Remember the childhood game "Chutes & Ladders?" Our journey of self-awareness can be similar. Sometimes we slide backwards and sometimes we are able to move forward in life in big ways. And, even with the discomfort that results, both pieces are important to our journey. Join Karen and Lynn as they sift through their awareness embracing their “Chutes & Ladders” in the process.

January hits and the dark, cold reality of winter often sets in for people. But it is exactly as nature intended. It provides us with time to journey inward and learn more about ourselves. In nature, many creatures hibernate. Winter gives us the opportunity to slow down, rest our bodies, and listen to what our bodies actually need. Join Lynn & Karen as they talk through the hard spots and opportunities that winter provides.

We all experience moments of frustration or anger with ourselves. Whether it's making a mistake or falling back into old patterns or hurting someone we love, it is normal to experience emotions in response to our words or actions. But somewhere along the way, the unresolved anger and frustration turns into an inner critic or bully and results in feelings of shame. Join Lynn and Karen as they take a lighthearted look at what pisses them off about being them.

Guess what? As human beings, we all create judgments about others. It's important to realize that our judgments are a reflection of our "personal perception lens" vs. anything remotely close to the whole truth. When we can pause and clear our minds of our judgments, we are better able to create and maintain authentic connection with others and ourselves. Join Karen and Lynn as they talk through the challenge of creating space for the unknowing of another's story and holding connection as the goal.

In our current society, many of us have learned through conditioning that we are only acceptable in the world if we are happy. But emotions are biological and all emotions are part of our human experience. How would our world heal if space was created for unconditional acceptance of emotion? Can we create that space for ourselves and others we connect with? Join Karen and Lynn as they talk through the complexities of unconditional acceptance and incorporating it into our daily practice.

The holidays can be such a mixed bag of emotions, stress and the never-ending feeling that we should be doing something. Just take a look at our to-do list ... Right? Give yourself a holiday gift right now and join Karen and Lynn as they talk through holiday stressors and emotional whirlwinds, and then identify what they would like more of this holiday season and what they'd like to let go of.

Our world can seem incredibly dark right now. We witness world events that are broadcast live on social media that show unimaginable human suffering. We witness injustices in our country that impact people's lives and make it increasingly difficult to survive. We hold our individual hardships and challenges and those of our loved ones. Then, add in shortened daylight hours and the cold of winter and things can seem pretty bleak. But we have opportunities to recognize cracks of joy even in the midst of darkness. Join Karen and Lynn as they share more about the concept of cracks of joy when it all feels overwhelming.

There is a lot of talk on resiliency these days. It's used to acknowledge our ability to bounce back or the strength that we have to do hard things. The term resiliency can also be used in a harmful ways. Such as, using it to minimize the impact of the experience or avoid acknowledging that sometimes life is hard. Period. Join Karen and Lynn as they unpack the many layers of resiliency and raise awareness around the language and concepts we use.

Fear is an uncomfortable emotion. Period. Fear is also part of our human experience and it gives us important information about the world we are navigating. Join Lynn and Karen as they talk through their own relationships with fear and their journeys to allow and embrace fear in their lives.

Oftentimes when we are in need of help, we are told by people in the helping profession what we need or what would be helpful rather than having someone ask us directly. You are the expert in your life and know, more than anyone else, what would be helpful in times of need. Join Karen and Lynn as they talk through the ways that help has been unhelpful in their lives and how we can trust and advocate for what we know is helpful for us.

Have you ever been frustrated with another's behavior? Inevitably. One of the most humanizing reactions we can have is the recognition that we frustrate people too. Join Karen and Lynn as they recognize how powerful it can be to adopt a "Just like me" mantra to all of the experiences life can throw our direction.

Fall shows us how beautiful it is to let things go. The leaves changing color and releasing from the tree to become nourishment for the ground. What if we could allow our letting go to nourish us and recognize the beauty in the process? Join Lynn and Karen as they share their experiences with letting go.

We all experience change each and every day. Recognizing and accepting change when it occurs can be challenging. With a short phrase "It's like this now," we can extend self-compassion, love and acceptance to where we are in the present and honor how temporary it can be. Join Lynn and Karen as they talk through the powerful shift that can happen when we stay grounded in the present.

We have all experienced times in our life where we may have felt defective or broken. Navigating life is complicated and hard at times. In our work, Karen and I often share with others the value that we hold that all people are fundamentally whole. We believe that we were born whole and are impacted by a myriad of experiences that cause us to question it. Join us as we share the powerful shift that can occur, in ourselves and our relationship with others, when we embody the concept that there are no broken people.

We are all connected. Whether it is a tragic event that is far from us or one in our backyard, we feel the emotion, grief and empathy as if it is our own. Empathy for the human experience is universal and deeply needed in our world. Join Karen and Lynn as they share their own experiences of connection with near and far and how they navigate through the emotions.

In the work that we do, we often hear about the conditioning and pressure many feel to stay positive or happy. Here's the real deal folks ... it is an impossible ask. As human beings, we all experience ups and downs and moments of no direction at all. So know that whatever you are experiencing, however you are showing up in the world, you are not alone. Join Karen and Lynn as they take a REAL look at all people are carrying and the power of connection to lighten our load.

A primary tenet of the work we do is the power of “Connection as Prevention.” Whether we are talking suicide prevention, mental health challenges, substance use, physical illness or any other condition that creates a feeling of isolation, connection is prevention. In this episode, Karen and Lynn talk through the impact of social isolation and loneliness, how epidemic it truly is, and how connecting with others is key to healing and prevention.

Each of us has learned how to navigate the world through our family, community and collective cultures ... and this includes our relationship with emotion. How do you engage with your own emotions? How do you engage with the emotions of others? Join Karen and Lynn as they unpack all of the conditional messaging we've received and how to unlearn and relearn a more natural, more human way of being with our emotions.

In the last few weeks, we have seen a dramatic increase in the number of people reaching out to us regarding compassion fatigue and burnout. Some are organizations looking for new ways to support their employees. Others are individuals who have reached their tipping point and can no longer function in their work environment due to overwhelm, the ongoing pressure of trying to "catch up," and a feeling of disconnection from themselves and others. Join Karen and Lynn as they describe the impact of compassion fatigue and burnout and how connection and emotional wellness are the keys to change and healing.

Our lives are constantly in transition, but are we aware of how we are navigating them? Karen and Lynn talk through the transitions occurring in their own lives and how creating pause can help us extend empathy to ourselves through the process.