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In this episode on the Financial and Lifestyle Freedom Podcast, Annette shares how service-based business owners can increase their profitability without raising their revenue. She dives into three practical strategies to help you maximise profit margins: cost-cutting, pricing strategies, and upselling to existing clients. Tune in to learn how small tweaks can lead to significant improvements in your bottom line.What You'll Learn:- Why profit margins matter more than revenue for service-based businesses.- How to cut costs without compromising quality.- How to implement value-based pricing and raise prices effectively.- Tips on upselling and cross-selling to boost the value of each client relationship.Other useful resources: - Profit First for UK Business Owners Workshop (£27)- The Profit Plan (Kindle Book)Connect with Me:- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/annettefergs/- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/annettefergusonuk/- Website: https://www.annetteandco.co.uk/Transcript: Today, I'll be walking you through three key strategies—cutting costs, refining your pricing, and increasing the value of each client relationship through upselling. So, let's jump right in!”Boosting Profitability: Why Profit Margins Matter As business owners, we often think that the key to profitability is increasing sales or revenue. But the truth is, profit margins—how much profit you keep from each pound earned—are just as important, if not more.When you focus on maximising profit margins, you're making sure that the work you're already doing is as efficient and profitable as possible. This is particularly critical for service-based businesses, where your main cost is time. Unlike product-based businesses, where scaling can be about moving more inventory, in service-based businesses, it's about working smarter, not harder.Boosting Profitability: Cost-Cutting StrategiesThe first strategy to boost your profit margins is reducing your costs. Now, when people hear ‘cutting costs,' they often think of extreme measures like laying off staff or cutting down on service quality—but that's not what we're talking about here.Cost-Cutting That Doesn't Sacrifice Quality:1. Renegotiate Contracts: Take a look at your existing contracts and subscriptions—are you paying for tools or services that aren't delivering value? Contact providers and try to renegotiate your rates, especially for software, contractors, or marketing services. 2. Automate Repetitive Tasks: Time is one of your biggest costs as a service-based business owner. Look at what repetitive tasks can be automated—things like invoicing, scheduling, or even elements of client communication.3. Cut Non-Essential Spending: Review your expenses and identify where you might be overpaying. For example, are there any marketing strategies or tools that aren't delivering a return on investment? Free up cash for more important areas of the business.Boosting Profitability: Pricing Strategies for ProfitabilityNext, let's talk pricing. One of the fastest ways to boost your profit margin is by adjusting your pricing strategy. Too often, business owners set their prices based on time spent or what competitors...

Join Charlie, a non-binary sci-fi fantasy writer, and their husband Brian, as they commemorate the transfiguration of Christ on Mount Tabor. This episode explores the presence of Jesus alongside Moses and Elijah, the significance of this event in Christian mysticism, and its relevance to modern believers. Through thoughtful discussions on law, prophecy, justice, and the essence of divine light, Charlie and Brian encourage listeners to find personal meaning and practical wisdom in this sacred narrative. Engage in a deeper understanding of the balance between law and prophecy and the transformative power of divine illumination.Support us on: https://ko-fi.com/cedorsettBecome a patron of the arts patreon.com/cedorsettFor Educational Resource: Wisdoms Cry https://wisdomscry.comFor all of the things we are doing at The Seraphic Grove go to Creation's Paths https://www.creationspaths.com/BlueSky https://bsky.app/profile/creationspaths.comThreads https://www.threads.net/@creationspathsInstagram https://www.instagram.com/creationspaths/Transcript:  Today as we celebrate the transfiguration of Christ and imagine the divine Christ. Between Moses and Elijah on Mount Tabor. We have a lot of questions that pop up. What does this mean for us today? Why is this such an important, and I would say almost a vital part of the story?   Blessings in light to everyone out there. Hello, my name is Charlie. I am a non-binary scifi fantasy writer. Today we are celebrating. The memorial of the transfiguration of Christ. This is a story that we can find in the new Testament and is one that has inspired mystics and visionaries throughout the history of Christianity. I think, we'll find very impactful in our own discussion today. I'm joined by my wonderful husband, Brian. Good day. This is a big, deep, meaty topic. I'm glad that it's on the calendar every year, because this entire podcast could just be about this one moment and we could do seven days a week hours and hours a day and not exhaust everything that happened. If you're not familiar with the story, It's very simple. Jesus and three of his disciples Peter, John, and Andrew go up on a mountain to pray. They wake up in the middle of the night and there's a blinding light on the top of Mount Tabor. They look over and there is the fully divine Christ sitting on the mountain, talking with Moses and Elijah. And they really don't know what to do. In fact, I believe it's Peter. Who said, should we make up tents for our guests? And Jesus is like, No. But thanks for asking. it's this moment that kind of happens and passes. It seems almost an interjection into the story. What actually happened here? What is the importance of this? On a basic level the transfiguration shows us Jesus in the line of profit and law-giver. We see him with Moses the quintessential law giver, the one to whom the Torah was given. That all of the commandments were given. And we have kind of this reenactment of the events on Mount Sinai. And we have a, Elijah the quintessential profit . A profit that walked with God so much that he does not die. A great chariot swings, low picks him up and carries him away into heaven. So again, the quintessential prophet. Just a quick little side note in here, because it kind of cracks me up. Elijah is also, very much about lessons of hospitality. It just cracks me up that the first default thought was hospitality, with proposing, do we need to build a tent or set up a tent for them? Even though. non-corporeal doesn't necessarily need a tent, but hospitality first, it just cracks me up and there's always a great lesson to take in everything, that one's default thought should be hospitality just cover your bases. We have these three very important people. People who are all attributed to these three mountain experiences, we have Jesus on Mount Tabor. We have Moses from Mount Sinai. And we have a Elijah who is very connected with Mount Carmel. in fact, it's on Mount Carmel that Elijah sees God. One of the most powerful passages in all of scripture and a story, we will be referring to a lot, forever. And should probably do a full episode on at some point. God walks by and there are three things that happen. There was a mighty wind. But God was not in the wind. There was a fire and God was not in the fire. There was an earthquake and God was not in the earthquake. And then a still small voice came to Elijah. I've always found this image very powerful in that when we think of Moses on Mount Sinai. We think of this big, booming voice, right? For those of us of a certain age, we go back to a certain Charlton Heston movie. I am the Lord, your God. Right. It's very booming voice, which is very much associated with the law. Loud booming. Declarative voice. And Elijah who heard the still small voice. The quiet voice and there in between the two is Jesus the Christ in the fullness of his glory. Now we can get into some of the theological questions and stuff that come around with this moment, but, to me the most important lesson I learned from here is the Christ as the pivot point between these two things. The law which is quite literally for Moses written in stone. The 10 declarations are, as they're often said in English, the 10 commandments, literally carved into stone. And Elijah. The prophet. The justice maker, the one who engages in good trouble. The most prolific slaughterer of. People in the entire scripture, which is why people like me always speak of Elijah with great reverence. Because people who are familiar with the story of Elijah and the profits of ball. They say their prayers, they say their prayers and when elijah brings fire down on his stack and the profits of ball, don't. Elijah then pulls a sword and kills 500 profits of ball. We'll talk about that later Elijah is a bit scary and in legend becomes increasingly scary because Elijah having never died occasionally shows back up in stories. And is always there to as Brian said, judges, the hospitality of the place that he goes to. woe and to you, if Elijah finds you wanting. The profits are the voices of justice. The law is not always about justice. I think this is where we get things confused. The law is about righteousness. When we are talking about the law, we're talking about what is right and what is wrong. We're talking about ethical codes, moral codes. How you should govern yourself and how you should govern a society. That's what the law is. The law is not interested in justice. It should be the embodiment of justice. It should be written justly. But. a, human actor has to make justice happen. I like to think of the law as it's like any structure whether that's a building, a wall, a door. It exists. It gives structure and form to the environment. But it is not necessarily just, it is not necessarily right or wrong. That wall will obstruct passage and flow of air , and everything else, good or bad. But it does give structure. Continuing this trend that we've been on this month with the podcast, talking about peace and peace making. There we have Jesus in the middle. And I feel like this is the embodiment of both the law giver and the pro and the prophet. As Jesus famously said in the sermon on the mountain, not one jot or tittle. Not one little dot or a line. Which shall pass from the law until all is fulfilled. What is the law? You should love the Lord, your God with all your heart, mind, and spirit, and you shall love your neighbor as yourself. The law is love. But this is very rigid. It is love. Not hate, not anger, not fear. And he walks this line between the law giver. Which we see on the sermon on the Mount. And the prophet who is going about interfering with injustice. see a person about to be stoned. And he says, okay. That's what the law demands. This person be stoned. So whoever's without sin cast the first stone. Hmm. That makes you have to stop for a minute. And look at the harshness of the law. Jesus is constantly pointing at the harshness of the law. Why is there divorce according to Jesus, because of the hardness of our own heart. Because we enter into relationships that maybe we shouldn't maybe we're mean to each other and were cruel to each other. There are many, many reasons for a marriage to end, but if we were perfect embodiments of love and compassion, There would be no need for divorce. We would find the person that we loved and we would love them and we would be a perfect love and romance, novels, happy, ever. Afters would be ubiquitous for all. But that's not who we are as a species. So many of us have that hardness of heart. Relationships break and they fall apart Jesus is bringing about this new modality. This new way of acting. And that we are told not to judge. Judge not lest you be judged for you shall be judged by the same measure that you yourself apply. Ooh. This is why I personally don't care what people get up to in their personal lives. But if they're always harping about morality, and getting into everybody else's sex lives and they have a messy one themselves. I find myself talking about it. Because I don't really care what most people are doing in their privacy of their own lives. But you keep saying that you are some Paragon of justice, now I care. It's the hypocrisy that makes me care and we are judged by the standards that we apply. There is also a second part of that. This is where prophecy being able to see the divine be able to participate in those divine energies really comes to the forefront. Jesus tells us to. Not try to take the mote out of our brother's eye. Before we take the log out of our own. What's all that about. Well, the evils that we impute to others are often, not always, but often the flaws we see in ourselves. We're often projecting our own insecurities fears, inadequacies, lapses on to others. And in, so we're telling ourselves. I'll be quite honest. I talk a lot about compassion and our need for compassion because. That is not something that comes natural to me. Compassion is something I had to learn and actively practice. I would not say that I am perfect at it. When I don't believe that anybody's perfect at anything, but I have rage in me. I have anger in me. I'm not somebody who holds grudges. That's not the way that I act, but. if I am not careful in monitoring who I am and how I'm interacting with people, compassion. Isn't always the place that I operate from. I see this as a failing in myself and thus project out. We need compassion. We need confession. You see the St. John Lennon, John Lennon also had this problem and one of his most famous songs, right. All you need is love. Because, yeah, this is a fault he saw in himself that he tried to make better and tried to get better. In his case, I think it is something that he did improve on over time. It is in this as well that we can glean a useful motivational tool. It is in our nature to want to judge others for things. Using that desire. That urge. Sublimating that energy. Into and redirecting it back into yourself. To use that as energy to give yourself fuel for self-improvement. It's quite a powerful tool. Often, when driving, find myself being like, oh, this person's being a jerk or don't drive like a, expletive. I tend to get worked up by other drivers. On my better days, I take a moment. Take that breath for peace and let it go and then I also remember to take that energy that was built up in wanting to judge others, to reflect it back upon myself and realize. Why am I driving as fast as I'm driving? Why am I cutting these people off? Why did I just change lanes five times between two stoplights? It's unnecessary. It's excessive. I'm the one driving like a jerk. I'm the one cutting people off. I'm the one driving too fast. And whether I am quote unquote, driving safer, it's not for the debate at that point in time. It's a lame excuse. I need to fix myself first. Using that as motivation is helpful in fixing myself because it's stuff that I want to excuse. I like doing that. I like going fast . That's fine, but I need to use it, to stop myself from judging others. And redirect that energy so that until I'm driving calmly and sanely and not like a jerk. I cannot judge others on that. Mount Tabor really is the place where we start confronting a lot of this. a lot of early Christian mysticism is based off of this image. Here it is. As important to Christian mysticism as is Ezekiel's vision of the divine chariot is in Jewish mysticism. It is pivotal to this. And they're on. Mount Tabor. We see the Shekinah glory of God. The light shining that we are told was in the tabernacle when they were wandering through the desert. This Shekinah that filled the temple when it was initially blessed by following this light, this glory of God. The Covad . The glory. The hush mall. Of God. Is there. In their presence. It's terrifying. Because in the bright. Un yielding light. There's nowhere to hide. All of your faults are laid bare. All of your imperfections are laid bare. If you wonder why. Your favorite newscaster podcast or starts using soft light more and more and more as time goes on. its because soft light doesn't show wrinkles. The softer, the light. The less likely you are to see the effects of aging, right. Harsh light, bright light shows all imperfections. If there's the slightest wrinkle in your clothes. The harsh light will show it. And that really is. The experience. Why. The tremendous and fascinating mystery when you encounter the divine. That shakes us to our core. Is you realize there's nothing to hide. There's nowhere to hide. There's nothing. That you can cover up here. This is what the apostles are seeing. The apostles are the stand-ins for us in this moment where they're just like, Uh, Guys. Moses and Elijah are here. And Jesus has kind of glowing. There's light everywhere. It's important for us to realize there's always light. Everywhere. You glow. I glow. It's subtle. It's soft. Our eyes. Don't pick up on it. Well, because it is so faint. But one of the things that we know because of the nature of our bodies and the way the chemistry. The biology and the physics work within them. Every human clothes, just biologically Glos. We don't have to get into subtle matter. And all of the things, spiritual things here. You glow. There is a light about you. I would also agree with Yoda, luminous beings. Are we not this crude, matter. That light is always around us. And in that light, we realized that we are all intrinsically the same. We are all striving for a life that is free of sorrow. That is full of joy. That grants us a sense of fulfillment. And we might not all pick the best or even the right way to do it. But we all have that commonality that. Unifies us. In spirit and in. Reality. Staring at this immage and I highly recommend. You just take some time in meditation. And just imagine it for yourself. You can use a picture. If that helps you find your favorite painting. There are millions of them probably. Scenario, because it is such a famous moment from the gospels. Or just allow your imagination to be what it is. Let Moses look like, whatever you want Moses to look like. let Elijah looked like whatever you want Elijah to look like. Let Jesus look like whatever you want Jesus to look like. Let the mountain. Look like what. Whatever you want it to look like you don't need to go. Find Mt. Tabor on Google earth and see what the actual landscape looks like. Just let yourself be in the moment. What arises for you? What does this look like to you? And how do you feel. In that light in that place. As this great. Illumination this base. Illumination is flowing up. Where the one life is erupting like a fountain into the world. Reminding us that the true path. That we walk. Is not. The righteous path of the law. The justice making path of the prophet. It's that path in the middle. It is that middle way. That place in between where we have to not only remember the letter of the law, but the spirit. What is the justice that needs to be done here. What is the goodness that needs to be done here? What is the truth that needs to be done here? We're not always looking for. That booming. Loud Cecil B DeMille. Voice of God. Booming from the heaven. Which by the way, if you really want to see how good he was at. Making that happen. He actually made a silent film version of the 10 commandments before he made the Charlton Heston, Yule Brenner one. It's a silent film. And. You will actually understand a line from the Torah very profoundly. And it says that their eyes heard. They saw the voice of God. Because there's no sound. It's a silent film. But he does such a good job in conveying the imagery there. You can hear the thunder. You can hear the lightning, you can hear the booming voice. Which is a. Sign of just how good he was as a filmmaker. This is a moment. Foundational. To our mysticism. To our. When I use the bad R word. Religion. Remember I use religion in the Roman sense of the term. It's religio it is. The link. What links us back. What links us again? What links us together? In this moment, we see the tradition. We see Moses, we see Elijah, we see the Christ. We see the future. Here's Peter, John and James. We see the future. The future of the past and the present all together in one place. We're forced to start asking ourselves. What is our future? What is our past. What. Traditions are we going to hold on to, this is really the power of the profits. The profits are the pruning sheers of faith. When you actually look at the Hebrew prophets. Right. You read the law of Moses. The law of Moses is very clear. We use this knife to kill this animal and use this ladle to put this blood on this, alter it. I mean, step by step instructions on how sacrifice works. And then we get to the profits. And through the mouth of the profits. Hear the voice of the Lord. I do not want to or sacrifice. I want your love. That is a pruning shear. Being taken. To the faith. That is a pretty sure being taken to the law. The law is very clear. On this day, we bring these animals to this place to do these things. From Blom Blom Blom Blom. For me, it was one of the greatest revelations. When. Going through different traditions and looking at. Everything it was recognizing. There's the core. There are those. Few things and it should be very few things that are essential. It's like in life. You have to eat. You have to drink water. You have to breathe. There are those essential things. Those are the things that you allow to be your law. But everything else. Is personal practice. That is the prophetic element. That is, the justice making element. And it's recognizing that is. Personal. And you can share the other trappings with others. Through the different traditions that link you back. It's not essential. It doesn't matter. The ladle you use is not core. Sacrifice. It's not core. It's the love. That's core that needs to be in all of it. But the rest. And then the profits helped. to. prune that. And help to put into context. That, oh, this is not essential. As we said at the very beginning, what was the law that Jesus gave. Oh, master. What is the greatest commandment? You will love God. With all your heart. Mind and being. And you love your neighbor as yourself. And there it is. How the hell can you love somebody else? If you don't love yourself, there you go, it's also very profound. Very true. It's very true. That is the core of everything that we're doing. And. When you ask yourself, how do you love God with all your heart, mind, and spirit again god is our aliveness. We are called to live. God. God is our aliveness. Inner radiance. Love being alive. Love you are aliveness live. To the best of your ability and you are. Showing that love and affection for God. That is what we really see here. This just fount of life. Pouring forth on mountain table. We bask in the radiance of that tabernac light. And this is something that a lot of Christian . mistics. Talk about. And if you've ever experienced this in meditation, it is such a profound experience that. Occasionally there you are. You're sitting with your eyes closed and deep meditation. And you just find yourself surrounded by light. It's just there. It didn't suddenly appear. It was always there. You just didn't see it. We distract ourselves so much. And I think one of the more interesting things is we see this conversation. In the gospels between Jesus Moses and Elijah. I want to bring that challenging moment up here. was that really a one-time thing. or is everything that Jesus did a conversation between him, Moses and Elijah. Between him the law and the profits. Was just that just one moment? Where everything was just right enough that the veil slipped. And people could see. That discourse happening. Because from my point of view yeah. This is just that moment where it was visible. Not a unique moment in time. I think you can see that discourse on. The Mount of olives later in the story, and you can see it on the sermon on the Mount earlier in the story. You can see it all the way through. You can see it. In Jesus, when he is assaulted by the man possessed by many demons. And Elijah. Comes out in him and he wrestles him to the ground. And cast the demons out. It's in the moment. Of the fishes and the love just before the fishes and the loaves. When the community has brought the problem before Christ. And Jesus has that moment. the law says, cast them out. You can weed that, that crowd down really easily. justice says, hospitality says, feed them all. Or feed. As many as you can. So as we sit here, Remembering. The transfiguration. This moment where we get to see this glimpse of the divine Christ, the cosmic Christ. The one who Paul tells us. Holds the cosmos together. Hold that vision in our minds. Really ask ourselves how we can participate with it. How we can find more moments of that divine light. And how we can. Walk this path between the law and the prophets. More fully. In our daily lives. I hope you've gotten something out of this. I hope that. Something we have said has moved something in you and we would love to hear for you. You can reach out to us through our community over at sub stack. Just go to https://www.creationspaths.com/. And click on the chat tab. You can leave your questions, comments, and anything. There. You can also comment on this post over there and keep the comments over there. However you want to do it. You can also reach out to me. I am https://bsky.app/profile/creationspaths.com on blue sky and https://www.threads.net/@creationspaths. Over on threads and Instagram. But we'd love to talk to you. About this. And answer any questions you might have. If there's any way that you can help support us and keep us doing what we're doing. You can join our community over at https://www.creationspaths.com/ for all of our paid members, there are classes coming. That will be first behind. The paywall so that we can make sure that we're giving special attention. To those who are taking them and make sure we're asking, answering any questions that are asked. And everything, but they will go out to the wider community later. So don't worry about it. If you don't have the money. Right now. Don't hurt yourself. Never hurt yourself. In giving to us or anybody else. They're going to go wide afterwards. We're just going to start. With the paid audience and then spread out from there. And if you're hungry for knowledge. There is https://wisdomscry.Com. Which has a lot of wonderful information and articles on a wide, incredibly wide variety of topics. And an ever-growing treasure trove of knowledge and information. , as more and more articles go up regularly. thank you so much for being here. And has always made the blessings and light of God ever shine upon you. That you may find the path that you should walk. Amen. Amen. Get full access to Creation's Paths at www.creationspaths.com/subscribe

In today's discussion, we're delving into the seven mistakes some OCD therapists are making in 2024. While the title might seem provocative, the goal is to highlight concerning trends in OCD treatment and provide insights that could enhance therapeutic approaches. Remember, this is my opinion based on what I've observed in various forums. I don't claim to have all the answers, but I hope to spark a constructive conversation. Mistake #1: Insufficient Initial Education Importance of Education at the Start of Treatment Many clients report feeling thrown into exposure and response prevention (ERP) without adequate preparation. Therapists must take the time to educate clients about OCD, their obsessions, and compulsions, and what to expect from treatment. This foundational knowledge empowers clients, giving them a sense of control and a clearer understanding of their journey. Mistake #2: Failing to Instill Hope and Confidence The Power of Hope in Treatment Therapists must remind clients that they have the potential to succeed. Treatment for OCD can be highly effective, and it's crucial to communicate this. While maintaining a realistic perspective, therapists should focus on the positive aspects of available treatments and instill a sense of hope and confidence in clients. Mistake #3: Neglecting Evidence-Based Modalities Therapists should prioritize evidence-based treatments, particularly ERP. While it's important to integrate supplementary approaches like ACT, mindfulness, and self-compassion, the core of OCD treatment should be grounded in proven methodologies. Clinicians need to stay informed and ensure their clients understand the rationale behind chosen treatments. Mistake #4: Misconceptions About ERP Being Traumatic ERP: Not Abusive When Properly Delivered Concerns about ERP being traumatic often stem from poor delivery rather than the method itself. Proper education and a strong therapist-client rapport can mitigate these fears. It's vital to ensure clients understand why they're facing their fears and to provide a supportive environment throughout the process. Mistake #5: Rigid ERP Plans Flexibility in Treatment While structured plans are important, rigid adherence can be detrimental. Treatment should be flexible and tailored to the client's evolving needs. Engaging clients in the planning process and adapting as necessary ensures that the therapy remains client-centered and effective. Mistake #6: Overlooking Barriers to Progress Exploring Underlying Issues When clients struggle with certain exposures, therapists should explore the underlying barriers. Understanding the client's fears, trust issues, or other relational dynamics can provide insights that help adjust the treatment plan accordingly. This approach prevents avoidance behaviors from taking hold. Mistake #7: Not Assigning Homework The Role of Homework in OCD Treatment Homework is a critical component of OCD treatment. Without it, progress can be significantly hindered. Therapists should find creative ways to ensure clients complete their assignments, offering support and accountability measures. This empowers clients to practice skills outside sessions, enhancing overall treatment efficacy. Conclusion These seven mistakes highlight areas where OCD treatment can improve. It's essential for therapists to remain flexible, informed, and supportive, tailoring their approaches to each client's unique needs. Open communication and a collaborative mindset can help address these common pitfalls, ultimately leading to more effective and compassionate care. Remember, this discussion aims to foster growth and improvement. If you're a client, don't hesitate to discuss these points with your therapist. Together, we can create a more effective and empathetic therapeutic environment. Transcript Today we're talking about the seven mistakes some OCD therapists are making in 2024. Now, I know the title sounds spicy, but in no way am I trying to be spicy. What my goal is today is to talk to you about some of the things I've heard, whether that be on social media, on podcasts, on blogs, or at conferences, when people are talking about the treatment of OCD that deeply concern me.  Now, let me first say, in no way do I consider myself the moral police on OCD treatment. In no way do I believe that I am the knower of all things. In no way do I think that I know more than other people, my way or the highway. That is absolutely not what I'm saying here today.  However, I am going to give you my opinion on some of the things that I hear that deeply concern me. I'm just here to share what I think is helpful. I hope, if anything, it's here to really reassure clinicians that they're on the right track because there are some amazing, amazing OCD specialists out there. If not, if this is something that you may find is calling you out a little, please, I'm here to hopefully bring some goodness into the world. Let's talk about the seven mistakes some OCD therapists are making in 2024. As I said, this is all about my opinion. Again, in no way am I the moral police, but let's talk about it. My guess is you're probably going to agree with everything I say. If not, I'm totally okay with being disagreed with.  Mistake #1: Not spending enough time at the beginning of treatment educating their client about the research and the science-backed treatment approaches that are here ready for us to use for OCD So often, I hear clients saying in my office that they had this experience of ERP exposure and response prevention where they were just thrown into it, and they were like, “Let's just go.” I get that. I love an eager therapist. I love a therapist that's not going to waste people's time, but we have to spend a lot of time in the beginning educating them about the condition of OCD, helping them to understand their obsessions and their compulsions and how we get stuck in them and how they can be so seductive and how they can trick us, and also talking about what's coming, what treatment's going to look like, and what you can expect.  We have to spend a lot of time talking about that as well so that the person who's engaging in this treatment feels a sense of mastery over what's about to happen. They feel like they can make decisions as they go because they've got a plan. They can see them crossing the finish line. They can keep that. They know what that's going to look like, and they can use that to inform their decisions and how they connect and communicate with the clinician. Mistake #2: Not instilling hope and confidence in the client We have to remind our clients that they have everything that they need, that the treatment can be very, very successful, and that it's an experiment. We don't have to get it perfect the first time. This is a collaborative experience. There's a lot of hope here that by us collaborating and by us talking through what's working and what's not working and having them understand that this is actually a really good thing to have in terms of there are many conditions that the treatment sucks, the treatment isn't that effective. The treatment doesn't help as much as it does with OCD.  I never want to do the toxic positive thing with clients, but I also want them to acknowledge the conditions. This is one that we actually have some good research on. We have some good treatment options. We have these great supplement modalities that can help us along the way. We want to infuse them with hope. We want to infuse them with confidence in this process. I do often see particularly younger therapists not spending enough time really bringing a sense of hope to treatment because it's so scary. They're already in so much pain. They've probably been through treatment that sucked in the past. What we want to do is really focus on that hope, because hope is often what motivates us to take those first baby steps.  Mistake #3: Not engaging in evidence-based modalities This is a huge one. I could spend a whole podcast episode or a week on this topic. There is so much misinformation about treatment and what is considered evidence-based.  Now again, I'm not here to tell anybody what their treatment should look like. That's a personal decision, and every client gets to make that decision. Who am I to judge? People need to come and know that they have agency over their lives and the decisions they make. But clinicians should be educated, and they should educate their clients on the options for evidence-based treatment modalities.  Now, I am a huge supporter of exposure and response prevention. I have been trained in it. I have been doing it for 14 years. I have seen it succeed over and over and over and over again. As I've been public in saying, I see no reason to abandon that.  Now, that's not to say that I haven't introduced modalities that supplement ERP. I love the use of ACT. I love the use of mindfulness-based cognitive therapies. I love the application of self-compassion. In many cases, I have applied dialectical behavioral health therapy to clients who are struggling with emotional regulation. Maybe they're having self-harm or suicidal ideation. Absolutely. As time continues, we're seeing newer approaches and modalities come up. But I see it in my job as a clinician to educate my clients on the treatment, what has worked, and what I'm skilled at doing too.  The other thing is there is some research on other treatment modalities besides ERP. I think that's wonderful. I mean, my hope is that one day we have something that is a sure thing, 100%, and we can absolutely promise that we've got guaranteed results. This is going to be something that I continue to learn and educate myself on, but my opinion is that I'm sticking with ERP. I love it. I find it so helpful and empowering. It lines up with everything and my treatment that has helped me. For those who are wondering, I am a committed ERP therapist. Mistake #4: Saying that ERP is traumatic or abusive Now, in fact, this concerns me so much that I did an entire episode with Amy Mariaskin. It's Episode 365. We talk specifically about this very sensitive and important topic, “Is ERP abusive?” What came from that episode, which is very similar to this one, is I don't actually feel like ERP is an abusive treatment modality. I think that sometimes how it's delivered can be concerning, but that's the truth for any treatment modality. You could say the same about cognitive behavioral therapy. We could say the same about any medical treatment in terms of how the delivery can determine whether it harms people who are vulnerable. One thing that I will be very clear, and I believe this in my heart, is the narrative that exposures, that facing your fears is mean, is a traumatic experience. I agree that if you're having someone face their fear without giving them the education that they need and not explaining to them why they're doing it -- believe me, guys, let me also disclose here. I've made a lot of these mistakes myself as a clinician. Let's just be open. I have been in this particular situation. Actually, if I'm going to be really honest with you, number one, that mistake of not educating your clients, I learned that by a client telling me, “Kimberly, I do not understand why you're having me do what you're doing. I'm someone who needs to know what I'm doing, or I'm not going to trust you. Slow down and tell me what this looks like.” Again, no judgment over here. I've made a lot of these mistakes myself. But I think that throwing people too fast and too hard can feel very overwhelming, very activating.  Again, these are things we learn as we get better. Every clinician makes mistakes. That's what makes them good clinicians. In no way do I want clinicians to feel blamed or judged here. We're human beings. We're doing the best we can, and every client is different. Sometimes we also need to build a rapport with clients so that they can share with us. We talked about that in the episode with Amy.  The most important piece here is having a rapport and a connection of trust and respect so that the client knows that they can tell us that this doesn't feel right, that this crosses my values, my limits, and my boundaries. This doesn't feel like it's something that lines up with my values. We can have a conversation about that and be respectful about, “This is what works for me in this relationship, and this is what's not,” or “Here are my concerns about ERP. Could you help me to work through this, or could we consider having a conversation before we move forward?” I think that's what also helps this from being experienced as a trauma as well.  But if this is something that is a hot topic for you, go and listen to that because it's such an important, compassionate, respectful episode. Amy did a beautiful job of going deeper into this specific topic.  Mistake #5: Following an ERP plan that has zero flexibility I get it. When I first started as an OCD therapist, I was trained to use a very structured exposure and response prevention plan. There were modules and systems, and you had to follow the manual. I loved my training. My training literally set me up. It was some of the best OCD training I think anyone could ask for. But there were times when I stuck to the plan so diligently that I missed the client. I missed their needs. I missed hearing from the client on what they think the next step is.  Now, what I have found to be so beneficial is to talk to the client. What would you like to do next? This is our plan that we originally made together because we talked about it at the beginning of treatment. Do you feel like you're ready to take this next step? What's getting in the way of you taking this next step? Let's discuss. Is this the right step based on what we thought we knew, or are we going to shift it up now?  I think that the flexibility in treatment helps teach clients how to be flexible in their daily lives as well. We don't want to follow a rigid plan unless there's some clinical reason to do so. I think we also have to understand here that some intensive treatment programs require really rigid plans because of the severity of the disorder. Absolutely, I completely get that. But I think where we're really going with that is it has to be individualized. We have to understand the client's needs in order to make a plan. And then from there, we can decide what's best. But we have to stay away from rigidity.  I also don't love any treatment modality that has modules that make the clients go through modules because, again, I think it misses the client, where they're at, what their needs are, and what else is going on in their life. Again, every clinician delivers it differently. I respect every clinician to know what's best for their clients, but it's something that we can look out for. Mistake #6: Moving on without exploring what was getting in the way Let's say you had a treatment plan and the client said, “Ah, that doesn't work for me.” And then you just say, “Okay, fine,” and you move on without slowing down and getting curious. Tell me about that. What's getting in the way of you being able to do this exposure? Is there an obsession I'm not aware of? Is there something else happening that's happening relationally, or is there a trust issue or rapport issue between you and I that might be getting in the way of us not completing that part of the treatment plan that we had originally agreed would be helpful for you?  It's really important, and I've seen this with my own staff, with my own consultation with other clinicians. Moving on too quickly can allow OCD to get sneaky and help them engage in avoidant compulsions. We have to be really careful about not engaging in compulsions with our clients. Sometimes our client's OCD can be very convincing in getting us to not address certain issues because of an avoidant compulsion.  Again, complete transparency. I've been there a million times, so absolutely no judgment here. These are all things we just have to keep an eye out for and do the best that we can. Consult as much as we can. Do a little check-in with ourselves. I try to do a check-in every week. How is each client going? How are they doing? Where am I stuck? Where are they stuck? Am I having any blind spots here for this client? And this could be one where there's a real big blind spot. Mistake #7: Not assigning homework to clients This one is so hard. Again, I've been there. Often, when clients are in a lot of distress and they have a busy life, a family, or a job, we might assign homework, and they might show up on Tuesday at nine o'clock and say, “I'm so sorry, I didn't do my homework.” You say, “Not a problem. Let's try and get it done this week.” Send them home with the homework. Next Tuesday at nine o'clock, they show up and still haven't done their homework. Sometimes, I see this a lot, therapists go, “Okay, they're not someone who does their homework. I'll pivot, and I'll make sure we're doing extra exposures in session.”  That's a really great pivot. But I would usually stop there and have a conversation with the client and really help them understand, not from a place of judgment or shame, but that their success in treatment goes way down when they stop engaging in their homework assignments. We have to really stress to clients that one hour a week is not enough and that we have to find creative ways and motivation tools to help them make sure they're engaging in their assigned homework.  I have allowed clients to send me the thumbs-up emoji in an email to show me that they've done it, or maybe they've called into my voicemail to confirm that they've completed their homework. Again, I don't make them do this, but I always offer them, what can I do? What service can I offer you that will help you stay accountable for your homework? Because for every minute of homework you do, you have massively pushed the needle in the success of your treatment. I often see a lot of clinicians just disregard homework and say, “It'd be great if they did it, but they won't.” I would stop and pause there and really explore with the client and make sure they understood that treatment won't be that super successful if they're not engaging in homework.  Again, we want to get creative. We want to collaborate with them as much as we can.  What can we do to help get that homework done?  Can we set more realistic goals?  Can we stack it onto another routine that you do?  Can we help with accountability?  Can we bring in a loved one or someone who can support you?  What can we do to help increase the chances of you getting better?  Because I always say to my patients, my hope for this treatment is to teach you everything I know so that you can be your own therapist. Not to say that I don't want to treat you, and I think you shouldn't need a therapist. I just want you to be trained to think about it so that when you're at home and you're struggling or maybe you're in recovery, but you have a little lapse, you can recall, “Oh, I remember the steps. I remember what I need to do. I feel empowered. I know this works. I'm going to get to it and trial that first.” There are the seven mistakes some OCD therapists are making in 2024. Please know, there is zero judgment here. Please also know, this is just my opinion. I fully respect that every clinician is going to come from a different perspective. I fully believe that every clinician comes and sees their client and has the ability to really meet them where they are. I just wanted to bring this up because these are topics I'm discussing with my staff, and I think that it's something that maybe would help you today.  I'm going to send you off with a big, loving hug and remind you that today is a beautiful day to do hard things.  If you're a client and your therapist is engaging in some of these behaviors, don't be afraid to bring it up. We're a collaborative team here. I always tell my patients, I want to hear your honest feedback. I want to hear if something's not working for you because that helps you, and I'm in the business of helping.  Have a wonderful day. I'll see you next week.

Today's guest is Shoshanna Raven, founder of the 'Living Brave' community. Ania and Shoshanna discuss the importance of showing up authentically in the entrepreneurial journey. Shoshanna shares insights from her experience leading the Living Brave community, discusses overcoming challenges like self-censorship and playing small, and offers advice on how to maintain visibility and connection even during tough times. The conversation touches on balancing mission-driven work with personal struggles and the importance of genuine relationships and emotional intimacy within a community.TIMESTAMPS:00:00 Introduction to Exposed Podcast00:36 Meet Shoshana Raven: The Shameslayer00:53 The Mission of Living Brave05:10 Navigating Challenges and Showing Up11:56 Balancing Life and Mission20:00 Connecting with Your Community24:47 Conclusion and Social Media HandlesGUEST BIO:Shoshanna Raven is a multi-7 figure business coach and founder of the women's empowerment brand Living Brave, for anything-goes, shame-slaying, taboo-breaking conversations around wealth, influence, leadership, power, and feminine lifestyle.SOCIAL MEDIA: https://shoshannaraven.com/https://shoshannaraven.com/podcast/https://www.instagram.com/shoshanna_raven/TRANSCRIPT:Today we have a special guest. The Shameslayer herself miss ShoshaNna Raven. Welcome, Shosh. How are you? Oh, I'm so happy to be here. We were just saying, you know, seeing this from the idea to the actual execution is such a special thing. And this topic of showing up, like how we show up, you know, how we present ourselves to the world is really like the backbone of Living Brave and its mission of dissolving the distance between who we know ourselves to be and who we Can be in the truth of our heart and soul and how we present to the world.Right. And that like deep level of embodiment and integration of self saying what's alive and true and real. So this makes me really happy. And I feel like this would solve a lot of problems for people over complicating stuff of just like, Wow. Where am I hiding? Where am I performing? Where am I pretending?Where do I feel like I can't just fully meet the moment exactly as I am now? And that kind of dissonance, I think is, is a huge problem for female entrepreneurs. And I honestly think it holds us back in so many different areas of our life because life has built off relationships and that's what business is.So I'm really glad to be here having conversation around showing up and how we show up as. authentically ourselves. So for anyone who doesn't know who you are, can you please share what kind of magic you create in the world? Yeah. What kind of magic we create in the world. So I founded living brave, which is this amazing community of shame, slang, visionary women, and some conscious men all around the world.And really the foundation of the movement that is a coaching business. And, you know, we have in person events and retreats. It's just so far beyond a business. It feels like a heartbeat for me is helping people really free themselves from the shackles of shame and honestly, self censoring and playing small and allowing ourselves to be just fully seen.And to really. Yes, be brave. Just do it scared. But to understand how we do that and what I found is that it's so easy to say, just do it and just be brave. A lot of us are like, well, how? Because I'm terrified. And so living brave is really all about walking with our fear, using the power of vulnerability, using the power of collaboration, of connection, of Of self exploration of understanding our own energetic body and emotional bodies in order to tap into the truth of our heart and soul and create unique pathways and strategies to help us.You know, achieve what was otherwise impossible. And so I always speak about how it's so much more important to really focus on how we're showing up in the moment to moment in the day to day, because especially in the world of business, which is where I focus with a lot of my clients, there's a lot of in, there's a lot of.Conversation around knowing where you want to go and reverse engineering where you want to go and having the plan and being so focused on what you want. But the truth is, you know, one of your questions on what do you do in life is lifing like life will life. And what I find is that. You know, our mind is so limited in its capacity to, to dream.And what I believe is possible today is limited by what I've done in the past. And so if I just continue to focus on how I'm meeting every single moment, no matter how beautiful or chaotic or expected or magical it is, that's going to take me so far beyond my mind's capacity to dream, On a vision board.Like how am I to know how good life can get? How am I to know? Cause life has surprised me so much. I'm not even going to try to reverse engineer the process. How can I be the highest level match to this moment? And that's tough. You know, that's tough in a world that it's easy to fall to the lowest common denominator of. You know, the, the reactions in our lives and to really just lead ourselves. So that's what living brave is all about. And yeah, I just love it so much. And I'm so happy that you've been able to be a part of it. It's been so expansive and so many different ways. So I'm grateful to be part of the community and the mission and everything else that we're co creating together.Yeah. So. One of the things that really is inspiring about the way that you show up, not just for yourself, but also for your community, for our community is this unwavering dedication and devotion to something bigger than yourself. And you just coming out of this experience of experience yourself, which is the first trimester and the way that you've been able to show up And consistently show up on social media.Specifically, while leading a movement has just been so mind blown. Like, I don't even have words to describe how it's been witnessing you sharing how deep and raw your experience has been and challenging physically challenging. And yet you continue to show up. So can you just give a little bit of a glimpse into your Working the how you're managed to show up despite not feeling great despite throwing up despite everything else that came up that you probably didn't even share publicly. Yeah. Yeah. Thank you for saying that because man, that was like really, I mean, when do we expect it to be so hard, but it was so hard and I just was so, um, You know, of course life has its plan for us, but Christian and I, my partner, we laugh like we just had no idea. We're like, yeah, we're pregnant. And then everyone's different, you know, and for me, it ended up being at least eight or nine weeks of just like every single day, really getting to that edge.And I think we're afraid of that. That edge where you really ask yourself, like, can I do this? Like, can I do this? Am I dying? Like, I can't even tell me the amount of times like, am I dying? I can't do this. Can I do this? I can't do this. I'm dying. And it really felt like this, that was my truth. Like I'm at the absolute edge of what's possible for me right now as a human being, and I feel like what gets me through, it's almost like the flip side of that question.Is what gets me through hard times is my mission and is my work. And so a lot of people ask like, well, how do you continue to show up in your mission, your work when you're going through a hard time? But if you ask me the question of how do I get through a hard time, it's like having a bigger context for going through something tough.Like what got me through my breakup was knowing that although. I didn't like to hear it in the moment. I knew it was so on brand. I was like, this is living brave. This is my moment. Like the worst thing can be the best thing. Like HSV is the best thing that ever happened to me. I thought it was a death sentence.I thought it was going to ruin my love life. It's brought me everything. Beauty, beautiful in my life, like good or bad. Who's to say, you know, just everything that I teach. Those are the moments that really matters. I teach. That leadership is easy when it's going well, but we need leaders who are willing to walk into the unknown, the darkness when it's not necessarily easy, because that's when we need a guide.And so if I can be that for myself and I can know that I'm walking through something hard, not just for me, but for other people and to be a representation, just like other mentors and guides have been for me. Then it gives me a strong sense of purpose and it gives me a sense of strength and courage and energy that I didn't have before.So even when I show up to like the vortex calls, my mind is like, really, are you going to feel better when you get on this call? Cause that doesn't make sense because you feel really bad. Like I felt really not good before even today's vortex call, but I just knew I went upstairs. I saw Christian and he, I was just like, Oh, I'm really struggling.I think, I think I said to him, I'm going to throw up all over the vortex. And I was like, but I think maybe I was like, but I, I bet I'm going to feel so good. And I'm telling you being on that call, being in my purpose, being sometimes you could say distracted by a pocket, an area of your life where you feel like I know what I'm doing and I've got this, and I feel very convicted in this when life is in chaos, turmoil, family issues, relationship, health, whatever feels like, Ooh, I'm in a really big unknown.Um, I know a lot of people who are committed to the path of master, like, Oh, throughout my whole life, commit to the path of mastery, their whole life, their mission, their purpose, no matter what shape they're in. It takes, cause it can look like one business here. And, you know, shame slang doesn't necessarily mean the coaching business.It could be being an author. It could be speaking on stages. It could be the way that I show up in my family, just that context for my life smooth is out those edges. So I would say that while physically having less energy, not wanting to look at screens, um, I didn't necessarily have the cadence that I have when I'm like, yeah, we're on fire, you know, new programs and new experiences.In fact, it's June and we're going to run the first new live experience of the year, you know, this month. But I would say sharing my truth and my heart. I don't know what I would have done without the community, because when I'm going through something challenging, I've built this house, I've built this community, I've built this business so I can live in it.You know, like I've, I. It was hard for me not to share with people that I was pregnant, even though I have a high risk pregnancy, even though it was only six weeks, because I wanted to be able to ask the community and the people that I love. And I've built relationships with, Hey, what did you do? What was helpful for you?I wanted to be able to really share a piece of my life that was special to me. And that's really beautiful when you feel like you've built genuine relationships with the people in your community and your audience. And it's not just, how do I get people to join my offers? It's like. No, this is a relationship and I genuinely like to share, you know, like back when social media was just for your friends and family.And of course there's always a shadow side to wanting the likes and the validation. We're human beings, but ultimately it can be about connection and self expression, you know, detached from a business. I I'm really grateful sometimes for the fact that I had my social media. I love to share my writing.And I had a podcast before monetizing with any offers just to share for the sake of sharing. So to not share kind of hurts my soul because it's a way that I. It's a way that I integrate. It's a way that I self express. It's a way that I self actualize. And so when I cut that off, it almost feels like sometimes my internal process is stuck. I love the distinction between like, not necessarily focusing on work life balance, which so many people talk about, but actually looking at it as this is my life. And my mission is what pulls me forward. So we're not putting it in a little box and putting a bow in it. You're saying this is all of me. And how can I express myself fully with my community?And I'm not just looking at these people as numbers that they're my clients. They're also part of my family, even though they're my clients, which is like so refreshing and kind of breaks apart that whole structure that it has to be one way or another way, but that it's black and white, it's like, no, how can I just.Show up unapologetically and share what's on my heart. What's real and true right now. Yeah, absolutely. I love that distinction of, I never wanted a balance. I never wanted something I had to balance. I always wanted something that could support my life and that my life could support. And so I want my work to make me better as a person, make my life better.And I want my to feel my passion. You know, I want, I want them to feel like. They're supporting each other and that not one is taking away from the other and that I can trust that there's seasonality in life. So it doesn't mean that we're going to be okay posting every single day on social media. It can be, Hey, there's some days where I've got so many ideas.I just want to post three times today. And there's some weeks where. I know there's not so much creativity flowing, but I might give a little gift to my future self, which is the gift of consistency and say, okay, I'm going to take a little bit of time, maybe repurpose something, or maybe give myself a little more focus because I know that.Showing up and being visible really helps me. It helps my people. It helps my future self. So not going through these drastic swings. Um, but I, I ultimately feel that one of my core principles is to really think less, to think less, just go, just to go, just do think less. And so whenever I would really get in my head, around any of this pregnancy, which wasn't a lot because I was so in my body, which was one of the gifts, I think, of being so s Um, I know I've become a better person through this process and that's, that's always my philosophy is like everything is happening to refine you into being, you know, a more fuller, a more compassionate, more embodied, enriched part of yourself.And sometimes it can be a process that feels kind of. Ugly, you know, it can extract parts of yourself that you get to let go of. And sometimes it can be really beautiful because it reveals parts of yourself that you didn't know that you had and you get to strengthen. But ultimately, if I did get in my head, it would be around like, oh, shoot, am I able to do this?It would be very like, let me think about a future that hasn't existed yet. Or it would be very heady of like, is the way that I'm showing up the way I'm supposed to, is this sharing too much, too little, it was too vulnerable. And it it's all head. And so I often feel that when someone's going through a hard time, it's not actually too challenging or too time consuming to show up.And it doesn't mean they need to share everything about what they're going through. In fact, maybe it could be a time to say, I'm really kind of confused in this part of my life. So what do I know? Like, what am I truly embodied in? How can this anchor me through this time? If I can't make content and art out of what's actually happening in my life right now. Um, a lot of, I think what makes it hard is overthinking around like, am I going to be able to show up? Am I going to be able to do that? Am I going to have to cancel this? Like what's going to happen then? And then am I going to do the, and it's none of it's really necessary. Yeah. None of it's really necessary.Cause I would find myself wanting to go there and I'd be like, well, I'll just show up for my calls today. Um, see what happens tomorrow, you know, like, well, there's literally no reason for me to think about that right now, but that's so draining and, um, stress filled that I think that's honestly what gets in the way, uh, for most people of continuing to follow through on their commitments or grow and life is lifing is the overthinking and just come at it every single day.Cause there's a lot happening. Just, if all you can do is like, you know what, I'm just going to show up to my commitments. Here's what I'm going to do today. Here's what I'm going to do this week for my future self. Here are my daily things that are going to set me up for success in the future. So I don't let this one part of my life or something unexpected is happening, really disrupt all the other parts.How can I continue to pour into these parts that matter to me as I do shift energy and focus into this part of my life, whether it's health or relationship or, well, their family, um, of course it might be taking more time, but how can I. Okay. Continue to feed these parts of myself to be kind to my future. I love the connection to your future self and acting from the present self for the future self because every single thing is compounds. So again, if we're acting from obligation, if we're showing up because we feel pressured to show up, then that's also not serving. So I'm curious to hear how that distinction is for you.Do you ever feel pressured? And in that moment, how do you drop back into your body and connect to coming from inspiration versus obligation? Yeah, I think a lot of the times when I share, it's very inspired and it's like, like, this is what we all want, right? Like on the best days, it's like inspired. It feels good.It feels like, ah, I've got something to share. This is exciting. This is, I just got off a call and here's a cool idea and this is fun. And, but there are days where it might take a little extra umph. It might take a little more time. It might take, what do I want to share today? I haven't shared in a while and I'm in promotion of an offer that I am going to put a lot of energy into.And I know that being visible around this is important. So I want to create something for that today. Right. And nothing's really coming through that. I would say the distinction between, okay, I feel obligated. Cause I've got to show up every day. Cause I said I would. Um, it's more of that devotion, right?And it's, it could be a devotion to your community. It could be in service and devotion to this offer. You know, like say you were like, I don't feel like coming to this, to showing up to this call of shows, but you might be like, well, This offer, like the, this experience that I have, like it deserves my presence, you know, and, and in reverence to the idea that I had or for sh and her time, or the people who are supposed to listen, I'm, I'm gonna devote to those relationships and those things that really matter to me.But I think when you can shift it to, I feel obligated because I have to make sales and it can be like I feel, um, in service and in love. To my future. Like this isn't like, I feel obligated because I need to make money today. It's like, I know that I bow to my past self for the brave things that I've done for the times I've shown up when I really don't want to show up.Like, I love that woman, you know, and I want to be that woman for my future. That really matters. So that's shifting from that like obligation to like, okay, I love you. You know, I'm going to do this for you because like this, this matters to us. And again, this is about having your mission pull you forward versus your current reality or the circumstances that you think are bad or wrong or whatever else undesirable there. Yeah, that's beautiful. Well, I'd love to hear from you. What would you invite the audience? What kind of challenge can you give them like one tangible step that they can take in order for them to reconnect with their mission, with their purpose? And show up for themselves, their business and others. Yeah, to reconnect to themselves and reconnect to their, their mission and their why and their community, one step that they could take, if they could imagine for a moment that there's no business and that there is nothing to sell and that these are just like people who love following them and think that they're cool and I think sometimes we, we forget that like most people who are in your world and watching your stuff, like they're super inspired by you.They, they like you as a person, you know, and that's a really cool privilege to be someone on their list, like the list of people that they, they spend their time with to really look at before this was a business. Um, just to simply connect, just like you would go to a friend's house to connect or a new party to connect. You have this opportunity to connect with these people who, whether you met on a trip or whether you met, you know, last week at a gathering, or whether, um, you, it's an old friend from high school, college, like, what would you kind of want to share with them? Maybe it's a life update. Maybe it's just like.Hey, here's what's going on. Here's something I've recently gone through that might be supportive for anyone. Here's like the real truth of my heart, you know, not trying to get anyone to do something, but really just acting as if. This is like a family. These are your friends. Like what would you genuinely want to share?And I really like to do that from time to time. Like, Oh my God, guys, there was this big milestone. Like I just hit this milestone. Here's the photos of this new house that I bought. And like, gosh, I'm so happy. And like, this is so cool. Or I'm in my first trimester and holy shit, this is really hard. Like I want, I would love to hear from you guys, like the answer to two questions.Like it would mean so much to me, you know, like one. Do you, do you really forget with your second kids and to like, you know, what really helped you or, you know, like I would genuinely share that with, with people. It has nothing to do with my business and I really don't need someone to be gotten there. So how can you just make like one post as if you had no business and you were just sharing with family and friends and update vulnerable, share something funny or quirky, um, and strip it.Really reread it and go, am I trying to get someone to do something? And can I just play with like, just for one post, like, don't try to get someone to do anything and just like truly seek to connect and just share something that matters to you. I'm going to do that tomorrow too. Stretching into the playful and the weird energy of myself and like not to take myself too seriously and just share for the sake of sharing and to bring A smile on somebody else's face.Yeah. We need more of that. Yeah. People take themselves way too seriously. Uh huh. Yeah, absolutely. And there's, I mean, even starting to write a book, which is so exciting, I'm like, Oh, I want to go back and like look up some of my social media posts. I've basically written everything already, you know, like all these concepts, but it's interesting because. You know, some of them do have an invitation or they're so short. Sometimes you can't really like say all that you want to say, like, maybe I do have more writing than I think, you know, because it's like, it's, it's just different just to, just to share. And I think it's so important from time to time, especially if you have a personal brand connected to your business, um, or you genuinely want to feel like in those times, like you're like, Oh, I wish I felt like that.Like in those times where you're just like. Throwing up, feeling horrible, or like you're just going through a time. You're like, I do not want to be on social media to, to actually have that field. I'm like, no, like I want, I want to get support from my people. I want to share with my people. This is going to be like a relief, you know, to actually feel that it comes from like having those relationships and relationships take emotional intimacy and time, you know, and trust.And so that's how you start to build it. Yeah. Beautiful. Love that. Um, so for anybody who doesn't already follow you. Where can people find you and find more of your magic? Yeah. At Shoshana underscore Raven is my Instagram and it would be amazing. I would love to see the, the shares in the posts that you create, maybe inspired from this conversation.That would be awesome. Yeah. Tag Shosh and let's see what else gets created from that. Thank you so much. And we'll see you online.

9 Ways to Stop Picking Your Skin This Summer As summer approaches and the weather gets hotter, many of us are eager to wear shorter sleeves and enjoy the sun. However, this often leads to increased skin exposure and, unfortunately, a greater temptation to pick at our skin. In today's article, we'll explore nine strategies to help you stop picking your skin this summer. These tips have been helpful to many of my clients, and I hope they will be just as beneficial for you. Understanding Skin Picking Before we dive into the strategies, it's important to understand what skin picking is. Clinically known as dermatillomania, skin picking is a type of body-focused repetitive behavior (BFRB). People with this condition may pick at their skin, arms, lips, scalp, nails, and even more sensitive areas like the pubic region. It's similar to trichotillomania, which involves hair pulling. It's crucial to note that skin picking and hair pulling are not forms of self-harm. People who pick their skin are not trying to hurt themselves or seek attention. They often do it because they are either understimulated (bored) or overstimulated (anxious or overwhelmed). Understanding this can provide insight into the strategies we'll discuss. Strategy #1: Awareness Logs Awareness logs are a powerful tool in any stage of recovery. By logging every time you have the urge to pick, noting how much you picked, where, and for how long, you gain a better understanding of how this condition impacts your life. Many people find that having to document their behavior reduces the frequency of picking. Awareness logs are a key component of habit reversal training, a cognitive-behavioral therapy technique specifically designed for BFRBs. For more information about BFRB School, our online course for skin picking and hair pulling, CLICK HERE Strategy #2: Keep Your Hands Busy Engaging in a competing response can help divert your urge to pick. Competing responses might include using fidget toys, holding a stone, or playing with soothing textures. You can find many affordable fidgets online or at dollar stores. Create a basket of tactile items that you can use to keep your hands busy. Place these items around your house, in your car, and at work to ensure they are easily accessible when you need them. Strategy #3: Create a Skincare Routine A good skincare routine can help prevent irritation and dryness that might tempt you to pick. However, it's important not to overdo it, as too much attention to your skin can also trigger picking. Consult with your doctor to develop a routine that keeps your skin healthy without exacerbating your condition. Strategy #4: Use Physical Barriers Using physical barriers (called habit blockers) like gloves, band-aids, or long sleeves can prevent you from touching and picking at your skin. Some people find that keeping their nails short or wearing fake nails can reduce the tactile satisfaction of picking. Identify what works best for you and use these barriers consistently. Strategy #5: Self-Compassion Practicing self-compassion is vital. Beating yourself up for picking only increases negative emotions like shame and guilt, which can lead to more picking. Instead, practice radical acceptance and reduce self-criticism. This approach can help you feel more motivated and improve your overall well-being. Strategy #6: Manage Stress and Anxiety Managing stress and anxiety is crucial, as many people pick their skin to cope with these feelings. Cognitive-behavioral skills can help address faulty cognitions and behaviors that exacerbate stress. Consider taking an online course, like Overcoming Anxiety and Panic, to learn effective stress management techniques. Strategy #7: Establish a Support System Having a support system can make a significant difference. Whether it's family, friends, or online support groups like those at BFRB.org, having people to check in with can help you feel less alone and more accountable. Some people find it helpful to text or call a support person when they feel the urge to pick. Strategy #8: Stay Hydrated and Healthy Good nutrition and hydration can impact your skin's health. Speak with your doctor about how to maintain healthy skin through diet and hydration. Additionally, consider looking into over-the-counter medications like N-acetylcysteine, which has been shown to help with skin picking. Always consult with your doctor before starting any new supplement. Strategy #9: Set Realistic Goals and Track Progress Set achievable goals and track your progress. Instead of aiming to completely stop picking, focus on gradually reducing the behavior by a small percentage each week. Tracking your progress helps you see improvement and identify what strategies are working. Remember, small steps lead to significant changes. Conclusion These nine strategies can help you stop picking your skin this summer. Whether you use awareness logs, keep your hands busy with fidgets, or establish a support system, each step you take brings you closer to managing this behavior. Remember to practice self-compassion and set realistic goals. If you need additional support, consider enrolling in courses like BFRB School or Overcoming Anxiety and Panic. Transcript Today we're going to cover nine strategies to stop picking your skin this summer. It's getting hotter. You want to start wearing shorter sleeves or have your skin exposed to the sun more often, which means you're more likely to start picking at your skin. Let's talk about nine strategies that you can use right away. Hopefully, you find them as helpful as my clients have. Welcome back. I am so excited to talk with you about nine strategies and skills that you can use to stop picking your skin this summer. But before we do that, let's just first do a little deep dive into what skin picking is. Clinically, we call it “dermatillomania,” and it's a kind of body-focused repetitive behavior. Often, people with skin picking will pick out their skin, their arms, their lips, their scalp, and their nails. There's really no limit to where someone can pick their skin. Some people even pick pubic areas under their arms or around their genitals. There is, as I said, no off-topic area that people will pick. It's completely normal for people to pick in one or all of these areas. It's similar to a condition called trichotillomania, which is hair pulling. Again, hair pulling is another type of body-focused repetitive behavior, and people may pick at any area where there is skin on their body. It is important for us to first highlight that skin picking and hair pulling are not self-harm. People who pick their skin aren't trying to hurt themselves. They're also not trying to just get attention. They do not want to be damaging their skin or giving their skin abrasions and such. It's just a part of a condition, and we have a little bit of insight as to why they're doing it. Often, people with skin picking, or dermatillomania, are skin picking either because they're understimulated, they're bored, or we know they may be overstimulated. Maybe they're very anxious, they're feeling hyper-reactive to feeling overwhelmed with either emotions, stimulation, or thoughts. We do know that people who engage in this skin-picking behavior are more likely to pick either when they're overstimulated or understimulated. That's something to think about, and there is a clue there into some of the strategies that we're going to use today. Let's get to it. Let's start talking about some of the strategies that you can use to stop picking your skin this summer. Strategy #1: Awareness Logs Awareness logs can be so helpful at any stage of recovery. An awareness log is either a piece of paper or a document on your computer or on your phone, where you log every time you have the urge to pick your skin, how much you picked your skin, where you picked your skin, and how long you engaged in skin picking. What this does is, number one, it helps us really understand to what degree this condition is impacting your life. Secondly, people often report that when they have to document it, they're less likely to engage in the behavior because nobody wants to have to spend all their time logging it as something they don't want to deal with. Awareness logs can be a very helpful skill for us in understanding our own condition and our own symptoms, and in addition, they can help us with motivation to slowly reduce this behavior. Awareness logs are something we use in a very well-known and researched way of using cognitive behavioral therapy, and the type of therapy is called habit reversal training. It's the specific modality that we use for skin picking and hair pulling, and it is a key component of that cognitive and awareness work. Strategy #2: Keep Your Hands Busy Now again, when we're using habit reversal training, we engage in something called a competing response. A competing response is a behavior that competes with the feeling of picking our skin. Now, a competing response might be fiddles or fidget toys. It could be holding a stone or maybe stroking a feather. It could be playing with other fidgets that we have. The cool news is that you can get so many fidgets online these days for a really low price, or you could easily go to your dollar store and look around for textures that feel beautiful to you, feel soothing to you, or help you with either the understimulation or overstimulation. What we want to look for here is, what are the specific tactile experiences that you can use to keep your hands busy? We actually have an online course called BFRB School, which is a specific course for people with hair pulling and skin picking, using skills like habit reversal training and cognitive behavioral therapy. We talk all about the core importance of using competing responses. I often tell my patients and my students to always have a bucket or a basket in the house of different tactile experiences, different tactile things that you can play with objects, so that at that moment, if you've identified in your awareness log that you're feeling bored, you can engage in something that stimulates your creativity, stimulates your awareness. However, if you're the opposite and you're feeling overstimulated, you might dig into the basket and find something that's quite soothing. Maybe it's more like a silly putty, a gel, or something else that's more soothing for you. These competing responses are going to be so important for you in getting very clear on what you need at that moment and having it readily available. I often say to my patients and my students, don't just have it in one area of the house because, in that moment, you're still going to want to just pick your skin. What we prefer to do is to have little pieces over the house, in your car, or in your office so that they're easily accessible. Some people have it on their key rings, some people have it in their purses—whatever works for you. Again, that awareness log will help us identify specifically where you are when you're having these urges to pick your skin. And then we can put in competing responses to compete with the skin-picking behavior. Strategy #3: Create a Skincare Routine That Helps You This is a little bit of a fine line, though, because we don't want to engage in a skin routine that has you putting too much attention on your skin because, again, too much attention on your skin is going to mean that you're more likely to pick your skin. However, we also want to make sure that we are not ignoring your skin, letting it get really dry, especially in the summer. Maybe you've had a sunburn or such, and you've got some wind chafing or something. Again, if you have any irritation on your skin that isn't taken care of with a skin routine, you are more likely to pick at that skin, especially if there's already an open wound or a scab. If you already have an open wound that you've scratched or maybe you bumped into something and you've got a little scab there, we want to make sure that we're engaging in a really healthy skin routine to help that heal and repair so that you're less likely to go and pick that. I would encourage you to speak with your medical professional about skincare and what would be best for you. Maybe you have a skin condition. Very commonly, people with skin picking do. Speak with your doctor about a skincare routine that will help your skin picking but not be so extensive that it actually makes it worse. I would trust that your doctor will be able to help you in that area. Strategy #4: Use Physical Barriers Again, going back to the gold standard treatment for skin picking, which is habit reversal training, we use what we call a habit blocker. This is something that blocks you from the habit of picking, and this can involve anything that stops you from being able to touch your skin. A lot of patients and students I have had have used things like gloves or band-aids to cover an area that they're likely to pick. Maybe in the summer, they may wear longer sleeves even though it's very hot because that actually stops them from getting to the area that they feel an urge to pick. You may also want to keep your nails really thin or cover your nails. Some people keep nails on, like actual fake nails, as a barrier to being able to touch the skin. Maybe it doesn't give them that same tactile feeling of picking when their nails are medium-length. What we want to do here is identify for yourself the specific barriers that are helpful. The thing to remember here about skin picking is that everyone is different. Not one strategy that I've used for one client is going to be the strategy we use for another client. It's going to be very much dependent on those awareness logs that you logged out of in that first strategy. Getting clear on specifically what are the triggers that cause you to pick your skin and what specific behaviors and habit blockers are helpful to reduce the skin picking that you feel the urge to engage in. Strategy #5: Self-Compassion We have to engage in not beating yourself up, not judging yourself, not punishing yourself if, in fact, you have picked or recently picked despite all of these strategies. Beating yourself up actually does not motivate you to stop picking. In fact, it usually brings up more emotions such as shame, guilt, sadness, anger, and humiliation. Those emotions can send us into overstimulation, making us want to pick again. Again, we want to engage in a practice of self-compassion. We want to engage in a sense of radical acceptance of ourselves, whether we pick or not. This is so important because we want to reduce our suffering, not make our suffering higher. We do find that people who practice self-compassion tend to have higher levels of motivation, decreased levels of procrastination. They tend to feel better about themselves and have higher self-esteem. They're more likely to get out there and do the things that they love. Every moment that you're engaging in in your life is a moment you're less likely to be picking. It's very, very important that you practice a self-compassion routine, even if it's once a day. Anything is better than nothing to reduce that self-criticism where you can. Strategy #6: Manage Stress and Anxiety  I cannot stress this enough. It is so important when it comes to skin picking that we manage our stress. Again, a lot of people pick their skin because it is a way in which they can manage their stress. A lot of people with skin picking say once they start picking, they can exit out of reality and go into a trance-like mode where everything disappears and they feel relaxed and in the zone, and it takes away all of the stress. We can now understand why there is actually an urge and a pull towards picking and pulling, because who really wants to stay in stress and anxiety? Of course, it makes total sense. The more we can manage our stress using strategies, skills, and other tools like cognitive behavioral therapy, the less likely we are to use skin picking as a coping strategy. When it comes to managing stress, again, the most important thing we're going to do here is what we call cognitive behavioral skills. It's going to be taking a lot of our cognitions that might be faulty, leading us to have more anxiety, and also looking at our behaviors and the things that we do that may be actually exacerbating the stress and anxiety that we experience. If you're someone who struggles with anxiety and stress, I strongly encourage you to check out our online course called Overcoming Anxiety and Panic. We go through all of these steps. You can do it from home, and it may help you to get an idea of what might be some of the things that are triggering your stress response, triggering your anxiety response so that you can manage that, so that then you can move on to manage your skin picking as well. Strategy #7: Establish a Support System We want to have a community of people who can support us as we go through these steps. It's not an easy thing to overcome skin picking, so I really want to encourage you to find a support system, whether that be family or friends, or you can go to BFRB.org. They have a whole array of online support groups that you might be interested in looking at to get support, so you feel like you're not alone and that you have the support that you need. Another option here is to also look for accountability bodies. Somebody who mightn't even have skin picking. They might be a loved one, a friend, a parent, or a sibling—someone who you can check in with when your urge is really high. A lot of my students have said that it's been very helpful when they have the urge to text somebody and say, “I have a strong urge. I'm texting you to let you know.” They may have already set up a plan on what to do. Maybe they jump on a phone call together, they might text each other throughout it to help the person ride that wave of the urge. Or maybe that person might encourage them to say, “Hey, you told me to remind you of this one thing if you have this urge.” Really, the importance of a support group can help you, or a support person can help you not only with feeling less alone, not only with beating yourself up, but also with putting these strategies into action, especially if you let them know about the strategies. Strategy #8: Stay Hydrated and Healthy Now again, I'm going to encourage you to speak with your medical doctor about this, but I just wanted to mention because I try to look at you as a holistic, full person, someone who's not just your skin picking, but also, we want to have a look at things like your health. Take a look at your nutrition. Take a look at your hydration levels. Again, these things can impact our skin. If, let's say, you're having a lot of nutrition that's causing a lot of breakouts and you're someone who's prone to skin picking, those two things together could become a disaster. You want to speak with your doctor or a professional in that area about specific nutrition, things you may want to avoid eating, and how hydrated you need to stay to keep your skin healthy, to reduce the chances of you wanting to pick and pull. A lot of patients I see, and a lot of students that have come through BFRB School, our online course for skin picking, have reported having skin conditions, acne, or certain things that have impacted how much their skin is irritated, how many pimples they're having. Now, I'm not assuming that nutrition and hydration are the solution to all of that, but I would encourage you to speak with a doctor and just inquire about what you could do to make sure we're addressing those skin conditions. Another thing to know here, and this is like an inside scoop, is that there are specific over-the-counter medications you can get that have been proven to help with skin picking. I'll leave a link in the show notes for you to take a look, but there is a vitamin that's called N-acetylcysteine. It is an over-the-counter medication that has very few side effects and has been shown to help people with skin picking. Now again, I'm not a doctor. I would strongly encourage you to speak with your doctor about that, but again, I'm trying to give you as many resources today as we can to help you get to the goal that you want. These are all things that you can take a look at and speak to your doctor about. Strategy #9: Set Realistic Goals and Make Sure You Track Your Progress  We want to set realistic goals. I always tell my patients at the beginning of treatment that the goal isn't to completely stop skin picking, even though most people are coming for that goal. Because what I have found is, when you set that huge goal, it sets you up to fail. It makes you feel so bad if you slip. It makes you feel so much pressure. It's such a scarier experience than if you say, “Hey, I'm just going to reduce this by 3 to 5 percent each week,” or month or day, whatever is right for you. We want to set realistic goals—goals that can help keep you motivated and goals that make you feel like they're achievable. We also want to track progress. One of the most important parts of treatment, once we've done that first awareness log—and we do this in BFRB School, I do it with my patients as well—is that once we're off and running, we then track how well we're doing. How well did you use your tools? What tools didn't work? How long did you pick for? Where were you? What went wrong? We are not doing this to beat you up or to scrutinize you; we are doing it from a place of experimenting, gathering information to know specifically what's getting in the way of your recovery and what your progress looks like. Some people may say, “I'm not making any progress,” but when we actually look at their logs, we're starting to see progress in these small ways. Remember, small steps lead to medium-sized steps. Medium-sized steps lead to huge changes. The last strategy is probably the most important. I could have spent a whole podcast episode talking about that. It's about setting realistic goals and tracking your progress. Again, if you are struggling with this and you want to take BFRBSchool.com, head on over to CBTSchool.com. You'll get access to it there. It will take you through all of these steps. We also have modules on self-compassion, mindfulness, and healthy lifestyles that can really help you with this recovery as well. I'd strongly encourage you to consider that as a hopeful strategy as well. All right, guys, thank you so much. These have been the nine strategies to help you stop skin-picking this summer. I hope you found it helpful, and I'll see you next week.

Transcript: Today, let's discuss exercise and its benefits for health. Also, with a story, you will practice and improve your grammar in context. Before you start listening, go to my website and get the transcript for free. Visit: SpeakEnglishPodcast.com/podcast Great! Let's start! Better Physical Health: Exercising isn't just about looking good; it's about feeling great, too! Regular exercise helps us maintain a healthy weight and reduces the risk of diseases. Plus, it keeps our muscles and bones strong and our hearts and lungs in great shape. Mental Health and Stress Relief: Exercise is like a magical mood booster. It releases those happy chemicals in our brains, helping us manage stress, anxiety, and those occasional low days. And guess what? It makes our minds sharper and our sleep more peaceful. More Energy: Isn't it funny how working out can give you more energy? It gets your blood pumping and your body awake and alert. Better Sleep: Good sleep helps our health a lot. And regular exercise is always a good friend. When we sleep well, our bodies fix themselves and get ready for another great day. Living Longer: Science says that those who exercise regularly tend to live longer, healthier lives. Who doesn't want that? Find Fun Activities: The best exercise is the one you enjoy. Whether dancing alone, walking in nature, swimming in the pool, or playing a sport, choose what makes you happy. Start Slow: If you're just starting, take it easy. Think of it like a journey; you'll get there step by step. Make a Schedule: Let's treat exercise like a date with ourselves. Set a time and stick to it, making it a non-negotiable part of your day. Change It Up: Mixing different exercises is good and helps our bodies. Do some breath-focused workouts and muscle-building exercises, and remember to stretch too. Get the transcript here: Visit: SpeakEnglishPodcast.com/podcast

Transcript Today’s Bible Translation Bible translation used in today’s episode: Ch. 27 NIRV, Ch. 28 CEV Executive Producer Lifespring! Family Berean Sister Ann Associate Producer Michael Haner, Anonymous Podcast Introduction Today is Gospels Saturday. We'll the complete the Gospels with chapters 27 and 28 of the Acts of the Apostles. This is the last episode... The post Acts 27-28: A Call To Action first appeared on Lifespring! Media.

Transcript Today’s Bible Translation Bible translation used in today’s episode: Ch. 18-20 NLV, Ch. 21-22 CEB Podcast Introduction Today is Prophecy Friday. We'll the prophetic books with chapters 18-22 of the last book in the Bible, the book of Revelation. There's a new voicemail that I think you'll find interesting, and as I promised to... The post Revelation 18-22: The Final Chapters first appeared on Lifespring! Media.

Transcript Today’s Bible Translation Bible translation used in today’s episode: Ch. 7-8 NET Associate Producer Jared Buer Podcast Introduction Today is Poetry Thursday. We'll close this section of the Bible with chapters 7 and 8 of the Song of Solomon. I'm calling this episode “God’s Inexplicable Love.“ Summary In chapter 7 verse 10, where the... The post Song of Solomon 7-8: God's Inexplicable Love first appeared on Lifespring! Media.

Transcript Today’s Bible Translation Bible translation used in today’s episode: Ch. 149-150 NCV Associate Producer Daniel Torrelio, James in Norway Podcast Introduction Today is Psalms Wednesday. We'll close this, the longest book of the Bible with chapters 149-150, and we'll have our last prayer time together. I'm calling this episode “The Ultimate Encore.“ Summary Chapters... The post Psalms 149-150: The Ultimate Encore first appeared on Lifespring! Media.

Transcript Today’s Bible Translation Bible translation used in today’s episode: Ch. 6-7 ESV, Ch. 8 NLT, Ch. 9 NIV, Ch. 10 NKJV Podcast Introduction Today is History Tuesday. We'll bring that category of the Bible to a close by completing the book of Esther with chapters 6-10. I'm calling this episode “When God Writes the Story.“... The post Esther 6-10: When God Writes the Story first appeared on Lifespring! Media.

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Transcript Today’s Bible Translation Bible translation used in today’s episode: Ch. 25-26 NLT Associate Producer James in Norway, Anonymous, Jørn Rune Reinertsen, Michael Haner Podcast Introduction It's Gospels Saturday. Our reading will be Acts 25-26.  I'm calling this episode “He Saw the Light.“ Summary It doesn’t matter what your background is. God can reach down and... The post Acts 25-26: He Saw the Light first appeared on Lifespring! Media.

Transcript Today’s Bible Translation Bible translation used in today’s episode: Ch. 12-16 WEB, Ch. 17 NLV Associate Producer Timothy LaFontaine Podcast Introduction It's Prophecy Friday. Our reading will be Revelation 12-17, I'm calling this episode “The Antichrist, 666 and Babylon.“ Summary In Revelation 10-12, the Bible discusses spiritual warfare, emphasizing that our battles are not against... The post Revelation 12-17: The Antichrist, 666 and Babylon first appeared on Lifespring! Media.

Transcript Today’s Bible Translation Bible translation used in today’s episode: Ch. 5-6 HCSB Podcast Introduction It's Poetry Thursday. Our reading will be Song of Solomon 5 and 6. I'm calling this episode “Altogether Lovely.“ Summary As you probably know, this book can be read from at least two levels: As just an account of a bride... The post Song of Solomon 5-6: Altogether Lovely first appeared on Lifespring! Media.

Transcript Today’s Bible Translation Bible translation used in today’s episode: Ch. 146-148 NCV Executive Producer John Train Podcast Introduction It's Psalms Wednesday. We'll read chapters 146-148. We'll also have a time of prayer. I'm calling this episode “The God Who Can Be Trusted.“ Summary Psalm 146 praises God for his trustworthiness. Oh, how I agree with... The post Psalms 146-148: The God Who Can Be Trusted first appeared on Lifespring! Media.

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Transcript Today’s Bible Translation Bible translation used in today’s episode: Ch. 23 NIV; Ch. 24 NLT Executive Producer Jason Paschall, Anonymous Associate Producer Michael Haner Podcast Introduction It's Gospels Saturday. We'll read Acts 23-24. I'm calling this episode “The Conspiracy to Kill Paul.“ Summary In Acts 23 there's a plot to kill the Apostle Paul orchestrated... The post Acts 23-24: The Conspiracy to Kill Paul first appeared on Lifespring! Media.

Transcript Today’s Bible Translation Bible translation used in today’s episode: Ch. 7-9 NASB, Ch. 10-11 WEB Executive Producer Kevin Dills Podcast Introduction It's Prophecy Friday. We'll read Revelation 7-11. I'm calling this episode “The Seventh Seal.“ Summary In Revelation chapters 8 and 9, the story continues from earlier chapters where a mysterious book with seven... The post Revelation 7-11: The Seventh Seal first appeared on Lifespring! Media.

Transcript Today’s Bible Translation Bible translation used in today’s episode: Ch. 5 ERV, Ch. 6 CEV Podcast Introduction It's Poetry Thursday. We'll read  Song of Solomon chapters 3-4. I'm calling this episode “God’s Plan for Love and Intimacy.“ Summary Song of Solomon chapters 3 and 4 portray a wedding ceremony and the wedding night. The... The post Song of Solomon 3-4: God's Plan for Love and Intimacy first appeared on Lifespring! Media.

Transcript Today’s Bible Translation Bible translation used in today’s episode: Ch. 143-145 NCV Podcast Introduction It's Psalms Wednesday. We'll read chapters 143-145.  I'm calling this episode “Gratitude and Grace.“ Summary It's good to take a moment to reflect on the blessings in our lives, both past and present. Life can be tough for some of... The post Psalms 143-145: Gratitude and Grace first appeared on Lifespring! Media.

Transcript Today’s Bible Translation Bible translation used in today’s episode: Ch. 10 NCV, Ch. 11-12 ERV, Ch. 13 NET Podcast Introduction It's History Tuesday. Our reading today will complete the book of Nehemiah with chapters 10-13. I'm calling this episode “Striving for Faithfulness.“ Summary In Nehemiah 13, we find that Nehemiah, despite his clear conscience, is... The post Nehemiah 10-13: Striving for Faithfulness first appeared on Lifespring! Media.

Transcript Today’s Bible Translation Bible translation used in today’s episode: Ch. 26 NCV, Ch. 27 NIV, Ch. 28 NLT Podcast Introduction It's the Law Monday. We'll read Deuteronomy 26-28. I'm calling this episode “Remember.“ Summary In Deuteronomy 26-28, God emphasizes the importance of obedience as the Israelites prepare to enter the Promised Land. They’re told to... The post Deuteronomy 26-28: Remember first appeared on Lifespring! Media.

Transcript Today’s Bible Translation Bible translation used in today’s episode: Ch. 1 GWT Podcast Introduction It's Epistles Sunday. We'll read the book of 2 John. And being Sunday, we will also have a time of prayer. I'm calling this episode “Do Not Be Deceived.“ Summary In 2 John, the author addresses a special woman and her... The post 2 John: Do Not Be Deceived first appeared on Lifespring! Media.

Transcript Today’s Bible Translation Bible translation used in today’s episode: Ch. 21-22 GNT Associate Producer Anonymous, Michael Haner Podcast Introduction It's Gospels Saturday. We'll continue in the book of Acts with the reading of chapters 21 and 22 I'm calling this episode “Following God’s Will.“ Summary In Acts 21, we learn about part of Paul’s journey,... The post Acts 21-22: Following God's Will first appeared on Lifespring! Media.

Transcript Today’s Bible Translation Bible translation used in today’s episode: Ch. 1-3 NIRV, Ch. 4-5 NIV, Ch. 6 NASB Podcast Introduction It's Prophecy Friday, and we'll begin the last book in the Bible. The book of Revelation. We'll read chapters 1-6 I'm calling this episode “Unveiling the Seals of Revelation.“ Summary The Book of Revelation, the... The post Revelation 1-6: Unveiling the Seals of Revelation first appeared on Lifespring! Media.

Transcript Today’s Bible Translation Bible translation used in today’s episode: Ch. 1-2 NKJV Executive Producer Lifespring! Family Berean Brother Phil Podcast Introduction It's Poetry Thursday, and we'll read Song of Solomon 1-2, which is the last of the Biblical books of poetry. I'm calling this episode “God's Design for Marriage.“ Summary The Song of Solomon has... The post Song of Solomon 1-2: God's Design for Marriage first appeared on Lifespring! Media.

Transcript Today’s Bible Translation Bible translation used in today’s episode: Ch. 140 ESV, Ch. 141-142 NCV Podcast Introduction It's Psalms Wednesday, and we'll read chapters 140-142, and we'll have a time of prayer. I'm calling this episode “Desires and the Heart.“ Summary Psalm 140 reflects the difficult moments in David’s life when he was pursued and... The post Psalms 140-142: Desires and the Heart first appeared on Lifespring! Media.

Transcript Today’s Bible Translation Bible translation used in today’s episode: Ch. 5-6 NLT, Ch 7-8 NIRV, Ch. 9 NCV Associate Producer Travis Blevins, Chase Jacobson Podcast Introduction It's the History Tuesday, and we'll read Nehemiah 5-9. I'm calling this episode “A Pure Heart and Honorable Intentions.“ Summary In Nehemiah 5, Nehemiah asks God to remember his... The post Nehemiah 5-9: A Pure Heart and Honorable Intentions first appeared on Lifespring! Media.

Transcript Today’s Bible Translation Bible translation used in today’s episode: Ch. 23 CEB; Ch. 24 NKJV; Ch. 25 GNT Podcast Introduction It's the Law Monday, and we'll read Deuteronomy 23-25.  Summary No commentary today. Support This a value for value podcast. There are no advertisers because advertising equals censorship. If you enjoy the Lifespring Family... The post Deuteronomy 23-25 first appeared on Lifespring! Media.

Transcript Today’s Bible Translation Bible translation used in today’s episode: Ch. 4-5 GWT Podcast Introduction It's Epistles Sunday, and we'll complete the book of 1 John by reading chapters 4 and 5.  I'm calling this episode “Sin, Redemption, and the Blood of Jesus.“ Summary In 1 John 4-5, there’s a notable passage (verses 16-18) that warrants... The post 1 John 4-5: Sin, Redemption, and the Blood of Jesus first appeared on Lifespring! Media.

Transcript Today’s Bible Translation Bible translation used in today’s episode: Ch. 19 CEB, Ch. 20 GWT Executive Producer Lifespring! Family Berean Brother Howie, Anonymous Associate Producer Michael Haner Podcast Introduction It's Gospels Saturday, and we'll read Acts 19-20. I'm calling this episode “Faith and Endurance.“ Summary In Acts 19, we see how Paul caused a... The post Acts 19-20: Faith and Endurance first appeared on Lifespring! Media.

Transcript Today’s Bible Translation Bible translation used in today’s episode: Ch. 1-4 GNT Associate Producer Kevin Schneider Podcast Introduction It's Prophecy Friday, and we'll read the book of Malachi. I'm calling this episode “Even So, Come Quckly.“ Summary The message of the book of Malachi contains God's charges against the people for the neglect of... The post Malachi 1-4: Even So, Come Quickly first appeared on Lifespring! Media.

Transcript Today’s Bible Translation Bible translation used in today’s episode: Ch. 11-12 NKJV Podcast Introduction It's Poetry Thursday, and we'll read Ecclesiastes 11-12. I'm calling this episode “The Key to Lasting Happiness and Peace.“ Summary n Chapter 11 of Ecclesiastes, the author gives advice that’s not pessimistic. He starts by saying it’s good to help... The post Ecclesiastes 11-12: The Key to Lasting Happiness and Peace first appeared on Lifespring! Media.

Transcript Today’s Bible Translation Bible translation used in today’s episode: Ch. 137-139 ESV Podcast Introduction It's History Tuesday, and we'll Psalms Wednesday, and we'll read chapters 137-139. And being Wednesday, we'll have a time of prayer, too. I'm calling this episode “God's Unfailing Love.“ Summary I love the fact that God knows me intimately. To understand... The post Psalms 137-139: God's Unfailing Love first appeared on Lifespring! Media.

Transcript Today’s Bible Translation Bible translation used in today’s episode: Ch. 1-2 NASB, Ch. 3-4 CEB Podcast Introduction It's History Tuesday, and we'll read Nehemiah 1-4. I'm calling this episode “God’s Heart, Our Mission.“ Summary Thoughts on Nehemiah 1 What’s important to God should be important to us. About a thousand years after Moses led... The post Nehemiah 1-4: God's Heart, Our Mission first appeared on Lifespring! Media.

Transcript Today’s Bible Translation Bible translation used in today’s episode: Ch. 20, 22 GWT, Ch. 21 NLV Podcast Introduction It's the Law Monday, and we'll read Deuteronomy 20-22. I'm calling this episode “Gender Identity and Scripture.“ Summary Sometimes, I discuss topics that might be uncomfortable, but I believe it’s important to explore them. In Deuteronomy... The post Deuteronomy 20-22: Gender Identity and Scripture first appeared on Lifespring! Media.

Transcript Today’s Bible Translation Bible translation used in today’s episode: Ch. 1- 3 GWT Podcast Introduction It's Epistles Sunday, and we'll read 1 John 1-3. We'll also have a time of praises and prayer requests. I'm calling this episode “An Open Letter from John.“ Summary In Chapter 1, John starts by showing that Jesus is... The post 1 John 1-3: An Open Letter from John first appeared on Lifespring! Media.

Transcript Today’s Bible Translation Bible translation used in today’s episode: Ch. 8-11 NIV; Ch. 12-14 HCSB Podcast Introduction It's Prophecy Thursday, and we'll read Zechariah 8-14.  I'm calling this episode “Finding Hope Amidst Struggles.“ Summary In Zechariah 6-8, it’s said that the Messiah will build God’s Temple, which is like Jesus building the Church. God’s... The post Zechariah 8-14: Finding Hope Amidst Struggles first appeared on Lifespring! Media.

Transcript Today’s Bible Translation Bible translation used in today’s episode: Ch. 9-10 NKJV Podcast Introduction It's Poetry Thursday, and we'll read Ecclesiastes 9-10.  I'm calling this episode “The Search for Understanding.“ Summary In Ecclesiastes 9 and 10, the writer, Solomon, reflects on life’s complexities. He had sought wisdom but realized that understanding everything is impossible.... The post Ecclesiastes 9-10: The Search for Understanding first appeared on Lifespring! Media.

Transcript Today’s Bible Translation Bible translation used in today’s episode: Ch. 134-136 ESV Associate Producer Jørn Rune Reinertsen Podcast Introduction It's Psalms Wednesday, and we'll read chapters 134-136. We'll also have prayer requests and praises.  I'm calling this episode “God Wants You To Know This.“ Summary “…his steadfast love endures forever.” Our translation today was... The post Psalm 134-136: God Wants You To Know This first appeared on Lifespring! Media.

Transcript Today’s Bible Translation Bible translation used in today’s episode: Ch. 6 NLT, Ch. 7-8 WEB, Ch. 9-10 CEV NCV Podcast Introduction It's the History Tuesday, and we'll read Ezra 6-10. I'm calling this episode “Spiritual Integrity.“ Summary In chapter 10, Ezra prayed and confessed the sins of Israel before God. Many people joined him... The post Ezra 6-10: Spiritual Integrity first appeared on Lifespring! Media.

Transcript Today’s Bible Translation Bible translation used in today’s episode: Ch. 16 NIRV, Ch. 17 HCSB, Ch. 18 NASB, Ch. 19 ERV Associate Producer Timothy LaFontaine Podcast Introduction It's the Law Monday, and we'll read Deuteronomy 16-19. I'm calling this episode “Dark Influences.“ Summary One thing that comes through very clearly in Deuteronomy chapter eighteen... The post Deuteronomy 16-19: Dark Influences first appeared on Lifespring! Media.

Transcript Today’s Bible Translation Bible translation used in today’s episode: Ch. 1-3 NCV Executive Producer John Train Podcast Introduction It's Epistles Sunday, and we'll read the book of 2 Peter. And being Sunday, we will also have a time of prayer. I'm calling this episode “Living Godly Lives.“ Summary Peter tells followers of Jesus to... The post 2 Peter 1-3: Living Godly Lives first appeared on Lifespring! Media.

Transcript Today’s Bible Translation Bible translation used in today’s episode: Ch. 15 CEV, Ch. 16 ERV Executive Producer Lifespring! Family Berean Phil Colbourn, Anonymous Associate Producer Michael Haner Podcast Introduction It's Gospels Saturday, and we'll read Acts 15-16. I'm calling this episode “A Parting of the Ways.“ Summary In Acts 15 and 16 we read... The post Acts 15-16: A Parting of the Ways first appeared on Lifespring! Media.

Transcript Today’s Bible Translation Bible translation used in today’s episode: Ch. 1-5 NKJV; Ch. 6-7 NIV Podcast Introduction It's Prophecy Friday, and we'll read Zechariah 1-7. I'm calling this episode “Prophecies of the Messiah.“ Summary Zechariah prophesied after the Jewish exile alongside Haggai. His visions focused more on the people than rebuilding the temple. God’s... The post Zechariah 1-7: Prophecies of the Messiah first appeared on Lifespring! Media.

Transcript Today’s Bible Translation Bible translation used in today’s episode: Ch. 7-8 CEV Podcast Introduction It's Poetry Thursday, and we'll read Ecclesiastes 7-8. I'm calling this episode “Let Go and Trust God.“ Summary Ecclesiastes 7-8 teaches that human pursuits like wisdom, wealth, and power don’t bring lasting happiness. Solomon’s realization, despite his own riches, is... The post Ecclesiastes 7-8: Let Go and Trust God first appeared on Lifespring! Media.