Our neural biology is wired with a negativity bias.  Left unchecked this becomes the default operating system of the brain leading us to scan for the things that are going wrong. Yet we do have a way out of this spin cycle of negativity.  Research indicates that cultivating gratitude and appreciation intentionally can rewire our brains, leading us to greater happiness and contentment, stronger relationships and improved health and well-being.  This podcast prompts us to cultivate gratitude and quiet our negativity bias.

Have you ever thought about what thoughts are and where they come from?  Sometimes we think on purpose, such as when we are trying to solve a problem. But more often thoughts are unbidden, and pop into our head.  Some of those pop-ins are wholesome, and some are limiting.  When we take time to investigate the thinking mind, we come to see that we can’t believe everything it thinks. This podcast helps untangle and free ourselves from the mind that thinks.

Have you ever noticed the tendency to be kinder to others than to yourself?  You are not alone. We all have a built-in negativity bias and an inner critique than is often unsupportive of even our best efforts. This podcast helps us cultivate inner acceptance and inner strength, toward a more supportive and kind relationship with oneself.

Described as feeling world-weary, frazzled, overwhelmed, exhausted or at rope’s end, burnout comes as a result of personal stressors, work overload, moral distress and a general sense of needing to move at 100 miles per hour to get it all done.  Often called an “occupational hazard” it is becoming more prevalent in our always doing, always connected, always on culture. To burn out is to use all available fuel without replenishing, to drain the battery without charging, to stretch without rebounding; all of which leads to a cessation of operation.  This human machine of ours is no different, requiring replenishing, plugging in and resting in order to lead an optimized balanced life. This podcast prompts us to nurture ourself into balance.

Look around, watch the news, read the paper, scroll social media – it doesn’t take long to see that our world is hungry for kindness.  Look inside too – how kindly do you treat yourself? Are the words used towards self during the day kind or critical? Is the physical fitness path practiced kind or driven?  Is the diet plan being adhered to kind or depriving?  Kindness is a heart quality that can be both contagion and cure. Join us in this podcast that sows kindness in the soil of our hearts, yielding a bounty of kindness for the world to enjoy.

Leo Tolstoy wrote a beautiful piece on the power of intention setting by asking three questions: When is the best time? What is the most important? What is the right thing to do? Setting intentions is about seeing the situational uniqueness of each moment, aligning with our values, accessing our dreams and detaching from outcomes. Intentions guide us towards Being in the world rather than simply Doing in the world. Listen to this podcast to inspire living with the intentionality of being.  

Think of the holiday season and often a mixed bundle of images appear; joy, family traditions, good food AND work, lists, tasks, the stress of cramming more stuff into an already packed life. It needed be this way. Formal and informal mindfulness practices can help carve out time for quiet contemplation and self-care. Listen to this podcast to open to the possibility of experiencing stress-less holidays in-joy.