The Life You're Made For with Dr. Heather Penny

Do you have a difficult time trusting people? It could be that  you've been shamed in the past and are reacting, becoming defensive, or struggling to control a situation to avoid more pain.  Learn how to trust the right people, how to prepare for conflict, and how to gain a healthy perspective when you look at life through the lens of grace. 

grace:
1. the quality or state of being considerate or thoughtful
2. do honor or credit to someone or something by one's presence
3. courteous goodwill or a willingness to be fair and honest

Questions to Think About:
1) Do you live under the veil of trust (trusting our words, trusting ourselves, trusting that we get to question things) or fear (fear of failure, fear of offending, fear of not getting it right)? 
2) How is your physical health? Is your fear manifesting itself through headaches, exhaustion, pain, etc.? How can you move from a Shame Space to a Grace Space?
3) Are you playing a game with someone who isn't playing by the rules? Do you need to overturn the board? 

Step into The Life You're Made For, I'm cheering you on!
heatherpenny.com
@heatherpennyphd
Music & Production by Jason Squires

Between the pressures of shopping, baking, and decorating, Christmas is a stressful time of year. Add to that the stress of COVID-19 and not getting together - or getting together with difficult family members - and now life can feel down right overwhelming. Learn from Heather how to plan ahead for a successful family get together, how to put your immediate family first, and why you don't have to tap dance to make everyone happy. *Bonus - learn about our favorite and most interesting gifts and while we love our gift givers, sometimes their heartfelt gifts make us chuckle all these years later. 

Questions to Think About:
1) What was your favorite Christmas gift you received when you were a child? What did it represent to you?
2) You don't have to, nor can you, please everyone. How does this statement resonate with you?
3) What boundaries do you need to set with your spouse or partner before visiting family? After the event, talk about it. What could you have done better? What do you need to do next time to make it more successful?

Step into The Life You're Made For, I'm cheering you on!
heatherpenny.com
@heatherpennyphd
Music & Production by Jason Squires

Grief can plague us for many reasons, even during the holidays. You may be mourning a loved one who is no longer with us, grieving for a time that has passed and you can’t get back, feeling sad over a lost relationship, losing a home and missing the holidays you thought you’d spend there, and more. Listen in as Heather shares ways to bring joy during this stressful season and how to adjust our thinking during COVID-19 to really appreciate the blessings around us.

Questions to Think About:
1) Do the holidays bring you feelings of grief or stress? If so, what are some ways that you can bring joy into your home?
2) Are you trying to fulfill someone else's expectations of what the holiday should look like? If you could create the perfect Christmas Day, what would it look like?
3) What are some boundaries that you need to put into place to create a healthy outcome as you interact with friends and family?

Step into The Life You're Made For, I'm cheering you on!
heatherpenny.com
@heatherpennyphd
Music & Production by Jason Squires

Control isn't always "bad" and freedom isn't always "good". Healthy planning and organization are beneficial but can bleed into the area of wanting to control those around us. Freedom to think, believe, and speak our minds is a beautiful thing... until our personal freedoms hinder and shame another person's views. Explore the topic of Control vs. Freedom and find out how to live the best of both worlds.

grace:
1. the quality or state of being considerate or thoughtful
2. do honor or credit to someone or something by one's presence
3. courteous goodwill or a willingness to be fair and honest

Questions to Think About:
1) Is there an area in your life that you tend to hold on tightly to and need control? Is this healthy management or an unrealistic expectation?
2) Is there someone in your world that you feel is controlling? Perhaps an employer or spouse? What conversation should you have to create healthy boundaries?

Step into The Life You're Made For, I'm cheering you on!
heatherpenny.com
@heatherpennyphd
Music & Production by Jason Squires

Do you have struggles creating deep connections with others? Are you afraid of judgement, being hurt, you don't feel worthy, or is there something else hindering you? Find out how to create healthy relationships, what causes us to pull back, and how constructive conflict can make or break a friendship.

grace:
1. the quality or state of being considerate or thoughtful
2. do honor or credit to someone or something by one's presence
3. courteous goodwill or a willingness to be fair and honest

Questions to Think About:
1) How open is your heart's door? Which side do you tend to favor: connection or protection?
2) Think about the last conflict that you had with a friend. What was the result? What can you learn from that experience moving forward?
3) How can you be more intentional in cultivating your inner circle relationships? 

Step into The Life You're Made For, I'm cheering you on!
heatherpenny.com
@heatherpennyphd
Music & Production by Jason Squires

Welcome to Part IV of Grace Space! Today Heather is talking about Constructive Language vs. Destructive Language. Grace is communicating constructively while shame is destructive. Learn how to communicate effectively so others hear constructive talk, how to promote healthy self-talk when negative noise tries to cloud our clarity, and how to start healing from the destructive voices from the past. 

Bonus Round: it's November! Heather has some great tools for the holidays and creating boundaries when it's time to gather with family. Don't just endure life; celebrate it!

grace:
1. the quality or state of being considerate or thoughtful
2. do honor or credit to someone or something by one's presence
3. courteous goodwill or a willingness to be fair and honest

Questions to Think About:
1) How can you model constructive language to your kids and co-workers? 
2) Are there some destructive lies that cause negative self-talk in your mind? What are some truths that you can acknowledge to combat them?
3) What are three strategies that you should plan now to have a healthy holiday season?

Step into The Life You're Made For, I'm cheering you on!
heatherpenny.com
@heatherpennyphd
Music & Production by Jason Squires

Welcome to Part III of Grace Space! Is being receptive "good" and being "defensive" bad? What causes us to sometimes be defensive? How do we create conversations that show grace and avoid shame? Find the answers to these questions and more in this episode!

grace:
1. the quality or state of being considerate or thoughtful
2. do honor or credit to someone or something by one's presence
3. courteous goodwill or a willingness to be fair and honest

Questions to Think About:
1) What insecurities or issues cause you to be defensive? How can you find your clarity to release being defensive?
2) Is there someone who creates an environment of shame around you instead of a Grace Space? What conversation(s) do you need to have with that person? How can you show grace while still defending your boundaries?

Step into The Life You're Made For, I'm cheering you on!
heatherpenny.com
@heatherpennyphd
Music & Production by Jason Squires

Welcome to our series entitled Grace Space! There are seven episodes, so be sure to listen to each one!
Today Heather shares about questioning versus accusing. In this unsettled world, we need this now more than ever! Learn how to ask questions without escalating a situation and to speak - and listen - respectfully. It's also time to know how to respond when we don't get the answers we want so that we can find the clarity, confidence, and courage to move on.

grace:
1. the quality or state of being considerate or thoughtful
2. do honor or credit to someone or something by one's presence
3. courteous goodwill or a willingness to be fair and honest

Questions to Think About:
1) On social media, there's a lot of accusing and not much questioning. How can you set boundaries so you don't get caught in the whirlwind of various opinions?
2) During a disagreement, how can you show the other person grace?
3) We've all been hurt in the past and we don't always find the answers we're looking for. What true beliefs can you focus on to help you grieve, heal, and move forward?

Step into The Life You're Made For, I'm cheering you on!
heatherpenny.com
@heatherpennyphd
Music & Production by Jason Squires

Welcome to our new series entitled Grace Space! There are seven episodes, so be sure to listen to each one!
Today Heather discussed responding versus reacting. When hard situations arise, we have two choices: we can respond with calm, reason, and control or we can react and let our emotions and words reign. One produces healthy relationships while the other needs us to undo the damage. Find out how to respond and why it's sometimes okay to react.

grace:
1. the quality or state of being considerate or thoughtful
2. do honor or credit to someone or something by one's presence
3. courteous goodwill or a willingness to be fair and honest

Questions to Think About:
1) Can you think of a time when you reacted when you should have responded? How can you prepare yourself if a similar situation arises?
2) Do you have "reactors" in your life (people who thrive on drama)? What are some ways that you can set healthy boundaries?

Step into The Life You're Made For, I'm cheering you on!
heatherpenny.com
@heatherpennyphd
Music & Production by Jason Squires

There are four tires that we consistently need to check to make sure that we are feeling at our best: fulfillment, affirmation, achievement, and growth. If any one of these tires doesn't function at its optimum performance then we can feel depressed, discouraged, anxious, and wandering. In Part II of this series, learn how to create a plan to achieve more in your life and how to embrace your seasons of growth.

Actionable Steps:
 
Take a few moments to answer these questions:
Where do I want to achieve more success? What skills do I want to develop? 
What is holding me back? How do I want to be challenged?

Step into The Life You're Made For, I'm cheering you on!
heatherpenny.com
@heatherpennyphd
Music & Production by Jason Squires