The Kintsugi Podcast - Conversations about Resilience

Today is bittersweet. I've decided it's time to pause our conversations here on The Kintsugi Podcast. At least for a while. It's not a decision I make with ease, but I am at that moment in life when I need time to concentrate more on the things that I consider will help me grow and reach more people. “Just like the trees lose their leaves in autumn, we humans need to lose or let go of something in order to grow...” I leave you, for now, with the conviction that what we created here will help you continue your journey towards resilience and inspire you to take the time to pause, breathe and reflect on what is important in your one wild and precious life. We'll be back, my friends, and until then I hope you remember to always have fun storming the castle!

How's your health? When we think about our health we often turn to diet or exercise as ways to get healthier. These are great but what if your breath was your gateway to wellness? In today's Conversation about Resilience, I sit down with Dr. Amy Novotny to discuss PABR (Pain Awareness Breathing Relief) and how it can help us reach a new level of wellness.

This week on The Kintsugi Podcast we introduce you to Shasheen Shah, a brilliant author and successful communication coach, dedicated to mastering personal development and the ability to gracefully navigate and find coherence and integrity in all aspects of life.          We talk about his amazing book, “The Kid and the King”, the constant pressure of today's society that focuses on external solutions, the necessary inner work, and finding the right questions that lead you to the real purpose- to conquer and re-engage with life.          Enjoy listening to our conversation and, until next week, remember to have fun storming the castle!

         I had a dream… A dream about terrifying heights, about a stranger who became a companion in an uncertain walk over the bridge, and of finally letting go and embracing the unknown, all supported by a very popular soundtrack by Dua Lipa- Hallucinate.          As surreal as this sounds, this is a choice that we all face- cross that bridge and face uncertainty, face the chaos, learn to dance with it and grow or remain on the safe side, become that creature of habit, being a slave to fear, refuse to adapt despite knowing that things might never return to what they used to be.

         The day after… The day after supreme happiness, the day after complete chaos, the day after everything changes in our lives… In the heat of the moment we gain the ability to connect, to see each other, to reach out to one another, to extend our love towards people around us and practice inclusion for all people, but, as in many aspects of our lives, we end up losing this new gained power in the face of habit. And division settles…          In today's talk about resilience, we look back twenty years ago at the events of September eleventh and reevaluate our path and the choices that led us apart...

Today, on The Kintsugi Podcast we talk about practicing mindfully and how our lives are a collection of our habits- conscious and unconscious habits that bring out the best in us or on the contrary, habits that stop us from living a life of awareness and creating a better tomorrow.  As I'm recording on Labor Day, I encourage you to take this time to reflect on what you are practicing, and to focus on gratitude, kindness, and love, being calm in your most challenging moments, and to visualize where you want to be and what are the goals you are trying to reach. Until our next conversation about resilience, don't forget to pause- breathe- reflect, slow down, and know that you got this and we got you.

         I've always been timid… hiding from the world, ashamed of my own voice, afraid of taking space, being a slave of my inner critique that stopped me from sharing my truth, my sense of humor, my essence. We all have our stories and experiences that left their mark and had consequences on our future, the only difference is the way we managed to overcome them, to shift them into boosters for our confidence and self-esteem.          So, today, on The Kintsugi Podcast we encourage those who have been marginalized to blossom and we invite you all on Clubhouse into our Pause Breathe Reflect (P.B.R.) community, specially created to help us regain control over our stories and practice our truth.         

Today's conversation about resilience isn't a conversation. It's a meditation to help you set your intentions for the day. Often we start our day in a rush. We hop on our hamster wheel and get spinning. A better approach is to take a moment to Pause Breathe Reflect and determine how you wish to BE today. This framework will help you meet your challenging moments with grace.

In our quest for finding the perfect balance between work and life, we find ourselves always choosing work over life, living more as human “doers'' than as human beings. So why don't we just stop settling for balance and aspire for more? Why don't we jump off our hamster wheels and focus our energy on growing as human beings? Why are we afraid of taking the dip dive and dedicating time for inner work and emotional labour? Join this week's episode of The Kintsugi Podcast as we put myths to sleep and take another step on our road towards creating a better life, a better tomorrow, a life of aspirations and true happiness instead of settling and compromise.

I'm bionic! The surgery that I visualized worked, and I'm finally back on our weekly conversations here on The Kintsugi Podcast to share my story, hoping to inspire and help others that are going through their experiences, and to shed some light on another “enemy” that I identified on my road to recovery... An enemy that stands in the way of our fully committed life, in us being present and resilient- the constant tendency to compare ourselves to others and our constant search for the “just right” even though our experiences and the arenas that we fight in are never going to be the same...

                  The world changed. For the better or for the worse depends only on how we decide to live our lives from now on… Sharing energy, thoughts, ideas, or just a simple touch, a hug, has always been a fundamental way for people to express their feelings. And now that we can share that again we discover how much the need for connection propels us in this race called life. Just like in a peloton we need to surround ourselves with people that we can trust, people that will support and collaborate with us to transform this journey to the finish line into a journey of love, grace, and gratitude.                   Join this week's conversation about resilience here on The Kintsugi Podcast as we talk about my first in-person event since the pandemic began, the Tour de France, and my impending knee surgery.

The day is finally here… As we reach the halfway mark of 2021 and start to reevaluate our new normal and the way our lives have changed, I enter a new challenge with a mixture of emotions- my knee replacement surgery. I'm eager and excited but also nervous and anxious. But this time I also feel prepared for everything that is going to happen.       To our Kintsugi Podcast family, 20 Ripple Challenge community, our Peloton, our tribe, I thank you and I hope you'll continue to join us on this new journey and that it will further motivate you to get ready, to build resilience through inner work, to renounce the old ways and live life to its fullest potential, with gratitude, kindness and self-care. What we ripple matters...              Until next time, remember to always come back to your breath in your bad moments. You got this and we got you!         My friends, as always, I hope you have fun storming the castle!

    Today, on The Kintsugi Podcast, we continue our series of inspiring interviews with DeAndra Harmony- Personal Development Strategist, Entrepreneur, Author, Founder and most importantly, a Survivor with a life story that is a confirmation of the true power that resides in our choices and in living life with awareness and positivity.                   Despite everything she lived through, from growing up in an abusive environment with a father fighting with mental illness and drug addiction, being sexually abused by her stepfather to divorcing herself and fighting breast cancer, DeAndra found the courage to rebuild herself, take control of her life and understand the healing power that comes from a real connection between body and spirit.

 Today, on The Kintsugi Podcast we are introduced to Danielle Thompson, an intuitive success coach who shares her story about chasing happiness, overcoming self-doubt, and breaking through the limitations of living life according to other people's expectations.          She opens up about finding resilience while going through a challenging divorce, the power and sense of purpose she discovered in raising a child with Down syndrome, and changing her career in order to help other women rediscover themselves.         Enjoy listening to this week's guest and remember to always believe in the power of your breath to guide you through your bad moments!  

In our mentality, giving birth seems like the most natural and emotional experience in the world. But what happens when things don't go as they should, what happens when the most beautiful moment a woman should experience becomes a nightmare that changes the entire course of her life?           In today's episode of The Kintsugi Podcast, we continue our talk about resilience with another inspirational person whose life took a different turn after a traumatic event that took away all the things she considered defining for her life. Listen to Gill Castle's- Stoma Chameleon story, a story about gratitude, acceptance, and redefining identity.

It's been 20 years… 20 years since my last bad day, 20 years since my life changed for the better, despite the circumstances that generated the change. It's been a tough but wonderful journey, and the new chapters that await are as inspiring and as important as the road I traveled so far...  So I invite you all to join me on this new venture towards recovery, where we can learn together how to shift our emotional strength and align our mind, body, and soul in order to gain adaptaversagility- that wonderful $5 word coined by one of our Peloton members, Bobby Kountz, that represents a combination of adaptability, agility, and versatility- the ingredients we need to win over our fear of change. Remember to Pause-Breathe-Reflect, adapt and accept the journey… Until next time, have fun storming the castle!  

         Today, on the Kintsugi Podcast we host a remarkable human being, a rare blend of a spiritual and business mind, a man who lived the human experience in all of its forms, a storyteller with a powerful voice, intent on helping people redefine their journey through life - Daniel Bruce Levin.          Listen to the story of Kintsugi, captured in his book, The Mosaic - a magical journey about finding the meaning of life, about building resilience through love, acceptance and validation, and breaking the walls erected by fear so we can discover and accept our true selves. We break in order to rebuild ourselves.

Today's Conversation about Resilience is a throwback episode from the beginning of The Kintsugi Podcast but the message is timeless.

In today's episode of the Kintsugi Podcast, we start our talk about resilience and our continuous strive for creating a better life-work harmony, with a story. A story about a personal ad- the best ad of my life- the ad that prompted the happiest 29 years of my life, and proved to me, once again the importance of making my voice heard.          In this day and age, it's more vital than ever to advocate our truth- the truth of the life that we want to live. We need to reevaluate our boundaries regarding our life-work relationship, take a stand for ourselves in order to create a new normal, and ask questions about what our life should actually revolve around.          We need to remember to pause, breathe, reflect and stop hiding behind life's old narratives. Learn to listen to your voice, answer the questions that prompt you to write the best ad of your life, and until next time, don't forget to have fun storming the castle! Key Points: Story time (00:57) The line that hooked her (04:38) Afraid to make my voice heard (06:18) Are you speaking your truth? (08:34) Questions you need to answer in order to discover your new normal (10:38)

Mother.           The first word we learn in life and the person our entire childhood revolves around. The first person we think about when we want to share the happiest news about ourselves and the person whose gentle touch we cry for when in fear or sickness.The voice that remains forever in our minds, guiding us with kindness and hope.          Even though, through life experiences, our perspective shifts, women remain the center of our existence. Our mothers, our wives, our daughters… Their voices are essential to making a greater difference in the world.          We celebrate the power of women, the power of creation, and we acknowledge the complexity of motherhood, in all of its forms and the important role they have in creating a better tomorrow.          Mothers and women all over! May you be healthy, courageous, resilient, and in perfect harmony. You are seen, you are loved.

A Five Minute Grounding Exercise for teens. 

A Five Minute Counting Meditation for teens

A Five Minute Loving Kindness Meditation for children

Lemons. Bittersweet. Tart. Some would say a perfect sum of life's attributes, a perfect portrayal of life's moments. Whether we choose to see these lemons as bad moments or as new opportunities to “squeeze the zest” from life it depends solely on ourselves. The choice is ours to believe that beauty exists in everything, even in our setbacks.           So, I encourage you to prevail, to accept the wonderful growth that can spark from every grieving process, to “turn lemons into lemonade” if you like, and to set your mind to acknowledge that, moments happen for us, not to us and we can make things work for us, not against us.           When a door closes another one opens. As we decide the faith of our Pause Breathe Reflect Tour,  our community gets another opportunity to raise awareness over the importance of mental health and takes another step in achieving its goal- to become a symbol of mindfulness.   Key points: A little bit of context (01:18) An overall win (04:38) New opportunities (05:59) Lessons… (06:55) National Mental Health Awareness Month (09:50) It's ok not to be ok (11:25) Help eliminate stigma (12:23) To discover more visit:  http://www.michaelobrienshift.com   https://www.kintsugipodcast.com/   Have me speak at your next event:  https://www.michaelobrienshift.com/event-planners   The Pace Line Leadership Academy for Manager and Directors:  https://www.michaelobrienshift.com/pace-line-leadership-academy

A Five Minute Follow the Leader Meditation for children

Today's Conversation about Resilience is with husband, father, friend, and difference-maker David Taylor-Klaus.

Today's Conversation about Resilience is a five-minute Pause Breathe Reflect Meditation.

Today's Conversation about Resilience is about the importance of spending time on your wellness to prevent being forced to spend time on your illness.

Today's Conversation about Resilience is about moving from Forgiveness to Gratitude.

Today's Conversation about Resilience is about the power of oneness.

Today's Conversation about Resilience is all about how our mornings can help us become more resilient.

Today's Conversation about Resilience is easing your grip on attachment to help you become more resilient, agile, and adaptable.

Today's Conversation about Resilience is moving beyond burnout with Inspired Purpose Coach, Tony Martignetti.

Today's Conversation about Resilience is about how we can embrace each other and create a better tomorrow for all.

Today's Conversation about Resilience is with mindfulness teacher, Sebene Selassie. We talk about her journey and how to create more belonging as a way to create a better tomorrow.

Today's Conversation about Resilience is all about love and what it looks like at work.

Today's Conversation about Resilience is about the importance of moving beyond our circle to create more belonging and a better tomorrow.

Today's Conversation about Resilience is about how to win the argument you can't win.  

Today's Conversation about Resilience is about how we can build a stronger community and more resilience.  

Today's Conversation about Resilience is all about why you should talk to strangers.  To discover more, visit www.michaelobrienshift.com

Today's Conversation about Resilience is about how we are feeding our mind, body, and soul. To discover more, visit www.michaelobrienshift.com

Today's Conversation about Resilience is with one of the nation's leading experts on mindfulness, Cory Muscara. We talk about how to be present during chaotic times. To discover more, visit www.michaelobrienshift.com

Today's Conversation about Resilience is about how you wish to use your dash. You know, the dash between your birthday and final day.

Today's Conversation about Resilience is about how we manage when we don't know where the finish line is. It's something that I remembered while in the hospital last week. To discover more, visit www.michaelobrienshift.com

Today's Conversation about Resilience is about a few lessons I've discovered as a parent that can help us create a better tomorrow once we get through what we need to get through. To discover more, visit www.michaelobrienshift.com

Today's Conversation about Resilience is about how I spent my Thanksgiving holiday in quarantine because I thought I could have COVID. The good news is my test came back negative but my thoughts were positive. To discover more, visit www.michaelobrienshift.com

Today's Conversation about Resilience is a special episode to help you Pause, Breathe, and Reflect more this holiday season.

Today's Conversation about Resilience is with Chris Palmore from The Gratitude Space. He shares his journey with gratitude. You can discover more at www.gratitudespace.com

Today's Conversation about Resilience is all about the power of gratitude especially during our tough moments. To discover more, visit www.michaelobrienshift.com

Today's Conversation about Resilience is about how we can move forward post-election. You can discover more at www.kintsugipodcast.com

Today's Conversation about Resilience is an invitation to pause, breathe, and reflect this week. This will be an emotional week. To support you, I share a few questions and mantras that can help you focus on the things that truly matter. To discover more, visit www.michaelobrienshift.com