Healing Journey and Personal Growth From Life's Little Sparks with Lorana Johnson

We not only grieve death but many of the unexpected changes in our lives. In this episode I talk about many forms of loss we experience in life. I walk through Elisabeth Kübler-Ross's five stages of grief and share why naming what we are feeling is so important. When we acknowledge our grief instead of pushing it away we will actually move through it into new growth.

This week I talk about spending some time with a young woman who was constantly saying she was forced to do things. I kept saying you are a chooser. It reminded me that I am a chooser. We may not choose our circumstances but we do choose how we reapond to them. I share some stories and a few quotes that I like. I hope listening will remind you that you are a chooser.

This week I am feeling especially grateful for the sacrifice of friends and family in the raising my children. I am where I am today because of the people in my life who have rolled up their sleeves and stood beside me and encouraged me along my way. I truly stand on the shoulders of so many others. In this episode I give thanks to all of those many people who have carried me to where I am today.

I lost a friend and mentor, and realized that life has a way of reminding us that now, today, is all we are guaranteed. Life won't wait till the work is done, the weight is lost, the money is saved or even the New Year is here. Don't put off the things that matter; the trips, the conversations, the moments. We simply don't know how much time any of us have. Now is the most important time in the universe. Don't wait.

Have you ever wondered where the phrase "dog days of summer" actually came from? In this episode I share the surprising origin of that expression and connect it to Aesop's fable of the North Wind and the Sun. After complaining about the heat I share the importance of warm kindness to one another.

Fear has a way of making things seem so much bigger than they really are. In this episode I share what I learned watching my grandkids rock climbing and relating that to how fear has kept me from many opportunities in my own life. I also share how our imaginary fear is the worst fear of all. Fear is a liar.

This Independence Day I gave myself the gift of doing absolutely nothing — just me, my porch, and a good book. In this episode I share that after a busy few weeks spending time alone was just what I needed.

In this episode I review Dr. David D. Burns' ten cognitive distortions or the twisted thought patterns that keep us stuck in negativity, self-doubt, and emotional pain. I share examples of each one so you can start recognizing them in your own thinking. Awareness is the first step to freedom, and I think this episode is going to open your eyes to just how sneaky these thought patterns can be.

This week while pruning my espalier apple trees I had an unexpected insight, untended thoughts grow just like unruly branches, spreading in directions we never intended. I share what Queen's University in Canada researchers discovered about "thought worms" and how we experience thousands of thoughts a day — many of them repetitive and negative. I also talk about the brain's default mode network, why we get stuck in mental loops, and how mindfulness, focused attention, and deep breathing can help us take back control. I share examples from my own life and give you practical ways to start pruning your own mental garden.

This week I got hit by something I thought I'd already healed. Someone's opinion of me knocked me for a loop. In this episode I share what happened, why it hurt my feelings and made me question why I still cared so much what they thought of me. I share a couple of stories about caring what others think and end reminding myself that what other people think of me is none of my business.