Epic Exchanges

When is the last time that you made yourself and your needs – or even your wants and desires – a priority?  How about the last time you took a break from what everyone else needed – your kids, your partner, your family, your boss, your clients, your community, the world? How often do you find your day is more about keeping up with the demands of everyone and everything than it is about truly connecting with your self?  Let’s explore that today.

Exchange Quotes:

“Breathe.  Let go. And remind yourself that this very moment is the only one you know you have for sure.” – Oprah Winfrey

“Self care is giving the world the best of you, instead of what’s left of you.” – Katie Reed

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Your Story Your Strength on Facebook

When something difficult happens in your life, or in the life of a friend or loved one, what do you tell yourself about it?  What meaning do you give that event?  Do you label it as good or bad?  A blessing or a punishment? Or somewhere in between?  We are constantly ascribing meaning to the people and events in our lives – and that’s what we’re going to dig into more today.

Exchange Quotes:

“The meaning of life is whatever you ascribe it to be.  Being alive is the meaning.” – Joseph Campbell

“If you can take your worst day and find something to turn it into your best day then life is always a gift.” – Tony Robbins

“Choice, not chance, determines your destiny.  It’s up to you to decide what you are worth, how you matter, and how you make meaning in the world.” – Regina Brett

Exchange Links:

Your Story Your Strength on Facebook

How do you choose a book?  Or a movie?  Do you just go by what catches your eye?  What you see on the cover?  Or do you take some time to find out more than that? 

Exchange Quotes:

“We jump at the chance to judge strangers.  We would never do that to ourselves of course.  We are nuanced and complex and enigmatic.  But the stranger is easy.” – Malcolm Gladwell

“She was always told that she was pretty, but it never really meant anything to her.  That’s just something people say who have never read the book, but look at the cover and like to think they have.” – Jm Storm

Exchange Links:

Your Story Your Strength on Facebook

Do you remember what you wanted to ‘be’ or ‘become’ when you grew up?  Was it a character or image of something you saw on tv?  Was it something a parent, grandparent or other significant adult in your life did?  How often did you use that phrase, “when I grow up…”? 

Exchange Quotes:

“It takes courage to grow up and become who you really are.” – E.E. Cummings

“When you know yourself, you are empowered.  When you accept yourself, you are invincible.” – Tina Lifford

Exchange Links:

Your Story Your Strength on Facebook

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Remember being a child and being fascinated by fairytales?  Wanting that happily ever after?  Did you ever take a moment to look at the life BEFORE the happy ending and decide if you wanted that?

 Exchange Quotes:

“Love your whole story, even if it hasn’t been the perfect fairytale.” – Melanie Koulouris

“Life itself is the most wonderful fairytale.” – Hans Christian Andersen

Exchange Links:

Your Story Your Strength on Facebook

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Have you ever noticed that the words we choose to use - and the words that others use in conversations with us - actually create our reality?  It's time to be more aware of how we talk to ourselves and others if we want to fully enjoy life.

Exchange Quotes:

"Language creates reality.  Words have power.  Speak always to create joy." - Deepak Chopra

"Language is power...language can be used as a means of changing reality." - Adrienne Rich

Exchange Links:

Your Story Your Strength on Facebook

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Have you noticed it too?  The way our world is becoming less and less kind?  How, more often than not we are surrounded by complainers and thinly-disguised anger rather than compassion, kindness and understanding?  Do we realize just how much this is effecting our greater health?  Not just individually, but as a society as a whole?  This is what we’re talking about this week.

Exchange Quotes:

“We think too much and feel too little.  More than machinery, we need humanity.  More than cleverness, we need kindness and gentleness.”  Charlie Chaplin

“Kindness is a language which the deaf can hear and the blind can see.” – Mark Twain

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Epic Exchanges on Facebook

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This past weekend, basketball great Kobe Bryant and eight others died in a helicopter crash.  It’s a great reminder that nobody is promised another day.  We can’t guarantee that we will wake up tomorrow and still be able to work on our to-do or bucket lists.  What things are we putting off until the timing is right?  That’s what we are talking about this week.

Exchange Quotes:

“The most important thing is to try and inspire people so that they can be great in whatever they want to do.” – Kobe Bryant

“If not now, then when?  If not me, then who?” – Malcolm X

“You can’t always wait for the perfect time.  Sometimes, you have to dare to do it because life is too short to wonder what could have been.” – Joel Osteen

 

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Epic Exchanges on Facebook

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We’ve all experienced it – that suffocating feeling of overwhelm.  Perhaps it’s our never-ending to-do list.  Or all the emotions around a serious illness in yourself or a loved one.  Or the result of days, weeks or months of burning the candle at both ends.  Not one of us is immune in our modern world – and that’s why it’s become such an important topic.  One that we will discuss in this week’s podcast.

Exchange Quotes:

“Overwhelm occurs because of exceedingly high demand coupled with a sense of uncertainty.” – Sarah Boyd

“Start by doing what’s necessary; then do what’s possible; and suddenly you are doing the impossible.” – St. Francis of Assisi

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Epic Exchanges on Facebook

Being Present

The Stress Epidemic

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We’re in the midst of the holiday season – what better time to remind ourselves of the amazing power of wonder and awe?  That’s what we’re talking about on this week’s podcast.

Exchange Quotes:

“He who can no longer pause to wonder and stand rapt in awe is as good as dead. His eyes are closed.” – Albert Einstein

“It’s simple things, like a glowing sunset, the sound of a running stream or the fresh smell in a meadow, that cause us to pause and marvel at the wonder of life, to contemplate its meaning and significance.” – Wendy Moore

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