Spent a bit of time chatting about 2020, what I've experienced, what I've learned and why, in spite of all the insanity that has happened, 2020 has been a really, really special year for me. I am so excited for 2021 and to have you alongside me on this journey.

Links to things mentioned in this episode:

Highest Praise by C3LA Music (the song I was able to be a part of the recording)
https://open.spotify.com/track/0h13SlJtBTJZvuNNL9GQmM?si=T_NUVEh9RcuKOn-u_DxddQ

Only A Man by Jonny Lang Cover
https://youtu.be/SJk6SXuyrIw

Peace by Bethel Music
https://open.spotify.com/album/5ooqN8wLOZ4zAYo23v3GfA?si=9rB6iO-bQyCxUhQ1ks3O_w

Forever Amen by Steffany Gretzinger
https://open.spotify.com/album/4INKppNLM2RZwGmggvpMvY?si=gCU-hD6MTzGZt4wY2LgKBA

No One Ever Cared For Me Like Jesus by Steffany Gretzinger
https://open.spotify.com/track/2oIFaafMda5ATaMr2b9pK8?si=yW2mBjtVQI-39k0jG3EPmQ

Hydration Is King Podcast Episode
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-brian-brister-experience/id1529822185?i=1000497171256

I wanted to take a few minutes and talk about not growing up celebrating Christmas, becoming an adult and going a bit overboard in the Christmas decorating and what Christmas looks like for my family this year.

I hope you take time this season to reflect back on 2020 and focus on the good you've experienced, the things you've contended for and the people you've loved and been loved by.

Merry Christmas. I love you. Drink some water. 

Today, I am talking to my friend, Laura Anderson. She and I have been friends for about 15 months, although we just met in person for the first time on a trip that she and I planned to Gulf Shores.  We became social media friends last summer, and then continued to talk about our health journeys and what life looks like as a coach, but never really talked about our personal lives until sometime at the beginning of this year, we started actually being friends and not just being health coaches on a health journey.

We were super excited about meeting at convention this summer, which went virtual, so we were unable to do that. We decided to plan this trip so that we could actually meet in person and from the beginning of me creating this podcast, she has been such a support in that, so I told her that whenever we got the opportunity to be together, she had to be on the podcast.

So that's why she's here. I am super excited because today we're going to talk a little bit about vocational ministry and what it looks like to be in that, but also what it looks like to step away from that yet still working on and growing in a relationship with God. We’ll also talk about her health journey and losing over 200 pounds and what it's looked like for her to become a health coach, to fall in love with exercise and continually inspiring others with her journey of health. 

You can follow Laura on Instagram at: www.instagram.com/laurabanderson

Kids are so good at this. Kids can dream about literally anything and they dream really crazy big dreams most of the time, because they have no idea the concept of money anyways. So they're like, I really wish that I could have this thing. And you're like, that's $4.7 million dollars you four old...and they're like, "Cool. Can I have it? How many dollars is that?" Because they don't know. And you know what? That's so cool. So maybe, maybe try dreaming without a concept of money. Maybe try dreaming without a concept of the city that you live in. Maybe try dreaming without a concept of the world that you grew up in. Maybe try dreaming for what your heart wants-for what you desire. For the things that maybe you've never said out loud. For the things that you've never shared with anyone else. What do you want? 

Look. This may sound a little crazy, but I want you to find a mirror and I want you to look in the mirror. I want you to take a good look at the person standing there, and I want you to ask them, what do you want? What dreams do you have that I or someone else have made you feel were not worthy of being voiced. Give yourself that time. Think about it. Allow it to happen. And Hey, this may be really vulnerable for you. This may be something you haven't allowed yourself to do. So, if you feel a knot rising in your throat or if you feel your chest get tight or if you feel some tears well up in your eyes, it's okay.

Because maybe this is the first time in a very long time that you've allowed yourself to feel what is possible. So, take the time. Dream a little bit. Think about what could be possible if nothing could stop you. Think about what could be possible if money wasn't a concern. Think about what could be possible if the house that you grew up in or the street you grew up on or the city that you grew up in or the people that you grew up with didn't determine your future.

Happy Thanksgiving! I wanted to release a podcast today to share some tips that I've learned to help in living a life of gratefulness.

I hope you are able to spend today with at least one person that you are thankful for and that you are able to reflect on the good things that have happened in your life this year in the midst of what has been probably the most insane year of our lives thus far.

I love you. I'm thankful for you.

A conversation about things to not say to people who are losing weight.

I've been told a number of things myself in my weight loss journey and I posted about it on my Facebook page asking my friends for things they had been told. 

I read through the comments on that post and then discuss that. 

I also leave you with a couple of ways to approach a conversation with someone who appears to be losing weight if they haven't personally told you or shared it on their social media.

I also help you out with how to celebrate with people who are celebrating losing weight. 

I had another podcast scheduled to be released today. You wouldn't have known that had I not told you, but I wanted to let you know that this feels so important to me that I delayed the release of a podcast that was already recorded to record and edit and post this one, because I feel like it needs to be said.  If you follow me on social media, then you may have already seen the post that I created. I am going to read that post, but I will elaborate a bit more than I did on that post. 

I am attempting to say this with grace, so please hear my heart.

I've had a lot of conversations with people regarding proper hydration and drinking enough water and never once has a person said "Oh! I didn't know that I should drink water! Thank you for telling me!" No. We all know we should do it. We just don't all do it. 

I'm not even sure how exactly I became the unofficial hydration guy, but, social media, amirite?  Anyways, I'm down for it. And since I talk about it all the time and I'm constantly telling you guys to drink more water, I decided it was past time to do a podcast about the benefits of drinking water and some tips on how to get that water in each day. 

Also, at the end of the podcast, I had a genius idea pop into my head about something that I am going to do in the coming weeks and I am SO freaking excited about it because you can be a part of it if you want!!!

In today's episode, I sit down with long-time friend Sarah Brown to discuss her life as a therapist and a mom.

"That's the cool thing about therapy is there are so many therapists out there. Find the person that you fit with. Find the person that you feel like you have a connection to and if you start therapy and you find yourself doing five or six sessions with this person, and you're like I can't stand my therapist, the cool part is you can get a new one; so  find someone that you get excited about going and talking to. Don't feel like this is another "Oh gosh, I got to go to therapy." Be excited to go see that person because you enjoy talking to this person because this person challenges you, and also listens to you.

 the most important thing that I'll always want people to know about therapy is don't feel like something has to be wrong or off to go. if I could, I would tell all people go to therapy, because I've told so many people, therapy is not going to hurt you.It's going to help you. And to have someone that is so completely  disconnected and  unbiased from the things that you want to talk about is so  encouraging and so challenging. Sometimes whether it's  the smallest thing in your life to the biggest thing in your life.

I just want all people to have this idea that therapy is good and therapy is also for the healthy and not just the sick."

In this episode, I sit down and chat with my friend Colton Thomas about the difference between discipline and motivation, what it's like being a husband and a dad and also about his favorite summer activity, disc golf. 

"I  began working out recently as an adult, , once I stopped feeling like I had to look for the spark to work out and that it was just what I did was working out and that I knew that I had to, Oh my gosh. It was just like a switch where it even became more enjoyable too, because it was like, yep. It's time to instead of, Oh man, am I feeling like it today? It's like, Nope, you got to, you just got to conquer it and do it.

so what is it that you love about it? Oh, man.  just the mental clarity I feel like I get whenever I work out, or post working out,  it is just makes me feel good after the workouts.

And so, through that whole discipline thing, I've learned that how I feel after mentally is worth putting the physical torture of the workout.  and then also I really just like feeling better. I move easier.  I can do things better just whenever I feel like I'm exercising consistently."