The Problem With Perfect

Did you know that more than 40% of Americans say they've gained weight since the beginning of the pandemic - with the average gain being 26 pounds. 

Are you surprised that nearly 60% of us say that COVID has also negatively impacted our mental health? 

Or that we've increasingly become accustomed to being and feeling disconnected from others? 

While this podcast isn't going to magically impact these startling numbers, it could be helpful if you find you ARE one of these statistics. Or maybe you just don't enjoy exercising and need help with a new routine. Either way, join us for a conversation about the timely benefits of group exercise, how to get started and why you'll be glad you did. 

We all have lies we believe.

Some of them are preached loud and clear in our culture, while others have been subtly reinforced to us throughout our lives. Either way, it often takes decades to see these lies for the destructive thoughts they have become. 

In this episode, we explore one of Brene Brown's teachings that discusses some of these lies and how they are holding us back. Listen in on this conversation highlighting three of Brown's takeaways and join us in challenging ourselves in making some practical applications to help us be freed from the chains that are keeping us captive. 

Conversation based on: Brené Brown's Life Advice Will Leave You SPEECHLESS 
Watch it at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pkte99B_xUc

Let's be honest - Thomas isn't the only Jesus follower who has had doubts. In fact, most of us at one time or another in our lives find ourselves wondering about what we (really) believe. 

Is God always for me and can he be trusted?

Is the Bible really God's infallible word? 

If God is good, why aren't Christians?

Whatever your questions might be, what do you do with them? Who do you turn to to help you process them without judgment and without becoming someone's "project?"

In this episode, we ask these questions and others as we explore how the normal faith follower's questions can lead to a slippery slope of unbelief. Whether you find yourself on that path now or you desire to be the safe place for a fellow believer to come to with their doubts, we think this episode can help.  Join us for this imperfect and messy conversation about a topic that is difficult to tackle. 

We all have limited amounts of energy, so protecting it, conserving it, and using it wisely is critical to our success and happiness. We intuitively know this, but yet we've likely found ourselves burnt out and exhausted.

So what does it mean to "protect" our energy?  And how do we go about doing it?

Listen here for five extremely practical tips to help you take back your energy and reclaim your life in the process.

Hit the Highlights

3:30 LISTEN here as we set our intention for this episode and how you can benefit from it.

6:30 Is it OK to cancel an appointment? You betcha! And here is why, 

14:00 Teaching people how to communicate with us is key to conserving energy. What does that look like? Listen here.

19:30 Think multitasking makes you more productive? Think again. 

24;30 Does your email suck the life out of you? Let's consider how to change that with Unroll.me

30:00 Protecting our energy can often begin with this one FREEING word.

Bible verses can be the reason we have hope during the hardest times in our lives, but what if we are getting them all wrong? In this episode, we go over three bible verses that are commonly misused and talk about the truth of what they are really saying in the context of our lives. 

The Bible says to give thanks to the LORD because he is good and his steadfast love endures forever. But what do we do when that doesn't feel true for us? How do we recover from a season when God and his goodness feel far from us? 

In this episode, we tackle this topic that is often tough for Christians to discuss - especially if you want the perfect life and the perfect relationship with God. (As if either of those things exists!) In this transparent conversation, we discuss what is a spiritual drought, how it looks for both of us, and how we might find our way to the satisfaction our soul desires with God.


Highlights:

2:30 It's been a big week around The May house and here's why. 

5:30 Listen here for how Rachel has a history of saving the day at engagements, including Madison's.

11:30 Want to avoid wedding drama too? Listen to this episode https://www.buzzsprout.com/632383/episodes/8889673

13:00 Can you relate to any of these feelings about your relationship with God?

16:00 What does it feel and sound like to walk through a season of drought authentically?

22:00 Even Mother Teresa struggled with feeling far from God. Read more here: https://www.robinmayministries.com/blog/didmotherteresahaveperfectfaith

28:00 Listen here for the first challenge for satisfying our soul. 

36:00 How does your consumption impact your faith journey?

39:00 Having trouble praying? Try this suggestion.

42:00 Need more meaningful Christian community, here's how you might find it.

Beauty isn't just skin deep and neither is real transformation. Just ask Amber Blumberg.

After the birth of her second child, Amber found herself in her early 30s and sick and tired of being sick and tired. That's when she decided to make a change and like many of us, she started working from the outside in. Knowing she needed to drastically change the way she moved and fueled her body, Amber started logging every calorie she ate and dedicated herself to group fitness at her local gym. Two years later, Amber was 100 pounds lighter and a different person.  

But how did the evolution of her body help transform her mind and enhance her spirit? And how did this life change lead her to the love of her life? And how does their shared passion for wellness help them create a community where transformation and hope are contagious?

Join us for this conversation with Amber and find out!

Why is it so hard to ask for what we want? This can be a problem in our career, relationships, intimacy, and even in our spiritual lives. In this episode, you will learn how to ask for what we want, why it’s so hard for us to make the ask, and how to move past it so you can have more opportunities given to you. 

HIT THE HIGHLIGHTS

(6:08) What’s the research behind asking for what we want? 

(12:13) Why do we struggle to ask for what we want? 

(18:46) How does asking for what we want  impact our relationships with others? 

(32:50) Is it a sin to ask for what we want from God? 

Source cited: https://hbr.org/2003/10/nice-girls-dont-ask

It's difficult for perfectionists to separate who we are from what we do. Unfortunately, we often define our worth by our latest achievements. But what happens when the pressure to do more and do it better drains us, leaving us physically and mentally exhausted? 

In this episode, we look to Olympic gymnast Simone Biles for the answer. With the whole world watching, Simone unapologetically decided to prioritize her mental health - challenging us all to evaluate our need to do the same. Join us for a conversation about how to know when you need a mental health holiday and get some ideas for what a day for YOU might look like.

Hit the highlights:
5:15 Would you have the courage to do this?

7:30 Is our culture the cause for mental exhaustion? What is behind our problem with performance?

12:30 Is our culture shifting to recognize the importance of this?

14:00 Listen here for the classic symptoms that it's time for you to take a mental health day.

15:00 Want more info on how worry keeps you awake at night, listen to this episode with guest Nick Wignall.

21:25 Listen here for Robin's "momming" moment with Rachel.

26:50 What do Simone Biles and Jesus have in common? Listen here to find out.

32:30 Here's what our perfect mental health day looks like. What is yours?

What are the habits you need to start in your 20's to stay healthy later on in life? This episode gives you three tips to start living a healthy lifestyle now so you can thank yourself later. 


HIT THE HIGHLIGHTS 
(08:13) how to not develop destructive habits in your 20’s that will carry out in the rest of your life. 

(16:29) How to come up with a wellness plan for your life 

(20:31) How to create an exercise routine if you hate working out. 

(25:45) How to think about your health long-term.