The Problem With Perfect

The world tells us that we need to DO it all and HAVE it all to be enough. As a result, many of us struggle to chase success and the almighty dollar that comes with it. We marvel at our stuff and want others to do the same. Or we compare ourselves to others and wonder why we can't afford what everyone else has. 

Financial stress can cause insomnia, prompt us to battle anxiety and feelings of shame and hopelessness, and cost us our most important relationships. Yet, we still find it difficult to discuss - oftentimes even to those closest to us. 

Join us for this eye-opening and informative episode with Special Guest Kimberly Earnest as we address all this and more. A corporate financial wellness consultant and Financial Peace University instructor, Kimberly is devoted to helping people transform the way they think about money - and find freedom in the process.

Special Guest: Kimberly Earnest
Kimberly gets to live out what she feels like God put her on this earth to do both professionally and in volunteering opportunities- helping people become better versions of themselves by helping them be more intentional with their finances.  She and her husband have led Financial Peace University classes for over a decade and she has been the Financial Wellness Specialist at Veterans United Home Loans  in Columbia, MO for the last five years. In this role, she helps fellow employees with day-to-day money management and connects them to resources to meet their financial goals.  

Guest Co-Host: Dr. Denise Bickel, Ph.D., MSW, LCSW
With over 20 years of counseling experience, Denise's areas of expertise include oncology, end-of-life care, and grief work. She has also been an adjunct professor at the University of Denver and a facilitator of guided meditation walks at the Denver Botanic Gardens. She's also Robin's mentor and a returning guest on the podcast.

For more thoughts from Denise, check out her blog, Words To Live By, at www.DeniseBickel.com.

Special Guest Host: 
Show Notes: 

The Psychology of Money: Timeless lessons on wealth, greed, and happiness by Morgan Housel

For the Saturday Night Live clip referenced in the show:
https://youtu.be/R3ZJKN_5M44

Have you heard? Public health experts now define loneliness as an epidemic in our country.

But just what is an epidemic?

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says epidemics can refer to a disease or other specific health-related behavior (smoking, for example) with rates clearly above the expected occurrence in a community or region. This is why in a country where the internet and cell phones connect nearly everyone, it's shocking to learn that 1 in 3 Americans is lonely. 

What's more shocking is the toll loneliness is taking on our friends, family members, co-workers, the economy, and the healthcare system. Or maybe it's not shocking, because you are that one in three who has no one to share your life with.

Join us for this important episode as we unpack what loneliness really is, the reasons our country is plagued with it, and how we can all play a role in healing our nation. 

Guest Co-Host: Dr. Denise Bickel, Ph.D., MSW, LCSW
With over 20 years of counseling experience, Denise's areas of expertise include oncology, end-of-life care, and grief work. She has also been an adjunct professor at the University of Denver and a facilitator of guided meditation walks at the Denver Botanic Gardens. She's also Robin's mentor and a returning guest on the podcast.

For more thoughts from Denise, check out her blog, Words To Live By, at www.DeniseBickel.com.

Resources:
Together: The Healing Power of Human Connection in a Sometimes Lonely World by Dr. Vivek Murthy  

Everything Happens with Kate Bowler Podcast – 11/4/19 – Vivek Murthy: The Loneliness Epidemic

How to Deal with Loneliness: 5 Ways to Stop Feeling Lonely – www.cigna.com

https://www.senioradvisor.com/blog/2018/01/senior-phone-programs-fight-loneliness/

The Loneliness Epidemic Persists: A Post-Pandemic Look at the State of Loneliness among U.S. Adults - https://newsroom.cigna.com/loneliness-epidemic-persists-post-pandemic-look

Here’s What Happens When You Combine a Day Care and a Nursing Home https://www.healthline.com/health-news/what-happens-when-you-combine-day-care-and-nursing-home#The-rise-of-intergenerational-care

Loneliness in America: How the Pandemic Has Deepened an Epidemic of Loneliness and What We Can Do About It
https://mcc.gse.harvard.edu/reports/loneliness-in-america

God Is Not Enough; a sermon by Keith Simon from The Crossing Church, Columbia
https://thecrossingchurch.com/Resources/Watch/Sermon%20Archives/Stand-Alone%20Sermons/keith-simon-2

Axios Finish Line: Lonely America
https://www.axios.com/2022/10/26/loneliness-pandemic-america-phone-calls

In Genesis 2 God said it is not good for man to be alone, but let's face it; relationships are hard. They require constant nurturing and consistent effort. But how do we nurture them? And how do we begin to right our wrongs and begin again with a clean slate?

In this episode, Dr. Denise Bickel is back as Robin's guest co-host and they discuss this and much more. Whether we want to strengthen our relationship with our spouse or improve one with a child, parent, sibling, co-worker, or friend, this episode has information that can benefit us all and help us find the joy in relationships that God intends.

Guest Co-Host: Dr. Denise Bickel, Ph.D., MSW, LCSW
With over 20 years of counseling experience, Denise's areas of expertise include oncology, end-of-life care, and grief work. She has also been an adjunct professor at the University of Denver and a facilitator of guided meditation walks at the Denver Botanic Gardens. She's also Robin's mentor and a returning guest on the podcast.

For more thoughts from Denise, check out her blog, Words To Live By, at www.DeniseBickel.com.

Show Notes

Resources:
Aspiremag.net - "Create Space to be Vulnerable in Your Relationships"

Gottman Institute - The Four Horsemen: Criticism, Contempt, Defensiveness, Stonewalling

Psychcentral.com -Four stages of Manipulation: Flattery, Isolation, Devaluing and Gaslighting, Fear of Violence

Divorcestatistics.com

Love and Respect by Emerson Eggerichs

urmc.rochester.edu: The Keys to a Successful Marriage

And just like that it's nearly the middle of January. Do you know what that means? It means that the majority of New Year's resolutions are starting to unravel, leaving us once again feeling defeated and discouraged. But don't despair, there's still time to rethink your resolution and transform it into an aspiration that provides productive direction to 2023. 

Not sure the difference between a resolution and an aspiration or why you should care? Join Robin with guest co-host Dr. Denise Bickel as they discuss the subject and how to be kinder and more encouraging to yourself this year. 

Guest Co-Host: Dr. Denise Bickel, Ph.D., MSW, LCSW
With over 20 years of counseling experience, Denise's areas of expertise include oncology, end-of-life care, and grief work. She has also been an adjunct professor at the University of Denver and a facilitator of guided meditation walks at the Denver Botanic Gardens. She's also Robin's mentor and a returning guest on the podcast.

For more thoughts from Denise, check out her blog, Words To Live By, at www.DeniseBickel.com.

Show Notes:
For more information on aspirations, visit the articles referenced in the episode:

New Year's Resolutions or New Year's Aspirations by Brian Hilliard
https://mindfulnessjourneys.com/healing/new-years-aspirations/

Wise Words from Yung Pueblo @yung_pueblo

America's Top New Year's Resolutions for 2023
https://www.statista.com/chart/29019/most-common-new-years-resolutions-us/

5 Tips to Make your New Year's Resolutions Stick
www.palonutrition.com

Happy New Year from The Problem With Perfect!

Another year is upon us and with it, we are hopefully gifted with 365 days to make this world a better place.  So, how will you do it? How will you be intentional with your days? What will help you stay focused and determined to reach your goals?

For us, we have found choosing a word for the year helps us do just this. A word that gives life to our hopes and dreams for the year; a word that helps us process all that God has in store for us as each day as it unfolds.

What is our word? Join Robin with guest co-host Denise Bickel as we discuss our words and encourage you in choosing your own.

Choosing a word for the year has become an annual ritual for many of us who want an alternative to the traditional New Year’s resolution.  So we pick a word as a way to help set our intentions for the year: our North Star to keep us on track. 

But before we embark on the process for the year ahead, it’s helpful to reflect on the year behind. How did we do keeping our word at the forefront? Letting it help guide our yes’s and no’s?

Join Robin and her guest co-host Dr. Denise Bickel as they share their surprising experiences with their words for 2022, as well as discuss the words that have been deemed the "Words of 2023."

 Co-Host: Dr. Denise Bickel, Ph.D., MSW, LCSW
With over 20 years of counseling experience, Denise's areas of expertise include oncology, end-of-life care, and grief work. She has also been an adjunct professor at the University of Denver and a facilitator of guided meditation walks at the Denver Botanic Gardens. She's also Robin's mentor and a returning guest on the podcast.

For more thoughts from Denise, check out her blog, Words To Live By, at www.DeniseBickel.com.

To get your copy of the Guide to Choosing the Right Word for 2023 that Robin wrote, email her at [email protected].

Have you found yourself experiencing a dull ache this holiday season? Or maybe you're frequently on the verge of tears? Or ready to scream at someone at the drop of a hat? Or maybe you're just so tired that you can barely force yourself to get out of bed, let alone do Christmas shopping. If so, then you may be experiencing what psychologists call Anticipatory Grief.

In this episode, Dr. Denise Bickel is back with Robin to share her lifetime of experiences around this subject. In it, they discuss the definition of anticipatory grief, give examples of how it might be showing up in our lives and offer ideas for us to help ourselves or others who are going through it. 

Co-Host: Dr. Denise Bickel, Ph.D., MSW, LCSW
With over 20 years of counseling experience, Denise's areas of expertise include oncology, end-of-life care, and grief work. She has also been an adjunct professor at the University of Denver and a facilitator of guided meditation walks at the Denver Botanic Gardens. She's also Robin's mentor and a returning guest on the podcast.

For more thoughts from Denise, check out her blog, Words To Live By, at www.DeniseBickel.com.

Show Notes:

Suggested readings if you'd like to learn more:

Smiling Through Your Tears: Anticipatory Grief by Harriett Hodgson and Lois Krahn, MD

Bittersweet: How Sorry and Longing Make Us Whole by Susie Cain

The Kitchen Table Wisdom by Rachel Naomi Remen

Christmas is the most wonderful time of the year, or is it? 

For many of us, Christmas reminds us of people lost, broken relationships, and dreams unfulfilled. It's a time when all is supposed to be hopeful and bright, yet the pain of living in this broken world threatens to overshadow any holiday cheer.

So how do people find hope, even in the hopeless? 

In this episode, we interview Dr. Mark Vellek, an oncologist and friend who daily has to deliver devastating news. How does he remain positive during the darkest of days? How does he journey with his patients to their death with love and compassion without letting it wreck him? And what can we learn from his experiences?

Join us for this touching episode and give yourself the gift of hope this holiday season. 

Special Guest: Dr. Mark Vellek, MD
An oncologist with more than 25 years of experience, Mark Vellek isn't just any doctor. He's the one who helped me say goodbye to my mother 14 years ago and the one we entrusted with our son's life when he was diagnosed with leukemia. He has a lifetime of experience in finding hope in what seems to be hopeless situations. 

Co-Host: Dr. Denise Bickel, Ph.D., MSW, LCSW
With over 20 years of counseling experience, Denise's areas of expertise include oncology, end-of-life care, and grief work. She has also been an adjunct professor at the University of Denver and a facilitator of guided meditation walks at the Denver Botanic Gardens. She's also Robin's mentor and a returning guest on the podcast.

For more thoughts from Denise, check out her blog, Words To Live By, at www.DeniseBickel.com.

Don't know what ikigai is? Neither did I until I was put on the hot seat in this week's episode. Interviewed by Dr. Denise Bickel, I share the details of a significant career change I've recently made in an effort to fully embrace my ikigai (pronounced icky guy).

Simply put, ikigai is a Japanese term for your purpose; what gives your life meaning. For me, as another birthday is celebrated, I realize I have a greater sense of urgency to achieve ikigai in all areas of my life, including my career. 

How about you? Need some practical guidance as you ponder or navigate change in your life? How about someone to remind you that you too have important things to accomplish?

Join Denise and me for this episode as I answer her tough questions about career, ikigai, and balancing it all.

Special Guest: Dr. Denise Bickel, PhD, MSW, LCSW
With over 20 years of counseling experience, Denise's areas of expertise include oncology, end-of-life care, and grief work. She also has been an adjunct professor at the University of Dense and a facilitator of guided meditation walks a the Denver Botanic Gardens. She's also Robin's mentor and a returning guest on the podcast. 

I had a trainer years ago whose mantra was, "May things be happening just the way you planned them." 

His words still haunt me as my days turn into years and years into decades. The older I get, the more I realize that if I don't plan it, it doesn't happen. And if doesn't happen now, when will it?

If you're ready to take charge and stop letting time pass without making the most of it, then this episode is exactly what you need. Krista Kippenger, a mom, wife, seasoned business owner and visionary joins us for this episode and explains the benefits of vision casting and then takes us step by step through the process. 

Whether you're looking to cast a vision for your marriage, family or career, this episode will leave you inspired and excited about how 2023 can be your best year yet.

Special Guest: Krista Kippenger
Krista is a mother of two who is married to her high school sweetheart, Curt. Together they own three businesses, including Curt's chiropractic practice and Krista's Shelter Insurance office. Convinced that life is too short not to plan it, she and Curt have spent the last 8 years Vision Casting - a routine habit they engage in every year to strategize on growth for their family and businesses. Her passion is helping others create their dreams through this process.

To learn more about the process and get their guide to Vision Casting, go to https://www.facebook.com/groups/3388225777861812/?ref=share&mibextid=S66gvF