Teaching Humanity Remotely with Dr. Mindy Shaw

In this episode, Dr. Shaw continues her look at the way in which we teach and use certain words with our children, but this time around the focus is primarily on the difference between "trying" and "doing."  Dr. Shaw explains her misgivings about the use of the word "trying" and she provides a number of illustrative examples of why that word can be not just confusing but damaging to a child's own expectations.  

In this episode, Dr. Shaw continues to examine the ways in which we trap ourselves into a layer of negativity because the feeling we may be having is labeled as negative.  She examines words like "disappointment" or "melancholy" and explains that while we all have feelings that come from negatively stimuli, we need to transform ourselves out of that negativity through self-examination and the motivation to do better.   She also points out that this kind of training begins between parents and their children.  The way we react to a child who is sad can either keep them in their negative space or move them forward with a healthy attitude about whatever had made them sad.   Just like with making a mistake, the negative moment is an invitation to learn as it presents the opportunity to see and transform your feelings.

In this week's episode, Dr. Shaw picks up where she left off in the last episode by continuing to discuss how to release the negativity in many of our interactions.  Specifically, she looks at how we use certain words and hold their definitions as inherently negative... words like punishment or mistake or disappointment.   She also discusses how when we praise someone, particularly our children, and our praise is insincere, what are we teaching our children and ourselves?   She uses some concrete examples of how this works and what better strategies might be, including being sincere and going one step further by being specific.   And regarding the negative words, Dr. Shaw questions why we have such trouble agreeing to disagree and not putting blame on anyone since "blame" carries its own negative thread as a word.   Then, with the word "disappointment" in the forefront, she explains how to turn a situation where your child is disappointed.  She recommends honoring the disappointment and then putting your energy into positive movement away from the negative.   

In this brief but direct episode, Dr. Shaw reiterates one of her favorite themes and that is to not be the cause of your own suffering.  Often when we are disappointed, we accept the outcome.  Instead, she recommends that when you encounter a response to something that runs counter to the result you want, look at the situation as an invitation to let go of your attachments and explore another avenue.  That exploration can be exciting and inspiring, and is far better than the negativity of disappointment.

In this episode Dr. Shaw takes a look at our lives that are filled with excuses, and those excuses are born out of our preferences.  She admits that she is always assigning meaning to things, and she wonders aloud what life would be like without our preferences.  She uses a friend and her daughter as an illustrative example... the friend's daughter says she has a condition that makes her behave in a certain way, and that may very well be, but having a condition doesn't (or shouldn't) permit someone to be disrespectful or act in another anti-social way.  Yes, people might have a disability or labeled conditions... Dr. Shaw likes to call that being "differently abled"... but that different ability doesn't prevent someone from being successful in the world.  There is a different between learned behavior and behavior guided by a condition.  To have our children grow up to be respectful, that has to be taught, and if we have a condition, we have to learn how to navigate the world and have the self worth to do so.  Don't allow your "label" dictate how you are in the world, especially if that label is not in your best interest.

In this episode, Dr. Shaw begins by describing a scenario in which a teen or an adolescent is being provocative and looking to bait you into a fight.  When you are baited in this manner, the way you stop yourself from over-reacting or reacting too quickly, she recommends that you pause and ask yourself, "Does this serve me?"   The answer is probably not because you don't want to answer confrontation with more confrontation.  At the same time, never responding doesn't provide anyone with closure or a learning lesson.  Dr. Shaw's recommendation is that, later, when there is a peaceful moment, you reflect and discuss what happened earlier.  If you change the way you respond to someone in a situation like this, there needs to be a time when it's discussed, and NOT in the moment of provocation.  We need to stop our habitual responses when they don't serve us anymore.

In this personal episode, Dr. Shaw shares the tale of a recent family vacation that taught here a lesson or two.  One of the key things learned from this experience was that a family dynamic is infinitely better when everyone is on board so to speak.  If someone doesn't want to be there or doesn't pull their weight whatever that happens to be, it upsets the entire dynamic and forces others to do an unfair share.  During Dr. Shaw's family vacation, she witnessed a perfect sharing of responsibilities and a shared desire to make the most of the experience.  While it was a winning personal moment for her, the story and the lessons can be useful to all.

In this brief episode, Dr. Shaw explores what it really means to ask for what we want in life.  She begins with some clear and simple examples of what it's like to ask for what we need, and more importantly, she points out that we need to be prepared for the consequence of not getting what we ask for.  She shares that personally, she didn't ask her family for anything growing up because she was too concerned that it would be hurtful to be rejected.  We also manifest what we expect... if we don't have a high expectation for ourselves, we won't reach the heights that we might truly want.  Also, with our children, we need to not only teach them to strive for what they want, but it's also important for them to know that even when you ask for something, you may not get it, and there is learning in that process.   Asking, however, is the place the process must begin.

In this brief but fascinating episode, Dr. Shaw examines what happens when we experience fear in a social situation.   She begins by sharing that when she personally feels the most amount of fear, that's when she needs to have the most control... and when she's not afraid she needs the least control.  She feels that it's a natural tendency for all of us, and she shares some real life examples of how and why that occurs.  She also discusses how we can monitor ourselves and stop and note our behavior and stop acting habitually.

In this somewhat pointed podcast, Dr. Shaw addresses the questions she's been receiving lately about allowing children an abundance or an over-abundance of "screen time."   Our kids are on iPads and cell phones and computers and other gadgets, and precisely because they are provided these devices, they are taught by us rely on them... we must teach our children what we want them to learn.

In this episode, Dr. Shaw takes a quick look at how it plays out when a relationship is perhaps coming to an end.  She begins by sharing some advice that she had shared with friends of hers who were struggling in their relationship.  She leans of personal experience in order to lay the ground work for recognizing that sometimes relationships simply have an expiration date, and when we force a relationship to last longer than it should, it does more damage than good.  If we can assign and honor the best possible point of view of the relationship's history and de-tangle the relationship by taking the high road, that's a great way to transform the relationship into the future.  

Dr. Shaw begins by outlining her motivation for creating this particular podcast, and that rationale is to examine how we are when we feel our feelings.  It begins with the fact that we are taught from a very early age that we should have only happy feelings and that life is filled with happy endings.  Dr. Shaw feels that it's wrong action to think that way, and that what we need to strive for is the realization that feelings come and go.   She encourages a type of neutrality or objectivity about feelings.  Yes, it can feel better to be happy, but we should also not feel sad or shameful or vulnerable when we have a so-called negative feeling.... those are real feelings.  The goal she encourages for herself and for others is to have contentment in life.   Sometimes we have bad or ordinary moments... sometimes we have wonderful peak experiences... it's ALL ok... it's just the human condition.

In this brief episode, Dr. Shaw examines the emotional rollercoaster that can occur when we respond negatively to a situation.   Her world view incorporates the notion that nothing is simply one way... there are (at least) two sides to everything... and that it's important that we teach that approach to our children.   Our children can often face disappointments, but they need to understand, even at a young age, that the negative situation shall pass.  This is not to negate feeling a negative emotion, but the fact is that when, for example we get bad news, the immediate feeling of negativity actually discharges the energy of that negativity and that discharge allows us to move on with a more positive point of view.  

In this very brief but energized episode, Dr. Shaw uses a personal story and experience to once again illustrate that our children are listening to us, even when we think they are not. Her story is a cute one revealing her passion for saving 5-dollar bills.  As it happens, a youngster around age 7 heard her talk about her strong belief in saving 5's, and he is now doing the same thing.  Why?  Because our children do listen and respond to what they hear.  If you are impatient and swearing in traffic and your children are in the car, they are hearing you.   If you are gossiping or speaking negatively about someone and they are with you, they are picking up your bad habit of gossip and negativity.   As Dr. Shaw ALWAYS says, be present and be aware.

In this very personal episode, Dr. Shaw examines what happens when we have a negative reaction.  She shares a situation when she experienced a moment of internal panic.  She points out that the moment passed quickly, and that occurred because she let the emotions flow.  The negativity was discharged by simply letting it go.  A major strategy that allowed the moment to pass was that she allowed herself to fully react without suppressing the feelings.  Because the emotions were turned loose, they didn't linger and fester.  When parenting, it's important to have our children's feelings be allowed to come out for the same reason.  There are ways to have "the crazies" come out in a productive and not a destructive way.  Another important strategy to get through a negative situation is self-observation because watching ourselves gives us the power to overcome the negativity.  

In this important episode, Dr. Shaw tackles the feeling of FEAR and how it can impact our reactions and take us down a road that's not in our best interest.   She begins with her own personal point of view by saying, "Everything that limits me comes from fear."   People have all sorts of fears, and those fears only promote negativity.  Dr. Shaw goes on to describe a fear-filled reaction and then suggests putting a strategy in place in order to get past it.  She also uses a personal story as an illustrative example.  She also explains how to demonstrate and pass this philosophy along to our children including lessons of how to be resilient and not give up too easily.   It's all about observing ourselves and understanding our reactions, and also understanding when life presents a simple learning lesson and when it's something bigger than that.

In this episode, Dr. Shaw passionately examines the concept and the saying that TIMING IS EVERYTHING.   She begins by pointing that this is a concept that might be difficult for children to wrap their heads around.  She then continues by sharing examples of how sometimes adults express regret or a sense of missed opportunity when reviewing certain incidents in their lives.  Meanwhile, the reality is that we all have to go through everything that we go through in order to arrive at where we are now.   If you've reached the point where you are living your best life, you should have gratitude and not regret.  Appreciate your learning lessons, and with our children, when they feel disappointment, explain to them that these moments serve a purpose.  

In this brief but insightful episode, Dr. Shaw examines the ways in which we can create more stress than necessary with those who are the closest to us, especially when we live with someone.  What happens is that rather than take a deep breath and let it pass when something stressful happens, we can often have a tendency to bring our own baggage to the relationship and elevate the stress of the situation in a way that really could have been avoided.  The most important strategy is to simply not take any one moment too seriously.  Yes, there are some people in our lives who are such quality people that time spent with them is automatically fulfilling... but the work is in exercising the muscle of restraint and not to over-react. 

In this episode, Dr. Shaw re-visits one of her favorite topics and that is how to avoid being the cause of your own suffering.  At first, one might think "how am I the cause of my own suffering?" but Dr. Shaw walks us through some clear and simple examples of how our own quick over-reactions can lead us down a path where we meet failure instead of success.  It's really another sign that how we show up is what matters.  The facts and events of our lives are what they are, but it's how we address what happens that makes all the difference.  Later in the podcast, Dr. Shaw points to a parenting application for this same topic.   

In this brief but insightful podcast, Dr. Shaw examines some simple ways to improve communication with others, especially others that have a different point of view.  She offers clear advice to ways to communicate that avoid bullying or accusations.  When we make each other wrong, that doesn't create peace, it creates a battle.  When we have respect for other opinions than our own, that makes peace.   We need to know when to speak, when to listen and when to agree to disagree.

In this brief but insightful episode, Dr. Shaw discusses how to be energy efficient when it comes to speaking with others.  We are not going to speak the same with long-time close friends as we would with casual acquaintances.  If you're observing a situation and knowing your audience, you will end up behaving and reacting the way the situation dictates... and that's not being insincere... it's just reality.  Knowing when to stay silent, even when you have a lot to say, it's a practice of discernment.   When teaching, Dr. Shaw always discouraged tattling as when a child tattles, they are focused on the negative and not the positive.  If you are communicating with someone, you need to notice how receptive the other person is.  If you are both open and receptive you will have an honest exchange.   If you can't say what you want to say, it may just be not the right time to share it.  You can agree to disagree... or you can remain open to learning from the other person.  In turn, teaching your children how to navigate difficult moments in conversation would be very helpful in their growth and learning.  If we can economize our words, we will be better communicators.

In this brief but fascinating episode, Dr. Shaw shares a checklist of things you can do to feel good about yourself on a daily basis.  Her list includes: - Volunteer your time for a cause - Connect with nature - Compliment somebody - Express your creativity .....and more.    Show yourself that you matter, and the rest shall follow.

Dr. Shaw often uses the expression, "We are what we pay attention to," and in this brief episode, Dr. Shaw cites examples of how that actually works.  Whether you are trying to sell your home or keep calm in a challenging situation or whatever it is, the power of thought can truly sway or influence the outcome.  As a result, it is important that we model for our children that it can be helpful to understand that our attention and our focus can help us to manifest the results we want.  We should discuss and point out for our children that it's best to pay attention to the experiences that fulfill them rather than what defeats them

In this podcast episode, Dr. Shaw addresses the notion of teaching our children good citizenship.  She notes that it is similar to good sportsmanship wherein knowing how to lose and to win graciously may be the most important part of playing a game.  Teaching good citizenship can start with simple tasks like cleaning the environment, but it can also be demonstrated in so many ways... kindness being an example or showing honesty or respect.  Especially now when bullying and (politically) authoritarianism seems to be on the rise, it's important to teach positive behavior socially.  Additionally, teaching humanity should not be tied to a material reward.  Rewards should be intrinsic, and that needs to be modeled for our children by parents and educators.  Also, learning should be about the process and not a product.

In this episode, Dr. Shaw examines the concept of self-doubt.  She begins with a reference to one of her favorite books, The Four Agreements, and she talks about a featured notion of that book which is to be impeccable with your words.   Her interpretation of that is to not go against yourself, because if you do, with your perception pf self-doubt you may have a self-fulfilling prophecy on your hands.  She puts forth that the way to rectify self-doubt is to have self-compassion when having doubt and then practice not having doubt.  You can practice not having low self-esteem by marking and noting those moments when you succeed in something.  Doubt in and of itself isn't always negative... it can give you caution and help you avoid a dangerous situation.  With our children, we are sharing our life lessons and being their mentors, and if we can put them on the best path by having them avoid self-doubt, their journey might just be smoother.

In this highly personal episode, Dr. Shaw reacts to a message that came to her from an acquaintance...  the message was supposed to positive, but because the message was rooted in bad sportsmanship and over-zealous pride it triggered a reaction in Dr. Shaw that made her want to remind everyone of the inclusiveness that America was built upon.  There are lessons for us all in what she shares here, including for parents raising children in today's divisive culture.

In this episode, Dr. Shaw takes a quick look at the notion of SELF-LOVE.  For starters, the development and maintenance of self-love begins with not being down on oneself.  With our children, it's important to model our ability to navigate difficult waters.  Self-love also promotes self-trust.  Giving your child a good amount of responsibility demonstrates to them that you feel that they understand their natural boundaries and abilities.  Real friendships also support our sense of well-being, and when we find ourselves with unfulfilling relations it undermines our feeling of self worth.

Inspired by the spring holiday season, particularly by the story told during the Passover holiday, Dr. Shaw lead us through her observations on the concept of freedom.  

In this episode, Dr. Shaw succinctly sums up her three key ingredients for having a relationship that's based on emotional well-being. Her list is a simple one... (1) fill your emotional tank, even if you fill it yourself, (2) hold the space for your partner to be okay with having a bad day, and (3) table the conversation if it's clearly not a good time for it.  That list sounds simple, and it is, but during this podcast Dr. Shaw illustrates and illuminates each of those three building blocks of a relationship with emotional well-being.   

In this brief episode, Dr. Shaw explores that moment for all of us when we grasp a concept that we are learning, and the experience of learning kicks into gear.  She refers to that as the moment the light bulb goes on over our heads, but she also points out that the crucial moment is what we do in the learning process before that moment of understanding kicks in.  When we are trying to teach something new, we need to hold onto two concepts... what is the aim of the new skill we are teaching and are we creating confusion.  As you are teaching a concept, you should check for understanding with you child.  A child will often say they understand something when they don't, so check in with them and offer to explain whatever it is.  It doesn't matter how old we are, 6 or 66, when we learn, that light bulb turns on.

In this brief but important episode, Dr. Shaw takes a close look at what it means to share your feelings honestly with your friends and with your associates.   In any instance where we feel that telling the truth will create a negative consequence, we may have our rationale, but in reality, honesty is the best policy.  The old saying that "the truth will set you free" is correct, but it is all based on your belief system.  We must all learn to let go of any belief that doesn't serve us.  

On this brief podcast, Dr. Shaw takes a moment to express her gratitude and share her desire to help people and continue to contribute to society.  As she hits the 4 1/2 year mark in the life of her weekly podcasts, Dr. Shaw wanted to simply reflect on her desire to share her expertise each week and to thank those who have been so supportive of her podcast efforts.  Her reflection here reminds us that having a positive impact on someone or opening their eyes to a new way of thinking, no matter what the size or scope of that impact, is always worthwhile.

In this brief but very valuable episode, Dr. Shaw shares some timeless wisdom regarding maintaining friendships as quality relationships.  For a long time she has promoted the concept that friendships, relationships and partnerships are only truly succeeding if all parties involved are lifted up.   No one needs nor should anyone tolerate a relationship where you are made to feel worse or smaller or less than someone else.  She points to the trusting environment that she created year after year in her classroom as a successful learning environment BECAUSE there was trust and a feeling of safety.  She also reminds us that exposing our children appropriately to the ups and downs of our own relationships will serve to teach them the right path in developing and maintaining their own friendships of worth and meaning. 

It this episode, Dr. Shaw discusses when and how to designate responsibility to our children.  She draws an important comparison between responsibility and respect because they both need to earned and they both need to be mutual.  She also illustrates how responsibility must be a product of responsiveness, and what that really means.  Here, Dr. Shaw also re-introduces the concept of modeling the kind of result(s) you want for your children, and you can sometimes accomplish that aspect by sharing a very personal story.  She also encourages all parents and educators to share the tasks with young children, and she illustrates clearly in this podcast what that looks like.

This podcast was recorded on March 1, 2025, the day after the surreal meeting of the U.S. President and the President of Ukraine at the White House.  Dr. Shaw has been a proponent of ethics and humanity for a long time... she has written 22 children's nonfiction books on social and emotional behavior... and she cannot digest the embarrassing bullying that took place at the White House on Feb. 28, 2025.  Her comments on this podcast episode might be construed as political, but they are simply a visceral reaction by an educator who fought bullying and other bad behavior for her entire long career.

In this very valuable episode, Dr. Shaw dives into not only the importance of having quality relationships, but she also provides a road map for how to have and maintain them.   She breaks it down into what she calls the "6 C's"... Communication, Conflict management, Caring for yourself and those around you, Connecting openly and deeply, Commitment and Courage.  These essential ingredients to quality relationships are listed and discussed in no particular order, but Dr. Shaw does a great job of examining each of those items and offering illustrative examples of how they work in practice.  This is all important because we want our children to have quality relationships at school and with their peers, and by maintaining quality relationships as parents, educators or mentors, we model the best behavior for them.

In this episode, Dr. Shaw takes a close look at what it means to either live with self-doubt OR to cast doubt aside and live with an attitude of possibility.  Dr. Shaw acknowledges that there are many things that we may not be able to master or ever to do well, but understanding our reasonable limitations is not the same as living in doubt.  She puts forth that doubt (along with regret and guilt) is a creator of obstacles and that when we live in a space of doubt, we are causing our own suffering and not allowing ourselves to be open to success.  Naturally, while this is a philosophy for adults to live by, it's also a pattern that we should model for our children so that they, too, are open to saying "I think I can." 

In this brief episode, Dr. Shaw examines the question that many of us ask ourselves which is... how do we get to the point where we feel that we are "enough"?   Over-achievers clearly are motivated by being better all the time, and Dr. Shaw, who admits to being an over-achiever, points out that for her, her biggest competition is with herself.   Often, doing your best is simply enough, and we need to learn how to celebrate doing our best.  It is also okay to have down time, even when the need to contribute for a feeling of self-worth is pushing you forward.  Self-love means working towards unconditional self-love.  An important tenet to remember is to simply lead a balanced life.

In this advice-filled episode, Dr. Shaw veers into a territory that she usually does not address which is interacting with adolescents.  This topic came in by request, and Dr. Shaw dove right in with a balanced and intelligent approach.  She begins by acknowledging that adolescence is a challenging time, and she then runs through a number of key points in how to best address issues with that age group.  She says to encourage open communication, and ideally, that's something you start earlier in life.  She also says to promote healthy habits, to be a source of encouragement, to be honest, to encourage quality relationships outside of the immediate family, to teach problem-solving, to set goals that are attainable, to be patient and to model self-care.  Of course she gives more detail and examples of what each of those supportive behaviors might look like making this an incredibly valuable podcast.

In this episode, Dr. Shaw continues responding to the feedback she received from parents regarding what they would like to see included in their children's education.... and today she addresses COMMITMENT and FOLLOW-THROUGH.   Dr. Shaw describes what a commitment consists of and how to not avoid the task.  The importance of commitment is that it keeps an individual on track.  If you begin a commitment, you need to recognize the goal and the intention of that commitment and that it is important that children feel the accomplish of the commitment.   Also, if there is an agreement to make a commitment it needs to be followed through.  If not, there must be natural consequences.  

In this episode, Dr. Shaw continues here mini-series focused on best practices for educating children per what parents want most for their children.  Here she concentrates on the concept of grit and hard work, and she begins with a reminder that parents and educators must model exactly what we want our children to learn.  Dr. Shaw also points out that confusion is important to avoid, and checking for understanding when we communicate with our children is very important.  She interlaces the notion of commitment or follow-through while discussing hard work, and she gives great guidance on how to handle things when faced with a difficult challenge.  

With this episode, Dr. Shaw continues her series within a series.  During this edition, she is addressing the areas of education in which most parents have indicated to her that they are most interested in regard to their child's learning.  This week her focus is on teaching kindness and compassion.  One key to teaching kindness and compassion is by example.  Parents often unconsciously display behavior that runs completely counter to what they want their children to be taught.... the lesson there for parents is to be careful.  For teachers, the key is being intentional.  We are always socializing our children to pay attention to things, so reinforce that their attention should be paid to the positive.  

With this podcast, Dr. Shaw begins a brief series within her series during which she will present key components of what parents are telling her they want out of their children's education.  The areas of interest for most parents of young children do vary, but Dr. Shaw has distilled the most common goals and topics into a handful of categories, and what she focuses on in this podcast is teaching children honesty and integrity.  Parents want their children to be aware of their humanity, and she explains how in her classrooms the stage was always set for children to learn how to be honest and how deceit is a double-edged sword.  One must note and mark moments when honesty is exhibited, must continue to model honesty and must reinforce in both the home and the learning environment that we pay attention to only the positive and not reward the negative with our attention.

Happy New Year!   In this episode, Dr. Shaw starts the new year of 2025 off with a conversation about New Year's Resolutions and about making your life experience as productive and successful as it can be.  It's a refreshing look at starting the new year out properly without pie-in-the-sky goals that may lead to disappointment.   She offers solid advice and information on how to set reasonable expectations for yourself, on the power of having confidence, on the importance of self-love and on generally remaining positive.   

In this episode, Dr. Shaw takes a moment to focus on how the human condition and the desire for connection can sometimes be guided simply by the group that we are part of rather than our pure humanity.  It is true that being a member of a group does offer valuable support, but it is too narrow of a definition for ourselves.  Dr. Shaw observes that she never wanted one chapter of her life to be the dominant chapter of her personal story. She illustrates this analysis by relaying a recent experience she had with a new friend, and she noticed that she and this friend shared an experience and perhaps that commonality led the two of them to their connect.  In the end, it almost doesn't matter what creates the connection... the connection itself is the gift.  Humanity should be the source of connection and with that knowledge, we don't need subgroups to define us.

This brief episode is another one inspired by the recent election in the U.S., and it is a personal and non-political commentary.  Dr. Shaw is an educator who believes in "walking your walk" and it would not be honest for her to not share her wishes and hopes for the world going forward, and that's what she does here.  She references the words and theories of other writers, yet at the same time she presents her singular point of view.  Her hope is for everyone to end up winning as a result of the recent political contest 

In this brief episode, Dr. Shaw re-examines the topic of surrender versus seeing things through.   She feels that it is an important attribute of child-rearing that conversations take place and that many of life's tasks and events are prepared for in advance or "front-loaded" as much as possible.  One of the conversations that is important to have is when it comes to commitments that are made by children.  It could be commitment to a sports team or other after school activity, it could be a commitment to a hobby... whatever it is there are learning lessons inherent in knowing when it is time to persevere or when it might be time to change course.  There are consequences to not setting the stage properly up front and also to making the wrong choice at decision-making time.

In this brief episode, which follows two very personal episodes, Dr. Shaw returns to her specialty as a parenting expert.  Here she discussed the simple scenario of having a child acting out because something didn't go their way.  What actually happened isn't as important as Dr. Shaw's tenet that it's okay to veer away from your usual parenting rules and boundaries AS LONG AS bad behavior is not seen as being rewarded.  Also, if bad behavior is temporarily not addressed for whatever social or environmental reasons, it must be addressed and reviewed at a later time.  Your child must know what they did incorrectly, why it was not appropriate behavior, and what the normal natural consequence for such behavior should be.  Children know and appreciate boundaries as well as needing them.

In this episode, Dr. Shaw once again takes the opportunity to share how positivity can be found as the silver lining of difficult situations.   Her home in Florida was affected by a recent hurricane and she discusses the fallout from that challenging event and how resilience remains an important trait.

In this episode, Dr. Shaw presents a personal point of view regarding the feelings that some folks are having following the recent US Presidential election.  As an educator, Dr. Shaw focused on teaching humanity (just like with the title of this podcast), and for someone with her history it could be easy to be frustrated or scared or shocked by the recent political outcomes across the U.S. because teaching humanity involves teaching about kindness, inclusion, tolerance, respect and so much more... and those things seemed to be clearly missing from the winning team in this election cycle.  Her point of view here, however, is positive.  She offers advice on how we should all remain patient and positive because what happened had an element of inevitability.  She encourages everyone to stay strong and positive and keep focused on the best possible outcomes in the future.

In this episode Dr. Shaw addresses the notion of having confidence.  She begins by noting that, often in life, individuals who have confidence will go further than those who possess actual talent but lack confidence.  Dr. Shaw shares that this is hot topic for her personally, and that in fact while she is working on a new book, she tends to ask the question, "Am I really qualified to create this book?"   It really comes down to being an internal battle with self-doubt, and that can often be the re-appearance of an old "muscle," one that lacks confidence.  The idea is to exercise a new muscle that exudes confidence.  She points out that we all need to recognize those habits that don't serve us and to transform those negative thoughts into the feeling that "yes, I can."  Additionally, if you are going to allow anyone to be a coach for you in life, make sure that they are the kind of coach that lifts you up and doesn't keep you down.