Lost or Found

While many of us would like to imagine the holidays to be idyllic, the reality is that  sometimes it's not.  

The holidays can be emotionally, physically, and psychologically taxing, and every family, no matter how loving, has its fair share of challenges.  Do we break the people-pleasing pattern which is typically at our own expense, or do we set boundaries and prioritize some of our needs and give at a sustainable rate?

My friends- you, your sanity, and your well-being matters!  For sure.  Join us today, as Denise Correll from the Enlightened Empaths podcast and I discuss boundaries before the holidays.  We laugh, we almost cry, and we laugh again, as we have a heart to heart on breaking the people-pleasing habit, and practice the art of self-care and self defense.  Why?  Because it totally matters.  Your well-being depends upon it. 

You can find the amazing and talented Denise at thegratefulmessenger.com.

It's that kind of episode today!  Just talking about the things that we do understand and the things that we don't, the love and the frustration, the funny and sometimes not so funny.  Being real with my own issues, my increased frustration with my little girl than boy sometimes, as I continue to see how I act and react, and check myself.  It's a fun episode as we sometimes agree and disagree, but all of it is A-OK.  Get your coffee and tea, chill-ax, and laugh with us, as we get real with some of the goings on in our own lives.  Who else to bounce it off than other moms you trust?

And don't forget!  If you're loving the podcast, rate us!  Subscribe!  Send your friends your Fave episodes!  Go back and listen to the ones that you haven't.  It helps a lot.  This is totally a project of love which began with my breakdown, as I continue to work towards my breakthrough.  And thank you for inviting us into your lives!

We’ve got a great show today, as Jonathan Miller is back, to talk about how humans have changed our food.  Processed food isn't a modern invention, it's as old as humanity itself and may have helped create our species, although today, there is a far more negative connotation with the polystyrene-like snacks. Processed food has, for better or worse (and likely both), changed our relationship with food.

Join us in this super informative and interesting show as we not only rethink our food, but where it comes from, and how it’s made.  Jonathan is a personal chef cooking for clients in the central coast area. He has been cooking healthful, vegetable-forward, and seasonal food for over 15 years, and less healthful but still tasty food even longer than that! 

I am super excited about this interview because I've become a huge fan of the book Jonathan Livingston Seagull by Richard Bach and of Dr. Larry Arias. They're both THAT special.

Jonathan Livingston Seagull is a bird that tries to perfect the art of flying. He may be a bird, but he's a badass, who's gonna-become-a-renegade bird. He has an unbounded passion for flight despite the rebuke of his clan or flock. He's bored with his life, disheartened by the passionless lives of those around him, and he's made an outcast because he can't conform. This book shares a profound truth about our existence.

And I get to discuss this special book with Dr. Larry Arias. Larry is a pharmacist and would-be creative person who lives with his husband, dog, and two cats in magical Santa Cruz.  His interests include discovering beauty and humor in unusual places, finding the perfect balance in things that are “weird” and “cool,” and rooting for the underdogs of society. He hopes to one day move from his professional career and pursue a path that allows him to amalgamate his interests into artwork that can be shared with the world. 

Welcome to today’s show!  I’m excited to have Dinasha Cellura on the podcast as she talks about her organization, the Live Like Leo Foundation.  She started this organization with her husband to serve and guide our youth, after experiencing the tragic loss of her son, Leo, in 2020.  Their foundation, through grants, finances expenses related to learning abroad programs for underprivileged young adults - giving young minds the opportunity to become global citizens, empowering them to lead their own communities with compassion and inclusion in order to create a kinder, more connected world.  It’s incredible how much they have already given back to children in the community, despite having lost their young son recently.

As Dinasha describes her organization, she describes what she and her family created in Leo’s spirit, which is thoroughly profound and inspirational. 

Dinasha speaks beautifully from the heart, as she shares her life with us and her foundation that came from it.    Please join us as Dinasha Cellura talks to us about how she continues to carry the pain and honors her son in what she does in her time left here, as she gives herself permission to continue living.  Please also consider donating to their wonderful foundation- Live Like Leo, and you can find their website at livelikeleo.org.

When Janae Thomas was a little girl, she loved walking in cemeteries for fun, and she still loves walking in cemeteries for fun! Janae literally loves everything old.  I chose to interview Janae today because I've never met someone who quite sees the beauty of the past like her. She appreciates history and legends, without judgement.  As we live our lives, perhaps we are sometimes too busy to think about what had been. Join us as I talk with Janae about newel posts, old houses, hair in stained glass, and old Indian burial grounds in Santa Cruz, CA.  Who knows, maybe next time, you'll notice the faces in the window of an old house, captured on camera.  Janae did.

Children today are faced with an increasingly complex world.  What does a child need to thrive?

Most people know that children need shelter, food, and love to be happy and healthy, but there's more to consider.  Overall child well-being can be affected by the child's own personality and those around them like their family and community.  While providing a uniform definition of child well-being is difficult, it's generally understood that a child's well-being is a measure of the quality of their life, including how well they are and how well their life is going.  This broad definition can easily encompass the different ways of assessing child well-being, such as health, education, family or social life, or safety and security concerns.  

A child's well-being is important, as it allows us to understand how children are coping in their world.  It is with their well-being that we begin to learn about resilience.

Join us in today's conversation as we talk about our children!  Their well-being matters, because it's the building of a better foundation for the stronger sense of self.  And what can't you do, if you have all of you?  Dr. Garry Crummer, MD, is a board certified doctor in Pediatrics and Integrative and Holistic Medicine, in Santa Cruz, CA.  

On today's episode, we have my favorite psychologist back on the show, Dr. Chris Fahrenbach!  We talk about Loss and Change in our lives, both the collective loss and our personal loss.  Sometimes, with loss and change, we grieve what has happened, and our grieving is a form of learning - one that teaches us how to be in the world.  Whether you're facing the end of a job or relationship, the death of a loved one, or organizational change, or the loss of something very important to you, the way you say goodbye can mean the difference between stagnating in grief and thriving in the future.  Learn about how we can transform our struggles into inspiring new beginnings.  Go You!

And if you're LOVING the show, don't forget to support us by subscribing, telling your friends, and leaving us a great review!  All of it seriously helps!!

In this life's journey, you are your own driver! Get in the driver's seat!

Is there an aspect of your life where you feel like it's time to take charge?  If we don't advocate for ourselves, who honestly will?  On this week's episode, my friends Carla Roa and Kim Rodriguez join me to discuss what it means to "be the boss of you."  It begins with understanding the priorities that define you. Deep commitment to your personal goals can drive you to break through limited beliefs, to act on your own behalf.  When you take charge of your life, you can make the positive life changes you have been dreaming about.  Being you is super important.

Today we are talking Siblings!  I hope that you do have a fantastic relationship with your siblings, but sometimes that’s not the case.  It’s an important relationship, but sometimes as we get older, the relationship can become more complicated.  It’s one of the longest relationships in a person’s life, as you grow up in the same environment, share the same parents, and look back on common memories and similar experiences.  And even though we share our history, while the relationship is unique, sometimes it’s just hard. 

Cierra Ryzcek is on the show today as we get real and converse about siblings.  She has been an independent jewelry artist for over 12 years and for the past 10 years has owned her edgy, modern, surf & beach styled boutique called Lumen Gallery, located in the Heart of Capitola Village. You can check out her amazing store at lumengal.com.

If you're loving the podcast, please don't forget to subscribe and leave us a great review however you get your podcasts!  This is a project of love, as we talk about real things that actually matter - because it's empowering and it contributes to your health and well-being.  Live Your Life!

We will be taking a short summer break, and will be returning on 9/8/2022.  Stay tuned for more exciting and thoughtful shows!!  Take time to check out the older shows that you missed!