It’s taken me a while to find a path toward the Middle Way, that Buddhist principle that rests firmly on common sense and shows us how to find moderation instead of swinging between one extreme or another. The Middle Way can offer us some peace as we find a balance between the extremes of self-indulgence, busyness, and wanting, or on the other side, toward extreme self-denial or self-discipline.

The Middle Way offers a nuanced path that embraces the ease and equilibrium of living with moderation. In this episode, I’ll use some illustrative examples from my life to discuss how to find this moderate way, and what benefits it can hold for us.

I’ll also touch on the concept of impermanence and its relationship to the Middle Way. How our cravings and clinging, perhaps in an attempt to control situations, ultimately backfire as we watch situations change in an instant. How can we find a reasoned approach to going after our wants and needs without doing so in a desperate, extreme way, and with the knowledge that change (in many directions) is inevitable? I’m reasoning this out too, with poetry, musings, and music.

Welcome to my reflections from the bright side of the beat.

Want to reengage with yourself and put creative self-care back on your to-do list? Head over to lettheverseflow.com and sign up for my free newsletter, the Me-Time Mixtape. Three times per month, I’ll send you 3 essential, hand-curated links/resources on creative self-care tips, tools, and strategies.

Music: All music for my podcast is sourced and licensed for use via Soundstripe.)

Poem: The Middle Way

Songs in this episode: See You In Sao Paulo by Chelsea McGough; Slide by GEMM; Cool by EILOH; Pyaar Kee Seemaen by Cast of Characters

Journal Prompts:
1. What areas of my life might benefit from me taking a balanced, moderate approach?
2. Do I tend to lean toward self-indulgence or self-denial in my life? Why is this and what do I think about this tendency?
3. Are there any obstacles in my thinking to embracing a Middle Way in life? What are they and how does clinging to them help or hurt me?

Prefer to read this episode? Read the complete episode in blog format here: https://www.lettheverseflow.com

What do you do when you’ve lost your fight and slip back into sloppy habits that make you miserable? You pick yourself up, dust yourself off, and get back in the game. In this episode, I’m exploring habits, the cues and triggers that govern them, the benefits they provide, and how to replace “bad” habits with better ones. I’m discussing my long, weight loss saga, and the way I’m moving forward, as a woman in my late 50s, to rebuild my healthy eating and exercise habits. It’s a rational approach, made tolerable by the soothing sounds of my spoken word poetry. In this episode, I explore:

• What habits are and how they work
• The hows and whys of replacing a “bad” habit with a better one
• How habit stacking can help
• How to problem solve when unhealthy habits persist
• How to plan for failure so you don’t lose your mind when you slip up
• My weight-loss (and weight-gain) story and how I’m moving my habits back into a healthy direction with the help of my trusted friend, music

Welcome to my reflections from the bright side of the beat.

Want to reengage with yourself and put creative self-care back on your to-do list? Head over to lettheverseflow.com and sign up for my free newsletter, the Me-Time Mixtape. Three times per month, I’ll send you 3 essential, hand-curated links/resources on creative self-care tips, tools, and strategies.

Listener Survey: As I head into year 2 of the podcast, I'd love to get your insight and ideas for the show. Please take this short survey. Note: The survey is anonymous, and I will NOT share your data. Listener Survey

Music: All music for my podcast is sourced and licensed for use via Soundstripe.)

Poem: Stop Lying

Songs in this episode: On Loop by Nu Alkemi$t; Slide by GEMM; I Don’t See You Fighting by Sam Barsh; Hey Marie by Tony Sopiano; Pyaar Kee Seemaen by Cast of Characters

Resources:
James Clear: How to Break a Bad Habit and Replace It With a Good One; How to Build New Habits by Taking Advantage of Old Ones (Habit Stacking); How To Start New Habits That Actually Stick (Four Stages of a Habit)

Related Episodes:
#12: Compare Less/Grateful More

Journal Prompts:
1) What bad habit do I want to change? Why is this the habit to change?
2) Write about the four stages of your habit – what are the cue, craving, response and reward of your habit? See the show notes for the article entitled How to Start New Habits That Actually Stick to read more on these four stages.
3) Write about a new habit you want to replace the old habit with, noting the benefits it will give you and how it will address the need that your old habit fulfilled.

Prefer to read this episode? Read the complete episode in blog format here: https://www.lettheverseflow.com

This episode is about how deep self-listening helps us construct better personal growth goals and the power of connecting that listening to essential self-truths that form the basis for our choices and actions.

In this episode:

• I talk about how a recent Being Well podcast episode on manifesting sparked new thoughts on intention setting and dedicated action to achieve personal growth goals.
• I summarize the three elements the Hansons discussed – believing in yourself, clear goal setting, and taking consistent action.
• I discuss tools to help facilitate deep self-listening including mindful activities, meditation, restorative sleep and journaling.

It’s a heady episode, but that’s why we have poetry!!

Welcome to my reflections from the bright side of the beat.

Want to reengage with yourself and put creative self-care back on your to-do list? Head over to my website: lettheverseflow.com and sign up for my free newsletter, the Me-Time Mixtape. Three times per month, I’ll send you 3 essential, hand-curated links/resources on creative self-care tips, tools, and strategies.

Listener Survey: As I head into year 2 of the podcast, I'd love to get your insight and ideas for the show. Please take this short survey. Note: The survey is anonymous, and I will NOT share your data. Listener Survey

Music: All music for my podcast is sourced and licensed for use via Soundstripe.)

Poem: Dear One

Songs in this episode: Rabbit by Midnight Daydream; Slide by GEMM; Rain On The Leaves by In This World; Pyaar Kee Seemaen by Cast of Characters

Resources:
Being Well Podcast (the Psychology of Manifesting)

Yoga Nidra 20-Minute Guided Meditation

How Journaling Can Help You Sleep

Related Episodes:
#23: Overcoming Overthinking and Worry with Journal Writing & Meditation

#24: Affirmation Meditation to Overcome Overthinking and Worry

Journal Prompts:

1. What patterns of thoughts, feelings or ideas keep coming up to me as important?
2. Take a nature walk or sit for a meditation for 15 minutes then write about whatever comes to mind. Don’t censor it, just write whatever thoughts you have.
3. Write about 1 or 2 problems that you have struggled with often during your life. Are you ready to tackle one of these problems with a well-intentioned goal?

Prefer to read this episode? Read the complete episode in blog format here: https://www.lettheverseflow.com

It's summertime in NYC! I'm exploring the changing seasons in New York, as Central Park transitions from spring to summer. My cherished cherry blossom trees, vast array of birds, and wild mushrooms keep me company. From that beautiful spaciousness, I’ve dived into spring cleaning. In this episode, I explore:

• The beauty, wonder, and sensory pleasures of NYC’s Central Park in Spring (through a mindful eye)
• Practical minimalism and the positive effects of spring cleaning
• Handling grief while going through a loved one's things
• Paring things down and having gratitude for what’s left

Welcome to my reflections from the bright side of the beat.

Want to reengage with yourself and put creative self-care back on your to-do list? Head over to my website: lettheverseflow.com and sign up for my free newsletter, the Me-Time Mixtape. Three times per month, I’ll send you 3 essential, hand-curated links/resources on creative self-care tips, tools, and strategies.

Listener Survey: As I celebrate the podcast's first anniversary, I want to ensure I cover topics that most resonate with my listeners. Please take this short survey and tell me a little about yourself. Note: The survey is anonymous, and I will NOT share your data. Listener Survey

Poem: They Came to Me

Music: (My thanks to all the musicians who make incredible music and share it with the world. All music for my podcast is sourced and licensed for use via Soundstripe.)

Songs in this episode: Bird Songs (Robin) recorded by Jill Hodge; Early Bird by Brian Brown; Hidden Forest by Outside the Sky; Majestic Skies by Strength To Last; Slide by GEMM; Club Banga by Ghost Beatz; Pyaar Kee Seemaen by Cast of Characters

Related Episodes:

The Nature Connection: Finding Peace and Perspective (episode 28)

Mindful Living Through Meditation (episode 26)

Grief & Gratitude (It's Bittersweet) (episode 15)

The Healing Power of Time (and Sense) (episode 8)

LTVF Season 2 Music Playlist: Check out the songs that inspire me, and connect with artists from many genres who add to our collective, human soundtrack.

Journal Prompts:

1. What areas of my home would benefit from a cleaning and a minimalistic refresh? Which corner will I start in and why?
2. How can I create a safe haven, a summertime sanctuary, in or around my home, for my summertime self-care?
3. What symbols, experiences, and things signal summer revival and rebirth to me, and how can I incorporate these things into my life?

Prefer to read this episode? Read the complete episode in blog format here: https://www.lettheverseflow.com

Having grace and compassion for ourselves, especially as we make mistakes and take missteps along our life's journey, frees us to learn from those mistakes. It also helps us embrace one of the basic tenets of a growth mindset: recasting mistakes as opportunities for personal growth.

In this episode, I share how stress and my inability to cope with my caregiving duties can sometimes make me say regretful things, or feel uncomfortable emotions. When that happens, I'm often faced with guilt. I'll make a case for reframing caregiver guilt (and other types of guilt) as opportunities to reflect and learn and explain the value of a growth mindset for reducing shame. I explore:

• What grace is and why it’s so important for caregivers in particular to hold grace for themselves.
• How our lack of grace for ourselves usually stems from the shitty twin feelings of perfectionism and fear of failure.
• How embracing a growth mindset can help reduce self-criticism and help empower us to learn from mistakes.
• How humor or developing more compassionate self-talk (through affirmations or mantras) can help us be kinder to ourselves.

Welcome to my reflections from the bright side of the beat.

Want to reengage with yourself and put creative self-care back on your to-do list? Head over to my website: lettheverseflow.com and sign up for my free newsletter, the Me-Time Mixtape. Three times per month, I’ll send you 3 essential, hand-curated links/resources on creative self-care tips, tools, and strategies.

Poem: Grace

Music: (My thanks to all the musicians who make incredible music and share it with the world. All music for my podcast is sourced and licensed for use via Soundstripe.)

Songs in this episode: Movement Like Water by Nu Alkemi$t; Slide by GEMM; Samson's Buzzcut by GRIDKIDS; Pyaar Kee Seemaen by Cast of Characters

Related Episodes:

Sitting with Shitty Feelings (episode 4)

Resources:
Being Kinder to Yourself (Greater Good Science Center animation)

LTVF Season 2 Music Playlist: Check out the songs that inspire me, and connect with artists from many genres who add to our collective, human soundtrack.

Journal Prompts:

1. What does holding grace look like to you? How can you cultivate grace for yourself when you make mistakes?
2. Write about a mistake that made you feel guilt or shame, and then reflect on what you can learn from that experience.
3. Write about one area in your life where you want to develop forgiveness and self-compassion.

Prefer to read this episode? Read the complete episode in blog format here: https://www.lettheverseflow.com

When life feels out of control, and we are thrust into the world of adulting with a capital “A,” we can feel overwhelmed by our options, not see them clearly, or find them too chaotic to contemplate. That’s when we must simplify our world by leaning on some foundational pillars of self-care.

I call on faith, spiritual practices, and small action steps to build agency. While we don’t control life, we can have agency and influence over our choices and their outcomes. In this episode, I talk about:

• secular faith and my belief in the power of community (especially those in my close circle) as a source of comfort
• spiritual practices like mindfulness meditation and the idea of non-attachment to feelings and thoughts
• taking small action steps to build a pathway forward with plenty of room to grow and pivot without judgment or self-doubt

Welcome to my reflections from the bright side of the beat.

Want to reengage with yourself and put creative self-care back on your to-do list? Head over to my website: lettheverseflow.com and sign up for my free newsletter, the Me-Time Mixtape. Three times per month, I’ll send you 3 essential, hand-curated links/resources on creative self-care tips, tools, and strategies.

Poem: Life Asks for Faith

Music: (My thanks to all the musicians who make incredible music and share it with the world. All music for my podcast is sourced and licensed for use via Soundstripe.)

Songs in this episode: Mellow Bloom by Lunareh; Slide by GEMM; Palm Springs by Nu Alkemi$; Pyaar Kee Seemaen by Cast of Characters

Related Episodes:

Creativity Connects Us to Hope (episode 25)

Mindful Living Through Meditation (episode 26)

Sitting with Shitty Feelings (episode 4)

Positive Shift: Meditation for Your Glow Up (episode 3)

LTVF Season 2 Music Playlist: Check out the songs that inspire me, and connect with artists from many genres who add to our collective, human soundtrack.

Journal Prompts:

1. What does faith look like to you? When times are hard, how do you draw on that faith to comfort yourself?
2. What spiritual or mindfulness practices might you explore now to help you handle times of struggle that may lay ahead? Can you explore them now so you have a process in place when you need it?
3. Think about one problem and write 2 small actions that you could take as the next steps to work to untangle that problem. After you write, take one of these actions and reflect on how it went.

Prefer to read this episode? Read the complete episode in blog format here: https://www.lettheverseflow.com

We’ve heard the saying “It’s the journey, not the destination,” or “I control the actions but not the results.” In this episode, I combine these two ideas to explore the role that our core beliefs play in keeping our creative spirit alive and fueling our productivity and stamina when pursuing projects. Focusing on our core beliefs is especially helpful with new endeavors that lead us into unchartered waters – when we may not know exactly what we’re doing, how to do it, and if it will work. Let’s explore how to use your core beliefs to put purpose and meaning at the center of your daily creative practice to spur and energize yourself when your motivation wanes.

Building on episode 18 on Affirmations & Actions to Keep Your Dreams Alive, here are more ideas on the beliefs and attitudes most helpful in moving toward the ever-elusive finish line. Spoiler: the finish line changes and the real prize is the journey.

I hope to inspire you to push through the fatigue, the doubt, and the monotony because the journey that unfolds as you work toward your dream projects is the destination (and it’s worth the struggle).

Welcome to my reflections from the bright side of the beat.

Want to reengage with yourself and put creative self-care back on your to-do list? Head over to my website: lettheverseflow.com and sign up for my free newsletter, the Me-Time Mixtape. Three times per month, I’ll send you 3 essential, hand-curated links/resources on creative self-care tips, tools, and strategies.

Poem: The Important Thing

Music: (My thanks to all the musicians who make incredible music and share it with the world. All music for my podcast is sourced and licensed for use via Soundstripe.)

Songs in this episode: Ante by Cast Of Characters; Slide by GEMM; East Meets West by Nu Alkemi$t; Pyaar Kee Seemaen by Cast of Characters

Related Episodes:

Affirmations & Actions to Keep Your Dreams Alive (episode 18)

Affirmation Meditation: Keep Your Dreams Alive (episode 20)

LTVF Season 2 Music Playlist: Check out the songs that inspire me, and connect with artists from many genres who add to our collective, human soundtrack.

Journal Prompts

1. Write about 3 of your core beliefs – those ideas, internal laws, and statements that you believe in and that guide your actions.
2. Write about a time when you worked really hard for something. What happened during the journey? Was it what you expected?
3. Answer this question: what patterns, habits, and beliefs help to re-energize your personal projects and goals, and how can you nurture those habits and beliefs to keep a positive and productive mindset?

Prefer to read this episode? Read the complete episode in blog format here: https://www.lettheverseflow.com

This city girl is deeply connected to nature. Mindful walks in nature are a core way to add richness and “right thinking” to your life. In this episode, I talk about an early, profoundly moving natural experience that shaped my deep love of the ocean. This life-changing event would connect me to the ocean for the rest of my life. From Cape May, New Jersey to Oahu, Hawaii, I share how my experiences swimming near and around ocean animals have brought me peace and perspective. I also explore these questions:

• What’s our connection to nature and how can it add meaning to our lives?
• How can we draw inspiration from our early ancestors and from different cultural beliefs to connect with nature?
• How do we bring nature into our lives to help us face challenging times and broaden our perspective on those challenges?

After this episode, I hope you start seeing that local park, wide open field, lake, ocean, or mountain differently. I hope to inspire you to bring nature closer to your life. Connecting with nature will likely help you feel more “yourself,” through the quality time and inward reflection it promotes. Use the resources below to cultivate a nature connection.

Welcome to my reflections from the bright side of the beat.

Want to reengage with yourself and put creative self-care back on your to-do list? Head over to my website: lettheverseflow.com and sign up for my free newsletter, the Me-Time Mixtape. Three times per month, I’ll send you 3 essential, hand-curated links/resources on creative self-care tips, tools, and strategies.

Poem: The Living Thread

Music: (My thanks to all the musicians who make incredible music and share it with the world. All music for my podcast is sourced and licensed for use via Soundstripe.)

Songs in this episode:

The Forest Floor by Shimme; Slide by GEMM; Early Morning Birds and Wind Tumbling Leaves by Soundstripe; Pyaar Kee Seemaen by Cast of Characters

Resources:

Forest Bathing and Shinrin-Yoku

Evolutionary Connection to Nature

Nature-Connection Benefits

Native connection to Unci Maka–Mother Earth

LTVF Season 2 Music Playlist: Check out the songs that inspire me, and connect with artists from many genres who add to our collective, human soundtrack.

Journal Prompts

1. Which of your senses do you get most pleasure from and how is your sensory system engaged in your favorite natural setting?
2. Pick up a few items from your next nature walk and write about what you chose to keep and why. How are you connected to these items?
3. Write about a childhood memory you had in nature. How did this nature connection affect and change you?

Prefer to read this episode? Read the complete episode in blog format here: https://www.lettheverseflow.com