Healing through Pain

Being wrong can feel really overwhelming, especially if we were not allowed to be curious during our formative years. While there might be an explanation as to why it is uncomfortable, understanding it as an area for growth may help us move into being more emotionally well.

There are key steps to walking towards wellness, and today's episode is a launching point for considering how to be intentionally healthful! Take a listen and feel free to share!

Want to be well? In this two-part episode, listen to the most basic piece that needs to be considered when we are striving to live a more healthful life.

Kids are their own unique selves. Each comes with a set of skills and talents that, when cultivated, help them bloom into healthful, autonomous adults. Asking them to be different than what they truly are can come with a high price.

Yes, we can feel like imposters. It is actually quite a common experience. Here are some ways to harness its power towards health!

Our decisions run through a linear process - new inputs help us land on new conclusions. But, we do this on our own timelines. In new seasons, hierarchies reshuffle - which is why humility is key!

Protecting one another from natural consequences is not a posture of love; we are called to hold each other accountable and responsible.

We often do something healthful long enough to reduce distressing symptoms, and then we default back to the same patterns that led us towards our struggles. Living a life of symptom management is not living life well.

Hobbies matter! If there isn't anything fun on your calendar, take a few minutes to listen, and then consider what a next step might be. Recreational wellness is part of a balanced life.

Two extended analogies help us understand HOW and WHY to dive in to the emotional gunk that life includes. Sorting through it, healing from it, and walking towards emotional wellness is possible!

If we want to make changes and want to walk towards health, there is one measure that we must consider as paramount to engaging growth. Take a listen to learn more.

We know what ACEs are; now what do we do when maladaptive behaviors show up? Take a quick listen about what the next steps are and open yourself up to the idea of enlisting help!

So we know what the ACEs are, but why do they matter? Cue poor health outcomes, faulty defense mechanisms, and troublesome coping strategies. Therapy can be a helpful tool for addressing and mitigating some of the health consequences of childhood trauma.

ACEs 6-10 are noted as are a few others hard contexts that can contribute to trauma responses. Difficult experiences in our upbringing can lead to us adopting strategies and responses that may serve us short term but result in long-term struggles. Dismantling them is arduous work!

Let's dive into the first five ACEs (Adverse Childhood Experiences) and begin the discussion on how trauma responses show up when early adversity is present. It is foundational understanding for how we may adopt certain strategies as solutions to hard experiences.

Reflecting on our behaviors and challenging our thought patterns can be huge growth opportunities. Self grace and self compassion are important parts of this growth process. When trauma is a part of our story, extra doses of self grace and self compassion may be needed.

For some, poor identity formation is due to parents and authority figures not inviting kids appropriately into adulthood. When this happens, people often experience mental health distress. Need a more formed identity? There is some work to be done!

When we think through sin, there are two helpful definitions that clue us in to human behavior: "missing the mark" and "an illegitimate attempt to meet a legitimate need". When we understand this, there is room for self-compassion and others-compassion when it comes to considering why people engage the behaviors they do! Listen to learn more.

Mental health (as well as general health) has a lot to do with the inputs that we repeatedly do. We often have more control over our inputs than many of us take responsibility for, which means we also have more influence over outcomes than we possibly realize. Take a listen to learn more.

Grief is energy in motion. Sometimes, we may not know how to let it move. Listen for some insights on how grief can show up and what we do with it when it does.

There is a key element to emotional and relational wellness from which we would each benefit! However, surrounding ourselves with like-intentioned individuals is going to be a key part in attaining this posture. Listen to learn more.

NO is a complete sentence. But YES is a commitment. It is exclusive; every time we use this word, we eliminate a host of options in our lives. Use this word intentionally!

Here is an introductory list of some red flags that, when they show up in new relationships, should give us great pause. In fact, "abort mission" should be our response.

When we are experiencing frustration, an important question to ask is "What did I expect?". When we start to get insights into what we want to be true versus what is true, we can begin managing distress better.

People will be trying all types of new things today - setting intentions, setting goals, and making resolutions. Be an encourager, be a cheerleader, but if that doesn't work, at the very least, don't be a jerk! Happy 2022 friends!