In this episode, I reflect on the power of the pause and how it is helping me to better navigate life's inevitable challenges.

I share my personal experiences and insights on how pausing before reacting has helped me improve my communication and regulate my emotions, and ultimately, it helps me make more educated, more informed, and more rational decisions.

I highlight 3 ways the power of the pause has helped me do the following in my own life:

1) Be a more conscious, regulated parent

2) Show up as a loyal and confident friend

3) Integrate gratitude into my daily life

I emphasize the importance of taking a pause to evaluate how to respond and rewire the brain for positive outcomes.

Key messages:

• Pausing before reacting can improve communication and outcomes.
• The power of the pause helps regulate emotions and leads to better decision-making.
• Taking a pause when parenting can change how you react and the effectiveness of discipline.
• Pausing in friendships can prevent overanalyzing and jumping to conclusions.
• Cultivating gratitude requires taking a pause and appreciating the present moment.

Before you listen to this episode, take a pause...your brain will thank you for it :)

Resources:

• Mindful.org - the power of the pause
• Gratitude physically changes your brain, new study says

In this episode, I interview Moriah Melendez, a licensed therapist, about her journey in therapy and her private practice.

Moriah specializes in working with women in their 20s, 30s, and early 40s in Idaho and Washington (both online and in person) focusing on:

• Relationship issues
• Recovering from people-pleasing
• Perfectionism

She and I discuss the importance of mental health and therapy, especially during the pandemic, and how therapy can help people who may not appear to be struggling.

Moriah shares her personal experiences with ADHD and OCD, and how they have informed her career as a therapist.

Overall, the conversation highlights the need for compassion and understanding in supporting others through their struggles. We discuss the importance of practicing imperfection and authenticity in therapy.

Moriah shares a personal experience of being late for a session and how it allowed her to practice grace and understanding. We also talk about Moriah's journey in managing ADHD and OCD, and the role of self-compassion in healing.

The conversation highlights the mind-body connection and the physical manifestations of mental health issues. Moriah emphasizes the value of therapy in gaining a different perspective and finding effective tools for healing.

Resources:

Follow Moriah on Instagram - therapywithmoriah

Read Moriah's bio + verification in Psychology Today

Book a consultation with Moriah

Self-compassion with Kristin Neff

In this conversation, Bryan, owner of K Floors in Concord, CA shares his experiences of overcoming adversity and finding joy in life.

He emphasizes the importance of self-love and not letting fear and worry control your actions. Bryan also discusses the significance of surrounding yourself with positive and supportive people.

He shares the stories of his children's births and highlights the importance of being present and adaptable in challenging situations.

Overall, Bryan's message is to embrace the good in life, accept what you can't control, and focus on what brings you joy.

• Embrace the good in life and accept what you can't control
• Surround yourself with positive and supportive people
• Practice self-love and prioritize your own well-being
• Be present and adaptable in challenging situations
• Focus on what brings you joy and don't let fear and worry control your actions
• Overcoming Adversity and Finding Joy in Life
• The Power of Self-Love and Positive Relationships
• "If it's not a hell yes, it's a no."
• "Self-love is so important. In fact, it's probably the most important in life."
• "You can't always do everything. You can't always be happy. You can't always make the right choice. You can't always plan everything out. You can't always have every contingency covered. And you have to accept that."

Bryan shares his journey of overcoming adversity and building a successful flooring company, K Floors, in Concord, CA.

He started as a painter and worked his way up, facing challenges along the way.

Despite setbacks, he remained resilient and focused on his goals. Bryan emphasizes the importance of specializing in a specific area and providing excellent service.

He also discusses the impact of family relationships and the role of mental health in his life.

The conversation covers various topics, including:

• The importance of support and resilience
• Starting a business during challenging times
• Overcoming adversity
• Finding happiness in life

He shares personal stories of his mother's support, as she worked multiple jobs to make ends meet.

Bryan also discusses the challenges of starting a brick-and-mortar business and the importance of commitment and dedication. He emphasizes the importance of self-advocacy, healing from childhood trauma, and learning to embrace both positive and negative experiences in life.

The conversation then shifts to his experience of breaking his back after falling 16 ft. off scaffolding while painting.

In Part 2 (Ep. 18), Bryan shares the physical and mental challenges he faced during recovery.

In this episode, I reflect on the concept of acceptance and the importance of accepting others for who they are.

I share quotes from Ram Dass and explore the idea of turning people into trees, appreciating them just as they are.

I'm hoppin' on the mic to refect on the difficulty of accepting others and the tendency to try to change them, emphasizing the need for self-acceptance and compassion, and how acceptance of others allows us to focus on working on ourselves.

Key takeaways:

1) People are like trees, with different trunks and branches

2) Different trees do better in different seasons, just like people

3) Practice self-acceptance and acceptance of others to create a better world.

Sources:

Ram Dass: Love Serve Remember Foundation

Lancaster Psychology

Ram Dass quotes on Goodreads.com

Triggers are super annoying...but we all have them, so we all gotta acknowledge them.

In a quick little episode, I reflect on what triggers are and how they have helped me know exactly what to work on.

Oh yes...that lovely inner voice that likes to talk shit, but also loves you at the same time. Gotta love her!

In this episode, I talk about my bitchy inner voice and how I'm starting to make her my pal (it only took 42 years.)

Welp, my hubby Ryan got the news a few days ago that he got laid off.

So...we talked about it!