This week, I'm discussing a concept that might be difficult to adopt if you're in the messy middle of mid-life or feeling weary thinking about the past; the concept that you are only just beginning.

In her book, You Are Only Just Beginning, by Morgan Harper Nichols, she uses lessons from Mother Nature to illustrate this concept in a poetic, masterful way.

Many of us go through life thinking we've done all our important things in our younger years. But what if you could approach each season with a wider sense of possibility, optimism and a fresh perspective that your story is still unfolding? There is so much more to your story!

Tune in this week to discover why this beautiful concept is so important. I'm sharing the value of believing in fresh starts and giving you ideas of how to think about your life moving forward in a way that will generate motivation, excitement and a greater sense of possibility.

Do you ever find yourself imagining worst-case scenarios when you see your children in the messy middle of behaviors you don't like? It's difficult to see positive outcomes from negative behaviors - but that is exactly what I am teaching today, how to make room for grace in your parenting and help your children own their results.

This doesn't just apply to parenting though. I'm helping you consider how to think about the future in ways that serve you, and giving you tips and tools to feed your brain thoughts that are more helpful and open to possibility.

It can be difficult to imagine the future without leaning towards a negativity bias. Join me as we explore how to recognize and shift unproductive 'future thinking' in your parenting and in your own life.

I'm sharing in more detail the example of how I helped my son with his video games to illustrate how he worked through it where he took ownership of his results that lead to him regulating himself without me nagging. I'm also offering practical tips for generating more 'future thinking' that serves you and helps you own more exciting, confident, successful results you can be proud of.

What you'll learn on this episode:

• The hidden ways we think about our children may be holding them back and doing them a disservice.
• Actionable tips for identifying and redirecting the brain to make room for grace in your thinking.
• Real-life examples of how imagining worst-case scenarios can create what you don't want instead of what you do want.
• The power of thinking about the future in terms of possibility and excitement versus negative outcomes.
• Why changing the way you show up in your parenting can help your children own their results in powerful ways and build more connection in the relationship.

Mentioned on the show:

• Mother Daughter Relationships workshop, sign up here.
• Get on the Dare Greatly Newsletter, here.
• Free coaching consult call, click here.
• If you're wanting to join an amazing group of parents who are applying what you're learning on the podcast, then come join the Dare Greatly Society.

Many parents feel overwhelmed with helping their teens navigate the use of phones, socical media, and video games, in such a way where they learn to regulate themselves and become the hero of their own story. I hear from many parents that they don't want to be the 'bad buy' - but they know they need to step in and guide their teens with their use of phones and technology.

My guest on this episode is someone who has a brilliant approach when it comes to helping teens set goals, decide who they want to become, own their results and be the hero of their own story. Joey Mascio is the creator of a coaching program called Sidekick to Hero. His coaching is perfect for teens ages 12 - 16 and includes a gamified mindset training app that looks and feels like a video game where the teen is the main character. Teens can watch short, powerful training videos and then complete challenges in the real world.

My own son worked with Joseph for an eight week coaching series where I saw powerful shifts in his ability to regulate himself with video games and make goals he is proud of. His mental resilience increased exponentially, and his confidence in himself to pursue his goals has shifted in powerful ways.

If you're working on your relationship with your teen, or you're working on improving your parenting strategy, you're going to find so many gems in our conversation.

Listen in today as Joey shares his top tips for helping teens write their own 'hero story' and how to feel more confident. He's busting the myth that parenting teens is hard, showing you how to shift your mindset that you have to own your teen's results, (hint: teens should take ownership of their own results), and sharing his best advice for parents who are wondering how to help their teens thrive.

What You'll Learn on this Episode:

• Why Joey loves working with teens and the reason he's so effective with this age group.
• The difference between taking on your teen's results as your own, and letting your teen own their own results.
• How you can work on your relationship with your teen and make improvements in their time management.
• One of the most important parenting factors that can improve improve your teen's chances of taking charge of their future.
• Joey's insights for how to talk to a teen who isn't regulating themselves very well.
• Why the story your teen is telling themselves is so important to understand, and how to help them write a better story.
• The difference between what teens struggle with today versus their parents.
• Joey's tips on working with your teen, and your real role.

Mentioned on the show:

• When you're ready to work with Danielle and take what you're learning on the podcast deeper in your own life, then come check out coaching with Danielle.
• Sidekick to Hero coaching with Joey Mascio

Sometimes we don't know what to say when our loved ones are distressed. Especially if we're struggling with our own feelings of overwhelm and frustration. However, knowing what to say when we don't know what to say IS possible, and I want to teach you the framework I use with my own loved ones so you have more connection and influence in your relationships.

When our loved ones are hurting or distressed, we tend to take on one of two roles: the Fixer or the Trust Builder. Most of us on default go into Fixer mode too soon, before our loved ones are ready. When we do this, we run into problems, such as shutdown, stalemates, not being listened to, and disconnection.

Instead of not being listened to, I'm showing you how to get super grounded in your energy and know what to say so you can develop trust with your loved ones: they will WANT to listen to you when they have problems that need to be solved. The framework I'm teaching is called Emotion Coaching, developed by Dr.(s) John and Julie Gottman of the Gottman Institute.

Once you implement Emotion Coaching into your life, you will know how to handle any BIG emotions your loved ones have.

Imagine how powerful that will be in your family legacy! Many of us were never taught this. This episode will change everything in terms of your confidence to handle anything your loved ones are facing that may seem overwhelming. Learn how to be a Trust Builder of goodness for your loved ones so they feel empowered to solve their problems with you as their guide.

I've noticed for myself, my children, my music students, and my clients, that sometimes we don't have a healthy relationship with goals and intentions. Especially if we're struggling with believing it's okay to have desires, we don't want to go all in with desire if it feels like a never ending cycle of wanting more or never feeling good enough.

"Desire is a teacher: When we immerse ourselves in it without guilt, shame or clinging, it can show us something special about our own minds that allows us to embrace life fully." - Mark Epstein, Open to Desire

This is at the very root of setting goals with heart. Something beautiful happens when you start to examine your desires. You begin to set goals because you know that if you don't, you can inadvertently shut down your potential to grow.

Desire hurts so good. It is an ache that we will never escape from, unless we are shutting it down and numbing our capacity for joy. When we numb out our inner desires and wants, it affects all our senses, as well as our capacity to feel alive.

Goals with heart will give you a straightforward path toward a healthy relationship with goals. Focus on how you want to FEEL to fuel your actions, and who you are becoming along the way. This will give your goals some soul, your goals will have heart. And this is a beautiful thing, friend.

What does it mean to let your heart be light? Did you know there are ways to not let other people's opinions weigh you down? I'm not just talking about not caring what other people think, but throughout the festive season, you can decide right now to create a better experience as you navigate all the gatherings with extended family and show up exactly as you want without letting other people's judgments weigh on you.

Of course, we can't control anybody else's opinions of us, but today, I'm going to help you create a vision of real confidence and authenticity, and show you how to resonate in more self-compassion. So, if you're ready to let your heart be light this holiday season, listen closely.

Tune in this week to discover what it means to be caring, without caring "too much" and fall into the people-pleasing dynamic that leaves you feeling resentful. I'm sharing two simple, practical tips to implement that guarantee you will experience more peace on earth, not only this time of year, but moving forward for years to come.

If you want to gift your loved ones an amazing Christmas gift this year, I've got just the thing for you. Grab a three month membership to Dare Greatly that will get activated right after Christmas, along with a notebook and pretty pen to wrap up and a printable gift certificate! Go to daniellevaughncoaching.com for all the details!

• Why "caring too much" is not a problem, and the REAL definition of what it means to be Confident and caring at the same time.
• What it means to live your life from Authenticity versus people-pleasing.
• Two considerations that will help you let your heart be light, versus being weighed down by other people's criticisms or judgments of you.

In a culture where moms place high expectations on themselves (and we do so in order to be the best moms we can be), what many of us lack is the ability to manage the emotion of guilt in a healthy way. When we're thinking it's our fault for a child's poor choices, it's vital to take time to own what is ours as mothers to own, and let go of what is not ours to own, so you can set yourself free from the burden of Mom Guilt.

This episode offers a practical approach for escaping the mom guilt trap so we can experience more peace in our parenting. If you identify as someone who experiences a lot of guilt, and often feel discouraged, frustrated, or hard on yourself for your child's choices, you're in the right place.

Listen in and learn what to do when you are in the thick of experiencing Mom Guilt. Spoiler alert: the solution here isn't to be hard on yourself in order to do better.

Learn powerful mindset shifts for trusting yourself with more confidence in how you parent and teach and connect, no matter your child's age or stage.

Because yes, parenting is hard! It demands a lot of us. But trusting yourself and the way you showed up as a parent is available to you, mistakes and all. And nothing from your past can keep you from stepping into trusting yourself more in the present, and moving forward in the future as you create a family and a legacy you are proud of, without guilt and without regret. I want this for you!

Over the course of my music teaching career and through the programs I run in my coaching practice, I've had the privilege of working with very talented kids and very intelligent parents and doing countless work on Growth Mindset myself. Growth Mindset is a lens I help ALL of my clients and music students develop, and I've learned some powerful lessons about how to cultivate it that I want to share with you today.

If you've ever felt worried about how to build your child's self-esteem and help them enjoy their talents, you have to tune in. You might think you are building your child's self-esteem when you tell them how amazing they are, but in truth, I'm showing you why this is not helpful in building motivation for your child to become the best they can be.

Listen in to discover why I believe the way we compliment our child matters; how as parents, we have the power to either help our children have strong internal motivation, or we're actually taking away from their internal drive to do their best, without meaning to. It comes down to knowing how to praise our child in such a way that builds TRUE self-esteem.

What you'll learn on this episode:

• Why Growth Mindset is so powerful in raising confident kids.
• The Three powerful lessons I've learned about motivating children to develop their talents and what NOT to do.
• How to help your child when she is comparing herself to others who are 'more talented.'
• The best way to praise your child versus telling them, 'you're amazing!' (and why that actually hurts their self-esteem.)
• The emotions you need to build tolerance in with yourself so you can help your child tolerate their own tricky emotions.

Mentioned on the show:

• When you're ready to apply what you're learning on the podcast to a more personalized approach, then come check out Dare Greatly Coaching with Danielle.
• Dr. Carol Dweck, Growth Mindset
• Follow Danielle on Instagram
• Grab the How to Compliment Your Child guide here.

Sometimes I am asked how to have more faith. And whether you consider yourself as someone with a lot of faith, or you don't affiliate with an organized religion, but you know there's a loving presence that is bigger than you and wants your greatest good, I have a lot to say about faith and I think you'll find some gold nuggets in here that will change the way you think about prayer.

From prayers of fear to prayers of faith, I'm speaking to the difference between the two types of prayers, so lean in and get ready for an intimate peak into how I have found a sure way to access the powers of heaven to trust my parenting journey with more faith.

You'll discover how to take your prayers to a deeper sense of faith and connection. I'm offering advice on what I've learned from spending most of my time in my earlier years praying a prayer of fear, and why I now know those prayers left me feeling more disconnected.

Learning how to pray with more faith has shifted my confidence and connection with God in a profound way, and I'm sharing it all in this episode.

Why is marriage worth the effort? How does a couple work through challenges and keep choosing each other given their differences?

These are relationship questions I work through with my clients, as well as questions I've pondered over the 30 years I've been married to Ethan.

We just celebrated our 30 year wedding anniversary. In today's episode, Ethan and I discuss our challenges we've worked through, how we approach creating 'shared meaning' in our relationship, and based on our experiences and trials, what makes a good marriage.

I know many of you are wondering how Ethan is doing since his stroke, so I'm sharing an update on how we've rebuilt our lives together since that hardship, and how it pertains to how you can work on your marriage relationship when you experience setbacks to how you thought things would go, but life has something different in mind.