage it.
Stress is caused by the "stressors" in our lives. These are outside sources that we all juggle. Our nervous system then interprets these stressors. This interpretation is influenced by our past learning, cultures, upbringing, health, and so many other factors and imprints that flavor this interpretation. This then elicits the "stress response." When we are all talking about our stress, what we actually mean is our stress response.
This stress response causes a reaction in our bodies. Sometimes it benefits and helps us, and sometimes it doesn't. Sometimes the stress response is no big deal, and sometimes we can get to the point where we are stuck in that hyper or hypo active state due to our stress response.
What can we do?! Establish safety. We are all little boys and girls screaming on the inside for safety. Follow these 3 steps:
- Am I safe? Ask yourself this. Remind your brain you are not in physical danger. (If you are in physical danger, RUN! Get to safety!)
- Do I feel safe? Most of us don't feel safe. Inside some tension and something is screaming for help. Find that tension.
- Relax. Relax that part of you that is tense, that is tight, that the stress is sitting in.
There are many different ways to help us relax and regulate our nervous system to help us manage our stress.
Stress cannot live in a relaxed body! Too often we try to go through our minds and talk ourselves through the stress. Try going through the body!
We all have stress we are trying to deal with.
We all have imprints and stamps from our life experiences.
These imprints flavor our interpretations of our stressors.
Be kind, we are all doing our best, and are managing the best we know how!
Listen in for more!
Whenever we travel, one of the biggest stressors is getting through the airport. There are so many security checks and measures. There are machines, security guards, and dogs all scanning for danger or threats.
We have an internal scanning system called our Nervous System. Our nervous system is meant to scan for safety, danger, or life-threatening situations to keep us safe! It scans outside of us, inside of us, and between us to decide if there is something to be concerned about. Many times our scanning system gets it right! We jump into protection mode and fight, flight, or freeze! However, sometimes, we aren't always in danger but go into the same mode.
In this case, there are tools to help us unwind those behaviors. But first, we have to be aware of what is going on! In this podcast episode, we discuss more about our nervous system, neuroception, and gain some awareness of some of the behaviors and reactions we may have!
Listen in!
This week on the podcast we get to hear from my oldest son Dylan on the Power of Relationships. Dylan and I always had a pretty good relationship, but during his mission our relationship grew and developed. As a missionary Dylan had the opportunity to interact with many different people and companions, and he developed some very valuable skills to improve his ability to connect and have meaningful relationships. Today on the podcast we discuss what he learned, how to apply them, and offer some tips on how to help us in our daily interactions!
- Catch a Vision. See who others can become.
- Treat people as they are, that's what they will be. Treat them as they could be, that's what they will become.
- Nobody cares how much you know until they know how much you care.
- Watch your tone.
- Don't beat yourself up! There is always room for improvement!
Listen in to hear more about the Power of Relationships and ideas to improve yours!
Rulon D. Pope said, "We live in an age and society where hope becomes expectation, and expectation turns quickly into entitlement."
This made me wonder how often some of our hopes may have become expectations. In our relationships with others, we can hope for things, but when expectations arise and those expectations are not met, we have disappointment, resentment, and pain.
The truth is, other people can't read our minds, and they don't always do the things we think they will or want them to. Things might look a little different than we thought, and that's OK. We can take a step back an see if our hopes for another may have become an expectation, and loosen our grip. We can admit things look different than we thought they would, and everything will be OK.
Listen in to hear more!
What does love look like? Have you ever asked this question? What does it look like for you!? And what would Love look like in every situation?
These are a few places I saw love this week:
Love is the random sugar cookie on the counter with a note that said: For Mom, love Meg because she knows I love drink shop sugar cookies.
Love is walking away from a discussion or argument and saying, “We need to talk about this later when we’re not upset.”
Love is a random text that says, “Hey! You’re a great mom.”
Think about this as you listen to this episode then ask yourself: "What would love look like right here, right now?"
Original Grace by Adam Miller
The winter months can be long and hard around here, especially for playing baseball. Our family does a lot of that and practicing baseball can be tricky. A few facilities are available, and I have found it helpful to hire coaches to do some hitting and fielding sessions with the kids during these months.
I hired a coach to keep my 14-year-old Austin in shape and work with him on his hitting for the next few months. One night after Austin’s hitting session he and I were chatting about the session and he asked me if I knew what the fastest muscle in the body is.
Our eyes!
Our eyes are amazing! They move so quickly scanning for information and sending it to our brains! They also communicate to others so much! We see them, we are listening, we hear them.
What do your eyes communicate? Do they shine and do you help other's eyes shine?
In this week's podcast, we talk about a TED talk given by Benjamin Zander and shining eyes!
Zander's focus is to awaken the possibilities in others and he knows he's doing that when he sees shining eyes.
Join in this week's podcast as we discuss this topic and some ideas on how we can be the person who helps others shine!
Beautiful Leadership: Shining Eyes
Benjamin Zander TED Talk: The Transformative Power of Classical Music
The Power of the Muscles in Your Eyes
Change Your Game, Change Your Life: How a simple shift in focus will completely transform your relationship to golf—And everything else! By Andrew McKee
Every day our mind is consumed with thoughts and ideas. If we were to look at our thoughts and rank them in how often we think of something, or what is at the top of our minds, what would those thoughts be?
Home
Family
God
Work
Entertainment
Food
All of these areas of focus are on my mind constantly, but do I put them in the proper order? Is there an area you could say I worship? Tune into today's podcast as we discuss the themes of our thoughts and worship, and how to keep God at the forefront of our minds in our day-to-day!
How to Worship Bruce R. McConkie
Yielding Our Hearts to God Neill F. Marriot
When our kids were little we took them to Build a Bear Workshop to make a stuffed animal that was especially for them. They could pick the bear or animal, the inside qualities we put in them, the stuffing, the accessories, all of it. They were perfectly tailored to fit each child.
Wouldn't it be nice if we could do the same about ourselves? Pick every little thing we wanted and get rid of everything we didn't want. But does all of that matter? We put so much value on the outside things. Our jobs, titles, degrees, number of kids, where we live, what we drive, etc. We make that mean we are valued and important, but when all of that is stripped away, what's left? The stuff on the inside. That's what is left and what matters.
In today's podcast, we talk about what really matters. We talk about the main identifier in our life that we can focus on to help us in every other area. That we are Beloved Children of God. That is first and foremost. We will discuss how Satan works to get us to believe the opposite, and how to work to overcome his influence!
We can pray to know how Heavenly Father feels about us, read the scriptures for answers, and serve others. Use the gifts we possess to bless others and those gifts will be revealed as we continue to do so!
Listen In!
Eyes to See Michelle Craig
Why do we get up and grind every single day? Why do we continue to push and endure the hard? What is the purpose of all of this? What really matters? I have been asking myself a lot of these types of questions, and the answer is Family. It all comes down to the fundamental unity of society. Family. God created the earth as a place for human families to learn and grow and develop to become like Him. In this week's podcast, we talk about the family as the deep why behind our day to day. We nurture and provide for the ones we shepherd over and endure great challenges for the ones we love. Listen in to this week's podcast as we discuss more about the family. We discuss grace and mercy, how to attain happiness in family life, and I invite you to join me as we discuss what a successful family looks like!
The Heart of the Matter Russell M. Nelson
Grace and Mercy
As the new year begins, we all seem to have great intentions and goals to conquer and accomplish. We look forward with anticipation of what is to come! But have you thought about the benefits of looking back? Sometimes we look back and feel regret and sadness, and that's OK, but if we can look back through the lens of learning, and growth, and remember all the good the bad and the ugly with that in mind, we will be able to propel ourselves into 2024. We can gain momentum, energy, and motivation to accomplish what it is that we desire! As you look back, pay attention to the big things and the little things that will help you. Give yourself credit for the goodness, the learning, the growth, and launch into 2024 with excitement and energy!
At the beginning of this year, I introduced my word for the year: Intention. In this podcast episode, I talk about a few things I have learned during my year of intention! First, intention requires some attention! I picked my word, I was really intentional, but then sort of forgot about that word! If I want to have intention it does require some attention and some work to create! This brings to lesson number two: When we give intention some attention, we create what we want. When we focus on our desires, Heavenly Father and the universe provide opportunities for us to create what we want! And lesson number three: Intention helps develop resilience. We are much better about bouncing back from setbacks if we have been intentional!
Listen in to today's podcast to hear more about Intention!
President Russell M. Nelson Heart of the Matter
Victor Frankl Man's Search for Meaning
Change is happening right as we speak. It is just part of this life, part of our every day, but that doesn't mean we always enjoy it! There are a few things we can plan on with change.
- It is part of life. It happens. Every single day. It is part of God's great plan of happiness.
- There is growth with change.
- BELIEVE in the growth with change and you will see just that! GROWTH!
Listen in to today's podcast as we discuss change, we talk about how to embrace change even when it's hard, and how to keep moving forward through the change!
I also read you our family's Christmas Card!
Merry Christmas!
Christmas is the time of year when you can find lights everywhere. On our homes, our trees, windows, garlands, and more! The lights illuminate the dark and dreary days of winter, add cheer and warmth to our homes, and remind us of the true source of light, Jesus Christ. In this podcast episode, we talk about how each one of us carries light. We have the light within us! Some days our lights shine bright and some days our lights can be dimmer, but we all have the light. We also are drawn to light! This is called the Heliotropic Effect! The tendency for all living systems to move towards light and away from darkness. We are creatures of light and are drawn to it based on our very natures! And lastly, we radiate light! Our lights not only light our own paths but the paths of others too! There are times we need the light of others for us to rely on and then there are times when we are that light others need! Let your light shine!
Thomas S. Monson Be a Light to the World
The holidays are a time of celebration, relationships, and gathering, but what about when you are missing the presence of a loved one? Many circumstances can prevent us from getting together with the people we love during the holidays: death, military, serving missions, traveling, finances, scheduling, and the list goes on. With intention, a little planning, and some thought, you can still enjoy the holiday and make it memorable and special!
In this week's podcast Maria Strange and I talk about the many ways we can make the holidays special even without the presence of a loved one. Maria has first-hand experience with her husband's military service. She has some great ideas and suggestions including naming recipes after loved ones, creating a video potluck, gratitude, service, and so much more! Join us this week for some great ideas to make your holidays memorable!
Many things in our day-to-day lives are super easy to do, and therefore we put them off and convince ourselves we can do them later. If they are easy to do, then that means they are easy to not do. No one will even notice, right? No one will care? It's no big deal. We can tend to do this with cooking, cleaning, and laundry, but also with our relationships, with promptings and impressions. Is it us or is it the adversary? Who knows? But the bigger question is, does it matter?
If there is an opportunity to dim and diminish light and goodness, Satan will, and he will work to keep us confused, spinning, and stuck so we don’t do the things. Often we will think it’s just us being lazy or unmotivated, We will get frustrated and mad when the truth is, that we are experiencing opposition.
The great challenge in life is to overcome and get out of our way. To do the little things that are easy to do, like stretching after a run, so we can do good, serve and lift others, and come closer to God and his children.
Listen to today's podcast as we discuss overcoming our tendencies to not do those easy things!
Relationships can be tricky. They can have highs and lows and ebb and flow. Sometimes we can be full of love and then other times we can feel pretty frustrated, disconnected, and conflicted with our relationships. One of the ways we can strengthen them is with Gratitude! Gratitude can be just the thing to help us improve our relationships. In this podcast we will discuss how this happens! First, it shows that we care. That we see and notice the other person. Second, it brings attention to the positive. It is very easy to stay focused on the negative but gratitude helps us shift that thinking. Third, it can help mend the strained relationships and help us move forward with forgiveness, compassion, and love, and lastly, it helps us feel better! Gratitude is not just for the benefit of the other individual, but it benefits us as well! Listen in to hear all about this and more!
We’ve all probably been to the doctor to get some help with a sickness, illness, injury, or ailment, and he has written us a prescription. Some form of medication or treatment to help us feel better.
Did you know gratitude can do the same!?
President Russell M. Nelson said:
Over my nine and a half decades of life, I have concluded that counting our blessings is far better than recounting our problems. No matter our situation, showing gratitude for our privileges is a fast-acting and long-lasting spiritual prescription. Does gratitude spare us from sorrow, sadness, grief, and pain? No, but it does soothe our feelings. It provides us with a greater perspective on the very purpose and joy of life.
It is such an easy fix, but easy to forget too! Listen in to today's podcast to get some ideas on practicing gratitude!!!
I'm a succor for all of the Halloween goodies and sweets! Actually, I'm a succor for any sweets! The day after Halloween can be rough sometimes. Not just because of a late night, but also because of the amount of excess sugar we may have eaten. Many teachers I talked to in the schools called this the "Halloween Hangover." This leads to tired and grumpy kids and teachers, or absent kids and teachers! What is this "Halloween Hangover?" Well, it is simply the aftereffects of too much sugar in our systems! Listen to today's podcast to hear what happens to our bodies, how they cope and manage the excessive amount of sugar, and what we can do to help ourselves out!
Article: Halloween Sugar Hangover Can Make You Feel Sick
Our vision, the way we perceive the world and how it operates, has been influenced by everything! It is influenced by our genetics, our upbringing and childhood experiences, our day-to-day experiences, all of it. Our brains and bodies are always scanning and taking in everything! I think of it like Superman with his x-ray vision. We are always scanning, learning, interpreting, and taking in information.
When we are young, our brains are very moldable, or neuroplastic, As we age, our brains are less moldable, however, they are still able to be, it just takes a little more work and effort. When we are young and our brains are more moldable, we develop many beliefs and perceptions.
As we have experiences our brains make connections and judgements and beliefs that create our vision of the world around us. Then we carry those perceptions of the world around us throughout our adulthood.
The truth is, we all have skewed vision. Every single one of us has developed beliefs, perceptions, and the way we see the world. We see colors and our colors are all very different. Sometimes we'll have an experience where our perception is changed, and our colors change!
Listen in as we talk about this and give ourselves and others grace as we continue to have our colors and "view" shift!
Glasses for Jaron Article
Seeing Green Article
Seeing Green Video
With Halloween coming up the big question is what are you going to be?! What are you going to dress up as!? Ghosts, goblins, witches, and wizards, so many options! Every costume has accessories. For some costumes we will have wigs, some will need face paint, and some have Magic Wands.
Which costumes need magic wands?
Witches and fairies were the first 2 that came to my mind.
Wizards, sorcerers, and many types of characters have a magic wand as part of their attire and their identity.
These magic wands, what do they do? What are they used for?
Sometimes to cast spells, good or bad. Sometimes to get a specific result, and sometimes to solve problems!
Wouldn’t it be nice if we had a magic wand to help us in our day-to-day? To do the dishes, to do the laundry, to cook the meals. The solutions to our messy problems would be easily solved and then we could get what we want.
I love to use this idea of having a magic wand and pretending with my clients and myself sometimes.
I will ask “What if we had a magic wand and we could use it to get exactly what we want, what would that look like?”
What does this do?
I identified 3 things this helps us do:
-
Get clear on our wants.
-
Get clear on our expectations.
-
Identify the steps we need to take to get what it is we want.
Listen in to hear more about the Magic Wand!
We all want to be picked, to be chosen, and to be wanted. You can probably remember as a kid being in PE class and having a team captain choose teams. Were you first picked? Or were you last picked? I always cringe when I think of being the last picked and when I watch others be last picked as well. Every one of us has the internal desire to be seen, to be picked, and to be chosen. It is the desire to belong to the tribe. When we aren't picked, it feels unsafe and dangerous, and then we start to believe there is something wrong with us. Maybe there is nothing wrong, but when we believe we are not worth choosing, we show up differently. We hold back, shrink, and behave as if we are the 2nd option. Every single one of us has been chosen. Maybe we don't see evidence of it, but we have been. You are chosen, you were chosen before you were born, and you are chosen again and again. Listen in to today's podcast to hear how!
All too often we think of judgment as a bad thing, but is it always? When we use judgment to criticize and condemn others, then yes. When we use it as a blanket statement to someone or someone's actions as if it is a final sentencing, then judgment only blocks connection and creates problems. But there is another kind of judgment, righteous or intermediate judgments, that are a necessary part of mortality and agency. Join in this week's podcast as we discuss judgment, their differences, and how we can discern between the two.
?Is It I?? Avoiding Unrighteous Judgment of Self and Others Judge not and Judging by Dallin H Oaks
There are two main things each and every one of us has to spend.
Time and Money.
Time: We all have exactly the same amount of time in a day
24 hours a day
7 days a week
About 4 weeks a month
And 12 months in a year.
Those are given.
Money on the other hand, everyone has different amounts of money.
Some have an abundance of money and others live paycheck to paycheck
Everyone also has their own perspective on money.
One who lives paycheck to paycheck may be the most happy and content human in the world because they believe they have enough.
And someone who has a very large savings account or many investments may still feel scarcity because they don’t see what they have as enough.
Any way we see it, we all have the ability to choose how we spend our time and our money.
Sometimes our choices are better than others. Sometimes they are more impulsive and sometimes more deliberate. But we all spend, and we all spend differently. And, we seem to all have opinions about how others spend their time and their money.
Join in this week's podcast as we discuss how others spend their time and their money and what we can create for us when we think their spending is right or wrong. We will discuss the solution.
Curiosity. Be curious and ask "I wonder" and see how your feelings will change!
I’m sure if we were asked where you feel like you have areas that you struggle with or limitations, you could all make a grocery list of items.
A few of mine: I get a little snappy and snarky when I am anxious.
I am good at procrastinating and putting things off until the last minute.
I don’t listen very well sometimes.
I’m a bit of a control freak and like order and control.
I love treats and overeat junk food sometimes.
If you had to name 3 of your weaknesses, what would they be?
For a long time, I’ve considered these weaknesses the enemy.
I thought that these weaknesses needed to be rooted out of me. They needed to be completely removed and eliminated from my very being. Like weeds that have to be pulled.
But this may not be the case!
Join in for this week's podcast as we discuss how our weaknesses are a necessary part of life and a way for us to become stronger, learn, and grow.
We will discuss how weaknesses and strengths live in the same neighborhood! You can't have one without the other. And how weaknesses are strengths overused.
We will discuss how to make our weaknesses strengths by being humble enough to acknowledge them, embrace them for what they are, a conduit for learning, ask for help, and trust the process.
In Rome and Florence, Jarred and I walked in and out of several different buildings and churches. We walked up and down the cobblestone streets lined with buildings. We saw buildings and structures and roadways that have been there for centuries!
The Roman Forum, where goods were traded and sold like a street market or fair, was built before Christ's time.
The Colosseum was finished in 80 AD. Over 2000 years! Almost back to Christ’s time on the earth!
And many other buildings and structures like Michaelangelo’s David which was finished in 1504 have been standing for centuries.
As Jarred and I were walking around and marveling at the structures, the stories, the history, all of it, I remember having a conversation about how they made things last. When the people built their buildings, they were meant to stand the test of time. They have been able to withstand weather, flooding, natural disasters, and all sorts of catastrophes through the years. And there I was, hundreds and thousands of years later, walking around and getting to see what was there.
I asked Jarred, what are we building that lasts? What are we building that we could leave our kids, grandkids, and great-grandkids?
Join this week's podcast as we talk about the 2 things I think last and matter:
- Knowledge
- Relationships
We will discuss how to nurture and make those things last!
Eternal Marriage by F. Burton Howard
Remember What Matters Most by M. Russell Ballard
Nesting is a phenomenon that some women will experience before the arrival of a new baby! They will clean, organize, prepare, and plan for the upcoming arrival of their new bundle of joy! It is also a way to cope with some stress and gain some control in our world that may be shifting. Although I am not pregnant, I have been nesting with the expected arrival of our son from his mission. Join this week's podcast as we go deeper into the nesting phenomonon and discuss reasons that you may be doing it in your day to day! With many moving parts of family life, we all may nest often as a way to cope but I think the underlying motive is always out of love. Because we love our people, and we want to provide a place, a space, and a warm embrace for them!
All too often when I am talking to someone or doing something, my mind is somewhere else. It is thinking of the next thing, thinking what to say, what to do, and more. Then, I'm off and running to that next thing.
Last year I noticed Stockton would turn and wave every time I dropped him off at school. It was important to him that I see him before he walked in and waved back. I vowed to do better. I could give him a few more seconds before I went on with the rest of the day.
If you do this often, listen in to today's podcast! We discuss 3 tips to help us.
- Use your senses to connect to your body and mind.
- Breathe.
- Redirect.
We will discuss many ideas and examples to help us be more present, aware, and able to see others!
It's that time of year! When the school bell rings, kids are back, and we get back into routines and schedules! The beginning of a school year is a great time to reassess and can be a new beginning for many of us! In this episode, we talk about how to set ourselves up to get what we want during this new school year. How do we want this year to look? Is there something we want to have, do, or become? We will discuss 5 steps to do this.
- Begin with the end in mind.
- Create your day.
- Fuel your vehicle.
- Add in stops.
- Create your JOURNEY!
This is a good one to get back into the swing of things! Listen In!
In this week's podcast, we talk about 3 more "lessons" or "reminders" I had while in Italy. Michaelangelo, the great artist and sculptor had a fascinating life and after reading and learning about his story, it is very apparent he was guided, led, and put exactly in the right places to allow him to develop and share his talents. His dots are all connected. Ours are the same, we just don't see the whole story now, but they do connect!
We also learned that the most memorable experiences were off the beaten path! Not part of the "tour" but when we ventured off on our own. It can be hard to venture off of our own path, but it's worth it sometimes!
And, my most favorite part, the people. The Italians, the tour guides, waitresses, traveling companions, all of them. I loved learning about their lives and their story! And, I missed my own people! Love your people! It really is the best way to live!
Listen in for more!
My husband and I had the opportunity to travel to Rome and Florence and it was amazing! But a lot of planning and prep goes into traveling! For today's podcast we will talk about lessons I learned while planning this trip but also while on the trip! We will discuss our brain's desire to have the entire puzzle put together and know all the answers in the beginning, but remind ourselves we don't have to do that! Just take one piece at a time! Other lessons we will discuss are to plan for the best AND the worst, ask for suggestions and help, and be patient! Listen in to hear more!
As an independent insurance agent my husband Jarred and his business have the opportunity to work for many insurance companies. Some companies do insentives for the agencies that they are partnered with. Well, one of the companies does trips for an agent and a guest and it just so happened Jarred drew on the trip this year and we went to Italy!
We had the opportunity to to go to Rome and to Florence for 10 days!
It was AWESOME! So much history, so many beautiful places and buildings, churches and museums, countrysides, and just an amazing experience to get to go and be able to see that part of the world!
As we were driving home from the airport on the last leg of our 30 hours of travel, we were reminiscing about the whole thing. Our favorite parts, what we’d have done differently, what we’d do if we do it again, and what we learned!
This trip was with a group of insurance agents from all over the country and their spouses, child, or a guest they chose to bring along. As we all started to arrive at the airport at the beginning of the trip we began to spot other travelers coming with our same group. When we arrived in Italy and began our tours, had meals togethers, and other activities, we noticed there was a trend in the conversation.
Well, almost all of our conversations began with these top 5 questions.
- What’s your name and your companions name?
- Which one of you is the agent? And what does the other do
- Where are you from
- Do you have kids
- Who has the kids?
It was a great reminder to all of us that we are all in the same boat, the human family trying to support and provide for our people at home. But yet we are all so different and have stories and experiences to share with one another.
Today we will talk about expanding our circles to get to know others stories. Opening our arms just a little to the many amazing people that have so much to offer and learn from them. We will talk about how and why and so much more! Listen in!
Many times we will find ourselves in an environment with new people or people we are not familiar with. It is human nature to want to stick with our tribes, to be with the people who we know and feel comfortable with, so we will try to avoid the discomfort of meeting someone new and putting ourselves out there by getting on our phones! We will start to internalize how awkward the situation is, pick ourselves apart, and get all anxious! The solution to this is to ask questions! This will help us shift our focus from ourselves to the others in the room. Pick just ONE thing to ask and you'll be surprised at what that one question will lead to! If we listen intently then their responses will guide us to another question and ping pong back and forth! Try it! You never know! You could learn something new or meet some really great people!
Check out Instagear Outdoors for glamping and outdoor equipment rental! Use the discount code lifters15 to receive 15% off at checkout!
https://instagearoutdoors.com/
Do you remember as kids playing Truth or Dare?! Or daring eachother to do silly or crazy things? Sometimes I will dare my own kids to do things. A dare creates a little bit of competition and fun and games. It pushes us outside of our comfort zones and causes us to try to do new or hard things. Sometimes, we need to dare ourselves! We don't always have someone giving us that challenge, so we can create that for ourselves! The reason for this....to increase confidence. When we dare ourselves and push ourselves, we take action. Those actions show that we are capable of doing hard things and our confidence in ourselves increases. We show ourselves we can trust ourselves and we are capable of more than we know! Listen to today's podcast about a dare of the day! I dare you!
There are many people in our lives we will defend to the death. Family members, friends, teammates, co-workers. There may also be people in our lives that we feel have our backs, but do you have your own back? Sometimes we can be really good at showing up for others and supporting them, but we let ourselves be on the backburner. We don't keep commitments to ourselves and we don't give ourselves any support when we screw up. In this episode, we will talk about ways to have our own backs! We will discuss making commitments and forgiving ourselves. Listen in!
Have you ever thought about confidence AND humility, together? Do you think they can coexist? This is something that’s been on my mind and I’ve been doing some thinking about.
Jarred and I have a motto, “Teach the kids confidence, the world will teach them humility.”
We have always tried to build, build, build because we live in a world that will tear down pretty quickly.
Confidence is the feeling or belief that one can rely on someone or something; firm trust.
What is the real meaning of humility? It is the freedom from pride or arrogance!
Interesting right? It said nothing about freedom from confidence, freedom from arrogance. From a comparison and putting others down!
Listen in to this podcast to learn more about humility and confidence and how to have both!
First, awareness is always the first step! So you are on the right track!
Second, recognize you are a work in progress and so is everyone else!
And third, be a friend to yourself and to others!
As we are confident and humble, we can contribute to this world and lift those in need!
It was an early morning, or middle of the night at 1:00 a.m. and I heard Otis our dog barking right by my window. Otis’ bark was loud and persistent. We live in the country so I was pretty sure there was a critter or even possibly someone in the yard so I got up. I was sure he was going to wake the whole neighborhood! I walked to the back door and, turned on the back patio lights, then walked to the front door. I got to the front to do the same, turn on the lights, and saw this weird orange glow. What in the world! I opened the front door to see one of our two RVs on fire, a bright orange flame coming out of the top and the fire alarm and carbon monoxide alarms going off!
This experience was one of those crazy, rare, but lifechanging experiences full of lessons and opportunities to learn from!
Listen in to today's podcast to hear more about the night the sky turned orange, what happened, what we learned, and what we can all take away from this experience!
Most of the time we are told to not get angry and fight, but is it always a bad thing!? Listen in to this podcast as we discuss times when it might not always be bad! Anger is an energizing emotion, and for me, I find myself getting to work and being extremely productive when I get mad. I get determined, put my nose down, and fight through the challenge ahead. Fighting doesn't mean we have to get mean and nasty, it can work for us sometimes to protect, defend, and stand for truth! Listen in to hear more!
Here it is! Part 2 of 23 Years and Counting! Marriage! It can be one of our greatest blessings but also one of our greatest challenges! When we first get married it is nothing but bliss and excitement and as the years go on, we can forget WHY?! Why did we embark on this journey together? Why did we join forces and want to go at this life together? In today's podcast, we talk all about our WHY, and relate that to being on the same team. When we join a team, we have a group of people working together collectively to win at their game. We are the same! We joined together to win this game of LIFE! To learn, grow, teach, love, and help each other along the way. Listen in to today's episode as we talk about being on each other's team and how this is like the umbrella to so many other topics in marriage such as forgiveness, repentance, communication, love, and so many others! It's about WE not ME!
Twenty-Three years ago Jarred and I said "I Do" and were married! We have learned A LOT throughout these 23 years, and although we don't have it all figured out, there are a few things I'd pass along to my children about marriage. In part 1, we talk about being friends. Usually, a romantic relationship begins with a friendship and then blossoms into a romantic relationship, but then after years together the friendship can die and it becomes more like a business partnership. Yes, that is important too! But a friendship can last a lifetime and be a beautiful part of a marriage. How do we treat our friends? And do we treat our spouses in the same way? Here are a few points we discuss in this podcast:
- Greet and say goodbye to each other and check in!
- Give each other the benefit of the doubt.
- Listen with curiosity.
- Love each other for who you are.
- Have fun together!
Listen in for details and some suggestions and examples in each of these areas!
Has summer started at your house?! My kids got out of school last week and we are in the thick of starting our new summer routine and schedule! It is taking some time, some adjusting to the new normal, and some patience, but it's coming! Back in 2020 I did a podcast episode about summer routines and thought it would be fun to revisit that episode!
Here are the topics we discussed:
- Take a breath, you won't turn the Titanic in a day!
- Let the kids have some flexibility and say.
- Set some boundaries and expectations.
- Make the routine visible.
We go more into depth with each of these topics and discuss what we do as a family!
The beauty of it is YOU get to decide what works for you and your family! Take the suggestions here and build a simple routine to make your days smooth, fun, and full of connection!
It's that time of year we plant gardens and fill our pots with flowers because it's growing season! Have we ever considered that this time in our lives is a growing season for us?! It is the time we are learning, adding skills and knowledge, growing roots and branches, and becoming! In this episode, we talk about being as tender with ourselves as we are with our new budding plants! We discuss four basics of our plants and what we need as growing humans.
- Ground
- Water
- Light
- Fertilizer
Ground: Meeting ourselves where we are at.
Water: LIVING and MOVING water. Keep moving, get and give, and rely on the Living Water, Jesus Christ.
Light: Keep it light! Fill ourselves with light, and share our light!
Fertilizer: Failure is like fertilizer! We need it for exponential growth!
Listen to this episode for a boost to help you in your growing season!
In honor of May, and celebrating womanhood and motherhood I wanted to talk a little bit about hormones and a woman's cycle. I reached out to Brad Jensen from Key Nutrition and the Key Nutrition Podcast to help us understand that! Brad is a fitness and nutrition coach focusing on not just physical health, but mental, emotional, and spiritual health. Yes, Brad is a man, but he’s a coach. The beauty of having a coach is having someone as an observer. Someone who’s more like the data collector and investigator. Brad is a coach who’s worked with a lot of women. He has had training and experience as a coach for women. In this podcast interview, we talk a lot about how a woman’s cycle affects not only her exercise, but also her appetites, dieting, and day-to-day! We talk about cravings, hunger, constipation, all the things! But most importantly, we discussed the importance of giving ourselves a little grace when it is "that time of the month!" There isn't anything wrong with you! It's your body, your hormones, your physiology! Enjoy!
Key Nutrition
Key Nutrition Podcast
Key Nutrition Podcast Episode 100: All Things Menstrual Cycle
The Sober Body Builder on Instagram
What's it like being a 16 year old girl these days? And what's it like to raise one? In this podcast, I have the opportunity to interview my one and only daughter Megan. Megan wrote a paper for her English class last trimester entitled PINK that described how she felt about womanhood and motherhood. It was raw, real, and honest, and it brought me to tears. She reads this paper and describes how she felt like she initially was given the short end of the stick by being a girl, but through life, examples, and maturity, she has come to see that womanhood and motherhood is beautiful. She and I discuss helping your kids build confidence, the power of Satan's influence on our lives, and much more! Listen in!
Sometimes the day-to-day tasks we have can get boring and mundane. Sometimes what used to bring us joy has become just a to-do on our list and another item that causes stress and overwhelm. Does it have to be this way?! The answer is NO! There is a way to bring more joy into our lives! We were meant to experience and have joy! It is an emotion that is available to us at any time! Join in this episode as we discuss the way to have more joy, and it isn't a to-do list of items! It's a couple of very simple strategies to bring joy, peace, creativity, productivity, and so much more! Listen in!
When our kids were little, they loved the superhero costumes! One of our kids in particular wore his Mr. Incredible suit religiously! It became part of who he was. When he had that suit on he was strong, fast, and invincible! We all have multiple identities we wear in our lives, but are we intentional with them? Do we decide ahead of time what identity we are wanting to put on or just run on default? In this episode, we discuss the many identities we have and how sometimes we can forget, get lost in the roles we play rather than live in our identities, and how to overcome this!
Whenever we go on vacation the best part is coming home! Sometimes we will have different places, experiences, people, actions, or things that will feel like home to us. Where we relax and are able to stop stressing. However, those places that feel like home don't always serve us! Are the places that feel like home to you serving you? Do you go back to your old habits just because they are comfortable and easy? In this episode, we will discuss what feels like home and how to tell if those places are serving you as well as what to do if they aren't!
How many times can we be told we have worth, we are valued, loved, and appreciated, and yet, still not understand?! We can have days we believe it, and days that we question it! In today's episode, we discuss why this sometimes is the case. We talk about our self-worth, and how we are born with it, we always have it, we never lose it, and we don't need to look outside of ourselves for it. However, sometimes we question it. The reason for our questions? Our thoughts about our self-worth. We can get distracted and lose sight of the truth and attach our worth to outside, earthly circumstances that change. Listen in as we talk about this and give 3 solutions to help when we are stuck in this!
- Look In: Notice where your head is at. Are you focusing on you and what's wrong with you or your life?
- Look Out: Shift to others. Who needs you today?
- Look Up: Look up to the Son, Jesus Christ and our Heavenly Parents!
What You're Worth and How to Know It
One Being As Precious In His Sight as the Other
I don't know many people that don't love a redemption story. One where there's some struggle, some fight, some grit, and a comeback. It's what makes good movies, good books, and good stories. Many of us have our own stories of the struggle and fight and coming out on top. For some of us we are smack dab in the middle of it, and for some of us it is every darn day! But it's real! And when we do come out on top, oh how sweet it is! This week's episode is all about our redemption stories. As we approach Easter and the days leading up to it, we can all relate to the Fridays and Saturdays where there is sorrow, sadness, and despair, but Sunday comes! The day of redemption comes! Listen in to this podcast as we go discuss this and how we can be sure, Sunday will come!
39 Reading Statistics and Facts You Should Know
65 Interesting Statistics About Reading
Sometimes words are communicated we don't always agree with or understand. Sometimes we misinterpret them. When the words come from leaders and people we trust, it can be a little tricky and cause us to have some cognitive dissonance. What do we do then? We can shut the door and not do anything, or we can engage in a little bit of a wrestling match. Just a little bit of desire, opening the door to a bigger view, asking questions, and knowing that we don't have the ability to have all the pieces or see the end game can help us on our quest to understand, learn, and grow! Listen in to find out more about the wrestle that I've felt at times and the discoveries I've found by using these steps!
Sherri Dew Will You Engage in the Wrestle
In 2005 Staples created the "Easy" button as a way to relieve stress and remind ourselves that things can be easy! True at times! But also, there is hard! There are times when it is just hard to change, to deal with our circumstances that are new and uncertain! We can sometimes think "It will be easier when..." but does it really ever get easier? The answer is no, we learn to handle our hard better. In this episode, we dig into what may be hard in health and family, and personal lives, and how we can handle our hard better! Listen in!
Tested, Proved, and Polished by Henry B. Eyring
Handle Hard Better by Kara Lawson
Food is everywhere. We have it at our fingertips, we see it in emails, ads, Pinterest, Instagram, and Facebook for recipes, and more! As the cook in the home, I am surrounded by constant reminders of food. Which reminds me that I can also eat that food! If we are trying to be more aware of our eating and choose consciously it can be hard with all of the reminders! With the reminders of the access we have to food, our bodies form cravings, and then respond and create the award! This is called classical conditioning. If we can slow things down just a little bit we will find that there are subconscious thoughts in between the cue and the craving driving our desires! Those thoughts are simple like, "I want that" or "That looks good!" In this podcast, we are going to discuss how to catch these sneaky little thoughts to stop overeating and also how to create some space in time before the response. These small practices will not only help us reach our health goals but also help us become more conscious and aware in ALL areas as we strive to become!
For years I had this story that I told about myself "I was always hungry!" I was never fully satisfied after eating and had the desire for more. I went to nursing school and took several classes about the body, diet, and nutrition, but didn't fully understand until I went to Life Coach School and learned about hormones and the brain. What I learned was there wasn't anything wrong with me! It was that my body was working exactly the way it was supposed to! It was the frequency and quality of foods that I was eating that were contributing to my feeling this way. Listen to this episode as I discuss dopamine, insulin, Leptin, and Grehlin to help you understand hunger! Then we talk about the Three F's to help us with our hunger. Frequency, food quality, and fasting and the benefits of fasting to our minds, bodies, and spirits!
Rosalynn Carter, board president of the Rosalynn Carter Institute for Caregiving, once said, “There are only four kinds of people in this world: those who have been caregivers, those who are currently caregivers, those who will be caregivers, and those who will need caregivers.” We are all in this boat! As we all strive to love and care for our families and those we are stewards over, we need to pay some attention to ourselves! This month we are going to discuss our physical health and address some topics to help us better care for our bodies so we can better care for others! This week we discuss "Behavior recorded is behavior changed!" It only takes a little bit of awareness to make some simple changes. By recording in some small way, we can see our daily habits as an analyst, and see how those habits affect our moods, our behaviors, and our actions. Join in this week as we talk about recording our food, movement, sleep/rest, and water! You may just be surprised!
Jeffrey R. Holland Bearing One Another's Burdens
Self Love is one of those concepts that can be a little tricky to understand. It encompasses so much more than pedicures and manicures and massages! Many of us shy away from "self-love" thinking that it is prideful and self-centered because we've been taught to be humble and selfless. Right?! In the scriptures, we learn to love our neighbor AS ourselves. This means to love ALL of us. Both ourselves and others. To have care, compassion, concern, and forgiveness for both parties. The interesting thing is these "companion commandments" work together. When we love ourselves, it's easy to love our neighbor, and vice versa. Listen in to this episode as we discuss more of the why, why's, and hows to self-love!
Ezra Taft Benson "Beware of Pride"
Matthew 22: 36-39
David A. Bednar "The Character of Christ"
Gifford Nielsen "This is Our Time"
Why do we do what is right? Why do we serve others? Jarred and I are back again with an episode about the three great motivators! Every one of us has 3 internal motivations that drive us to do what we do. They are fear, duty, and love. Jarred and I will discuss these 3 motivators and what each one looks like in day-to-day family life. From fear, our story of Billy Bones and the police. Calling girlfriends out of duty, and love. The greatest motivator that drives us to do crazy things like send roll-up pianos across the world! Join in this week as you hear our examples and then apply them to your life and CHOOSE your motivation!
Elevated Leader by Ryan Gottfredson
Law of Love by Steve Young
A few weeks ago I went snowboarding with my family and while sitting all skiwampus on the chair lift felt a RIP in my neck! Through all of the falls and recoveries, it was one little simple movement that has caused me a lot of grief these past few weeks! I've tried several methods to help provide relief, and one of them is KT tape. KT tape is designed to lift the skin to provide extra space for the lymph and blood vessels to move and repair and heal the damaged tissue. Just like the KT tape does that for us, loving does the same! To Love is to Lift! Listen in this week as we talk about how to love and lift and give some simple ideas for you and your families this week!
KT Tape Information Here and Here
LDS.org To Love is to Lift
February is a month filled with hearts, balloons, chocolates and reminders of love! With the month of love upon us, we are going to Love on Purpose! In this episode we are going to discuss the many different forms and uses of the word love and dig deep into what it is! We are going to discuss the emotion of love, how it feels, where it comes from, and how we communicate our love to others. We will discuss HOW to love on purpose when loving seems hard, lastly, discuss WHY. Why choose love? Because it is the best feeling in the world! Join in this episode to hear all about loving on purpose!
Greek Meanings for Love
Do you ever feel like your day gets away from you? Like you are a victim to all of the comings and goings and moving parts of the day, but don't have any sort of direction? This podcast will help you start and end your day with purpose! My friend Marla Beech has created a First Aid Kit that does just that! It helps us connect with our SELF first and then deepen our connections with others. In this interview, we discuss the parts of her First Aid Kit. The compass, binoculars, magnifying glass, and field notebook along with the purpose behind all of those components and how to use them!
It is clear, concise, and such a great tool!
To find out more about Marla and her programs and products go to https://hunkeedori.com/
Click HERE for her Empty Nest Course
Click HERE for her Camp Connection Course and use promo code JESS for 50% off!
In a book or document, there is a little space around the outside of our page that is called a margin. This helps create a border around the words, but also then creates some white space around the page. How many of us create margins in our lives? A little space in between tasks. Or are we scheduling one thing right after another? These margins can be very valuable to allow our minds to wander, think, process, receive spiritual impressions, and connect to ourselves, to others, and to God. Join in this episode as we discuss margins! We will explore why we may not have them, why to incorporate them, and how!
Gordon B. Hinkley quote on Meditation
At the beginning of the new year, we can set goals and have aspirations, and heck, even just want to finish a project! But sometimes they just seem too big. We can find ourselves not moving forward because it will take too much time, we don't have enough time, and frankly, we just don't want to! We had this problem with Stockton when it came down to reading his 20 minutes per day. It just was too much at once, so we compromised, 10 minutes now, 10 minutes later. By breaking up this 20 minutes into two 10 minute chunks Stockton's reading has skyrocketed and we've had so many less meltdowns and power struggles! This 10 minute rule can be applied to anything! A room that needs cleaned, a chore that needs done, a goal that you want to work on, just give it 10 short minutes! Once we get some momentum, we may end up even going past that initial 10 minutes! Listen in to hear more about my 10 minute rule and how you can apply it to your lives! Because "by small and simle means are great things brought to pass!"
Every year I pick a word to focus on for the year and this year's word was "Becoming." As I have gone throughout the year I've been taking notes and paying attention to what that word means to mean and learning all about becoming. In this podcast, we discuss what I have learned throughout this year! And it comes down to one thing: humility. Becoming who we have been destined and designed to become comes down to us realizing our own nothingness, but yet also our greatness. It comes down to loosening our grip on life and what we thought things "should" look like, and it comes down to being willing to be wrong. Being willing to have our ideas challenged and questioned. We all have seed's within us to become the mighty oak! Listen in to hear more!
Andy Grammer The Good Parts
Beware of Pride, Ezra Taft Benson
Choose to be Humble
Life is like a movie, full of suspense, thrills, and highs and lows. As we near the close of 2022, have we taken the time to reflect on the year? If so, what parts do you see? Do we see good parts or bad parts? Our brains are naturally wired to look for problems and challenges to keep us safe and alive, but we can CHOOSE to see the good parts. In the Book of Mormon, the family of Lehi went traveling in the wilderness and the sons each had a different version of the story. Nephi's was full of abundance amidst the challenges, and Laman and Lemuel's was full of hardship and complaints. Lehi said, "I choose the good part." We too can choose the good part. We can see the good in our circumstances and learn from the challenging times rather than close in and focus on them. At this Christmas Season, let us reflect on the year and choose the good parts!
Feeling Good! Do you know how powerful that is and what it does!? When we feel good we show up as our best selves. We have energy, we are open, and we take action. In this episode, we discuss three things that we can do to keep our heads in a good place! First, filter your inputs. There is so much coming at us, some we can control and some we cannot. So let's control what we can! Watch what comes in and keep the filth and negativity out! Second, pay attention to that inner critic. That inner critic is not nice, is judgemental, always finds fault with you, and is looking for danger. Far too often we listen to that voice! Don't believe it! You are human, doing your best! And third, help people! Just go out there and help people! By serving, loving, and giving small acts of kindness! A smile and a listening ear can go a long way. It changes how you feel, helps the other, and has a trickle effect! Feeling Good is not just physical, it has more to do with our mental health as well! Try these 3 tips to feel good today!
Hank Smith post on listening
Earlier this month I noticed someone wrote on our whiteboard 23 days until Xmas. It took me by surprise and I made a mental note to have a discussion with our kids about this. Later that very day our 9-year-old asked, "Mom, what's Xmas?" We went into detail about why that sometimes is used to reference Christmas and then I had him tell me what was missing. What is it that is missing? Christ. Many of us this time of year can lose focus of what Christmas is about. The beginning of the month is full of excitement and then we can slip into overwhelm and exhaustion. It is during those times it may be helpful for us to remember truly what the season is about. Join me in this episode as we discuss where we see Jesus in our stories and commit to doing better.
Wisdom and Order Neal A. Maxwell
Turning Enemies into Friends Sharon Eubank
The Holiday Season is here! That means there are lots of extra holiday parties, gatherings, and goodies! Unless we make some conscious decisions ahead of time we can end up with some weight gain at the end of the season from overeating and overindulging in the good food available. In this episode we discuss 10 tips to help us enjoy the holiday foods without weight gain!
1. You get to eat whatever you want, in moderation.
-
Decide what it is you want and like.
-
Exercise
-
Drink Water
-
Eat protein.
-
Skip a meal
-
Fill your plate with veggies
-
Limit grazing and BLT's
-
Imagine your future self
-
Focus on the people
I hope these tips help you enjoy the season, food, and celebrations with the ones that we love as we celebrate the birth of the Savior!
Luke Grover is my brother-in-law who was recently diagnosed with non-smokers lung cancer. He and his wife and their 5 kids have been on a roller coaster as they have navigated this new territory of this diagnosis, treatments, and what the future holds for them. It hasn't been an easy road, but it's been a road full of lessons, learning, and miracles. In today's podcast, we have a chance to hear from Luke and Emily personally as they discuss this experience and what they have learned through all of it. We get an update on Luke, hear about the support they've had and lessons they have learned, get Luke's opinion on how to approach those going through hard times, hear about the miracles they have witnessed, and more!
Sometimes we get a little impatient while waiting for a change, a cure, a car, or a flight. And sometimes in the waiting, there can be many lessons we learn. Join in this week's episode to hear about the lessons I learned while waiting in the terminal for a flight. These lessons are: First, learn to wait. There are miracles happening in the waiting. Second, God's love is abundant. It isn't scarce or in short supply and there always for all of us! Third: because God loves us, he is in the details of our lives. Sometimes we get smacked upside the head with big details to see His love, and sometimes they are in the day-to-day. And fourth: Look to the heart. We look on the outward appearance, but what matters is in our hearts and the hearts of others!
Margaret Cousins said: "Appreciation can make a day, even change a life. Your willingness to put it into words is all that is necessary." Simple expressions of gratitude can change the lives of others AND ourselves. In today's podcast, we talk about some simple gratitude practices you can incorporate into your day-to-day with yourself and with your families. The Thankful Tree is always a favorite of ours, expressions of gratitude more during our prayers, saying "thank you" more often, and tieing an expression of gratitude to a daily habit we already do are just a few! When we get into the habit of expressing gratitude, we will see our lives transform and our outlook turn just a little brighter because we are no longer focused on the future or the past, but grounded to the present. Listen in to hear more and to get some ideas on how you can express more gratitude!
Anxiety is a word we throw around often that has almost become the norm for most of us. We use it to describe many emotions and experiences we have in the day-to-day, but there is so much to learn about this emotion if we whittle it down. In this episode, we discuss three truths about anxiety. First, it is an emotion. A feeling we feel in our body, and emotions are not bad! They are messengers. Anxiety is one of those to help us understand better what is going on inside of us. Second, we all experience it at times. Some more than others, some at more extreme levels, but it's common for all of us. And third, we can control our anxiety. Listen in as we discuss these truths and the ways we can control our anxiety: Bringing ourselves back to the present, focusing on what we can control, and looking unto the Savior.
Fun! When is the last time you had fun! Kids are very good at going and having fun doing the simplest of things, but as adults, we forget that fun is something we can still have and need to have! Fun is an emotion that is energizing, and motivating, and opens us up for connection! We have in our minds that we have to be "doing" something fun to experience the fun, but fun actually comes from the way we are thinking! We can make even the most mundane and boring tasks fun by asking ourselves one simple question, "How can I make this more fun!?" This weekend as you prepare for Halloween, ask yourself this, how can you have fun with the holiday?! You're not too old! Go be the fun and create some fun with your friends and family!
Austin Rydalch is a 13-year-old Jr. High student who is full of wisdom! This week on the podcast we talk about being open and how to encourage that! Austin was nominated to be on the Hope Squad this year which is an organization our school district is implementing for suicide prevention among teens. He has learned some very valuable tools that have equipped him for the Hope Squad and also in life. In this interview, he shares an experience where he used those tools and could see how they can benefit not only himself but many others!
Many times when I send my kids out the door I say, "Do your best!" However, we oftentimes forget that the "doing" starts with the being! The being is the fuel for the doing! It is the why, the motivation behind the doing. So how do we be our best selves?
First: Recognize that the doing begins with the doing!
Second: Be Yourself. Don't pretend to be something you're not! Be yourself. The parts that are good and not so good!
Third: Be who you are becoming. Being our best selves doesn't mean there isn't room for evolution for more.
Listen into this podcast as we discuss the story of Hogs and Eagles and how to become our best selves!
Turning Enemies into Friends
It's Not Easy Being a Bunny
Songs Sung and Unsung by Jeffrey R. Holland
Burnout is something I think we all can say we have experienced at one time or another. Sometimes it lasts for a day, sometimes many days! Recently we had the opportunity to discuss burnout with our son Dylan, and we talked about ways we can overcome burnout. In this podcast we discuss the 4 steps to do that:
-
Take care of your physical health
-
Check your attitude
-
Make decisions and make a plan to carry out those decisions
-
Ask for help
Burnout is so much more than just physical exhaustion. It is mental, physical, and emotional. Listen in to this podcast to hear more about these 4 steps to get out of burnout and live a life full of zest, zeal, and vigor!
The Truth About Burnout by Brooke Castillo
The Bricklayer: Trying To Do The Job Alone
Quote by Ezra Taft Benson
Miracles are divine acts, manifestations and expressions of God’s limitless power, and an affirmation that He is “the same yesterday, today, and forever.”
This past week our son Cody had the opportunity to speak on Miracles. For today's podcast, we get to hear Cody again speak of miracles! He teaches what miracles are, how we have seen them in the past, the miracles he's seen in his own life as he shares a story about his Batman mask and hunting, and the opportunity we will have to see them in the future!
This podcast is fun, lifting, and encouraging! Listen in!
Behold! I Am a God of Miracles by Ronald A. Rasband
Relationships are like a dance. Sometimes the dance is smooth like the waltz with fluid movements, in sync, beautiful and together. Sometimes it is like the tango where there is pushing and pulling like a tug of war with give and take movements. When we get into the more jerky movements like the tango, sometimes we can start "keeping score" in our relationship. We make it very transactional and want an "eye for an eye" or "tooth for a tooth." If you notice yourself in this type of relationship, here are 3 things to consider:
-
Your brain is just trying to keep you safe from threats, even in a healthy relationship. It's doing what brains do. Looking for problems to solve and ways to keep you alive.
-
You have a choice. You can keep up the tango or choose the waltz.
-
Consider that you and those you are in relationships with are doing their best. You are both giving it your all. That their contributions to your relationship are valuable and enough, and that relationships are not transactional. We don't always see what the other person's contributions are.
Albert Einstein said, "Many of the things you can count, do not count. Many of the things you cannot count, really do count."
The intent, desire, and heart is what counts, and that can't be "counted"
Listen in for more!
The Law of Love with Steve Young
Clean and dirty pain.
What is that?!
Clean and dirty pain comes from the emotional pain and suffering that we feel. This pain comes from the way we are thinking about situations and circumstances. Some of what we are thinking we are conscious about. Some we are not always.
The way we help get some clarity and consciousness is to just slow things down a little and be more aware of what's going through our heads.
Clean pain is the pain that is useful and necessary. The reason for this is that it helps us process, cope, and move through the pain of what we are experiencing. Dirty pain on the other hand comes when we add drama to the initial clean pain with the thoughts in our head. As soon as we start doing this we layer the emotions.
Join in this week's podcast as we go all in on clean and dirty pain and learn how to identify the difference and work through them!
Life is a juggling act. The balls we juggle are home, family, school, work, church, friends, and activities. Sometimes one of those balls drops. This week for our family, one of those did. A big one. And it reminded us all of how precious life is and how fragile it is as well. Join me in this week's episode as I talk about my sister and her husband and their new journey to Crush Cancer!
Food, Food, Food! We are surrounded by it! Many cultures use alcohol and tobacco for celebrations and also coping mechanisms, but as members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, what do we turn to? Food! Thus creating a frenemy relationship. Food is needed for our physical survival, but many of us can turn to it for emotional survival as well. In this episode, we dig into emotional eating. How it happens, what the cause of it is, and then I give you three tips to help when we find ourselves going in that direction.
-
Plan your food: Just a basic plan for the day will help you with your emotional eating!
-
Pay attention: Pay attention to the times you are tempted to snack? Are you hungry? Or are you stressed, tired, or anxious?
3. Pause: Give yourselves at least 90 seconds to discover what is going on for you and make a conscious choice whether you will eat or not.
Join in this episode as we work to enjoy our food and keep a healthy relationship with food and ourselves!
Many of us have heard the term "feeling all the feels," but what does that even mean? In this week's episode, we talk about that. We talk about feeling a range of emotions, highs and lows. Sometimes all at once! We talk about how these emotions are part of our human experience, but sometimes we don't like it! Many of us participate in different ways to avoid just feeling, thus prolonging the experience. We discuss how long an emotion takes to process through when we just allow, and ways to do that! Join in as we discuss riding the wave of emotion to feel all the feels! Something we are designed to do!
Magic School Bus PDF
We make many decisions in the day which require an "either/or" type of answer. Either get up at 6 or 6:30, wear this or that. Many times with people and with ourselves, we think we have to do the same. We think that we have to choose one or the other. We have to love the good and hate the "bad," but we may not have the whole story of any of it. What if it was possible to love BOTH. The good parts and the not-so-good parts. What if we loved all! When there is a break-up, we can love both people. When we behave in a way that isn't at our best, we can love that part of us, and when others behave in ways we don't agree with, we can love those parts too. We can love both and all! Join into today's podcast to hear more about loving both!
We create many lists in a day and a week to help us be productive and accomplish many tasks. However, there is a list that we create that most of us don't know about that is not very helpful. The "Should" List. Yes, that should sounds a lot like a familiar cuss word we know, and that's just what a should list is. In the words of Corrine Crabtree, "Anytime we think someone "should" do something, we automatically put them on our 'shit' list." Our lists can get pretty long with all the "shoulding" we do, and one person who most definitely ends up on this list is ourselves. Whenever we "should" we judge. We judge the other person and end up judging ourselves for the judging. Join in for this week as we talk more about this "should" list and how we can eliminate the list by changing "should" to "could."
Life is full of endings and beginnings. We have the beginning of a new day and the end of a new day. We have the beginning of summer and the end of summer, and we have the beginning of a new school year just around the corner. Many times we resist the beginnings and endings, but they are part of this mortal journey! We can sometimes find ourselves stuck in the emotional roller coaster of beginnings and endings, so in today's podcast, we are going to discuss what we can do to help ourselves out! First, remember beginnings and endings are part of this crazy life. Second, practice gratitude! Join in this week as we discuss what gratitude can do to help us with our beginnings and endings.
Having children has provided me as their mother many opportunities to learn and grow through bumps, bruises, mistakes, and do-overs. In this episode, we discuss what happened when Meg got her braces and how I learned the importance of trusting my gut and being an advocate. Not only for the ones we love, like our children, but also for ourselves! Tune in to this episode to hear more about this and much more!
Ed Mylett said, "Most lessons in life are caught not taught." This was one of those statements that hit me like a brick! It's so true! Join me this week as we discuss some of the lessons I "caught" from my parents, and the ones that I am working to teach my own kids. The key is patience! They may take catching you in the act over and over and over again! And will you continue to do those things you wish to teach, even if they never catch your vision?? Listen in to explore this topic!
Our lives are filled with big moments and events, but we often forget of all the little things that make up the big things. In today's podcast episode, we discuss the little things. The little items that make a big difference, the little habits we have that add up, the little words we say to others and to ourselves, and the little moments that end up being really big moments! Listen in to this episode to hear more and get some ideas on how to do the "little things" more often!
The Simple Things by Rex D. Pinegar
Compounding Pennies
Quote By Neal A. Maxwell
In this week's podcast, we talk about our sweet neighbor Milo Baker and showing up! Milo is a 12-year-old boy from Rexburg being treated for Guillain-Barre Syndrome and inflammation of the brainstem and spinal cord. He has been hospitalized for over 2 months and has lost nearly all mobility and verbal communication. Doctors have been somewhat perplexed by his condition, as it doesn't match a single diagnosis. He is currently undergoing treatment but has a long road to recovery. In an effort to support Milo and his family we are organizing a 5K Run/Walk called Miles for Milo! Let's show up for Milo and his sweet family to show our support and love to the Baker family and Milo!
Visit https://milesformilo.org/ to sign up and get more information!!
Contact me at jesser@liftingthelifters.com for questions, how to help, or if you'd like to donate your contribution!
Our second son Cody just received his mission call for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints! We are so thrilled for him! It was a bit stressful for a time, but there were some very valuable lessons I learned that I wanted to share in this episode! First, a mother's prayer is powerful, second, faith includes submission, and third, worry isn't necessary! Listen in to hear the whole story!
We all have situations going on in our lives that are humming in the background. In those times our minds will create some "background" music. You know the kind that we hear in stores, restaurants, and offices. Sometimes it is really loud, sometimes it is softer. Some days the noise in our heads is louder than others. So then what?! What can we do, but move forward despite feeling terrible? The beautiful thing that happens is we then become "wounded healers" as Steve Young says. In becoming a wounded healer, we too are healed. Listen in for more!
The Law of Love by Steve Young
In last week's episode, we discussed Empowering Ourselves and Others by CHOOSING rather than believing we HAVE to. This week: Emotional Empowerment. What is that? We have the ability to CHOOSE our emotions and act accordingly. We often give other people the ability to dictate how we feel by saying things like, "They hurt my feelings." No one can control how you feel without your consent. That is up to you. How do we emotionally empower ourselves then? First, we recognize the emotion. Second, we respond by allowing it, processing it, and using our senses to help us. And third, we choose our response and move forward. Join in this episode as we discuss all the ways we can cope with emotions, why we have them, what it means to be "past feeling" and more!
In this episode, we discuss what it means to empower ourselves and how to do that! It comes down to one simple thing, making choices. We can regain so much power by making choices consciously. One simple way we can do this is by shifting the way we speak to ourselves and to others and saying "I choose to" rather than "I have to." This one simple trick will help us feel the energy that comes with empowering ourselves! Listen In!
This weekend we went as a family to see the new Top Gun movie! In the movie and the original, there were times that the airplanes were in a tailspin. Sometimes in our lives, we can feel like we too are in a tailspin or a little out of control. In those moments, it is helpful to get down to what is most important. We can ask ourselves, "What matters to me at this time?" As we are shifting into summer, I asked myself this question and came up with four items that matter: work, play, teach, and connect. Join with me this week as I discuss this and we dig into each area and share some ideas on how to incorporate them into our lives to get out of our tailspin!
10 Benefits of Play
Outliers by Malcom Gladwell
Work is a Blessing by David O. McKay
Join with me this week as we wrap up the end of May! I tell you of an experience we had as a family and how this has lent itself to many funny conversations, and the inspiration for this podcast! An "Ode to May" in honor of all the women and moms out there!
Enjoy!
Everyone has their own thoughts and feelings in any given circumstance, thus creating their experience. We all SEE things differently. Sometimes we don't always agree with another's perspective and how they are perceiving their experience, and we try to change or control them. Other times we try to prevent an unpleasant experience. It doesn't always work out. In fact, most of the time it creates problems for us and for them. When we try to control another person's experience, we may end up preventing some experiential learning and creating a disconnect. Listen in to this podcast to learn more and discover how to "mourn with those that mourn" and "comfort those in need of comfort."
Dean and Kristin Coleman are two genuinely good people whom I had the opportunity to get to know and interview for today's podcast!
They are involved with an organization called Dahlia's Hope which provides aftercare therapy and other services for sex-trafficking survivors.
In this interview, we hear about their story of how they got involved in this organization. We also talk about how we all can find a way to contribute in ANY way, shape, or form to whatever we have a passion for!
We discuss Dahlia's Hope and what that organization provides. We also discuss the Color of Hope Festival coming to Rexburg on June 25, 2022!
For more information about the Color of Hope Festival go to colorofhopefest.com.
Below are more websites to get more information about the resources discussed today!
dahliashope.org
Safehouseproject.org
inUpowers.com
This week's episode goes out to all of the women out there! As we celebrate Mother's Day this week there can be many emotions associated with this holiday. Today I address this episode to all the women who "mother" and nurture in their own special way and as a reminder that we are all mothers and needed in every way shape and form! That through mothering, we have the ability to "Teach these Souls to Fly."
Are We Not All Mothers? Sherri Dew
Story by Henry B. Eyring
Choosing Motherhood: Stories of Successful Women Who Put Family First
Teach These Souls to Fly by William Blake
In a recent podcast I listened to there was one line that really hit me, "If you want to have a happy life, then have happy relationships!" What?! I really wanted to dig into this! So we did! In today's podcast, we discuss what happy relationships look like, where they begin, and how they develop! We dive into the relationships we have with ourselves, with others, and with God and how they are all connected with each other and with our happiness! Enjoy! Follow Him Podcast
Recipe for Chicken Tetrazzini
Love is a Choice by Lynn G. Robbins
In this week's episode, we talk about the familiar patterns we have in our lives. Some of them are serving us and helping us, but some of them are not. If we want to do more creating of what we want, it takes becoming the boss of our brains: thinking about what we are thinking, redirecting by answering ourselves and being compassionate and assertive. Listen in as we dive into this episode and how to get what you want!
Easter is coming! I love this holiday and the opportunity to reflect on Jesus Christ. A few years ago I was asked to write an essay to enter into a book of compiled essays. While the book is still in the works, today I am sharing with you this essay in celebration of the Easter holiday!
Mother's Who Know, Julie B. Beck
Will You Engage in the Wrestle? Sheri Dew
We all complain sometimes. Complaining is merely a way of expressing our dissatisfaction or annoyance that our expectations are not being met. However, there are some cautions with complaining. In this episode, we identify four cautions with complaining, it is contagious, we develop tunnel vision, we have forgotten, and it takes our valuable energy. Join in this episode as we further discuss these as well as the solutions!
Murmur Not, Neal A. Maxwell
Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day
What do we do when we are in sticky situations that we have no control over? What about when our loved ones are struggling, and we can't "fix" the situation? Ask this simple question: How can I contribute? In this episode, we discuss this question and how it can help us be open, curious, and receptive to find answers and receive promptings to help both parties out! We benefit, and so does the receiver.
Lift Where You Stand; Deiter F. Uchtdorf
In the movie Cinderella, there were two step-sisters, Anastasia and Drisella. These two sisters were a deadly combination! Shame and Blame are like these two sisters. They come together a lot of the time and can cause us a lot of grief and pain if we don't learn to manage them. In this episode, we talk about what the shame/blame pattern creates for us and how to overcome it!
We all experience it. The Shame Shower. This is the hot, heavy, beating down we experience with shame. This is an emotion that makes us want to duck and cover, to keep our flaws and vulnerabilities hidden, and guess what, shame is optional! Join with me this week as we discuss how to get out of that Shame Shower and move forward as our best selves!
Shame vs. Guilt: Help for Discerning God's Voice from Satan's Lies Daring Greatly by Brene Brown
In today's podcast, we discuss the patterns that are woven throughout our stories. My story has the patterns of family, faith, and then everything else sprinkled throughout. With some new listeners joining the ranks, I shared my and Jarred's story as we've worked to raise our family. Listen in to get a glimpse into the crazy Rydalch life and also how we choose to navigate life in the "family business."
Planning and preparing are two words that sometimes get a bad rap! However, all it means is to look ahead and create what it is you want for the future. Join in this episode as I discuss planning and preparing for a trip Jarred and I went on, but then also how to apply this to our day-to-day lives!
In this week's podcast, we talk about the works we speak. The words we say to others, but then also to ourselves and how they affect the way we show up. We talk about creating an "Anthem" for ourselves, and I share mine! Listen in to get some ideas and hear more about the significance of our internal dialogue.
Bullying is everywhere. It goes on with our kids, with adults, on the news, and on social media. Unfortunately, we can't escape it. After hearing about 12-year-old Drayke who committed suicide last week, I felt a conversation about bullying was needed here along with some ideas on how Jarred and I try to combat it.
After 100 episodes I finally got my favorite human on the podcast! Jarred is FULL of wisdom and good advice. We have worked together in life, family, and business. In today's episode we discuss our family motto. We talk about why we created one, what is in that motto, how it has blessed our family, and how you can create one!
Have you ever stepped back after a situation and wished you'd have responded differently? In this episode, we discuss our reactions and how to intentionally choose to ACT. First, we ACKNOWLEDGE our emotions. Second, CHOOSE our response, and third, TAKE ACTION! Listen in for more!
Many experiences in our lives are rich with opportunities for learning and growth if we are open and willing to take those lessons in! Sometimes we aren't always. Sometimes we are just trying to "survive." Listen in to this episode as we discuss how we can learn before, during, and after our entire experience and become the person we want to become.
When we were kids, we were always asked what we want to BE when we grow up. What if we changed that to what we want to BECOME? Join with me this week as we discuss the difference between Be and Become and my word for this year BECOME. Who and What do you want to BECOME this year?
One of the practices I like to do every year is pick a word for the year. Last year my word was CREATOR. In this episode, we discuss what I noticed I created, and it wasn't all that amazing! We discuss a term called mirroring, where we mimic the same emotional state as others. We discuss what this is, why we do it, and how to CREATE the emotions and experience we WANT!
January is typically a time we all start thinking about our new beginnings for the year, but new beginnings happen all of the time! They don't have to be designated for January! In this podcast, we talk about how to get started as you begin your next adventure! Brainstorm, write down your plan, just take the next step, expect a mess, and have a backup! Listen in for more!
We all have many gifts and talents to offer to this world. Sometimes we do offer them and then they aren't well-received by others. This can be tricky to navigate at times, so this episode gives four tips to help us when our contributions are rejected. First, let others have their opinions, Second, don't make their opinion mean something about you. Third, give yourself a break. And fourth, get to the bottom of the WHY? Listen in to this episode to hear more and implement these tips into your day-to-day!
Merry Christmas! As Christmas Day gets closer, everyone seems to be asking the same question..."Are you ready?" Well, are we? As I pondered this question I tell an experience I had this week. This experience gave me a different perspective on "being ready" for Christmas! Listen in!
I Believe in Santa Claus by Diane G. Adamson
We live in a world full of evil and sin and imperfect humans who sometimes hurt us. We can end up feeling hurt, resentful, angry, and sad. In those times, forgive. It can be hard but it is the way to freedom. Listen in to this week's podcast to find out more about forgiveness and freedom!
This week on the podcast we have the chance to hear from my good friend Mindi. She discusses with us her insights on Identity and Becoming. Mindi has poured her heart and soul into these topics to find answers not only for herself but also for those she serves. In this topic, we discuss who we are as children of God, what our purpose is in life, and how we can become who we are meant to become!
This week we dig into the 12 Days of Christmas Tradition that our family loves! I talk about a time when it wasn't so fun, what happened, and how it has become a tradition we can't go without! In the process of giving we end up receiving some pretty amazing gifts ourselves. More abundance, peace, love, joy, and connections. The gifts that are most precious!
Christmas is around the corner! As we set into motion our plans for holiday shopping and traditions, sometimes we can get lost in the shuffle and forget the reason for all of it. Join in this episode as we discuss gift giving and traditions, what they mean, and some of my favorite ideas!
New Era: Gold, Frankincense, and Myrrh
Did you know we have a happiness set point? Just like our bodies have a weight set point, we have a happiness set point. And just like our weight set point can be changed, so can our happiness set point. The answer: Gratitude! If you are looking for a way to be happier, join in today's discussion as we talk about the happiness set point and gratitude!
Deiter F. Uchtdorf Grateful in Any Circumstances
Psychology Today: Your Setpoint for Happiness
Gratitude has the ability to create a change in us! It is often one of the simplest things we can do that will create big results! In this podcast, we talk all about gratitude. Why it can be just what we need to set us up for a good day, to pivot and change the direction we are headed, and some simple strategies to train our brains to get into the habit of expressing, and more!
Forbes 7 Benefits of Gratitude
Deiter F. Uchtdorf Grateful in Any Circumstances
Russel M. Nelson Joy and Spiritual Survival
Thanks! How the New Science of Gratitude Can Make You Happier
"To Thine Own Self Be True" is a line in Shakespeare's Hamlett. It is what setting boundaries are all about. Remaining true to ourselves to maintain safety, security, and protecting the rights and space. This is a topic and practice that maintains respect for every party involved. Respect for ourselves and respect for others. This podcast episode will help us understand boundaries more clearly then help us to know how to create them.
Being as it is just a few days before Halloween all of the spooky festivities are upon us! I couldn't help but join in the fun with a little bit of something scary, but this actually can help us! Last year we discussed FEAR and it has been one of my most favorite and most popular episodes. So, a replay was in order to remind us to go out there and play big! Enjoy!
In this episode we discuss expectations! All of us have them whether we know it or not. We have them about ourselves, others, and the world around us. In this episode we dissect how to manage those expectations by becoming aware of them, accepting what is, acknowledging we all have agency, appreciating the experience, and activating HOPE! Listen in for more!
Lifter Jeff Brabant has been a guest on the podcast before, and I am thrilled to have him back! This week we are discussing acknowledging others' contributions to your life and your success. He said in a Facebook post, "A clock is worthless without its second hand." Listen in as we dig into this concept as we apply it to our homes, families, work, and communities!
Do you ever feel off-balance? We all seem to strive for balance, but what if we focused more on what centers us and what keeps us grounded. In this episode, we discuss being centered and how using pronouns like I and me are great indicators! We also analyze the 2 types of self-centeredness, and how to overcome this by being value-centered. Listen in for more!
www.liftingthelifters.com
In this episode, we talk about giving ourselves something to focus on for 40 days. Physically, mentally, emotionally, and socially. The importance of picking just one, how to handle the resistance, how to stay consistent, and how to accept the minimum as still progress! This is a great way to work on that one thing you've been wanting to do and it will trickle into all areas of our lives!
Sometimes we can have questions that are hard to find the answers to, but questions are good! In this episode, we talk about why questions aren't only good, but there are good questions that will get us going to become the seeker instead of the doubter. What's Next is one of my favorite questions I ask myself and my family on the daily to keep us moving forward. Find out more about this question and how it can help you!
A few years ago I had a friend tell me how her family member, who had encountered so many challenges in her life, continued to move forward. Her response was, "Embrace the Suck." Today's episode is all about that! What that part is and how to handle all of the many parts of our lives that seem so hard! There is hard in everything, but there is also good in everything. Many of us do not like to experience the discomfort we are feeling with negative emotions so we try to avoid them or try to be happy all of the time and this makes our negative experience even WORSE! Listen in to find out how to embrace the sucky part!
What we see on the outside of others is a reaction or action to what is really going on inside. This is the same for us! We have so many thoughts and feelings and emotions that drive our actions. So when we seem a little off, or when someone we interact with seems a little off, rather than turn into the judge, let's investigate! In this podcast, we will discuss the source of our problems then we will talk about how to become the investigator to help resolve our challenges.
In this episode we talk about how we show up. This is the way we present ourselves to others. It's the way we show up in our actions, speech, body language. Are we showing up in the way we want to? We will ask ourselves a few questions to help us show up as our best selves and what we can do to help ourselves out!
In this podcast episode we talk about this famous quote by Abraham Lincoln and we break it down. We discuss the various roles we play and where we are at or how we would rate ourselves. Are we good, gooder, great, or at our best!? The beauty is you get to decide! We discuss why you have to measure your own goods and greats, then how to move up the rungs of the ladder as we navigate the transitions in our lives.
Be the Best At Whatever You Are by L. Tom Perry
Gooder Speech
In this podcast episode we talk about the term "If you give an inch, they'll take a mile." However, we are going to apply this to ourselves! This is something we may have a pattern of doing. We will explore what happens and how to notice those patterns. They come from one sneaky little thought. Noticing these sneaky little thoughts and becoming aware of them will help us be one step ahead and change and evolve in the ways we desire. Listen in for ideas on how!
Many times we will see rules or guidelines as restrictions and barriers. Things that will prevent us from having freedom and fun. But could the actually be what creates freedom and fun? Sometimes we may just need a little shift in our perspective to see they may be there FOR us, instead of against us. Listen in as we discuss the barriers in our lives.
Barrier Story from Von G. Keetch
Fenced in Playground Study
What if our lives are like a recipe full of ingredients and tools we can use to come up with something AMAZING. I learned early on in my years to cook thanks to a patient mom and some cooking classes and got really good at making chocolate chip cookies. Join in this week's episode as we talk about how our lives have a recipe to help us, in the end, have the best result! Because everything is ALWAYS working out for us in the end.
Have you got many unfinished tasks that you just can't seem to get completed? I noticed that I had many piles, unfinished books, and tasks I just wasn't completing. I got curious and found three reasons they weren't getting finished and three ways to finish. Those three steps are:
-
Define Finishing
-
Swap Overwhelm for Fun
-
Monotask rather than Multitask
To hear more listen to the entire podcast episode for examples and more!
How Multitasking Affects Productivity and Brain Health Why Multitasking Doesn’t Work
Our brain is a complex organ that performs many functions. There are two main parts of our brains. The primitive brain and then the cognitive or higher brain. In today's podcast, we are going to discuss the primitive brain and what its job is. This part of our brain functions from a motivation triad: to seek pleasure, avoid pain, and conserve energy. This part of our brain helps keep us safe and performs to keep us alive, but sometimes it can also keep us stuck and stagnant. Join me this week as I discuss the primitive brain, what happens, how this affects us, and how it relates to us spiritually.
A few weeks ago we took a trip to Arizona and it was HOT! We learned to tolerate the heat after a few days, found what worked! Tolerance is an allowance or acceptance and in today's episode, we discuss four types of tolerance. Allowance tolerance, acceptance tolerance, subjection tolerance, and finally, avoidance tolerance. Listen in to this episode as we dig into each type, what they mean, and if they are helping us move forward, keeping us stuck, or hurting us in the long run.
As we come upon the celebration of Independence Day, our topic for this week is Unity! We talk about what unity is, how it is achieved, and why it matters in our homes, families, and wherever we are! We discuss the importance of the moving parts of a team or family being different but contributing to the same goal or interest and how to achieve a "Union of Feeling."
You hear a lot about resistance in exercise. We want to have resistance to help build and maintain muscle mass. It is key to weight loss and metabolism. We also have emotional resistance. In today's podcast, we talk about what that is, what it looks like, and how to help us work through resistance rather than continue to push against it and compound it.
When a nurse goes in for a new shift, she will get a report from the nurse going off shift about the patients she cared for that day. She'll get many facts about that shift. The medications, the food, the doctor's orders, the fluids, etc. Basically the facts. Sometimes our minds will give a morning report about the day before, but it isn't always factual. There are probably some stories in there that can zap our energy. Today's podcast will help us come up with a plan when our morning report isn't serving us! First, decide what we are bringing from the past, second, state the facts, and third accept and come up with a solution for the day ahead!
5 Psychology Habits That Drain Your Energy Article
Many things are outside of our control. The weather, the economy, and the biggest: other people. But we do have control over one thing. Ourselves. In this week's episode, we talk about controlling the controllables. The basics. Our food, water, sleep, and connection. We discuss the importance of doing this and how it will affect the quality of our thoughts, then our thoughts create our lives! We discuss starting small, then working up to take care of our basic human needs.
What is our purpose? I feel like we all have a purpose, and we are actually living that purpose. However, sometimes it is unclear what exactly that is. In this episode, I talk to my friend Maria Strange about identifying our purpose. We talk about what a purpose is, why it can help to identify it, and what this can do to help us in our day-to-day. We talk about our own purposes and walk through the exercise she practiced and taught me to help identify mine! See the guided worksheet below to help you!
Identifying Your Purpose Worksheets
This is it! The last episode in May as we finish up our celebration of Womanhood and Motherhood! Today's episode is about Secret Sisters. Who are they? We talk about the experiences I've had with secret sisters and what that means! Guess What!? You are a secret sister! All of us are as we love and support our people in our lives! Give yourself some credit for being the woman behind the scenes going about doing good! Because you are!
Good Morning Moroni
Jeffrey R. Holland, Behold Thy Mother
The lines on our faces. They come from the emotions that we experience. The joys, the pains, the sorrows, and the laughter! At the age of 40, with 5 kids and all of what I've experienced as their mom, I have MANY lines! Many of us will worry and get tied to the decisions of our kids and make that mean something about us. Did I do a good job? I should have done differently? This podcast is all about our kid's choices and what that means for US!
This one is for all of us who believe life will begin WHEN?! When what? When we get married, have our degrees, have our kids? All of these beliefs I had. In today's podcast, I tell you about my story. My journey. What happened for me and how have come to know that life has BEGUN! It began a very long time ago and we do not have to wait for an "event" to enjoy it now!
This one is for all of the teenage girls! So listen up girls! This is a time in your life where so many things are going on. Boys, bodies changing, friends, big decisions about your futures, it can get a little overwhelming. We all want to be a part of something, to be included, and be liked, but problems arise when we start to change who we are and what we value for the approval of others. When we base our happiness on our "status" or "kiss counts" we can end up unhappy and empty. Today we're going to talk about being a "sleeper." The one who is secretly awesome, and what sleepers are thinking. We discuss 3 beliefs sleepers have:
-
They are a part of something bigger than themselves.
-
They think about their futures.
-
They see others as sleepers too.
Listen in for a fun one and a great episode to kick off May! Our celebration of Womanhood and Motherhood!
Boys in the Boat
Soundtracks
Are We Not All Mothers
See liftingthelifters.com for more!
In this podcast we learn all about what other people think. Many of us spend time trying to decide what other people think about us. But do we actually know? And what does this create for us? We are going to discuss why this is something many of us tend to do, worry about what others think, what this creates for us, and how we can overcome this habit. We acknowledge we do it, become aware of the result, and ask ourselves some questions. Who is thinking it? What if they do? And what do I think?
See liftingthelifters.com for more!
Jody Moore: 3 Components of a Relationship
This episode is a fun one! A client's perspective. Jamie Lamm came to me to be a part of the Get it Done in 2021 program in January. Her goal was to get control of her eating and lose a little bit of weight. She did create success in her goals but also learned a few things along the way. In this episode we discuss how she learned to be patient in the process, to see herself as more than a number on the scale, and how to listen more to her body. This was a great episode from a the perspective of a client! Listen in!
Go to liftingthelifters.com for show notes!
Our bodies. Many of us have a tricky relationship with our bodies. It is almost like it is a separate entity. Do we consider it our homes? In this episode we discuss this topic. How our bodies are a home. A home to our spirit. A sacred home, like a temple, and how comparison can rob us of enjoying the homes that we reside in. Join in this week as we discuss this topic. We will learn the key to viewing our bodies as a home: thinking that it is!
See liftingthelifters.com for show notes!
Perfect. This is a term that comes up often; however, when it comes to humans, there is no such thing! We are perfectly imperfect! We all have our "stuff" we carry and are working with, and we are all learning to manage our brains, bodies, and emotions. Join with me this week as we discuss our differences, the pedestal effect, and our similarities. We are ALL perfectly imperfect, you and me! Listen in to find out more!
Go to liftingthelifters.com for show notes and worksheets!
Is there a question in your mind that's been brewing for a while that you just can't seem to find the answer to? This episode is all about those questions. We will explore what a question actually is then give you two permissions: permission to have questions and permission to have time to answer them. We will talk about questioning our questions then discovering the energy behind them. Listen in to find out how!
See liftingthelifters.com for show notes and worksheets.
Do you ever think about what you'll be in 5 years? Where you will be? What you will have experienced and become? That is what this episode is all about. Our future selves. We can be intentional about our day to day by thinking about becoming that future version of ourselves! In this episode we talk about writing a letter from our future self, and she tells us what we are like, what to do, what to stop doing, and what we have become. Then we use that letter to set into motion our day to day actions to become exactly that! Join in to find out more!
Visit liftingthelifters.com for show notes and worksheets!
Every story has characters that are either the victim, the villain, or the hero. Which character are you? In this episode we discuss the parts we choose to play, sometimes unintentionally, and the part we want to play! I want the hero story. We talk about how we can do that and where it starts, our THOUGHTS. We then talk about a Hero in American History, Rosa Parks, and how and when she decided to become the hero of her story.
See liftingthelifters.com for show notes and details!
This question came up for us one morning from one of our kids and to be quite honest, it shocked the pants off of us! It has been interesting to find that this comes up for many. This question, and the ideas we have around good parenting. Join with me today as we discuss this. I work through a specific scenario and we talk about ways we can work through situations where we may think this. We can separate the facts from the thoughts, make a list of what we think good parenting is, drop the term "good" and just be parents with room for all parenting, and define what WE want for ourselves!
See liftingthelifters.com for more and show notes!
One year later! It has been a ride this year! As we celebrate a year of Lifting the Lifters, I am sharing what I have learned. I will share 5 quotes to live by that pretty much sum up what this year has taught me! You can apply these to any and every aspect of your life, whatever you are doing. Listen in to find out the 5 lessons!
Go to liftingthelifters.com for show notes!
Shellie Thornley is the creator of the guided workbook Distinct and Different, she runs the Instagram @youdeservetheword, and she is a good friend of mine. In this interview with Shellie we discuss body image and some strategies and tools we can use to work on our relationships with our bodies.
-
Be aware of your thoughts and how you talk to yourself.
-
Understand positive body image is an inside job.
-
Fight for a good relationship with your body! It's worth the fight!
Listen in to find out more and visit www.liftingthelifters.com to get show notes and information.
Overall health and wellness plays a big factor in living our best life. We get to be the ones to be in charge of that health and wellness! This is part of loving ourselves, taking care of our health! In today's episode we talk about caring for our mental and physical health. We discuss ways that we can do that, tactics I use to help me, and why it is important: so we can love our neighbors too! Listen in to find out more and get details on the upcoming giveaway!
Go to liftingthelifters.com for show notes and episodes!
The two great commandments are love God and love thy neighbor, but many of us skip of the last part of that love thy neighbor....as thyself! This week we are going to talk about what loving thyself means and what that looks like. It may be different that what you think! Join in this episode as I walk you through acceptance and compassion for yourself and how to process emotions! Then lastly, talking nice to yourself, as if you're talking to that neighbor or family member you love so much.
Visit liftingthelifters.com for more!
Love is an emotion that we can experience any time. It is a gift that we give to ourselves! This week we talk about loving feelings. We dive into more details about the model and why feelings are so important! They drive ALL of our actions! Listen in as we discuss what feelings do for us, why loving feelings are self-serving, who I try to emulate who is loving and HOW to generate these feelings of love the month of LOVE!
In every good book or movie there is a good story with lots of drama. Twist and turns, adventure, suspense. Just like there is drama and a story in a movie or book, we have the same go on in our minds. In today's episode we continue to discus the topic I taught last week: The Model.
Circumstances
Thoughts
Feelings
Actions
Results
We will go into detail about the Circumstances and the Thoughts. This is the Math and the Drama. Listen in as I give MANY examples to help you see that the problem is never the Circumstance, it is the thoughts we are having about the Circumstance. Gaining awareness on this will help you, as it has for me, in so many situations!
See liftingthelifters.com for show notes and other episodes!
This year is shaping up to be a great one with my word for 2021: Creator. Join with me in this episode as I teach you HOW to create what you want using the model.
Circumstance
Thought
Feeling
Actions
Results
This is what I use to help my clients and also help myself when I'm stuck, and when I'm striving to reach my goals. Thoughts become things and when we choose intentionally our thoughts, we can create some pretty amazing things!
Visit liftingthelifters.com for more!
Do you pick a word for the year? This is a practice I have done for a few years. Last year my word for the year was "Enough." As I kept this word on the forefront of my mind, I have seen it pop up in many different places. It has provided many opportunities for me to learn and study. Join with me in this episode as I discuss what I've learned this year about "ENOUGH."
-
It’s not a one and done deal
-
EVERY PERSON has this underlying fear of Not Being Enough
-
Your being enough does not come from outside of you. Worth is different from Value.
-
Operating in not enough NEVER serves us.
This is a great episode as we conclude a year of "Enough" and get ready for next year's word!
Visit liftingthelifters.com for episodes and show notes.
Many times we have the desire to set a goal then want to move straight into the ways to accomplish our goal, but don't look into HOW to set the goal so it sticks! In today's podcast we're going to do that. Dig into HOW to SET your goal, to set you up for success when taking the day to day actions. We will have a visit with our present self, our past self, and our future self. We will get clear on our values, see our own awesomeness, and then expect that our goal is as good as done! Listen in for details and one of the goals I am working on this year!
Liftingthelifters.com
Happy New Year! With the beginning of the new year comes all of the desires and commitments to set goals and resolutions. I love to set myself a goal to work on, but first I like to understand WHY? In this episode I discuss reasons to set a goal.
-
To learn to trust yourself
-
To give your brain a job
-
To EVOLVE
-
Just Because
Listen in as I give details and personal experiences with each and every one of these. I will also give details to the Get It Done in 2021 Program open now for enrollment.
https://liftingthelifters.com/
Merry Christmas! I hope you all have a wonderful Christmas! In this episode I share our Christmas Card in appreciation and gratitude for YOU! Thank you! I love you! I also share a message about Saving and Loving. A wise woman told my mom, "It's not your job to save, it's your job to love." In this episode we dig into that. What our roles are and what they are not. How to let the Savior save, and how we can love. When we drop the role of Saving our Loving explodes.
Nathan Mitchel Interview
Savior Complex
Love Warrior by Glennon Doyle Melton
Giving to others is part of the Christmas season and traditions. It is a way to express our love to the people in our lives. We can give any time to any one, and did you know that when you give you also receive? In this episode we talk about an experience he had with a customer where he learned the difference between giving because he has, or having because he gives. We also discuss what it is that we WANT. Guess what the answer is....GIVE! Tune in to find out more!
Wake Up to a Happier Life by Amanda Dickson
Pete the Cat Saves Christmas by Eric Litwin
Love begets Love by Elizabeth Bourgeret
Opportunities to Do Good by Henry B. Eyring
It's Christmas Time! With that comes the season of gift giving. In this episode we talk about Secret Santa. Who he is, what he does, and my life goal to be Secret Santa! Then, we talk about being Secret Santa NOW! We don't have to wait for a time, money, or anything else for that matter. We can be Secret Santa now. In this episode we talk about two ways to be Secret Santa now.
First, believe you are the gift.
Second, go get them with your love.
That's it! Listen in to get some specifics and some details!
Turning Enemies into Friends by Sharon Eubank
Choosing Clarity by Kim Giles
East Idaho News
In this episode of our Interview with a Lifter: Jeff Brabant, we conclude our interview. We discuss how he coaches and parents with expectations, leadership, communication, building relationships, and so much more. There is so much wisdom and truth from this interview! He ended with 5 points:
-
Be You.
-
Build Relationships
-
Be better today than you were yesterday.
4. Make good decisions every day.
- The problem is never the problem.
If you didn't listen to Part 1, go there first, then come back! You won't be disappointed!
Miles Community College
Jeff Brabant is a professor and the head coach of the Miles City Pioneer Baseball program. I got to know Jeff this year when our oldest son Dylan decided to join their program. He is a "Lifter" not only as a coach, but as a mentor and friend to the boys on his team, but to the parents and many other's he comes in contact with. In this interview we talk baseball, what is a BOAC, and so many other topics! The entire interview was too good to edit down, so listen in today and next week for the rest!
We have to do a reset on many of the devices that we own. TV's, computers, heaven forbid, our phones! This reset is for the device that is typically stuck to get "unstuck" and start working again. Sometimes we are given opportunities in our lives to do a reset, and sometimes we choose to do them on our own. Listen in to todays episode as I discuss a reset, regroup, and reroute to help us move forward with a purpose.
For show notes, episodes, and information visit
Liftingthelifters.com
Can you feel it!? The holidays are coming! I LOVE this time of year! The beginning of the holiday season is always fun and exciting, but as the planning and preparing go on over the next few weeks, we can sometimes get overwhelmed. In today's episode, I am going to teach you a few things about Holiday Prep. Strategies and tips I have done to help me in the past and strategies I am going to implement this year. Listen in and learn how to constrain, plan, calendar, and stick to your plan to create the EXACT holiday experience you want!
Contentment is a state of happiness and satisfaction. Contentment is an emotion. It is a choice! We can choose contentment now. We don’t have to wait until we reach something. One of the best ways to feel content, practice Gratitude! What a perfect topic for the month of November! Join in this podcast as we discuss contentment, gratitude, wanting what we have, and the difference between being content and complacent.
The Incredible Power of Contentment
The Unmistakable Freedom of Contentment and How to Achieve It
Thanks for Gratitude
15 Daily Habits Practiced by Incredibly Successful People
Episode 12: Sisterhood
Fear has been a big topic this month. There is so much to learn about and understand what goes on in our brains when we are afraid. This episode focuses on what to do when we are afraid and why we would want to do anything. When we are afraid we can pause, recognize our fear, then replace it with excitement or put it in the back seat, as Elizabeth Gilbert would say. Why do this? Because on the other side of fear is freedom. Freedom to create, have experiences, and progress. On the other side of fear is faith, hope, and love for ourselves and for others. Listen in for more details!
“Return to Love” by Marianne Williamson
“Fear Not” BYU Devotional Address by Kevin Worthen
Elizabeth Gilbert, “A Letter to Fear”
Today's episode on Fear: the nuts and bolts. I discuss 5 facets of fear and get into some details. First, it is an emotion. Second, although most of us don't see it this way, it is a gift. Third, it exists in the future. Fourth, it is a tool of the devil when it is misused. Lastly, it is something each and every human being and species experiences. Join me today's episode as we go into the details and discuss some real life experiences.
October and Halloween brings about all things scary! Witches, ghosts, goblins, haunted houses, straw mazes, and scary movies. For whatever reason, we like to be scared this time of year. Fear is an emotion that can be helpful, but also harmful. Join me in this episode as I discus some of my fears. One of them being rejection, and what affects and results this can have. I share a story I love about Sheri Dew and her experience with fear, and also my personal commitment to not "play small" to overcome fear.
"Fear Not" BYU Devotional by Kevin Worthen
Celebrate you? Seems like kind of a silly thing, doesn't it? But it is key to getting the results you want. Our primitive brains are constantly scanning to move to the next thing. It moves so quickly that we forget to take a minute to bask in our accomplishments and who we are and are becoming! Listen in to this podcast to learn HOW to celebrate you and WHY!
The Life Coach School Podcast Episode 309
Notorious Blog Post: Lifesaving Tips for a Mother of Big Families
Oreos, jelly filled donuts, stuffed crust pizza, these all have one thing in common: the filling in the middle, and it is oh so good!!! Our lives and experiences are a lot like this. They have a beginning, and ending, and a middle part. This middle part can be tricky at times. It can be full of excitement but also sorrow, but also MAGIC! Join me on this episode as I discuss the Magic in the Middle! You may find some magic in whatever middle part you're in at the moment!
Last Episode we discussed our reason for feeling rushed and in a hurry. Our thinking is driving all of our actions. There's an underlying thought that in there. It has taken me time and a conscious effort to try to overcome this. List in to this episode as I describe the method to slow down, process your emotions, find those thoughts that are causing the problem, and examine them!
Do you ever find yourself in a hurry or a rush and wonder why? What is the hurry? Why do I feel the need to be in such a rush and hurry? I have had these thoughts and feelings the majority of my life. After some self reflection and coaching I discovered what it was all about! Listen in to this episode to see what I found out, what I have learned, and relate this to many other goals and circumstances in our lives.
Of Things That Matter Most
How old are you, and what does that number mean to you? Is it really old, or young, or middle aged? In this episode we talk about what that number is and what it means. We discuss what that meaning is creating! It can be limiting or exciting! Both options are available, we get to choose which one we'd rather be! I tell you what I think about my age and what I have experienced in the last 40 years!
Episode 10: Interview With a Lifter: Paulette Kirkham
Episode 11: Lessons From a Lifter: Brinda Howard, Just Say It and Do It
This month we've discussed the different stages of parenting and some of the tools I've found helpful in each stage. To wrap up our discussion we will end with teenagers! I share a post I wrote for the 3 in 30 Podcast, which then turned into an article submission for Better Screen Time. I feel like the key for raising teenagers is to connect with them. In this podcast I share 3 tips for connecting with teenagers, why, and how.
3 in 30 Podcast
Better Screen Time: 3 Ways to Connect With Your Teenager
Listen in to this episode as I discuss how to teach our grade school kids to be capable, competent, and confident. There are many ways to instill these values, but two that are at the top of my list: work and play. These two avenues provide so many teaching opportunities! We can never underestimate the value of hard work and play, especially through team sports!
Raising an All-American by Devin Durrant
Routines, sleep, and nutrition are key factors in raising babies and toddlers, and any age for that matter! But they are also key in our ability to process, cope, and contribute! I thought it was so interesting to see how much focus we put on these factors for our kids, but how many of us let them slip when it comes to us personally? Find out in this episode why routines, sleep, and nutrition matter for babies and toddlers, but also in every age! Also, I suggest some resources and give you a rundown of my morning routine. We cover a lot of great information in this episode!
Essentialism by Greg McKeown
Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs
The Sleep Easy Solution
The Body as a Blessing by John S. Tanner
Noise Maker for Sleep
I Resolve by Joe J. Christensen
Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child by Dr. Mark Weisbluth
We have so many decisions to make during a day, with so many messages saying "My way is best!" Especially as women and moms trying to run a household and nurture our loved ones. In this episode we will discuss what is the best way? Your way! In this episode you'll find out why I think your way is the best way and 3 tools to help you believe in that and move forward!
Franklin Covey 7 Habits
Steal Like and Artist by Austin Kleon
Last week I posted the episode on Sex and Intimacy in Marriage. Saturday, I took it down. It just wasn't quite right! So, here is Take 2 of Sex and Intimacy in Marriage! In this episode we will discuss the many aspects of sex. How the mind, body, and spirit can affect intimacy and some ideas on where we can make some improvements! It's a fun one! Enjoy!
What is Maintenance Sex Article
Why to Have Sex More Often Article
Having Fun in Your Marriage and Sex Podcast
Daring Greatly by Brene Brown
Love and Marriage Devotional by Wendy Nelson
Today's episode is all about FUN! Also following the theme for Keeping the Spark Alive in Marriage, but can stand on it’s own and be related to many other relationships in your lives! Having fun in your marriage has been found to increase marital satisfaction! Who doesn't want that! In this episode we discuss giving yourself permission to have fun! It's not just for newlyweds! Deciding to have fun, and some ways to incorporate more fun into your marriage!
Importance of Fun in Marriages
5 Ways to Add Fun into Your Marriage
Sailing Happily Ever After
Fun in Marriage
Reinventing Date Night for Long-Married Couples
Essentialism
Abraham Lincoln said "A house divided against itself cannot stand." While he was speaking about Unity as a nation, it is also a key element in relationships with our spouse, kids, families, co-workers, and many others! Listen in to hear about more on Unity and how it applies to the relationships in our lives and why we should strive to have it.
Abraham Lincoln's Speech to the Union
The Tour de Family by John Bytheway
We are created and wired for connection. It is a basic human need for us to love and connect with other people! God created us in his image, and He is a God of Love! So we are created with the capacity and ability to love also. Join me in this episode as I discuss the fundamental piece of ALL relationships! As we continue to discuss keeping the spark alive in marriage, this can definitely be applied to our spouses, but also to every relationship.
Katherine M. Thomas; Spiritual Lightening
There will be many times in our marriages where it is full of joy, and other times when it seems a little rough. When do you notice there is tension and friction? Summertime is one of those times for us. It just takes a little intention and thought to put a little spark back into our relationships. Join me in this episode as I introduce this topic, then follow up in future episodes with more about "Keeping the Spark Alive in Marriage."
The Most Common Arguments Married People Have
Top 5 Issues Couples Fight About
Census Report
With the month of June coming to an end, how in the world does Agency relate to men and boys? Find out how I have learned some very valuable lessons on agency, choice, and accountability through being a mom of 4 boys and 1 girl, how my parenting has shifted over time, and how a little poem about a cupcake illustrates the importance of rules and expectations.
Father's Day is this Sunday! As I thought about my dad and Jarred's dads and the influence they have in our lives, I thought I'd share one of the biggest lessons Jarred and I have learned from these good men. Take time for quality time. In this episode I share how they spent quality time with us and give some suggestions on how we can do the same in our families!
At this time our country is trying to make sense of what happened to George Floyd and how it was allowed to happen. There are many groups and opinions hoping to make changes to prevent this from happening again. In this episode I address this topic and offer a solution. Be Kind. See PEOPLE not PROBLEMS. The changes will come when individuals make changes, and as a result changes will be seen in families and communities.
The Outward Mindset
The Anatomy of Peace
Privilege and Social Class Explained with a $100 Race Video
3 in 30 Podcast: Answering Your Questions about Race and Color Blindness
First Name Basis Podcast: Ahmaud Arbery and George Floyd: Unpacking Racism
We’ve all heard the term “Hindsight is 20/20.” What does this mean? It means when we look back, we have a clearer vision of the choices we’ve made, the events in our lives, and can “see” with a better perspective. Looking back over the last 20 years of our marriage, I have learned so many things. In this episode I touch on a couple that I feel have been the most valuable for me. The biggest lesson I've learned...drop the manual. Sometimes we create manuals for the people in our lives, and they can cause frustration and disconnection. In this episode I talk about the manual and what I “saw” by dropping it.
Walk a Mile in His Shoes
Four Seasons of Marriage: Secrets to a Lasting Marriage by Gary Chapman
Spiritual Lightening by Catherine M. Thomas
May is coming to an end, and many High School Seniors are completing their formal education. From this point forward they will be the instigator in their learning, whether it be from college, work, or any other source. Is this the end, or just the beginning? In this episode we will discuss why it is important to be a lifelong learner, sources for continuing our learning, and how to move forward. Although this topic is great for our High School Seniors, it is one that we all need to be reminded of occasionally!
Parents: The Prime Gospel Teachers of their Children by Tad R. Callister
Taking up the Cross by Neal A. Maxwell
Make Your Bed by Admiral William H. McRaven
7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Steven R. Covey
How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie
Seek Education and Lifelong Learning
Storyworthy by Matthew Dicks
Sisterhood. What does that mean? Biological sisters? Sisters by marriage? In today’s episode we conclude our celebration of Womanhood and Motherhood by discussing Sisterhood. It means so much more than just a family relationship. It means supporting, strengthening, building, and “lifting” the women around us. We need each other. We need the gifts, talents, similarities, and differences each one of us possesses. Listen in to a great episode about embracing the Sisterhood that comes with being women and mothers.
What is a Joist?
Family Handyman Joist Repair
Jody Moore Episode 229, Shine Your Light
Glennon Doyle Melton Article on Sisterhood
The Best Part of Life by Glennon Doyle Melton
Oh How We Need Each Other
Woman and the Moral Center of Gravity by Bruce C. Hafen
Never Gonna Let You Down by Colbie Callait
As we celebrate Womanhood and Motherhood this week I have thought, about all of the amazing women who I admire and love so much. Jarred’s mom, Brinda is one of these women. In this episode we talk about a couple of the things she does consistently. She “Say’s It and Does It.” Her kindness and example have influenced many for good. In this episode we talk about why she writes Thank You cards consistently, and why and how she serves others. She offers some great tips, words of wisdom, and encouragement to us all!
Lifting the Lifters Podcast: Episode 5
3 in 30 Podcast: Episode 56
Paulette Kirkham is a dear friend of mine who is a lifter in all aspects. Not only is she the inspiration behind Lifting the Lifters, but she has been a source of wisdom, truth, and support for many years. She is a wife, mother of 2, grandmother of 4, and a professor at BYU-Idaho where she “mothers” hundreds of students. In this episode, we talk about womanhood, motherhood, and so much more! Listen in and you will see why I love this woman so much!
Paulette's Favorite Shoes
Sharon Holbrook Quote
Meditation with Kireiki
Mother’s Day is just around the corner! This is a day that can stir up a lot of thoughts and emotions for women. In this episode I talk about a recent conversation I had with my daughter, Megan, about women and mothers. After having a little time to think and process, I also add more of how I feel about the role of women and mom’s. I believe being a woman is a spiritual, sacred calling, and in this episode I talk about why!
Genesis 2:21-22
Matthew Henry Quote
Barbara Bush Story
"Spiritual Lightening" by Catherine Thomas
"Are You the Woman I Think You Are" by Sheri Dew
Quote by James E. Talmage
Quote by Gordon B. Hinkley
"Are We Not All Mothers" by Sheri Dew
"I Am A Mother" by Jane Clayson Johnson
Having a baby, changing jobs, pursuing a project, big life changes, all these circumstances create a lot of questions. Lately it seems like there are so many questions about our future and what the next step is. A lot of unknowns and “I don’t knows.” In this episode we will talk about ways we can move forward, even when we are unsure. The first steps: Trust Your Gut. You Know Enough!
Notwithstanding My Weakness, Neal A. Maxwell
Girl Stop Apologizing, Rachel Hollis
Enough. I'm not enough. I didn't do enough. I'm not BLANK (fill in the word) enough. Have you ever said those words to yourself? In this podcast we're going to talk about enough. What it is, what it isn't, and how to overcome those thoughts of not being enough.
Definition of "Enough"
"Daring Greatly" by Brene Brown
Story of Two Wolves
"Are You the Woman I Think You Are" by Sheri Dew
"Five Reasons to Ditch Perfectionism and Embrace Good Enough"
"Falling to Heaven" by James Farrell
"Seven Things to Remember when You Think You Are Not Good Enough"
"Costs of Comparing" by Melissa Smith
I get a lot of questions about podcasting since starting up. The biggest one: WHY? Why am I doing this? Why podcast? Why put myself out there?
This is a question my husband and I always try to address as parents to our kids. When they ask "Why?" we give them the straight up answers and they know our expectations. Sometimes they get a little more than they wanted!
Episode 1 gave a little back ground into the WHY, but in this episode we'll dig deep into the WHY?
Two First Borns
Myths and Facts about Therapy
What is a Life Coach
Benefits of Therapy and Life Coaches
Jody Moore
The Life Coach School
Are We Not All Beggars
Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child
Meet my mom, Kathy Nielson. She is a Lifter in so many ways to me, my family, and those she is around. We discussed ideas and tools she used and still uses to keep peace in her home and workplace, we talked about who is a Lifter in her life, and much more! Plus, she shares with us a favorite tool she uses to mop her floors!
O-Cedar EasyWring Spin Mop
"Music is the medicine of the mind." (American Soldier and writer) In this episode we will discuss 5 reasons why incorporating music into your day-to-day can benefit the mind, body, and spirit as well as connect you with loved ones and strangers.
@lifting.the.lifters
https://bebrainfit.com/music-brain/
The Powerful Effect of Music on the Brain
Has your routine been turned upside down this week with the COVID-19 pandemic? School sports were cancelled and then school was cancelled all within the week, which meant a HUGE shift in our family's day-to-day. I'm sure many of you are in the same boat. In this bonus episode I'll give some suggestions on setting up a routine for you and your kids with some other ideas to make the best of this forced slow down. This is a system I have used the last few years when I was trying to work and juggle kids at home, and it works! It helps eliminate the nagging and we don't spend the entire day in front of the TV.
Notorious Blog Post
After listening to episode two about the "Weather Maker," we will discuss ways to set ourselves up for good weather! Jesser offers some suggestions and tips for a morning routine that help start the day with self-care for better family life and parenting.
Admiral William H. McRaven's Speech
Make Your Bed Book by Admiral William H. McRaven
7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Steven R. Covey
"If mom ain't happy, nobody is happy!" is a phrase used often! In this episode we will discuss how we can be the "Weather Maker" in our homes, families, and communities. We will talk about the purpose behind Lifting the Lifters and upcoming podcast topics!
Instagram: @lifting.the.lifters
Welcome to Lifting the Lifters! In this episode we will get to know our host, Jessica Rydalch, and the purpose behind the podcast.
Mom's One Line a Day Journal: https://www.amazon.com/Moms-One-Line-Day-Five-Year/dp/0811874907/ref=sr_1_9?crid=3TUO6Q993KOE4&keywords=one+line+a+day+journal&qid=1581167094&sprefix=one+line+a+da%2Caps%2C256&sr=8-9
