That Green Dress Podcast

There is so much wisdom and so many life lessons to be learned from a farm. I recently had the opportunity to return to the farm and I observed with different eyes...a new level of admiration, appreciation, and awe. This week, I share the 10 things I’ve learned from the farm and my parents, the farmers. From assuming positive intent, to not “sweating the small stuff,” and to operating from a solution-oriented lens, there is something in this list that will enhance your work and relationships. Join me!

As you know, I spent many years focused on the grind. Nose down, blinders up and all. And you know what happened? I missed so many opportunities to experience AWE. I was first introduced to this concept (which sounds strange, I know) by my uncle, John DeGraaf, as I began to explore the possibilities ahead of launching the podcast. I had no idea the dramatic and positive impact that experiencing awe could have on a person...on me. Did you know that experiencing awe can improve mood, increase gratitude and life satisfaction, decrease stress, and improve connection? Wild, right?! This week, I share the research behind awe, the experiences of awe I fully embraced last week on holiday, and ideas for ways to experience awe each day. And guess what, they are free! Join me to increase those moments that stop you in your tracks, find you at a loss for words, leave you with your mouth agape, and give you goosebumps. Say yes to awe with me!

Sources:

https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/eight_reasons_why_awe_makes_your_life_better

https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/six_ways_to_incorporate_awe_into_your_daily_life

https://www.johndegraaf.com/

Awestruck, Jonah Paquette

Bai, Y., Maruskin, L. A., Chen, S., Gordon, A. M., Stellar, J. E., McNeil, G. D., Peng, K., & Keltner, D. (2017). Awe, the diminished self, and collective engagement: Universals and cultural variations in the small self. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 113(2), 185–209. https://doi.org/10.1037/pspa0000087

Stellar, J. E., Gordon, A., Anderson, C. L., Piff, P. K., McNeil, G. D., & Keltner, D. (2018). Awe and humility. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 114(2), 258–269. https://doi.org/10.1037/pspi0000109

What’s That Green Dress? Is it a fashion podcast? No. Is it a show all about JLo’s green dress...the one with the plunging neckline? Um, no. Is a program about sustainable clothing? One episode was! I am little over a year into this show and new listeners are engaging every single day - THANK YOU! As such, I decided it was time to reintroduce the podcast. Tune in to hear where this journey started including the reason for the title, That Green Dress. I invite you to listen to the episode, reflect on your own joy journey, your growth over the past year, and celebrate how far you’ve come. If you are listening for the first time, you are right in time! Welcome to our learning community. Together, we can experience greater joy and combat burnout!

Last week’s episode was a fan favorite! And while the topic of mental health is heavy, the response we received told us just how important it is to have these conversations. Mental health and all it encompasses can feel scary as there are so many unsettling unknowns, complicated systems to navigate, and difficult work required in the midst of one’s pain. This week, we tackle your questions in response to my first episode with Morgan.

Topics include:

How to know when a person is struggling

Medication

Timelines and progress

2 more strategies

We hope you will join us and keep the conversation going!

**Some content in this episode may be triggering. Listener discretion is advised. If you need emergency support, please call 911.**

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline:

800-273-8255

A study released by the CDC found that younger adults report having “disproportionately worse mental health outcomes” than people of other ages. Researchers specifically found that nearly 52% of people between the ages of 25 and 44 reported having at least one symptom of poor mental or behavioral health. In honor of Mental Health Awareness Month, today I share the space with my favorite guest to date...my little sister. Momo talks about her experience in mental health, finding and fanning her passion as a ballroom dancer, and learning to live a more meaningful and authentic life. Vulnerability begets vulnerability, and this week’s episode is an invitation to feel less alone, to find courage to seek help, and to live more joyfully.

*It is important to note that the information shared today may be triggering for some audiences. Listener discretion is advised. For emergency services, please call 911.*

Guest Social Handles:

IG: DanceVisionOfficial

FB: Dance Vision Official

Resources:

https://www.nami.org/Blogs/NAMI-Blog/February-2019/Millennials-and-Mental-Health

https://parade.com/1122525/korinmiller/millennial-mental-health/

https://time.com/collection/davos-2020-mental-health/5764680/mental-health-at-work/

I am often asked, “How are you doing?” “What has changed?” “What’s still working?” “What have you learned?” in the past year of podcasting, while in the midst of a global pandemic and during a transition back to work from a year-long sabbatical. Short answer? Good. Lots. Some things. More than I expected. Seriously though. This year has been an incredible opportunity to learn from other women. To check myself. To maintain my boundaries. To prioritize my family. To laugh more. To articulate my needs. To recognize that while I changed, I re-entered a system that very much stayed the same. It has been hard some days. I learned I still have lots of learning to do, grace is very much needed, fresh starts are key, and that I can’t underestimate the power of attending to basic needs. Tune in for a life update. Celebrate with me. You’ve been here for this journey and I think we should cheer for that. Cheers to life!

Motherhood is beautiful and hard. Really beautiful and really hard. And while the whole experience is supposed to be natural…there are many ways in which it isn’t the case. In an effort to increase our compassion and empathy for one another and in honor of Mother’s Day, this week I reflect on my journey in motherhood. A rocky, joyful, lovely, and scary experience. We have to make it ok to be wildly fulfilled by motherhood. We must open our hearts to those mamas who are feeling overwhelmed and even frustrated on the hard days and seasons. We have to normalize and acknowledge those who are wishing and praying for a baby. And we have to give space to those mamas who are missing their angel babies. We must also have space in our heart for this with children who are struggling, feeling sadness, and regret. Join me in lifting up the women around us!

Our internal voice is loud. Sometimes this voice is cruel, unrelenting, and unrealistic. This week, I share 6 comments/perceptions/beliefs/assumptions that can lead to burnout. These comments may be those that we have created or ones we have constructed based on the actions of others. Actually, these 6 were all tickets to my personal experience in burnout. EACH ONE! Regardless of how and when they hit, these comments can be POWERFUL and negatively impact our well-being. Each can derail our progress, dampen our hope, and rob our joy. Tune in to hear if you have any of these comments on loop. Let’s adjust our narrative to live more joyfully!

Have you ever laughed and cried at a funeral? Felt sad and yet relief/freedom as a result? Felt hurt and hopeful after a break up? Relief and frustrated about a recent layoff? Fear and attracted to true crime stories? Have you felt disgusted by a person’s acts but feel sadness when they are hurt or you come to understand an unfortunate upbringing? Felt terrified and excited about starting a new venture? Felt grateful and ready yet anxious to re-emerge from the pandemic?

This week I talk about how these moments and these emotions can happen simultaneously at varying degrees. This seeming conflict can invite or even require us to pause. The positive emotions we experience are generally the ones we wish to hold onto and yet the harder ones, those difficult to shake, can help keep us safe by signalling when risk, aversion, danger may be present. We get to choose how we respond and which we lean into first and more deeply. Tune in to learn more about the “emotional bipolarity” phenomenon.

Source:

Seltzer, L. (2011, June, 11). Can you feel two emotions at once?. Psychology Today.

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/evolution-the-self/201406/can-you-feel-two-emotions-once

Today’s episode answers an important listener question that seemed appropriate on the heels of our conversations about grief and loss. Here is the question: How do you stop wanting things you’ve always wanted - children, job, relationship, face, body…? A big and even painful question. First, if you’ve wondered this about yourself, you are NOT alone. This is certainly a human experience. It is human to have dreams, expectations, desires, and hopes. It is human to work towards these life plans. And yet, we know things don’t always unfold as we wished and sometimes are far outside of our control. Sometimes, though, the “change in plans” come with positive consequences. And while they may be difficult to see, know, understand in the moment, they may be more present later...when we are ready or in a different life season. In this episode, I share a personal experience when life didn’t go as planned...when my dream didn’t take shape. This experience was discouraging, embarrassing, and contributed to my feeling stuck and hopeless. This week, you will learn strategies for living through these moments and emerging differently, including labeling your experience with movie titles. Tune in to hear the movie title I selected to describe my experience and how it impacted me.