This episode is for you if Your Heart Says to Leave a Legacy in this lifetime.

Bridget Cook-Burch’s clients call her “The Book Whisperer”. She is a New York Times & Wall Street Journal bestselling author, mentor, trainer, mamma-bear humanitarian, and speaker known for riveting stories of transformation.

Her powerful work has been showcased on Oprah, Dateline, CNN, GMA, The History Channel, NPR and in People among many others.

She is the CEO and Founder of YourInspiredStory.com and Inspired Legacy Publishing. As a successful entrepreneur, Bridget has also owned and operated a multimillion-dollar trucking company, a phone book and a PR agency. She is also a co-founder and former executive director of SHEROES United, a non-profit organization that helps women and girls rise from trauma. As a leader, storyteller, trainer and humanitarian, her greatest passion is helping others to discover the importance of their own story, and to become leaders in their own communities, and worldwide.

Bridget’s many national bestsellers include Divine Turbulence, The Witness Wore Red; Shattered Silence; Skinhead Confessions; Leading Women; and also Living Proof. Bridget invites you to believe in the power of your story to change the world. Join her writers’ retreats and leadership retreats in Utah, Italy, Ireland and more.

Lucy and Bridget engaged in a conversation about the power of storytelling

Talked about in this episode:

• The importance of rising above limiting narratives and focusing on possibilities.
• The transformative potential of personal stories
• Overcame adversity to find purpose.
• Hero’s Journey concept and the potential of personal stories to inspire and transform others. 
• and more…

Connect With Briget Cook Burch

Website: https://www.yourinspiredstory.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bridgetcookburch

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BridgetCookBurch

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mbridgetcookburch

Dr. Patty Ann is an internationally acclaimed relationship, emotional intelligence and communication expert. She is the host of The Dr. Patty Ann Podcast, a global keynote speaker and a frequent guest expert on every major TV and print media platform.

Things we talked about in this episode: 

• the role of body language in communication
• the importance of using eyes to read body language
• the need for clarification when there’s a discrepancy between verbal and nonverbal cues
• And so much more…

Connect With Dr. Patty Ann

Website: https://drpattyann.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/strongrelationships

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drpattyanntublin

Twitter: https://twitter.com/drpattyann

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dr._patty_ann

Ann Swanson is the author of the internationally bestselling book SCIENCE OF YOGA, which has been translated into over 15 languages. Her new book, Meditation for the Real World, illuminates the fascinating science behind meditation with step-by-step practices. 

She worked alongside Harvard neuroscientist Dr. Sara Lazar and an illustrator for the New York Times to create this science-backed visual guide. It’s important to note that Ann wasn’t a naturally “chill person,” and meditation didn’t come easy to her. 

Overcoming her own chronic pain and anxiety led her to India to study yoga and meditation, to China to explore tai chi, and to earn a Master of Science graduate degree in Yoga Therapy. Now, Ann blends cutting-edge research with ancient wisdom, resulting in realistic techniques you won’t just learn – you’ll love to live by!

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• True benefits of meditation
• How even 1 minute meditations can work for you
• How to stay consistent with your meditation
• Optimizing your meditation practices
• How meditation can help you increase your confidence
• and so much more

Connect With Ann Swanson

Website: https://meditationfortherealworld.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/scienceof.yoga

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/flexiblewellness

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ann-swanson

If you feel you are losing some friends or if you are having difficulty maintaining some friendships, this episode is for you because I want you to know you are not alone and that it is ok because everyone is on their own journey. Life can be pretty lonely if you don’t have friends, but let me give you the hard truth, in my opinion when you take personal development seriously you will most likely lose some friends. But the good news is you will also make new friends who are in the same season of life.

So let’s first discuss why people let go of friends. Most common reasons may include if one of you can’t hold a conversation anymore because you simply no longer share common interests, or if one of you have anxiety that you no longer tolerate being showered with anxious thoughts, or if none of you initial contact anymore, or if you don’t open up to each other with truth, or if everyone is too busy,  too opinionated, too negative, or you have offended each other unknowingly. And of course last but not least and very common, you have simply outgrown your friends. 

So this is a good time to do some journaling or quiet reflections. Do you still want this friendship?

Ask yourself these questions:

• Do I feel supported and valued in this friendship?
• Are we able to communicate openly and resolve conflicts constructively?
• Do we share similar values, interests, and goals?
• Does this friendship contribute positively to my life, growth, and happiness?
• Are there any recurring patterns of behavior that cause discomfort or unhappiness?
• Am I able to be my authentic self around this person?
• Is there trust and mutual respect in this friendship?
• How do I feel after spending time with this person? Energized or drained?

Reflecting on these questions can provide clarity on whether a friendship is healthy and fulfilling or if it may be time to reevaluate its place in your life.

Then from here you get to make a decision if you want to try to make amendments and fix the friendship and stay in the friendship or simply move on to making some new friends. It is your life, you get to decide who stays in your life and you can always welcome new friends into your life. 

Remember to not take anything personally, don’t be too hard on yourself and put all the blame on yourself. Friendships are only temporary just like how even life is temporary and friendships can only be maintained if both people want to maintain it. 

Many people think having long term friends would make you happy. Although there is some truth in that, I definitely love my friends a whole lot when they’ve been in my life for 30 plus years. But I also love some of new friends because I learned it does not matter how many friends you have or for how long. I needed to absolutely love and accept myself before befriending anyone else.

Once I loved and accepted myself, I realized the people that come and go in my life and they all teach me something. Every single person has given me something. Love, guidance, self-improvement, wisdom, confidence, resilience are just a few things these people may have taught me while we were on the same path together.

I am grateful for every single person, positive or negative, that comes into my life. People come and go along our life paths, be grateful while you walk together. On a coaching call with a client last week, she said that she was grateful for being grateful and I loved that. Once we see life and its curveballs through the lens of gratitude, things start shifting, our mindset starts shifting and the situations start shifting. 

So acknowledge the change in your friendship, prioritize self love and living in the present, make new habits and memories and shift to put more energy into your other friendships that are more meaningful and fulfilling. 

Cheers to your self growth.

Jessica Burgio is a former beauty entrepreneur of 22 years turned life and business coach, podcast mentor, speaker, host of the highly rated podcast show-Unscripted,  author of Come As You Are: The Art of Unbecoming Who They Told You To Be 

Things we talked about in this episode: 

• Her life story of starting from a beauty business to getting into personal development
• Her best tips on pivoting
• Her mistakes in her own business
• And so much more…

Connect With Jessica Burgio

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jessicaburgio

Website: https://www.jessicaburgio.com