Podcasts about emotional

What if the reason you're not fully booked… isn't your offer — it's your visibility? What if being seen strategically is the missing Pillar of your abundance?   In this powerful episode of the Balanced, Beautiful & Abundant podcast, Rebecca Whitman sits down with visibility strategist and PR expert KJ Blattenbauer to talk about how high-achieving women can build authority, income, and impact — without hustling themselves into burnout.   If you've ever felt: • Overqualified but under-recognized • Successful… but still invisible • Exhausted from “posting more” with little ROI • Resistant to self-promotion but craving expansion   This episode will shift everything.   KJ shares how aligned visibility supports your Financial, Mental, Emotional, and Social Pillars of Abundance — and why being seen isn't vanity… it's leverage.   You'll learn: ✨ The difference between noisy marketing and strategic authority ✨ How to become in-demand without burning out ✨ Why under-visibility quietly blocks abundance ✨ How midlife women can reposition themselves as thought leaders ✨ The mindset shift from “chasing” to magnetic visibility   Rebecca and KJ also explore the energetic side of visibility — how confidence, boundaries, and alignment create sustainable prosperity.   This isn't about algorithms. It's about authority. It's about alignment. It's about becoming the woman people naturally seek out.  

Episode DescriptionThis archival conversation with Jim Kwik moves beyond memory tricks and into something more fundamental: how we think, learn, and make decisions.Jim breaks down why most people forget nearly everything they read, why repeating the same mistakes isn't always about logic, and how modern life is quietly degrading attention and memory. He explains how the brain filters information, how habits form, and why focus—not intelligence—is often the real differentiator.James pushes the conversation into practical territory: decision-making, fear, performance, and building a life around what actually matters. Together, they explore frameworks for improving memory, reducing distraction, and making better choices—along with the deeper idea that learning is the core skill behind everything else.This episode isn't just about remembering more. It's about thinking better.What You'll LearnWhy most people remember only 1–2% of what they read—and how to improve retentionThe difference between reading speed, comprehension, and retention (and why all three matter)How the brain acts as a filtering and deletion system, not a storage deviceA practical framework for decision-making using multiple mental perspectives (Six Thinking Hats)How digital overload, distraction, and “digital dementia” are weakening focus and memoryWhy habits—not knowledge—drive performance, and how to build them using motivation, ability, and triggersThe four traits behind high performance: growth, grit, giving, and gratitudeTimestamped Chapters[02:00] Introduction to Jim Kwik and memory training[02:29] Why people forget what they read[03:09] Reading vs comprehension vs retention[03:50] The importance of remembering love, life, and lessons[04:25] Why people repeat the same mistakes[05:05] Emotional memory vs logical memory[06:29] Blame vs responsibility in reducing stress[07:11] The brain as a filtering and deletion device[08:17] Why we remember only 1–2% of books[08:24] The Zeigarnik Effect explained[10:15] Note-taking: handwriting vs typing[11:17] Learning through rewriting and modeling[12:18] Decision-making and simplifying life[13:40] Maker time vs manager time[17:33] Why you shouldn't check your phone in the morning[18:06] Brainwave states: alpha, beta, and focus[19:00] Jim Kwik's high-performance clients[20:25] Childhood brain injury and learning challenges[21:08] Knowledge as power in the modern economy[22:09] Decision-making and outside perspectives[23:22] The Six Thinking Hats framework[26:46] Decision-making through perspective shifts[28:40] Facing fear and building confidence[30:33] Digital overload and information fatigue[31:17] Social media and comparison psychology[33:11] Fear, rejection, and self-worth[34:20] Overcoming learning and public speaking fears[35:02] “Your mess becomes your message”[36:24] Jim Kwik's turning point and learning journey[38:15] Discovering how to learn[40:03] Deep immersion vs spaced learning[41:34] Speed reading breakthrough moment[42:33] Digital overload, distraction, and dementia[44:02] Why checking your phone rewires your brain[45:17] Outsourcing memory vs training your brain[47:00] Busyness vs productivity[48:18] Biological decision-making and intuition[49:03] Sleep deprivation and performance[52:00] Post-traumatic growth vs stress[53:00] Learning to say no and focus[54:27] Essentialism: “Hell yes or hell no”[55:14] Applying the Six Thinking Hats to real decisions[58:15] What school fails to teach[59:09] Building a career from learning challenges[01:01:00] First teaching experience and entrepreneurship[01:03:00] Overcoming fear of public speaking[01:08:39] Turning knowledge into income[01:10:00] The power of learning as a superpower[01:11:30] Finding what to learn and why[01:12:52] Growth mindset and learning from failure[01:13:34] The four Gs: growth, grit, giving, gratitude[01:15:12] Building grit through discomfort[01:17:19] Why fundamentals matter more than new ideas[01:18:22] Habit formation: motivation, ability, trigger[01:20:00] Time, priorities, and skill-building[01:23:40] Focus vs intelligence[01:24:27] Learning through teaching[01:25:25] High-performance mindset examples[01:27:25] Jim Carrey and freeing people from concern[01:29:58] “I don't get ready, I stay ready”[01:32:00] Building daily habits for performance[01:33:00] Giving mindset and learning faster[01:34:01] Teaching as a tool for mastery[01:36:00] Gratitude as a performance tool[01:38:00] Health, energy, and peak performance[01:41:00] Bringing it all together: love, life, and lessonsAdditional ResourcesJim Kwik — https://www.kwikbrain.comKwik Brain Podcast — https://www.kwikbrain.com/pages/podcastLimitless by Jim Kwik — https://www.amazon.com/dp/1401958230podcastThe Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle — https://www.amazon.com/dp/1577314808Thinking, Fast and Slow (decision-making reference context) — https://www.amazon.com/dp/0374533555How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie — https://www.amazon.com/dp/0671027034Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill — https://www.amazon.com/dp/1585424331Psycho-Cybernetics by Maxwell Maltz — https://www.amazon.com/dp/0399176136Six Thinking Hats by Edward de Bono — https://www.amazon.com/dp/0316178314See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

A single sentence from childhood can quietly shape how we see ourselves for years. In this episode of Healthy Mind, Healthy Life, hosted by Avik Chakraborty, guest host Sayan speaks with Pennie Wilson about the hidden emotional impact of early experiences and how they influence our confidence, expression, and inner voice. This conversation is for anyone who has ever felt silenced, misunderstood, or hesitant to express themselves. Pennie shares simple, practical tools for mental fitness, nervous system regulation, and reclaiming emotional safety. Together, they explore how calm awareness, curiosity, and small intentional steps can help people move from survival mode toward clarity, self-trust, and authentic expression. About the Guest: Pennie Wilson teaches a practical framework for calm self-mastery rooted in lived experience. Her work focuses on emotional safety, nervous system regulation, and helping parents, teachers, and leaders build mental fitness. Episode Chapters: 00:03:33 – Childhood moments that shape identity 00:05:00 – The story behind being told not to sing 00:07:05 – Why emotional memories stay in the nervous system 00:10:00 – How early experiences create survival patterns 00:12:10 – The “sun and clouds” metaphor for mental awareness 00:15:00 – Understanding emotional reactivity and overwhelm 00:20:00 – Three simple steps to build calm and mental fitness Key Takeaways: Small childhood moments can influence lifelong beliefs about self-worth and expression. Emotional safety and nervous system regulation are essential before meaningful change can occur. Awareness of thoughts and emotions helps interrupt automatic survival responses. Curiosity about your inner world can become a powerful tool for self-growth. Simple practices like pausing, observing thoughts, and choosing one next step can restore calm. How to Connect With the Guest: Search for Kokoro Creators on YouTube or visit the Kokoro Creators website for resources, meditations, and services.   Want to be a guest on Healthy Mind, Healthy Life? DM on PM - Send me a message on PodMatch DM Me Here: https://www.podmatch.com/hostdetailpreview/avik Disclaimer: This video is for educational and informational purposes only. The views expressed are the personal opinions of the guest and do not reflect the views of the host or Healthy Mind By Avik™️. We do not intend to harm, defame, or discredit any person, organization, brand, product, country, or profession mentioned. All third-party media used remain the property of their respective owners and are used under fair use for informational purposes. By watching, you acknowledge and accept this disclaimer. Healthy Mind By Avik™️ is a global platform redefining mental health as a necessity, not a luxury. Born during the pandemic, it's become a sanctuary for healing, growth, and mindful living. Hosted by Avik Chakraborty, storyteller, survivor, and wellness advocate. With over 6000+ episodes and 200K+ global listeners, we unite voices, break stigma, and build a world where every story matters.

You've done the therapy. You've learned the tools. You've processed your past. So why does your nervous system still feel like it's on edge? In this relatable and validating coaching session, Christine works with Kate, who has spent over a decade deeply committed to her healing journey. Despite major progress—healthy relationships, career growth, and emotional awareness—she still experiences intense nervous system reactions like anxiety, overwhelm, and shutdown. If you've ever felt like "I've done so much work… so why am I still triggered?"—this episode is for you. Christine offers a powerful reframe that shifts everything: what if your sensitive nervous system isn't a problem to fix—but a gift to learn how to work with? Through their conversation, they explore how trauma, sensitivity, and subconscious patterns can coexist with real growth—and why healing isn't about becoming "perfectly regulated," but about learning how to support your unique wiring. This episode will help you move out of self-judgment and into a more compassionate, empowered relationship with your nervous system. Press play to discover how to stop trying to fix yourself—and start working with the system you have.    Consider / Ask Yourself Do you feel like you've done a lot of inner work but still get triggered easily? Does your nervous system feel more sensitive or reactive than others around you? Do you find yourself over-preparing or "psyching yourself up" for everyday situations? Are you judging yourself for not being more "healed" by now?   Key Insights and A-Ha's A highly sensitive nervous system is not a flaw—it's a different kind of wiring. Trauma + sensitivity can amplify nervous system responses, but that doesn't mean you're broken. Trying to "fix" yourself often reinforces the belief that something is wrong. Emotional and energetic awareness can be transformed into intuition and connection. Healing includes learning how to care for your system—not forcing it to be different.   How to Deepen the Work Practice shifting from self-judgment to self-acceptance around your nervous system. Explore what "support" looks like for your body rather than trying to override it. Begin incorporating energetic hygiene practices (clearing, grounding, protecting your energy). Experiment with seeing your sensitivity as a strength rather than a liability.   Resource Mentioned in This Episode Rewired: Reparenting Your Inner Child + Reprogramming Your Nervous System Christine references this course as a way to better understand subconscious patterns, support the inner child, and create lasting nervous system change. Learn more at: christinehassler.com/rewired For questions or support: assist@christinehassler.com   Social Media + Resources:  Christine Hassler — Take a Coaching Assessment Christine Hassler Podcasts Including Coaches Corner Christine on Facebook Expectation Hangover by Christine Hassler @ChristineHassler on Twitter @ChristineHassler on Instagram @SacredUnionCouples on Instagram Email: jill@christinehassler.com — For information on any of my services! Get on the waitlist to be coached on the show! Get on the list to be notified about the upcoming certification program for coaches!

#370: What does it actually take to stay engaged for the long haul when the world feels overwhelming and the crises keep coming? Showing up once is one thing, but sustaining care and action over months and years is an entirely different challenge. In this episode, I close out our series on how emotional outsourcing shapes our political engagement. We've talked about freeze, rage, and depletion. Now we turn to the long haul: how to remain present and effective without burning out or shutting down. Tune in this week to learn why your nervous system struggles with chronic exposure to distressing news and why activist culture often overlooks the body that is doing the work. You'll learn practical ways to stay engaged for the long haul, including pendulation between activation and resource, titration of how much information you take in, and the importance of co-regulation and community. Get full show notes, transcript, and more information here: https://beatrizalbina.com/370 Order your copy of End Emotional Outsourcing here: https://beatrizalbina.com/book/ Follow me here: https://www.instagram.com/beatrizvictoriaalbinanp/?hl=enMentioned in this episode:Grab my book, End Emotional Outsourcing!Please support my new book, End Emotional Outsourcing, by ordering a copy and reviewing it on Amazon or GoodReads! You can leave a review even if you bought it somewhere else. Bring your screenshot to: https://beatrizalbina.com/book/ for gifts and raffle goodies. Thank you for helping this work ripple out.EEO Pre-Sale

The final hour of Evan & Tiki brings EVERYTHING. The guys dive into NFL QB carousel debates, should the Jets take a shot on Tanner McKee or J.J. McCarthy? Plus, Carson Wentz lands back with Minnesota and sparks major questions

Send a textYou can do everything “right” on the job and still end up quietly falling apart at home. Part two with Nikki Mason gets real about what first responder mental health support actually needs to look like when the stakes are high and the window for help is small.We start with the hard conversation many departments avoid: how to get chiefs and administrators to back real treatment instead of rushing someone back after a few required days off. Nikki explains why a first responder agreeing to care is a rare moment worth protecting, and we talk about how the leadership case can be framed in human terms and in dollars and cents, including the true cost of losing a trained police officer, firefighter, paramedic, dispatcher, or correctional professional.Then we break down what a voluntary first responder treatment program can look like at Granite Recovery Centers' Rally Point program in New Hampshire: no locked doors, a supportive environment, daily groups, individual therapy, case management, medical support when needed, and recovery options that respect personal choice. We also dig into Granite's Enjoy Life campaign and why rebuilding connection, fun, and community is not fluff but a relapse prevention tool. If you have ever wondered whether “connection” is the missing piece for PTSD, depression, anxiety, or substance use recovery, this conversation gives you language and a path forward.To find Nikki Mason, please visit Granite Recovery Centers - Rally Point Program: Detox, residential, PHP/IOP with lodging up in scenic New Hampshire, all in network with insuranceAlso visit Open Sky - Crisis Intervention Training: 40 hour certificate training for law enforcement & first respondersIf this helped, subscribe, share it with someone on your shift, and leave a review so more first responders can find the support they deserve.DeemedFit: First Responder OwnedWe are a first responder owned company looking to get first responders in the best mental shape.Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.Support the showYouTube Channel For The Podcast

This episode of Living Myth focuses upon the extreme emotions generated by the war in Iran and the many other conflicts and divisions in the current world. Michael Meade addresses the increasing flood of raw emotions that we are all subjected to and what psychologists are now calling "political depression." Although political depression can present the same sense of hopelessness and despair as traditional depression, its source is different. It does not simply come from within; but rather from the violence and upheaval, the corruption and unjustness in the world around us.   According to recent studies, this sense of political depression has affected the psyches of most people, and along with issues of anger and outrage, increasingly appears in the offices of therapists and counselors. The human psyche cannot simply be separated from the conditions of the world. Whereas emotional responses can be eruptive and disruptive, emotions are also "the necessary and mysterious turbulence without which we cannot truly tell if we are alive or not."   Emotions move us because they carry massive amounts of energy that can be used to change life from within. The natural inheritance of the human soul includes an ability to "feel the feelings" and shift raw emotions to being sources of increased vitality and creativity. Ultimately, emotions are intended to connect us to our deeper sense of self and to the world as it is. In that sense, emotions would have us engage life more fully and live life more meaningfully, especially in times of crisis when a transformation of life actually becomes more possible.     Thank you for listening to and supporting Living Myth. You can learn more about connecting to the deep self by taking Michael Meade's new course "Rites of Passage" that explores how timely and timeless practices of rites of passage can help us navigate a changing world and connect more deeply to inner wisdom and our unique genius.   Purchase and learn more at: store.mosaicvoices.org     You can further support this podcast by becoming a member of Living Myth Premium. Members receive bonus episodes each month, access to the full archives of over 750 episodes and a 30% discount on all events, courses and book and audio titles.   Learn more and join this community of listeners at: patreon.com/livingmyth     Along with these free weekly podcasts, you can now read free weekly essays and long form posts by Michael Meade on Substack. Learn more and subscribe at: michaeljmeade.substack.com     If you enjoy this podcast, we appreciate you leaving a review wherever you listen and sharing it with your friends. On behalf of Michael Meade and the whole Mosaic staff, we wish you well and thank you for your support of our work.

On Day 4 of The Anchor of Now, we move into the emotional arc of Protection. In a world that constantly demands our attention and projects its own anxieties onto us, learning to protect our inner space is essential. Using the powerful Apana Vayu Mudra, known as the "heart-saver," we learn to regulate our emotional response and create a sanctuary of stillness that no future "what-if" can penetrate. In today's episode: Insight: Why your "inner purpose" is the ultimate shield. Practice: A visualization to create an energetic boundary around your peace. Mudra: Detailed guidance on the Apana Vayu Mudra for heart health and emotional balance. This is day 4 of a 7-day meditation series, "Overcoming Future Anxiety: The Power of Now," episodes 3479-3485. THIS WEEK'S CHALLENGE -  5-4-3-2-1 SENSORY CHALLENGE When your mind races toward the future, stop and name: 5 things you see 4 things you feel 3 things you hear 2 things you smell 1 thing you taste Goal: Find one "micro-beauty" daily—a tiny detail you usually miss while worrying. THIS WEEK'S MEDITATION JOURNEY Day 1: VISUALIZATION: Breaking Your Worry Loop Day 2: AFFIRMATION: "I am safe in the stillness of right now." Day 3: 4-4-4-4 BOX BREATHING: Inhale 4. Hold 4. Exhale 4. Pause 4. Repeat 4 times. Day 4: APANA VAYU MUDRA "Life-Saver" mudra because of its profound ability to soothe the heart and calm a racing nervous system. Hold your index finger down so the tip touches the fleshy mound at the base of your thumb. Bring the tips of your middle finger and ring finger to touch the tip of your thumb. Extend your pinky straight out. Day 5: CHAKRA FOCUS: First chakra to feel grounded Day 6: WORRY RELEASE FLOW MEDITATION: combining the week's techniques Day 7: WEEKLY REVIEW MEDITATION: closure SHARE YOUR MEDITATION JOURNEY WITH YOUR FELLOW MEDITATORS Let's connect and inspire each other! Please share a little about how meditation has helped you by reaching out to me at Mary@SipandOm.com or better yet -- direct message me on https://www.instagram.com/sip.and.om. We'd love to hear about your meditation ritual! WAYS TO SUPPORT THE DAILY MEDITATION PODCAST SUBSCRIBE so you don't miss a single episode. Consistency is the KEY to a successful meditation ritual. SHARE the podcast with someone who could use a little extra support. I'd be honored if you left me a podcast review. If you do, please email me at Mary@sipandom.com and let me know a little about yourself and how meditation has helped you. I'd love to share your journey to inspire fellow meditators on the podcast! All meditations are created by Mary Meckley and are her original content. Please request permission to use any of Mary's content by sending an email to Mary@sipandom.com. FOR DAILY EXTRA SUPPORT OUTSIDE THE PODCAST Each day's meditation techniques are shared at: sip.and.om Instagram https://www.instagram.com/sip.and.om/ sip and om Facebook https://www.facebook.com/SipandOm/ SIP AND OM MEDITATION APP Looking for a little more support? If you're ready for a more in-depth meditation experience, allow Mary to guide you in daily 30-minute guided meditations on the Sip and Om meditation app. Give it a whirl for 7-days free! Receive access to 3,000+ 30-minute guided meditations customized around a weekly theme to help you manage emotions. Receive a Clarity Journal and a Slow Down Guide customized for each weekly theme. 2-Week's Free Access on iOS https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/sip-and-om/id1216664612?platform=iphone&preserveScrollPosition=true#platform/iphone All meditations are created by Mary Meckley and are her original content. Please request permission to use any of Mary's content by sending an email to Mary@sipandom.com.Let go of repetitive negative thoughts. Music composed by Christopher Lloyd Clark licensed by RoyaltyFreeMusic.com, and also by musician Greg Keller.

Let everything soften as you drift into this calming sleep meditation designed to quiet overthinking, release the weight of the day, and guide you gently into deep, restorative rest.Tonight, you'll be led through soothing imagery—a moonlit release, a sanctuary of safety, and a dreamlike journey into stillness—reminding you that nothing needs to be solved right now. With each breath, each sigh, and each gentle word, you're invited to let go… and simply be okay.This is your space to rest, to surrender, and to trust that you are safe, supported, and already enough.✨ Perfect for:• Overthinking at night• Anxiety before bed• Emotional overwhelm• Letting go of the day• Falling asleep peacefully• Nervous System Regulation & Trauma Healing• Healing Affirmations for SleepLet yourself drift… you've done enough for today. It's time to dream away.Original Script, Narration, Music, Video Production, and Sound Design by Michelle Hotaling, Dreamaway Visions LLC 2026 All Rights Reserved

Today, Christa helps you explore the crucial difference between the family systems concepts of emotional cutoff and healthy boundaries in family relationships. Learn why going completely silent often creates more problems than it solves, how cutoff patterns affect your marriage, and when boundaries might be a better (and even better for your nervous system) solution! Discover a simple repair framework for addressing family conflict without resorting to low blows, but also discern when cutoff might actually be necessary for safety! Listen here to this do-not-miss episode!! Watch on YouTube here! Show notes: CONTEST ALERT: We're doing a St. Patrick's Day week contest, too! Email your fave St. Patrick's day story to melody@enneagramandmarriage.com for a chance to win a FREE copy of The Enneagram in Marriage or another of Christa's books! The Allender Center is offering a whopping 50% discount to our community! Your team can learn more about their Narrative Triaing NFTC Level I training ⁠⁠here⁠⁠ and apply using the code nftcEM by May 31 Find more about your type, the pod, freebies, and SO much more at our website right here! ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.EnneagramandMarriage.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Love what you're learning on E + M? Make sure you leave us a podcast review so others can find us, too⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ here!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Get Christa's Best-Selling Book, The Enneagram in Marriage, here! ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://a.co/d/df8SxVx Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

If your child flips from calm to furious in seconds, you may wonder why your child's mood swings aren't just attitude and when to worry. In this episode, Dr. Roseann Capanna-Hodge, founder of Regulation First Parenting™ and expert in childhood emotional dysregulation, explains what's really driving the behavior—and how to help.If your child goes from calm to furious in seconds, you've probably heard, “It's just hormones” or “It's attitude.” But what if why your child's mood swings aren't just attitude and when to worry is the real question?Let's unpack what's really driving your child's behavior, when mood shifts may point to mental health issues, and how to calm the brain first.Why do my child's mood swings feel so extreme?Mood swings don't automatically mean bad attitude. Often, they reflect nervous system overload — and sometimes emerging mental health conditions, including depressive symptoms.When stress builds, cortisol rises, the amygdala fires fast, and the thinking brain goes offline. That's when you hear, “I hate you!” or “You're ruining my life!”In younger children, regulation skills are still developing. But when reactions are intense, frequent, and prolonged, we consider whether something more is happening — such as:Anxiety disordersAttention deficit hyperactivity disorderAutism spectrum disorderOppositional defiant disorderDisruptive mood dysregulation disorderEarly signs of a mood disorder, including major depressive disorder or even bipolar disorderWhat's really happening:The emotional brain is overactivatedThe logical brain can't regulate quicklyStress chemistry drives intense outburstsPhysical symptoms may appear (headaches, stomachaches, fatigue)Sleep patterns may shift, including difficulty falling asleepBehavior is communication. And when reactions seem like an elephant-sized response to an ant-sized problem, it's usually biology—not defiance.Real-Life Example: Your child loses it over the wrong snack. It's not about crackers. It's about a stress cup that's already overflowing from school pressure, social stress, poor sleep, and sensory overload.Are they doing this for attention—or do they need help?When kids are dysregulated, they're seeking safety, not attention.Big reactions are the nervous system saying: “I can't regulate alone.”Instead of harsher consequences, try:Containment before correctionLowering stimulation during trigger windowsCo-regulation (your calm spreads)

VidWe talk Fear Factor: House of Fear, including how far the boys could make it. Also, would EMOTIONAL Fear Factor be worse? And stick around after the episode for a special spicy video!Video edit by Craig Depina@funbearablepod / funbearablepod.com#fearfactor #houseoffear #podcast #funny

Not all affairs are physical. Some begin quietly through conversations, emotional dependency, or unmet needs that slowly shift intimacy outside the marriage. In Episode 286 of The Family Meeting Podcast, Thomas and Lysandra discuss emotional infidelity, what it is, how it develops, and why it can be just as damaging as physical betrayal. Many couples underestimate emotional boundaries until trust is already eroding. In this episode, you'll learn: What emotional infidelity actually looks like in modern relationships. Early warning signs that emotional lines are being crossed. How unmet emotional needs can lead to unhealthy connections. The role of secrecy, comparison, and validation in emotional affairs. Biblical principles for protecting trust and intimacy in marriage. Practical steps to rebuild connection and establish healthy boundaries. Emotional affairs rarely start with bad intentions. They start with unguarded hearts. If you want to protect your marriage or heal from broken trust, this conversation will give you clarity, conviction, and a path forward. Subscribe for weekly conversations on marriage, parenting, and faith. Bonus Resource: Send an email to info@familymeeting.org for our Emotional Boundaries In Marriage Reflection Guide. For more information: https://linktr.ee/familymeeting

What if the way through stress isn't to push harder, but to learn how to come back to yourself?In this conversation, Shalin Desai, engineer, Art of Living Foundation leader, and breathwork teacher, shares how being introduced to these practices at 16 changed the direction of his life. Ashanti and Shalin talk about the masks men wear, the fear of failure, the calm we can carry behind the mask, and why breath is one of the most practical tools we have for working with stress and emotion. They also explore skepticism around contemplative practices, the difference between hearing “be present” and actually knowing how.Listen and apply these takeaways to your life and leadership:The mask of competence can hide a real fear of failure, pressure, and self-judgment, and naming that matters.Calm is not the absence of responsibility; it's the ability to carry life without letting stress become your identity.The real question isn't just “be present,” it's “how?” Shalin points to breath as a direct tool for working with emotional patterns.Breath and emotion are connected: when the breath changes, your internal state can change too.This work becomes real when it restores purpose. Shalin shares a story about a participant who arrived hopeless and left wanting to live.Skepticism doesn't disqualify anyone. People from many backgrounds can benefit without giving up who they are.(0:00) Meet Shalin Desai + how Art of Living became part of his life(2:54) Shalin's origin story: his mother's healing, finding the course at 16, and discovering breathwork early(8:57) Ashanti's own Art of Living journey + wondering what shifts when young people learn peace sooner(10:19) The masks we wear: competence, fear of failure, calm, irritation, and ending the day without regret(13:50) “That sounds good, but how?” bringing spiritual ideas into real-life stress(15:21) The connection between breath and emotions + why breathwork is practical, not abstract(17:42) A participant's suicide note story + what happens when someone reconnects to purpose(20:20) Skepticism, openness, and why people are more ready now to try meditation and breathwork(22:37) Research, results, and why this work keeps spreading(26:50) Types of Art of Living courses + why the practice has to continue beyond one experience(32:07) Emotional overload, algorithms, polarization, and making impact from calm instead of frustrationConnect with Shalin DesaiWebsite: artofliving.orgInstagram: @shalindesaiJoin/Contribute to our Young Men's Conference: https://everforwardclub.orgJoin our Skool Community: https://www.skool.com/efc-young-mens-advocates-2345Submit Questions, Reflections, or Episode IdeasEmail us: totmpod100@gmail.comCreate your mask anonymously: https://millionmask.org/Connect with Ashanti BranchInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/branchspeaks/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BranchSpeaksX: https://x.com/BranchSpeaksLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ashantibranch/Website: https://www.branchspeaks.com/Support the Podcast & Ever Forward ClubHelp us continue creating spaces for young men to be seen, heard, and supported:https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/branch-speaks/supportConnect with Ever Forward ClubInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/everforwardclubFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/everforwardclubX: https://x.com/everforwardclubLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-ever-forward-club/#unmaskingwithmaleeducators #millionmaskmovement #takingoffthemask #breathwork #artofliving #emotionalwellness #mensmentalhealth #meditation #wellnessineducation #selfawareness #healingjourney #podcast

In this episode, I talk to wig expert Gitel Rosenzweig. We do a few dove into the little known Sheitel industry.You can find Gitel at Gitel Rosenzweig.comReach me at adeeperconversation120@gmail.comFind all my stuff here: https://linktr.ee/adeeperconversation

PSR Podcast is a listener supported outreach of Be Broken Ministries. Partner with us through giving at BeBroken.org/donate. Thank you for your support!----------In this episode, I sit down with Stephen Cervantes, AKA "Doctor Marriage," to explore the journey of awakening from addiction. Together, we discuss how addiction numbs pain and stunts emotional and spiritual growth, and why facing our pain—rather than running from it—is key to healing. Stephen shares personal insights about slowing down, self-reflection, and finding freedom in Christ. If you're fighting an addiction, we encourage you to embrace courage, seek support, and trust God's grace as you move from darkness and disconnection into light, connection, and true emotional freedom.For daily insights from Stephen, visit DoctorMarriage.org.Topics Covered in this Episode:Awakening from addiction and its emotional and spiritual dimensions.The role of addiction as a form of numbness and escape from pain.The impact of addiction on emotional growth and personal relationships.The importance of facing pain rather than avoiding it through addiction.The connection between childhood wounds and the onset of addiction.The process of self-examination and slowing down to confront personal pain.The significance of community, accountability, and spiritual support in recovery.The concept of courage in the face of fear and the journey of healing.The ongoing nature of awakening and spiritual growth beyond initial recovery.The hope and possibility of healing through faith and honest self-reflection.More Resources:Gateway to Freedom 3-Day Intensive for Men40 Days of Purity online courseGrace-Based Recovery* by Jonathan DaughertyRelated Podcasts:Inviting Men to Wake Up Emotionally and SpirituallyMaxims that Help Us Go Beyond Sobriety in RecoveryAre You on an Emotional and Spiritual Growth Mission?*This is an affiliate link. Be Broken may earn referral fees on purchases through this link.----------Please rate and review our podcast: Apple PodcastsFollow us on our Vimeo Channel.

Summary: In this inspiring episode, Ms. G shares practical insights on how to realign with your goals when life throws challenges your way. Whether you've fallen off your health, spiritual, or personal journey, this message offers encouragement to restart with grace and perseverance.Key Topics:The natural cycle of starting strong, drifting, and returning to your goalsWhy falling off track isn't failure but a sign of being humanThe importance of persistence over perfectionPractical steps to realign and take small, intentional actionsHow to release guilt and embrace grace to maintain momentumUsing setbacks as opportunities for reflection and renewalThe analogy of a road trip: detours are part of the journeyPower of one positive decision leading to lasting momentumThe significance of reconnecting with your purpose dailyNone mentioned specifically in the transcriptInstagramFacebookTimestamps:00:00 - Introduction: The concept of being "Back On Track"00:28 - Starting strong and challenges that cause drift00:49 - Falling off track isn't failure, it's human01:18 - Common setbacks and how everyone experiences them02:15 - The importance of making the next decision count02:38 - Progress is about persistence, not perfection03:07 - Simple ways to reset and reconnect with your goals03:36 - The role of realignment through small, consistent actions04:01 - Emotional distractions and self-doubt04:31 - Quick questions for reflection: what helps you stay focused?05:01 - Steps to move forward after a setback05:30 - The importance of intentional, small actions05:58 - Releasing guilt and practicing self-compassion06:24 - The difference between guilt/shame and grace06:48 - Using grace to move forward, not condemnation07:18 - The road trip analogy: detours don't mean the end07:44 - Building momentum through small, positive choices08:09 - Your story isn't over—reset and continue08:40 - Emphasizing progress over perfection, grace, and purpose09:11 - Encouragement to keep fighting and reflecting09:39 - Final reminder to pray and stay connected to your purpose

After years working as a humanitarian aid worker in war zones and disaster areas around the world, a man is forced to confront the psychological toll of witnessing a broken world he could never fix. Today's episode featured Gray Doyle. If you'd like to email Gray, you can reach him at graydoyle@meetmeinzanzibar.com. You can purchase Gray's book on his website, https://meetmeinzanzibar.com/. Producers: Whit Missildine, Andrew Waits, Jason Blalock Content/Trigger Warnings: War and armed conflict, Genocide, Mass casualties, Sexual violence / rape, Child soldiers, Violence against children, Severe physical injury and medical trauma, Death and dying, Bombings and explosions, Kidnapping and torture, Humanitarian disaster / extreme suffering, PTSD and psychological trauma, Emotional distress and rage, explicit language Social Media:Instagram: @actuallyhappeningTwitter/X: @TIAHPodcastFacebook: This Is Actually Happening Discussion Group Website: thisisactuallyhappening.comTo subscribe, find Beyond the Story on Substack by going to whitmissildine.substack.com. Website for Andrew Waits: andrdewwaits.comWebsite for Jason Blalock: jasonblalock.com Support the Show: Support The Show on Patreon: patreon.com/happeningAudible subscribers can listen to all episodes of THIS IS ACTUALLY HAPPENING ad-free right now. Join Audible today by downloading the Audible app or visit Audible.com. Shop at the Store: The This Is Actually Happening online store is now officially open. Follow this link: thisisactuallyhappening.com/shop to access branded t-shirts, posters, stickers and more from the shop. Transcripts: Full transcripts of each episode are now available on the website, thisisactuallyhappening.com Intro Music: “Sleep Paralysis” - Scott VelasquezMusic Bed: Discovery Studios Tracks (DST) - Dark Oasis ServicesIf you or someone you know is struggling with the effects of trauma or mental illness, please refer to the following resources: National Suicide and Crisis Lifeline: Text or Call 988 National Alliance on Mental Illness: 1-800-950-6264National Sexual Assault Hotline (RAINN): 1-800-656-HOPE (4673)See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Segment 1 • Do you challenge someone's salvation at the end of life? • Paul Washer presses John MacArthur with a soul-check instead of comfort—was it bold faithfulness or unnecessary tension? • You'll be in that room someday—make sure you're ready to minister when eternity is hours away. Segment 2 • Emotional viral clips expose what actually matters—legacy, family, and relationships—not the life you're chasing. • Culture sells nonstop self-focus, but the real “big wins” are quiet, relational, and deeply eternal. • A direct challenge: are you investing in moments that will matter on your deathbed—or just staying busy? Segment 3 • A listener wrestles with guilt: are hobbies like chess or cooking a spiritual distraction—or can they glorify God? • The dangerous lie: “If I'm not thinking about God constantly, I'm failing spiritually.” • The freeing framework: how to connect your faith to everything without turning life into forced religious activity. Segment 4 • Canada's euthanasia surge exposes how language (“medical assistance”) masks moral collapse. • A seminary invites a radical speaker supporting violence. • From politics to podcasts (including Joe Rogan), one question emerges: can simple behavior change the world… without true conversion? ___ Thanks for listening! Wretched Radio would not be possible without the financial support of our Gospel Partners. If you would like to support Wretched Radio we would be extremely grateful. VISIT https://fortisinstitute.org/donate/ If you are already a Gospel Partner we couldn't be more thankful for you if we tried!

FINAL HOURS! (Pre-Launch Sale) My signature once-a-year program Selling with Soul Details + Join HERE Launching an online program can look exciting from the outside. The announcements, the social media posts, the excitement of welcoming new clients into your world. But behind the scenes, there is an emotional side of entrepreneurship that almost no one talks about. In this episode, I'm sharing what it actually feels like to launch and sell your offers online while you are in the middle of doing it. Because the truth is that building an online business and promoting your work can bring up far more than just marketing strategy. It can bring up vulnerability, pressure, self-doubt, and the quiet mental stories entrepreneurs create when they are putting something meaningful out into the world. If you are launching a course, coaching program, membership, or digital product, you have likely felt some version of this. The emotional rollercoaster that happens while you are selling your offer online. The moment where you wonder if you explained it clearly enough. The moment where you check the numbers and your brain starts creating stories about what it means.   RESOURCES MENTIONED: My signature once-a-year program Selling with Soul is on pre-launch sale right now for the class of 2026. Details + Join HERE ***FINAL HOURS OF PRE-LAUNCH SALE*** Make More Work Less: The Money Relationship Healing & Manifestation Program GET THIS LIMITED TIME OFFER HERE  >> Join the famous ProjectME Posse Business & Money Coaching Membership HERE   CONNECT WITH TIFF: Tiffany on Instagram @projectme_with_tiffany Tiffany on TikTok @projectme_with_tiffany Tiffany on YouTube: ProjectME TV Tiffany's FREE Abundance Email Community: JOIN HERE > The Secret Posse Digest WE DISCUSS: - The emotional rollercoaster entrepreneurs experience when launching an online program - Why self doubt often shows up when you are promoting your offer online
 - The pressure many entrepreneurs feel while selling their services, courses, or coaching programs
 - How numbers and launch results can trigger mental stories that aren't actually true
 - Why selling something meaningful can feel vulnerable even when you believe in your work
 - The difference between selling from pressure versus selling from belief and authenticity
 - The mindset shift that helps entrepreneurs keep showing up during a launch  If you've ever wondered why selling online can feel emotionally intense, even when you love the work you do, this episode will help you understand the deeper mindset and identity shifts that come with entrepreneurship. Building a successful online business is not just about strategy. It's also about learning how to stay grounded while putting your work into the world and trusting that the right people will resonate with it. This is one of the reasons I care so deeply about the work we do inside Selling with Soul, my program designed to help entrepreneurs sell their offers online in a way that feels authentic, aligned, and emotionally connected to the people they want to serve. Inside Selling with Soul, I teach emotional based sales techniques, messaging strategies, and content frameworks that help entrepreneurs attract clients who are excited to pay them instead of feeling like they have to push or convince people to buy. Because selling something meaningful should never feel like a performance. It should feel like sharing your work with the people who truly need it.

In this episode we tackle three questions: What happens when the abuser is the one who leaves? How do you live with the fear of post-separation or post-divorce revenge? And what do you do when your friends just don't get it?

Emotional intelligence is that thing that most people agree is important but few understand how to develop. It can feel tricky - and vulnerable. In this episode, I'm breaking down emotional intelligence skills in a highly practical way. Most leaders assume EQ means “stay calm” or “be nice,” but real emotional intelligence is far more active than that. It's a set of tangible skills that help you build trust, create psychological safety, and navigate the inevitable tension that comes with people working together. I'm sharing five emotional intelligence skills that I see leaders skip all the time - not because they don't care, but because no one ever taught them how to actually practice these skills in real moments. Listen in as I walk you through the difference between noticing emotions and naming them, suppressing reactions versus regulating them, and why reading the emotional undercurrent of a room matters just as much as managing the agenda. I share examples from my own leadership experiences, including moments when I've felt nervous before stepping on stage for a keynote and how I manage that in real time.  I also talk about two of the more challenging leadership skills: holding space without immediately trying to fix someone's problem, and repairing ruptures when things don't go the way you intended. People make mistakes. Conversations get messy. What builds real psychological safety isn't avoiding those moments; it's how you show up afterward. These five skills are simple and transformative. When leaders practice them consistently, teams feel safer, communication improves, and belonging becomes something people actually experience instead of something written in a company value statement. Emotional intelligence isn't about perfection. It's about recognizing and honoring what's happening inside you and around you, and then choosing how to respond in a way that protects trust and connection. Links Mentioned: Hire Sara to speak: saradean.com/speaking Coach with Sara: https://saradean.com/executive-coaching-services Connect with Sara on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/saradeanspeaks Watch Shameless Leadership episodes on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@saradeanspeaks Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode of The Feminine Frequency, we sit down with Jen Underwood, a somatic expert and "relationship business coach," to deconstruct the traditional hustle-culture definition of capacity. We're moving beyond the industrial-age idea of output and diving deep into the intersection of nervous system regulation, emotional bandwidth, and narrative power. Jen shares her powerful journey from being a solo mom on welfare to building a thriving coaching empire, and how she helps women stop the cycle of "push and collapse" to find a sustainable, soulful flow.Themes:Why capacity isn't just about how much you can do, but how much you can hold across three pillars: Change(productivity/risk), Emotional (presence/intimacy), and Narrative  (resilience/reactivity).Viewing your business not as a machine, but as an interdependent relationship. How do we balance our needs, the business's needs, and our clients' needs without falling into codependency?The courage it takes to clear the table, let go of programs or habits that no longer serve you, and create a blank slate for your next level of expansion.Moving beyond "cute" mindset work to understand how the stories we believe (like being "shadow-banned") can either empower us or keep us in a victim cycle.Why a "boundary" isn't a rigid rule, but a self-honoring practice that should shift with your seasons, your cycle, and your life changes.A Permission slip to blend luxury with productivity. How to meet the needs of your business while honoring your body's need for rest (yes, you can record audios from the tub!).Finding the "Emotional Dominatrix" energy—the balance between a firm back (discipline) and a soft front (grace).SPECIAL OFFER:

Join us as we explore the transformative power of food, traditional cooking techniques, and mindful eating with Chef Whitney Aronoff. Discover how to make healthier choices, understand food preparation, and embrace a holistic approach to wellness through food.   Keywords food sustainability, healthy eating, traditional cooking, mindful eating, wellness, chef tips, food choices, nutrition, holistic health, food preparation   Key  topics Food as the foundation for health Traditional cooking techniques and seasonality Mindful eating and intuitive food choices   Sound bites "Food is the foundation for good health" "Your body craves what it needs" "Avoid fried foods and processed oils"   Chapters 00:00 Introduction to the Podcast and Guest 00:22 Chef Whitney's Journey to Food Healing 01:17 Self-Healing Through Food and Traditional Preparation 03:03 Key Lessons from Culinary School: Seasonality and Supportive Foods 04:25 Holistic Approach: Physical, Emotional, and Spiritual Well-being 05:33 The Impact of Food Choices on How You Feel 06:10 Restaurant Food and How to Order Mindfully 10:16 Questions to Ask When Dining Out for Better Health 13:35 Understanding Food Preparation and Ingredients 15:08 Avoiding Unhealthy Fats and Processed Foods 16:15 The Role of Coconut Milk and Traditional Oils 18:05 Traditional Oils and Their Regional Uses 20:59 Simple, Nourishing Meals for Daily Life 24:06 The Power of Spices and Homemade Blends 27:00 Nostalgia and Emotional Connections to Food 28:54 Integrating Traditional Medicine and Food Wisdom 31:12 Resonance and Intuitive Eating 33:12 Good, Better, Best: Making Food Choices 34:11 Selecting Quality Broth and Stock 36:33 Practical Tips for Eating Well on the Go 39:47 The Simplicity of Healthy Eating 43:40 The Power of Presence and Intention in Cooking 45:24 Using Frequency and Water to Enhance Food Energy 47:54 Connecting with Chef Whitney and How to Follow Her 50:03 Closing Remarks and Resources   Resources starseedkitchen.com - https://starseedkitchen.com Whitney Aronoff on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/whitneyaronoff Whitney Aronoff on TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@whitneyaronoff Arowan (Los Angeles store) - https://www.arowan.com The Buttery (Orange County butcher shop) - https://thebuttery.com  

What does it actually look like when one spouse starts doing the emotional work before the other is ready? Ben and Hannah have been married 19 years, raised four kids (including three teenagers), and spent nearly a decade unknowingly drifting apart — until one ordinary walk changed everything.In this episode, Glenn and Phyllis sit down with Ben and Hannah for an honest, unscripted conversation about what it really takes to turn a marriage around. Ben resisted Connection Codes for over a year — and then one moment of Hannah staying present when she could have pulled away shifted everything for him. They talk about the emotional dam, why anger is usually lonely in disguise, how they're raising a 10-year-old with OCD using the Core Emotion Wheel, and what happens when coding becomes the language of your whole household.This one is for the spouse who started the work alone. For the partner who's been resistant. For the parent trying to get emotional tools into a home with teenagers. You're going to want to hear this.In This Episode:Why the first 10 years of marriage can mask deep emotional disconnectionWhat it looks like when one spouse starts coding before the other is readyThe walk that changed Ben's mind — and why Hannah's staying present made all the differenceHow anger almost always has lonely underneath itThe emotional dam: why it forms in hours, not yearsUsing the Core Emotion Wheel with a child who has OCD and self-harm patternsWhy teenagers resist coding — and the long game that actually worksWhat men lose when culture tells them vulnerability is weaknessGlenn's challenge: say the emotion out loud in the moment, even when no one's there to hear itGet the Core Emotion Wheel: www.connectioncodes.co/podcastBook a Connection Codes Coach: https://connectioncodes.co/coachesKeywords: emotional intelligence in marriage | marriage communication tools | how to reconnect with your spouse | men emotional vulnerability | emotional health relationships | OCD and emotional tools for kids | marriage disconnection | Core Emotion Wheel | how to stop emotional shutdown | marriage transformation stories | emotional dam | ooh technique | Connection Codes podcast

Are you leading from a place of wholeness or simply performing while carrying hidden emotional wounds? What if your struggles in leadership, creativity, or relationships are not really about strategy or productivity systems, but about deeper issues that have never been addressed? In this episode of Productivity Smarts, host Gerald J. Leonard sits down with Terry and Carol Moss, relationship architects, leadership mentors, and co-authors of Hold You Before Two. With more than five decades of combined experience in ministry and corporate leadership, they explore the powerful connection between emotional wholeness and sustainable productivity. Terry and Carol explain that real productivity is not just about output, efficiency, or performance metrics. Instead, it begins with emotional maturity. This means knowing who you are, loving who you are, and living true to who you are in every environment. When leaders operate from that foundation, they create healthier workplaces, stronger relationships, and more effective teams. Drawing from their own life experiences, including Terry's difficult journey through divorce after 26 years of marriage and ministry, they share how painful moments can become catalysts for growth, healing, and deeper self-awareness. The conversation also explores how unresolved emotional wounds can trigger stress responses in the brain, pushing people into survival mode and undermining creativity, empathy, and clear decision making. In contrast, emotionally grounded leaders create environments where people feel valued, heard, and inspired to contribute their best. If you want to strengthen your leadership, build healthier relationships, and discover how personal wholeness fuels sustainable productivity, this episode is a must-listen.   What We Discuss [00:00] Introduction  [02:02] Introduction to Terry and Carol Moss [10:04] How emotional wholeness impacts  a leader's productivity [13:58] Adam and Eve: Biblical principles and self-worth [16:24] Learning emotional maturity [20:18] AI vs. human wisdom in relationships [25:01] Leadership patterns when emotional intelligence is ignored [28:20] Unresolved conflict and women's creativity [31:18] Amygdala hijack and work performance [38:24] Applying Biblical principles in high-pressure environments [42:09] Human skills in the age of automation [44:35] First step to getting unstuck  [49:35] Podcast closing    Notable Quotes [10:11] "Emotional wholeness is when your emotional, spiritual, and relational life is aligned." – Terry Moss [12:54] " Emotional intelligence, emotional wholeness is so important, especially when you're blending a family."– Carol Moss [21:53] "AI can give you the knowledge, but wisdom comes from experience." – Carol Moss [25:18] "When you are emotionally whole and you have self-awareness, you know who you are and so you have strength because I know who I am and I'm not intimidated or I'm not insecure." – Terry Moss [27:12]  "We can look at each other's eyes, and we can feel that emotional, we can pick up on that vibe and we can even impact each other to produce the same neural chemicals."– Gerald J. Leonard [43:14]  "People don't care how much you know until they know how much you care."– Carol Moss [43:53] "When you have wholeness, you can communicate in a way that elevates, encourages, and inspires."– Terry Moss   Resource and Links Terry and Carol Moss Website: https://onefleshministries.org/ New For-Profit Initiative: Whole Leader Blueprint, LLC Book: Hold You Before Two: How Emotional Wholeness Transforms Every Relationship Book: In the Beginning It Was Not So Productivity Smarts Podcast Website - productivitysmartspodcast.com Gerald J. Leonard Website - geraldjleonard.com Turnberry Premiere website - turnberrypremiere.com Scheduler - vcita.com/v/geraldjleonard   Kiva is a loan, not a donation, allowing you to cycle your money and create a personal impact worldwide. https://www.kiva.org/lender/topmindshelpingtopminds

In this especially important episode, we shine a spotlight on the harrowing issue of child sex trafficking and explore how we can support the young survivors of this modern-day slave trade. Join Lisa for a deeply insightful conversation with Alejandro (Alex) Castro Croy, a bilingual, bicultural Trauma and Addiction Counselor, and the owner/Lead Clinician of Transcending Consulting Group in Denver, Colorado. Alex brings his extensive experience from training law enforcement professionals and collaborating with the FBI on Crimes Against Children to the discussion. Together, they delve into the complexities of working with children who have endured compounded trauma and exploitation. Alex shares his journey into this challenging field and sheds light on the often-overlooked facets of child sex trafficking, including the surprising demographics it affects and the role of social media. Together they discuss the indicators of sex trafficking and key red flags to watch for. Alex also provides invaluable insights into the physical and behavioral signs that therapists should be aware of to help identify survivors. Learn why some clients might go AWOL or refuse treatment and how clinicians can approach these situations with sensitivity and care. Self-care for therapists is paramount, and Alex emphasizes the importance of mindfulness, debriefing, and the PERMS model—Physical, Emotional, Relational, Mental, and Spiritual domains of self-care—while sharing various intervention techniques and stressing the importance of honoring the human side of both therapist and client. This episode is a must-listen for therapists and anyone in the human services field. We encourage you to breathe and regulate as you listen to this important conversation, and as we navigate the challenging but essential work of supporting child survivors of sex trafficking. Talking Points: Understanding the true scope and demographics of child sex trafficking. The impact of social media and the daytime occurrences of trafficking. Recognizing indicators and key red flags. Identifying physical and behavioral signs of child sex trafficking survivors. The importance of self-care for clinicians and the PERMS model. Various therapeutic interventions: music, play, art, somatic, and narrative therapies. The importance of working with the client's protective strategies. Developing awareness of our own reactions as therapists to clients' trauma stories. Join us for this so-very important conversation to better understand and support the healing journey of child sex trafficking survivors. *Original Air Date: June 4, 2024 Additional Resources: For more information about Online training for introduction to Sex Trafficking: https://connect.missingkids.org/learn/learning-plans/4/introduction-to-child-sex-trafficking Physical and Behavioral Indicators: https://www.missingkids.org/content/dam/missingkids/pdfs/CST-Identification-Resource.pdf Reporting Sex trafficking: Local Social services and Police department Call 1-800-THE-LOST (800-843-5678) www.Cybertipline.org

You love your kids. You've read the parenting books. You know the strategies. And yet… there are moments when the noise is relentless, the fighting won't stop, and it feels like every single thing is on you. That's when something snaps. In this episode, we're digging into something deeper than “just stress.” Because stress alone doesn't cause the reaction. What actually fuels those yelling moments is the meaning your brain assigns to the chaos — and for so many overwhelmed moms, that meaning is: I'm completely alone in this. We're talking about how that interpretation turns normal kid behavior into a full nervous system emergency — and how to interrupt it before it spirals. If you've ever wondered why you still yell even though you “know better,” this episode will help you understand what's really happening inside your brain — and how to create change that actually lasts. What We Cover in This Episode Why chaos at home can feel like abandonment — even when no one is actually abandoning you How your brain assigns meaning to situations faster than you can consciously catch it The neuroscience behind emotional regulation and neural pathways (and why yelling becomes a habit) Why yelling “works” in the short term — and why that's exactly why it repeats The three practical steps to interrupt the “I'm alone” narrative in the moment How relationship building starts with taking responsibility for only your 50% Why This Matters Mom mental health isn't about becoming perfectly calm all the time. It's about understanding what's happening under the surface so you can respond differently. When your brain interprets chaos as proof that you're alone, it activates survival mode. And in survival mode, you don't access parenting strategies — you access fight-or-flight. But interpretations can be questioned. Neural pathways can be rewired. Emotional regulation is a skill that grows with awareness and practice. You are not broken. You are not failing. Your reactions aren't random. They're patterned — and patterns can change. This episode will help you see how your interpretations shape your stress response and give you parenting strategies that support both relationship building and self-care in the real moments that matter most. Resources Mentioned The Courage to Be Disliked by Ichiro Kishimi The Regulated Mom Experience (priority waitlist link) If this episode resonated with you, take a minute to subscribe and leave a review. It truly helps more overwhelmed moms find the parenting support they need. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode, Heather and Nicole share a surprising experience that disrupted a live Zoom call in a way they never expected—and the powerful leadership lessons that came out of it. What started as a shocking and embarrassing moment quickly became an opportunity to reflect on resilience, identity, visibility, and the realities of growing a business. If you've ever worried about what might happen when things go wrong in public, this episode will help you see how those moments can actually strengthen your leadership and confidence. Key Takeaways: Leadership is not about control—it's about response. Unexpected situations will happen; what matters most is how you recover and move forward. You don't have to absorb all the harm to be a good leader. Leadership is about guiding others through challenges, not carrying every burden yourself. The community you build reflects your values. In difficult moments, the culture you've cultivated becomes visible. Visibility always comes with some risk. The more you show up and lead publicly, the more exposure you have—but hiding costs more than courage. Emotional regulation is a skill built through practice. Being calm doesn't mean you never feel shaken—it means you recover more quickly. Success is messy, even for established businesses. Unexpected disruptions are part of growth and leadership. Your identity is stronger than any single incident. One chaotic moment cannot erase years of integrity, work, and impact. Challenges often strengthen your leadership capacity. The very experiences you wish hadn't happened may be the ones that prepare you for the next level. This episode walks through the framework Heather used to process the experience and the key lessons that came out of it, including how visibility comes with risk, why leadership is about response rather than control, and how unexpected challenges can actually strengthen your identity as a business owner. How to Support the Podcast: Subscribe to the podcast on iTunes or wherever you listen to podcasts. Please like, share, and leave a review. If you like the content, please share with your friends by posting on social media so that we can reach and impact more people. Join our next free coaching workshop: www.getcoachedbyheather.com Connect: Heather Lahtinen: Website, Facebook, Instagram

Show Summary: In this episode of the Grow My Accounting Practice podcast, we're joined by Dr. Don Wood to explore the powerful connection between trauma, mindset, and peak performance. Dr. Wood explains how childhood experiences can become unresolved trauma later in life and how they often show up in subtle but impactful ways. He introduces the concepts of "atmospheric conditions" and "emotional concussions," helping listeners understand how past events shape present behaviors, stress responses, and decision-making. The conversation also tackles big questions around anxiety, panic attacks, and addiction—challenging common assumptions and offering a new perspective on whether these patterns can be changed. Dr. Wood shares how "rebooting the mind" can unlock higher levels of performance, and whether shifting mindset alone can truly lead to extraordinary outcomes. This episode offers a fresh lens on mental performance, showing how addressing the root cause—not just the symptoms—can create lasting change in both life and business.   Website:http://www.gettipp.com/ Instagram:http://instagram.com/drdonwood LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/drdonwoodphd/ TikTok:http://www.tiktok.com/@drdonwood Corporate Partner: BILL. - https://www.bill.com/ Profit First App Version 2.0 is here!  More Education. More Functionality. More Profit!

Interior Designer's Business Blueprint   In this episode, Becca and I talk about the role boundaries play in building a sustainable interior design business. We explore why boundaries can feel difficult to set — especially for women and service-based entrepreneurs — and how designers can begin creating healthier expectations around time, scope, communication, and client relationships.   In this episode, we discuss: What boundaries actually are and why they're simply expectations Why interior designers often struggle with setting boundaries The four types of boundaries that help protect your business Time boundaries like office hours, meeting schedules, and communication response times Scope boundaries and how to prevent scope creep in design projects Emotional boundaries and protecting your energy with clients Financial boundaries, including payment expectations and project terms Why clear boundaries help protect your professional reputation How listening to your intuition can help you recognize when a boundary is needed Practical ways to start practicing boundaries in both business and life   If you're ready to build a design business that supports your life — not the other way around — I'd love to invite you inside the Interior Designer's Business Blueprint + Membership. Inside, we help designers refine their processes, strengthen their pricing and positioning, and build profitable businesses with the support of a thoughtful, collaborative community. Doors are open through March 22, so if this conversation resonated with you, now is the perfect time to learn more and join us.   Mentioned in this episode:  DOORS ARE OPEN through March 22nd! - Join Today! Interior Designer's Business Blueprint FREE DOWNLOAD: 7 Habits of Highly Profitable Interior Designers  

How do you help a child develop the strength to face adversity? Jim Daly says, “Ask yourself, ‘What am I depositing into my child’s emotional bank? Things that tear them down? Or things that build them up?’” Support Family Ministry If you enjoyed listening to Focus on the Family Commentary, please give us your feedback.

Leadership Presence & Emotional Maturity: Strength Under Control Series: Executive Performance Hosts: Scott Landis & Jeff Jacob Presented by: Business Freedom Advisors This episode continues the Executive Performance series within the TriMetric™ Tracking System, where Scott and Jeff unpack one of the most overlooked—but mission-critical—domains of leadership: Leadership Presence & Emotional Maturity. If you lead a team, this conversation is for you. Leadership presence is more than personality or style. It's: How you show up in the room How predictable and stable you are The emotional tone you set for your team Whether people feel safe, anxious, inspired, or uncertain Your presence directly impacts performance. How your people feel determines how your business performs. Scott describes leadership presence as a spectrum: Chaotic & Unstable Emotional swings Reactive behavior Fear-based culture Team anxiety Calm & Stable Predictable demeanor Emotional steadiness Psychological safety Clear direction The question isn't “Am I a good leader?” The better question is:

I'll be honest, this episode felt a little different to record - a little exciting, and a little nerve-wracking. Because instead of focusing on the usual physical side of your hormones, I'm going deeper into something we don't talk about as often: the emotional and especially spiritual roots behind symptoms like PMS, hormone imbalance, and low libido.I talk a lot about food, minerals, gut health, and detox on this podcast. And those things matter. But sometimes the reason symptoms linger isn't just physical. Our health is deeply connected to the emotions we carry. From subtle victim-mindset patterns to long-held (shame-filled) beliefs about our bodies, sexuality, and identity as women, these patterns can keep our nervous system in stress mode and influence how our bodies function.In this episode, you'll hear about:The mindset patterns many high-functioning women fall into without realizing itA group of hidden emotions that can quietly show up as physical symptomsWhy prayer, reflection, and emotional healing can influence symptoms like PMS and libido more than we expectI also share a personal moment where prayer helped me recognize emotional roots I had been holding onto and how releasing them shifted what I felt in my body almost immediately.If you've never thought about your hormones through this lens before, this conversation may feel both surprising and liberating.Nourish Tracker - Discount code: HAPPILYHORMONALBook a FREE Hormone Strategy Call with meGrab your Happily Hormonal Quick Start GuideNEED HELP FIXING YOUR HORMONES? CHECK OUT MY RESOURCES:Hormone Imbalance Quiz - Find out which of the top 3 hormone imbalances affects you most!Join Nourish Your Hormones Coaching for the step-by-step and my eyes on YOUR hormonesSend us a text with episode feedback or ideas! (We can't respond to texts unless you include contact info but always read them)Simply Nourished Cycles Podcast TrainingDon't forget to subscribe, share this episode, and leave a review. Your support helps us reach more women looking for answers.Disclaimer: Nothing in this podcast is to be taken as medical advice, please take informed accountability and speak to your provider before making changes to your health routine.This podcast is for women and moms to learn how to balance hormones naturally in motherhood, to have pain-free periods, increased fertility, to decrease PMS mood swings, and to increase energy without restrictive diet plans. You'll learn how to balance blood sugar, increase progesterone naturally, understand the root cause of estrogen dominance, irregular periods, PCOS, insulin resistance, hormonal acne, post birth-control syndrome, and conceive naturally. We use a pro-metabolic, whole food, root cause approach to functional women's health and focus on truly holistic health and mind-body connection.If you listen to any of the following shows, we're sure you'll like ours too! Pursuit of Wellness with Mari Llewellyn, Culture Apothecary with Alex Clark, Found My Fitness with Rhonda Patrick, Just Ingredients Podcast, Wellness Mama, The Dr Josh Axe Show, Are You Menstrual Podcast, The Model Health Show, Grounded Wellness By Primally Pure, Be Well By Kelly Leveque, The Freely Rooted Podcast with Kori Meloy, Simple Farmhouse Life with Lisa Bass

In this episode, I talk about what it really means to be touch starved — not in a dramatic way, but in a nervous-system way. I break down why safe, consensual touch matters for our mental health and how we can get more of it in simple, intentional ways.What “touch starved” actually meansWhy lack of touch increases stress and anxietyHow we used to experience touch vs. nowSmall, practical ways to get healthy touchThe surprising ways people try to replace itAre you stressed… or do you just need a hug?Thrive With Leo Coaching: If you want to reduce your psychological pain, regain your purpose and forge your own path, go to www.thrivewithleo.com to begin your journey.If you or anyone you know is considering suicide or self-harm, or is anxious, depressed, upset, or needs to talk, there are people who want to help:In the US: Crisis Text Line: Text CRISIS to 741741 for free, confidential crisis counseling. The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-8255 or 988The Trevor Project: 1-866-488-7386Outside the US:International Association for Suicide Prevention lists a number of suicide hotlines by country. Click here to find them.

Why You're Exhausted in Private Practice: The Hidden Work Behind the Client Hour Exhausted in private practice - even with a “manageable” caseload? Seeing 20-25 clients a week does not mean you're working 20-25 hours. Every client hour includes hidden administrative work, financial decisions, emotional labor, and CEO-level responsibility. In this host-led episode, Curt and Katie break down why private practice feels heavier than expected - and how to think strategically about the real math behind your workload. Key Takeaways: • 20 client hours often equals 30+ hours of actual work • Emotional task-switching drains capacity • Burnout often comes from business demands, not just clients • Sustainable practice requires protected CEO time and clear boundaries Full show notes and resources: https://mtsgpodcast.com Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/mtsgpodcast Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/therapyreimagined Creative Credits: Voice Over by DW McCann: https://www.facebook.com/McCannDW/ Music by Crystal Grooms Mangano: https://groomsymusic.com/

In this episode of the Tactical Living Podcast, hosts Coach Ashlie Walton and Sergeant Clint Walton talk about a confusing experience many first responders struggle to explain: feeling drained (Amazon Affiliate), irritable, or emotionally flat after a shift that was technically "normal." Nothing major happened. No critical incident. No obvious trauma. And yet, by the time you're home, your patience is thin and your energy is gone. This episode breaks down why routine exposure to stress still takes a toll—and why your nervous system doesn't need a crisis to become depleted.

Mood swings, irritability, anxiety, and emotional reactivity are common symptoms many women experience during chronic stress and hormonal shifts in midlife. These patterns are often linked to cortisol imbalance and disruption in the body's stress response system.In this episode, Janell explains the cortisol cascade — a stress pattern that develops when the nervous system stays in a prolonged fight-or-flight state. Over time, chronic stress can disrupt the HPA axis, alter hormone signaling, destabilize blood sugar, and affect the hormones that support emotional regulation and restorative sleep.Many women notice that they feel more reactive than they used to. Small things trigger irritation. Emotional bandwidth feels narrower. Energy fluctuates throughout the day. These experiences are often misunderstood as mood issues, when in reality they can be rooted in chronic stress physiology.Janell walks through how cortisol interacts with progesterone, why the body prioritizes survival over hormone balance during prolonged stress, and how modern life continuously activates the stress response in ways our nervous systems were never designed to handle.This conversation helps reframe mood swings through a physiological lens so women can begin understanding the patterns behind what they are experiencing.In This Episode You'll Learn• What the HPA axis is and why it plays a central role in stress and hormone regulation• Why chronic stress can create mood swings, irritability, and emotional reactivity• The difference between high cortisol and low cortisol patterns• How the body shifts hormone production during prolonged stress• Why cortisol can contribute to progesterone imbalance in midlife• How stress and blood sugar instability reinforce each other• Simple daily shifts that help regulate the nervous system and support healthier cortisol rhythmsMentioned in This EpisodeTake the Hormone Clarity Quiz to better understand which physiological pattern may be affecting your energy, mood, and hormones right now.Connect with JanellInstagramhttp://instagram.com/thetransformationlifeListen to the full show:Apple Podcastshttps://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-transformation-show/id1441665376?uo=4Spotifyhttps://open.spotify.com/show/3aWZqptF6dne2sZLPbJdkY

Ready to begin your journey of healing? It's time to reclaim your life with elite and discreet premium psychotherapy with Dr. Gregory T. Obert;

In this episode of the Wise Divine Women podcast, Dana Irvine speaks with Dr. Deb Butler, a certified life coach and expert in nutrition and emotional health. They explore the concept of 'Thinner Peace,' focusing on the relationship between emotional well-being and physical health, particularly during menopause. Dr. Butler shares her journey from being a chiropractor to a life coach, emphasizing the importance of understanding hunger, emotions, and the connection between mind and body. The conversation highlights the need for emotional health before achieving physical health and offers insights into finding peace with food and self-love.Dr. Deb Butler, a Certified Master Weight Loss and Life Coach who taught at The Life Coach School with Brooke Castillo. Before that, she spent over 30 years as a Board-Certified Chiropractor, Nutritionist, and Acupuncturist. She now hosts the inspiring podcast ThINNER Peace in Menopause and BeyondIf you're over 40 and feeling:• Tired but wired • Bloated or inflamed • Hormonal and frustrated • Concerned about breast health • Unsure what testing you truly needYou don't need another quick fix. You need clarity.The ⁠⁠Wise Divine Women Health Clarity Call ⁠⁠is your 1:1 strategy session to uncover root causes and map out your next best steps — whether that's functional testing, thermography, nutrition coaching, or hormone support.

Note:  The co-hosts of this podcast are not mental health professionals.  If you or someone you love is struggling with loss and grief, please seek the help of a qualified mental health professional.  From the viewpoint of early educators, Cynthia and Alison discuss the impact of grief and loss on young children. Join this episode to consider the importance of supporting children through these experiences by using clear and age-appropriate language to explain loss and by providing consistent care and understanding.Check out our website:  https://www.howpreschoolteachersdoit.com/Be sure to like our Facebook page:  https://www.facebook.com/howpreschoolteachersdoitLearn more about Cynthia's work, including professional development, family education, and consulting opportunities:  https://hihello.com/hi/cindyterebush-RXMBKA

Emotional Anger After Stroke: Trisha Winski’s Story of a Carotid Web, Aphasia, and Learning to Slow Down Trisha Winski was 46 years old, working as a corporate finance director, with no high blood pressure, no diabetes, and no smoking history. By every conventional measure, she was not a stroke candidate. Then one morning, she stood up from the bathroom, collapsed, and couldn’t speak. Her ex-husband, sleeping on her couch by chance the night before, found her and called 911. The cause was a carotid web, a rare congenital condition she never knew she had. Three years and three months later, she’s living with aphasia, rebuilding her sense of self, and navigating something that doesn’t get nearly enough airtime in stroke conversations: emotional anger after stroke. What Is a Carotid Web — and Why Does It Matter? A carotid web is a rare shelf-like membrane in the internal carotid artery that disrupts blood flow, causing stagnation and clot formation. It is a form of intimal fibromuscular dysplasia and affects approximately 1.2% of the population. Most people never know they have it. Unlike the more commonly cited stroke risk factors, such as hypertension, diabetes, smoking, and obesity, a carotid web is congenital. You are born with it. There is no lifestyle adjustment that would have prevented Trisha’s stroke. That distinction matters enormously when you are trying to make sense of what happened to you. “I have nothing that could cause it,” Trisha says. “No blood pressure, no diabetes. It’s hard.” The treating hospital, MGH in Boston, caught the carotid web, something Trisha was later told many hospitals would have missed. It is a reminder of how much diagnosis still depends on the right clinician, the right technology, and a degree of luck.   Why Am I So Angry After My Stroke? One of the most underexplored dimensions of stroke recovery is emotional anger, not just grief, not just fear, but a specific kind of rage that has no clean target. “Why me? Why did I have to have it? It’s frustrating. It’s so frustrating,” Trisha says. “I’m just mad. I don’t know who I’m mad at.” This is a clinically recognized phenomenon. Emotional dysregulation after stroke can have both neurological and psychological origins. The brain regions that govern emotional control may be directly affected by the injury. At the same time, the psychological weight of sudden, unearned loss of function, of identity, of a future you thought you understood is enough to generate profound anger in anyone. For people like Trisha, who had no risk factors and no warning, the anger is compounded. There is no behaviour to regret, no choice to unwind. The stroke simply happened. That can make the anger feel even more directionless and, paradoxically, even more consuming. “Why me? Why did I have to have it? It’s frustrating. It’s so frustrating.” Bill’s gentle reframe in the conversation is worth noting here: “Why not me? Who are you to go through life completely unscathed?” It’s not a dismissal, it’s an invitation to move from the question that has no answer to the one that might.   Aphasia: The Deficit That Hurts the Most Trisha’s stroke affected her left hemisphere, producing aphasia, a language processing difficulty that affects word retrieval, word substitution, and speaking speed. Her numbers remained largely intact, which helped her return to her finance role. But the aphasia has been, in her own words, the hardest part. “If I didn’t have that, I wouldn’t be normal, but I could be normal,” she says. “The aphasia kills me.” One of the quieter consequences of aphasia that Trisha describes is self-censoring, stopping herself from communicating in public because she fears taking too long, disrupting the flow of conversation, or being misunderstood. She has developed a workaround: telling people upfront she has had a stroke, so they give her the time she needs to get her words out. The frustration-aphasia loop is well documented: the more stressed or frustrated a person becomes, the worse the aphasia tends to get. The therapeutic implication is significant. Managing emotional anger after a stroke is not just a well-being issue for someone with aphasia; it is directly tied to their ability to communicate. “Whenever I’m not stressed, I can get it out. When I get nervous, I can’t,” Trisha explains.   The Trauma Ripple: It’s Not Just About You One of the most striking moments in this episode is when Trisha reflects on her son Zach and ex-husband Jason, both of whom were visibly distraught in the days after her stroke. “I had a stroke. Why are they traumatized?” she says and then catches herself. “I forgot to look at it from their perspective. They watched me have a stroke.” This is something stroke survivors frequently underestimate. The people around them, partners, children, friends, even ex-partners like Jason, carry their own version of the trauma. They watched helplessly. They made decisions under panic. They grieved a version of the person they knew, even as that person survived. Acknowledging this doesn’t diminish the stroke survivor’s experience. It widens the frame of recovery to include the whole system and opens the door to conversations about collective healing.   Neuroplasticity Is Real — Give It Time Three years and three months after her stroke, Trisha’s message to people in the early stages of recovery is grounded and honest. “Neuroplasticity really does exist. My brain finds places to find the words I never had before. It takes longer, but it gets there. Just give yourself time.” She also reflects candidly on going back to work too early, returning before she was medically cleared, crying every day, and unable to follow her own cognitive processes. “I should have waited,” she says. “But I did it. It taught me that if I ever had it again, I won’t do that.” Recovery after stroke is non-linear, unglamorous, and deeply personal. But the brain is adapting, always. Trisha’s story is evidence of that and a reminder that emotional anger after a stroke, however consuming it feels, is not the end of the story.   Read Bill’s book on stroke recovery: recoveryafterstroke.com/book | Support the show: patreon.com/recoveryafterstroke  DisclaimerThis blog is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Please consult your doctor before making any changes to your health or recovery plan. Why Me? Navigating Emotional Anger After Stroke When You Did Nothing Wrong No risk factors. No warning. Just a carotid web she never knew about — and three years of emotional anger, aphasia, and finding her way back. Tiktok Instagram Facebook Highlights: 00:00 Introduction – Emotional anger after stroke 01:36 The Day of the Stroke 07:05 Post-Stroke Challenges and Rehabilitation 13:06 Ongoing Health Concerns and Medical Appointments 22:40 Navigating Health Challenges and Medical Support 30:20 Acceptance and Coping with Mortality 38:36 Communication Challenges and Aphasia 42:09 The Journey of Recovery and Self-Discovery 51:51 Facing the Aftermath of Stroke 59:22 Emotional Impact on Loved Ones 01:04:57 Navigating Life Changes 01:13:25 Finding Joy in New Passions 01:25:12 Trisha’s Journey: Emotional Anger After Stroke Transcript: Introduction – Emotional anger after stroke Trisha Lyn Winski (00:00) I don’t have anything that could cause it. I have nothing that, no blood pressure, no diabetes, It’s hard. It’s hard. don’t… It makes me mad. Really mad. Really, really mad that I to stroke. And like, everyone that has it… Bill Gasiamis (00:07) Yeah. Trisha Lyn Winski (00:21) or every dozen. I’m like, why me? Why did I have to have it? It’s frustrating. It’s so frustrating. Bill Gasiamis (00:28) Yeah, mad at who? Trisha Lyn Winski (00:30) I don’t know. I’m just mad. Like, I don’t know who I’m mad at. Bill Gasiamis (00:35) Before we get into Trisha’s story, and this is a raw, honest, and really important one, I wanna share a tool I’ve been using that I think can genuinely help stroke survivors get better answers faster. It’s called Turn2.ai. It’s an AI health sidekick that helps you deep dive into any burning question you have about your recovery. It searches across over 500,000 sources related to stroke, new research, expert discussions, patient stories and resources, and then keeps you updated on what matters each week. I use it myself and it’s my favorite tool of 2026 for staying current with what’s happening in stroke recovery. It’s low cost and completely patient first. Try it free and when you’re ready to subscribe, use my code, Bill10 at slash sidekick slash stroke to get a discount. I earn a small commission if you use that link at no extra cost to you. And that helps keep this podcast going. Also my book, The Unexpected Way That a Stroke Became the Best Thing That Happened is available at recoveryafterstroke.com/book. And if you’d like to support the show on Patreon and my goal of reaching a thousand episodes, you can do that by going to patreon.com/recoveryafterstroke. Links are in the show notes. Right, Trisha Winsky was 46 years old, healthy, had no risk factors and then a carotid web. She never knew she had changed everything. Let’s get into it. Bill Gasiamis (02:06) Trisha Winski, welcome to the podcast. Trisha Lyn Winski (02:09) Thank you. Bill Gasiamis (02:10) Also thank you for joining me so late. I really appreciate people hanging around till the late hours of the evening to join me on the podcast. I know it’s difficult for us to make the hours that suit us both. I’m in the daytime here in Australia and you’re in the nighttime there. Trisha Lyn Winski (02:27) Yeah. Yeah. It’s okay. I can come to you later. Yeah, it’s late. Bill Gasiamis (02:34) As a stroke survivor, is it too late? Trisha Lyn Winski (02:36) No, no, not at all. Bill Gasiamis (02:38) Okay, cool. Tell me a little bit about what you used to get up to. What was life like before the stroke? Trisha Lyn Winski (02:45) I just get up and get to work. deal with it all day, come home, I’d go to the restaurant, the bars, my friends, and then like I had a stroke and everything changed. Everything changed in an instant. Bill Gasiamis (03:00) How old were you in the district? Trisha Lyn Winski (03:02) I was 46. Bill Gasiamis (03:04) And before that, were you in a family, married, do you have kids, any of that stuff? Trisha Lyn Winski (03:08) I have a kid. Now he’s 28. He was 25 when I had it. I was married before, but like a long time ago. Actually, my ex found me when I had a serve. So he’s the one who found me. But so yeah, that’s all I have here. My mom passed away in November. So it’s been challenging. Yeah. Bill Gasiamis (03:30) Dramatic, ⁓ Sorry to hear that. how many years ago was a stroke? Trisha Lyn Winski (03:37) ⁓ It’s three years and three months. Bill Gasiamis (03:41) Yeah. What were you focused on back then? What were the main goals in your life? Was it just working hard? Was it getting to a certain time in your career? What was the main goal? Trisha Lyn Winski (03:50) I think I working hard, but I just wanted to get to a good place in my career. And I think I was in a good place. Now I second guess at all time because I’ve had strokes now, it doesn’t matter what happens. I’m always second guessing it. But I was in a good place. I just felt like I needed to make them better. And the stroke happened and I so didn’t. Bill Gasiamis (04:17) What kind of work did you do? Trisha Lyn Winski (04:18) I was the corporate finance director for an auto group. Bill Gasiamis (04:22) A lot of hours was it like crazy hours or was just regular hours. Trisha Lyn Winski (04:26) No, I worked a lot of hours, but in the end he wanted me work like 40, 50 hours a week. I couldn’t do that. 50 hours a week was killing me, but 40 was enough. Yeah. Bill Gasiamis (04:37) Yeah. Were, did you consider yourself healthy? Was there any signs that you were unwell, that there was a stroke kind of on the horizon? Trisha Lyn Winski (04:46) No, nothing, The day before this, had, my eye was like, I want to say it’s twitching, but it wasn’t twitching. It was doing something like odd. And I didn’t realize that until I had a TIA recently, but I realized it then. It’s, how can I explain it? It’s like a clear, a blonde shape in my eye. it, when I move, it goes with me. And I try to see around it, I can’t see around it. And I said to Gary, I worked with him, was like, I’m gonna have to go to hospital. This continues. can’t see.” And then it went away. And that’s the only symptom I had. Only symptom. And he said, no, I should told you that you might be having a stroke. like, even if you told me that, I never believed him. Never. Bill Gasiamis (05:23) Hello? Yeah. When you’re, and it went away and you didn’t have a chance to go see anyone about it. Trisha Lyn Winski (05:37) Yeah, it went away in like, honestly, like five minutes. So I didn’t see anybody, but I thought it was okay. I mean, I guess now that I’m looking back at it, it’s kind of odd. It’s one eye, but I felt like it was gone. I don’t know. yeah. No, you don’t. Bill Gasiamis (05:55) Yeah. How could you know? mean, no one knows these things. And, and then on the day of the stroke, what happened? Was there any kind of lead up? Did you notice not feeling well during that day? And then the stroke, what was it like? Trisha Lyn Winski (06:09) No, so I get up like every other day to go to work. I went in the bathroom and the night before that Jason said Jason’s ex-ad he stayed at my house because he needed need a place to stay because he couldn’t go out Zach again. I was like okay we’ll sleep in my couch I’m gonna go to work tomorrow but you can sleep here. So he was there and I think if he wasn’t there I would have died. Post-Stroke Challenges and Rehabilitation Makes me sad. Um, anyway, so when I woke up I went to bathroom and I stood up from the toilet and I like I fell over and I I didn’t even realize it. So I fresh my face in like five places when I fell and I didn’t even I didn’t even know it my whole side was numb. So I didn’t feel it. And Jason, you know, helped me to bed. I thought he helped me to bed. He didn’t he like drug me to bed. He got in the bed and then I… He came back in like five minutes later, are you okay? Like he knew something was wrong. And I couldn’t articulate to him. So I said, I’m fine, I’m fine. I’m gonna go to work. So he put the phone in my hand to call my boss. And he came back in like five minutes later and I… He put it in my right hand so I didn’t call anybody. And he said, my God, I’ll never forget this. He said, my God, you’re having a stroke. And I couldn’t talk. I couldn’t talk. I just… Yeah, I could hear him say that, but I couldn’t talk to him. It’s… It’s really scary. Like, even talking right now, like… It upsets me. Bill Gasiamis (07:37) but you can hear him say that. This is really raw for you, isn’t it? Yeah, understand. went through very similar things like trying to speak about it and getting it out of my self and trying to, you know, bring it into the world and get it off my shoulders. Like often brought me to tears and made it really difficult for me to have a meaningful conversation with anyone about it. Trisha Lyn Winski (08:07) It does. Bill Gasiamis (08:09) There’s small blessings there with you, okay? All happened when for whatever reason your ex was in the house and was able to attend you. It’s an amazing thing that that is even possible ⁓ considering how some breakups go and how possible. Yeah. Yeah. And so he called 911 and got you to hospital. Is that how you ended up in hospital? Trisha Lyn Winski (08:15) I know. We’re good friends, it was a challenge. Yes. So they ended up taking me to MGH, it’s a hospital right down the street from me. ⁓ But he’s not from here, he’s from Pennsylvania. he didn’t know where to me, like, just has to go to the hospital. So they knew when they came up. So MGH is like known for their strokes, they’re like really good at strokes. ⁓ And so that’s where they plan on taking me. Bill Gasiamis (09:01) Yeah. And do you get a sense of what happened when you were in the hospital? Do you have any kind of recollection of what was going on? Trisha Lyn Winski (09:11) I honestly, in the first week, no. I remember seeing, in the first day, I saw Zach, my son, and Zach, his brother Connor was in there too, and Jason, they all were there with me when I woke up. But I saw them, and I saw my friend Matt, and then that’s all I remember seeing. I remember seeing my mom on the third day. I’m in jail on this third day, but that’s about it. Bill Gasiamis (09:41) Yeah. And then did you have deficits? couldn’t feel one of your sides? Did that come back, whole problem, that whole challenge? Trisha Lyn Winski (09:50) So the right side, it came back, but it came back like sporadically. So I just kind of want to come back. So the first day I saw Matt and I put up my arm to talk to him and I couldn’t like put my arm out. So I just like tap my arm. ⁓ Now I can move my arm fully, but I can’t, I don’t have the dexterity in my arm. So I can’t like. I can’t flip an egg with this hand. it’s like this and then this is like that. I can’t do this. ⁓ And my right foot has spasticity in it. then the three toes on the side, I could curl them up all the time. Bill Gasiamis (10:36) Okay, next. Trisha Lyn Winski (10:37) and I did botox for it, nothing helps. Bill Gasiamis (10:40) huh. Okay. Have you heard of cryo-neuralysis? Trisha Lyn Winski (10:42) yeah, yeah, I got that back. Bill Gasiamis (10:45) You got cryo-neuralysis? Trisha Lyn Winski (10:47) No, what are you saying? Bill Gasiamis (10:49) That’s spasticity treatment. Cryo-neurolosis, it’s a real weird long word. There’s a dude in Canada that ⁓ started a procedure to help freeze a nerve and it expands the ⁓ tendons or something around that and it decreases spasticity and it lasts longer than Botox. Trisha Lyn Winski (10:50) ⁓ no. Okay. ⁓ yeah, you need to give me his name. We’re gonna talk. That’s I went twice to have it done. ⁓ it didn’t help at all. And I met, I met the guy, ⁓ the diarist, diarist ⁓ at the hospital. And he said, I didn’t think it was, it was going to work. I’m like, it’s the first I saw you. And he was like, I saw you and you had the shirt. I’m like, okay. I saw a million people that we can’t, I don’t remember who they are. Bill Gasiamis (11:20) Okay. Yeah. All right. So I’m going to put a link to the details for cryo-neuralysis in the show notes. ⁓ you and I will communicate after the podcast episode is done. And I’ll send you the details because there’s this amazing new procedure that people are raving about that seems to provide more relief than Botox in a lot of cases, and it lasts longer. And it’s basically done by freezing the nerve or doing something like that to the nerve. in an injection kind of format and then it releases the spasticity makes it improve. ⁓ well worth you looking into it, especially if you’re in the United States and it’s in Canada. ⁓ I know that doctor is training people in the United States and around the world. So there might be some people closer to you than Canada that you can go and chat about. Yeah. And how long did you spend in hospital in the end? Trisha Lyn Winski (12:28) Yeah. Yeah. Awesome. I love it. four weeks. Yeah. So the first, the first week I was at MGH, ⁓ they kept me for longer in the ICU because I had hemorrhagic conversion, transformation, whatever it’s called. I, you know what that is? Well, that went from the, I can’t think of what I was trying to say. Bill Gasiamis (12:40) for weeks. Ongoing Health Concerns and Medical Appointments Trisha Lyn Winski (13:05) It went from the aneurysm to the, not the aneurysm, the. Bill Gasiamis (13:09) The carotid artery. The clot, ⁓ Trisha Lyn Winski (13:11) ⁓ yes. Yeah, carotid artery and went to my brain. So I my brain bleed for a couple of days, but not like bleed, bleed, but it showed blood. So they kept me in it for longer. Bill Gasiamis (13:23) Okay. And then did you go straight home? Did you go to rehab? What was that like? Trisha Lyn Winski (13:29) I went to rehab for three weeks. And I sobbed my eyes out. So at that point I was like, I was good, but I wasn’t at all good, but I thought I was good. I said, I wanna go home, I wanna go home. My son can, he teach me all, do all this stuff, I gotta go home. Now that I’m past it, there’s no way he could tell me, no way. I couldn’t tie my shoes. Bill Gasiamis (13:34) three weeks. And when you came home, were people living with you? Trisha Lyn Winski (13:56) So he’s. No, nobody was living with but he had to come move in with me for three months. Bill Gasiamis (14:06) Yeah, your son, yeah. What was that like? Trisha Lyn Winski (14:07) Yeah. Here’s my proxid. I mean, honestly, at the time it was fine because I slept all the time. I slept like, God, I would go to bed like seven, 730 at night. And I was sleeping until like, at least, some sort of next day. I’d get up for a few hours, do what I had to do, and then fall back asleep. But just, I slept for a lot. So it was okay then. But come to the end of it, I’m like, okay, it’s time for you at your place. I need my space again, but yeah, he’s yeah, I need to have my own space. But at the time I know I need to rest. Yeah, I do. Yeah. ⁓ Bill Gasiamis (14:36) Yeah. and you need somebody around anyway. It’s important to have something near you if you’re unwell. Do they know what caused the stroke? Trisha Lyn Winski (14:53) ⁓ So I had a karate web. means that… ⁓ It’s really, it’s really rare. Only like 1.2 % of the whole population has it and I had it. It’s co-indentinob… co-ind… it’s… so I got it I was born. Bill Gasiamis (15:11) Yep, congenital. Trisha Lyn Winski (15:13) congenital, but they don’t know. I said that that would make it so much sense that they did a scan of your whole body at some point. I would have known that I had that years ago, but I didn’t know it. Bill Gasiamis (15:26) I don’t know what to look like, what to look for. The thing about scans, the whole body, my good friend of mine, the guy who helped me out when I was in hospital, he’s a radiographer and he does MRIs and all that kind of stuff. And he used to do my MRIs happened to be my friend happened to be working at the hospital that I was at. And he used to come and see me all the time. And I said to him, can we do a scan, you know, a preventative scan and check out, you know, my whole body? And he said, well, we can, but Trisha Lyn Winski (15:28) I know. Yeah. Bill Gasiamis (15:53) What are we looking for? I said, I don’t know anything. He said, well, we could, we could find a heap of things or we could find nothing. And if we don’t know what we’re looking for, we can’t set our scanners to the particular, settings to find the thing that you’re looking for. Because one scanner looks for hundreds of different things and the settings for to look for that thing has to be set into the scanner. And that’s only when people have a suspicion that you might have X thing. Trisha Lyn Winski (16:09) Yeah. Bill Gasiamis (16:23) then they set the scanner to find X thing and then they’ll look for it then they find it. He said, well, if we go in and do whole body scan, but we don’t even know what resolution to set it, how long to do the scan for. We don’t know what we’re looking for. So we don’t know what to do. And you have to be able to guide me and say, I want you to look for, in my case, a congenital arteriovenous malformation. In your case, carotid web. And in anyone else’s case is an aneurysm or whatever, but a general scan. Trisha Lyn Winski (16:38) Yeah. Bill Gasiamis (16:53) Like it’s such a hard thing to do for people. then, and then sometimes you said you find things that people do have unexpectedly because they go in for a different scan and then you discover something else. But now they’ve got more information about something that’s quite unquote wrong with them. And it’s like, what do you do with that information? Do I do a procedure to get rid of it? Do I, do I leave it there? Do I monitor it? Like, do I worry about it? Do I not worry about it? Trisha Lyn Winski (16:56) Yeah. Bill Gasiamis (17:21) is that it throws a big kind of curve ball out there and then no one knows how to react to it, how to respond. So it’s a big deal for somebody to say, can we have a whole body scan so we can work out what are all the things wrong with me? Trisha Lyn Winski (17:38) I it’s true, but I think that for me, most people have a carotid web. It’s obvious. know how old you are, it’s obvious. So then in that regard, like a carotid web, it looks a little indentured in the bloodstream. looks a little indentured in your artery. So I think that they would have seen it, but… ⁓ Bill Gasiamis (18:02) I love her. Trisha Lyn Winski (18:06) But then again, I don’t know. The hospital I went to, he said, you’re lucky you came here because most hospitals would have missed us. and I’m like, Bill Gasiamis (18:15) because they probably didn’t have the technology to find it. Trisha Lyn Winski (18:17) I don’t know. when I came to, it wasn’t months later, but I saw it on the scan. like, ⁓ it’s right there. ⁓ He said, yeah, but I thought it would be obvious, but it’s not so obvious. Bill Gasiamis (18:33) I just did a Google search for it and it says a carotid web is a rare shelf like membrane type narrowing in the internal carotid artery, specifically arising from the posterior wall of the carotid bulb. It is a form of intimal fibromuscular dysplasia that causes blood to stagnate forming clots that can lead to recurrent often severe ischemic strokes. Okay. So it causes blood to stay stagnant in that particular location causing clots. And you in the time we’ve been communicating, which is only in the last three or four weeks, you even sent me a message saying you just had an S you just had a TIA. ⁓ how come you’re still having clots? they not treating you or Trisha Lyn Winski (19:20) Yeah. No, I think they so they gave me um a scent in my re to kind of write that I don’t know why I had it cuz um, but my eye was like acting crazy again Just one eye and I I didn’t want to go to the hospital. I I don’t want the hospital at all for anything if I have if I don’t have to go I’m not going to hospital I Text Jason and Zach and they’re like no you have to go like I’ll wait a little while so Meanwhile, I was waiting a little while because I didn’t want to go and then I listened to ⁓ a red chat chat GBT He said no you have to go right now. Here’s why I’m like Now it’s like five hours later. I’m Sorry, so I went but and they said that I have ⁓ It’s likely I had a clot They don’t know where it came from though. So that’s that’s the thing is it’s confusing and by the way I think there’s something to be said about ⁓ I think if you have a stroke You can have one again easier than somebody who didn’t. I didn’t know that, but I learned it quickly. ⁓ So they said I had it, maybe went up in my eye, but it broke apart before it became an actual stroke. But I don’t know. Bill Gasiamis (20:41) thing. I love that you didn’t want to go and you ignored the male influences in your life, but you listen to chat. Trisha Lyn Winski (20:50) Thank you. I did, I did. They’re so smart. they say, I find on Google anyway. So that I listened to ChatGVT, it was like, I don’t know. And I know that like… Bill Gasiamis (21:05) You know that that’s kind of mental. Trisha Lyn Winski (21:08) It is actually, but I know that like my son is actually really smart and I think that they, but I didn’t listen him. I just listened to Chad Judy. Bill Gasiamis (21:18) Yeah. Anyhow, I love that you went in the end because, ⁓ and why don’t you want to go like, you just hate doctors and hospitals and that kind of thing? They saved you, didn’t they? Didn’t they save you? Didn’t they help you? Trisha Lyn Winski (21:29) There was? Yeah, but I don’t know. I think I spent so much time in there. ⁓ I don’t know. It’s in my head. I don’t like to sit in hospitals because of that. So after having the stroke, I stayed in hospital for month. I got out. I went back in like two weeks. I fell over twice. They thought that’s why. So when I was in hospital, something like they go Vegas something is pretty common. And I was like, okay, I did want to go then. I did want to go and then Zach made me. And then two months later, I went in to get the stint. And at that time I got a period. So it’s a long story. But I said to the doctor, I’m like, well, I’ll be okay. Does it do anything else because of this? He’s like, no, you should be fine. But if it gets bad, you have to go the hospital. he got bad. I almost died. I almost died from that. And that made me traumatized because I was awake and alive for all of it. I saw it all and passed out like six times in like three, I don’t know how many days, like five days. Yeah, but. Navigating Health Challenges and Medical Support Bill Gasiamis (22:46) Yeah. The challenge with something going wrong in hospital is that it’s less likely to be as dramatic as something going wrong at home. And that’s the thing, right? If you haven’t got help, then the chances that your stroke cause you way more deficits. That’s like so much worse. The best place for you to be is somewhere other than at home because you don’t want to risk being at home alone when something goes wrong and then you’re home alone. Trisha Lyn Winski (23:04) Yeah. Bill Gasiamis (23:15) when the blood flow has stopped to your head for a lot of hours. Like it could kill you, it make you more disabled and it could do all sorts of things. it’s like, but I get the whole, what is it like? It’s kind of like an anxiety about medical people and hospitals and stuff like that. Trisha Lyn Winski (23:20) Yeah. Yeah. I think that it’s mostly like I don’t like to stay there. I got a weird thing about this. I don’t like to stay there. I can stay anywhere I go, but the hospital really bothered me. I think that they were actually pretty good to me. So I’m not mad at them for that. ⁓ But I don’t want to see them now if I can possibly help it. Bill Gasiamis (23:54) Yeah, you’re done with them. Trisha Lyn Winski (23:56) I’m totally done. Bill Gasiamis (23:58) Yeah, I get it. I got, I got to that stage. My dramas were like three or four years worth of, you know, medical appointments, scans, surgery, rehab. Trisha Lyn Winski (24:07) Oh my god. Medical appointments. Medical appointments, forget it. They’re like, oh my god. I have so many of them, I can’t even say it. Bill Gasiamis (24:11) Yeah. I hear you. hear you. went through the same thing and then I got over it. now lately I’ve been going back to the hospital and seeing medical doctors for, um, not how I haven’t got heart issues, my, I’ve got high blood pressure and they don’t know what’s causing it. And, know, I’ve had my heart checked. I’ve had my arteries checked. I’ve had all these tests, blood tests, MRIs, the whole lot, and it’s getting a little bit old, you know, like I’m over it. But the truth is without them, I don’t. I don’t have a hope. Like if my blood pressure goes through the roof, you know, which had been, had been sitting at 170 over 120, 130. And I have a brain hemorrhage because of uh, high blood pressure. know what a brain hemorrhage is like, you know, I don’t want to have another one. So I’m like, I am going to, uh, I’m going to shut up, go through it and be grateful that I have medical support. Um, which, which Trisha Lyn Winski (24:55) Yeah. I know. Yeah. Bill Gasiamis (25:14) You know, a lot of people don’t get to have, it’s like, whatever, you know, I’ll cop it. I’ll cop it. I’ll go. And hopefully they can get ahead of it. So now they’re just changing my medication. I want to get to the bottom of it. Why have I got high blood pressure? The challenge with the medical system that I have is, is they just tell you, you have it and here’s something to stop it from being high. But I, they never say to you, we’re going to investigate why, like we’re going to try to get to the bottom of it. Trisha Lyn Winski (25:16) Yeah. Yeah. Bill Gasiamis (25:40) and I’ve been pushing them to investigate why do I have high blood pressure. Trisha Lyn Winski (25:44) sure. So I don’t have, I never had high blood pressure but speaking of I’ve, I don’t have a problem with my heart but they, so that when I had this for the first time they made me get out and have to, I had to wear a heart monitor for a month and I said like why am I wearing a heart monitor? There was something, they, I don’t know what it is. Bill Gasiamis (25:51) Yeah. Trisha Lyn Winski (26:13) Afib or something like that in there. And this time was the same thing. had heart bars over there right now. I had to send it back and they’re gonna send me new one. every time I’ve taken my heart test, and by the went for EKG just the other day. It was fine. But they found like something near my heart rate, it’s not like I need to be concerned about these. It’s nothing I need to be concerned about. So I was like, okay. They’re making you wear that for a month. Anyway. Bill Gasiamis (26:46) Yeah, just to go through things, just to check things, just to work some stuff out. Trisha Lyn Winski (26:47) Yeah. Yeah, yeah, this month I have ton, I have like seven appointments. Bill Gasiamis (26:56) Yeah, I used to forget my appointments all the time, even though I had him in my calendar, even though I had reminders, I just, even though I got reminded on the day, an hour before, two hours before, he meant nothing to me. I would just completely forget about him. Trisha Lyn Winski (26:59) me too. Me too. Same thing. I forgot all of it. And I had to share it with Zach and he could tell me, have an appointment. Like, okay. I forgot. He’s like, have an appointment. I’m like, fuck, I have to go. Bill Gasiamis (27:13) Yeah. How long did it take you to get back to work? Trisha Lyn Winski (27:28) I at least I went back to work. I went back to work before I was told I could go back to work. And I wrote them an email like, listen, I can’t sit at home and run one fucking freeze. I need to do something. So I went back to work. ⁓ And at first I went back to work part time. And honestly, like I cried. I left there crying every day. And not because I think that I. Not because of people. don’t think it was the people. I couldn’t understand. My head was like… I couldn’t focus and put all that work into my… I couldn’t put it into me. So I couldn’t understand what I was doing. And then you give them a month. Eventually I got it, but it was a struggle. I should have waited until October. And they said I should go back in October. Maybe I could go back in October. I should have waited until then. Bill Gasiamis (28:22) Yeah. Do you kind of like a nervous energy type of person? Do you can’t sit still or is it like, can’t spend a lot of time on your own with yourself? Like, is it? Trisha Lyn Winski (28:34) I can spend a lot of time by myself. don’t like to ⁓ here by myself. I can be by myself. I don’t like to be… I can’t think of… What did you say before? Bill Gasiamis (28:48) Is it just downtime? Is it the downtime? it too much? Did you have too much downtime? Trisha Lyn Winski (28:52) Yes, definitely too much downtime. But I couldn’t see I was sitting at home and Zach was there, whatever he was doing. was like, I can’t, I need to do something. So I went to work and in all reality, I should have walked around. should have, I didn’t do that. Bill Gasiamis (29:04) Yeah. Yeah. How did your colleagues find you when you went back? Did they kind of appreciate what you had been through? Was that easy to have those conversations? What was it like? Trisha Lyn Winski (29:21) Yeah, so I oversaw all the finances department. ⁓ They were actually like, honestly like rock stars. They were like really, really good to me. ⁓ That was helpful. because I love them anyway. it made me feel good to say that that’s what I’m doing. ⁓ But I still left there and cried. Not because like I think that I just couldn’t understand it. They were good to me. Everyone was good to me in theory, I couldn’t understand. Bill Gasiamis (29:56) you had trouble with the work, with doing your job because of your cognitive function. Trisha Lyn Winski (29:59) Yeah, yeah, yeah, there’s a other little things with that, it’s more or less the cognitive function is a problem to do the work. Bill Gasiamis (30:12) Yeah. Tiring. Like I mentioned, it’s really mentally draining and tiring. remember sitting in front of a computer trying to work out what was going on on the screen and it being completely just blank. Acceptance and Coping with Mortality Trisha Lyn Winski (30:22) And so that’s actually what probably got me the most was that what you’re saying. I’d be sitting there and look at my screen. I couldn’t remember what I was doing, but I remember like weird things. I remember how to do like Excel. I don’t know how I remember Excel, but I did. I was really good with numbers. And they said that I was going to have a problem with numbers and everything. So I have aphasia too. I don’t have a choice with that, but Bill Gasiamis (30:31) Yeah. Trisha Lyn Winski (30:49) That’s why I talk so weird. Bill Gasiamis (30:52) Okay, I didn’t notice. Trisha Lyn Winski (30:54) Oh, oh, I feel good. But yeah, I have aphasia. But I can do certain things. And the numbers was going to be, they said it going to, I couldn’t, that’s going to be a problem. And the numbers, I can do all day. But I can’t do other little things. Bill Gasiamis (31:11) I understand. So you went back to work. It was kind of helpful, probably too early to go back, but good to be out of the house. Good to be connecting with people again. And has that improved? Did you find that you’ve been able to kind of get better in front of a screen, better with the things that you struggled with, or is it still still a bit of a challenge? Trisha Lyn Winski (31:19) Yeah. Yeah. So two things, ⁓ I got fired eventually, and that’s another whole issue. Yeah, yeah, we’ll talk about that another time. but ⁓ so, but now that I’m here, I could look my computer and it’s fine. I can do it all day. But I really, it’s a long story. think that Warren, my boss, ⁓ Deb, but they definitely like hinder me. ⁓ Bill Gasiamis (31:39) Understand. another time. Yeah. Okay. I understand. Well, maybe we won’t talk about it, like, because of the complications with that, but that’s all good. I understand. So, ⁓ do you know, a lot of the times you hear about acceptance and you hear about, ⁓ like, Trisha Lyn Winski (32:07) Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Bill Gasiamis (32:23) When some, well, something goes through something serious, something difficult, you know, there has to be kind of this acceptance of where they’re at. And that’s kind of the first stage of healing recovery, overcoming. Where are you with all of this? you like, totally get that at 46. It’s a shock to have a stroke. You look perfectly fine, perfectly healthy. This thing that you didn’t know about that you’ve had for 46 years suddenly causes an issue. How do you deal with your mortality and knowing that things can go wrong, even though you’re not aware of, you you’re not doing anything to really make your situation worse. You look fit and healthy. Were you drinking, smoking, doing any of that kind of stuff? Trisha Lyn Winski (33:06) I drank occasionally, I wasn’t a drunk, I don’t smoke. Bill Gasiamis (33:11) yeah social smoke social drinker but not smoker Trisha Lyn Winski (33:15) Yeah, I don’t smoke. I don’t have anything that could cause it. I have nothing that, no blood pressure, no diabetes, It’s hard. Jason talks about it all the time. It’s hard. don’t… It makes me mad. Really mad. Really, really mad that I to stroke. And like, everyone that has it… Bill Gasiamis (33:24) Yeah. Trisha Lyn Winski (33:41) or every dozen. I’m like, why me? Why did I have to have it? It’s frustrating. It’s so frustrating. Bill Gasiamis (33:48) Yeah, mad at who? Trisha Lyn Winski (33:50) I don’t know. I’m just mad. Like, I don’t know who I’m mad at. Bill Gasiamis (33:56) Yeah. The thing about the why me question, it’s a fair question. asked it too. I even ask it now sometimes, especially when, um, I’ve got to go back for more tests, more, uh, now I’ve got high blood pressure. Like, like I needed another thing to have, you know, like, and it’s like, the only thing that I come back with after why me is why not me? Like, who are you to go through life completely unscathed and get to 99 and then die from natural Bill Gasiamis (34:25) wanted to stop there for a second because that question, why me, is something I wrote about in my book. It’s one of the most common and most painful places stroke survivors get stuck. If you want to read about it and how I worked through it and what I found on the other side, the book is called The Unexpected Way That a Stroke Became the Best Thing That Happened and it’s available at You’ll find the link in the show notes. And now let’s get back to Tricia. Bill Gasiamis (34:54) like Trisha Lyn Winski (34:54) Yeah. Bill Gasiamis (34:55) You’re normal. being normal, ⁓ normal things happen to people. Some of those things that are shit are strokes and heart attacks and stuff that you didn’t know that you were born with. ⁓ what’s really interesting though, is to live the life after stroke and to kind of wrap my head around what that looks like. My left side feels numb all the time. ⁓ tighter, ⁓ has spasticity, but nothing is curled. Like my fingers on my toes are not curled, but it’s tighter. ⁓ it hurts. ⁓ It’s colder, it’s ⁓ sensitive, I’ve got a, and I always have a comparison of the quote unquote normal side, the other side, it’s always. And the comparison I think is worse because it makes me notice my affected side and that noticing it. Trisha Lyn Winski (35:31) Yeah. or yeah. Bill Gasiamis (35:46) makes the reality happen again every day. Like it’s a new, I wake up in the morning, I get out of bed, my left side still sleepy. I have to be careful. If I’m not careful, I’ll lose my balance. I don’t want to fall over. And it’s like, I get to experience a different version of myself. And sometimes I want to be grateful for that. want to say, wow, what a cool, different thing to experience in a body. But then I’m trying to work out like, what’s the benefit of it? don’t know if there’s a benefit. ⁓ Trisha Lyn Winski (36:14) I don’t know either. Bill Gasiamis (36:15) to me, but, Trisha Lyn Winski (36:15) I don’t either. Bill Gasiamis (36:18) but here I am talking to you and, and, and 390 people before you, ⁓ about strike all over the world and we’re putting something out and it’s making a difference. And maybe that’s the benefit. I don’t know, but do know what I mean? Like, why not us? I hate asking that question too. Trisha Lyn Winski (36:34) I don’t know. You had ⁓ the podcast on YouTube and I stumbled upon it on the wise. I watched YouTube and then you came out there and I’m like, so before that I was looking at different, I watched every video, every video on strokes, every video I could possibly type but I watched. I did. ⁓ And then I stumbled upon your stuff and I watched that stuff too. And that’s why I wouldn’t have thought to call you or reach out to you. Bill Gasiamis (37:11) Was it helpful? Was it helpful? Trisha Lyn Winski (37:13) Yeah, it is helpful. But it doesn’t change the fact that I had a stroke. All the people that had it, I feel bad for them. Honestly, like, so when I was at the hospital, they had me join a bunch of groups on Facebook and Instagram that are like, they’re people who’ve gone through a stroke. most, I don’t comment on them. I don’t say, because most of the time it’s people bitching. Bill Gasiamis (37:19) Yeah. Yeah. Trisha Lyn Winski (37:43) But I really like, times I, trust me, I’m like ready to kill somebody. But I don’t like say it there. I only ask them questions that are really serious. But sometimes I read what they say. And there was a guy the other day, I don’t know what he wrote, but he had like all kinds of words that they were way jumbled. was like, his message just didn’t make sense. I thought to myself, God, if I was like that, I’d be so sad. Somebody, I do think that he’s worse than I could be, but you don’t know. Bill Gasiamis (38:19) Yeah. Communication Challenges and Aphasia Yeah. He, his words are more jumbled than yours. And you, if you, you, you’re thinking, if you were like that, you would be probably feeling more sad than you currently are. And you’re assuming that maybe that person is feeling sad, but maybe they’re not, maybe they just got the challenge and they’re taking on the challenge and they’re trying to heal and recover. don’t know. And maybe, maybe they’re getting help and support through that therapy and also maybe psychological help and all that kind of stuff. Have you ever had any counseling or anything like that to sort of try and wrap your head around what the hell’s going on in your life? Trisha Lyn Winski (38:54) So I did it once and actually like I think she was okay. I felt like I was always having to talk. I know that I’m so stocked but she wasn’t asking me a lot of questions and I felt like she needs to me more questions. I’ll have more answers but like but she didn’t. She just wanted me to talk so I just talked. But I stopped seeing her because I… So two reasons. I stopped seeing her because they when they fire me I… I didn’t know what I had to do. I knew I insured that I didn’t know how long it was going to be for me to have that. So I talked to her for a little bit and then I stopped talking to her because I just couldn’t deal with it. I think now I’m getting to the point where I’m going to do it. Bill Gasiamis (39:37) It was a bit early. I like that. I like what you said there. Cause sometimes it’s early. It’s too early to go through that and unwrap it. Right. And now a little bit of times past, you probably have more conscious awareness of, do need to talk about this and I need to go through and see a certain person. And now I’m going to take that action. It’s been three years and now I can take that action. like it. ⁓ and I like what you said about, you have to feel like you’re connected to that person or you have rapport or Trisha Lyn Winski (39:46) It is. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Bill Gasiamis (40:11) they get you and you’re not just, it’s not a one way conversation. That’s really important in choosing a counselor. I know my counselor, we, I didn’t do all the talking. was like you and me chatting now about stuff. had a conversation about things regularly. And therefore, ⁓ one of the good things that she was able to do was just ease my mind when I would go off on real negative tangents, you know, she would try to bring me back down just to calm and. Trisha Lyn Winski (40:35) Yeah. Bill Gasiamis (40:39) settle me down and offer me hope. Trisha Lyn Winski (40:42) I think my, honestly my biggest problem with this whole stroke and having it at all, I have aphasia and that 100 % kills me. Because I can’t like, I can talk like normal but I can’t talk like… I forget what I’m saying. So it’s in my brain, but I can’t spit it out. I get really frustrated at that point. people, I had a stroke, my left hemisphere and my right side went numb. My left hemisphere is all kinds of different, different things that I can’t do. The good news is my left means I can’t like, I can talk to people like this. But the other person and that guy I was talking about, he probably had the right side, his aphasia was. really bad, really bad. But I was a person who talked like really fast all the time, all the time. And now like, I think part of my brain goes so fast and I can’t spit it out. I get really, I get, it’s, yeah. Bill Gasiamis (41:38) Okay. as quickly as you can. Okay, so you know, I’ve spoken to a ton of people who have aphasia. And one of the things they say to me is when they have frustration, their aphasia is worse. So the skill is to learn to be less frustrated with oneself, which means that’s like a personal love thing. That’s self love, that’s supporting yourself, you know, and going. Trisha Lyn Winski (42:00) It is. The Journey of Recovery and Self-Discovery Yeah, that’s a point. That’s a good point. Bill Gasiamis (42:13) And it’s going like, well, you know, you’re trying your best. It’s all good. You know, don’t get frustrated with yourself. Don’t hate yourself. Don’t give yourself a hard time about it. ⁓ and try and decrease the frustration. Then the aphasia gets less impactful, but, ⁓ and then maybe, you know, this part of learning the new you is bring the old Trisha with you, but maybe the nutrition needs to be a little bit more slow, a little more measured, a little more calm. And it’s a skill because for 46 years, you were the regular. Trisha Lyn Winski (42:36) Yeah. Bill Gasiamis (42:42) Tricia, the one that you always knew, but now you’ve got to adjust things a little bit. It’s like people going into midlife, right? Like us, you know, in our fifties and then, um, or, know, sort of approaching 50 on and beyond and then go, I’m going to keep eating, uh, fast food that I ate when I was 21 and 20, know, McDonald’s or sodas or whatever. You can’t do it anymore. You have to make adjustments, even though that’s been your habit for the longest time, your body’s going, I can’t deal with this stuff anymore. Trisha Lyn Winski (43:03) Yeah. Bill Gasiamis (43:12) Take it out, you know, let’s simplify things. And it’s kind of like how to approach. I stroke recoveries things need to kind of get paid back and simplified. And it has to start with self love. And you have to acknowledge how much effort you’ve already put in for the last three years to get you to the position that you are now, which is far better than you were three years ago when the stroke happened. And you have to celebrate. how much your body is trying to support you heal your brain. Your body’s trying to get you over the line and your mindset is getting frustrated with itself, which is making things worse. Tweak that and things will get a bit better maybe. I don’t know. Trisha Lyn Winski (43:55) It does. You’re 100 % right. ⁓ So whenever I’m not stressed, so two things. I think when I talk to people I don’t know, I always get like nervous about that. ⁓ Bill Gasiamis (44:10) You think they’re thinking about things that you’re not they’re not really Trisha Lyn Winski (44:13) Yeah, but then who knows what they’re thinking of. that’s just how I get, whenever I get like, I went to a concert like a couple of years ago and I was like, I believe I couldn’t, I could hear that the music is so loud in my brain. Like I gotta get out of here. So I left. I’ve gotten better since then, but there’s something about, I have to do things slower. I have to do things over. I’ve realized that like recently, like in the last like maybe month, I have to do things very slow. I have to. And maybe this is God’s way of like, tell me like slow the f down, you’re going too fast. But that’s how I live my whole life. And then all of a sudden, now you’re not going to get up. Yeah, it’s a huge testament. So I can do it right. Not always right. Bill Gasiamis (45:01) Yeah, there’s an adjustment. Yeah, adjustment. Yeah. Trisha Lyn Winski (45:09) because again, it’s isophagia, it’s gonna be hair mess, if I go slower, much slower, I can get it all out. But, ugh. Bill Gasiamis (45:22) It’s a lot of work, man. It doesn’t end here. You know, the work just as just beginning, you know, this getting to understand yourself, to know yourself, to support yourself, to be your biggest advocate. ⁓ and then to fail and then to try and be the person that, ⁓ picks themselves up and goes again and tries again without getting frustrated. I know exactly what you mean. Like so many people listening will know what you mean. Trisha Lyn Winski (45:22) It’s a pain. It’s a pain! Bill Gasiamis (45:51) And with time, you’ll get better and better because I know that three years seems like a long time, but it’s early in the recovery phase. The recovery is still going to continue. Year four, five, six, seven will be better and better and better. I’m, I’m 12 years post brain surgery and 14 years post first incident. So it’s like, things are still improving and getting better for me. Trisha Lyn Winski (46:17) Yeah. Bill Gasiamis (46:18) And one of the things is the way that my body responds to physical exercise. went for a bike ride a little while ago, a couple of weeks ago. And when I used to go for a bike ride at the beginning, um, man, I would be wiped out for the entire day. Uh, and I used to do a morning bike ride about like 10, 30, 11 o’clock and I’d be wiped out for the rest of the day. Trisha Lyn Winski (46:32) Yeah. Bill Gasiamis (46:39) Whereas now I can go for a bike ride and just be wiped out like a regular person, you know, about an hour or two, and then I’m back on board with doing other tasks. So it takes so much time for the brain to heal. Nobody can give you a timeline and you’ve got heaps more healing to go. Trisha Lyn Winski (46:57) So I looked at my stuff on YouTube, how long it takes to recover from a stroke. I’ve looked at that everywhere. Everywhere I can find. I’ve looked at that. It’s so funny. Like everybody says that it’s, everybody’s story is different. Everybody. It doesn’t matter how long you were in hospital for, doesn’t how long. But that like, it’s crazy. have no like timetable of when I’m going to get better. None. I have to deal with it. Bill Gasiamis (47:27) Yeah. It’s such a hard thing. It’s not a broken bone, know, like six weeks, stay off it, do a little bit of rehab and then you’re back to normal. Trisha Lyn Winski (47:28) It sucks, but. I had two years before this or maybe a year before that, had a rotator cuff surgery. I look back at that and I’m like, that was so bad. And that was like night and day. The stroke definitely like, the stroke killed me. Not the stroke. I don’t want to say the stroke. I think having aphasia killed me. I do, the stroke is, get me wrong. I don’t like it either, but ⁓ the aphasia kills me. If I didn’t have that, I wouldn’t be normal, but I can be normal. But the aphasia. Bill Gasiamis (48:00) Okay. Yeah. But, but what, but that word killed me is a real heavy word, right? maybe you should consider changing that word, but also like, didn’t pick that you had aphasia and I, and I speak to stroke survivors all the time. Like I didn’t pick it. I, I just assumed that was the way you process your words and that’s how you get things out. Like it didn’t, I didn’t notice it at all. Trisha Lyn Winski (48:26) I know, I know, it’s funny that said Yeah, that’s actually good. That’s really good. But I know it’s it. I definitely know it’s it. I could talk like a mile a minute and now like. Bill Gasiamis (48:47) Yeah. Trisha Lyn Winski (48:52) I mean… Bill Gasiamis (48:52) Maybe it was maybe maybe now it’s more about ⁓ quality rather than quantity, Trisha. Trisha Lyn Winski (49:00) Apparently it is. Bill Gasiamis (49:01) I’m not saying that you didn’t have quality in that I didn’t know you so I’m not kind of yeah but you know what I mean like Trisha Lyn Winski (49:03) Yeah. No, it’s okay. Trust me, it’s okay. But yeah, it just frustrates me. I can’t get out what I want to get out. And so at that time, just give me a little time, I’ll get it out. But I can’t say that to people when I’m out. I can’t say this to So I just, I don’t say it at all. Bill Gasiamis (49:22) Yeah. so you stop yourself from communicating because you think you’re taking too long and it’s interrupting the flow of the conversation. Yeah. I think you’re doing that to yourself. I don’t think that’s true. We’ve had a fantastic conversation here and I’ve never picked it. Trisha Lyn Winski (49:34) Yeah. all day. But so you’re somebody who’s had a stroke before. It’s kind of different for me because you had. But if you didn’t have a stroke, will be… Well, I don’t know. Maybe not. Maybe one-on-one I’m okay. No, think I… No, it’s because you had a stroke. I think of all the people I’ve talked to and they’re one-on-one. I don’t do well with them. But I think that you’ve had a stroke so I just… I know how to communicate with you. Bill Gasiamis (49:54) I understand. And maybe you’re more at ease about it. Less feeling, judged. I understand. Yeah. Trisha Lyn Winski (50:20) Yes, all day. Even that guy I told you about that that said that on Facebook God like I Really like my heart goes out to him But then that there’s the people that are fishing a plane I’m like I want to say my heart goes out to them, it really, it goes to certain people. I think that. He’s like going through it. Bill Gasiamis (50:45) Yeah. One of the problems with going to Facebook to bitch and moan about it, especially when you’re going through it is that you get an abundance of people who also are there to bitch and moan about it. And, and that makes it worse. think you should do bitching and moaning on your own. Like when there’s no one watching or listening. Cause then that way there’s not a loop of bitching and moaning that happens. That makes it dramatically worse for everybody. Trisha Lyn Winski (51:01) Yeah, I do it myself. Bill Gasiamis (51:09) ⁓ and that’s why I don’t hang around on Facebook, Instagram, social media, or anything like that for those types of conversations. If I’m not sharing a little bit of wisdom or somebody’s story or, ⁓ asking a question, like a genuine question, one of the questions might be, did you struggle driving and did you have to pull over and go to sleep in the middle of the road? If you had a big trip ahead of you in the car, I’ve done that. Like if, if I’m not asking a question like that, I don’t want to be, ⁓ on social media saying. life sucks, this sucks, that sucks. Like forget about it. What’s the point of that? That’s why I started the podcast so I can have my own conversations about it that were positive based on what we’re overcoming rather than all the shit we’re dealing with. And that way ⁓ we take off that spiral, the negative downward spiral. trying to make it an upward spiral. You know, where things are. Trisha Lyn Winski (51:41) Yeah. Facing the Aftermath of Stroke Bill Gasiamis (52:05) I don’t know, we’re seeing the glass half full perhaps, or we’re seeing the positive that came out of it. If something like, I know there’s some positive stuff that came out of stroke for you. Day one, you definitely didn’t think that maybe three years down the track. Maybe if it wasn’t for this, well, then that wouldn’t have happened for me. Like I’ve been on TV. I’ve been at the stroke foundation. I’ve been on radio. I’ve been, I’ve presented. I’ve got a podcast. wrote a book. Like it’s taken years and years for all those good things to come, but they never would have happened if I didn’t have a stroke. So I wanted to have those types of conversations, you know, what are the positive things we can turn this into? Because dude, then there’s just enough shit to deal with that. We don’t have to deal with every other version of it, you know? ⁓ and I think it’s better to have your me personally, my negative moments alone, cause I don’t want to get into a competition with somebody. Trisha Lyn Winski (52:42) That’s good. Yeah. Bill Gasiamis (53:05) who I say, I didn’t sleep well, my left side hurts, it feels like pins and needles. And then they say to me, ⁓ you think that’s bad? Well, you know, forget about it. I don’t want to be that that guy on the other end of a conversation like that, you know. Trisha Lyn Winski (53:13) Yeah. ⁓ So you said your left side, ⁓ you see you have pin the needles, is always like that? So I’m sorry, had hemorrhagic stroke? Okay. I know the difference between two, ⁓ why did you have hemorrhagic stroke? Bill Gasiamis (53:27) Always, yeah, never goes away. Yeah, Brain blade. I was born with a blood vessel that was malformed. So it was like really weak one. I was really like, uh, was kind of like, uh, uh, it wasn’t created properly in my brain when I was born and it’s called an arteriovenous malformation. then they sit idle, they sit idle and they do nothing for a lot of people. And then sometimes they burst. Trisha Lyn Winski (53:58) Mm-hmm. ⁓ I heard it. Bill Gasiamis (54:08) And people sometimes have them all over their body. They don’t have to have them in their head. They can have them on the skin, ⁓ in, in an arm on a leg, wherever. And on an arm and a leg, they, they decrease the blood flow and they create real big lesions of skin damage on the surface in a brain. They leak into the brain and they cause a stroke. ⁓ so the challenge with it is like you, there was no signs and symptoms. for any of my life until it started bleeding. And when I took action, eventually, I was like, yo, I didn’t want to go to the doctor. I didn’t want to go to the hospital. I want to do any of that. It took seven days for me to go to the hospital. When I finally got there, they found the scan, found the blood in my head. And then they thought it would stop bleeding and it didn’t. And then it bled again and they wanted to monitor it to see if it stops bleeding. They wanted to try to avoid surgery. And then a bled a third time. And then after they bled the third time, they said, we have to have surgery. We’ve got to take it out because it’s too dangerous. And when it bled the second time, I didn’

Episode Description In this craft-focused episode of What If For Authors, Claire breaks down one of the most common storytelling anxieties writers face: getting stuck on the ending. A satisfying resolution isn't just nice to have; it's the moment where readers discover whether all the promises your story made actually pay off. Claire shares a practical troubleshooting framework she uses with authors to diagnose why an ending isn't landing and how to fix it. Using the Enneagram as a tool for understanding character motivation and conflict, she walks through four key questions that can help you reconnect your plot, theme, and character arcs, so your ending lands with the impact your story deserves. In This Episode, You'll Learn: How the Enneagram can clarify character motivations and story dynamics Why understanding both the protagonist and antagonist is crucial to resolving your plot How identifying your story's central theme can guide the resolution The three layers of conflict every powerful ending resolves: Philosophical (beliefs and worldview) Emotional (feelings and internal struggle) Physical (actions and external obstacles) Why the most satisfying endings resolve all three layers at once The importance of letting your protagonist make an active choice in the final moment Resources Mentioned Iconic Five-Star Endings Course Learn Claire's full framework for crafting powerful endings. Visit: liberatedwriter.com/courses Write Iconic Relationships (Upcoming Book) Explore Enneagram relationship dynamics between every pairing of types. Search “Write Iconic Relationships” on Kickstarter and click Notify Me on Launch. Write Iconic Characters Claire's guide to building unforgettable characters using the Enneagram. Available at major retailers or: books2read.com/WIC Story Alignment Sessions One-on-one troubleshooting for your manuscript. Book a session at liberatedwriter.com Liberated Writer on Substack Weekly essays on storytelling, the writing life, and the publishing industry. Support the Show If this episode helped you solve a storytelling problem or gave you new ideas for your manuscript, here are a few ways you can support the podcast: Leave a review on your favorite podcast platform. Reviews help other authors discover the show. Share the episode with a friend who might be wrestling with their ending. Subscribe to Claire's Substack (free or paid) at Liberated Writer to receive deeper essays on craft, the author life, and the industry. Happy writing!

Have you ever wondered how elite athletes tap into "flow"—that magical state where skills meet challenge—and how you can harness it in your own life? This episode dives deep into the science and psychology behind flow, revealing practical strategies to elevate your focus, reduce stress, and perform at your best when it matters most. You'll discover:The four key characteristics that define true flow, including concentration, control, time distortion, and loss of self-consciousness.How to create the perfect challenge-skill balance to get into that zone effortlessly, both in practice and competition.The importance of immediate feedback and autonomy, whether in sports, work, or daily life, to stay engaged and motivated.Real-world tips for coaches and athletes on managing arousal levels to sustain flow before stress overwhelms performance.How to overcome self-doubt, mistakes, and external distractions that knock you out of the zone—plus, simple mental tricks like visualization and identity shifts to stay grounded.. If you've ever felt stuck in a rut or struggled with performance anxiety, this episode offers tangible techniques to reframe setbacks and harness your inner flow. Perfect for athletes, coaches, leaders, or anyone eager to unlock their full potential. Tune in to discover how to make every challenge an opportunity for growth, how to be "optimal" in your effort, and how connection and purpose fuel flow's emotional power. Don't miss out on the tools that could change your game—whether on the field, at work, or in life.Timestamps:00:00 - Introduction to Mentor Moments and episode focus00:38 - What is therapy speak and its misuse in culture01:36 - Deep dive into therapy speak and weaponization02:06 - Complexity and mystification of therapy terms03:02 - First workshop on flow and its significance03:32 - Personal rant on technology struggles and feelings of relevance04:56 - Reflection on how tech issues make one feel old06:00 - Delivery of a flow workshop: structure and athlete engagement06:59 - Characteristics of flow: concentration, control, time distortion, loss of self-awareness08:28 - How flow gets expressed through experience and priming08:48 - Conditions for entering flow: challenge-skill balance09:16 - Differentiating practice and competition environments09:53 - Challenges coaches face in achieving flow for varied athletes10:23 - The importance of self-adjustment and internal challenge management11:18 - Practice's role in skill and technique development for flow11:36 - Visualizing success and managing performance anxiety12:33 - Visualizing and preparing techniques in training, not just day-of13:45 - Internal challenge and managing athlete stress and anxiety14:01 - Making competitions feel more like training through mindset and environment15:05 - Goals and challenge level adjustments for flow induction16:03 - The role of autonomy in entering flow16:45 - Reflecting on motivation, craft, and engagement in hobbies versus professional tasks17:30 - Recognizing the zone: engrossment and losing track of time18:24 - Emotional significance, meaning, and connection to broader purpose19:20 - How novelty and purpose influence motivation and flow20:13 - Immediate feedback: woodworking, Sudoku, and body cues as intrinsic guides21:11 - Recognizing mastery and flow through self-awareness and emotional high22:26 - Barriers to flow: doubt, mistakes, external validation, and identity23:25 - Using visualization (parking lot technique) to manage mistakes during activity24:24 - The importance of mental framing and reflection post-activity27:43 - Reflections on public speaking, practice, and maintaining skills28:20 - Over-preparation pitfalls and confidence in public settings29:46 - Upcoming focus: mental toughness and its applications beyond sports30:43 - Closing thoughts and listener engagement

What if the reason your client is stuck is not a lack of motivation or clarity, but the way their executive functioning is wired?  In this episode, we explore eight powerful lenses that can completely transform the way you coach neurodivergent clients and, in truth, the way you coach all clients. Executive functioning sits at the heart of how we plan, start, organise, regulate emotions, manage impulses and adapt to change. When we understand it, coaching becomes more inclusive, more compassionate and far more effective.  We begin with a simple but important reframe. Executive functioning is not only relevant for clients who identify as neurodivergent. Many people remain undiagnosed, and every human being has a unique profile of strengths and challenges across these functions. When we bring this awareness into our practice, we move away from labelling behaviours as procrastination, lack of focus or resistance and instead start working with the real barrier.  As we walk through each of the eight areas, we share how easily traditional coaching approaches can unintentionally create shame. Asking a client how to get motivated when the real challenge is task initiation creates a completely different experience from recognising what is actually happening in their brain. That moment of being seen and understood often unlocks progress faster than any strategy.  We talk about organisation and the importance of helping clients design systems that work with their brain rather than forcing themselves into methods that were never built for them. We explore planning and prioritisation through the lens of demand avoidance and spontaneity, recognising that for some clients the plan itself is the obstacle.  Working memory brings a powerful reflection on coaching style. Keeping questions simple, using visual anchors and contracting around how to hold the thread of the conversation makes coaching more accessible and more effective.  Self monitoring and emotional regulation reveal the deep emotional impact of executive functioning challenges. Many clients carry a lifetime of self criticism without realising that what they are experiencing is a difference in processing rather than a personal failure. Coaching becomes a space for self acceptance as much as progress.  Impulse control and flexible thinking invite us to move beyond deficit based models. Impulsivity can be a source of energy, creativity and connection. Rigidity often signals a need for safety. Our role is not to fix these traits but to help clients use their strengths and create support structures that allow them to thrive.  Throughout this conversation, what stands out is that neurodivergent inclusive coaching is not about having the answers. It is about having the lens. When we understand executive functioning, we accelerate trust, deepen our coaching relationships and enable clients to achieve their goals in ways that are aligned with who they truly are.  This is coaching that replaces judgement with curiosity, removes shame and gives clients practical levers for change. It is inclusive, ethical and deeply human.    Timestamps:  00:00 Introduction to coaching neurodivergent clients through executive functioning 00:31 What executive functioning means in coaching 01:24 Inclusivity for diagnosed and undiagnosed clients 02:21 The executive functioning wheel as a coaching tool 04:18 Task initiation and removing the shame of procrastination 07:10 Organisation and creating brain aligned systems 08:59 Body doubling and in session action 10:24 Planning and prioritisation with demand avoidance 13:29 Working memory and adapting your coaching style 16:17 Practical ways to support working memory in sessions 16:46 Self monitoring and the emotional impact of over analysis 18:41 Emotional regulation and accessing resourceful states 22:55 Why emotions coaching and neurodivergent coaching fit together 23:25 Impulse control as strength and challenge 24:48 Moving beyond the imposter syndrome label 25:35 Flexible thinking and creating safety in change 27:52 Using strengths to support flexibility 28:47 Why executive functioning matters for all clients 29:17 How to continue your learning    Key Lessons Learned:  Executive functioning provides a powerful lens for inclusive coaching.  Many behaviours labelled as procrastination or resistance are task initiation challenges.  Brain aligned systems are more effective than forcing traditional productivity methods.  Coaching style must adapt to support working memory and accessibility.  Self compassion is a critical outcome of neurodivergent inclusive coaching.  Impulsivity and flexibility can be strengths when understood and supported.  Awareness of executive functioning accelerates trust and progress in coaching.    Keywords:  coaching neurodivergent clients, executive functioning in coaching, ADHD coaching strategies neurodivergent inclusive coaching, task initiation procrastination coaching, working memory coaching techniques, emotional regulation for neurodivergent clients, flexible thinking coaching strength based neurodiversity coaching, ICF neurodivergent coaching training,    Links & Resources:  Neurodivergent Inclusive Coaching programme: https://www.igcompany.com/nd 

March Madness is here. The high-stakes, sudden-death college basketball tournament is a beloved tradition in American sports.  For the players, it's a chance to showcase the skills they've developed through years of hard training of the body and mind. In many cases, that push produces incredible feats of athletic performance. But an investigation by reporters Julia Haney and Elizabeth Santos has found instances in which athletes allege that the push from coaches goes too far. Emotional abuse by coaches, some athletes maintain, can cause lasting, even irreparable damage. On this episode of The Sunday Story, we hear from athletes who fought back.*A warning that today's story includes mentions of sexual and emotional abuse, suicide, bullying and includes explicit language.To manage podcast ad preferences, review the links below:See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

This podcast was created in sponsorship with Toyota. Find a vehicle that makes memorable moments happen, from the 2026 RAV4 and Sienna to the Highlander and Grand Highlander. Plan the trip, pack the trunk, gather your crew, and go places—together. Toyota: People are the destination.  "Emotional flexibility is literally the skill that we all should be sharpening like a muscle," explained Deepika Chopra, Ph.D. Chopra (widely known as The Optimism Doctor) is a clinical health psychologist, visual imagery expert, and author of the upcoming book The Power of Real Optimism. But here's what makes Deepika's work so different: she's not selling you positivity. In this episode, we get into the real science of optimism—and why it has far more to do with resilience and curiosity than with good vibes.  Optimism vs. positivity: what we're getting wrong (0:00) Why affirmations don't always work (6:58) The seven-tenths rule for effective affirmations (10:00) Manifestation and getting what you expect (10:50) Emotional flexibility: the skill to sharpen like a muscle (17:46) Why the nervous system has to feel safe before growth can happen (23:11) Deepika's son's rare diagnosis (23:40) A Holocaust survivor with real optimism in practice (36:58) Letting go of control vs. reclaiming agency (40:52) Healthy hope vs. delusion—the dark room metaphor (42:45) Referenced in the episode:  Find Deepika Chopra on her website: https://www.drdeepikachopra.com Get her book here: https://a.co/d/0dG1VFwX Find her viral article from 2018 here: https://www.mindbodygreen.com/articles/what-to-do-if-positive-affirmations-dont-work-for-you Gallup National Health and Well-Being Index (2026): https://news.gallup.com/poll/702125/american-optimism-slumps-record-low.aspx We hope you enjoy this episode, and feel free to watch the full video on YouTube! Whether it's an article or podcast, we want to know what we can do to help here at mindbodygreen. Let us know at: podcast@mindbodygreen.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Join dental entrepreneurs George Hariri, Matt Guarino, and Matt Ford as they break down the realities of running their national DSO, Shared Practices Group. They tackle the triumphs and tribulations of scaling a business, answer your burning questions (submit yours at bdppod.com), and delve into life's other adventures - from health and parenting to sports and politics. It's business, banter, and everything in between. Tune in and join the BDP community today!

Mom-of-three Kouri Richins stands trial in Utah for the alleged murder of her husband. Prosecutors call her ex-lover to testify and he weeps on the stand. In Florida, the man who confessed to gunning down Microsoft employee Jared Bridegan takes back his confession and guilty plea, potentially upending the case. In Dateline Round Up, a verdict in Dale Warner's trial for murdering his wife, plus new filings in the case of alleged Gilgo Beach serial killer Rex Heuermann. And Josh Mankiewicz gives a sneak peek of his new podcast, "Trace of Suspicion."   Find out more about the cases covered each week here: www.datelinetruecrimeweekly.com   Start listening to "Trace of Suspicion" here:  https://www.nbcnews.com/traceofsuspicion Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.