Practically Happy

Fingers crossed I am officially submitting my finalized capstone project this weekend. I head to the beach for a week with my extended family on Sunday and hope to be able to leave my computer behind. I mention that sometimes the best breaks aren't just rest, but are doing something else that you love. Home stretch here! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Do you often feel like you run out of stamina before you run out of time? Are you tired rather than enthusiastic when it's time to get stuff done? Me too. Until I realized my energy had nothing to do with time, and I learned to manage my personal energy as well as my time. Tune in to learn more. Join a retreat! livefreecreative.co/retreats Find full show notes at livefreecreative.co/podcast Follow...

I'm winding down my research and turned in a full draft of my literature review this week. Now, time to dig into the nonfiction book proposal that I will be attaching as an appendix to my paper. I can see the finish line!! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Did you know in aviation, your attitude directly relates to your altitude? Which way you point = where you go! In this episode I share a metaphor with our ability to change and adjust our psychological attitudes to enable increasing our elevation or positive emotion. Join a retreat! livefreecreative.co/retreats Find full show notes at livefreecreative.co/podcast Follow Miranda on Instagram @livefr...

How does creativity lead to flourishing? How does it related to intentional living? I have been loving answering some of these questions in my research, and sharing a piece of that with you today. Reference: Runco, M. A. (2006). Reasoning and Personal Creativity. In J. C. Kaufman & J. Baer (Eds.), Creativity and Reason in Cognitive Development (pp. 99–116). Cambridge University Press. Learn more a...

We can get into a rhythm of our daily life that feels more like a rut. In this episode, certified therapist Kristin B. Hodson and I explore 5 ways that new experiences can build deeper connection and benefit personal relationships, specifically marriage. We are excited to host 5 couples on an adventure and connection retreat this November. Apply for NOVIOS through this following link! Join us in C...

This week I found the flow in my capstone research, quadrupling the work I completed last week. It is a good reminder that sometimes we need to get in the pool far enough to be able to swim. Fingers crossed I am turning in a mostly-complete draft this weekend! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It is that time again: kids finish school and we're left with three months of blank calendar wondering how to build a memorable, easy, fulfilling summertime. In this episode I use a classic planter rule of thirds to help me plan a great summertime with my kids: thrill, fill, and spill. Originally episode 149, this show can help you figure out a great, personalized summer rhythm for you, too! Join...

As I'm working through the last big project of my graduate school experience, I reflect and share some of the best tools I used to manage the process. Thank you Kari, for asking this great question, and good luck with your own graduate school experience this year! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

One of my favorite lectures this last year was about thinking traps-- these holes in our cognition that don't make sense, aren't helpful, but swallow us whole anyway. This episode shares some of the research about thinking traps, some examples that may sound familiar, as well as ideas for getting out! SPONSORS: Visit the DISCOUNT PAGE to see all of the discount codes available now! Join a retreat!...

I have taken a whole week break since graduation, and this week I am back at it! Capstone time begins now. My capstone project will consist of a deep-dive into the research around the benefits of creativity in order to write a robust literature review. Beyond the academic paper, I am creating a book proposal for my next non-fiction book about everyday creativity. Here are the 10 books about creati...

Savoring our lives can help us enjoy them more, feel better, and generally feel more fulfilled. What IS savoring, and how might we do it? This episode shares some insights. Apply for NOVIOS retreat! livefreecreative.co/retreats Find full show notes at livefreecreative.co/podcast Follow Miranda on Instagram @livefreemiranda Get one-on-one coaching with Miranda at Patreon.com/livefreecreative Buy Mo...

The big graduation weekend was a huge success! We laughed and sang and walked and connected. Next up, the capstone project gets really underway. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We are inclined to believe that if a little is good, more must be better. However, according to research, that isn't necessarily true. Most things (including exercise, money, stress) are good in some amount, but unhelpful and even dangerous in OVER abundance. The truth is this: more isn't always better. What a relief! Tune in to listen to some examples and feel a little bit better about your life...

My last final is turned in! I graduate this weekend! Now, I'll allow myself a couple weeks of break before diving into my summer research project on Everyday Creativity. In the meantime, I hope to PLAY a little bit more! Here are 7 games recommended by my neuroscience professor to build cognitive ability while enjoying yourself: Memory (a bird version, of course!) Set Blink Blokus Quirkle Rush Hou...

This week we celebrate motherhood-- with all of its virtues and vices. In this episode I am joined by parenting expert Rachel Nielson, host of the 3 in 30 Takeaways for Moms podcast, who is sharing her framework for taking a look into the closet of our mothering, and making space for what serves us best. Find Rachel at 3in30podcast.com or follow her on instagram at @3in30podcast Join a live retrea...

It's the final stretch and I am feeling it. Big Time. Here are a couple tools I'm trying to use as I battle burnout. Resources: The Paradox of Choice, Barry Schwartz The Resilience Factor, Karen Reivich Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Envy and jealousy are natural, human emotions. And, how much do you really know about them? Did you know that research characterizes envy into two types-- one helpful and one unhelpful? Here is a deep dive into how to learn from envy and come away more self-aware and motivated as a result. Sponsor: Preserve family stories and memories with Storyworth! Take $10 off of your order with code LIVEFREE...

Class is over-- next up in the graduate school journey: FINALS. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Did you know we have a thriving instinct, just like we have a survival instinct? It can best be described by Barbara Fredrickson's research on positive emotions and the Broaden and Build Theory. Listen in to hear how positive emotions can benefit our progress and thriving as an opposite reaction to simply surviving. Sponsors: Take 22% off your first order at iHerb.com with code LIVEFREE Commission...

This final week of class, I met my small group Team Bright Ideas for a site-visit at Perryville Prison Complex in Phoenix Arizona. I am forever changed. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What is currently in transition in your life? Is it your body? Career? Family Season? Hobbies? Relationships? At almost all times at least one area of our life is actively changing. This show is about that process. The messy middle of a transition from one creature to another. Our metamorphosis. Reference: Meleis, A. et al., Experiencing Transitions: An Emerging Middle-Range Theory. Advances in Nu...

This week we are wrapping up the application materials for our ASU Center for Correctional Solutions project, and I wrote a paper on Women and Creativity about 30 minutes before the deadline on Easter. Only one more weekend of class before I graduate next month! References: Hora, S., Badura, K. L., Lemoine, G. J., & Grijalva, E. (2022). A meta-analytic examination of the gender difference in creat...

Last month my 3 sisters, mom, and one of my 2 sisters-in-law and I explored Morocco. Here's how the trip came about, some of how we planned the itinerary, and a full overview of what we did! Find all the links at livefreecreative.co/episode-234-10-days-in-morocco Sponsor: Get 15% off your first order of fully personalized haircare at prose.com/livefree Join a retreat! livefreecreative.co/retreats...

I had a catch-up week with Creative Camp hosting, then my kids' Spring Break. Luckily, I'm not too behind, and I am happy to be creating real-life programing. Tune in to hear about passive poetry listening and skewed box breathing. References: Arruda, M. A. L. B., Garcia, M. A., & Garcia, J. B. S. (2016). Evaluation of the Effects of Music and Poetry in Oncologic Pain Relief: A Randomized Clinical...