A Quest for Well-Being

A word that weaves through most relationship skills programs is "empathy", the ability—a developed skill, actually—to vicariously put yourself in another person's shoes and try to see from their point of view, their world, their perspective. People are more familiar with the word "sympathy", which means to "feel for" someone, particularly if they've experienced a loss of some kind. However, "empathy" means something quite different. The Oxford Dictionary defines empathy as "the ability to understand and share the feelings of another." Another way to say it is empathy means to "feel with" or "feel into" as in "feel into the other person", which has powerful impact both for the empathizer and the person being empathized with. Empathy is a powerful state of mind, but it's not something we try to pound into ourselves, it's something we want to cultivate and let out—it's our capacity to have compassion and concern for ourselves and others. Empathy is really an internal motivator to be a caring person who is genuinely concerned about the wellbeing of others, as well as one's own wellbeing. In this episode, Valeria Teles interviews Bento Leal. He is the bestselling author of the book: 4 Essential Keys to Effective Communication in Love, Life, Work—Anywhere, discusses some of these key communication and relationship skills from his own perspective and experience in their use and value, and they all revolve around this primary skill of empathy. Bento Leal is a Relationships Skills Trainer and Bestselling Author who has taught marriage and relationship skills classes and parenting skills classes to more than 2500 couples and singles at family resource centers, community organizations, churches, substance abuse recovery programs, county jails and federal prison throughout California. In 2017, he published his first book "4 Essential Keys to Effective Communication in Love, Life, Work—Anywhere!" It continues to be an Amazon Best Seller in several categories and has sold more than 60,000 copies to date. To learn more about Bento Leal please visit his website https://bentoleal.com/ For Intro-free episodes: https://www.patreon.com/aquestforwellbeingpodcast Podcast Page: https://fitforjoy.org/podcast ** Bio intro and outro one by Heidi Lynn Peters.

In this episode, Valeria Teles interviews Kathy Mann about her book: Avoiding Burnout: The Seven Principles of Self-Preservation K.A. Mann had it all. She was a mother and wife, an ultra- marathon runner and a business owner. But the stress of doing the wrong work in an unpleasant environment landed her with a lifelong autoimmune illness. Without work and income, she took stock of how it happened and how she could have prevented her burnout. Kathy developed the seven principles of self-preservation. The principles cover relationship issues such as the importance of boundaries; knowing yourself and injecting creativity into your life – all in order to create a richer, more rewarding life and to connect with what matters most to you. In this heartfelt and personal account, she provides great insight into the factors affecting our stress levels. Accompanied by personal stories and backed up by research, Kathy provides opportunities for us to evaluate our lives and to design a life more aligned to our authentic selves. If you're suffering from stress, this episode offers you suggestions and insights on how to avoid burnout and change the trajectory of your life. Kathy Mann is an author and speaker with a special interest in stress management. She is passionate about guiding people towards their best lives possible in harnessing their strengths and innate talents. She offers a stress re-framing service, which shifts beliefs to be more constructive around stress. She does this by educating her clients about the variety of stress responses that exist and how we can benefit from them. Kathy's books Avoiding Burnout and Harnessing Stress are available at major retailers and online at Amazon. She is a wife and mother of two beautiful daughters and lives in Johannesburg, South Africa. To learn more about Kathy Mann please visit her website: https://kathymann.co.za/ For Intro-free episodes: https://www.patreon.com/aquestforwellbeingpodcast Podcast Page: https://fitforjoy.org/podcast ** Bio intro and outro one by Heidi Lynn Peters.

"The human superpower is the ability to choose the meaning we give to our circumstances. Two individuals may confront the same exact situation and have a totally different reaction to it. One interpretation can be empowering and the other totally disempowering. Our ability to choose how we respond to our circumstances is the most important capacity we have and will massively impact the results we get in life. There is no better example than the stories of Victor Frankl and Edith Eger, two Holocaust survivors who have written about their unimaginable ordeals. In Man's Search for Meaning, Frankl recounts the horror of his treatment at the hands of Nazi guards at the Auschwitz death camp, "Everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of the human freedoms – to choose one's attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one's way." Eger was also imprisoned at Auschwitz. Years after the war, just before turning forty, she was given a copy of Frankl's book to read while she was studying to get her undergraduate degree in psychology. That night she read the book and realized something that would change her life forever. In her book The Choice, Eger writes: "Each moment is a choice. No matter how frustrating or boring or constraining or painful or oppressive our experience, we can always choose how we respond. And I finally begin to understand that I, too, have a choice. This realization will change my life." Frankl became Eger's mentor and good friend. She went on to confront her pain and heal the trauma that had been haunting her ever since she was liberated from Auschwitz. She received her Ph.D. at age 51, and has become a renowned author, therapist, and speaker, writing The Choice at age 90. Take a look at your own life right now. Where are you facing a challenge that you are allowing to hold you back? How can you use the human superpower to choose a different, more empowering meaning? If you want to master your code and lead an extraordinary life, you must cultivate and use the superpower of choice. – says: Darren Gold Valeria Teles interviews Darren about his book: Master Your Code: The Art, Wisdom, and Science of Leading an Extraordinary Life. Darren Gold is a Managing Partner at The Trium Group, where he advises and coaches CEOs and their leadership teams at many of the world's most innovative companies, including Roche, Dropbox, Lululemon, Sephora, Cisco, eBay, Activision, and Warner Bros. As a former CEO and long-time board member, Darren brings deep personal leadership experience to his work with organizations. He has a BA from UCLA and a JD from the University of Michigan. Darren is the author of the new book, Master Your Code: The Art, Wisdom, and Science of Leading an Extraordinary Life. To learn more about Darren Gold please visit her website: https://www.darrenjgold.com/ For Intro-free episodes: https://www.patreon.com/aquestforwellbeingpodcast Podcast Page: https://fitforjoy.org/podcast ** Bio intro and outro one by Heidi Lynn Peters.

In this episode, Valeria Teles interviews Nate Terrell, the author of Achieving Self-Compassion: Giving Yourself the Gifts of Happiness and Inner Peace." Nate teaches how we can achieve self-compassion and find greater happiness and inner peace by: •Being our own best friend •Developing beliefs that work for us •Knowing we are inherently worthy •Not projecting our needs onto others •Choosing happiness and peace of mind •Taking great care of ourselves •Tuning into our "authentic self" •Eliminating negative reactions •Appreciating what we already have •Enjoying the present moment. Nate Terrell has witnessed and experienced the healing and transformative power of these strategies in his work with clients and his own quest to be more self-compassionate. He lists additional strategies that we can begin using today to live our lives with abundance, fulfillment and serenity - we deserve it!!! Many people believe that it is selfish to be self-compassionate. However, there is nothing selfish about eliminating self-criticism, treating ourselves with kindness, feeling worthwhile, being happy, transcending our worries or finding a peaceful place within. These gifts, which we can give to ourselves at any moment, will fill us with positive energy and caring that we can pass onto others. Nate Terrell is also a therapist in private practice in Mullica Hill, New Jersey. He provides coaching and training on self-compassion, mindfulness and many other related topics. You can sign up for self-compassion coaching on Nate's website: achievingselfcompassion.com To learn more about Nate Terrell please visit his website: https://www.shmartin.com/ and https://www.oakleapress.com/ For Intro-free episodes: https://www.patreon.com/aquestforwellbeingpodcast Podcast Page: https://fitforjoy.org/podcast ** Bio intro and outro one by Heidi Lynn Peters.

While Becky Eldredge sat and had one of her last conversations with her grandfather, he asked her for one thing: "Becksa, promise me you'll tell people that they are not alone. Promise me you will not stop what you are doing and will keep sharing the Good News with others." Eldredge fulfilled her promise. In her second book, The Inner Chapel: Embracing the Promises of God, she shares the gift given to each of us: the inner chapel, and how visiting it allows us to discover the promises of God. The Inner Chapel: Embracing the Promises of God guides readers in entering their inner chapel, a sacred space within us where God resides, through prayer and Ignatian spirituality practices. While offering practices on how to enter the inner chapel, each chapter provides an opportunity to reflect on a certain promise of God. Reflecting on events in her own life, Eldredge writes about the many promises of God present in our everyday lives. These include: We Are Never Alone: God is always with us, even in our times of loneliness and despair. In these times we must embrace God's gift of the inner chapel and be comforted knowing he is always present. We Are Loved—Unconditionally: Eldredge reminds us that we are loved by God and we have to increase our capacity to receive God's love for us. By opening to God's love, we are able to love others in ways we never thought possible, which internally pulls us to share the good news of this promise with others. We Have a Companion in Suffering: Recalling her grandfather's battle with brain cancer, Eldredge discovers our companion in suffering—God. In the same way God companioned Jesus in his suffering, God companions us in ours. We are never alone because Jesus who suffered walks with us. Each of Us Has a Unique Call: We all are invited by God to understand and use the unique gifts he gave us. Through discernment, we are guided in saying yes to Jesus and allowing his gifts to guide our true calling. In this episode, Valeria Teles interviews Becky Eldredge. Becky is an Ignatian-trained spiritual director, retreat facilitator, and author. She invites people deeper in their walk with Christ through facilitating retreats and days of reflection, writing, online retreat experiences, and spiritual direction. Passionate about Ignatian spirituality and teaching people how to pray, Becky leans on her twenty years of ministry experience to help people make room for God in the busyness and invite then into deeper relationship with God. Becky lives in Baton Rouge, LA, where she meets with men and women of all ages for monthly spiritual direction and leads people through the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius. She directs in-person days of reflections and retreats, as well as online retreats to make the Ignatian retreat experience accessible to all, and is co-founder of the women's ministry, Women of the Well. In addition, she offers weekly reflections on her own website, www.beckyeldredge.com, as well as reflections on Loyola Press' Ignatian Spirituality blog, dotMagis. She shares life with her husband and three children. To learn more about Becky Eldredge please visit her website: www.beckyeldredge.com For Intro-free episodes: https://www.patreon.com/aquestforwellbeingpodcast Podcast Page: https://fitforjoy.org/podcast ** Bio intro and outro one by Heidi Lynn Peters.

"I am human I am a work in progress Striving to be the best version of ME" Susan Verde wrote the picture books: I Am Yoga, I Am Peace and I Am Human in her wellness series. I Am Human is a hopeful meditation on all the great (and challenging) parts of being human, it shows that it's okay to make mistakes while also emphasizing the power of good choices by offering a kind word or smile or by saying "I'm sorry." At its heart, this picture book is a celebration of empathy and compassion that lifts up the flawed fullness of humanity and encourages children and (adults) to see themselves as part of one big imperfect family—millions strong. Valeria Teles interviews Susan Verde. Susan is a New York Times bestselling author. She grew up in the heart of Greenwich Village in New York City. Ultimately, she moved to the Hamptons where she earned a Bachelor's degree in Elementary Education and a Master's in reading remediation and become an elementary school teacher for many years. Now, Susan is an author capturing and celebrating the unique experience of children. Her titles include, The Museum, The Water Princess, Rock N roll Soul and Hey, Wall a Story of Art and Community and Unstoppable Me. Her instant #1 New York Times bestseller I Am Human: A Book of Empathy is part of a bestselling series including I Am Yoga and I Am Peace and the New York Times bestseller I Am Love: A Book of Compassion. Her most recent books are The Three Little Yogis and the Wolf who Lost His Breath as well as another in the I Am series, I Am One: A Book of Action. Susan's books continue to inspire children, educators, yoga practitioners and mindful humans alike helping to cultivate empathy and kindness in all of us. In addition to writing Susan teaches yoga and mindfulness to kids of all ages. To learn more about Susan Verde please visit her website https://www.susanverde.com For Intro-free episodes: https://www.patreon.com/aquestforwellbeingpodcast Podcast Page: https://fitforjoy.org/podcast ** Bio intro and outro one by Heidi Lynn Peters.

In this episode, Valeria Teles interviews Dennis Houchin, the author of The Passion Principles, a guide to identifying and creating a life of authentic passion. He made this ebook available for free at all major ebook retailers. Dennis is now set to bring his messages of motivation, passion, and overcoming adversity to audiences around the globe. From Middle and High School students, to seasoned business people, his presentations use humor and a deep personal connection with the audience to engage his audience and help them see the world anew, in a way that enables them to live a more satisfying, more fulfilling life. He teaches the same principles that he personally used to go from being a High School drop out with severe learning disabilities to becoming a highly educated expert in Information Technology, completing his Baccalaureate of Science degree and earning his Master of Science degree while raising a family, building a business, writing two books, building a speaking career and most recently becoming an Adjunct Professor of Cybersecurity at Vanderbilt University. Dennis Houchin spent four decades as an entrepreneur, software developer, engineer, and top technology executive on the cutting edge in the Information Technology field. He developed expertise in the areas in Software Development, Network, and Security engineering and currently teaches Cybersecurity at Vanderbilt University. In 2009 he began to focus more on 'hacking' human systems, specifically on understanding and applying the personality theories established by C.G. Jung to the various technical, marketing and operations people that had difficulty understanding each other. Dennis has addressed audiences of national security and hospitality industry conventions on the subject of improving IT productivity by improving the relationships between business managers and technical service professionals. In 2015, Dennis released his first publicly available book, The Achievement Protocol, which synthesizes the disciplines of Strategic Planning, Project Management, and Task Management into an easy to use system that anyone can use to help them achieve their life's goals. To learn more about Dennis Houchin please visit his website http://dennishouchin.rocks/ For Intro-free episodes: https://www.patreon.com/aquestforwellbeingpodcast Podcast Page: https://fitforjoy.org/podcast ** Bio intro and outro one by Heidi Lynn Peters.

Imagine that at the moment of your birth, when your body first experienced the sensations of being out of your mother's womb and feeling air for the very first time, you were an open canvas, a fabric of being ready for imprinting with the colors and the human concepts of life. At that instant, were you actually a "blank canvas?" Were you open in spirit, pure in being, and free of any influences or proclivities? What are your natural tendencies? When you ask yourself the question, "Who am I?" first listen with your mind then open your emotional heart. You may experience deep and unexplained emotions, reminding you of some forgotten memory of long ago, or dreams of something that you cannot recall nor define. Observations of individuals tend to indicate that it is not precisely what occurred to you that remains with you as your reference system in life: it is how you reacted and "believe" what happened that matters as you define yourself. Rationally gaze inside yourself and deliberately examine your processes. You may learn more about the mysteries of your mind by examining your responses to the descriptions presented to you during W. Michael King's Journey in his book: Atheists Can Get To "Heaven": Perspectives From The Journey Beyond The Tunnel Of Light. This work is an invitation to make an assessment through your own exploration into what might be a vast unknown: your inner self. Michael King's extraordinary journey reveals revolutionary discoveries that transcend across the physical into the metaphysical. By replacing mythology and faith with reason, the meaning and vision of enlightened spirituality for humanity is opened. Valeria Teles interviews W. Michael King's Michael King, Ph.D., is a world-renowned leader in systems integration with electromagnetic waves and fields. He developed internationally recognized seminal research about how electrostatic field boundaries collapse. He has presented courses at major universities, such as Oxford, and many technology corporations, serving an international client base in systems design. As a counterpoint to his scientific career, he worked with a chain of mentors to resolve conflicts of self-esteem that burdened him in his early life, and gained transcendent awareness to prepare him for a magnificent adventure with his body in the throes of clinical death. Based on his experience, recognizing technical instruction was insufficient to develop positive self-image within students and clients, he expanded his practice to become a trusted advisor, mentor and coach spanning the range from battered women, to individuals seeking enhancement, to the corporate board room and the executive suite. His focus is to help others gain objectivity using reason and logic to build self-esteem, an issue that permeates every aspect of life. His many protégés have thrived in all aspects of their lives. To learn more about W. Michael King please visit his website http://www.atheistscangettoheaven.com/ and http://www.wmichaelking.com/ For Intro-free episodes: https://www.patreon.com/aquestforwellbeingpodcast Podcast Page: https://fitforjoy.org/podcast ** Bio intro and outro one by Heidi Lynn Peters.

Jon Stewart's testimony before Congress reminded America - in scathing terms - of their responsibility to 9/11 first responders, but the effects of that day spread to nearby residents as well. Carolyn Glasoe Bailey owned an art gallery in lower Manhattan, and years later in Los Angeles, she was diagnosed with brain cancer. Her doctors told her it was mostly likely due to her proximity to Ground Zero. When Jon Stewart took to CSPAN, it moved Lila Glasoe Francese, her sister, to finally release the book she wrote about Caroline's journey. When Carolyn is diagnosed with glioblastoma brain cancer, Lila is unaware of the complexity of the diagnosis and unprepared for the devastating path to come. When she was told she had cancer, Carolyn opted into treatment, even knowing it might change her personality. At that time, Lila went to search for a book to help her understand what her sister was going through and what her family should expect. She couldn't find anything to support her. ​So​ ​she wrote the book she needed at the time to support others in their own journey. The Situation​ takes readers on an emotional and intense journey that explores the lifelong bond between siblings and the aching loss of deep relationship. Like ​When Breath Becomes Air​ by Paul Kalanithi and ​Being Mortal​ by Atul Gawande,​ it deals intimately with the choices terminal patients face, and the effect of those choices on those who love them. In this episode, Valeria Teles interviews Lila Glasoe Francese. Lila was born in Minneapolis in the 1970s and was the first Glasoe sister to leave the Midwest. She enrolled in SMU's Meadow's School of the Arts in 1990, where she was offered a full scholarship in their Bachelor of Fine Arts Program. She graduated in 1994 and moved to Los Angeles, CA. In LA, Lila sold a screen play (Peg & Shirl), provided character voices for animated television shows (the most notable Family Guy), renovated real estate and ran the personal lives of producers, studio heads and CEOs. Lila is the recipient of a McKnight Fellowship, the Wellesley Book Award (given to young women of leadership) and is also a graduate of Breck School. She appeared professionally in regional theatre in both Minneapolis and Los Angeles. Lila has been a long supporter of the arts, beginning her fine art collection in 1995 with the help of her sister Carolyn Glasoe. After the death of her sister Carolyn, Lila helped found, alongside her brother in law Christopher Bailey, The Carolyn Glasoe Bailey Foundation. This non-profit art charity continues to keep Carolyn's artistic enthusiasm, fierce generosity and innovative spirit alive throughout the fine art world. Her book, The Situation, was release on May 5, 2020 in honor of her sister Carolyn and National Brain Cancer Awareness Month. To learn more about Lila Glasoe Francese please visit her website http://carolynglasoebaileyfoundation.org​ For Intro-free episodes: https://www.patreon.com/aquestforwellbeingpodcast Podcast Page: https://fitforjoy.org/podcast ** Bio intro and outro one by Heidi Lynn Peters.

The gift of a medium such as dancing, tango, in particular, is that one can learn parameters of safe and sensual touch within precise structural, socially sanctioned guidelines. This learning includes differentiating between sensual touch and sexual touch. One is able to experience at a visceral level what it feels like to be close in a supportive, sensual engagement without misinterpreting the contact or intent as sexual. In a society that is touch starved, with a deep need for physical connection but with few models other than unhealthy ones, this learning is to be treasured. It probably took me close to 5 years to be convinced that the close embrace which includes a woman putting her chest against mine was not a sexual overture. It does however, communicate trust, responsiveness and presence. As do many other variables, including hand placement on the back, cheek to cheek. Yes, these may indicate affection but only within the context of the dance. Trauma therapists emphasize the need for somatic experience as the basis for healing. Memories are stored in the body and the body needs to displace the negative experiences with a relearning, and positive ones. Work needs to be body-based. At the same time the journey does not end with dissipating the trauma but with displacing the perverted experience of abuse with an expansive healthy understanding and awareness of the layers and nuances to intimate, nurturing sensual self-expression and consensual touch, subject to subject. In fact, it is because tango straddles the razor thin edge between sexualizing and sensualizing that every dancer is confronted with the choice between lapsing into cultural patterns of seduction and dominance or sharing the power in creative expression. As a lead I am continually listening to the responsiveness of my partner and fashioning my dance and lead accordingly. I sense her timing, her interest in certain moves, her emotional investment in the dance, her interest in embellishments. The fabulous learning goes far beyond the dance floor. I learn how to be comfortable around others in all sorts of settings. My learning in tango has taught me first to be comfortable with physical contact but more so, intuit who is comfortable or not so with. says: Aydan Dunnigan-Vickruck Valeria interviews Aydan on Healing, Sensuality, and Spirituality. Aydan Dunnigan-Vickruck is a former Lutheran minister, with a Masters's degree in theology. He has been tango dancing for 18 years. Currently hosts and teaches at a weekly milonga. Aydan is the author of Trauma to Tango: Dancing Through The Shadows Of Sexual Abuse. A weekly blogger at www.dancingwithpresence.com, exploring the connection between sensuality and spirituality, dance and divine presence. He is in the process of writing a book on The Nature of Consent, focusing on "the anatomy of connection: how to become aware of, in our bodies, the feeling of being in deep connection with another. Aydan Dunnigan-Vickruck lives in Edmonton alberta, Canada. He is a Mental health Social worker and married of 25 years with "accumulated" lineage of 8 children and 18 grandchildren. To learn more about Aydan Dunnigan-Vickruck please visit his website: www.dancingwithpresence.com For Intro-free episodes: https://www.patreon.com/aquestforwellbeingpodcast Podcast Page: https://fitforjoy.org/podcast ** Bio intro and outro one by Heidi Lynn Peters.