Jason is getting ready to attend a wedding with his wife in this week’s Check-In. The only challenge is trying to find something to wear. Jason doesn’t often “dress up” so finding clothes appropriately for a wedding is a little difficult. This is compounded by the fact that Jason has a hard time committing to an outfit that might not be as comfortable as he needs it to be. Jason talks about his need for clothes that don’t just look good, but also feel good as well.

The Human Brain can make only so many decisions per day. In this Deep Dive we explore the way that our brains make decisions and what decision fatigue is. During the average day we may be asked to make thousands of decisions, when our brain can handle only hundreds. We discuss how best to use those decisions, and how to combat decision fatigue.

We are still on Summer Break, but we wanted to complete our analysis of Astrology signs through the rest of the summer.

Gemini often gets a bad rap as a sign that is unstable, but as you'll hear this week, Gemini's are incredibly loyal, emotionally adept and incredibly fun to be around. This week we take a deeper look into what it means to have a Gemini in our lives and the benefits that come along with that relationship. Join us as we explore the duality of the twins.

This week’s Episode starts out with a tale of two wills. Edward finds himself in a situation when he and someone he works with start to co-escalate. Hindsight is 20/20 and, in this case, quite funny and educational. Jason also shares a story of a similar situation in which he found himself. Laughs are had and lessons are learned in this Check-In.

In our Deep Dive, this week Jason and Edward play a “game” with each other to illustrate what it looks like to engage in reality testing. We talk about reality testing as a tool to combat anxiety, trauma response, and even depression, but we rarely talk about how we go about doing it. If you’ve ever wondered how to use this tool, Jason and Edward use real world personal examples of issues they face in this game of what if.

Our Check-In this week is our Season Finale. Jason and Edward sit down and share the highlights of what made this season special for them. This is the episode when we hear about favorite episodes, learning experiences, growth recaps, special moments, and of course plans and goals for next season. Join us as we celebrate three years of Stumbling Through Enlightenment!

Our Deep Dive this week is also a special one. A shout out and encouragement to those who share their trauma and shame in a healthy way to heal their lives. Talking about what has happened in our past is fundamental in the healing process. Jason and Edward discuss sharing their experiences in the podcast, support groups, and in therapy. Each member of our podcast team has found healing in the processes that we share. Our number one past episode is based on the sharing of shame around what has happened to us. Jason and Edward speak about the importance of processing their pasts and the benefits that come along with it.

Edward shares with us more changes in his life and how he is experiencing them. Edward starts off speaking about taking on a temporary roommate whom he has known for several years. Edward discusses the change in his home environment and the change in the relationship with this person. Though a good space for growth, Edward is finding it challenging dealing with change in so many areas of his life. Jason and Edward also discuss the closing of the church where Edward has played hand bells on and off since high school, and the work he is doing with overcoming his religious trauma. Edward admits that the amount of change hasn’t been bad, but there is a certain feeling of being frozen due to all the moving parts.

Our Deep Dive today focuses on the differences between trauma responses and intuition. While we work on ourselves and throughout our healing, we often come into the realization that our intuition can be a useful tool. We also start to realize that some of our feelings are just our trauma revisiting us. How do we tell the difference? Jason and Edward discuss the key differences between trauma responses and intuition. The discussion includes signs and even a checklist style identification system to figure this out.

Jason leads us off this week with a discussion about leaving a legacy. For Jason the podcast has been many things within his mental health journey. One of the parts that has recently come into his experience is that this podcast is part of a legacy to his family. Jason doesn’t speak much with his children about the depths of his abuse. Jason was not able to understand what happened from his parents without more abuse. Jason has also been working on writing down some of the things that happened to him and how he has dealt with them over the years. Jason and Edward discuss how important this podcast has been to him as way for his children to learn about his past if they ever choose. After he’s gone this work will stand as a reminder of how much he loves them and what his journey was like.

Our Deep Dive this week is all about Taurus. Our favorite bull is full of nurturing. Taurus is known for their levelheaded nature. In this monthly discussion of our Zodiac signs, we explore the world of Taurus and what it means to have one in our lives. Slow to anger, stubborn, nurturing, and a home builder are terms that many of us connect to taurus. They are also incredibly intuitive and creative, and those are just some of the good qualities. Join us as we deep dive into what makes a Taurus one of the most loveable signs of the Zodiac.

This week’s episode is a little longer than typical, and a little different. Instead of starting with a check in, we will be starting out with our Deep Dive. When we listened to the recording of this week’s check in, Jason realized that there was an opportunity to add some content in the form of a deep dive. That information will be helpful in processing the conversation we have in our check in.

In our Deep Dive this week we discuss neuroplasticity, specifically the way it relates to the ADHD brain. Neuroplasticity is a relatively new concept that describes the brain’s ability to change and adapt on the physical level to changes in stimulation, thoughts, and the environment. This is not split-second adaptability, but the type that happens over time. In short, we discuss how our brain can be trained into new ways of working. This is particularly beneficial for those of us with ADHD.

Our Check In starts out with Edward discussing the changes that he is experiencing at work. Obviously the a new client in the home is a big change and challenge for his adaptability. Edward also brings up that the office situation is changing and he will be working more in the middle of the house. This open Edward up to more stimulation and a greater number of potential distractions. Jason offers advice in the form of new skills and approaches to Edward’s job. Edward finds it hard to process the information, but through communication and some time Jason assists Edward in understanding the steps and processes involved.

Edward starts us off this week with a check in about reaffirming boundaries. Edward has consistently had difficulties setting boundaries with his mother. Within the last week he had to do so on the phone in front of a friend who really likes is mother. Surprisingly his friend understood and encouraged the boundaries which Edward found to be a huge affirmation. Jason and Edward discuss some of the growth that Edward has experienced around the boundaries with his mother. They also discuss how the boundaries have changed, and some work in therapy.

In this episode we welcome back Deb Burk to share with us stories of rescues that she has helped rehabilitate, and even given homes to. Join us for heartwarming stories centering around animal of all kinds. We discuss the lessons they’ve taught Deb and the love they’ve shared.

To get in touch with Deb you can email her at [email protected], or on Facebook Deb Burk TTouch Maine Animal Connections.

Jason shares with us some parental growth this week. His eldest son has been fired from his job for stealing. A perfect storm of circumstances come together to create the perfect environment for his son to steal from his job. Jason shares with us the circumstances, but also how he and Jessica are working through the parenting process. Jason and Edward also share some of their own experience from being that age.

Our Deep Dive this week is all about the step by step process of how to grow towards recovery from trauma. The steps we discuss are from a book called The Origins of You: How Breaking Family Patterns Can Liberate the Way We Live and Love by Vienna Pharaon. Each step breaks down the much bigger task of working into a healthy state from a life shaped by our trauma. The task of working through trauma can be filled with pitfalls and seem overwhelming. This book and the steps we discuss can break that down into workable chunks for a healthier life, more in line with our true selves.

Jason starts us off this week with a check in about the time change. Time changes can be difficult for any of us with mental health issues, especially depression. Jason realizes that the springtime change is good for him. We discuss legislation to end Daylight Savings Time falling through. Jason shares with us the challenges he finds in the winter as well as the lack of light. Jason talks about movement in the summer and lack of movement in the winter. We also talk about being in our bodies and stretching. Finishing up we talk about our dreams of spring and summer: Kayaking, fishing, motorcycles, and how to ease into these activities during the cold as it warms up.

We find ourselves at the beginning of the Zodiac. Before the Julian and Gregorian calendar, spring was the start of the year. Aries is the fire sign that brings in the spring. The sign of the Ram is playful and full of wonder. Not evolving from other signs, Aries tend to be passionate children with very few self-imposed limitations. Just like a child exploring the world for the first time, Aries doesn’t understand the idea of can’t. If they want to do something they will find away as they continue to plow ever forward. Listen in as we learn about our friends born under this sign and discover all of the famous Aries out there.