Connecting with Mike & Adrian

Self-Esteem is at the core of how we perceive ourselves.  If we allow the connection, the words of others can lift us up or tear us down.  We talk about how life can alter our self-esteem if we let it and ways to safeguard it.

Join us as we discuss a listener's question about how we got our kids to help around the house and how we handled rewards, and encouragement and compliments.  Everyone has something to contribute whether at home, work, or groups that we are involved with.

I could try to do it all myself, or we could do it together and share the load.  The to-do list is long and sometimes seems never-ending, but when we work together the load is lighter and manageable.  We share our experiences and how 1+1 = more.

We love to laugh.  It lightens a heavy day, reduces stress, and brings us together.  When we gather as friends, laughter is usually part of the mix and that which we remember most.

We live in a big world where we are still discovering the history of past civilizations through ancient ruins.  The world is filled with mysteries and things peculiar.  We discuss some of these, Mike's favorite shows, and the magic number nine.

The founder of Written Hugs Designs, Christi Kmecik, joins us to share her story and her passion for connecting people by saying the hard things in beautiful and impactful cards. Be sure to visit Christi's website https://writtenhugsdesigns.com/ Follow Christi on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Writtenhugsdesigns IG: @writtenhugsdesigns

The loss of a loved one is a tender milestone.  It can be challenging to approach the topic of grief and loss with family, friends, and co-workers; let alone process our own personal thoughts and feelings as we experience it. In this episode we  listed some of the many resources available.  Here’s the ones we mentioned: https://brighterdaysgriefcenter.org/ https://conversationswithkelly.com/ https...

Honesty…is it a lonely word?  Join us as we try to get to the truth about this core value and why it is important to our relationships.

Tanner joins us in this episode and talks about his passion for music and how it and his love for people have shaped his life and career path.

"C'mon, let's go, it'll be fun." These are words often heard just before spontaneity occurs, opening the door to perhaps some new adventure or things not done before.  Spontaneity urges us out of our comfort zone and often creates lasting memories.

It's a roll of the dice as to who sits next to you when you get a seat on an airplane.  Mike recounts an engaging experience of a morning flight to LAX.

Heroes don't always wear capes, and they may be hard to spot.  But everyday heroes are out there making a difference for sometimes one or sometimes many, and they are doing what needs to be done to help those in need.

Those that we connect with, often become our friends.  The deeper the connection - the closer we become, and the more we share, laugh, cry, listen, and are there for each other.  Friendships can be the gold thread in the fabric of our lives.

Why did that happen?  How does that work?  What do you think?  What was your experience like?  Curiosity is the gateway to understanding why something happened, how things work, and a persons perspective.  When we are curious, the door to lifelong learning is wide open.

Timing is everything, a chance encounter or conversation can alter the course of our lives.  A glimpse into our personal story shows how a sliding door moment brought our two lives together.

Having a mantra can help us keep focused on what we deem important in life.  Sometimes even old adages and sage advice can keep us from trouble.  We share our mantras, how they've helped us, and ways we've kept them in the forefront of our thoughts.

We read everyday without really thinking about it.  Something magical happens when we read aloud, as the story seems comes to life before us.  Our love for reading and the shared story inspired us to share our experiences and why we continue to love to read aloud as adults.

A chance encounter at the Post Office affords the opportunity to lend a helping hand.  Adrian recounts her experience and frustration with the situation.  Who will step out of line to help?

Patterns, they're all around us and in us.  Adrian interviews Mike in this episode and he talks about how patterns have played a big role in how he sees the world, and how they have helped in his relationships.

Our relationships with our pets is another way we connect with each other.  Animals have brought us companionship, joy, sometimes heartache, and have lifted us up when we needed it.  Pets are part of the family, and we discuss the many benefits they bring to our lives.

At some point the kids leave the nest, and this is a big change for all involved.  There are many things we can do to help prepare them, but we also need to prepare ourselves.  How do we work through the separation from our adult children, and yet find ways to remain connected?

It's Valentine's Day, what a great day to talk about love.  Love exists in many forms in our daily lives.  What does love look like?  How do we become more loving?  Can we create a culture of love daily, giving and receiving love, in all of our relationships?

Sometimes, life or tasks can be extra challenging and require perseverance.  We discuss tools that have helped us and how we applied them to keep pushing on.

Oh the family vacation!  Camping, road trips with Adrian's family of five squishing into a Dodge Omni, Mike bouncing around in the rear seat of the family station wagon, and high school mission trips.  We share our stories and talk about the process of building relationships and making connections along the journey.

Playing games together has been an important way that we connect as a family and spend quality time with friends.  Hear about some of the different types and a few of our favorites.  Game play is good for keeping our brains active and helps with our cognitive skills.  The pandemic reduced our in person play, but there are many ways to play together across the miles, and we discuss how we made it p...