Episodes

In the episode I talk about why we each need to intentionally behave with kindness to counteract some of the negativity in our society. This episode includes: The benefits of kindness for our own health and wellbeing How both kindness and unkindness are contagious Kindness is a self-reinforcing habit Practices to prepare for showing more kindness The random acts of kindness experiment Get my latest book The Journey from Ego to Soul Support this podcast to keep it on the air!

I'm back after taking a week off for self-care! Today I'll share some thoughts about the life cycle of a butterfly and why it's a good analogy for our own process of growth and change. This episode includes: The small world of the caterpillar Why the "chrysalis phase" of change is so unsettling and even frightening Why all the stages of the cycle are necessary in order for the butterfly to emerge Tips for surviving the chrysalis phase of dissolution and falling apart Remembering to let thin...

In this episode I share my ongoing journey of self-healing as I look at my old beliefs about what it means to be a good person that primarily came from my early religious training. This episode includes: How our old beliefs can stay hidden even as we grow to higher consciousness Why we need to recognize and heal old beliefs that may be harmful to us How expanding our consciousness helps us see more perspectives and hold more love and also pain Why growing to higher consciousness consists of ...

In this episode I talk about learning how to manage our own internal "self-bullying" in order to be more resilient and better protected from bullying behaviors by other people. This episode includes: The bullying tactics of the wounded ego How to recognize our triggers Why being triggered is a good thing for our growth in consciousness Finding compassion for our wounded egos Stopping the "shame cycle" that occurs after being triggered Get my latest book The Journey from Ego to Soul Support...

This episode continues my own exploration of getting ill at the same time I released my podcast episode on grief after my father's suicide death. I've been gleaning a lot of wisdom from my own time of illness and recognizing why sometimes things get worse before they get better. This episode includes: The metaphor of a backdraft occurring after releasing old painful feelings How to get through the challenge of things getting worse Why we need to accept the journey however it unfolds without a...

As I record this I am dealing with a case of shingles so I'm talking about how I'm using self-compassion practices to cope. I recently released an episode on End-of-Life University Podcast about my grief after my father's suicide death, which was very stressful to create and intimidating to publish, so I think this illness is part of the aftermath of that stress. This episode includes: Tara Brach's RAIN practice for self-compassion Recognize symptoms Allow whatever is happening right now Inv...

In this episode I share some new insights I've found about the value of "reparenting" ourselves while we are also parenting our own children or grandchildren. This is powerful work that can lead to deep healing. I'm drawing on the work of ShellyRobinson.com so go there to check it out. This episode includes: How reparenting might be work that we continue throughout our lives How children and grandchildren can act as mirrors for our own trauma and wounds Five steps of reparenting (according to...

In this episode I share some thoughts on why the spiritual journey to expanded consciousness can cause us to feel lonely and to miss the tight-knit religious communities we may have been part of at an earlier time in our journey. This episode includes: The health benefits of being part of a supportive community Why our spiritual growth may require us to be lonely at times Finding "micro-community" through little moments of connection with others How to see humanity as our ultimate community ...

I'm recording this episode the day after my birthday and sharing some thoughts about growing older and what I'm doing to shift my attitude about my age from negative to positive. This episode includes: Why the term "elderhood" is better than "old age" The important health benefits of a positive attitude toward aging Traits that predict "successful" aging The most helpful habits for a healthy elderhood 4 keys to longevity Get my latest book The Journey from Ego to Soul Support this podcast ...

In this episode I talk about breaking the cycle of shame and unworthiness that leaves us feeling like we are never good enough. This episode includes: We are hardwired to compare ourselves to others and to fear rejection How a 4 year old boy is teaching emotional intelligence to adults on social media Why we need to develop self-acceptance and find happiness in being ordinary The affirmations that will help us accept ourselves: everybody makes mistakes and I'm learning How to use the "littl...

In this episode we continue to look at childhood wounds and the idea that healing may require us to grieve and mourn the losses that have occurred. For me this seems to be a missing piece of my healing journey and I hope it resonates with you as well. This episode includes: Why we may not be able to heal if we don't recognized our grief from childhood William Worden's Four Tasks of Mourning How to heal using the 3 keys: Name It, Reclaim It, Reframe It Telling a new story about your precious ...

This week I'm continuing my mini-series on childhood trauma by talking specifically about shame, which many of us carry into adulthood. This episode includes: The difference between guilt and shame How shame has been used as a tool by parents, teachers, religious leaders, other adults in our lives, and even our peers How shame undermines our belief in ourselves to grow and change 3 dysfunctional responses to the pain of shame Steps to engage with shame and heal it Get my latest book The Jo...

In this second episode on trauma we explore more tools for healing, whether we've experienced trauma in our own lifetimes or are carrying ancestral trauma. This episode includes: How ancestral trauma gets handed down from generation to generation Top down vs bottom up approaches to dealing with trauma Why everyone is carrying some type of trauma in the form of unhealed emotional wounds Our mental health system is not currently doing well with recognizing the impact of trauma on emotional hea...

In this episode I share some insights I've had recently from reading Dr. Bessel van der Kolk's book The Body Keeps the Score. This has been a powerful learning experience for me and I'm happy to share it with you because I now realize that we all have trauma from the past that we need to heal. I'll share more on this next week. This episode includes: The ACE Study and the implications of childhood trauma on our physical, emotional, and mental health Mainstream medicine continues to ignore the ...

In this 100th episode of the podcast I talk about my experience with being still and silent last week as I dealt with a case of laryngitis. This led me to ponder the value of this podcast and to recognize our connectedness and how a podcast might help us recognize the energetic tapestry that we are all weaving together. This episode includes: Synchronicities that continue to inspire to create content The stories that connect us all Why it's important to recognize the bonds between us and the ...

In this episode recorded on Valentine's Day I share some stories about love and how we can continue to find the light of love even in times of despair and hopelessness. This episode includes: How an anonymous gift can change everything. How we found love in a nursing home. The "many-splintered" nature of love. Self-compassion practice for opening to the light of love. The Lovingkindness Blessing. Get my latest book The Journey from Ego to Soul Support this podcast to keep it on the air!

In this episode I share some thoughts on how we can actually become wiser as we go through life and why we need to utilize our own life experiences to help us grow. This episode includes: The difference between knowledge and wisdom The "3 pillars" of wisdom Why external sources (like sacred scriptures) are not enough to help us grow in true wisdom The inward journey requires us to examine the pain of life The 7 lessons that have formed my "wisdom path" Get my latest book The Journey from E...

In this episode I discuss my own longing for awe-inspiring experiences in my day-to-day life and what I've learned about AWE through my studies. This episode includes: The definition of awe What creates an experience of awe for us The 8 benefits of awe experiences The most common source of awe as shown in studies The daily A.W.E. practice that can remind you to be open to living in awe of the universe Get my latest book The Journey from Ego to Soul Support this podcast to keep it on the ai...

In this podcast I share some insights I got while reading Ann Neumann's book The Good Death. She tells a story about meeting with a disability advocate who is adamantly opposed to medical aid in dying and how they became friends over time by listening and understanding each other's perspective. Taking more than one perspective is part of our growth to higher consciousness and I share some steps to take: Understand how your own "lens" has formed throughout your life Be willing to broaden your p...

In this episode I talk about contrasting messages observed on social media: "You're going to die" vs "There is no death." It's important to look at the levels of consciousness from which these two seemingly opposite statements arise in order to see how they could both be true at the same time. This episode includes: How people on both sides of this discussion dislike my use of "end of life" What end of life means to me as an umbrella term What it means to "die before we die" Why we need to e...

In this episode I share some advice that was offered by a teacher of astrology for the coming year. She recommended that we each figure out what is most precious to us and remember to live by that and bring it to the world this year. For me, what is most precious is also "what really matters" and the "ultimate concern" of our lives. This episode includes: How I first discovered "what really matters" in my life at age 16 Why we need to have a core principle or value that informs and illuminates...

Welcome to the first episode of 2023! Today I'm sharing a list of 10 strategies used by free climber Alex Honnold to overcome fear as he trained to do a solo free-climb of El Capitan in Yosemite National Park in 2017. Let's apply those strategies to our own lives as we figure out how to navigate the challenges of aging and facing our own mortality. This episode includes Alex's strategies: Desire to overcome fear Reflect in a journal Have confidence in your strengths Reframe your emotions Wo...

In this episode I take a look back at 2022 and share with you the practices I've utilized this year - some old and some new - that have made a big difference for me. Stop for a moment and reflect on this year for you - what have you done that has made a difference for you? This episode includes my top 10: Yoga stretches Mindfulness Journaling Breathing exercises Walking outdoors Strength training Macro balanced diet 3 self-compassion practices from https://self-compassion.org Happy holi...

In this episode I dive deeper into the Inward Journey (or Arc) mentioned in last week's episode. This journey is essential for rising above the control of the ego in our lives and the narcissism it perpetuates. This episode includes: The Inward Journey is often catalyzed by crisis or things falling apart. Why you need to understand how ego operates and recognize its control over your behavior Why healing the pain and wounds of the Shadow is an important part of the Inward Journey. The behavi...