The Second Steps; How to get unstuck and achieve your goals!

We can extend mercy, kindness, compassion, and grace to others when they make errors, and mistakes; this is a key to living with love in our hearts rather than bitterness or hatred. Although we may need to step away from a harmful relationship we can still extend a forgiving heart.

In this podcast we discuss the tendency to say "I don't have a choice". These words usually pop up when we are under pressure and fear gets a grip on us. Fear can block out our ability to see other possibilities, be patient, hopeful and discerning. The second step is to talk to friends and family, and be curious about other options.

In this episode our guest talks about how she reframed a personal characteristic that seemed troublesome into a strength. Recognizing that she has gifts and that sharing them was a way to serve others transformed this irksome quality into a blessing.

Family can be really hard, and relationships with family can be tumultuous, painful, infuriating and joyous. Even when it is hard it is important to stay connected and trust that understanding and unity can occur. Love is the family tie that binds.

Do you every jump to conclusions or force your agenda forward before checking in with others and seeking feedback? Taking time to check in and talk to others can prevent a lot of grief, and is a second step we highly recommend.

There are a lot of horrible things happening in the world! It is so easy to feel hopeless about people and get stuck in anger. One thing we can always do is choose how we want to show up in the world. We can choose hate, and fear or we can choose love and kindness. When we choose love and kindness we change ourselves and the world one second step at a time. We would love to hear from you at second...

It is so easy to feel defeated when you feel like people are not listening to you. The first step may be speaking up, but that may need to be followed up with a repeated statement or an action that lets people know what you need. We would love to hear your story and you can email us at secondstepspodcast@gmail.com

When you see a need and you can assist why not offer a helping hand? Others may need the little bit of support to stand up and start moving on their own. This little bit of assistance may be enough to push past a feeling of overwhelm and discouragement. If someone is offering a helping hand accept it; it may be the little bit of support you need to build your own momentum. You are welcome to email...

This episode is about challenging yourself to do something that makes you uncomfortable. There is something really powerful about doing something out of your comfort zone that builds self confidence. There is a real sense of achievement when you accomplish something you didn`t think you could do! You can email us at secondstepspodcast@gmail.com. We would love to her your story about taking a secon...

When faced with a challenging situation you can prepare for the worst while hoping for the best. Attitude and foresight are skills that we can choose to cultivate. We would love to have you email us at secondstepspodcast@gmail.com

We often have good intentions about wanting to eat better, exercise more or go to bed earlier. In this episode we talked about how to begin to make mindfulness a part of your life. Once we name what we want to do the second step is to start with a small behavior that is easy to incorporate into your life. We would love to hear your story and you can email us at secondstepspodcast@gmail.com. 

Sometimes it is hard to understand other people; Why are they attached to something that looks like trash to us?  When we seek to understand what the meaning is to them we may uncover rich memories. In this episode we discuss the treasures of memories embedded in what may appear to others as old furniture that is not worth keeping. We would love to hear your stories and you are welcome to ema...

Anger and frustration are common emotions and it is often hard to determine what to do with these feelings. Anger may inform us that something is not okay and sharing this feeling in a constructive manner can transform it into a powerful force for the good.  We would love to hear from you and you are welcome to email us at secondstepspodcast@gmail.com

In this episode we discuss the difference between grief and trauma, and the importance of self-care in traumatic times. We need to take care of ourselves in order to show up for ourselves and others even when it seems hard.

It is really hard to hear about the horrific events happening in distant parts of the world. Our hearts break for those who are suffering! But even in difficult times there are always hero's that emerge. We can be inspired by these hero's! We all have gifts and talents that we can use to be of service, and when we feel called to serve we can find ways to make a difference.

So often we forget how far we have come and need the feedback from others to point out what we have accomplished. Recognizing our progress enables us to feel more confident which builds resilience and re-energizes us to take the next step. We believe that stories are powerful and can inspire others; We would love to hear your story at secondstepspodcast@gmail.com

This episode is about how despairing life can feel at times. The Second Step is "how can I be a force for good?" There is always a choice about how we show up in the world. There is usually some small action we can take and we can always send a loving wish or prayer to those in need. 

This short episode discusses three great second steps that have emerged during COVID times; Being intentional about how we make decisions, looking for silver linings, and remembering we are all in this together. Please email us at secondstepspodcast@gmail.com

It is so easy to see people with differing views as "bad" and "terrible". Sometimes the second step is to step back, breathe and remember it is important to treat people with respect even when we strongly disagree with them. It is when we work together that we can begin to solve problems. Please email us at secondstepspodcast@gmail.com

Rachel talks about how she was able to get through an illness by practicing mindfulness and prayer; A second step is to choose the attitude you bring to illness or a vacation.

New years resolutions are often seen as an all or none change for the new year. In this episode we talk about choosing a more flexible approach to news years resolutions that takes into consideration the importance of gradual improvement and grace when "life happens" and our goals need to change. You can email us at the secondstepspodcast@gmail.com

Relationships with people are precious, but so often do we take them for granted? The second step may be to savor everyone who is currently in your life and remembering to appreciate them right now. We would love you to email us with your story at secondstepspodcast@gmail.com

This episode is about those times in life when you don't see the black ice ahead and suddenly feel like you have hit a wall. We would love you to email us at secondstepspodcast@gmail.com

People just like electronics need to unplug so we can refresh. So often we get stuck in an emotion or mind set that is not helpful. Life the computer that keeps circling we can do the same thing; our emotions can get triggered and we need to find a way to calm our nervous system so we can see things clearly again. You can email us at the secondstepspodcast@gmail.com

When you are feeling angry with someone it can be really hard to let go of these difficult feelings. This episode discusses some of the steps involved in forgiving.  We invite you to email us with your story at secondstepspodcast@gmail.com