Today, Jay and I talked with a very special guest who is a dad and a writer who has created a series of books to inspire children who may feel different, or marginalized. His stories help children to realize that each and every one of us has something that makes us special and unique and we must celebrate it. I hope you find some good nuggets in here!

You can check out Bolaji's wonderful books at http://bravernewworld.us/.

This episode was inspired by a listener who wrote in talking about how crazy May can get and how to stay sane during this end-of-school-year month. Join me! 

Today, I revisit the Platform Technique and talk particularly about how it can help to combat anxiety, either for you or for your child. Join me!

If you are new to my podcast, welcome! If you have been listening for a while, thank you. It means the world to me. I would really appreciate if you'd hop over to iTunes and leave a review!

This is a Throwback to episode 6 of Maximizing Life in the Middle that Jay and I did for a while. I hope you enjoy! 

Maximizing Life in the Middle goes on the road! We recorded this episode on our drive to celebrate our 20th wedding anniversary in Cape May. We talked about the privilege of being together for 20 years and how we have made it work all these years. We talk about how you really pay homage to your loved one and whether it requires a greeting card :) We also cover the 5 Love Languages by Gary Chapman and how helpful it is to keep them in mind when trying to show your loved one how you feel. And we remember my dear friend Kerri, who tragically died of breast cancer only a few short years after she married the love of her life. Life is precious – let’s appreciate it while we can.

This episode was inspired by a video I saw from Jay Shetty about what we should really focus on as parents. Hint: often times, it's NOT what we tend to focus on. Join me! 

This is a very special episode, and one I was very much looking forward to. I chatted with my good friend, Aaron Schiller, who shared his family's journey over the past few months through his wife's near-death experience with something that began as the flu. In this episode, Aaron and I talk about the lessons that he has learned thus far and he updates us on how his wife is doing now. We dove deep into the topic of prayer, which was not necessarily our plan. But the conversation turned on to it and it was too beautiful not to share. I hope you get something really valuable out of today's episode. 

In the episode, Aaron mentions Love it Forward List, a wonderful organization that has been supporting Aaron's wife Megan with get-well letters from around the world. You can check them out on Instagram here. 

Aaron also mentions the great work his wife has done through her work at The Art Pantry. 

I dedicate today's episode to my dad, who was the greatest dad of all time, in my humble opinion. He would have turned 81 on the day I recorded this episode, and I thought it fitting to talk about what makes a dad great. He was a wonderful example of everything a dad should be. I hope you find inspiration and joy in this episode. Happy birthday in Heaven, Dad <3 

In this episode, I share how a regular mindfulness/meditation practice helps you to be mindful not only for five or twenty minutes while you are sitting in silence, but for your entire day. I hope this episode inspires you to make this a regular part of your life! 

Today's episode is a throwback to Episode 5 from Maximizing Life in the Middle, the podcast that my husband Jay and I did. 

In episode 5, we talk about our son's freshman year of high school playing on the varsity volleyball team and helping him to see his frustrations with the season from a different angle so that he could see all the good that came out of it. We can apply this technique in all of our challenging or frustrating situations, even when dealing with a serious illness, loss or something similar.

We also talked about a concept we heard about giving 100% of yourself to every interaction you have with another person for an entire day. Could you do it?

Finally, we talk about being vigilant about not making negative or limiting statements. They are so subtle sometimes that we might not even recognize them when we say them.

In this episode, I illustrate through a tumultuous yesterday, how important self-care and mindset are. I hope you find some valuable nuggets in here!