In this episode, we explore how having gratitude in our lives can enhance our well-being and improve our psychological, relational, emotional and physical health.  We discuss research which shows that gratitude has the power to heal, energize and change our lives in amazing ways.  Some people have a difficult time finding things for which to be grateful.  "Gratitude Deficit Disorder", a term coined by Dr. Richard Emmons from the University of California, defines some of the reasons people have a hard time showing gratitude. Do you have "Gratitude Deficit Disorder"?  Listen and learn how to move toward gratitude for a more peaceful life even during difficult times!

In this episode, we look at replacing the "I'm sorry" cycle with a more positive "thank you" statement.  Instead of saying, "I am sorry I am late", it could be changed to, "Thank you for waiting for me".  We talk about changing the way we view our conversations if we are always apologizing.  We definitely need to own our behavior and apologize when it is ours to own but often we get into the habit of saying "I'm sorry" when we are just trying to smooth the waters and prevent a disagreement. Is this something you need to change?  Listen and grow with us!

In this episode, Lauren interviews her friend, Tami Castillo, who shares her story of overcoming a traumatic and tumultuous childhood.  This trauma led her to try to control every aspect of her life in order to feel safe.  However,  this unhealthy drive for control and perfectionism led to instability and stress in her adult life.  Tami shares how she "took on independence to an extreme" due to having to take care of so many people in her life from a very young age.  She tells us how this led her to rigid and black and white thinking which was anxiety provoking and impossible to sustain.  After marrying her husband, she grew and flourished with his generosity and patience.  He gave her grace which helped her gain insight to give herself grace and helped her create new and healthier truths in her life. She also said that she was able to reconnect to her faith which helped her move forward in positive ways.  Listen and learn how to let go of unhealthy expectations.❤️

In this Mimosa Monday episode, we discuss how there are times in life you just have to "wing it" and be comfortable with being uncomfortable.  We share how this has applied to us in the past and every day.  There are times we don't feel ready doing the new or uncomfortable things but we have to push through these to gain confidence once we do it.  Where do you need to get push through and get comfortable with the uncomfortable?

When you are feeling overwhelmed and anxious, it may be helpful to just take some deep breaths and ask yourself, "What do I need in this moment to feel relaxed?"  It could be a walk outside to relax or some coffee with a friend.  Some times, we may just need to take a break from our phones.  There are times that we need to just detach and disconnect from social media or other things that take us away from being in the moment.  We both have been guilty of "over consuming" social media or even just time on our phones.  If we take a break and put our phones down for an hour, a day or a weekend, we can be more fully in the moment and more open to enjoying time with family and friends which are ways to fill your cup. There are even apps that limit your time on your phone apps and kick you off the app when time runs out.  What are you willing to do to be able to reset and refresh your days?

How do you perceive failure?  We share how some of the perceived failures that we have expereinced, have led to the most growth in our lives.  Failure can be a catalyst to change which helps us rewrite our "story".  We don't have to get stuck in the failure which can become our story filled with regret, shame or fear.  We all fail at times but those failures don't make us bad people.  When we take a look at the hard things we go through as an opportunity to make better choices and look at the situation as a way to evolve, we can change our story.  Failure is not permanent and we have the choice to learn and grow from every experience.  How do you want your own story to evolve?

In this episode, we explore how resentment can get in the way of healthy relationships, whether with your significant other, family or friends.  We recognize that resentment will come up at some point in most relationships because of miscommunication or misinterpretation.  We both have had our share of resentment with loved ones and resentment continues to come up at times, even in the most healthy relationships.  It is really how you handle the negative feeling.  We share some positive ways to cope with resentment which include assertive communication by using "I" statments, having healthy boundaries, and using empathy to understand how each person feels about what transpired, without being defensive.  Improving your communication, your ability to compromise and using empathy will help reduce the negative effects of resentment.  Don't let resentment kill your relationship!