The Path to Joy

Don’t be turned off by the title of today’s episode! Yes, there’s a little physics talk -- in honor of my dad -- but today is really about miracles. Miracles that exist within the natural world. We don’t have to force conclusions or make tenuous connections -- we just have to be patient and let science keep catching up with the wonder all around us.   Thanks so much for listening! I love helping p...

Don't worry -- I promise I'm not about to rank our favorite family games. This episode is about one very special game -- one that turned out to be the greatest gift Andy or I have ever received. I'm talking all-time, best-ever gift. And it all started with a trip to Staples!   Thanks so much for listening! I love helping people change (and improve!) their perception of their lives -- aka find more...

No, I didn't get some time away. But someone in our family did. Today's episode is about Ben's first trip away with his friends -- and how I went from 'there is absolutely no way this trip is happening' to watching my child do laundry...voluntarily. Miracles do happen.   Thanks so much for listening! I love helping people change (and improve!) their perception of their lives -- aka find more JOY....

Even your joyful, fearless (if you've listened to ALL the episodes about my absurd fears of ice and falling, you're probably shaking your head at that one!) podcast host can feel overwhelmed sometimes.   Today's episode is a little about that overwhelm—and how I planned my way out of it.   For all my list people out there, this one's for you.   Thanks so much for listening! I love helping people c...

Sometimes you never know what something is going to be like until you are in it. Right? We had a new dynamic this week -- just me and the twins for a night -- and it surprised me. I love being surprised and I love the reminder that I shouldn't always try an anticipate an outcome.    Thanks so much for listening! I love helping people change (and improve!) their perception of their lives -- aka fin...

And here we are at graduation. I keep trying to wrap my head around the fact that my oldest child will no longer be living in my home full time in just a couple months. It's not really sinking in. Today, let's talk about processing (or not processing) big things!   Thanks so much for listening! I love helping people change (and improve!) their perception of their lives -- aka find more JOY.   Here...

I kind of laughed writing 'summer bodies' as the title of today's episode because, if you've listened to even one of my podcast episodes, you could predict that this episode is most certainly NOT about how to achieve the perfect summer body. Rather, let's talk about how to move past tolerance and acceptance and actually love the bodies we are in.    Thanks so much for listening! I love helping peo...

I started my newsletter five years ago. Friends, that is crazy! Today is the story of how one starts a business literally out of thin air. And, a huge thank you to my amazing mother-in-law, Karen, for editing every single newsletter I've written in the last five years!   Thanks so much for listening! I love helping people change (and improve!) their perception of their lives -- aka find more JOY....

After over 300 episodes, you can probably guess how this is going to -- Melissa is going to use the word 'treasure' but there will be no mention of actual treasure, gold, emeralds, Cortes, etc. Well.... you would be right. The treasure mentioned today has zero monetary value -- like I'm not sure you could even give it away. But, it was treasure to me!   Thanks so much for listening! I love helping...

Well, if you've been listening to this podcast for any length of time, you know when I ask a question like: Can you become a beach person? -- the answer is most likely, 'yes!' So, I don't think it's much of a spoiler to tell you this episode is about my becoming a beach person -- aka changing how I feel about the beach.   Thanks so much for listening! I love helping people change (and improve!) th...

Today's episode is about a memory, really more of a thought, that just sticks in my brain. I couldn't even tell you what I had for dinner last night and, yet, this image from three years ago just sticks around. It's a little heartbreaking but it's a good reminder for me, too.   Thanks so much for listening! I love helping people change (and improve!) their perception of their lives -- aka find mor...

Yes, I know it's early June for you listeners and here I am talking about Mother's Day. But I would say this episode could apply to any special day -- birthdays, anniversaries, Flag Day! A day for YOU can really get us thinking about what actually makes the perfect day?   Thanks so much for listening! I love helping people change (and improve!) their perception of their lives -- aka find more JOY....

Believe it or not, your fearless leader/podcast host (me) had never actually attended a retreat for herself until now. Well… that’s partially untrue. But still, I did it! I finally went on a retreat, and I’m still thinking about everything that came up. So today, let’s chat about it.   Thanks so much for listening! I love helping people change (and improve!) their perception of their lives -- aka...

Yes, I know we all do it -- we like to try and predict the future. I am definitely guilty of it. Today I share a recent story where I could not have predicted the outcome. A good lesson for me to stop trying. Be surprised. It's way more fun!   Thanks so much for listening! I love helping people change (and improve!) their perception of their lives -- aka find more JOY.   Here are links that I ment...

After Tuesday's episode about the backstory, today I finally share a bit about the April retreat. There's always a theme, a take away that comes from each one -- and this one was no different!    Thanks so much for listening! I love helping people change (and improve!) their perception of their lives -- aka find more JOY.   Here are links that I mention in the show!!    🌱 Create the Life You Love...

Today’s episode is a little backstory on how I started leading retreats in the first place. I’ve always found origin stories fascinating -- the unexpected ways things come to be.   Spoiler: I never intended to lead retreats. Honestly, they sounded like a lot of work. But apparently, even the most reluctant among us can be convinced.   Thanks so much for listening! I love helping people change (and...

For full disclosure, I do begin today’s episode with some bowling talk. I mean, we can’t go too long without talking about bowling! But the primary focus is what happens when we unravel. We all do it — reach a point where we just can’t handle it all anymore. It might be brief, but it happens. There’s really no avoiding it because, sorry to tell you, you’re human. Me too.   Thanks so much for liste...

Yes! Ben went to the prom. Let’s talk about the prom -- I know for some people it can be this big, magical event: a defining moment, a before-and-after experience. For me, it wasn’t. I don’t think it was for Ben either. Because for me, at least, it’s always the small moments I remember far more than the highlight reel.   Thanks so much for listening! I love helping people change (and improve!) the...

Today's episode started with me thinking about spring and my dogwood tree, and somehow ended up spiraling into an episode about time flying, my boys growing up, and how the goal of motherhood is this beautiful, brutal kind of loss. Basically, I’m trying to soak in every messy, chaotic, ordinary moment -- even the 7:00am lunch-packing madness I swear I’ll miss someday.   Thanks so much for listenin...

So, you may think more or less of me after today’s episode -- which features teenage boys, a drone, and some very questionable judgment. Spoiler alert: everyone is fine and no one is going to jail, but the whole experience got me thinking about how our minds evolve over time. Maybe the second half of life isn’t about learning more, but about unlearning what’s no longer true.   Thanks so much for l...

Yes -- today is all about money. I could probably do dozens of episodes about this topic, but in this one I’m sharing a bit of the history of money -- from cowrie shells to crypto. And along the way, we might start to see that money isn’t quite as ‘solid’ as we think it is.   Thanks so much for listening! I love helping people change (and improve!) their perception of their lives -- aka find more...

Today's episode is inspired by words by Bonnitta Roy (and shared by my friend, Cara Bradley): Go Slow, Stay Wide, Don't Chase. I think we all need permission to slow down and stop pushing. Me especially!   Thanks so much for listening! I love helping people change (and improve!) their perception of their lives -- aka find more JOY.   Here are links that I mention in the show!!    🌱 Create the Lif...

I love the idea of being spontaneous and go-with-the-flow but, the truth is, I'm not. I love planning. I love structure. I love being prepared. So, after many years, I've decided to stop apologizing for it -- this is just who I am and how I thrive. And maybe you can stop apologizing for being 'who are you' too.   Thanks so much for listening! I love helping people change (and improve!) their perce...

Well, it's been a big few days in the Bloom/Kish household. Ben made his college decision -- in a very 'Ben' fashion. All about the 'feeling.' I would love to make decisions like him -- less analytical, more emotionally driven. Maybe I should I get shirt that says "Be More Like Ben" but that's probably weird. At least I get to write a podcast episode about it!   Thanks so much for listening! I lov...

The weekend continued! Following the Ben college visit (Tuesday's episode), I then held my first workshop. You know I needed a nap after all this excitement! Today, let's chat about the workshop -- or really more like the lead up to the workshop -- which involved quite a bit of Chat GPT help AND some visualizations with Ben!   Thanks so much for listening! I love helping people change (and improve...