“Maybe when you start recognizing the blessing you have, others will reveal themselves.” I really love reflecting on the things I am grateful for each day! In this episode I am sharing a lesson I gave my daughter’s young women’s group in our ward last spring which I am also going to share with my extended family at our Thanksgiving gathering. I wanted to share in case you might want to use all or a part of the lesson for your family at Thanksgiving too. I am a bi...

I am in celebration mode - it is episode 200! In this episode I look back at some of my favorite episode topics over the past 4 and a half years. I mention how much my life has changed in the past 5 years as well as how much I have learned and grown from all of the things I have shared on the podcast. Some of the podcast episodes I mention, the 90/10 Principle, The science fair project struggle, The expectation series, Pet Peeves and Keeping commitments to yourself.&nb...

“Some of the most beautiful parts of our world are created through conflict….” In this week’s episode I am sharing what I learned about the difference between conflict and contention. After finishing such a contentious election it is good to talk about how we can welcome conflict. I share how I really love the idea that conflict is essential in creation. I also share how we need to remember to use love and respect as we learn of differing ideas and opinions. I also men...

“I can be myself with her.” In this episode I am going to share some thoughts about love and marriage after having my son’s wedding a few weeks ago. I share the idea that being loved for who you really are can help you blossom and love others because you can forget to worry about yourself and how lovable you are. I also talk about how we as humans like to love things, my example of my cute and cuddly dog. I also make a point about loving as Jesus Christ, being mo...

“Happy day! All is well!” This is the last in the series using the book, The The Parent’s Tao Te Ching: A New Interpretation - Ancient advice for modern parents by William Martin. This episode I share 3 new passages. With topics like, Respect, trust and confidence as a parent. So many great thoughts - working on using respect and kindness when you children behave or misbehave. I talked about remembering that we are all part of the Tao and that all is well.&...

What has your child failed at recently? Today’s episode we continued taking a look at a few passages from the book, The Parent’s Tao Te Ching by William Martin. This episode is all about failure being our best teacher. These passages remind us how wonderful it is to be human and with that comes mistakes. There are also messages freeing us as parents to realize our life experiences in their fullness both the happy and sad, success and failure all help us to teach our ch...

“Create space within your heart and your children will always rest secure.” In this episode, I share a few more words of wisdom from the book, The Parent’s Tao Te Ching: A New Interpretation - Ancient advice for modern parents by William Martin. I chose 3 different chapters that have similar themes. To learn to relax your grip with your children and rely more on the Tao. To make room and not fill all of your children’s time and to be still, open and spacious.&nbs...

“…And make the ordinary come alive for them. The extraordinary will take care of itself.” In this episode I will be sharing a quote from William Martin from the book, The Parent's Tao Te Ching: Ancient Advice for Modern Parents. In this quote is the idea that we need to help our kids find wonder in the ordinary things and the extraordinary will take care of itself. I share a little bit from 3 Nephi chapters 1 and 2, that some of the people were no longer astonish...

“It is weird to think about being 50.” This week I am going to share a few of what I am calling my midlife musings. I have been reflecting on my life lately and how it has changed from even just 5 years ago and the busyness is just so different. I also take some time to think back to when I was a teenager and my thoughts of what I was looking forward to as I grew up, not even really thinking about being 50. Then I share an instance of how different my life is by ...

“Nothing new is easy at the beginning.” This week I experienced momentum as we were finishing up my daughter’s bedroom redo. So in this episode I share what helped me gain my momentum this week and how it kept getting easier and easier to keep going. I then share the physics definition of momentum. I also explain the force that we need to get us out of the state of rest, which is not easy. Near the end I share how momentum can benefit our spiritual lives as well....

“You can really kick off a positive cycle of increasing transparency and closeness.” This episode is a part 2 of sorts to the friendship from episode 190. I am talking about things to do when you feel lonely. I had a great newsletter from Ellen Hendricksen that started it off with 4 things you can do when you feel lonely. She begins by defining loneliness which I share. Then I especially liked the suggestion which she says, “Use each bout of loneliness as a cue to make socia...

“When we share about our lives, it signals to the listener that we trust them.” Friendship is the topic for today’s episode. As I know many of our children and youth are starting up school and have the opportunity to make new friends, this episode will help explain a little more about the skill or things we can do to foster new friendships or work on current ones as well. I share my daughter's situation and her need to make some new friends. I refer back to...

“For the first two editions (1896 and 1900), participation in [the Olympics] Games was literally a prize in itself.” In this episode I am sharing a few stories or background to a few women who competed in the Olympics and a few who will compete in the upcoming paralympics and the honor of just getting there. I share about two pregnant women who competed in the olympics, an archer and a fencer Also an 58 year old woman who also made it to the Olympic in table tennis, a dream of he...

“If you bless someone with your abundance, when it comes time and you need something, it will just appear.” I am back to decluttering. Taking another go and this time I am doing it on my terms. I share how I have decided that there is not “right” way to get rid of your things or that you even have to but that I can do it using what works best for both my strengths and weaknesses. I talk about my new thoughts about all my stuff and how I have been so blessed to have eno...

Ok friends - another throwback episode. This week I had a few unexpected things pop up and I ran out of time to get my episode out. So this is a good review for me about thinking of organization and decluttering which I will explore next week. In the meantime enjoy this 3 year old episode (if you can believe it, because I can't!)“The basic aim of organization is to know where things are and to be able to retrieve these things with minimal to no fuss. “ My kids are back...

“The invitation is always more than just an invitation…” In this episode I share a little bit about the anxiety I felt as I was putting together the list of people to invite to my daughter’s wedding. I tell of some interesting ideas about the power of invitations, like being a witness and belonging. Also the hard side of not being able to invite everyone and worrying about leaving people out. Finally, how all of this can also remind us of Jesus Christ and his inv...

I am back … this is not a throwback. Today I share a short reflection about the wedding and making an experience. I mention how it can be so easy to get caught up in all of the things: dress, cake, food, venue, music, invitations that the experience during the party can be more of an afterthought. I share how my daughter had a great vision of what she wanted for the experience. I also share a few experiences we had before the wedding which also made it so memorable.Sho...

Ok friends - last throwback for the summer and then I will be back with new stuff. I love thinking about making small changes and how it can make such a difference. You can also look into the series about The Atomic Habits series (Ep 76,77& 78). Enjoy!“Doesn’t matter how small the improvement.” This week I am sharing a bit about the British cycling team and the story of their rise to greatness after 76 years of not doing much. It is with that context that I t...

Hi friends! I did get to a episode this week. I thought I would be doing a lot of this as for the wedding so I thought I would share the power of introductions. Original episode 71.“Make the world a bit more human in the process.” After last week I have thought a lot about starting conversations and that led me to explore the power of introductions. Introductions are helpful both in writing and when meeting someone new and I share how they both can relate....

Another throwback episode. Although just before the episode I share a short story of the miracle of the maueverability test. Just had to share. Then to the episode because I think we all could use a reminder about what it means to be proactive in life. Enjoy!“Response - ability” the ability to choose your response. This week I talk about habit 1 - to be proactive from the book 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen R. Covey. Being proactive has man...

Hey friends - another throwback episode. Just a few weeks til the wedding. I thought this a great reminder of ways to look for the best in myself this summer! I hope this helps you too. Such practical tips! (now I really need to do them :))“...keep looking for the best in yourself.” Continuing this episode talking about Confidence and the book, The Confident Mind - a Battle Tested Guide to unshakable performance by Dr. Nate Zinsser. In this episode we get t...

Hi friends! June is proving to be pretty busy. So this month I will be posting some older episodes for you to enjoy. This one from the Book, I don't have to make everything all better and I think a great review. Enjoy!! “All of us want to be listened to and understood.” This episode I begin sharing principles from the book “I Don’t Have to Make it All Better” By Gary B. and Joy Saunders Lundberg. The first two principles that I shar...

“What time is it? Summertime!!” Summer is here for us and now what? This episode I share a few of our plans for the summer and a few reflections on my favorite time at the pool with my kids when they were all small. I also reflect on how I am doing with the concepts from The Anatomy of Peace book. I share an experience that I can’t decide if it’s a failure or simply me not correcting very compassionately. I then share how this podcast will go this summer, s...

“Peace – whether at home, work, or between peoples – is invited only when an intelligent outward strategy is married to a peaceful inward one.” This episode is the last one of the series talking about the book, The Anatomy of Peace by The Arbinger Institute. In these last chapters we learn about the rest of the Pyramid of Change that was mentioned in the first episode. It is with this pyramid that we can finally learn how to help things go right. We learn how after our heart is at...