Inspiring Mama | A Happiness Podcast For Moms & Dads

Latest Episodes:

Productschmivity: Get More Done in Less Time | Ep 45 Dec 16, 2015

Show notes

It’s time to stop feeling frustrated by your productivity. Host Lauren Fire shares the harrowing tale of creating a time management system she actually likes and shares a new way to look at the To-Dos in your life. How can we get stuff done and enjoy the process? Learn how to set yourself up to win and start working WITH yourself instead of fighting yourself. Stop cycling through organizational systems, books, and techniques that make no real impact and start creating your own. Get free happiness practices delivered to your inbox every other week by singing up for 3 Minutes to Zen here: Get Instant Access

Use Your Personal Style to Bring Out Your True Self | Ep 44 Dec 01, 2015

Show notes

Your personal style is a powerful tool in your transformational toolbox. With a few shifts in your wardrobe, you can re-ignite the AMAZING parts of YOU that get overlooked in the hustle of everyday parenting life. Stylist Joui Turandot will teach us how to re-ignite ourSELVES by tuning into our personal style. Learn how to use your clothing to bring out the parts of you that you want to show the world. Learn how to use your wardrobe to shift your emotional state and to create the confidence, sexiness, and joy that you're craving. Break through personal style barriers and negative self-talk and bring the fun back into your wardrobe. Joui also shares a few style hacks and tricks that she uses to get more out of her closet and to find clothing that really inspires you. To get my free happiness exercises delivered to your inbox every other week, sign up at: 3 Minutes to Zen

How to Finally Win the Shame Game | Ep 43 Nov 10, 2015

Show notes

What if we didn’t use shame to motivate ourselves? Host Lauren Fire talks about the shame she’s been struggling with lately and teaches you a step-by-step process to transform your relationship with shame. Learn how to move from shame into appreciation and sef-acceptance. “You can hate your decision and not hate yourself. You have that choice.” - Lauren Fire In this episode, you will learn a new tool you can use to architect your inner world. What would it look like NOT to punish yourself when you make a mistake? What would it be like to say: “Yes, I made a decision and I don’t like the consequences. But so what!” Can you can accept yourself anyway? There are no “wrong” decisions, only consequences. Some we like, some we don’t. Either way, once you make a decision, it’s in the past. Shame only creates more suffering in the moment. If we can learn how to turn to appreciation and self-acceptance in the face of shame, we can create a positive feeling state that will counter the negative. Get 10 tools to transform your inner world FREE by signing up for the Treat Yourself Challenge: 10 Days, 10 Ways to Shift from Crappy to Happy

When I Grow Up: Changing Careers & Finding a Job You Love | Ep 42 Oct 27, 2015

Show notes

Still trying to figure out what you want to be when you grow up? Many parents find that they feel frustrated by their jobs after they have kids. Maybe you want a more flexible work week, fewer hours, less stress, or just want to change careers entirely. But where do you start?

In this inspiring conversation, mompreneur RB Fast will tell us her story of transitioning out of a busy career into her own profitable business while balancing motherhood. Learn how to open yourself to the dream of a different career and find the courage to ask yourself honestly: What would I love to do?

Get jazzed to try new things, meet new people, and open yourself up to the dream job you didn't know you'd love. Understand the danger of excuse-based thinking and start moving through fears blocks and transitioning while still keeping your day job. Learn how to create a support system with your family and friends.

Get free happiness practices every other week by signing up for: 3 Minutes to Zen

How to Swim Through Overwhelm & Chaos | Ep 41 Oct 13, 2015

Show notes

How do you thrive amid the busyness and overwhelming details of parenthood? Host Lauren Fire discusses the two words that are finally allowing her to make real changes in her life. "At some point it stops becoming about what happened to you, whatever you blame things on, and it starts being about what you’re doing today in your head to continue that pattern and recreate the situation that is causing your pain, depression or anxiety.” -Lauren Fire Get Inspiring Mama’s free happiness practices every other week by signing up at: 3 Minutes to Zen

Turn Down Your Mind & Turn Up Your Experience | Ep 40 Sep 30, 2015

Show notes

Ever feel like your mind is running you? Learn how to turn down your mind and turn up your enjoyment. In this episode, host Lauren Fire gets macro and discuses how to find your true self and let go of the stupidity that floods your mind. With this new tool, you can reduce anxiety, depression, overwhelm, or stress. Learn how to stop taking the content of your mind so seriously. Get what it really means to find the SELF you’ve been looking for and create a new kind of relationship with your every day experience. When you learn to enter the present moment state, something magical happens, whether you’re washing the dishes or sitting on a cliff top in lotus pose. You connect with your SELF and you find a new level of intelligence and a place of acceptance and love. When you truly get this, you can stop trying to fix yourself and start trying to just be yourself. Get free happiness exercises by joining my community: Get Instant Access to 3 Minutes to Zen View the Show Notes Page, with links to the books and lectures quoted here: Show Notes

How to Stop Shoulding All Over Yourself | Ep 39 Sep 16, 2015

Show notes

I should be working out right now. I should be eating healthier. I shouldn’t be on Facebook. I should should should should! Using the word “should” in your head actually makes you LESS productive and MORE unhappy. Learn a 3-step process to get rid of the “shoulds” in your head that will empower you and propel you toward what you want. Use this exercise during times of high stress, anxiety, depression, or whenever you notice that you are feeling more guilt and shame than usual. Get written exercises like this every other week, FREE by signing up here: Get Instant Access to 3 Minutes to Zen Here is the 3-Step Process, called The Should-a-Nator: Step 1: Notice your “shoulds” What “should” you do? Ask yourself that question and I bet you’ll get a whole flood of all of the shoulds that your brain likes to beat you up with. You shouldn’t watch that much TV. You should be buying organic. You shouldn’t have quit breastfeeding so early. You should be running like that old high school friend on Facebook who lost 30lbs. Step 2: Ask: Do I “want” to do this? If so, replace “should” with “want.” Next time you notice a “should,” in real time, ask yourself “do I really want to do that”? Example: “I should be working out more. Do I want to work out more? Yes I do." Now replace “should” in your head with “want.” Example: I want to work out more. Notice how that makes you feel different than “I should be working out more.” "I want to work out more" propels you forward. It motivates you. If, every time you think “I should work out” you instead think “I want to work out” you are more likely to take the action of working out. Shoulds make us feel weak, they make us feel like we are teenagers being instructed by the parent in our head. They make us want to rebel and do the opposite. Self-abuse is a terrible way to motif ate yourself. If you are doing something to avoid your own harsh criticism, that sort of motivation is not sustainable. Find your want - your desire - for the result that you’re getting. Your desire for the result is the motivation that will take you from shoulding to actually taking action. if you actually want to accomplish the “should’ then change “should” to ‘want” and work to make that change permanent. The more you correct yourself in your head, the faster you can rewire your brain for success. Step 3: If the answer is “No” -Challenge your “should” or Schedule the task When you notice something you “should” do, ask yourself “do I want to do this?” If the answer is “no” then it’s time to reevaluate why you are shoulding this. Is the task something that actually needs to be done, or something that you just feel pressured to do? If the task actually needs to be done but you just don’t want to do it (like your taxes for example) then acknowledge that it needs to be done. Acknowledge that you don’t wan tot do it, but have to. and then pull out your calendar and plan a time to actually do it. Just pick a day, block off the time, and plan it. Then you can let it go. If the task is one you can let go - let it go. For example I hear “I should be making every bit of food that my daughter eats.” When I challenge that, I realize that it’s a ridiculous standard for myself. And I decide to let that one go. Or “I should be reading more fiction books.” Do I want to read more fiction books? No I don’t. It just seems like something other women do and enjoy. Let it go.

See the difference?

From Burnout to All Out - How to Have it All Without Losing It | Ep 38 Sep 02, 2015

Show notes

How do you “have it all” without burning out? People keep telling you to “slow down” or “de-stress” but how do you slow down when life won’t slow down? How do you keep your body and mind healthy while trying to be, do and enjoy everything you want?

Dr. Karen Osburn takes a new look at burnout. Instead of slowing down when life speeds up, Dr. Karen has learned how to step up. All while taking care of her body, mind, marriage, and children. Learn how she thrives when the going gets tough, and how you can too.

"Burnout only happens when you are not fulfilling all your body's needs (physically, mentally and emotionally), OR if you are all in for one aspect of your life (i.e. business), and neglect everything else.” - Dr. Karen Osburn.

View the show notes for this episode here: Burnout

Get my free happiness exercises every other week by signing up here: Get Instant Access

Balance Schmalance: How Stop Feeling Guilty and Just Enjoy It | Ep 37 Aug 19, 2015

Show notes

Striving for “Balance” is like being a mouse in an endless maze looking for cheese that doesn’t exist. It can lead to guilt, shame, worry, anxiety, and unhappiness. In this episode, you will learn a new way to think of time management and balance that will reduce your guilt and have you quickly enjoying more of your life. Society’s notion of balance has parents striving for some magical place where all parts of their lives feel equally cared for. Given the complicated nature of a family, the whole notion of balance simply gives us food for our guilt monster. You feel guilty when you work instead of spend time with your kid. Then you feel guilty when you leave work early to spend time with your kid. You feel guilty because you haven’t made time for your friends, then feel guilty leaving your kid with a sitter to go to dinner. It goes on and on. When I gave up thinking that I could balance anything and started instead doing what I’m teaching in this episode, I felt a huge weight get lifted. This episode is part of my series: 3 Minutes to Zen: The Joy Toolbox for Busy Parents. Get a free joy practice like this every week by signing up here: Get Instant Access To download a summary of the lessons in this episode visit: Balance Schmalance

Coping with Crisis - Being OK When it Really Isn't OK | Ep 36 Aug 05, 2015

Show notes

A sick child, a baby in the NICU, divorce, and loss...how do you cope with the most difficult struggles? Author Kayla Aimee shares her story of finding gratitude and hope through the flood of difficulties she faced when her daughter was born prematurely at 25 weeks. How do you not hit anyone who says "Everything happens for a reason..."? How do you "stay strong" when you are crumbling and can't find anything to hold onto? How do you find any sort of peace or comfort when life is ridiculously difficult? When she was born, Kayla's daughter weighed less than six sticks of butter. In her new book, Anchored: Finding Hope in the Unexpected, Kayla shares the life lessons that got her through the hardest and most traumatic time in her life. "I want her to see me that way as her mom. I want her to seem me as someone who chooses hope and joy and laughter in the middle of hard things. Because I hope as she gets older, she will too. And I hope that will make her path a little bit easier." - Kayla Aimee In this incredibly powerful interview, Kayla honestly digs into how she dealt with her crisis and shows us the "how" in "how in the world did you get through it?" Her story will give you hope, inspiration, and a path to healing. Is someone close to you struggling? Kayla's insights will also help you understand the eye of the storm so that you can more effectively help your loved one sail through. This one is not to be missed! Sign up for 3 Minutes to Zen and I will send you a free happiness practice every week as I write my new book! Get Instant Access

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