Here's The Thing...lauren Cardinale, Cms-cht, Fibh, Cpc

Our emotions have a vast range, but the not-so-good ones can be the real buggers! Good emotions just feel, well, good - but the not-so-good emotions keep us out of alignment – not good. Sometimes the despair or grief we are feeling seems like it will never end, or the anger and resentment. Tonight we’re going to talk about the scale of emotions and how to consistently, and consciously, work your way "up" - from wherever you are. This is about incrementally moving up that scale, consistently, by consciously choosing thoughts. It is a practice, but it is a quantifiable destination as well.

Big, fat, right in front of your face EXCUSES! Where there is a will, there is a way, yes, but sometimes we make excuses because we just prefer there isn't a way - so we don't have to take responsibility and be uncomfortable as we grow! Those of us who complain and blame, stay stuck. We insist that everything is out of our control. We hand all of our power over to our circumstances instead of taking responsibility and changing our lives ourselves - but Here’s The Thing…..an excuse is just a challenge that you give your power to. To shift your reality, you must control your thoughts and actions. Success is not about your circumstances. It's about who you are BEING.

We make room for a remarkably narrow range of personality styles. We are told that to be great, is to be bold. To be happy, is to be sociable. We see ourselves as a nation of extroverts – which means we’ve lost sight of who we really are. In this show, we are talking about the spectrum of introversion through ambiversion, all the way to extroversion, how to know where you are in that spectrum and the amazing benefits of all of it – particularly in this world that is a “CULTure of personality”.

So, how old are you? How often do you get that question – perhaps not very often past the age of 13, but why? Because of the sensitivities around it! Oh, the expectations with each age - whose expectations? Just about everyone. The age to get married, or have kids, what we're supposed to be doing, look like and feel at 30, 40, 50 and up! Do you hide your age? Do you believe that if people really knew your age, things would change for you? Why do we have so many attachments and expectations?! Tonight we’ll be talking about WHO'S GOT YOUR NUMBER?" Age, the attachments, and why it really is JUST A NUMBER!

How great do you feel with a new haircut or some new clothes? What about when you drop a few pounds or even get a new car? The changes are on the outside, but we certainly feel it on the inside as well. But which happened first, the change, or the feeling? In this show, we’ll be discussing the necessary steps for making (lasting) change - and find out if change happens from the inside out, or the outside in. A special guest joins me, and I guarantee, this discussion will not be what you are thinking!

What we want is connection, freedom, abundance and energy - Love. What weighs us down and stops us is anger, resentment, being ungrateful, and not having clear boundaries – in essence, varying forms of fear – yes, fear. In everything we do, we are either moving towards love, or away from fear. It’s the flip side of the same coin. In the abundance loop, it starts with gratitude, then peace of mind, which leads to wise choices and positive outcomes. Listen for practical exercises for maintaining high energy and a true understanding of how our reality is a direct reflection of the thoughts we think - in EVERY way.

The friendly neighbor, your caring uncle, your funny friend, the short-tempered client, the angry co-worker, the frustrated classmate.....but the DIFFICULT person – that’s something different, right? It implies something negative, but without knowing WHY they are that way. We’ve all been there—trying valiantly to reason with an incredibly difficult person. The situation proves frustrating, maddening, and sometimes even frightening. The truth is, you can’t reason with an unreasonable person. However, there are proven techniques to better manage such dicey situations. Listen as we talk more about these difficult people, what makes them difficult, and how to deal with them so that life doesn't have to slow down just to avoid them!

Everyone knows someone going through the college application "idea" - whether kids, grandkids, nieces or nephews, and also whether actively in it, about to go through it, or a few years down the road. While it may seem that the college application process is not something active in everyone in the moment, the information we discuss tonight is viable, it's relevant and it's timely. If you have or know someone in that stage of life, you know how important it is for them to be moving forward in the world feeling good about themselves. Listen as I speak with special guest, Jessie Peck-Martin from Compass-U Educational Consulting.

EVERYBODY wants it, BUT it’s not something that everyone is actively trying to create. What is that? Confidence. MY question is “why”. What is it about confidence that makes it an attractive feeling, a way of being, and ultimately, an identity trait? I am teeing up the conversation on the topic of confidence – and the differences between confidence, self-confidence and self-esteem. Yes, you heard that right. I believe that by breaking out the three, we can better identify where we are, and most importantly, take the necessary, appropriate and best next action to create the changes we desire. Listen to find out more!

Everyone procrastinates to some degree occasionally, and that procrastination is as old as we are. It is defined as postponing an action despite the fact that we know there’s going to be a price to pay for the delay of it. It’s putting off what’s important, and getting caught up in the “what’s urgent” syndrome. It is the state of acting against your better judgment. It’s NOT about being lazy, and it rarely has to do with poor time management - and if procrastination is voluntary (because it is), why do we do it? Learn the two main reasons we procrastinate and tools to change those habits starting right now (not tomorrow).

We’ve all been around someone who we know is not good for our state of mind. It can be relatively easy to avoid someone when we have the choice, but what about when we don’t? There are definitely going to be moments in your life when you’re going to be around, and will have to manage, a situation with a toxic person. How do we DO that? Ultimately, a toxic person is bad for you - and the reason is that often they are not readily recognized as being very toxic. You could go days, months, or even years and never even know how much damage they are causing in your life. It can be very stressful to not be able to decipher between who is really trying to be a positive influence in your life, and who isn’t. To protect yourself from a toxic person, you have to be able to know one when you see one. There are always signs – it’s a matter of being able to identify them. And, as we learn to identify them, we can either develop a healthy relationship with them, or release them. Get to know how to spot a toxic relat

Are you surrounded by clutter: physical, financial, mental and emotional? Are you weighed down by your stuff? Clutter clogs up more than floors, tables and closets. It blocks abundance. By digging in and unearthing what you can understand about yourself from your clutter, you can see the opportunities in front of you. Any dread you feel is a powerful indicator of a root issue. In this show, we’ll be talking about the power of clearing clutter – and while it starts with cleaning up your closet or garage, it can be so much more. Learn what you can do RIGHT NOW to start clearing a path out of clutter of ANY kind, and find the energy that's been buried inside you.

Do you feel guilty taking time for yourself? Do you feel like every moment should be productive? How much does “should” weigh on your mind? How much resentment do you feel if you say YES to something you really don’t want to do? Guilt is frequently viewed as a virtue – as a high sense of responsibility and morality. So why does it feel so awful? Guilt is, first and foremost, an emotion - and contrary to popular belief - it is NOT a very good motivator. The resentment and anger that follow (and often go hand in hand) are equally toxic emotions. Listen in to learn how getting honest about a situation, really honest, is the best way to plow through it.

Do you have a friend who somehow manages to revert every topic of conversation back to himself; the colleague who is always bragging about having the latest, greatest "whatever"; the family member who thinks she is smarter and just generally better than you at everything? Chances are, you’ve encountered a narcissist - but sometimes the signs of narcissism are a little more nuanced - not always as obvious as we would think. A certain amount of narcissism IS in all of us, and it is actually healthy. It IS possible to have some traits of narcissism without having a clinically diagnosed disorder, but when narcissism starts to have a serious, negative impact on everyday life and relationships, it is an impairment outside of the normal. Listen in to learn how to tell if you have a narcissist in your life and what you can do about it!

Addiction – from Latin which means attached against your will (quite appropriate). Most drugs of abuse work by flooding the brain with dopamine. Alcoholics and drug addicts have extremely low dopamine. These lower starting levels of dopamine in the brain lead to higher spikes when the substance is used. The high causes the crash and the crash causes the craving. Listen to hear special guest, Brian McAlister, speak of addiction, his recovery and his mission to help others find purpose, recover at Full Recovery Wellness Center and live life to the fullest.

ANXIETY – the squeaky wheel. Anxiety is an emotion like any other - with its ebbs and flows. When anxiety starts building on itself, it gets very loud - like the toddler in the supermarket having a tantrum - and we can hear nothing else. Being an emotion, we can (more) simply, either lose control of, or gain control of it – like any other emotion – and our emotions serve a purpose. We have to understand the message inside the mood in order to name it, respond effectively and release it. We’ll begin to understand anxiety a little more, learn the message it's really sending, and then give it another job to do (instead of a time out).

Do you ever hear yourself say “my biggest fear is?” Do people ever ask you “why do you worry so much?” Constant worry or fear can be debilitating. So what, then, is the appropriate amount of worry/fear? If you’ve ever had a time when you’ve taken the practical choice – that’s fear. If you’ve been in a state of mistrust – that’s fear. If you’ve doubted yourself or your ability to do something – that’s fear. Fear is a natural and necessary response - and it serves to protect us. In this program, begin to shift your understanding of fear and learn how you may be misinterpreting it – and learn tools you can put into practice immediately.

If you’ve been suffering with a sleep disorder, you know how serious it is. Sleep loss can wreak havoc in our lives. Chronic sleep disorders can rob you of your energy, your health, your work performance, and your quality of life. When we are unable to sleep, it becomes the sole focus of our days – how to get it, how to improve it, how miserable we are without it. We ALL know what it feels like when we don’t sleep. And most of us don’t have a clear reason why we are suffering! We need to know what to do about it. So we’ll talk about chasing sleep - possible causes, the health issues associated - AND offer some solutions.

There seem to be so many alternative and complementary options for care. How can we possibly know which one is right? It’s important to know the what's, when's and why's for using these different modalities and learn which options could be good for YOU! Tonight’s show is about demystifying complementary therapies. If you have ever wondered about some of these modalities, well, tonight is your opportunity to learn more! References for podcast listeners: www.emdria.org, www.EFTUniverse.com, www.craniosacraltherapy.org, www.ortho-bionomy.org, www.polaritytherapy.org, www.hypnotherapyacademy.com, www.internationalboardofhypnotherapy.com, www.reiki.org

Aren't you tired of waiting - waiting for someone or something else to solve your problems? Are you feeling stuck in your job or career? Feeling stuck where you live? Stuck in a relationship? If you are stuck - in old patterns and trapped in the past? I am here to assure you that you can start making small changes right now - there is no need to wait. YOU are the answer you've been seeking. Tonight’s show is about making shifts happen and getting UNSTUCK. Learn about exercises and processes for making shifts happen – what you can do RIGHT NOW, to change your experience and your satisfaction in life.