That awful feeling of isolation, disconnection, of feeling terribly alone can come whether or not we are in physical proximity to other people. We all struggle with loneliness in different ways. The causes are many, and current statistics indicate the numbers of people who struggle with loneliness has grown significantly, causing some to express loneliness as a growing public health concern. Just which demographics are the loneliness? What are the implications to physical health and social relationships? Today's episode will answer these questions and look at what's suggested what is actually helping those struggling with loneliness.

When people talk about the heart, sometimes they mean the literal organ that sits in your chest and pumps blood. But in large part Western cultures tend to relegate mentions of the heart as relating to things like feelings & emotions, sentiments & romance; or we might use heart to describe the ways someone works at doing something difficult as working with all their heart, or an athlete who plays with heart. 

But when it comes to how we live, the function of the heart is much more than how we feel or the level of grit. The reason our heart matters so much is because it actually shapes and directs our actions, choices and behaviors.  Tune in to catch some thought-provoking truths about how our heart shapes who we become.

We all want to believe that our lives and our stories matter. And yet we naturally have times of wondering if our lives are just directed by random happenings and chance. Whether you feel like a minuscule minnow or a massive blue whale, both live in the expanses of vast oceans teaming with other creatures. It can easily leave us wondering if our lives really matter in the grand scale of thousands of generations that have existed on the earth.

Questions and stories can help us do the work of processing some big questions, which is where we are headed in today's episode.

Your choices matter. Your choices affect who you become, which has a rippling effect on our families, friends, co-workers and beyond. What does it look like to choose to function cooperatively rather than competitively? 

Emotional pain is not something we either enjoy or inherently know what to do with. We try to minimize the pain, anesthetize the pain, and even deny the pain by shoving down and trying to act like it will eventually evaporate. But neuroscientists, mental health experts and experience all tell us that doesn't work. Today's episode will discuss some of the sources of wounds, a helpful analogy involving a beach ball, and also present three solutions to seek healing. 


Here is the website mentioned in today's episode: reboot recovery.com
Click on choose a course and on the dropdown menu select Trauma Reboot.

There's a natural tendency for a majority of people, that when we feel sad we tend to since into the sorrow like when you step into oozy, sticky mud... it can feel impossible to get yourself out.  What do you do when you connect with a friend or loved one whose heart is heavy? And do those solutions work well for you? 

In today's episode we talk about that as well as what we can do when we find ourselves in that place of a heavy, weary heart. Tune in and get ready to consider to consider what you might do the next tine your heart is heavy.

A true story of a VERY close encounter with two moose gave some great food for thought this week. We all face unexpected happenings, but how do they shape us? And what's my part... how will I react when unexpected and unpleasant encounters disrupt what I have planned? What attitudes and reactions will I rehearse? In who or what will I place my trust to navigate forward in the face of challenges and difficulty? Join us for an honest discussion about how we can find peace in the midst of adversity.

If everyone is doing what is right in their own eyes, does that mean that we each live out a selfish, self-centered view of the world? We hear the word "self-righteous" thrown around with disdain, but to whom does it apply? And what's the connection between selfishness, self-righteousness and how those flow easily into judgment others? Does the current media and cultural focus on self-actualization lead to life that is truly good? What we believe about these things profoundly shapes how we live and who we become. 

What happens when those in power start forcing people to do what they know is wrong? Our human tendency is to hope for pleasant circumstances and for life to go according to our plans. But what happens when it doesn't? Where do you turn for hope and for help? What happens when the most powerful ruler threatens: compliance or else? Join us as we are reminded of a true story of three friends who face a fierce and formidable ruler. Their courage and faith have inspired countless souls facing their own perilous seasons.

It's been said that people can live without food for 40 days, without water for about 3 days, and without oxygen for around 3 to 8 minutes, but only a few seconds without hope.

The world is a turbulent place, and where you and I place our hope matters. It effects everything about what we believe and how we live. Join us as we consider some true stories of turbulent times to discover true and lasting hope.