Your Personal Power Pod

Text us! After sharing Your Personal Power Pod with you for the past five years, it’s time for Sandy and Shannon to move on to other things, so today’s episode will be our last.  Today we are sharing some fun, personal stories and expressing our huge gratitude to you all for some many years of taking this podcast adventure together. All of our episodes will continue to be available on our website...

Text us! Today, we’re running one of Sandy’s favorite episodes.  In today’s episode, we’ll be talking about your inner child and self-talk, and the importance of understanding how the way you talk to yourself will directly affect your ability to be powerful. We want to hear from you, whether it’s your stories about how self-esteem and personal power affect your life, or topics you’d like us to add...

Text us! At some point in your life, you probably made a decision to either own, control and take responsibility for the direction your life goes, or to make excuses, blame, and let others define who you are. If you chose to be in charge of your life, you’re probably happy with and respect yourself, and are moving ahead in the direction you want to go.  However, if you chose to make excuses, blame...

Text us! Conflict is a natural part of being human. We misunderstand each other, we speak too quickly, we act without thinking, or we make choices that hurt someone else. Because of this, the ability to apologize, and to respond to apologies and forgive, becomes one of the most important skills for maintaining healthy relationships. Yet apologies are often misunderstood. Some are rushed, some are...

Text us! Many people spend years, or even decades, shaping themselves around what others expect. If this describes you, you may have learned to stay agreeable, quiet, helpful, or adaptable because it kept the peace, earned approval, or ensured safety. But eventually a question surfaces: Who am I when I’m not trying to meet everyone else’s needs?  In today’s Power Pop, Sandy talks about how you mig...

Text us! Frustration is one of those emotions we all recognize instantly yet struggle to define. It shows up in traffic jams, unfinished goals, misunderstandings, delays, and disappointments. It can feel small and fleeting—or overwhelming and consuming. At its core, frustration is your emotional response to blocked expectations. The good thing is that you have the power to control it if you choose...

Text us! Acting like a grown-up isn’t about age, income, or having your life perfectly sorted. Plenty of adults never manage to do it, and plenty of young people already have. At its core, acting like a grown-up is about how you relate to reality, especially when reality is inconvenient, uncomfortable, or unfair.  It’s about how you accept responsibility for yourself in all areas, and how you take...

Text us! We like to tell stories about the lone hero—the self-made person who figured it out alone, pushed through without help, and emerged victorious by sheer will. It’s a powerful myth, and is also mostly wrong. Real life, as lived by real humans, is a team sport. Whether we acknowledge it or not, we are constantly relying on others, influencing others, and being shaped by the people around us....

Text us! Comparing yourself to others is almost unavoidable. Whether it’s scrolling through social media, working alongside ambitious colleagues, or reflecting on friends’ milestones, comparison often sneaks into our thoughts. While it’s often framed as something negative, comparison isn’t entirely harmful. Like many human tendencies, it has both benefits and drawbacks. In today’s episode of Your...

Text us! We all have moments in life when clarity disappears, and you feel stuck, overwhelmed, or paralyzed.  Not because there are no options, but because there are too many, or none of them feel right. Not knowing what to do can be unsettling, even frightening. Yet this state, uncomfortable as it is, is not a failure. It’s a signal. And if handled well, it can become a turning point rather than...

Text us! If you have food, clothing, shelter, safety, security, and a few comforts, then there’s a lot for you to be grateful about, because for many people, these are things they hope and dream about, but don’t have. If you’re lucky enough to be safe and secure, it’s important for you to appreciate that by giving back to people who aren’t as fortunate as you are. When you give back you use your t...

Text us! Today we’re looking at a great topic suggested by one of our awesome listeners.  Her name is Jody, and she said that she often gets into a relationship thinking it’s mutually supportive, and then too late discovers that it’s not what she hoped it would be.  She said it would be helpful for us to look deeper into the subject of friendships, which applies to us all. So in today's episo...

Text us! We have a wonderful listener named Scott Perry , who is a talented musician and song writer, and he has shared one of his beautiful songs with us.  It’s called, Does Anybody Listen Anymore , and it’s inspired us to do an episode on this important topic.  So, in today’s episode of Your Personal Power Pod, we are talking about the importance of listening and connection, and also sharing Sco...

Text us! Human beings live in three psychological time zones: the past, the present, and the future. We shift among them constantly—sometimes consciously, sometimes unconsciously. Where your mind spends most of its time shapes how you feel, how you behave, and the kind of life you build and live.  Each time frame has value; each has risks. The key is learning how to use all three wisely rather tha...

Text us! These days it seems as if there are as many different perspectives and viewpoints as there are people.  We often believe what we hear, and think it’s reality or fact, when it’s actually just someone’s opinion not based on anything real.  Unfortunately, differing opinions like this have caused a huge divide among political parties, communities, and even friends and families.  In today’s ep...

Text us! As we talk about all the time, your level of self-esteem makes a huge difference in how your life unfolds. When self-esteem is low, everything is a struggle and life is a challenge, yet when it’s high, life can be a fun and successful adventure. Whether you’re a parent, family member, caregiver, teacher or friend, if there is a child in your life, you play a powerful role in helping that...

Text us! All day, every day, you are faced with having to make choices. From small decisions — like what to eat for dinner — to big ones — like choosing a career, a partner, or where to work or live. Your life is basically a long series of choices, and the results of what you’ve chosen define how you live your life. And yet, for some people, making choices is one of the hardest things they do. In...

Text us! Most people think they want to be happy, but do they really?  For a variety of reasons many people choose to approach life from a negative and pessimistic place, while others like to find the joy and fun in their life.  In today’s episode of Your Personal Power Pod, we talk about happiness, and how what you choose determines everything about how your life unfolds. We want to hear from you...

Text us! We all carry a collection of stories—memories, interpretations, and emotional imprints formed through childhood, relationships, successes, failures, loss and other experiences. These stories are not just recollections; they are frameworks through which you understand yourself and the world. Sometimes they empower you; other times they limit you. But one truth remains consistent: the stori...

Text us! As you’ve navigated your life you have probably experienced joys, disappointments, successes, failures, and many other things.  Life brings a lot of joy, and also has a way of throwing curveballs. Whether it’s personal setbacks, career challenges, relationships, or health issues, at times you’ve probably been faced with something that tested your patience, strength, and sense of self. The...

Text us! We’ve all had years that are difficult, and this year has been one of those for Shannon and Sandy. We’re so grateful to you, our wonderful listener, for continuing to listen to Your Personal Power Pod as we shared Power Pops, Favorites and Minisodes instead of new episodes. Today we’re excited to be back starting Season 6 with a new episode where we talk about why we were running those ot...

Text us! Today we’re excited to announce that starting on Thanksgiving Day Shannon and Sandy will be back with new, fun episodes of Your Personal Power Pod. We will begin this season by talking about where we’ve been for this past year, and in future episodes we’ll once again be focusing on the importance of self-esteem, claiming your personal power, and the ways they can profoundly affect your li...

Text us! Today, we’re running one of Shannon’s favorite episodes with a new intro telling us why she picked this one. When you have so much going on that you’re struggling to cope with it all, or you’re dealing with a specific stressful situation, you might feel overwhelmed. Being overwhelmed can cause you to be flooded by thoughts, emotions, and physical sensations that are difficult to manage. F...

Text us! Today, we’re running one of Sandy’s favorite episodes with a new intro telling us why she picked this one. Your identity is how you and society define you, based on a wide variety of things from your family, nationality, age and ethnicity to your social standing, appearance, and job. When you have a solid sense of self, you are in charge of your personal identity, and you will be mentally...

Text us! Today, we’re running one of Shannon’s favorite episodes with a new intro telling us why she picked this one. When you are stuck, it means that you are unable to move from a particular position or place, are at a loss for ideas or vision, or feel powerless to change a situation. You can be stuck in a relationship, a career path or work setting, a pattern of behavior, a physical place, tryi...