Wonder Your Way to Brilliant

 Today, on Courage to be Curious with Adina Tovell, I dive deep into what parents of resilient kids DON'T do and what they DO do. Over the past 2+ years we have gotten the message that we cannot spare our kids all hardship and discomfort. Unfortunately, attempts we may have made to spare them may have actually made them less confident to confront challenge, failure and hardship. So in today's episode, I offer some alternatives to trying to keep our kids happy all the time. Alternatives that I hope will help us all feel stronger in the face of challenge and adversity. For more on raising resilient kids, see the blog: Please STOP Trying to Raise Happy Kids. And to build your own resilience, check out Curiosity Crusaders, our community of practice for those seeking to live, lead and love with intention. 

When was the last time you wondered about your life purpose? What is it? How do I find it? What is important enough? And when life gets turned on its head, as it has been for the past few years, many of us become more introspective about the path we are on. In this episode of Courage to be Curious with Adina Tovell, I discuss where we typically go looking for our purpose and the very unlikely place it may be hiding in plain sight.

My mind, like yours, can easily become seduced by the idea that there is time and room for everything. Like an already overstuffed suitcase, we believe we can always fit one more thing in. And honestly, we can keep trying, but to what end? What does our life end up looking like when we continually try to fit in just ‘one more thing?' And what can we do about it if we have this exhausting habit of trying? This is what I am talking about in this week's episode of Courage to be Curious with Adina Tovell. 

What do we do when things simply don't make sense. This might describe a lot about the world we live in right now. In Today's episode of Courage to be Curious with Adina Tovell, I look at the nature of COHERENCE… How it creates the world we live in. How it can help us re-create the world we live in when we grow and are ready for change. And what we can do when the world feels incoherent, and we cannot make sense of things.

On today's episode, we begin our season exploring the nature of the SELF. Who are you? What does it mean to be you in the world? What defines you and what does not define you? How do you care for you? With so much happening in our lives every day and with so many things constantly vying for our attention, it is easy to lose track of the SELF. Hold on as we dive deeply into this spiritual and existential conversation. And if you want to explore more, check out our Curiosity Crusader program, a spa-like experience for mind and spirit. 

How do you reflect on a year? If you typically take stock of what went well and how you can improve, with more attention to the latter (!!), let's try something new. Tune in to learn more about our Courageously Curious approach to reflecting on this challenging and unusual year!Follow us on all our other platforms!WebInstagramFacebookTwitterLinkedIn

This is a special tribute to the guest of our most widely received podcast of 2021, Will Wise, co-founder of We and Me and co-author of Ask Powerful Questions: Create Conversations that Matter. Will transitioned from this world in November, less than two months after our conversation with him was released. Join us for this tribute episode in honor of an amazing teacher and man. 

Something new is brewing at Courage to be Curious! A new endeavor. A new opportunity. A new way of serving. A new way of cultivating curiosity. A new way of experiencing you. Tune in to learn more. Where to find Amy Steindler:WebLinkedInFollow us on all our other platforms!WebInstagramFacebookTwitterLinkedIn

What does it mean to be mentally healthy and spiritually fulfilled? In this week's conversation, we talk with Shelbie Fishman about her journey from high achieving perfectionist who continuously wrestled with stress and anxiety to a first-year medical student who is approaching this new chapter with wisdom, balance, perspective, and joy. Tune in to discover how she is transforming the state of her mental and spiritual well-being. Where to find Shelbie Fishman:InstagramFollow us on all our other platforms!WebInstagramFacebookTwitterLinkedIn

What happens when a relationship is out of balance? The experience is intense: anger, frustration, blaming, and exhaustion. None of us like to live this way, but how do we get a relationship back in balance? On today's episode, we talk with Ecotherapist, Lauren Kahn, about a model she developed called: Relationship Rebalancing… and it's just in time for the holidays!Where to find Lauren Kahn:WebFollow us on all our other platforms!WebInstagramFacebookTwitterLinkedIn

You may be familiar with the 5 Love Languages, but what is the application of this to the workplace? Dr. Paul White and Dr. Gary Chapman teamed up to create the 5 Languages of Appreciation at Work and in this episode we speak with Dr. Paul about how learning to appreciate each other at work is not only a caring thing to do, but may be the single most important thing we can focus on to create a workplace where people want to work. Where to find Dr. Paul White:Web - Appreciation at WorkFacebookTwitterInstagramLinkedInWhere to find Amy Steindler:WebLinkedInFollow us on all our other platforms!WebInstagramFacebookTwitterLinkedIn

What happens when a content expert becomes a leader? What happens when a professional who is known and respected for what they KNOW moves into a role where they manage people? On today's episodes, we speak with Dr. Wanda Wallace, business coach, author of You Can't Know It All, and host of the podcast Out of the Comfort Zone who helps us unpack this transition and the role that appreciation and gratitude play in doing it well.Where to find Wanda Wallace:Web - Wanda WallaceWeb - Leadership ForumFacebookTwitterInstagramLinkedInWhere to find Amy Steindler:WebLinkedInFollow us on all our other platforms!WebInstagramFacebookTwitterLinkedIn

When we think about appreciation and gratitude, we often think about others. In today's episode, I talk about the importance of appreciating yourself…. Something that can feel awkward or even inappropriate to some people. My goal… to inspire and motivate you to take the time to appreciate YOU every day!Follow us on all our other platforms!WebInstagramFacebookTwitterLinkedIn

What if every person knew … deeply knew… in their heart of hearts that they mattered? What might our world be like and feel like? Our guest today, Cheryl Rice, founder of the You Matter Marathon and Cheryl Rice Leadership, is doing everything in her power to find out… and she wants us to join her. Listen in to hear what she is doing and how you can become part of this powerful movement. Where to find Cheryl Rice:Web - You Matter MarathonWeb - Cheryl Rice LeadershipFacebookTwitterInstagramLinkedInWhere to find Amy Steindler:WebLinkedInFollow us on all our other platforms!WebInstagramFacebookTwitterLinkedIn

With Halloween only a few days away, our question is not “What mask will you wear?” but “What mask will you take off?” In today's conversation with Matt Mead - wedding, portrait, and branding photographer - we talk about the impact of trying to ‘look perfect' on ourselves and others and what we can do to show up genuine and real, both on and off the camera. Where to find Matt Mead:WebInstagramFacebookTwitterFollow us on all our other platforms!WebInstagramFacebookTwitterLinkedIn

Growing up a reluctant prima ballerina, our guest, Paulette Rigo, put on her costume and her dutiful daughter mask for decades. Every time she tried to take them off, both her mother (founder of the dance studio) and those who had come to know and love her in that role, would have nothing to do with it. They needed her to be who they imagined her to be. But one day, Paulette had the courage to lay down her costume and the facade she had been upholding once and for all. Would she still be lovable? Tune into today's episode.Where to find Paulette Rigo:WebInstagramFacebookTwitterLinkedInFollow us on all our other platforms!WebInstagramFacebookTwitterLinkedIn

In the classic movie, Annie, the Boylan Sisters sing, “You're never fully dressed without a smile.” But what about a leader? What does the leader need to be ‘fully dressed' for the role? In today's conversation with Patricia Omoqui and Amy Steindler, we unpack what leadership looks like, whether leaders have to don a specific way of being in order to be effective. Where to find Patricia Omoqui:WebFacebookTwitterInstagramLinkedInWhere to find Amy Steindler:WebLinkedInFollow us on all our other platforms!WebInstagramFacebookTwitterLinkedIn

How do you know if you are wearing a mask that is hiding the most authentic and powerful version of yourself? And if you are, how can you remove it? In this theatrical and poignant conversation with Susan Sandler, we literally reveal how you can know if you are being the most authentic version of yourself and what you can do if you discover that you aren't. Where to find Susan Sandler:LinkedInFollow us on all our other platforms!WebInstagramFacebookTwitterLinkedIn

Clap your hands if you agree… We have a Curiosity Deficit and it is impacting how we connect and relate to each other! In this episode we speak with Chad Littlefield, co-author of Ask Powerful Questions: Create Conversations that Matter. Together we explore how to transform conversations from those that simply take up space to those that create meaning and build connection.Where to find Chad Littlefield:WebYouTubeTwitterInstagramFacebookLinkedInWhere to find Amy Steindler:WebLinkedInFollow us on all our other platforms!WebInstagramFacebookTwitterLinkedIn

I wonder about why people who love each other fight so much. Caring is easy, but relating on a regular basis to people we care about can be very complicated and messy. Divorce rates are high, couples counseling offices can often be a revolving door. What's the problem? In this episode, we explore something we know is often missing and can make a huge difference. Where to find Amy Steindler:Web:https://ovation.coach/LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/amysteindler/Follow all our other platforms!Web:https://couragetobecurious.com/Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/couragetobecurious/Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/couragetobecuriousTwitter:https://twitter.com/CuriositySpeaksLinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/company/courage-to-be-curious

In our hearts, what most of us want is to be seen, heard, known, and understood. But do we engage with each other in ways that allow this to happen? Regardless of how many ‘friends' or ‘followers' we have, many of us feel quite alone. Don't miss this extraordinary conversation with Will Wise, co-author of How to Ask Powerful Questions: Create Conversations that Matter. Will will inspire and guide you to consider creating conversations that matter in new and extraordinary ways.Find Will Online!WebYouTubeFacebook Follow us on all our other platforms!WebInstagramFacebookTwitterLinkedInYouTube

How "miracle producing" are the questions you ask? Questions are one of the most overlooked tools of communication. They have the ability to shift perspective, change an outcome, release stress and anxiety. Join Amy Steindler and me as we unpack the power of questions and how we can unleash miracles with the right question asked at the right time.  Where to find Amy Steindler:Web:https://ovation.coach/LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/amysteindler/Follow all our other platforms!Web:https://couragetobecurious.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/couragetobecurious/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/couragetobecuriousTwitter:https://twitter.com/CuriositySpeaksLinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/company/courage-to-be-curious

What actually happens when you love yourself and how do you get there?Self-love is all the rage now but what does that actually mean? How do you know what it feels like? And how do you get there? In this week's ‘not to miss' episode with Amy Steindler and Rena Rachar, experience some incredibly poignant, funny, and drop-the-mic moments as we break it all down. And stay tuned for our bonus Surprise Questions at the end when we all get really personal and revealing!

How to turn your arguments into opportunities for deep connection.Arguing and fighting are a part of life. And despite how uncomfortable it makes most of us feel, it is an incredibly important and healthy part of life IF we know how to do it well. In this episode, I will share some powerful tips for making your moments of conflict productive so that you end up feeling even more connected at the end. 

How to lead in a way that creates agency and engagement!Getting the promotion is the easy part, leading effectively is one of the most challenging pursuits of the professional world. For whatever reason, one of the most familiar approaches to leadership is ‘command and control' despite the fact that most people will say that they don't like being led this way. In this episode, we look at three invaluable strategies for shifting perspective on leadership to a style that is more collaborative and responsive. 

Closing the gap between expectation and reality.Why do we keep creating more discomfort and frustration in our lives than we actually need? We THINK that it is the outside world that does things to frustrate us, but in reality, one single practice that all of us engage in fills our lives with discomfort and frustration all the time. In this week's episode, I share with you what this is and a powerful way to reduce or eliminate frustration and discomfort that doesn't actually serve us. 

How can curiosity liberate us in our lives, leadership, and relationships? We all get stuck, feel shame, become paralyzed by fear, and shrink under the weight of insecurity. But what if one pursuit could free us from all of these maladies? What if we could learn one approach that could - like eating the cookie in Alice in Wonderland - make us feel strong, confident, and free? We think we have the answer. Tune in to today's episode. 

How can we receive love fully and give love freely?How free are you to love and be loved? We think of love as a natural instinct, but very often we can neither receive love fully nor give love freely because something gets in the way. I was 43 years old before I finally began to unpack the baggage that was getting in my way. In this week's episode, we look at what gets in the way of love and what we can do to embrace love more completely. 

How can you free yourself to lead authentically?How do we learn how to lead authentically? There are myriad books and theories on leadership but while they can all provoke interesting reflection, none of them can direct you as to how to be the most authentic and impactful leader YOU can be. Each of us has our own unique form of leadership and in this week's episode, I discuss how to uncover what's at the core of your unique and brilliant leadership identity. 

What if you could break through decades of suffering with just one question? As a kid and then through my adult life I was incredibly good at ‘giving the right answer.' I was a people pleaser, a great student, and knew how to play the standard version of the ‘success' game. But none of that meant that I was happy? I didn't even know what happiness was and I lived in constant shame because I was so disconnected from an experience of happiness and fun that others seemed able to experience. In this week's episode, I talk about how one question turned all of this around for me. 

In this final episode of Wonder Your Way to Brilliant for 2020, we take a look at the value of ritual in marking time. All cultures have rituals to mark time, make it sacred, and bring meaning and connection into our lives. The wonderful thing is that we do not have to wait for Hallmark, a religious event, or graduation from school to have permission to engage in ritual. We can create rituals and create meaning at any time that we feel moved to do so.  

This week on Wonder Your Way to Brilliant,  we take the next step of reflecting upon the year by asking the question, “How does this past year seem to fit into the bigger picture of my life?” To begin to answer this question, you need to zoom out from the specific events of 2020 and begin to look through a wider angled lens. Where are you on the journey of your life? How has this year moved you forward or propelled you in new directions?    

December is here and this is a great time to begin our year-end reflections. So, on today’s episode of Wonder Your Way to Brilliant, I offer Part I of a three-part series on reflecting on this most unusual and unexpected year. We can exist and survive through chaos, but as Marianne Williamson teaches, it is when we pause and take time for honest reflection, that our wisdom emerges and we grow.  

“The greatest test of faith is when you don’t get what you want, but you are still able to express Gratitude.”  This year’s Thanksgiving holiday and weekend are unlike any other we have experienced in recent times. We are in the midst of a global event that, at best, historically, has taken place every 100 years or so. Needless to say, there is little way to mentally or emotionally prepare for... no gatherings or small gatherings, perhaps being in isolation or grieving. Most of us are not having the experience we really want. So, on today’s episode of Wonder Your Way to Brilliant, I offer the 10Gs of Giving Thanks... 10 Guideposts for experiencing this time.  

Relationships take work and commitment and I believe that this is a muscle that has weakened for many of us because we have SO MANY ways of avoiding the hard work!  When someone is annoying us, we can escape into our phones, close a door, put on headphones, etc… When we get angry or upset, we can find an emotional conspirator somewhere online to validate our position and protect us from having to do the real emotional work of reconciling. All of this has made us emotionally weak in dealing with differences and conflicts. On today’s episode of Wonder Your Way to Brilliant, I share a simple - but not easy - formula for strengthening our muscles for dealing with disagreements and differing perspectives.

On today’s episode of Wonder Your Way to Brilliant, for the third year in a row, I speak with Cheryl Rice, founder of the YOU MATTER Marathon: No Running Required. Cheryl has begun a global movement to spread the message - YOU MATTER. With an estimated 2M cards distributed in over 80 countries around the world, The YOU MATTER Marathon has now become a new November tradition. Tune into the episode for fun ways to share the message, even while social distancing!

On today’s episode of  Wonder Your Way to Brilliant join me for a pre-winter ‘cleanse and prepare’ for your mind, body, and spirit. Walk away not only with an understanding of what ‘the call’ is for the winter months in terms of nourishing our spirit, but an incredible number of practical tips and strategies you can start putting into action right away. 

We are doubling down this month on Wonder Your Way to Brilliant to think about how we can wonder our way to a brilliant winter! On today’s episode, I draw from my childhood experiences at overnight camp, the wisdom of friends and family, and my own creative mind to suggest ways we can pack our calendar this winter with experiences that can keep us engaged and energized.

On today’s episode of Wonder Your Way to Brilliant I take on the Productively Curious Question: “How can we approach the change in seasons and months ahead in a productive and healthy way?” Today’s show is highly practical. Let’s not get taken by surprise… let’s get ready. Let’s be creative and curious. We need each other more than ever to remain resilient.   

If January is the New Year on the Gregorian Calendar, September is the new year in a practical sense (for many of us) as well as in the religious sense for those of the Jewish faith. This week’s message and podcast are about setting our intentions for this new year. Join me for this beautiful practice. On today’s episode of Wonder Your Way to Brilliant I examine the gematria (a Jewish form of numerology in which the letters of the Hebrew alphabet are substituted with corresponding numbers) for the new Jewish Year of 5781. In other words, I have taken the Hebrew letters associated with the numbers 80 and 1 and connected them to Hebrew words that help to focus our attention. One of them is the Hebrew word for mouth. Join me to see how we can intend better around what comes out of our mouths.

How well do you listen... as a leader? As a friend? As a spouse or partner? As a parent? To yourself? I may be biased, but I honestly believe there is no more important skill we can learn. And as much as I love my questions, neither the questions we ask others or the questions we ask ourselves are much good if we don’t really know how to listen to the answers. Tune into today’s episode of Wonder Your Way to Brilliant where we explore the question: How can I listen more deeply? 

Are burnout and stress on your mind as we begin September? On today’s episode of Wonder Your Way to Brilliant, I take on a question that I really needed: “What energizes you when you are feeling burned out?” Here’s hoping that my own self-help explorations will have benefits for someone else as well. So, tune in for this raw and unedited exploration of how to beat the burnout blues.   

On today’s episode of Wonder Your Way to Brilliant I have the privilege of speaking with Rabbi Lynnda Targan, author of Funny You Don’t Look Like a Rabbi: A Memoir of Unorthodox Transformation. Like many of us, there were seeds planted early on in Lynnda’s life that may have pointed to such a choice, but without pausing to heed the call, she might have missed it. With Courageous Curiosity, Lynnda made the choice in mid-life to pursue an unlikely path for a woman with her life profile and has found meaning she never dreamt possible by traveling this ‘unorthodox’ path.  

What’s going on in the hearts and minds of college students as the fall semester begins amidst the COVID-19 pandemic? On today’s episode of Wonder Your Way to Brilliant Courage to be Curious intern, Amelia Winger of Temple University, gets deeply curious about how the COVID-19 pandemic and period of social unrest has personally impacted the education, college experience, and lives of college students. Join us for this powerful conversation with three students, where Amelia looks at how the pandemic has personally and collectively impacted university students across the nation as well as at how this moment in history is catalyzing college students, the future generation of activists and political leaders, to find solutions for the systemic inequities in our society.   

One of the things the current moment most assuredly reminds us of is the fact that change is inevitable, it is constant, and we have little control over its coming and going. So how will we respond? On today’s episode of Wonder Your Way to Brilliant, Mary Marz, Director of Organizational Change Management for Erie Insurance, a Fortune 500 company, as well as Owner & Image Consultant of Perfectly Poised offers insight into why change can feel so stressful and strategies for both overcoming the overwhelm and learning to embrace it in our daily lives. 

Join me for this week’s conversation with Leslie Richards, General Manager of SEPTA (Southeastern Pennsylvania Transit Authority). Having risen through the ranks of Township Supervisor, County Commissioner, Secretary of PA Dept. of Transportation to General Manager, Leslie has modeled a path of leadership for women that has consistently focused on raising up others, advocating for equity, and facilitating real and lasting change. Tune into today’s episode to hear more about her journey through leadership as well as how she is showing up to her current challenge of serving as the white female head of the region’s transit system that employs 60% minority workers two months before the outbreak of a global pandemic and the killing of George Floyd.

Join me for a powerful conversation with Dr. Priyam Mammen, Emergency Physician and Public Health Specialist, MOUD Physician, and Adjunct Faculty Member at the University of Pennsylvania. During the conversation, we reflect on the ways in which the COVID-19 pandemic has accentuated the inequities in our healthcare system and how the healthcare system as a whole is a mirror reflection of our biases, prejudices, and - consciously or unconsciously - determined values as a society.

Gender equality begins with ALL of us. People of all genders need to demand change if we want to break down inhibitive gender norms. Sharon Kelly Hake and Robert Ford have been equity advocates for decades. Tune in as they discuss the role of men and women as allies in the equity conversation. 

On today’s episode of Wonder Your Way to Brilliant I have the privilege of speaking with Elba Pareja Gallagher, Director of Finance for UPS and President of ShowMe50.org, a social impact organization that she founded to advance the representation of women in senior leadership roles across the United States to 50%. Although I first met Elba almost 5 years ago, her name popped up again when I read her post: My Open Letter to the CEO’s: Please stop talking and do this where she calls upon CEOs to stop putting out messages that ‘sound good’ and actually take the practical and necessary steps to achieve real and lasting equity within their companies.  

On today’s episode of Wonder Your Way to Brilliant I speak with Elmer Dixon, President of Executive Diversity Services, a Washington state-based diversity training company. Dixon’s background growing up in an unusually diverse neighborhood in Chicago uniquely positioned him for this later work and his affiliation with the Black Panther movement certainly honed his fierce determination to advocate for equity and fair treatment. Get Courageously Curious with me and listen in to this episode in which Mr. Dixon not only deepens our understanding of the Unconscious Bias problem but offers very practical steps that we can all take to advance our own growth.

I was reading an article about protests in New York. A woman joined the protests as they were passing her house and shared with the reporter that she joined because I want to be able to go to sleep at night and not worry about whether her black son will be safe each day. When I read this, my mind immediately went to the notion of Freedom… and what does it really mean to be Free... As a society and as an individual? I invite you to tune into today’s episode of Wonder Your Way to Brilliant and explore with me what Freedom means for you. There are no answers, simply a lot of provocative questions.