When we’re in the Holiday Spirit we are in relationship with one another and in general, we wish good tidings en masse for each other…unless we’re standing in a shopping line or are in competition for the hot toys of the season.  But what if you’re Dispirited?  What if you don’t have enthusiasm for the holiday and you don’t feel very festive because you are struggling?  How do you get through the holiday season without either denying your experience or being a grinch?

All of this and more is explored in the tenth episode of Going Beyond Normal where Wisdom on how to live a deeper life when your experience is A-Typical is shared.

Practicing Gratitude is something we are hearing a lot about these days. We journal and make lists and find so many things and people in our lives to be grateful for, yet so often being grateful for ourselves is overlooked. We aren’t taught to do this and, in fact we find ourselves worried that thinking about ourselves in this way means we’re self-centered or arrogant. However, the opposite is true. Developing a real appreciation for who we are and our experience allows us to have deeper gratitude for others and the experiences that shape their lives.

All of this and more is explored in the seventh episode of Going Beyond Normal where Wisdom on how to live a deeper life when your experience is A-Typical is shared.

Developing resilience is crucial to adapting well in the face of adversity. Yet so many of us struggle with this ability. We aren’t taught how to cultivate this skill and so often experience overwhelm when faced with many of life’s inevitable challenges. How do we develop this skill in both ourselves and our children so we can all lead an improved quality of life?

All of this and more is explored in the seventh episode of Going Beyond Normal where Wisdom on how to live a deeper life when your experience is A-Typical is shared.

So many of us carry shame wounds our whole lives and hold tight to that shame without even realizing how deeply it affects us and how pervasive in our lives it can be. How do we proceed in a culture that doesn’t allow us to make mistakes? Are we negatively impacting our children by trying to hold people to standards that are unrealistic?

All of this and more is explored in the seventh episode of Going Beyond Normal where Wisdom on how to live a deeper life when your experience is A-Typical is shared.

How do we define Love? How do we know we feel it? How do we know if our A-Typical kids feel our love or feel love for us? Do we have to love ourselves before we love others? If we can’t say it, does it mean we don’t feel it? All of this and more is explored in the sixth episode of Going Beyond Normal, where wisdom on how to live a deeper life when your experience is A-Typical is shared.

In the fifth episode of Going Beyond Normal I discuss Hope in Challenging Relationships. In Part 2 of this 2-Part series, we talk about how when people are willing, we can transform the relationships we have with family. When both parties are willing to do the work to move forward in a healthy way, the results can permeate throughout your life. When we allow our children to see us working through our own patterns and working on the challenging relationships in our lives it provides a blueprint of a self-improvement journey for them that will hopefully lead to a happier more fulfilling life.

In the fourth episode of Going Beyond Normal I discuss Challenging Relationships. In Part 1 of this 2-Part series, we talk about how we often find the most challenging relationships we have in life are the ones we have with family. How do we deal with family when our experiences with them are less than honoring? We can make the choice to accept our families while making sure we are being respectful of our own experience and identifying what we would like to change in ourselves and our relationships with them.

In the third episode of Going Beyond Normal I discuss Equanimity.  When we allow ourselves to feel and process our emotions in a healthy way, we gain a mastery of our thoughts and emotions and establish a baseline of internal calm.  Understanding how emotions work sheds light on how to work through them without being overwhelmed by them.  Then our internal calm becomes reflected in our external conditions.  

In the second episode of Going Beyond Normal I discuss Trusting ourselves.  When we allow ourselves to be guided by the force of Growth in Nature and incorporate the elements of humor and play, we signal the Universe to present us with possibilities that will lead us to greater happiness and contentment with our lives.

In the premier episode of Going Beyond Normal I discuss My Story and what this podcast is about.  While sharing about controlling versus allowing and how when we pay attention life gives us all the direction we need.  

This episode is dedicated to the life and memory of Queen Elizabeth II.  May she rest in peace.