More To Life With Faith And Lois

Recovering from loss is on top of many of your minds this week - and ours too. Following two mass shootings, we want to explore how to recover from loss in your relationships, through your body, using spiritual practices or in your craft. As you care for yourself, you may notice others are hurting, too. So how do you care for those in your meaningful relationships? We offer 6 ideas that range from listening and reaching out to connecting with support. We hope you will share these strategies.

Building influence in your craft allows you to make an impact in your workspace. Today, we explore 5 ways you can make a difference. When you encourage trust, you enlist the cooperation of others. Be the person others count on and you're seen as consistent. As you listen, you build influence because your clients and colleagues know they are heard. Staying relevant with your skills keeps you fresh. And when you receive and offer feedback - the lines of communication are clear. What a way to build camaraderie!

How have you arrived at your spiritual practices? In today's podcast, we are curious whether your family of origin or nationality shows up in how you practice spirituality. Maybe you practice prayer/meditation or have a longing for meaning and purpose. Or you might find support from a community in your spiritual journey. Whether this is a path you've followed for years, or one you're embarking on for the first time, appreciating those who've influenced you in what you believe can be very powerful.

Influence is a powerful way to have an effect on your character and develop behaviors. What better way than to focus on your body and mind! In our podcast, we're sharing ideas for how to make long lasting changes in four stages. First, consider shifting what you're doing that isn't working. Second, prepare for those changes by putting together a plan. Third, act on your plan to make the changes you want to achieve. And finally, you have a routine, a regular way to influence your body and mind. Join us!

Influence is our new theme for the next few weeks! We are so excited to share how it shows up in your relationships, your body, your spirituality and your craft. Today, we wonder - how are you a person of influence in your relationships? We tap into what it means to be intentional and to connect. How resilience plays a part when the unexpected happens. And how being a life long learner makes an impact on others. Join us as we explore those places where you are influencing - and being influenced!

Having strength in your craft to endure and withstand great force or pressure might be just what you need. In our podcast, we encourage you to be relevant with your skills. Listen without interruption and do what you say you're going to do. Act with integrity and give others a voice. Stay focused on what matters and engage with others. As you expand your strength at work, you make an impact in the lives of those with whom you interact.

What's the connection between strength and spirituality? In our podcast, we explore four practices that strengthen your spirituality. When you live with meaning and purpose, you discover more about where you are right now and how you arrived. How about practicing forgiveness? If you choose to forgive others - and yourself - you release so much pain. Engaging in gratitude has a way of deepening your spirituality. And when you pray or meditate - spiritual healing unfolds. Enjoy these practices by yourself or with others and see what happens!

Strengthening your body involves everything from your brain to your heart to your muscles. In this podcast we explore 6 steps to dive into better health. We begin with creating habits that will stimulate your mind. Maybe you're ready to get moving or add resistance training to the mix. Have you examined the foods you eat and how that impacts your strength? And we wrap it up with stretching, sleep and relaxation - to prevent injury, manage stress and stay positive. Here's to a year of more strength!

Strength is our new theme for the next few weeks. Whether it's about being physically strong or the ability to endure and withstand pressure. How might you manifest strength in your relationships, your body, your spirituality and your craft? Today, we are digging into eight strengths to boost your relationships. Maybe you bring them, maybe you receive them. When you incorporate these strengths, you'll find that you are clearer about yourself and those who mean the most to you. As you grow, so will your relationships.

Wonder makes an enormous difference in your workplace. In our final podcast episode on the theme of wonder - we discover how powerful you can be when you remain open to new discoveries. How about asking questions - so that you know where your colleagues are coming from? Maybe it's time to see things from someone else's perspective, so he can hear yours. You might consider a learning opportunity that challenges your thinking. And when you experience this wonder, your creativity has a chance to unfold. Wonder happens gradually...what might you do today to boost your impact in your craft?

When you experience awe, surprise, contemplation - you might say something takes your breath away. In today's podcast we explore the role of wonder in spirituality. What happens as you breathe in new ideas and breathe out that which must be released? Considering your life with a child-like perspective may be just what you need to re-set as you forge ahead into this new year. And when you pause long enough to clear your mind, and spend time in contemplation, you pave the way for more depth in your spirituality.

If you were to see your brain on a screen -  it lights up when you are in a sense of awe. In today's podcast, we explore what happens when you choose to keep that wonder alive. The more you take pleasure in what's around you, the greater your wonder. As you experience all of your senses, you feel the awe of your thoughts, what you hear, what you see, what you smell and what you touch. What do you do every day to make your body happy? That intentionality matters. And in all you do, be kind to yourself. Listen, pause, celebrate. You are worth it. 

Welcome to 2021! And in this New Year, we begin a new theme for the next four weeks. Wonder - how to open up the sense of possibilities in your relationships, your body, your spirituality and your craft. In today's episode, your relationships offer some insights into wonder. If you want it to grow, spend time listening to or watching those around you. What can you do to have more meaningful and challenging conversations? And when you slow down, you have a chance to relate to those closest to you in a more thoughtful manner.  Having this sense of wonder about those in your world will change your outlook - and offer you a better glimpse into what matters most to you.

Uncertainty has a tendency to show up in your workplace - especially when you don't know what the future holds for your company or your craft. In our podcast, we explore how you might boost your resilience now. First, take care of yourself and keep your resume up to date. You might be able to tolerate uncertainty more effectively if you search for other opportunities. If you're a worrier, schedule a time to do just that to make room for more emotional health. And accept that job uncertainty is part of life - whether or not there's a pandemic. You're normal, this is happening to you and everyone you know. You will get through this.

As we explore uncertainty in every area of life, one place it shows up frequently - your spirituality. Your faith traditions may ebb and flow when feelings of uncertainty overwhelm you. When you choose to embrace the unknown, you're invited to welcome change and reframe whatever is uncertain as an adventure. This week we encourage you to take small steps when considering something new. How about developing a change toolkit to help you move through uncertainty? And through it all, know that you are not alone. Holding on to spiritual traditions offers a roadmap for whatever it is you may face next.

Throughout this holiday season, you may be feeling a great deal of uncertainty in your heart and mind. In our podcast today, we explore how uncertainty impacts your body. What would happen if you scheduled a time to worry, rather than dwelling on your uncertainty? If you connect with others and do what you enjoy, your brain is free to return to the present moment. And choosing what to focus on steers you away from what's out of your control. That's when you harness the power to manage what is in your control. May you be encouraged!

Facing uncertainty is a part of our lives - especially in this season of COVID 19. We begin a new series of podcasts today highlighting how uncertainty impacts your relationships, your body, spirituality and your craft. In your relationships, uncertainty might cause you to put up a wall and push away. How might you overcome this need to protect yourself?  We explore how to share your fears. What would happen if you could give without getting anything in return? And consider how you want to be treated and do the same. You can embrace what you can control. Enjoy!

When you face conflict in your workplace, what do you do? If you can get to the place where you see conflict as a natural part of working with others, you have the chance for peace. We begin by asking, what do you really want? Once you know that, what are you and the other going to do about it? If your goal is to listen to and learn about the other, you're ready to create a strategy. Since you can't control the outcome, your process is critical. That's when you discover what's important to both of you so that you can negotiate. When you reach an agreement, commit to each other so that you have real resolution.

What happens when spirituality and conflict intersect? In our podcast today, we examine how resolution can take place. Spirituality offers you the potential to make peace if you're present without judgment. When you're looking at the bigger picture, you may realize there's meaning and purpose in the moment. As you become aware of the other's point of view, your spiritual beliefs help wake you up. And living with spirituality provides wholeness in the midst of a challenging situation. We hope you can find a few ways to use your spiritual muscles and arrive at a perspective that flows from your integrity.

When you face any sort of conflict, your body reacts automatically. Beginning with your brain, your first instinct is to protect yourself. And that's where you get into the danger zone. We'd like to share another way of handling conflict. First, stay present and notice that you've been triggered. What would happen if you let go of the story that's keeping you in a stressful state? By choosing to focus on your body and breathe through whatever you're up against, you can retrain your body to respond instead of react.