Podcasts

I share a couple of stories to illustrate how people get offended when someone sets a boundary with them, and how it (often) is because they don’t have healthy boundaries themselves. You’ll also learn how it’s up to you where and when you want to set boundaries, and whether you want to explain about your…

Coming to understand that we are flawesome (flawed + awesome) and that not everyone is going to like us is a GAME CHANGER for many of us in recovery! When we realize that we’re fine just as we are, and some people are just never gonna like us, life gets easier. I give a metaphor…

We often make up stories about ourselves, others and the world that are not based in fact and truth. Yet we act as if they are and live with the consequences of believing these b.s. stories! You don’t have to life like that! You’ll hear a couple of stories about what these stories can look…

I explore how looking for “your part in things” (as taught in step 4) shows us where we’ve been doing things that have contributed to the difficulties in our lives. This gives us options for how to do things differently. This brings us out of victim mentality because we now see we have choices. those…

Here are 12 lessons from 12-step recovery that can be applied to dating and relationships to improve them. Some of the lessons are from recovery slogans, and others are from common practices in recovery. The lessons I share are these:  Don’t date for the first year Be real When someone tells you who they are,…

If you’ve fallen in love with someone else’s potential, you know that it’s a potentially endless drain on your energy. If this is a pattern for you, there’s hope! You’ll learn why we do this and how to stop – which means learning to keep the focus on yourself so you can live up to…

Constructive questions help us construct a better version of ourselves. Destructive questions are just that – destructive. They destroy us – or at least inhibit our development. I share some typical destructive questions that people in recovery ask themselves (e.g., WTF is wrong with me??”) and provide several examples of constructive questions to ask that…

When we attempt to fix, rescue, protect and buffer others from the negative consequences of their own lives, we’re not helping. In fact, we may very well be making things worse. We’re definitely making things worse for *ourselves* by draining our energy supply so we don’t have anything left for ourselves. I talk through a…

Setting boundaries can be difficult, esp. when we first start. The guilt and shame we feel when setting boundaries can be paralyzing. Bookending with a safe, supportive other person when you’re setting boundaries can help you deal with those difficult emotions. It can also help you hold yourself accountable to following through on setting the…

Barb’s guest Hope shares her experience, strength and hope on this episode. Hope shares about her #YOLO philosophy, which is very different than her YOLO philosophy of her younger years! Now it’s about trying new things that you’ve always wanted to try, trying things that will stretch, grow and change you. When she was young,…