making peace

Born in Scotland, Angie Seckinger spent her childhood moving a lot all over the globe, from Pakistan, Columbia, Chile and Guatemala to Arizona, Washington DC, Maryland and Germany. Her dad was a foreign service officer and her life was never boring. Angie has been an artist and professional photographer for 40 years. I met her through my husband Pata when I first came to Cornudella in 2014. At the time, she was still living the double life, hustling as a well established photographer in the US, and spending her winters on her quiet piece of property tucked up against the Montsant. We have spent hours talking on her deck. Every time her insights resonate and I walk away inspired. Angie seems to always get me and understand my process. In this recording, we talk about feeling stuck, the cycles of life, the creative process and the importance of stopping. Angie also shares how she learned what ‘having enough’ means to her. In her own words: “Today, I am retired and living my best, peaceful life”.

When I first moved to Spain late last summer, I expected to jump straight into my new job at a local winery, guiding tourists and explaining the history of Priorat. I had prepared and studied for the position, but when I arrived the job fell through. Disheartened at first, I then welcomed the unplanned break I was given and realized how much I needed to just stop. After two years of moving things from one storage unit to another, from the US to Spain and finishing our house here, I felt tired, directionless and empty of any sort of inspiration. For a week or so I mostly slept. Then, little by little, I started picking up the pieces and slowly putting my life back together here in Cornudella de Montsant. With this very first solo episode, I would like to give a glimpse into my life here and what inspired me to start recording again. 

Leon Logothetis, author of Go Be Brave, speaks about how bravery comes up in all aspects of life. We discuss the interplay of vulnerability, anger, and making peace when raising assured teens.

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Full Show Notes

Raising teenagers is a complex journey filled with highs, lows, and the many moments in between. In today's fast-paced world, where authenticity often takes a backseat to social media facades, how can we encourage our teens to uncover and speak their truth? More importantly, as parents and guardians, how can we provide a safe space that nurtures their bravery and authentic selves?

In this enlightening episode of "Talking to Teens," we delve into these pressing questions and more with the inspirational Leon Logothetis, a global adventurer, motivational speaker, philanthropist, and the author behind the empowering book, "Go Be Brave: 24 and Three Quarters Adventures for a Fearless, Wiser, and Truly Magnificent Life." Leon's journey from a London broker to a world explorer relying on the kindness of strangers is a testament to the power of embracing one’s true self and the courage it takes to step into the unknown.

Leon shares insights on why teenagers, more than any other age group, may find it particularly challenging to be authentic and the hurdles they face in voicing their needs and emotions. He stresses the importance of creating a safe environment for teens to express themselves, even when it involves anger or frustration, and provides practical advice on how to facilitate these crucial conversations at home.

Embracing Vulnerability and Authenticity

Leon emphasizes the importance of vulnerability in both teens and their parents. By sharing our own journeys, including the struggles, we can demonstrate to our teens that it's alright not to have everything figured out and that authenticity is more valuable than perfection.

The Safe Expression of Anger

Learn why Leon believes that expressing anger is not only inevitable but necessary for emotional development, and discover techniques to ensure these expressions are safe and constructive. This part of the conversation is especially enlightening for parents navigating the tumultuous teenage years.

Adventures in Bravery

Leon introduces the concept of "adventures in bravery" — practical, actionable steps teens (and adults) can take to challenge their comfort zones and grow in confidence. These adventures serve as a blueprint for embracing life's uncertainties with a brave heart.

Encouraging Open Communication

One of the episode's highlights is the discussion on fostering an environment of open communication. Leon shares strategies for parents to listen actively and respond empathetically, ensuring teens feel heard, validated, and, most importantly, understood.

In this episode, we also cover:

- The psychology behind why teens find it hard to express themselves.
- Tips for parents on modeling vulnerability.
- The importance of owning our mistakes and learning from them.
- How to support your teen in choosing their path while encouraging bravery and authenticity.

Leon's story and insights offer a refreshing perspective on parenting teens in today's complex world. His emphasis on truth, bravery, and kindness as foundations for a fulfilling life resonates throughout our conversation, providing listeners with invaluable guidance on nurturing these values in their teenagers.

Join us as Leon Logothetis inspires us to create deeper connections with our teens through understanding, courage, and, most importantly, love. Don't miss out on this transformative episode that may just change the way you think about parenting in the modern age.

Listen to the episode and subscribe to "Talking to Teens" for more invaluable insights on nurturing resilience, bravery, and authenticity in our teenagers.

Join me today as I share a story about "dropping the ball" and feeling like a failure because I had let my child down.

You may not have kids, but we've all felt like we let someone down at some point in our lives, even if that person was ourselves.

Did I cry? Or throw myself a pity party? Well yes, but I didn't stay there for very long, so listen in to see how the story ends in a much happier place than where it began.

We recorded this episode with Laura Jolley late last summer. I had found her yoga class in Grand Junction shortly after moving there and it changed the entire experience of a difficult phase of my life. With deep stretches and breath work, Laura helped me sink into emotional layers beneath all the chaos. I always walked away feeling relieved and more grounded. This conversation is a great reminder that even when I think calmer waters are just around the corner, life continues to bring challenges, just different ones. And taking time for myself, whether three minutes or an hour, is not just appropriate, but actually necessary. During this episode, Laura actually guides us through a short meditation. It’s amazing what closing your eyes and breathing can do. 

We talk about how Yoga found her at age four, the pros and cons of in-class yoga versus hitting play on your phone, how empowering it feels to realize that we are actually in charge of our own happiness, and all the different ways and expressions of self-care, a widely used term that has become so cliche, and also a thread throughout my episodes. We so often live in the past or the future, trying to plan ahead, re-analyzing what happened, could have happened or should have happened. Ironically, all we really have is the present moment: Now. So how do we find the balance between being present and still functioning in society? Yoga is one method that brings us back into the body and the moment. But no matter what the practice, bottom line, when we slow down we stay in touch with ourselves and can learn how to fill our cup. 

To learn more about Laura please visit https://www.laurajolley.com/

If you happen to live in the Western Slopes, I highly recommend checking out her class at https://www.yogavstudio.com/home

Laura’s recommendations for online yoga platforms:

https://yogauonline.com/

https://www.glo.com/

https://yogainternational.com/

Christie Blackmon grew up in northeast Ohio. She studied marketing and psychology at Kent State University and started climbing in her twenties. Her new passion led her to travel throughout the US, Mexico, Thailand and Spain and eventually settle in Colorado, where we met. 

Though there have been stretches in our lives without seeing each other, last summer we spent a lot of time together in Grand Junction. Training at the gym was merely an excuse to talk for hours about all the things and with no filters. Christie feels like an older sister to me. I admire her, the life she has created with her family, the way she approaches climbing, how she treats her daughter Marissa and her relationship with her sweet husband, Michael. 

Christie sent the Path (5.13c in Rifle Canyon) at age 44, one year after giving birth to Marissa. At the time this was her hardest route. Then, at age 48, she did Magnatar and Tomb Raider, also in Rifle, both 5.13ds. Her family has spent a lot of time in Spain where we got to climb with them and also meet her incredible mom, Joni. Sadly, she passed away not too long ago, but thankfully within the comfort of Christie’s own home. 

It took time for Christie to be ready to speak about her mom’s death on my podcast. And when she was, she said: “I thought about what my mom would say, and she would have told me to do it”. Christie and I talk about things that probably most of us try not to think about: aging, death and losing a loved one. Topics that occupy many of our minds (whether consciously or not) but are hard, scary, yet inevitable. My dad is turning 80 this year. He is strong, his mind fresh, young at heart and his memory incredible. But the fact is, he is getting older. 

My parents make jokes about how they are the ‘next ones on the line’. I get upset when they talk like that. But I guess for them it’s one way of dealing with the fact that they have lost a lot of friends their age and younger. Sometimes, it can feel as though death is just around the corner, waiting to take them away from me. Each time I get to see them is becoming more and more precious.

I don’t think anyone can prepare us for the moment we have to let go of someone we love so deeply. But sharing our stories helps us remember that we are not alone. No one is exempt from losing someone close. And though we will always miss them, with time, the pain becomes less.

IF YOU ARE CURIOUS WHY MY PODCAST IS CALLED ‘KEGELS AND COFFEE’ THIS EPISODE HAS THE ANSWER FOR YOU! 

Susan Vachon and I go way back to the California days. She danced for my company in 2009 and has been a friend for longer than that. Susan grew up in suburban New York. After completing her Masters degree in Health Science she became a Physician Assistant and made her way to the west coast where she felt more at home in the outdoor world. But this conversation is not about climbing or skiing, rather working less and sleeping more. Ironically, when we recorded this episode Susan had just thrown her back out after going full force for too long. We talk about:

We talk about:

• Sleep, or better, the lack of 💤
• How to create a cozy nest to rest 🛏️
• Why to keep it dark at night 🕶️
• Susan’s childhood terror of aliens grabbing her feet from under the bed 👽
• How at 4am our thoughts are totally out of control 🤯
• When we don’t stop, our bodies will make us 🛑
• What we would tell our 27-year old selves 👯
• Stepping out of the work life rat race 🐀

I don't normally share this in my podcasts because I worry that I might scare some people off, but I'm sharing it with you all today because it is super-important if you want lasting change in your life.

Join me today as I talk about personas and the work I had to do to recognize and release the need for those same personas.

If you want the same kind of lasting change, then you need to do the work. But you don't have to do it alone. That's why I'm always offering a FREE 1-on-1 introductory call to see where you're at, what you need help with, and if we're a good fit. No obligations, no judgement, just love and support.

Spring and Fall are here. During this segment of Mind You + Food...Unlock your potential. We will explore the emotion of anger and discover it's benefits. In addition, you will learn how to manage the energy of anger for the benefit of your well being.

Music
Music Random Rab
Aham Prema: Donna DeLory
Suzanne Toro

On-Going Food Alchemy Classes

Meet the incredible Helena Montelius, who’s a certified The Work Facilitator by Byron Katie - a beautiful inquiry process, where you question your thoughts, and through this practice you access your inner wisdom, just by asking yourself these 4 simple questions:

• Question 1: Is it true? ...
• Question 2: Can you absolutely know it's true? ...
• Question 3: How do you react when you believe that thought?
• Question 4: Who would you be without the thought?

Then you turn the thought around.

Thanks to doing this practice of The Work, Helena was able to find peace and happiness even when she was facing some of the toughest challenges, I feel any human can face. 

If you are experiencing some challenges in your life right now, or you know someone who is, then this powerful episode is for you, as Helena will share with you her own journey of healing, and inspire you to how you can let your challenges, illnesses and grief become your teachers, so they can help you to awaken to a deeper truth that lives inside of you.

Hey folks – so how’s your 30-Day Challenge going? Hit me up on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter and let me know how things are going. What questions do you have, and how I can help? Or, if you prefer a little more privacy then feel free to message me at my website. A little accountability goes a long way! And remember Just Do It! It’s a great marketing slogan because it really works! 

This week I invite my good friend and colleague, fellow registered dietitian nutritionist Adrien Paczosa. Listen in to today’s show as we talk body image, eating disorders, bro-science, making peace with food, and just have a great time talking shop. You’ll love it! Adrien is also a Certified Eating Disorders Registered Dietitian Supervisors (CEDRD-S), and her path towards nutrition came through a major challenge in her life. During a practice she took a fall and broke her foot, and that sparked the ideas of needing a new direction in her life. Over the years Adrien has been presenting on topics of mental health and nutrition, eating disorders, addictions, and building a private practice. Along with being a sought-after public speaker she has by working with local and national media channels to promote nutrition and health through her appearances and messaging. She opened her private practice, iLiveWell Nutritional Therapy in 2007. To date, iLiveWell Nutrition has multiple locations and currently employees 8 dietitians and several interns. In 2016 Adrien began developing and online training academy to coach dietitians to build private practices. She is launching her podcast Fearless Practitioners in 2018 to continue to motivate and educate dietitians to start their dream practice, and she can be found on all the social channels @AdreinPaczosa. 

If you like this episode, then download my show wherever you listen to podcasts Apple, Spotify, Stitcher, Google and hit that subscribe button so you won’t miss an episode. And if you get a chance, feel free to let me know what nutrition or health topic you’d like me to cover by going to Apple Podcast, or visit my website and leave me your comments there. I read every one of them. 

Once again, I greatly appreciate you for listening and supporting my show. Remember, it really only takes One Small Biteover time to transform your life, so let’s – Chop the diet mentality; Fuel your body; and Nourish your soul! 

Our Maker is our Savior and our Savior is our Maker. He who knows us best because he made us, is best able to diagnose what's wrong with us, and best able to prescribe the remedy that restores us to himself and life as he intended. His remedy is Jesus. I. He's more than you think, v18. II. He's head of the church, v18a. III. He's firstborn from the dead, v18b. IV. He reconciles all things, vv19-20.