Be Encouraged

Is there anything worse than blending into the woodwork, not being noticed, not being understood?  It's painful when it happens to you, right? But we can do that same disservice to others.  What if we didn't go through our days on autopilot, too busy, or too preoccupied to see the real people all around us?  Send us Fan Mail Support the show Be Encouraged podcast is practical, in the mom...

How much power do you want? Does life leave you feeling powerless? Do you want to have power to control things? How much do you already have?  Maybe there is another way to look at power. Send us Fan Mail Support the show Be Encouraged podcast is practical, in the moment, thoughtful encouragement. 

Under the surface of every living person is a set of Agendas. They are powerful, and if you don't know they are there, they can be dangerous. Do you want to know what is driving you and hurting others around you? You can be more aware, and possibly let go of unrealistic expectations that make life harder.  Send us Fan Mail Support the show Be Encouraged podcast is practical, in the moment, th...

When life gets complicated, we wish it was simple. And it's complicated a lot! Listen in for some ideas to manage life's complexity, and struggles. Maybe the answer is kind of simple.  Send us Fan Mail Support the show Be Encouraged podcast is practical, in the moment, thoughtful encouragement. 

Be present in your own life instead of in the stories about other people's lives. From your own life and in your own body you can have live wide awake, not distracted and mindless. I challenge you to fight back against all the noise of marketing, intriguing stories, and problems that are not yours.  Send us Fan Mail Support the show Be Encouraged podcast is practical, in the moment, thoughtfu...

Do you trust easily or do you find it hard to trust people? Either way, trust is important in your life; it's important in everyone's life! It's like a superpower when you've got it, it's like kryptonite when it is missing.  If you just don't want to trust, you are setting yourself up for hard times. But of course trust has to be handled carefully.  Send us Fan Mail S...

It seems there are a lot of voices saying, “be afraid, be very afraid.” There are scary things happening in the world and in our lives.  What is the way to respond to fear? We can give in to fear, then it seems to grow larger. We can ignore fear and maybe get ourselves hurt.  Check out this episode for tips on managing what you find scary! Send us Fan Mail Support the show Be Encouraged podcast is...

All of life is holding on to some things and letting go of others. What do you hold onto that  makes too much demand on you? What should be experienced and then let go? Consider the philosophy of a cat. They own everything, and nothing. And it works out pretty well for them.  Send us Fan Mail Support the show Be Encouraged podcast is practical, in the moment, thoughtful encouragement. 

It is so easy to criticize others. It seems some people just ask for it by doing stupid things! And yet, if we spend enough time criticizing it kind of wears on you. All that negativity thrown on other people splashes back on us.  It's a common problem. Listen in to this episode on moving to a different attitude.  Send us Fan Mail Support the show Be Encouraged podcast is practical, in the mo...

Can you get to a  calm place when things are swirling around you? Or when life gets tough, are you tossed about like the wind into despair?  Your brain can react to the slightest thing, or it can be trained to react appropriately to real threats.  Here's how to set yourself up for success when you need resilience. You can't make life's problems go away but you can ride the waves. Se...

Are you involved with someone who can't seem to manage without you? Do you use a lot of energy to solve other's problems?  Consider what you can do. You can love another person but let them manage themself. You can let go of telling   yourself that you know better (even if you do sometimes). This is setting a boundary; a strong place that is both separate and connected to others. T his k...

Rested. The opposite of tired. Remember rested? Do you know anyone who says, “I’m just so well rested all the time!” Probably not! You’re tired, I’m tired. We are tired a lot of the time. Joint and muscle aches signal fatigue.  Explore together ways toward a rhythm that includes rest! Send us Fan Mail Support the show Be Encouraged podcast is practical, in the moment, thoughtful encouragement. 

Life takes a lot out of us. So like at a bank, there must be deposits we have earlier put in so we can withdraw them when we need to. I'm talking about the ability to stay calm when things are irritating or taxing. The "calm bank" can be built up so withdrawals don't leave you bankrupt, or stressed out or chewing somebody else out!  Send us Fan Mail Support the show Be Encourag...

This meditation is to get in touch with the part of yourself that struggles to find joy when bad things have happened.  Send us Fan Mail Support the show Be Encouraged podcast is practical, in the moment, thoughtful encouragement. 

Can you really know anything in this age of "fake news?" Can you know yourself or anyone else? An ancient verse says we can know when we get still. Listen in to learn more... An archive podcast from the first season of Encouraging Being.  Send us Fan Mail Support the show Be Encouraged podcast is practical, in the moment, thoughtful encouragement. 

You want things that are wrong fixed. Everybody does, to some extent or another. Let's talk about it. What do we do with our natural desire for problems to get solved when so often they don't get fixed, or they take longer than we want them to take. Here are 5 reasons why, and a meditation to experience. Send us Fan Mail Support the show Be Encouraged podcast is practical, in the moment,...

You can notice the small and the large,; you can focus on whatever you choose. It may seem that your mind takes you away or the world decides what you will pay attention to at any given moment.  But exercise your ability to choose. It will settle your mind, create some calm. Just notice. Don't worry about doing it perfectly because you won't. But you can see, you can know what is right h...

What about keeping things, or letting them go? Which should we do? Everybody needs to hold on sometimes, but other times let go. Letting go might need a bigger place in life, and this episode explores why and how.  Send us Fan Mail Support the show Be Encouraged podcast is practical, in the moment, thoughtful encouragement. 

Catch yourself when you get distracted! Notice when you "are all over the place." Everybody seems to do it but there is a better way. Getting this right can reduce anxiety, lower anger, and build up a sense of peaceful confidence.  Humans are marvelously complex. But we can only handle so much. Learn a simple means to be a better person, and get some relief from the tide that seems to wa...

How do you know? How do you know anything? We take in information through our eyes, ears and other senses. We accept it or not. Or we might get a "gut feeling" and "know" something that way.  This episode explores knowing and challenges you to know deeply.  From the archives, this episode originally aired in 2022. Send us Fan Mail Support the show Be Encouraged podcast is pract...

Sometimes the world looks beautiful to us, sometimes it seems horribly broken. The same friend who loves you hurts you. The same dog who consoles you bites. We can complain but it doesn't change anything. And having feelings is real and honest. But the negative feelings or facts don't have to take over. They can be just part of the story.  Listen to this episode for a way to see the beau...

From the Archives How can you Be okay, when so many bad things are happening?  This episode encourages you to live in the moment even when the present moment kind of stinks! The news has been horrible, with loss and grief, painful violent situations that keep hurting people, like shootings and covered up sexual abuse, and war. These stories run in our minds as we work, sleep, eat, and interact wit...

From the Archives, enjoy this episode on Being Still as an emotional and a spiritual exercise.  Listen in for practical tips on living life as something other than "busy person." Go deeper and practice being still for a short time. Meditate a few moments on the scripture that tells us to "be still..." Being still, if only for a short time, makes you calmer. And if you are calme...

If you are struggling you need refuge. It may be from fear, confusion, or feeling alone. In times like that we may look for sanctuary. This episode has tips for finding and getting access to sanctuary in your life.  Send us Fan Mail Support the show Be Encouraged podcast is practical, in the moment, thoughtful encouragement. 

If you see things different than me you are wrong of course. And you probably think the same about me. If I work with you, go to school with you, am married to you, I just need to get away from you because your different worldview is harming me.  Sounds extreme doesn't it? But this is how many people operate.  Maybe there is another way, through humility and grace.  Send us Fan Mail Support t...