We all have strengths and weaknesses. Many of us are quick to point out our weaknesses and we leave our strengths sitting there untapped. This episode is going to talk about the importance of recognizing strengths and living lives that honor your strengths. In the episode, I share a few of my personal strengths and give examples of how I use them to manage my weaknesses. We are all capable of living fulfilled, growth-focused lives. We must start with showing up as the best versions of ourselves. After listening to this episode, I hope you choose to discover your strengths, learn about them in depth, and practice using them right away! Resources: VIA Character Strengths (free assessment) GALLUP Strengths Finder (recommended) Podcast Transcript: Hey everyone! I’m recording this week’s podcast from a hotel room in Indianapolis where I am here enjoying a night away ALONE! I still can’t believe it. The whole way here I had an overwhelming amount of mom guilt. Thoughts like: “How could you be a good mom if you are willingly leaving your children for a night?” Which I know is 1000% false. I know many moms who have to leave their kids on a regular […]

Pain is a feeling we all avoid out of simple human instinct. But what happens when we avoid pain? Well, we become slaves to it. When things aren’t dealt with, they don’t go away. One way humans avoid their pain is through buffering. I’m not talking about the technology type of buffering, I’m talking about the buffering we do through our actions to avoid negative emotions. To buffer is to lessen or moderate the impact of (something). Buffering is our go-to when we want to check-out or feel numb. Humans buffer to distract themselves from negative emotions. This episode is all about why we shouldn’t buffer, noticing the different types of buffering, and avoiding buffering instead of avoiding our pain. A few examples of buffering: Overeating Overdrinking Binge watching Netflix Gossiping Social media scrolling If you want to gift yourself a life where you aren’t afraid of hard emotions and if you want to give yourself a life that isn’t a cycle of one distraction after another then we have to learn to tackle buffering our pain. Listen below for an introduction to buffering and put into practice avoiding buffering instead of avoiding your pain. Podcast Transcript: Hello everyone! It’s so […]

Communication: “the exchanging of information, ideas, and emotions with others.” We all want to effectively communicate, but sometimes we don’t know how! We interpret a message wrong from someone we love or we are misunderstood in something we are trying to share with a friend. Communication is hard but is key to any and all relationships! We can all do better! This episode will walk you through why the intent and the interpretation of the message are more important than the message itself. The episode also gives tips on how to communicate more effectively. At the end of the episode, there are three questions to ask yourself when communicating something important: Think: Is what I’m saying valuable and important? Is what I’m saying useful or helpful? Is what I’m saying or interpreting actually true? For more, listen to the episode below! Think about one person to try these tips and tricks with! Practice effective communication and then let me know how it goes in the comments below! Resources: The 90 Percent Agreement Rule Better Communicate With Your Children Communication With Your Body   Podcast Transcript: Communication is something we all do and we can all learn to do better. Am […]

This week’s podcast episode is all about the key to happiness. We all think we know what happiness is and can tell each other a list of things we need/want in our lives to be happy. We base our everyday decisions on what we think will make us happy in the moment or even in the future, and we trust that our mind is telling us the right things to pursue. Our brains tell us what will make us happy such as money, a better job, a better body, awesome stuff, finding the love of our life, etc. But studies have been done that tell us what actually makes us happy and it’s none of those things. Instead, we should be working towards the eight things listed below to increase our level of happiness: Know and use your strengths. Engage in flow. Develop a growth-mindset. Show kindness. Increase social connection. Become time affluent. Control your mind. Engage in healthier practices: exercise + sleep. All of these ideas are discussed in more depth in the podcast episode, so take a listen and enjoy! Resources: These ideas presented came from this online course. Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience Podcast Transcript: Hey everyone! I’m […]

Simple Living is a popular topic in this day and age because we live in a world where so much is easily accessible, our minds are being bombarded with what and how to think, and our schedules are busier than ever! We like the idea of decreasing our stress and HAVING less so that we can LIVE more! But we don’t know how to do that in a way that works for US — not checking off a check-list or fitting into a mold that we read in a book or saw on a website about minimalism. Instead, we need to learn how to make a simple life that fits who we are! This podcast will cover what simple living looks like, why it’s important, and how to make your environment, mind, and schedule simpler! “Slow living is a slow process. We will get it right and we will get it wrong. Our garden will bloom for months and then we’ll lose focus – life will get busy, or hard – and we’ll forget to pay attention to our efforts. We’ll wish for the roses to rain again, for life to be simple again, for the work to get easier, and […]

We hear the phrase “You are enough.” And though I love this message that we tell ourselves and others, we need to be careful not to forget about the reasons behind the phrase. We need this message because we are constantly battling limiting beliefs that tell us otherwise. If we forget to fight against the thoughts that limit us, then the phrase “You are enough” won’t actually be enough. So many of us see ourselves by our current capabilities and forget that we have the power to see ourselves for our FULL potential! How limitless are we when we see ourselves that way? In this podcast, you will learn about limiting beliefs and how to go to battle with them. We must identify the beliefs that hold us back and come up with a game plan to tackle our limitations! Only then will we find true freedom in the idea that we are enough just the way we are! “Learning too soon our limitations, we never learn our powers.” —Mignon McLaughlin Don’t give up your ability to learn about your power! Conquer your limitations and watch the Lord use you to your highest potential! Resources: The Dreamer’s Nest Membership Intentional Motherhood Course The […]

Most of us allow our feelings to be determined by whatever circumstances we are experiencing. Whatever happens to us each day defines how we feel. This creates a roller coaster of emotions with very little control. However, when we realize the power we have over our thoughts, we are able to choose the kind of feelings we have and that impacts the actions we take that give us the kind of lives we want! If you are experiencing joy, embrace it. But if you are stuck and at the mercy of your circumstances, know that only you have the power to change. Be a noticer and a manager of your thoughts and watch the feelings you experience and the actions you take begin to align with the life you want for yourself. This episode covers the process of managing your thoughts and why it’s important! Resources: The Life Coach School Self-Coaching Model 4 Steps To Control Your Thoughts And Lead A Happier Life How Changing Your Thoughts Can Change Your Life 3 Thoughts Keeping You From Success Podcast transcript: Hey friends! You guys…this has been the best week! This podcast was approved by iTunes and is now up and running! This has […]

Resistance: the refusal to accept or comply with something; the attempt to prevent something by action or argument. Many of us have goals and dreams, but we aren’t following them! We make up excuses or we get down on ourselves for lack of progress. Some of us don’t even make the goals in the first place because we assume we will fail, so why try? Let me tell you something, YOU are not the problem! Resistance is the problem! This podcast is all about the enemy of resistance and how to fight against it! You’ll hear an excerpt from The War of Art by Steven Pressfield and then will hear tips for how to beat the dream-sucking energy of resistance! Click the play button and listen below! Resources: Lark’s Song Little Larks The War of Art Podcast Transcript: I’m so excited to talk to you guys about a topic that I know every single one of you can relate to. First, let me explain how I was introduced to this topic. I’ve been blessed to be apart of a training called Little Larks. This training is through a local life coaching organization called Lark’s Song. I received my life coaching certification […]

What would your life look like if you focused less on what you were meant to “do” and cared more about creating the kind of person you want to be? This episode will give you tips on how to focus more on “being” instead of “doing.” Each and every day you have the power to create your future self! What are you doing now to become who you want to be tomorrow? Stop waiting for joy and fulfillment to come into your life, and start creating it! Here are four practical ways to get you started: Notice what you are feeding yourself that will one day grow into your future self. Acknowledge the POWER you have to choose the direction of your life. Talk with people you admire who live lives more focused on “being” than “doing,” and ask them how they do it! Write down everything about who you want to be. “If you want to be something you’ve never been, you have to do something you’ve never done.” Podcast Transcript: Since this is the first podcast episode of The Dreamer’s Nest, it would be really easy for me to make it all about my story and introduction. Telling […]