Joyful Love

Will is the memoir of actor and musician Will Smith. The memoir provides a glimpse into Will's life from his days as a child all the way through his struggles in marriage.Cris and I recently listened to the audio version together.There were so many insights on what it takes to have a healthy relationship that we decided to chat about it on the podcast today! Tune in to hear why I think Mr. Smith just wrote the best marriage book of the year!

What you'll learn in this episode:

• Why your partner can't validate you enough.
• Giving yourself permission to ask, "What do I want?"
• Happiness and contentment autonomously.
• Balancing your desires with your family life.
• Being present in the moment - whatever that moment is.
• Creating an atmosphere of being friends first

Get full show notes and more information here: https://www.rachaelcunningham.com/category/podcast/

It's been said that the deepest need in humans is to feel appreciated. And if we tie that to our relationships, I'd agree. One of the most important things to cultivate in your relationship is a habit of appreciation for each other.Appreciation lets us know that we are valued, validated, and seen. And it feels amazing.If appreciation is missing in a relationship, the heartache is felt and distance begins. Thankfully, a lack of appreciation doesn't mean the relationship is doomed. With intention and understanding, you can relearn how to focus on what's good and cultivate a home where appreciation becomes a habit.This is an excellent episode to listen to with your partner! In this episode, you'll Learn:

• Why humans need appreciation
• How to appreciate yourself first.
• The importance of pausing before reacting.
• 3 Steps to cultivate an atmosphere of appreciation• 4 Questions to ask yourself to begin an appreciation practice today.

Get full show notes and more information here: https://www.rachaelcunningham.com/category/podcast/

It's not uncommon for women to feel like they're the ones responsible for holding it all together. From the home to the kids. From work to making sure everyone gets fed. And the thousands of little (and big) things in between. Most women would say, "If I don't make sure it gets done, it doesn't get done."

We manage it all. Sometimes well … and sometimes, not so well. Because to juggle it all gets exhausting.

If you're used to taking on all the responsibility and you feel like there's not enough time for it all, today's episode is for you.

You will learn how to find more freedom for yourself, and start letting go of some things that you don't want to do anymore.

You'll get clear on what you want and begin trusting that there is enough time for it.

In this episode, you'll Learn:

• How to stop doing what you don't want to do.
• How perfectionism is keeping you stuck in the "I'll just do it myself" cycle.
• How to take a break with your partner.
• How to make delegating more simple.
• 5 Steps to lighten your responsibility load.

Get full show notes and more information here: https://www.rachaelcunningham.com/podcast

When you're in survival mode as a couple, so much can feel hopeless.Now, I'm not just talking about hustle mode, where you never allow yourself to stop being busy. No, I'm talking about the kind of survival where you feel like something terrible is going to happen if you close your eyes for a minute … if you allow yourself to rest.A traumatic event (or the threat of a traumatic event) can take us there real quick. And your entire body responds. In today's episode, I'm not going to tell you how to fix it.And I'm not going to give you a laundry list of things to do, because if you're listening to this and you're just trying to survive right now, you don't need a huge list.

You need simplicity. You need a few simple tools to help your nervous system to rest. You don't need a massive self-care list. You need ease.

And I want you to trust that starting really small is going to give you exactly what you need right now, which is hope. And a tiny break here and there as often as you can. If you're in survival mode right now, taking care of all the things, let this episode land at just the right time. I've been there. I get it. It sucks. And there's hope.

• Book a free consultation and learn more about 1:1 coaching HERE.

Some relationship experts will tell you to expect less in your relationship. The reasoning is that if you don't expect much, then you'll be less disappointed.

There are certain things we expect that can create disconnection in marriage. If we are constantly trying to change our partner so that they can somehow fulfill our happiness, those expectations will lead to frustration and bitterness.

But, I don't believe this tells the full story. There are certain things we want to expect from our relationships. I believe a healthy marriage should include love, respect, and kindness.

Those three values are worth expecting. And the research says that if we DO expect these things, we're more likely to get them!

So do not expect your partner to make your life happy. Your happiness and joy is every bit in your power.

But it is necessary to think about and envision what you want out of a relationship. Do you want love, kindness, and respect? (I hope so!) Expect those things. Expect them without hesitation.

In today's episode, you'll learn why we're afraid of expectations and how to approach them with confidence - in your life, and in your marriage.Book a free consultation with Rachael and learn more about 1:1 coaching HERE.

What You'll Get From This Episode:

• Why we stop expecting the best in life and relationships
• What types of expectations you can drop for better connection
• The Three things every healthy relationship needs
• The one thing you're doing that could be sabotaging your relationship success.

There are a few ways of thinking about the New Year.

One, that it's just another week to keep planning and growing - just like any other week.

Or two, you can get excited about reaching for new goals and dive into the excitement of new beginnings.

Or maybe you're someone stuck in the middle - not sure how you want to approach the new year.

Wherever you're at right now, know that you're all good... right where you're at! There are no right or wrong ways to approach the year.

There's just your life... and how you choose to live it.

But if you're struggling to move forward this week - unsure of where to begin, listen to today's episode. It'll give you some practical steps to tap into your desires - not things that you feel like you 'should' do ... but the things you WANT to do. For you!

Get full show notes and more information here: https://www.rachaelcunningham.com/podcast

What You'll Get From This Episode

• Why your brain needs boredom
• The Number one question to ask yourself this year.
• The Brain Hack To Reach Your Goals
• Your goals don't make you happy
• The importance of the journey

If you've been following me for a while, you may know that I like to give myself a break. Meditation, intentional breathing, napping … anything that keeps my nervous system balanced. And I'm working towards even more downtime in my schedule. It feels a bit radical, I admit. But I'm on a mission to include rest as regularly, daily, weekly, and extended yearly moments of hibernation.

I recorded this episode the week before Christmas when there are more things to do than normal. We tend to feel the hustle extra this time of year. And in the midst of it, we crave rest.Our society teaches us that there's a standard to live up to during this time (and all times), and most of us have bought into it. In today's episode, you'll be encouraged to find your rest this week. You'll begin listening to the signals your body and mind are telling you. Get full show notes and more information here: https://www.rachaelcunningham.com/podcast

What You'll Get From This Episode

• Why your body's messages are more important than societies.
• How to pay attention to your nervous system
• Permission to rest in a radical way.
• The lies our brain (and society) tells us that keep us from rest.

In this episode, I'm excited to give you Day 1 of the Rekindle Your Marriage Workshop. I offered this 5 Day workshop inside the Facebook Group last week and it helped a ton of women light a flame in their marriage again. We covered everything from making the powerful decision to be all in - to teamwork and taking ownership for how you show up. We also learned the two most important ground rules for having a connected, joyful marriage.This is the place to start if you're ready to improve your relationship this week.Listen to Day 1 right here on Episode 30 and get inspired to rekindle your own relationships. And then head over to https://www.rachaelcunningham.com/rekindle to sign up for the complete 5-day workshop. Get full show notes and more information here: https://www.rachaelcunningham.com/podcast

Living in this present moment is critical for a joy-filled life and marriage. We know this. Instead of living our lives now, we spend the present moment worrying about the future and regretting the past.

We regret not preparing better. We criticize ourselves for not being as 'good' as other families. We judge our own experiences and wish things were different. We criticize our partners, we judge our parents, and we beat ourselves up too. We are wasting our time and energy trying to control things we can't.

But here's the truth. The past and future do not exist. Think about it - they are not reality. So if we drop worry and fret about the future, and we're making a conscious choice not to live in the past … what's left?Right now. This present moment is what's left! And it's what matters.

Listen to Episode 29 to make the most of this holiday season, exactly as it is … with all it's imperfectly perfect joy! Get full show notes and more information here: https://www.rachaelcunningham.com/podcast

Disagreements about money put out the spark in many marriages. About one-third of married adults say that money is a big source of conflict in their relationships. From paying bills, trying to balance things fairly (whatever that means), saving, budgeting, and making more money, these problems can be the end of a relationship if not dealt with.

However, money is just like any other issue we disagree about. You have two people, with two human brains. Those brains have unique experiences, stories, and thousands of individual thoughts about money.

Your money story goes back to childhood. And so does your partners. This is exciting news! Because disagreements about money are one more opportunity to dig deep, stay curious, and get to know your partner on a whole new level so you can find common ground once again.

In today's episode of Joyful Love, I talk to Paige Pritchard, about budgeting, money freedom, marriage disagreements, and more. Paige is a Money Coach and is an expert in budgeting and more importantly teaching us how to change stories we tell ourselves that keep us stuck in a mindset of scarcity.

Join us for Episode 28 to learn how to change what you can about your own money situation, how to communicate with your partner, and how to use money differences as an opportunity to learn more about your partner.

Get full show notes and more information here: https://www.rachaelcunningham.com/podcast/podcast

What You'll Learn From This Episode

• How budgeting can give you and your partner freedom.
• Why most people give up on budgeting so quickly.
• How to disagree with your partner about money.
• How to use money disagreements to grow closer together.

Mentioned On The Show:

• Find Money Coach, Paige Pritchard Here or on Instagram.
• If you'd like to ask questions or tell me what you think, send an email to hello@rachaelcunningham.com
• Go to https://www.rachaelcunningham.com/ for free classes.

Book a free consultation and learn more about 1:1 coaching HERE.