Intentional Relationships

In this episode, we talk about all the distractions in today's world and how focus is like a superpower. What are your distractions? Yes, the phone is probably the biggest one but what about relationships? Are you in a relationship with a friend that might be unhealthy or distracting you from your goals?

In this episode, we talk about creating closeness in your relationship. What makes you feel close to your partner? Spoiler alert: your answer may be different than your partner. We talk about how we feel close to one another, some simple actions you can take to create and strengthen closeness with your partner, and we give some examples of couples working on their closeness.

You may have heard the saying “misery loves company.” On this episode,​ we talk about a similar saying - “Don’t go down to the ditch!” We have been using this saying as a reminder to one another to lift others up and don’t get pulled down to the ditch. When people are negative, don’t meet them there. Instead, encourage them and elevate them. To avoid the ditch you have to reflect on your own thoughts and words to make sure you’re not the one pulling others down. We all have bad days and negative feelings and emotions, but it’s what you choose to do with them that makes the difference.

In this episode, we talk about priorities and the importance of them. Everyone has priorities, what are yours? Where do you spend your time? Who do you spend your time with? What do you do with your time? Check your priorities and see if they are helping you or hurting you.

We have learned through many trials how to fight well and this podcast shares all of our tips with you! Spoiler alert: The best way to fight well is to not let things turn into a fight! That said, in case you do find yourself in a quarrel, we want you to have all the tools to fight well. You have likely been told that communication is key when it comes to relationships. But what does that really mean? In this episode, we also unpack how to communicate better and give you tangible tips to put it into practice!

Why is it important to set goals and how do you go about setting them? We answer these questions and more in this episode. We discuss how to attack your goals one step at a time and give examples of common ways to put that into practice. We talk about how to make sure you are setting SMART goals for both the short and long term and why your mindset is so important to achieving your goals. Everyone has things they want to accomplish, so take a listen and start making things happen!

Oprah was once quoted saying “Living in the moment means letting go of the past and not waiting for the future. It means living your life consciously, aware that each moment you breath is a gift.” That is exactly what this episode is about. We talk about why it is so important to live in the moment, some common negative ways people find themselves looking in the past or looking to the future, and a couple of simple steps to stay in the moment. Everyday is a gift and it’s important to stay where your feet are.

All relationships take work and all relationships need to be maintained. How are you working on your relationships? Whether it is with your significant other, your family, your friends, or even your coworkers, all good things take work, including your relationships. In this episode, we talk about effective strategies to strengthen your relationships and why it is important to always maintain them.

Do you have a fixed or growth mindset? In this episode,​ we talk about Dr. Carol Dweck’s book “Mindset: The New Psychology of Success” and how she defines both types of mindset. We share some common beliefs people with both mindsets have and examples of areas that people may easily find themselves with a fixed mindset. Most importantly, we talk about how to change your fixed mindset to a growth mindset and why time is an important factor in transforming your mindset.

In this episode we talk about taking risks and why it is so important to your growth both personally and professionally. We share some of the big risks we’ve taken in our lives and in our relationship and how those decisions have helped shape who we are today. We talk about some common reasons people don’t take risks, how they hold themselves back, and we give examples of some risks we encourage y’all to take.

In this episode,​ we talk about our time during pregnancy and the things we learned about each other and ourselves and how we will use them in the future. It’s like anything in life you have a goal, you prepare, you face obstacles, plans change, you overcome those challenges, the time comes that you have been waiting for and you execute.

In this episode we talk about empowering others, that includes your spouse, friends, coworkers, and acquaintances. During our last episode we talked about accepting one another’s differences so this week we dive into how to help others to be their best self using all their individual gifts. We discuss the importance of highlighting one others’ gifts, delegation, and wanting what is best for others.

What does it mean to accept each other’s differences? How do we actually do that? Well, first it starts with accepting that we are all different. We give examples of our differences and talk about why it’s important to recognize and appreciate one another for our differences and to have open and honest communication with other people who aren’t like you. This is a very important topic not just in our close relationships, but also for our society as a whole. Take a listen and we hope you enjoy it!

In this episode, we bring on a very special guest - Lynn Swenson. We talk about how she kept her family close despite having some many kids and her husband working so much. She talks about the values she that were important and her mindset behind it all. Enjoy!

In this episode, we have our first guest on the show, a special guest, my Dad - C. David Swenson. We talk about his unique story coming from a small town in Mississippi to being the Tom Brady of his profession and how he persevered through it all.

How are you moving towards your goals? How do you wish your life looked differently? We all have dreams and visions of what we wish our lives looked like. And if you want to live the life you want, you’re going to have to start being intentional with your thoughts, your words, and your actions to make that life a reality. We believe so many people hold themselves back from accomplishing whatever it is they truly desire and we’ve seen first hand how it is possible to life the life you want. We discuss all this and more in Episode 14.

From your childhood and into adulthood, we all have experiences that have shaped our beliefs about fairness. In this episode we talk about what comes to mind when we hear the word fair or fairness and give examples of how different perspectives can shape our beliefs around the word fairness. Finally we give a few tips on how to work through any limiting beliefs you may have when it comes to your thoughts on fairness.

Why does change make people uncomfortable? How do people get better with change? We answer both of these questions and more in this episode. We have learned that everyone deals with change on a daily basis, but how do you handle it is what is really important. We hope you take away a few tangible tips to set yourself up for success when you’re looking to make a change in your life, gain confidence in yourself, and grow your mindset to embrace the changes that happen everyday.

How do you look at money? Do you know where your money is going and are you spending less than you make? We talk a lot about how you think about money can affect how you use it. We also get into budgeting and how it can set you free from worry. Books that have helped our mindsets about money You’re a Badass at Making Money - Jen Cincero Think and Grow Rich - Napoleon Hill The Total Money Makeover - Dave Ramsey

How do you define humility and selflessness? Would you consider yourself a humble or a selfless person? We dive into our different, but similar perspectives when it comes to humility and selflessness and how you can work to be better in those areas. We talk about why keeping score in your relationships can be toxic and why it is so important for all of us to root for one another. At the end of the day it all comes down to being a good person. There is plenty of room in this world for all of us to have success.

What does maturity even mean? And how do you grow in maturity? Those questions sparked a conversation for us and it lead to us diving into both maturity and self confidence. We discussed what characteristics we think build maturity and self confidence in an individual, in a relationship, socially, and at work. We share what drives our own self confidence and had a great conversation about why it is so important to identify your shortcomings and work on yourself.

This episode’s discussion stemmed from one of our daily devotionals in the Bible app called “10 Choices Successful Couples Make” By Dr. Ron Welch. We all have unspoken beliefs and if you don’t take the time to reflect on what they are, they could be ruining your relationship. We’ve learned that you have to put in the work and be vulnerable with one another to work through past experiences and past hurts to work on being your best selves for yourself and for your partner. We also share how we’ve learned the importance of “timing is everything,” especially in regards to disagreements and difficult conversations.

We both come from very different exercise and nutrition backgrounds and in this episode we talk about our relationships with them. We dive into how our journeys have changed over the years and how our mindsets around fitness have shifted over time. We discuss Dr. Suzuki from NYU’s research about the benefits of exercise for your mind, tips for getting started on your journey, and staying consistent to develop a healthy relationship with exercise and nutrition. And so much more!

In this episode we answer your questions on how our challenges have strengthened us and how we motivate each other. Enjoy!

Do you live problem-focused or purpose-focused? Some timeless truths state what you think about, you become, you get what we expect, and you find what you’re looking for. In this episode, we discuss living a problem-focused or purpose-focused life. Where is your focus? What are you focusing on? Understanding the power of your focus and mindset is life changing for you and your relationships. We discuss a devotional we recently completely from YouVersion Bible App called 2 Are Better Than 1: Uncover Your Marriage Purpose by Greg and Julie Gorman and a few other exercises that we have found to help us shift our mindset, getting better and more comfortable with change, and living a more purpose-focused life.

Give yourself love first - be kind to yourself. Focus on becoming the person your dream man or woman would want to be with vs. making lists of what your dream man or woman looks like. It's not all about looks at the end of the day because those will fade. From a faith-based understanding, knowing and trying to understand or grasp God's unconditional love for you, helps us love others. When we are secure in God's love and grace and mercy on us, we can give mercy and grace to others when they let us down or wrong us. Being confident in who you are. We’re all imperfect people - do not count one another’s flaws.

When you start focusing on all the blessings you have, both big and small, it can change your life. Making this a daily habit and living a life of gratitude is not easy but it is so powerful. We also dive into living your life with an optimistic approach and stop hanging around people that are energy takers. Enjoy!

In this episode, we talk about incorporating three one-liners we have learned that has helped our relationship big time. We got these from one of the devotionals in the YouVersion Bible app that we read every morning. #1 – “We have rich people problems.” #2 – “Do you want me to fix it or feel it?” #3 – “We know tragedy and this isn’t it.” We realize life is complicated and you need more than three one-liners in your relationship toolbox, but we often make relationships way too complicated by creating our own drama. Having simple ways to get our relationship back on course is crucial. Give these a try for two weeks and let us know what happens.

Welcome to our first episode! We are getting serious about taking action this year and that includes starting this podcast. In this episode, we're sharing a little about who we are, why we decided to start a podcast, and what we plan to talk about in future episodes.