Lessons from Living

Beth considers this time of refresh and renewal, and the ways we might evaluate where we stand at the cusp of this new year.  She also discusses plans for the podcast in the new year, and how YOU can be a part!

Notes:

Ten Questions to Diagnose Spiritual Health, Donald Whitney

Following a devastating breast cancer diagnosis, Lindsay McDonnell did all of the right things, including challenging accepted traditional medical protocols and procedures.  Yet, it returned not once, but three times.  Today, Lindsay lives with a body full of cancer, but is stable, and has developed a new mission: coaching others who are now enduring what she has overcome before.  She is brave beyond words, and a model of compassion, dogged determination, and good humor.

Show notes:

"Dancing With Cancer and How I Learned to Lead: A Guide to Becoming an Advocate for Personalized Cancer Care," Lindsay McDonell

Erwin Raphael McManus offers a thought-provoking, motivating treatise in The Last Arrow, published in 2017.  In this episode, Beth discusses some of McManus' themes, such as what is represented by arrows, why we tend to hold back from pursuing our most important goals, how God uses ordinary people to accomplish his purposes, the importance of community, how to take action, how to guard against the temptation to quit, and why it's not just acceptable, but crucial to go BIG, where life and God are concerned.

The Last Arrow: Save Nothing for the Next Life, Erwin Raphael McManus

Dennis Mellen knew from the age of ten that he wanted to be a pilot, and set the entire trajectory of his life toward that goal.  At fifty-six, he had enjoyed his dream career for more than 30 years when tragedy struck, and his well-planned life was upended.  How does one move forward when the unexpected, unwanted wrench is thrown into the course of our lives?  Dennis models well how to navigate this challenge: with courage, creativity, persistence, and determination.  Learn from Dennis how to transform challenges into opportunities.

Show Notes:

Takes More Than Heart, Dennis Mellen

takesmorethanheart.com

beabean.net

Elijah Stacy has arguably accomplished more in his twenty years than most people do in a lifetime.  His mission, to minimize human suffering and propel human prosperity so that humanity can have a better quality of life, directs all of his actions.  What motivates a young adult to develop a super-sized mission which focuses on others and not themselves?  Perhaps the fact that he was diagnosed with a fatal disease as a child, and wishes others to not experience the suffering he himself has endured.  We can all learn from Elijah's courage, his conviction and his never-quit attitude.

Show notes:

A Small If: The Inspiring Story of a Seventeen-Year-Old with a Fatal Disease and a Mission to Cure It, Elijah J. Stacy

elijahjstacy.com

Twitter: @elijahjstacy

Facebook: @FBelijahjstacy

TikTok: @elijahjstacy

Instagram: @elijahjstacy

destroyduchenne.org

Twitter: @destroydisease

Instagram/ Facebook: @destroyduchenne

Rich Dad, Poor Dad, Robert Kiyosaki

If you are feeling kind of ho-hum about your life right now, this episode is for you!  Shawn Anderson shows us how to add adventure into our lives, and he would know: he has walked across eight countries and biked across America coast to coast twice!  We'll learn how to stare fear in the face, and walk through life with intention.  Hesitating to take action on a project or plan?  We'll learn to get off the dime and make things happen.  No more excuses; we can all live extraordinary lives.

Show notes:

shawnanderson.com

A Better Life: An Extraordinary Story About Starting Over, Shawn Anderson

The Greatest Salesman in the World, Og Mandino

Your God is Too Small, J.B. Phillips

The Valley of Amazement, Amy Tan

Stupid Things I Won't Do When I Get Old, Stephen Petrow

The Wonder Test, Michelle Richmond

The Last Checkmate, Gabriella Saab

The Woman Next Door, Barbara Delinski

Pack Up the Moon, Kristan Higgins,

The Bookshop, Penelope Fitzgerals

Perhaps you know a senior who is lacking purpose, or not feeling fulfilled.  Perhaps you ARE that senior!  It’s time to find another way of living, and author Sharon Rolphe is here to share her secrets.  Sharon is a stunning 74-year-old, but her wisdom transfers across generations, so this episode applies to the younger crew, too.  We talk about having a possibility mindset, being open to God’s working in your life, intuition, creativity, vulnerability and destiny. Figure out your essence, determine a purpose, and make a difference in the world!  It’s your time, and the world needs your contribution.

Show Notes:

Solo Aging, Sarah Zeff Geber

Swedish study on planning early for Retirement: https://www.jstor.org/stable/43773389

Movie: The Intern, with Robert DeNiro trailer:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=324pojjHOhI

What Retirees Want, by Ken Dychtwald

Rising Strong, by Brene Brown

“If a man has a talent and cannot use it, he has failed. If he has a talent and only uses half of it, he has partly failed. If he has a talent and learns to use the whole of it, he has gloriously succeeded, and won a satisfaction and triumph few men will know." - Thomas Wolfe

Do you experience any conflict in your relationships?  Are all of your conversations peaceful and productive?  Did you think that strife and struggle was just a part of any human relationship?  Well, maybe not!  Doug Noll, author of DeEscalate: How to Calm an Angry Person in 90 Seconds or Less, is here to teach us his methods.  You'll hear how Doug's protocol has been successfully used in prisons, and has the potential to create peace in schools, Congress, and maybe even your own home!  We talk about the emotional/ rational make-up of humans, why it's important for children to name their emotions and have them affirmed, and lots more!

Show Notes:

De-Escalate: How to Calm an Angry Person in 90 Seconds or Less, Douglas Noll

Heather Hutchison has lived her entire life with a disability, as well as anxiety, depression and suicidal inclinations.  After a close call which nearly cost Heather her life, she received the help she desperately needed, and did the hard work to reach a place of healing.  Today, she has a new mission reaching out to others about victorious living, even with health challenges, and advocating for better mental health options.  In this episode, Heather shares her story, as well as action steps we can take to develop a better mental health system.  How do people really treat someone with a disability?  How long does a typical emotion last?  Would you be brave enough to tell someone you were about to take your own life?  What can you do for a friend in that position? A very real, gritty conversation everyone needs to hear.

Show notes:

Holding on by Letting Go, Heather Hutchison

Why is it important to figure out your purpose, and pursue it with intentionality?  Terry Tucker, who has been living with a rare form of cancer for ten years, and enduring all that is required to stay alive, knows quite a bit about the power of purpose.  We talk about how you find your purpose, stepping outside your comfort zone, why some people blame God (or anyone but themselves), how to avoid regret, and lots more.  You'll come away with so many tips of how to live a life of excellence.

Show Notes:

motivationalcheck.com

Sustainable Excellence: Ten Principles to Leading Your Uncommon and Extraordinary Life, Terry Tucker