Hearts+Minds

Perhaps you feel like you're skimming the surface of life or stuck in a rut ... from a Catholic perspective, it can be a very positive reality because renewing yourself is very much anchored in Christ.

Ideas mentioned
- What is our life project?
- Leaning on God - We are made in His Image and Likeness.
- The power of prayer
- Positive approach to life's limitations

Resources
Video - Human Development 

• How to Quickly Get out of a Rut
• Why You Feel so Stuck in Life

Books - Human Development 

• Atomic Habits, James Clear 

Books - Spiritual Development 

• Home Again. A Prayerful Rediscovery of Your Catholic Faith

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Hearts + Minds Official website - hearts-minds.ie
IG - @heartsandmindsire
FB - Hearts+Minds | Facebook

Email: [email protected]

Hearts+Minds events in Dublin, Belfast, Cork, Galway and Navan

When we think of boundaries we may think it sounds selfish.   In this episode, we look at how boundaries are all about kindness to yourself and kindness to others. If setting boundaries hasn't worked for you in the past, maybe it is because you haven't given them a chance. We discuss how setting boundaries is not quick or easy but it is always worth it.  The advantage of boundary setting is that it helps us both in our personal and professional life. We explore how boundaries are the space of freedom –  helping us to distinguish what is our responsibility from what is not. 

Resources

• Boundaries: When to Say Yes, How to Say No to Take Control of Your Life - Henry Cloud and John Townsend

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Hearts + Minds Official website - hearts-minds.ie
IG - @heartsandmindsire
FB - Hearts+Minds | Facebook

Email: [email protected]

Hearts+Minds events in Dublin, Belfast, Cork, Galway and Navan

Grace Hoffman is a Fellow at the American Council on Women, Peace, and Security. In this episode, we talk about how her studies in Trinity College, Dublin influenced her professional and personal journey to the current position at the Defense Security Cooperation University. Her PhD focused on the 1641 Depositions in Irish History. We talk about human dynamics in history and how this is repeated in current war situations in the world.

Grace Hoffman is a Fellow at the American Council on Women, Peace, and Security (WPS) for Defense Security Cooperation University (DSCU). She is a historian, who received her PhD in 2021 from Trinity College Dublin. During that time, she worked as research assistant to one of the leading Irish historians, and she was a researcher at the Trinity Long Room Hub Arts & Humanities. At the Hub, she collaborated with academics, researchers, professionals, and tech companies from across the globe. She has spoken at multiple universities and conferences in Europe and the U.S. Her research focuses on violence, dehumanization, and language in conflict and rebellion.

Links referenced in the podcast
1641 Depositions (tcd.ie)
American Council – on Women, Peace, and Security (wpscouncil.org)
Defense Security Cooperation University (dscu.edu)

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Hearts + Minds Official website - hearts-minds.ie
IG - @heartsandmindsire
FB - Hearts+Minds | Facebook

Email: [email protected]

Hearts+Minds events in Dublin, Belfast, Cork, Galway and Navan

Advent can be a bit of a blur for most people. And yet, if you can give it a moment it can really make an impact on these last few weeks before Christmas. It is a time of opportunity - or grace as we would say in the Catholic tradition. God is coming and we cannot wait! But in the midst of the rushing, frenetic activities, how can we shift our focus?

In this podcast episode, we discuss the attitudes of the first family to do the first Advent, Mary, Joseph, and the Child. How did they stay calm and serene in the midst of so much uncertainty? Mary trusted everything would be okay even though there was no plan for the newborn. There seemed no angry outbursts on the part of Joseph even though he seemed to have failed in his first steps of fatherhood.  

We explore Advent as a time to prepare to love others as they are and to accept whatever our Christmas holds because God is coming to us where we are and we can always love others because we are always loved by God.

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Hearts + Minds Official website - hearts-minds.ie
IG - @heartsandmindsire
FB - Hearts+Minds | Facebook

Email: [email protected]

Hearts+Minds events in Dublin, Belfast, Cork, Galway and Navan

When we think of the word or virtue of diligence we automatically think of someone who is hard-working and gets things done. But the etymology of the word suggests that it means a lot more. Diligence embraces the notion of choice and love. In this podcast episode, we explore how we can approach our work with more diligence. In other words, freely choosing what we do each day (including the hard and routine jobs) and doing them lovingly.

We discuss how this attitude or approach to one’s work can be a game changer and does not depend on whether we like our job at a given moment or on whether there are stressful relationships or aspects to our job. We discuss meaningfulness and how diligence can help us address and accept limitations, mistakes, and wrongdoing - all part of the human story. We explore the transformative effect of what doing one’s work with diligence and love has on each one of us and those we serve in our work.

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Hearts + Minds Official website - hearts-minds.ie
IG - @heartsandmindsire
FB - Hearts+Minds | Facebook

Email: [email protected]

Hearts+Minds events in Dublin, Belfast, Cork, Galway and Navan

Hans Christian Andersen once said "Where words fail music speaks". It is not surprising that music has been called the universal language of mankind. 

On this podcast episode, we are joined by Alex Loewe. Alex is a performing artist – a mezzo soprano, a mindfulness practitioner, and an ADHD coach. Music has always been part of her career and personal trajectory. She talks about the beauty and inspiration of music and why now more than ever we need moments of musical pause in our day. Alex has worked for many years with children, teaching and exploring music. We discuss the transformative effect of music on children and Alex's moving experience of music as the final language of communication for patients with dementia.

Resources:

You can find out more about Alex Loewe as a performing artist by visiting her website at  www.alexandraloewe.co.uk 

Mindfulness Coach and ADHD Coach details - see here

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Hearts + Minds Official website - hearts-minds.ie
IG - @heartsandmindsire
FB - Hearts+Minds | Facebook

Email: [email protected]

Hearts+Minds events in Dublin, Belfast, Cork, Galway and Navan

Pope Francis has reminded us that our faith is a revolution. It always asks for something new, something radical. Do we inspire others in the way we practise and show up in our religious faith?  So often we feel we are not up to the task.  

In this podcast episode, we explore the freedom of God’s children which doesn’t entitle us to a roadmap, or a detailed calendar of coming events. Instead, we discuss how our freedom gives us full access to the Lord who shows us how. We discuss that being someone who inspires others is not a question of training, nor of possessing exceptional qualities; it is simply a matter of welcoming Christ into our lives first and then being open like Christ to others. 

God doesn’t simply help us to take things as they are, and leave them at that. We discuss the simple fact that we are not better than others, but rather that we have and continue to experience God’s mercy which is what we can share with others. 

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Hearts + Minds Official website - hearts-minds.ie
IG - @heartsandmindsire
FB - Hearts+Minds | Facebook

Email: [email protected]

Hearts+Minds events in Dublin, Belfast, Cork, Galway and Navan

You may have heard the saying that love is a 2 way street constantly under construction. In this episode, we are joined by Sallyann O’Brien. 

Among other things, Sallyann is involved in Retrouvaille, a programme designed to help heal and renew marriages. We discuss how to improve communication in marriage and how couples can work through problems and build a stronger marriage as a result. We talk about the secret of a good marriage and the importance of couples being willing to work at their marriage.

Resources
Retrouvaille Programme

Dr David Ferguson - Relational Needs Assessment

Document from Pope Francis -  Amoris in Laetitia

Focus on the Family

Marriage Encounter

Engaged Encounter

Cana Ireland

Teams of Our Lady/L’Equippe Notre Dame

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Hearts + Minds Official website - hearts-minds.ie
IG - @heartsandmindsire
FB - Hearts+Minds | Facebook

Email: [email protected]

Hearts+Minds events in Dublin, Belfast, Cork, Galway and Navan

Commitment is what transforms a promise into reality.  Making and keeping commitments are foundational for our everyday lives, careers, and businesses. 

In this podcast episode, we discuss how making a commitment to something, whether in your personal life or your professional life, is one of the most fundamental activities of success.  Commitments are extremely powerful because they influence how we think, how we sound, and how we act which in turn influences what others think of us. 

We discuss how making a real commitment can mean that you try harder, you look for innovative solutions when faced with obstacles, you don’t consider quitting as an option, you are persistent and extremely resilient.  A meaningful commitment helps you handle things when times get tough.  One of the keys to fulfilling meaningful commitments is to not over-commit:  Prioritise, be proactive and have the right attitude - leaders always commit to having a positive attitude. 

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Hearts + Minds Official website - hearts-minds.ie
IG - @heartsandmindsire
FB - Hearts+Minds | Facebook

Email: [email protected]

Hearts+Minds events in Dublin, Belfast, Cork, Galway and Navan

Can you be the master of yourself? Why is self-mastery something we should strive for? It is not something that is controlling or negative. Instead, self-mastery is about cultivating an openness to constant improvement

In this episode, we look at 10 tips to help you develop self-mastery.  This is a journey each of us is called to make with our sights fixed on what our future self could look like. We discuss how this journey is the essence of the human experience. Perhaps we need to reclaim the inner peace, joy, and sense of humour involved in making mistakes. After all, we are only human - the only way we learn is by making mistakes! 

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Hearts + Minds Official website - hearts-minds.ie
IG - @heartsandmindsire
FB - Hearts+Minds | Facebook

Email: [email protected]

Hearts+Minds events in Dublin, Belfast, Cork, Galway and Navan