Why Struggle? Podcast W Barbara J. Faison

All links - Linktr.ee/barbarafaison 2024 - Week 18 - Beach Day Trip Destin FL is one of my favorite places to go to the beach. The blue water from the Gulf of Mexico can be mistaken for beaches from other countries. I remember when I had pictures of Puerto Rico and Destin in my camera roll and I couldn’t tell them apart. 2019 was the last time I was at the beach, we were in Panama City, FL. It had been wayyy toooo long. I missed hearing the waves of the ocean and feeling the wind caress my skin. When I found myself being irritated more than usual, I knew what it was. My body was calling me to the beach. I needed to be near the water. I suggested to my husband, TD, that we take a day trip to Savannah to go to Tybee Island. Bonus: We have never been, so we got to do something new, a twofer. lol The drive from our house was less than four hours and it was a lovely Saturday to be on the road. I could feel my body getting ready to be near the water as we got closer to our destination. I have learned that my body

2024 - Week 17 - Pinochle, Platelets and Resident Alien All the links: Linktr.ee/barbarafaison Doing new things is great for your brain. I am an LL- a lifelong learner and I’m grateful that for the most part I enjoy trying new things. I’ve been doing new things so long it really is second nature for me, most of the time. Watching a genre of a movie or a series you normally wouldn’t watch is doing something new. It can also be picking up something new when you go grocery shopping or turning down a different street on your way home. It doesn’t have to be major, just something “different” from the usual. This week I did three new things: Pinochle, donated platelets and watched Resident Alien on Netflix. Pinochle Last weekend I went over to my friend Kym Kennedy's house for a birthday celebration. At these gatherings, we pretty much hang out for the day. It's always a lot of fun and people come and go based on their availability. I arrived mid afternoon after a four hour shift working at the local l

All the links - LINKTR.EE/BARBARAFAISON 2024 - Week 16 - Take a Breath You can listen to this on my podcast - 8:13 mins or click the link above for the YouTube Channel version (audio only) Wouldn't it be nice to have people do what we want them to do all day long? Good luck with that. We live in a society of free will. Every day we make choices. Each person takes a path that will be filled with learning experiences for that individual. You can't make anyone do anything they don't want to do. The only behavior you can control is your own. A reminder of this is watching a two-year-old or any child have a tantrum. The child will stop when ready, no matter what anyone tries to say or do to him or her We can't control anyone as much as we may think we can learn to accept people for who they are, not who you want them to be. Learn to manage your ability to respond to others and check in with yourself. Learn to step back and check your expectations. Practice: before you ask anyone to change his or

All the links - LINKTR.EE/BARBARAFAISON 2024 - Week 15 - Celebrations! This is a podcast about celebrating friendships and enjoying life. My dear friend Bonnie is celebrating her birthday and a group of us will go salsa dancing on Friday. When I was chatting with her earlier this week, neither one of us could remember exactly when we met. Well, we remembered when we met, we just couldn’t remember the year. We’re pretty sure it was around 2000ish. Lol At that time, I was dancing once or twice a week around various places in Atlanta. One Friday night while I was at the Duplex listening to music and dancing in place, Bonnie came over and struck up a conversation. That act started the beginning of our friendship. Over the next 20+ years, we experienced a lot! Whenever I had a program and needed support, Bonnie was there. She would be there early, stay for the program, and help me clean up afterwards. In fact after I got married, my husband noticed whenever something was taking place whether it was people coming

All the Links - Linktr.ee/barbarafaison 2024 - Week 14 - Staying Grounded This is a podcast about how I stay grounded. Last week I mentioned using your phone to remind you during the day to stop and check in with yourself.  Are you checking in with yourself? Are you noticing how you feel and paying attention to how you are moving through the day? I notice when I’m rushing or moving fast I drop things. I might have too many things in my hand as I’m walking to the car and I drop something. Maybe if I put my water bottle down and make another trip that wouldn’t happen. Lol. So lately I have been noticing and stopping and putting my hand in the center of my chest and taking a few breaths and lovingly saying to myself, “Barbara, slow down.” Spring brings a different energy than winter. When the weather is nice it makes me want to be outside more and do a lot.  New ideas and adventures are naturally a part of spring since we were more inside and closed off during the winter months.  I’ve learned it’s important t

LINKTR.EE/BARBARAFAISON 2024 - Week 13 - Deep Breathing We are officially in spring. Yay! And there’s still a lot going on in the world. I don’t know about you, but I’m starting to really have to remind myself to stop and take deep breaths during the day even more. One of my practices is to have my phone alarm at different times during the day. I change the word alarm to an affirmation or something I want to be reminded of, like take 5 deep breaths. I call this my Affirmation Alarm Practice. My alarm at 1:11 PM is All is Well with high-fives emojis and hearts. At 4:44pm the alarm prompts me to Take. Deep. Breaths. The 10:30 PM alarm is Thank You for This Day with emojis as well. Emojis remind me to be less serious… Yes, I have to be reminded of this often. lol After over 25 years meditating daily, practice is what it’s all about. It’s also the little things like connecting with your breath and your body and finding moments of beauty and presence.  Did you know that taking a few deep breaths during the day r

All the LINKS - linktr.ee/barbarafaison You can listen to this on my podcast - 9:11 mins or click the link above for the YouTube Channel version (audio only) This is a podcast about taking in all that is happening in the moment and flowing with life. When I have my live meditation sessions I often talk about the infinity symbol and how it is a lovely reminder to flow with life. The word infinity is from the Latin word 'infinitas' and it means 'unboundedness' or 'endless'. The infinity symbol reminds me of the ebbs and flows of life. All the perceived ups and downs and the waves of emotions we may feel throughout the day. The symbol looks like a sideways number eight. I draw the infinity symbol in the air and I share what I see as a flow; going with the changes of life as they come. Feeling down and then rising up and falling back down then coming back up again, and the cycle repeats.  Life is lived in moments. In one moment I can be filled with immense joy and in another I may recei

All the links - linktr.ee/barbarafaison This is an episode about patience and acceptance. Do you know the expression patience is a virtue? I never got that virtue. lol I must've been missing on the day that they were giving that out to people. I remember my father teasing me growing up, calling me his pet nickname for me, Doll. “Doll you just gotta be patient.” He would tell me. Yeah, me, not so much. Well, what I've learned in all of these decades of life is whatever I need to stay in practice with is what I will have the opportunity to practice even more.  Teaching keeps me accountable. There's nothing like a fever blister on my lip to remind me of the my relationship to patience, acceptance and wisdom. I’ve gotten fever blisters my whole life. I woke up a few days ago with a big, juicy fever blister on the right side of my lip, the usual spot where I have a fever blister show up. One thing a fever blister has taught me is acceptance and divine timing. The fever blister goes through the stages

All the links: Linktr.ee/barbarafaison Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/barbarajfaison Week 10 - Money This is an episode about money, content creation and online platforms. Money is not Evil Money is not the root of evil. Money or currency is a representation of what people think will make them happy. Being rich will set you free from all the demons of the world, right? Does money truly motivate you, or is it the freedom that having money provides? If we lived in a society where having a golden duck was the expected level of being rich, would everyone try to find as many golden ducks as they could? What is a lot of money? Does money equate to happiness? Investigate your beliefs about money and take time to get clear about your relationship to money. You may have to go deeper into your family dynamics to gain more insight. Practice: Imagine you won the lottery for the amount of money you feel would set you up for life. Think of all the things you would do with your winnings. After thinking of everything, wha

All the links - linktr.ee/barbarafaison Week 9 - Embrace Change You probably got up this morning and got dressed. You may have showered, brushed your teeth, eaten breakfast, driven to work, read the newspaper, and had a cup of coffee or tea. You have already been through at least six changes. Every moment is a new change, every second is different from the last one. Change is a natural part of the life cycle. Learning to embrace change is a major step toward peace of mind. Imagine seeing an old friend whom you loved dearly and giving him/her a loving hug. Think of this image the next time you have to handle a major change in your life.Picture yourself opening your arms and welcoming the opportunity to grow. Change will show up at your door regardless of how you feel about it. Learn to open the door and welcome your new friend, CHANGE, with a warm embrace. Practice: Think of all the things that change in one hour. If you are having difficulty accepting change, repeat the affirmation, “I am open and willing to

All links - linktr.ee/barbarafaison Week 8 - Be Grateful This is an episode about how I believe being grateful is an attitude and a practice. A few weeks ago I talked about the The 40 day plan my friend, Regenna London created over 16 years ago. It’s a journal with questions, reminders and encouragement to focus on what you desire for 40 days. One thing I love about this plan is it gets the momentum going for me and I usually continue beyond the 40 days.  It is day 52 of 2024 and I’m still reading, writing & journaling, doing qigong daily and really grateful that I am. Sometimes we need a little boost or encouragement to get started and to keep going. Regenna and I chatted earlier this week and we are both still doing what we started on day 1 of the Forty Day Plan. Yay, us! Please remember to patch yourself on the back! Mom taught me that. I believe gratitude is an attitude and a practice.  Most days I wake up with immense gratitude. Grateful for another day to be here. Grateful for good health, my family

All the links: LINKTR.EE/BARBARAFAISON This is an episode about how I mind my mind and manage less desirable thoughts. There is still a lot of stuff going on in the world and in our personal lives… welcome to life! I do believe that being loving to ourselves and others is the answer to most “situations” - the truth for me is that there are many times I may not be in the space of being loving toward others, however; I can usually make the choice to be kind. Being kind may be stepping away from a conversation, choosing not to share my perspective and not saying anything at all. Yep… being quiet. Lol Do you ever have random thoughts? Of course you do, we all do. Are you being kind to yourself when you do? Learning to be kind to yourself when we have these thoughts that pop up, that we likely don't want or like, is a Practice. What are you saying to yourself when you have these thoughts? Are you upset or mad because you had a thought you didn’t like? Or are you being kind? Let me tell you, learning not to

All the Links - https://linktr.ee/barbarafaison This is an episode about how I believe discipline and commitment trump inspiration and motivation. I’ve known Regenna London since 1995 and in those years we have experienced a lot of life together. As a fellow creative (she’s a Gemini, so you know some creating is going on there) we have been each others talk it out partners for projects and life. I think it has been about 16 years since she created her Forty Day Plan, which is a journal with questions, reminders and encouragement to focus on something for forty days to help you live life better. Regenna and I have been using this plan since its inception, between 2 - 4 times a year. It’s a great way to create structure for me and to have discipline to complete projects or goals. I also realize that it is winter, so I choose things that are not as challenging to do and I still feel like I’m moving forward in life. We are on Day 38 - Be Proud - Courage has its rewards is the encouragement for today. Indeed, it t

All the links 2024 - Week 5 - Be Adventurous This is an episode about how the mind creates ideas and stories. And how it’s important to decide what’s important to you and not let your mind get carried away. My birthday was January 22, which fell on a Monday and my intention was to do a trip to a cabin with my husband, it’s a vacation we’ve not done together before. I like doing new things and not necessarily traveling to places I’ve been before, unless it’s going to Destin Florida, which I absolutely adore. I digress. In my mind, I found a place, and we would go there and be nice and cozy. I also created this lovely weekend of snuggling up somewhere, and staying warm and just relaxing. Well, my mind creates all kinds of interesting stories and adventures. As it came closer to the time to book something, I didn’t want to do that. A part of me wanted to stay home. Another part of me wanted to go away. I was back and forth for a few weeks. I just couldn’t decide. See how the mind does! Guess what I did... I let

All the links This week I intended to do a different book excerpt. After my morning meditation, this is the one that presented itself for today. Here we go. I have one brother. Tony has two children, Byron and April, and one grandchild, Aiden. I married TD and gained two bonus sons, Tyriel and Dewayne. My mother used to say we are a small family, but we are mighty. My parents instilled in us a bond that continues to this day. My brother has been my protector, my agitator, my friend, and my confidant my entire life. Growing up, I was involved in theater, band, oratorical contests and more. Growing up, he was there, (like it or not) at all of the dance recitals, music recitals, graduations, theater productions, and whatever ever else I had going on. I can still hear my parents saying, “you support and protect your sister.” And to this day, he still does. He has been to book signings, salsa birthday parties and most recently my meditation hike. I am so grateful to have him in my life. I am a person who has to

All the links - linktr.ee/barbarafaison 2024 - Week 1 - Your Belief System In the 80’s  AT&T had a marketing campaign called Reach out and Touch Someone.  It was all about the power of your voice. The power of your voice to offer comfort. The power of your voice to offer healing. The power of your voice to offer just what is needed at that time.  Over the weekend, we celebrated the life of Mary A Hopson. Mrs. Hopson was the mother of a dear friend of mine, Gina. Mrs. Hopson was a fashionista, and a beautician, and a part of my village growing up in Albany, Georgia. Earlier in the week before the service on Saturday, I reached out to Gina just to say hello. We talked for over an hour, laughing, and reminiscing about a deep and rich history we’ve had for over 40 years.  It reminded me of the power of your voice and the power of having a rich history with someone.   As we celebrated, Mrs. Hopson’s life, I was reminded of my own mother and father and what an amazing community and support I had growing up. Re

All the Links - linktr.ee/barbarafaison (2024) - Week 2 - Breathing Practice It’s winter y’all and I really get into nerd mode at this time of the year. I enjoy reading and learning and resting. Right now I’m listening to the audio program, Unlock Your Wise and Mindful Brain on the Insight Timer app. As a premium member you get access to thousands of courses, including mine and I love learning, so there you have it. In the audio course, Dr. Karolien Notebaert, shares scientific proof that mindfulness is beneficial and essential for our well-being. In fact, she says as a scientist she really didn’t believe mindfulness meditation was beneficial until she tried it. And now it is one of the things she highly recommends to manage stress and to help with brain function.  Did you know that mindfulness can be practiced for 5 to 10 minutes a day to help you relax, increase your self-awareness, and calm your nervous system. I’m coming up on a birthday on the 22nd and giving myself permission to rest during the winter

All the links - Linktr.ee/barbarafaison There was a time we were told that when you drank alcoholic beverages you lost brain cells and that was that. The cells were gone. Wait… what? Once you lost brain cells, they were gone? Yep! I grew up in that time. I grew up, thinking that if I drank, I would lose brain cells, and that was just not an option for me. It’s OK. Don’t be sad. lol Being the nerd I was and still continue to be…that worked out well for me, because I don’t like the way I feel after I drink. So I don’t really drink. I might have an alcoholic beverage once every two or three years. And when I mean beverage, I mean a few sips. In fact, I don’t remember the last time I had anything alcoholic to drink. Nerd Alert! Good news…that is not true. And we have lots of science that now proves that the brain can change and adapt to experiences - it's called neuroplasticity. It's your brain’s ability to absorb information and evolve to manage new challenges. The brain evolves as we do, as long as we

All the links - LINKTR.EE/BARBARAFAISON Week 52- Celebrate Everything!! Listen to this on my podcast - 5:30 mins or my YouTube ChannelWe are now in the season of winter. Words associated with winter include: Rest. Introspection. Hibernation. Death. Loss. Cold. Celebration. Holiday. Hope. Festivities. Joy. Guess what, you get to decide what you want winter and your life to be. If you live long enough you will experience loss and death and you will also experience celebrations and festivities. I remind myself often that whatever I DECIDE to experience, EXPERIENCE IT FULLY. lol. When I recently enjoyed a slice of cake with Moosetracks ice cream, I really enjoyed it. I savored the taste of the chocolate, the ice cream, how it felt as I took my time and really enjoyed the experience. The excerpt that I’m sharing this week from my book/eBook/audiobook, Why Struggle? Life is too short to wear tight shoes, is Celebrate Everything! Celebrate Everything! Life is a journey. A trip. A deck of cards. Life defies a single

All the links: LINKTR.EE/Barbarafaison Week 51 - What I BelieveAround this time I start to review my year and check in with what is important to me. I’m thinking about how I have been spending my time and how I want to spend my time in the future. Asking questions helps me stay focused. Am I sharing my T.A.G.S. - Talents, Abilities, Gifts, Skills, to the best of my abilities? An important question is - have my beliefs and philosophies changed? The excerpt that I’m sharing this week from my book/ebook/audiobook, Why Struggle? Life is too short to wear tight shoes, is part of the about this book section. In this part of the book I share my life philosophies. I hope you enjoy it! About this Book It’s been about 23 years since Why Struggle? The book was published. The initial book was a very important part of my personal and spiritual growth, just as this new endeavor for the e-book and audio book continues to allow me to Learn, Evolve, and Grow (LEG). My personal beliefs and life philosophies are the same, and I