The Wisdom Coalition Podcast — Well Of Wisdom (WOW)

What do you choose to see and what do you choose to be blind to in your life? Are you really seeing what’s right in front of you, or are you concocting a story that is only based on your thoughts and not on reality. The ladies of The Wisdom Coalition https://www.thewisdomcoalition.com/ explore engaging questions about how you can really focus the lens on your life, your relationships and your future.

When was the last time you were awestruck? When you looked at something or felt something that filled you with a feeling of wonder. These moments can have a huge impact on our lives, our outlook, and our capacity for love.These experiences shift our attention away from ourselves and make us feel we are part of something greater. In this episode, Kim and Nancy of The Wisdom Coalition https://www.thewisdomcoalition.com/, explore how you can increase your opportunities for wonder and awe and how you can harness that power to feel more joy and positivity.

We will all face a crisis at some point. How can we navigate these difficult times in the best way we can, embracing our best selves and the positive impact we can have on other people? Kim and Nancy of The Wisdom Coalition, dig into the latest science on the subject, but also their recent personal experiences with hardship. Positive psychology teaches us to feel ALL or our feelings while still being open to the joy that surrounds us. Kim and Nancy create a verbal handbook you can consider and take with you to navigate the next difficulty in your life with strength, kindness, love, and resilience.

After a traumatic childhood, David Dennis is living his life “with urgency.” He wants to create his best life, but also share what he has learned about thriving, despite disaster. David is a licensed counselor and President and CEO of Eckerd Connects, a child welfare non-profit. His new book is called Gameness: Land on Your Feet, Not on Your Feelings. He tells us what “gameness” is and how you can have it too! He says we should all ask ourselves, “Am I living a life I feel good about?” David also explains the four elements of “gameness” that he has developed in the book.

Do you hate to exercise? Think of it as “joyful movement” instead. Our guest says joyful movement is like Miracle Grow for the brain. And what’s even better is if you get to move and play with other people! All of this is hugely important to our well-being. Dr. Elaine O’Brien, PhD, MAPP https://elaineobrienphd.com/ one of the most informed academics on the intersection of the science of happiness and human movement science, has co-authored a book called The Power of Play: Optimize Your Joy Potential. And, oh by the way, Elaine is one of the first people in the world to earn a Masters in Applied Positive Psychology, under Dr. Martin Seligman, the founder of positive psychology! She explains how and why we should play because she says, “Play provides the foundation to be resilient.” Listen to her great advice, wonderful enthusiasm and powerful words.

Do you find that you take steps to minimize yourself without even knowing it? Do you sacrifice your own needs for the needs of others? Have you stayed silent in a relationship to keep the peace? Do you distance yourself from what you really feel? In this podcast, Nancy and Kim, of The Wisdom Coalition https://www.thewisdomcoalition.com/ , explore Silencing the Self (STS) theory and how it relates to women, especially women over 40-years-old. They discuss ways to recognize when we silence ourselves, how to find our true selves and proudly be who we are without caution or trepidation.

After the tragic suicide of her husband, Lynette Eddy set out to find out how she could have helped him out of the spiral he fell in to. Her plunge and research allowed her to write her book, The Fight Inside: Winning the Battle Between Your Ego and True Spirit, which details how people can overcome destructive thoughts. Eddy, a social worker and creator of the Open Heart Mindfulness approach to life, is also founder of Eddy House (www.eddyhouse.org), a nonprofit that focuses on helping homeless and at-risk teens in Reno, Nevada. She says everything in life comes down to our thoughts and whether we side with fear (our ego) or love (our spirit). She describes how we can understand ourselves and the intersection between our thoughts and our actions.

How do you handle your emotions? The difficult ones? The fantastic ones? How could your life be better if your emotional regulation was different? Experts say emotional regulation is the key to our success, our relationships, and our level of joy. We speak with Jason Sizemore, co-executive director of the Mindful Child Initiative (MCI) in Allentown Pennsylvania. https://themci.org/, a non-profit that teaches kids in schools and the adults who care for them about mindfulness. Jason says when he knows he has something difficult coming up, he “takes a pause for joy” to get ready.

“Our lives are a summation of the choices we make,” says our guest Dr. Sherry Skyler Kelly, a Licensed Clinical Psychologist and Neuropsychologist at Mind and Heart Coaching https://mindandheartcoaching.com/ . Dr. Kelly deconstructs our attitudes about choices and gives us a tangible framework to understand how to make choices that will propel us to our best life. We discuss why choices are so difficult, why we avoid choices, and how to give up the struggle to make the “right choice.” She says, when you have a choice you have a chance. Tune in to this fascinating discussion.

Did you know your brain has the ability to rewire itself? It’s an amazing ability called neuroplasticity. Our guest, Dr. Tami Berry www.drtamiberry.com, a master mindset and life coach, explains it, and how she created a simple, scientifically-proven, step-by-step process to build a life brimming with health, happiness and joyful success. Dr. Berry says we have to live in “co-partnership with our stress response,” instead of fighting against it, so we can learn to quiet our minds and bodies and think with clarity and purpose.

How can art and love help you overcome pain and be more positive? Our guest tells us how! He is artist Kyle Edwards and his brand is called A True L.O.V.E. Story (with LOVE standing for looking on to victory every day) https://atruelovestoryllc.com/ Kyle has an incredible strength and positive outlook that he wants to share with others through his art and his words. Kyle says, “My deepest desire is to aid others in their efforts to fall in love with themselves and dream again.” Tune in to hear how Kyle can inspire you!

How can you get motivated? Positive psychology has some great teachings in this area to help us find our motivation and reach our goals. Kim and Nancy of The Wisdom Coalition, https://www.thewisdomcoalition.com/, break down the teachings and give you some useful tools to create an attitude that is unstoppable. Whatever you have your eye set on, we can help you reach it!

You might have had a traumatic experience but new research shows we can actually grow in positive ways after trauma! It’s called post-traumatic growth theory and says positive change can occur after a life crisis. This is great news! We break down how to ignite this positive spark with Dr Matthew Scult, Ph.D., a licensed clinical psychologist in private practice in Brooklyn, New York. Dr. Scult says post-traumatic growth goes beyond the concept of resilience, and says some people may not only return to their baseline levels after experiencing trauma, but can have positive shifts in perspective as well. Join us for a fascinating, hopeful discussion.

Our thoughts, feelings and emotions create stress in our minds and our bodies. Our guest, Karen Wright, is the creator of Pause Breathe Proceed https://pausebreatheproceed.com/, which is a powerful framework that addresses mental health through an awareness and understanding of self and stress. In this episode Karen gives great insights into how you can calm yourself and others, and how you can avoid the down sides of stress in your mind, heart and body.

After a difficult or even traumatic event, would you think you could find something good? In positive psychology, we use so-called Benefit Finding to look back at our challenges and see what we can learn about ourselves, and our lives. In this episode, Kim and Nancy of The Wisdom Coalition https://www.thewisdomcoalition.com/, walk you through a process from their workbook, Filling in the Missing Piece, that demonstrates how you can look back and see the benefits that grew from past pain. Nancy shares a difficult event from her past and Kim guides her through the questions and the revelations. Listen in to learn about this great tool to build resilience!

Your very best isn’t going to show up by accident. You need to be intentional about the things you do that will increase your happiness, positivity and satisfaction. In this episode, Kim and Nancy of The Wisdom Coalition https://www.thewisdomcoalition.com/ describe small steps you can take right now that will have a huge impact on how you feel. Tune in and design your very best life today!

Do you know someone who is always negative? It can make YOU feel drained after every interaction! What can you do? In this episode, Kim and Nancy of The Wisdom Coalition https://www.thewisdomcoalition.com/, discuss exactly how you can protect your own well-being in these situations so you can have better mental and physical health with tips like: *setting boundaries *staying grounded *using active listening *practicing empathy *focusing on solutions Tune in and make sure you protect your peace despite the negative attitude of someone else!

This spring, let your mindset bloom in new and colorful ways! Our guest is mindset expert, Dr. Wendi Zimmer https://wendizimmer.com/. She tells us, “Too often we get in this downward spiral of what we think other people want for us, or from us. And we try to live up to those expectations and we don’t think about our expectations.” In her new book, The Force Continuum: How to Shift Your Mindset to Transform Your Life . Dr. Zimmer tells us how to formulate a fresh approach to unlocking your personal potential by harnessing the power of mindset, identity, habits, and energy. This, she says, is the formula for a more vibrant, positive mindset. Listen in as Dr. Zimmer explains how you can create your own plan for a better mindset.

Don’t get stuck thinking about every situation in exactly the same way! Transform your thinking by understanding it, reacting to it and shaping it in a positive way. In this episode, Kim and Nancy of The Wisdom Coalition https://www.thewisdomcoalition.com/, discuss how to: *learn to hear your mindset voice *understand which thoughts are helping and which thoughts are hurting you *realize you have the power to choose your own mindset With this knowledge you can act in line with a more positive mindset which creates an upward spiral of positive thoughts, positive actions, and positive surroundings!

Taking criticism from another person can sting. But, it doesn’t have to! You can actually use criticism to expand and grow in positive ways. In this episode, Kim and Nancy of The Wisdom Coalition https://www.thewisdomcoalition.com/, outline a few things about how to react to criticism including: *how to avoid being defensive *how to adapt a growth mindset *understanding oversensitivity *not taking it personally *forgiving yourself *using self-compassion *using the information to be your best self Listen in and understand yourself and your situation better!