Balancing Stories

FULL SHOW NOTES with links on Balancingstories.com

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Episode 68: Closing 2021 – Mini Mantras to End a Year

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In Episode 68 and 69, over the changing of the year, I am sharing my mini mantras.

These are very small, free actions that have helped me with my physical, mental and emotional wellbeing. Did I mention they are free? And not in the, please sign up for my newsletter in order to get this PDF kind of way. These actions can take seconds and involve no passwords.

The question is, why do I need these? Why do I need to tell myself (often literally out loud) to take these tiny actions, to consciously make an effort to make my life better?

Wait for it… Culture.

With each of these simple tasks, that may be reflexes for others, I need to convince myself to change my behavior because I was raised (in my family, in my community or by society) in many cases to do the opposite.

In this episode I will start with the mini mantras that are useful year-round but especially good for ending the year, in preparation for a reset.

FULL SHOW NOTES with links on Balancingstories.com

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Episode 67: Empty Nest Christmas – Remembering Traditions, Adjusting Expectations, & Redefining Christmas

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My mom is here to talk about Christmas.

Like all the episodes I do with my mom, we have a working title, overall theme but no outline. However, this episode ended up with 4 distinct segments: Part 1 The Italians (my mom’s paternal side) moving to the US and establishing Christmas traditions, Part 2 My mom’s childhood – same same but different, Part 3 Married with children – building new traditions, Part 4 How all of that influences her feelings about what she has now - an Empty Nest Christmas.

FULL SHOW NOTES with links on Balancingstories.com

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Encore of Episode 27: Balancing Christmas – Trees, Presents, Food, & Negotiating Traditions

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Balancing Christmas Encore! Last year I sat down with my brother (across an ocean) to talk about Christmas.

We were both born and raised in the USA but both ended up marrying Europeans. I married a Finn and live in Germany and my brother married a half German, half Belgian, American born, raised with European values wife. You can get to know her back in episode 5 – Third Culture Kid in Retrospect. But in this episode, we talk about Christmas for us as kids, what it has become now that we mix and match traditions with our partners, and how we embrace the magic of the season with our kids. Tangents Include: Real versus Fake Trees, Hallmark Ornaments, when to open presents, food, food and more food, where does Santa live, and more.

Spoiler Alert! Please DO NOT listen to this episode with children. There is chat about Christmas morning and more. We do not want to be responsible for the crushing of their dreams.

FULL SHOW NOTES with links on Balancingstories.com

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Episode 66: Identity in the Workplace – Gender Equality & Racial Equity in Corporate Culture

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Identity, Equity, Equality… just a few words that highlight my conversation with Leanne.

First, we talk about how cultures can shape us. Then we dog into corporate culture which leads us to the big topics of gender equality and racial equity. Which lead to a chat about equity versus equality. Which brought us back to, what needs to change in corporate culture. And somewhere in the middle, Leanne teaches me a bit about British History.

FULL SHOW NOTES with links on Balancingstories.com

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Episode 65: Her Finland – Helping Non-Finns Make Their Finnish Dreams Come True

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Do you dream about Finland? Varpu of Her Finland is here to talk about making Finnish dreams come true, especially for non-Finns… or in our case, Finns outside of Finland.

We talk about Finnish culture, about my Finnish dream, about her current adventure and personal Finnish dream, and I finally get some answers about a particular Finnish tradition around Easter.

FULL SHOW NOTES with links on Balancingstories.com

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Episode 64: What’s in a Name? The Culture a Name Carries & Our Balancing with Belonging

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Jorge with a J is here to tell us more about the power of a name to give us a sense of belonging, to make us stand out, to connect us to heritage, to pass on legacy and to help us build bridges.  A name can say so much. Here is one man’s story from immigrant parents, to Canadian upbringing to living abroad and his name along the way.

FULL SHOW NOTES with links on Balancingstories.com

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Episode 63: Can We Talk About Balance? Moving, Changing, Becoming, Balancing

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Balance and the In-Between: Most of us have moved at some point in our lives, to a new city or country, and had to strike a balance between here and there, then and now. So today, Nicole from the Expat Cast is here and we are chatting about Balance. We’re asking ourselves: Who were we, Where are we, & What do we want? We don’t have the answers but here’s a podcast full of questions to ponder.

FULL SHOW NOTES with links on Balancingstories.com

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Episode 62: Future Proofing with GrowGetters – Empowering Women through Skill Building & Community

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Are you a GrowGetter?

In this episode I speak with the founders of GrowGetters, because it’s now or never for so many women around the world. Let’s get future proof!

They want to inspire women to stop, to reflect, to ask: am I happy?

Does this place serve me? What I’m doing right now, does it serve me?

GrowGetters are empowering women to be future ready though skill building and community.

FULL SHOW NOTES with links on Balancingstories.com

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Episode 61: The New Face of Grief – For when life is not what we thought it would be

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Let’s talk about Grief.

Katie Rössler is back on Balancing Cultures to share her story of living through it, writing it down, and now sharing with the world… The New Face of Grief.

Katie’s debut book is self-help meets memoir meets grief 101. Helping us feel informed and empowered when life is not what we thought it should or would be.

(Check out Katie’s other interview in episode 16)

FULL SHOW NOTES with links on Balancingstories.com

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Episode 60: Why We Moved– Considerations, Emotions & Reflections Around Moving

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Why did we move? Why do we move?

In over 60 episodes, I have talked to many guests about why they move and in this episode it’s the main event. My mom is back for a reflection on the considerations and emotions around moving.

We will talk through four different phases of her life (which overlap with mine in a few cases) and how the reasons for moving changed: From a young couple, to a family, to a widow with grown children, to retirement. My mom looks back at the great, the grief and the growth.