PerfectWhelm with Eric Slivoskey: The Podcast That Helps Enhance Your Life

In Part 1 of this 2 part conversation, Carrie shares about the challenges of her early life growing up in Pittsburgh and the impact that being rejected, ignored, and often abandoned as a baby and young child had on the first narratives and stories of her childhood.

Carrie shares how storytelling and using her imagination to help get her through dark moments as a child was so instrumental for her in finding some level of comfort and building a resilience within herself that contributed to her very survival.

Origin stories contribute to the formation of early beliefs, how we see ourselves, and the roles we take on within our family structures. Carrie sheds light on a narrative in her  early life called the “Popcorn Story.”  You don’t want to miss this riveting chain of events where a key figure enters into Carrie’s story and quite literally saves her life.

We discuss the harm of repeated stories and how they can become patterned narratives that instill and perpetuate fear, shame, guilt, and unresolved trauma. Carrie talks about the importance of noticing and becoming aware of the repeating stories, questioning the narratives, and making conscious decisions to challenge all of the self-limiting beliefs that hold us back from living our best lives.

At the end of part 1 of this interview, Carrie talks about a very poignant and heart-wrenching event… the unexpected death of her father. She talks about how challenging and life altering this was for her, and how it actually led to several changes and pivots in her life. You will want to listen in for the dramatic words that Carrie’s dad spoke to her just hours before he died.  By the way, she had never heard these words from him until that moment.

Connecting With Carrie:

To learn more about Carrie’s background, how to purchase her book, and the work and projects that she is involved with, visit her website:  carriekcwest.com

Carrie is offering PerfectWhelm Podcast listeners a 10% discount code for those of you interested in obtaining her ‘Money Rewritten TM workshop.  Just Use the code NB73KT to receive this offer.

 LI: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carrie-west-46349764/

https://www.linkedin.com/company/story-of-your-life/?viewAsMember=true

 FB: https://www.facebook.com/carriekcwest/

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61571647474405

 IG @storytellers_acad

PerfectWhelm Podcast Links & Resources:

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In this episode, I discuss the recent flooding in central Texas and the heartbreaking tragedy that resulted in several people losing their lives.

Many of those who perished were children, mostly young girls who were part of Camp Mystic, a cabin full of young campers and counselors who were there to have fun, learn about their faith, and draw closer to God.

Setting the stage with some details about my own religious deconstruction and my break away from organized religion over the past 6-7 years, I talk about the realities that the Christian God was divinely hidden or asleep at the wheel during this awful disaster. 

I raise questions about the broken promises of God, all the unanswered prayers, and how so many Christians must engage in mental gymnastics to cover for and explain the silence and very troubling distant nature of God.

I define the term Lament and talk about the fact that there are many examples of regular people, prophets, psalmists, and even Jesus himself…who lamented and communicated their own personal heartache through their questions, doubts, sorrow, and tears.  

I deal head on with many of the inconsistencies, errors, repeated contradictions, historical and scientific issues, and inconsistencies of the thousands of different translations and interpretations of the Bible. Through manipulation, control tactics, fear based doctrines like the Rapture and eternal conscious torment in hell… many denominations within the domains of high control religion have gone to great lengths to discourage people from asking questions, raising doubts, and/or expressing sorrow and grief over all the suffering and evil in the world.

This episode is raw and many people may find it offensive or too controversial. I point out that difficult conversations must happen, and it starts with being intellectually honest with ourselves about the importance of being free to lament and question God. We are doomed to repeat what we don’t repair.

Experiencing anguish and expressing anger and lament is not unfaithfulness or disobedience. Rather, it is a part of being human. Have you made room in your life or within your faith to express lament?

This flood and the subsequent deaths of these young and helpless Christian campers shows overwhelming evidence of God’s absence, and it is truly heartbreaking that Jesus/God was absent when those young girls needed him the most.

 PerfectWhelm Podcast Links & Resources

-         Schedule a free discovery call with me to learn more about my coaching programs and services.

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Today I break down 4 ideas that I’ve learned during my personal development coaching journey along with one very important story about Focus and Discipline.

First, I discuss some thoughts about a component of human personality called the ego and how it can impact our sense of self.

Next, I dig in to 7 questions that we might ask ourselves if we are struggling to finish things or if we’re having difficulty with staying on track as we pursue our goals.

The third principle I dive into relates to defining what we want and getting clarity around being specific about the change we are seeking.

I also share a personal inventory exercise based on writing down 4 categories that include “Things I Want More of”, “Things I Want Less of”, “Things I Want to Stop”, and “Things I Want to Start.” After we set up these categories, we list habits, behaviors, thoughts, feelings, actions, etc… that most accurately fall into one of the four subject domains.

I close out the episode with a story about Concentration and Discipline and how the British 8 Man rowing team overcame the Australian team to take home the gold medal in the 2000 Sydney Olympics. Listen in to find out what is meant by the slogan “Will it make the boat go faster?”

 PerfectWhelm Podcast Links & Resources

-         Schedule a free discovery call with me to learn more about my coaching programs and services.

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 -         I hope you will follow, subscribe, rate, and/or share the podcast with someone you think might benefit from it.

During this podcast, I discuss our recent 3 day trip north to the mountains of Park City, a beautiful alpine town we used to call home.

I share about a failure to sell and then a sell too early that cost us 600K in real estate profits… as well as my other poorly timed financial decisions involving Amazon and smaller crypto holdings.

I discuss my conviction to not make the same mistakes with Bitcoin while avoiding the temptations to chase profits, to not let emotions get to us during up and down markets, and commit to playing the long game. Admittedly, this is easier said than done. However, HODLing does have it’s benefits!

Towards the end of the conversation, I encourage listeners to check out the 3 part-series I recently released called “You Could Learn a Lot From a Finn.” I briefly discuss upcoming shows related to my “Women In The World” series, and also my desire to talk openly about the recent floods in Texas in the next few episodes. I am so heartbroken over this tragedy that continues to unfold, and I believe it is important to help these families who are suffering so much. I plan on doing my part. These things are difficult to talk about, but I believe that we must chat about uncomfortable truths. Everything starts with a conversation.

 PerfectWhelm Podcast Links & Resources

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 Please follow, subscribe, rate, and/or share the podcast with someone you think might benefit from it.

Today we talk about the cold water immersion and winter swimming and the physical and mental benefits associated with this very Finnish rite of passage.

We chat about the link between sauna culture and cold water immersion.

We dive into the benefits of being in cold water for just 30 seconds and how the “happy hormones” and endorphins can become activated, thus creating a powerful hormone storm.

Other positives associated with spending time in an icy river, a chilly lake, or a winter dip in the Baltic Sea include improved blood circulation, burning calories, boosting the immune system, speeding up the healing process after surgery, lessening inflammation in the body, and creating an anti-depressive effect. There is also a strong social element related to this practice and many Finnish people participate in cold water swim clubs with friends and strangers alike.

I also share my perspectives about how I have experienced Finland as a nation that accepts people for who they are. Finns seem to be very intentional about creating a culture where people experience a sense of equality and even the language is gender neutral.

My final talking point centers on Finnish innovation and efficiency. I discuss my experiences at the Helsinki airport, recently chosen as the top airport in the world. I have found most Finnish people to be very focused, hard-working, and exceptional problem solvers. I share a story about a teenage restaurant worker running an entire pizza store on her own, and how focus and efficiency with each task she performed allowed her to keep up with the demands of serving multiple customers in a very busy environment.

 PerfectWhelm Podcast Links & Resources

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In this episode, I share 3 more concepts that I absolutely find unique and fascinating about the Finnish culture and way of life.

First, I share how the sauna experience influences and shapes Finnish life. A sauna is the place for cleansing the mind and body and Finland has close to 3.5 million of them… which is noteworthy for a country with only 5.5 million people. I discuss some health benefits of the practice along with a story that relates to my first ever sauna experience in Finland.

Next, I talk about the world-renowned Finnish education system and how the foundation for this amazing framework can be found in pre-birth. As a former educator myself, I really appreciate the thoughtful way that Finland approaches learning and the emphasis on free play, fostering independence, the commitment to preparing and training great teachers, emphasizing physical movement during each hour of school instruction, and cultivating a model based on cooperation, responsibility, and trust. You don’t want to miss this deep dive into what the Finns do differently and how it leads to amazing outcomes for their teachers and learners.

Lastly, I share about the resilience, fortitude, and courage from a Finnish perspective… also known as Sisu. This concept dates back to the 1500’s and it is more than a mindset or attitude of determination or pushing through. Finns see Sisu as coming from the gut and as a muscle that must be exercised daily. I describe the ways that Finns embody, practice, and build up Sisu in their everyday lives, so they can draw from that lifeforce when things get tough and challenges present themselves. I also shed some light on the ways I have witnessed Finnish people live out Sisu during my interactions with them, including my observations while being with them during an imminent threat of war.

 PerfectWhelm Podcast Links & Resources

-         Schedule a free discovery call with me to find out more about my coaching services and to see how I might be able to help you reach the outcomes you want and create the change you are seeking.

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In this episode, I share about the factors that led me to reach a state of professional burnout in my coaching and teaching job in the winter of 2008-09.

Around that time, a tremendous opportunity presented itself to coach professional American football in Finland during the 2009 season, and I discuss the decision-making process my family and I exercised as we faced the challenges that stood in the path of us making this dream a reality.

After giving some basic stats about the country, I share about the general characteristics and qualities of Finnish people and the cultural practices and social frameworks that have led to Finland being selected as the “Happiest Country In the World” for eight consecutive years!

I share about their unique perspectives and practices relating to their top tier education system, their impressive approach to social justice, gender equality, and human rights… and their exemplary policies and stellar performance in the area of quality of life.

You will want to tune in and hear how Finland supports women in leadership, how they support parents with family friendly parental leave policies, how they have become the top ranked country in the world to do business in. The country is ranked as the safest and least corrupt nation in the world… and you will be enlightened to learn about all the ways that the nation addresses the needs of citizens who are struggling or marginalized to some degree. Did you know that Finland is the only European Union member country where rates of homelessness are falling?

Finnish people are so focused on getting their daily dose of nature, and I will discuss how this mindset impacts their daily lives.

You Could Learn a Lot from a Finn, and I hope you will check out this episode to gain a better understanding of how this Nordic country of only 5.5 million people is helping to positively impact the world!

PerfectWhelm Podcast Links & Resources

-         Schedule a free discovery call with me to find out more about my coaching services and to see how I might be able to help you attain the outcomes you want and create the change you are seeking.

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Please follow, subscribe, rate, and/or share the podcast with someone you think might benefit from it.

In this episode, I explore Goal orientation and Goal setting from a different angle and a nuanced perspective. 

Many of these things I learned from my mentor Kris Robertson while I studied for my certification in Personal Performance Coaching at the Coaching Academy in London, England. 

During this conversation, we go beyond “SMART” Goals frameworks that we so often hear about in mainstream spaces.

From a coaching perspective, effective goal setting begins with getting clarity around the idea of “What Does Good Look Like?”

Dreams are often mistaken for goals and you might think of goals as falling into 4 different categories.  

1.     Practical Goals

2.     Having Goals

3.     Being Goals

4.     Decision Goals

We dive into the idea of establishing “First Journey Focal Points or Objectives” and the importance of getting early wins and building psychological momentum. Breaking things into smaller bit works. The impact of “Hard Whys” are also emphasized and the idea of asking ourselves intentional questions about the future and possibilities is an instrumental part of this process. When we build a compelling hard why, we essentially connect our brains to our hearts and this is where the fuel and magic lies in regards to goal achievement.

Follow along as we talk about the reasons why New Year’s Resolutions so often fall flat and fail.

I share about my own struggles with maintaining a healthy weight and how constructing hard whys helped me make great strides in this area of my life journey.

Fleshing things out and choosing which area is most important to you in regards to making progress is also significant. Trying to do too much too soon and designing really big goals at the start often leads to overwhelm and defeat before we even get started. Early on, one of the most key obstacles to overcome is inertia. 

A key takeaway is that we get there a little bit at a time. In closing, I discuss the movie “What About Bob” and how the central message in that film runs parallel to today’s discussion. The movie emphasizes the power and impact of “Baby Steps” in a humorous way, and we can take those words to heart on our path to achieving the goals that we’ve set out in front of us.

PerfectWhelm Podcast Links & Resources

-         Schedule a free discovery call with me to find out more about my coaching services and to see how I might be able to help you attain the outcomes you want and create the change you are seeking.

-         Email: [email protected]

Please follow, subscribe, rate, and/or share the podcast with someone you think might benefit from it.

In this episode, Eva offers more insights and details about the horrors of camp life at Auschwitz. She shares about some chance encounters she had with her father and also her luck in obtaining a job in “Canada”… the location where the stolen belongings like clothing, jewelry, food, and money were taken from the Jews as they were initially processed into the camp.

There is also a story where Eva’s mom is selected for the gas chamber after several months in the camp as she has grown thin and weak from the lack of food and terrible living conditions at the camp. Eva puts a plan into effect and scrambles to find her cousin from Prague who might be able to influence the Germans to spare her mother’s life.

Eva also discusses the liberation from the Auschwitz by the Russians and the absolute chaos that set on the camp as many of the Jews were forced into “death marches” by the remaining German guards. She loses contact with her father and doesn’t learn of her dad and brother’s fate until several months later.

Her experiences on the transports through places like Poland, Russia, Romania, Italy, and France and the isolation and uncertainty she faced while making her way back to Amsterdam is also discussed.

When Eva and her mom finally arrive back in Holland in late spring of 1945, they have no money and no place to go. They begin a search for Eva’s brother and father, and when they learn of their fate… Eva becomes severely depressed and considers suicide in the early months of 1946.

In the final segment of this conversation, Eva talks about the difficult decision to reclaim her Austrian citizenship and ultimately forgive the Germans for what they did to her, her friends, and her family. It is a hopeful and poignant story in the midst of so much heartache, pain, and suffering.

 PerfectWhelm Podcast Links & Resources

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Join me in this episode as I take a walk back through one of the greatest horrors of the 20th century, Holocaust. 

I am joined by a very strong woman who I have called a friend for more than 5 years now. Eva Schloss is the stepsister of Anne Frank, and a survivor of the Auschwitz Birkenau concentration camps during World War 2.

In this episode, we begin where Eva is 9 years old and living with her brother and parents in Vienna, Austria. It is the late 1930’s and Hitler is rising in power. There is already a great deal of Anti-Semitism brewing in Europe and it worsens as Hitler initiates war.

Eva recalls her best friends turning on her and her brother once the war started and there was harassment, shunning, exclusionary practices, and even physical violence that the family had to endure.

Soon they were separated and living in Belgium and then Amsterdam, Holland… which is where Eva met Anne Frank. Anne would later become her stepsister.

As the Germans advanced on Holland and heavily bombed Rotterdam, the restrictions and discrimination increased for the Jews and the Schloss family.

Deportations started in the early 1940’s and the Nazis began killing children, as was the case in Mauthausen, which Eva mentions in our conversation.

The family had to live apart most of the time between 1940 and 1944 and they moved around 6-7 times, hiding in the homes of connections they had and keeping a low profile. In 1944, the family was betrayed shortly after a move by a Dutch nurse who was serving as a double agent.

Towards the latter stages of the interview, Eva describes her interrogation at a holding camp, and also the journey to Auschwitz on cattle trucks where there was little room and horrible sanitary conditions.

Upon arriving at Auschwitz, she shares about the selection process, the horrible and emotional separation from her brother and father, the harassment and harsh treatment they received at the hands of the SS soldiers, and the conditions of camp life.

There are 2 miracles or great strokes of luck that happened to Eva and her mother during their early days at Auschwitz, and you definitely want to tune in to hear her describe this incredible chain of events.

 PerfectWhelm Podcast Links & Resources

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