Welcome back to the What Drives You? podcast! In this episode, we're exploring self-forgiveness as the path to discovering and bringing our most authentic self to the world. We'll discuss:

• The connection between self-loathing and our tendency to hide our true self
• Ways that we hide our true self from others and even ourselves
• The connection between seeing ourselves authentically and forgiveness
• How to move from judgment to compassion
• ...and more

I'll also provide a quick exercise you can do anytime to bring yourself to a grounded, peaceful place of self-compassion and safety.

Join me for today's road trip toward self-forgiveness, compassion, and the freedom to be our authentic, imperfect selves. If you are enjoying the podcast, please take a moment to leave a review. Thank you!

What is Value-Driven Nutrition? By identifying 5 values we want to live by, we can learn to feel confident about our food choices in every situation. Julie tells us how!

How can we model healthy attitudes about food, feelings, and body image for our kids?

What does a nutrition expert think about snacks? (Spoiler alert: she loves them! Yay!)

How can the simple discipline of eating on a schedule soothe fears of scarcity, feelings of deprivation, and help us maintain our energy level and focus?

We talked about all of this and more, so tune in!

You can learn more about Julie on her website thrivenutritioncounseling.com and connect with her on Instagram @dietitianjuliefeldman

If you enjoyed this episode, please take a moment to leave a review on your podcast platform. It only takes a minute and helps others find these conversations. Thanks!

Dr. Terri Orbuch reveals incredible findings from her study of 373 couples over 34 years and 3 popular books.

 Topics include:

• What are key life values?
• How do shared key life values affect a couple's likelihood of staying together, happily, and long term?
• The importance of talking about money with your spouse or partner.
• How to model healthy conflict for your kids and talk about the importance of trust in relationships.

You can connect with Dr. Terri through her website www.drterrithelovedoctor.com and find her books HERE or anywhere books are sold.  

My guest, Amy Stern, LMSW, is doing amazing work in mental health and suicide prevention. I'm proud to say that she's also my daughter! In this episode, we cover some topics that can be really challenging to talk about but are so important, like:

What is mental illness, exactly?

When is the typical age of onset for various mental illnesses?

How can I know if my child or loved one needs help or if they're just in a funk?

What are some of the indicators that someone is seriously considering suicide?

How can I talk to someone if I'm worried that they are suicidal, and are there any resources to help?

I hope you'll join us for this important conversation!

My guest shares her story of love, loss, authenticity, and acceptance. Ultimately, this episode is about one family's journey of accepting and celebrating one another as they truly are, even when embracing authenticity brought massive change to their status quo.

Sometimes we set aside time to rest and unwind, but we end up feeling unsettled and unrefreshed. Why is that?

What do we need from our times of pause? What do we need to give ourselves in order to feel rejuvenated?

A rejuvenating pause can look different for everyone. You and your partner may need very different things from your times of rest, even if you're unwinding in the same room, together. I'll tell you what that looks like for my husband and me.

This episode will help you to ask yourself a question you may have never asked before: "What do I need from my times of pause? And what can I do to be sure my needs are met?"

Recently, I came down with COVID which turned into ear and throat infections. I was miserable, but I believe it was a gift that helped me to slow down. I wondered, "If my energy is limited and I can't make the holiday season about DOING, what IS my goal this holiday season?

How do we want to show up for the holidays this year? How do we want our loved ones to experience us?

What if we could take an emotional vacation from the hamster wheel of negative thinking that churns away in our heads?

I give you a super practical exercise you can do RIGHT NOW and anytime you need to take a break from worry, negativity, and that critical inner voice that loves to tell us we're not doing enough. It only takes a few moments to take a break and choose to be grounded in peace and joy. From this place, we can show up to our holiday celebrations with an open heart and be intentionally loving and appreciative of those we'll gather with this season.

My guest, Beth Robinson, talks about her essay in the book, The Epiphanies Project, entitled B is for Backward. In her writing, she explores the difficult question, “Did my mother know I loved her before she died?”

We talk about writing as a therapeutic process.

Beth shares her experience in her family car.

Beth unpacks a powerful insight about how her family of origin gave her both "the lock and the key" to becoming her authentic self.

Join us for this insightful, relatable conversation with author, Beth Robinson. You can find her essay in The Epiphanies Project HERE

What is culinary art therapy? Are some people more naturally inclined to find cooking therapeutic?

For those of us who cook just to "get it done," can we learn to enjoy and be soothed by the process of cooking a meal?

Did you know that smell is the sense that is most tied to memory? This means we can access all kinds of feelings and memories by interacting with food.

Looking for a more hands-on, experiential growth experience? Culinary art therapy provides real-time scenarios, interactions, and feedback, which is quite different than traditional talk therapy. You can connect with Julie and find more information about her work at www.culinaryarttherapy.com.

Sophie and Barb talk about their unique experiences in their family car.

We explore how each family car has rules—and how they don't always apply to each sibling equally.

We hear about how Sophie and Barb have been able to take the good and the not-so-good experiences from their family of origin, examine them, honor what is helpful, and let go of what is not.

Join us for Sister Talk and see if you can spot anything familiar as you consider your own family car!