Michel de Montaigne got it right - The greatest thing in the world is to know how to belong to oneself. Check out this week's episode and the resources in the show notes for ways to increase, improve and live life self-aware. It is not selfish or self-centered. It is a way of being that increases your ability to be in relationships of all kinds and types knowing how you positively and negatively impact those relationships. And then, you can self-correct. 

Why Self-Awareness Is Important: Benefits, Tips, and Examples

10 Simple Ways to Improve Your Self-Awareness [With Examples]

Emotional Intelligence 

Rising as we lift others, empowering women to reach for the stars, shedding the shame of not being good enough - that's all on us, ladies. Listen to this week's podcast for a few relatively easy ways to support and strengthen the women you know in creating their very best selves. 

Sounds like I'm in a feedback loop with podcast topics. Not so. Listen to this one, and I promise you will hear new and interesting ideas about how to feel less anxious, how to worry less, how not to get sucked into future tripping. Listen to today's podcast to hear the metaphor that helps me keep all those feelings at bay. 

In this episode, I talk metaphor. Life is like a difficult trail run or bike ride, at least for me. I've learned some good lessons that I'd like to share with all of you. 

Join me and a few of my kids this week for a conversation about pets. When you have 9 kids, you might end up having 90 pets, and then you will likely have 900 stories about those pets. We barely scratched the surface. Maybe one day there will be another pet podcast.

Noel the hamster

Humane Society Foster Program

Why do you journal? Why do you not journal? This week I talk a bit about my journal journey - the good and the bad. I will also give some insight into how and why journaling is an effective intervention to help with depression, anxiety, PTSD, and stress reduction. Peruse the links for more information about how and why this is the case. 

83 Benefits of Journaling for Depression, Anxiety, and Stress

Center for Journal Therapy

As promised, here's a bit on mindfulness for kids. According to brain imaging research, practicing mindfulness can alter brain structure in a way that can improve childrens' reaction to stress. It thickens the cerebral cortex, which is responsible for perception and reasoning and increases blood flow in the brain. Additionally, mindfulness helps reduce anxiety and depression. Worth your time, I promise. 

Below are several resources, in no particular order, for you to peruse at your leisure. 

Autoimmune disease and stress: Is there a link?

Association of Stress-Related Disorders With Subsequent Autoimmune Disease

How to Teach Mindfulness to Kids - at any age

The Benefits of Mindfulness Meditation for Teens

10 Mindfulness Activities for Teens

11 Ways to Teach Mindfulness to Kids

51 Mindfulness Exercises for Kids in the Classroom

"The mind is just like a muscle - the more you exercise it, the stronger it gets and the more it can expand." Idowu Kyenikan 

Mindfulness is this process. It's a big topic, and I've just barely scratched its surface. I will likely address it repeatedly, but for now, check out this introduction. Also, listen next week for tips, tricks, and information about mindfulness for kiddos. 

Here are some of my current favorite resources. Not everything in all of these books resonates with me. I feel fine about picking and choosing what works. Do some searching and find those that resonate with you. 

The Mindfulness Solution: Everyday Practices for Everyday Problems

The Science of Mindfulness: A research-based path to well-being (this is a Great Courses from Audible)

Becoming Supernatural

Five Differences between Mindfulness and Meditation 

The Power of Now

The Yoga of Christ

Will Rogers said that we should never miss an opportunity to shut up. This episode is packed full of great information about how good listening skills can change our relationships and our lives. 

If you need a logo, email and check out https://www.saltyannie.com/. Also her Instagram @saltyannie_design. She's great, and you will love her. 

Being a martyr is hard work. It might even be harder than being a mother. In the immortal words of Bob Newhart, "Stop it." 

Here are a few of the resources for your perusal. 

https://jessconnell.com/mommy-martyr/

https://www.instagram.com/drjuliehanks/