Be Encouraged

Your mind is bent toward jumping from thought to thought. Especially the attention deficit mind, and let’s be honest, we are all attention deficit these days. Quick, short, exciting stimuli bites are all around us on our phones, on TV and elsewhere. We have been programmed to be impatient with the slow, to get bored quickly with anything that doesn’t engage with the loud, violent, and stimulating....

Continual improvement, maximizing your life, having everything! There is pressure to always get better, to never be satisfied, to be your own self critic.  Getting better is great. being in a state of punishing yourself, not so great.  There is a better way. Listen in for some practical ideas. Send us Fan Mail Support the show Be Encouraged podcast is practical, in the moment, thoughtful encourage...

Serenity, what a nice idea. Everyone is so stressed. How do we find serenity? There are serenity spas, serenity this, serenity that but a true inner peace isn't found in products.  The Serenity Prayer asks for and shows the way to true serenity. This podcast digs into those steps and encourages you to live wisely, with acceptance, and to take action when possible. Then the magic of receiving...

We all injure ourselves at times, or get hurt in ways that are not our fault. Pain hurts but we can make it worse, or better, depending on what we do next.  This episode gives some concrete tips on managing pain, and even managing feeling stupid when you are the cause of your pain! Send us Fan Mail Support the show Be Encouraged podcast is practical, in the moment, thoughtful encouragement. 

Taking out the garbage is a job somebody has to do often. What lessons can be learned from the process? Does competition, distraction, or just not paying attention get in the way of a fuller life for you?  Be more in your life instead of distracted from it.  Send us Fan Mail Support the show Be Encouraged podcast is practical, in the moment, thoughtful encouragement. 

Do you ever need to “clear your head?” I do.  Things build up that need to be cleared out.  What needs to be cleared? Distractions that built up need to be cleared. Worries and fears need to be cleared. Sometimes self-criticism need to be cleared. This episode explains what, when, and how. Listen for some practical tips to clear your head! Send us Fan Mail Support the show Be Encouraged podcast is...

Sometimes other people's mistakes are funny! And our own trip ups can make us laugh. But it is too easy to judge other people and ourselves. After judging others we may feel superior or after judging ourselves feel inferior. Judging can be harsh yet it is something we all do sometimes.  This episode offers a way to rise above our natural tendency to be a critic.  Send us Fan Mail Support the...

“I don’t know how to relax," someone said.  Do you? When you are on vacation, do you carry yourself differently? I hope you do. Many of us just are more relaxed when away from our daily responsibilities.  Life events create tension in almost everybody. But you don't have to keep that tension, you can learn a way to approach life more relaxed.  Send us Fan Mail Support the show Be Encoura...

Are you stressed out or afraid? Isn't everybody? These are stressful times we live in but we keep plodding along. Do you find ways to distract yourself? That helps only for a little while, and the stress may grow while we live distracted.  Check out this episode to consider what we are up against and some ways you can let go of worry! Send us Fan Mail Support the show Be Encouraged podcast is...

Everyday things can be tiresome. Lots of life is what we have to do, not what we want to do. So how can you make life easier? How can you throw off the obligations and enjoy yourself more?  Jay shares stories of fighting and embracing the rhythms of the day. Listen for some tips to getting to the fun stuff on the other side of your obligations.  Send us Fan Mail Support the show Be Encouraged podc...

Sometimes a memory or a problem gets hold of you and won't let you go. That is what this episode is about. Jay talks about why that happens and what to do about it.  Send us Fan Mail Support the show Be Encouraged podcast is practical, in the moment, thoughtful encouragement. 

People compare themselves to others, and to perfection. The result? Dissatisfaction. When we focus on what we don’t have, life is not peaceful.  If you notice this problem, what can you do about it? This episode gives ideas on beginning to move toward a more contented life.  Hint: it involves being here now, and finding gratitude to quench the desires for more.  Send us Fan Mail Support the show B...

Life is full  of expectations. Or I should say, we are full of expectations. We expect many things from the people and circumstances around us. Find out in this episode what is terribly wrong about that, and when it might be okay.  What if you let go of expectations? Send us Fan Mail Support the show Be Encouraged podcast is practical, in the moment, thoughtful encouragement. 

Daydreams can be delicious and fun. They can be harmless ways to soothe yourself when right here and now is not so pleasant or doesn’t fully capture your attention. But as a frequent habit, drifting off away from the present reality is not so good.   Our imaginations are the source of great creativity. We can imagine something, and then decide to work toward it. But a downside of imagination is es...

Nobody likes to be afraid. But there seems to be plenty of opportunities in life to be scared. And some people are more likely to respond to life with fear and anxiety. Are you one of those people? If so, you need this. This episode gives some tips for managing fear. You'll hear about Jay being scared of a medical procedure and what he did to manage it. Check out this all too human emotion an...

You may be amazed at where you can go from the couch, without even turning on the TV! Here is a step by step guide to being aware of your body. This special episode shows how you can be more present with where you are in any moment, even on the couch in your home! There is a great big world that is beyond distractions and people shouting for your attention to sell you something. That world starts...

Stopping to observe anything can calm you. Observing nature teaches us important things, even something as simple as watching the rain. This episode takes you into an experience of being with a coming rainstorm. Will you notice and learn? It only takes a bit of time and attention.  You might participate in the grandeur of creation! Send us Fan Mail Support the show Be Encouraged podcast is practic...

We can notice whatever we choose in life, or notice all of it, or none of it. This episode is about paying attention on purpose.  Our minds and lives are more peaceful when focused than when we are distracted by a dozen things. Noticing nothing is unfortunately what we often do. Walking, chores, or even driving can be done with half attention, doing something but having your mind on something else...

Can you remember the last time you noticed a moment that created awe and wonder in you?  Maybe it was in nature, or it was watching a child, or it might have been something within yourself.  Awe is that feeling of something bigger than you, something of beauty, of wonder. Maybe you saw life winning out in risky circumstances. Any moment, when we are fully present and not distracted, can be a momen...

Less is More is a saying that we sometimes understand and sometimes not. Is it true? It can be a guide for living more in the moment.  Less is More. Notice only one thing at a time. Check out this podcast about focus on one thing at a time, doing less and having it count for more. Send us Fan Mail Support the show Be Encouraged podcast is practical, in the moment, thoughtful encouragement. 

What if we had more fun? What if we looked for fun along the way in life? We could even plan for fun things in each day. This would be in contrast to taking life so seriously. What if we were tuned into ourselves enough that we let fun happen when it came up? And we scheduled it into our days too. This podcast encourages being open to fun, even in the middle of serious times. Checkout ways to loos...

In this time of high stress for almost everybody, we need some extra care. But many of us were taught to only care for others, not require anything beyond the basics for ourselves. You don’t want to be a burden, or to seem selfish by asking for help or anything that looks like luxury for yourself.  What do you need from friends and family? Do you need more hugs or “rubdowns”? Do you need more unhu...

Do your thoughts soothe you, or upset you?  Many people are anxious these days. Maybe you know someone who is anxious; maybe that person is you. What can you do to survive it?  The answer is a paradoxical idea, it seems like a contradiction. This episode tells the two seemingly opposite things you need to do when faced with anxiety.  A hint: you have to be kind to yourself but kick the wimp inside...

An idiom is a shorthand statements that we use instead of explaining something in detail. They can be fun or confusing. Think about, " It's raining cats and dogs," or "you missed the boat." Some idioms are wise sounding parables like, “All good things come to an end.” I said "all good things come to an end" to the dog the other day (not that she understood me) be...

 Listen for a few minutes to the sounds of the beach. Let it relax you. Maybe you can picture yourself there! There is something about the ocean that puts us in a good mood. Some health experts say that negative ions found in the air at the beach improve our health. Imagine walking awhile on the beach, noticing turtle or crab tracks, shells, seagulls, seaweed and tall grasses blowing in the wind....