Optimal Relationships Daily - Dating, Marriage and Parenting

Dr. Margaret Rutherford shares an excerpt from her new book titled Perfectly Hidden Depression Episode 771: A Book Excerpt from Perfectly Hidden Depression by Dr. Margaret Rutherford on How To Break Free From Perfectionism Dr. Margaret Rutherford has been a psychologist in private practice for over twenty-five years. She’s the author of “Perfectly Hidden Depression”, and hosts a weekly podcast, Se...

Hilary Barnett of Whole Motherhood discusses the oxygen mask of motherhood and why it's important to be whole for your children. Episode 770: The Oxygen Mask: On Motherhood and Self-Care by Hilary Barnett of Whole Motherhood on Parenting Lessons Hilary Barnett is an author, wife, entrepreneur and mother of two. She lives in Nashville and is the founder of Savvee, a boutique marketing agency that h...

Shawna Scafe of Simple On Purpose shares 8 reasons why it's better to be a stay at home mother than it is to be at work. Episode 769: 8 Reasons Being a Stay At Home Mom is Better Than Being At Work by Shawna Scafe of Simple On Purpose on Parenting Shawna Scafe is a mom of three small kids who started blogging after her first son was born. She wanted to share her c-section story in order to help he...

Kristine Klussman tells us how we can use the past to reconnect in the present. Episode 768: Using the Past to Reconnect in the Present by Kristine Klussman on Creating a Reflection Practice for Growth Kristine Klussman specialized in Health Psychology (Behavioral Medicine) at Harvard Medical School, then founded and ran the Health Psychology program and post-doctoral training programs at Californ...

Kat Medina tells us how we can transform loneliness into joyful solitude. Episode 767: How To Transform Loneliness Into Joyful Solitude by Kat Medina on Creating Space & Time For Reflection As a child, Kat Medina wanted to be MacGyver when she grew up. Now, as the founder and Creative Director of a Silicon Valley startup, she's become a well-traveled bookworm who finds creative solutions to entrep...

Andre Solo with Highly Sensitive Refuge talks nature versus nurture for introverts. Episode 766: Are You Born an Introvert, or Do You Become One? by Andre Solo of Introvert, Dear on Personality Traits Co-founders Jenn Granneman and Andre Sólo's mission is to prove that high sensitivity can be strong. It’s okay to be a highly sensitive person (HSP). In fact, the world could use a little more of wha...

Karen Liszewski of Karen Sincerely talks about balancing minimalism with having children. Episode 765: How To Embrace A Minimalist Life When You Have Kids by Karen of Karen Sincerely on Minimalism & Parenting Karen lives in South Jersey with her three dogs, husband and 4 year old daughter Olivia. Graduating from Seton Hall University with a B.A. in Journalism and Public Relations, she was a staff...

Maureen Gaspari issues an open letter to the mothers of highly sensitive children. Episode 764: Dear Mom of a Highly Sensitive Child, I See You by Maureen Gaspari with Highly Sensitive Refuge on Parenting Maureen Gaspari is a writer, a wife and a mommy to two wonderful, energetic, highly sensitive little boys. She shares her family’s personal journey with selective mutism, sensory processing diffi...

Angelina Lee of Exploring Plan Be discusses what's become known as "the new normal". Episode 763: A New Normal by Angelina Lee of Exploring Plan Be on Intentional Living & Important Relationships Angelina Lee hails from a small island in the Caribbean. She is a wife, mother of three and an Attorney-at-Law by profession. Join her as she seeks to delve deeper into the art of being. Fully, unapologet...

Colin Wright of Exile Lifestyle shares different methods of communication. Episode 762: Communication Methods by Colin Wright of Exile Lifestyle on How To Communicate Effectively Colin Wright is a professional author and international speaker who co-founded a publishing company and travels full-time, moving to a new country every four months or so--that country determined by the votes of his reade...

Rose Lounsbury teaches us how to stop being mean to ourselves. Episode 761: How to Stop Being Mean to Yourself by Rose Lounsbury on Self-Compassion & Being Kind To Yourself Rose Lounsbury is a keynote speaker, Amazon bestselling author, simplicity coach, and still-sane mom of triplets. (Yes, you heard that right!) She helps overwhelmed people create open spaces in their homes, workspaces, and more...

Joshua Becker of Becoming Minimalist talks about how to raise consumer conscious teenagers. Episode 760: Raising Consumer Conscious Teenagers in an Age of Excess by Joshua Becker of Becoming Minimalist on Minimalism Joshua Becker and his family decided to live with fewer possessions after a conversation with his neighbor in 2008. As a result, they found a better way to live, centered on more impor...

Krista O'Reilly-Davi-Digui of A Life In Progress discusses how the Four Tendencies personality profile has improved her parenting. Episode 759: How The Four Tendencies Personality Profile Made Me a Better Parent by Krista O'Reily-Davi-Digui of ALifeInProgress Krista O'Reilly-Davi-Digui's mission as a Joyful Living Educator is to help messy humans like herself quiet the noise of perfectionism, comp...

An Excerpt from the book Brave(ish): A Memoir of a Recovering Perfectionist by Margaret Davis Ghielmetti Episode 758: An Excerpt from the book Brave(ish): A Memoir of a Recovering Perfectionist by Margaret Davis Ghielmetti Margaret Davis Ghielmetti has lived on four continents and has visited fifty countries. She is a Live Lit Storyteller who has won two StorySLAMs with The Moth. She wrote and per...

Keith Wilson uses an analogy about bats to discuss empathy. Episode 757: Empathy and What It's Like to be a Bat by Keith Wilson of Keith Wilson Counseling on How To Be Empathetic Keith Wilson is a licensed mental health counselor and certified alcohol and substance abuse counselor in New York State, with more than 30 years experience. Keith has done a lot of writing about ways to improve your rela...

Kyle Benson with The Gottman Institute shares why repair is the secret weapon for successful couples. Episode 756: Repair is the Secret Weapon of Emotionally Connected Couples by Kyle Benson with The Gottman Institute The Gottman Institute understands that the human family is in crisis, and that all individuals are capable of and deserve compassion. It is their mission to reach out to families in...

Cara Harvey of A Purpose Driven Mom shares how to create a cleaning routine with your children. Episode 755: Creating a Cleaning Routine with Your Kids by Cara Harvey of A Purpose Driven Mom on Parenting Challenges Cara Harvey is a wife, mom, online mentor and woman of God. She has been married to her husband, Ron, for 3 years and they live with their 11 year-old stepson, 2-year old daughter and 2...

Allison Carmen tells us how to empower our children. Episode 754: Empowering Our Children to Speak Up by Allison Carmen on Teaching Your Kids to Stand Up For Their Beliefs Allison Carmen holds a B.A. in accounting, a J.D. of Law, and a Master’s of Law in taxation. After working for a large law firm in Manhattan, Allison founded her own law firm and built a successful practice focusing on real esta...

Evan Marc Katz tells us whether or not we should get married simply because we want to. Episode 753: Should I Get Married Based Simply on the Desire to Be Married? by Evan Marc Katz on Marriage Issues & Children Dating coach Evan Marc Katz has been billed as a “personal trainer for smart, strong, successful women,” helping singles find love since 2003. Thousands of his clients have fallen in love,...

Dr. Margaret Rutherford discusses how we can find meaning in our friendships that have ended. Episode 752: Finding Meaning In Friendships That End by Dr. Margaret Rutherford on How To Work Through Ending Relationships Dr. Margaret Rutherford has been a psychologist in private practice for over twenty-five years. She’s the author of “Perfectly Hidden Depression”, and hosts a weekly podcast, SelfWor...

Courtney Carver of Be More With Less talks about how to create space in our hearts. Episode 751: How to Create Heart Space (and why it's a big deal) by Courtney Carver of Be More With Less on Self Care Courtney Carver was stopped in her tracks with a scary MS diagnosis after decades of debt, discontent, and trying to do it all. She had to slow down, prioritize her health, and figure out what was r...

Shawna Scafe of Simple On Purpose talks about how to build a culture within a family. This is part 2 of 2. Episode 750: [Part 2] How to Build the Culture Of Your Family by Shawna Scafe of Simple On Purpose on Creating Values As A Mom Shawna Scafe is a mom of three small kids who started blogging after her first son was born. She wanted to share her c-section story in order to help herself work thr...

Shawna Scafe of Simple On Purpose talks about how to build a culture within a family. This is part 1 of 2. Episode 749: [Part 1] How to Build the Culture Of Your Family by Shawna Scafe of Simple On Purpose on Creating Values As A Mom Shawna Scafe is a mom of three small kids who started blogging after her first son was born. She wanted to share her c-section story in order to help herself work thr...

Vironika Tugaleva reflects on her most romantic moments with herself, and how to show self-love. 748: My Most Romantic Moments With Myself by Vironika Tugaleva on How To Improve Your Self-Love & Self-Care Vironika Tugaleva was born in Donetsk, Ukraine in 1988. Her early years as a misfit began her painful struggle with mental health. As she struggled with self-acceptance, anxiety, and identity, Vi...

Christine Comaford talks about how to practice being a better listener. Episode 747: 3 Practices To Become A Great Listener by Christine Comaford of Smart Tribes Institute on Communication Skills Christine Comaford is a Leadership and Culture Coach who specializes in applied neuroscience, which helps her clients achieve tremendous results in record time. She is a human behavior expert, a leadershi...