LifeWork:The Podcast

LifeWork: a show dedicated to the untangling of life through REAL experiences! Let’s talk about the good, the bad, the hard fought, the messy and the triumphant. Through the pillars of faith, fitness, wellness and family we discover our pursuit. Our hard work. Our heart work. Our lifework. Grab a cup of coffee, your fave water bottle or a glass of wine and let’s unravel!

Express Yourself 04/28/2022

Grace in the Gaps 03/30/2022

Grace in the Gaps This is how we make life work with the ups and downs of everyday life. What do we do in the gaps of the rollercoaster of life? We have really great days where everything is firing and then out of nowhere the bottom seems to fall out. It's called life and it can be a bit of a roller coaster. There are some really great highs and some really crummy lows, so what do we do in the 'gaps'...those drops in the roller coaster? We are human and frustrations can mount to a point of explosion, yet we almost can't enjoy those great days because we sense what might be coming. How do we give ourselves grace and how do we move through the 'Tuesdays'? We have a REAL conversation with REAL examples of how the bottom falls out and how we cope. Bad days, bad mindset, bad self judgement, bad body image...ALL the things!!! Grace can look like: Rally! Sometimes we just need to rally and get ourselves together. Our problems/moments/complaints can snowball. One small issue can snowball and we can get more and more frustrated. Just like a snowball traveling down a hill...you may not be able to push it back up but you can stop it! We may not be able to back track our day, but we can STOP the mindset and keep it from growing more negative day by day. Gratitude! Find thankful moments in the little things. What are the small things that (even though life feels out of control) we can look at and say thank you. It's hard to be gracious to ourselves and grateful for what we have, but it's SO important. Live in it! Not for the long term, but just be in it. Accept it might be a bad day but not a bad life. A new day is coming, it is PROMISED to us! Be aware, be mindful, figure out where it's coming from and move through it. Unpack and Unload Whether it's with your person who you can be totally transparent with or journaling your thoughts, its' so important to let it out. When we are able to unpack all of those things, we can look and see WHERE the problem lies, WHAT it looks like and HOW we can move forward. Staying in the Word and staying equipped for hard moments sure does help. Hide those words in your heart...NOT TODAY SATAN! Life wasn't promised to be easy, but finding grace and gratitude in those gaps is key. Favorite Finds time!!! RICE WATER?!?! Is this something you can buy or something you make? Do you drink it or what? Here's the deal...you make it and put it on your hair to help it get stronger, healthier, thicker and just BETTER! /episode/index/show/lifework/id/22624958

Drawing Boundaries 03/09/2022

Drawing Boundaries This is how we make life work when trying to establish boundaries. Whether it's with friends, coworkers or family, how do we heed the same advice that we might lend to others? Is our happiness being sacrificed to keep others happy? Are you a people pleaser or an empath? Getting involved in others people's drama, trying to fix people and not saying NO can be a REAL struggle! but our 'yes' puts our life into more chaos. It's time to draw some boundaries! Empaths feel EVERYTHING The instict to fix it and make everyone feel better can put us over the edge. We can still be helpful but not get pulled into it. Sure we just want to be helpful but we somehow get in the middle of it. If we are fixing other people's 'stuff', we are just putting our 'stuff' to the side! You dont have to say anything right away. When others in turmoil, they will cling to those they feel are their saviors. Be aware so that you can draw that boundary line...here is the advice and back out! Do a real good gut check and see if it's worth it in the long haul to get involved. What is the motive and intention? If your motives are pure and intentions are good, then move forward. But if you can say no to either of those, you have to take a step back. It's easy to become the problem instead of fixing the problem if there is an unhealthy boundary. We HAVE to learn to say NO Perspective and age play a big part in realizing what our life priorities are and where we need to start saying no. We can set the stage upfrong to avoid conflict and guilt in the future. The pile on is real...by not saying no to getting mixed up in other's people junk, we sacrifice what really matters. We hurt those around us instead of doing the opposite. Putting other people's happiness ahead of ours really doesn't work. It's a vicious cycle and SO real! Contribute to other's happiness but don't be responsible for it! We contribute to their happiness by just being ourselves. We aren't responsible for other people's happiness...we can contribute but we are NOT responsible. That is not our cross to bear and we haven't been called to play God. HOW do we set the boundary to NOT fix other people's junk? If praying is your jam, you need to pray about that! Ask yourself if you're helping them with the long game so they learn how to handle issues in the future with grace and wisdom. When it comes to saying no, draw up those life priorities. Be ok with disappointing people, because we WILL. Think about what you would tell your daughter or son...how would you advise them on boundaries? Take that into consideration and use it for yourself! When it's all said and done, we just want to end the day well, so how does that look to each of us?? /episode/index/show/lifework/id/22325939

What is Balance? 03/03/2022

Thriving During the Holidays with Dr. Desire Taylor 12/14/2021

Thriving During the Holidays with Dr. Desire Taylor This is how we make life work when we want to go from surviving during the holiday season to THRIVING! Natalie sits down with Dr. Desire Taylor to dissect all things during this time of year. Dr. Taylor is a clinical psychologist with her private practice in the Dallas area. She grew up all over the world as her parents were both in the military. She eventually settled in Texas where she obtained her bachelor's degree in African American Studies from the University of Texas at Austin. From there, she earned her doctoral degree in Counseling Psychology. Her training continued with an internship at the University of Colorado School of Medicine in Aurora, Colorado. Then she completed her post-doctoral fellowship at the South Texas Veterans Health Care System in San Antonio, Texas. We discuss some GREAT topics along with strategies to combat the struggles! Why are we so stressed this time of year? Holidays have become taxing. We are preparing, consuming, acquiring, and out of our rhythms. Great deal of expectation/comparison/pressure Many of the things take a lot of physical and mental energy which leads to being overwhelmed and overloaded This time of year seems to highlight relational conflict/challenges whether with family/friends or alone Why do we seem more emotional during the holidays? This is a sacred season, we are meant to feel and be moved during this time, BUT we don't consider that and treat ourselves as such Holidays highlight grief and loss in a real way Unrealistic expectations mean we are not prepared for the realities of our beautiful but dysfunctional families. We might shift into being more rigid and less flexible to try to meet those unrealistic expectations We go into feeling personal failure, criticism, judgement, all of which disconnect us from ourselves and loved ones Why are holidays harder after trauma? The message is that this time of year is supposed to be joyful and cheer but those who are experiencing the impact of trauma feel anything but that. If we edge into faking it, it makes the situation even worse We have memories of past holidays where the trauma was NOT there so it can act as a reference point and highlight a clear before and after Nervous system is hyper vigilant following trauma, so adding more stress to a body that's already pretty taxed is a tough combo How do we deal? Treat this as a holy time, a sacred time Shift away from what the holidays should look like and and ask yourself 'How do I want to FEEL after the holidays are over?' to allow that to be your guide through the season Pause...physically, mentally, schedule wise. Really make sure quiet time is locked in and respected MAKE SPACE...what does that mean?? THIS is good!!!!!! Identify and take stock of your common triggers beforehand. Figure out how you want to navigate that and how you might retreat Challenge the expectations!!! You can follow Dr. Taylor for more of her amazing wisdom via her Instagram at @doctor.desi and reach her via emal at [email protected] /episode/index/show/lifework/id/21481496

Presence Over Presents 12/07/2021

ReEl vs. ReAl 10/28/2021

Paying It Forward Through Tragedy 10/05/2021

Renewing through Restoration 09/22/2021

We Made It! 09/16/2021

The Honeymoon is Over! 08/03/2021

Unraveling Summer Fitness 07/28/2021

Unraveling Summer Travel Tips 07/12/2021

Unraveling Summer Travel Tips This is how we make life work when planning summer travel! Natalie sits down to talk with Dori Reuber of Vincent Vacations to learn some common misconceptions and her top travel tips. Life is tangled, so here's how we can make it work a bit easier! Is it more expensive to work with a travel agent? That's a typical misconception! Some do charge a plan to go fee but not all do...like Dori. Her agency is a fee free planner which is SO helpful. It's comparable to buying a house...those realtor fees are built in just like travel agent fees are always built in whether you use them or not. Why would someone use a travel advisor instead of booking on their own? They spend their own time and money to tour destinations for their clients. They have first hand experience! They have access to promotions and deals that the general public doesn't. They all share information and help each other so that they can help their clients in the best possible way. They do all of the leg work for you and take away a big chunk of stress! What are some great booking tips for summer travel? Use a travel advisor!!!! Buy an insurance policy on your trip...there are several ways and Dori gives us guidance on those. Google flights is a great resource to see what airlines are pricing on what days Premium flights are on holidays What are some great packing tips? Lists Carry on only (is quart size toiletries still a thing??) TSA Pre-Check vs. Global Entry options Minimizing packing and wear dry fit material to keep compact in suitcases and possibly use the packing cubes Sunscreen is crazy expensive at resorts to pack as much as you can If you do check your bags, take a backpack with swimsuit, first change of clothes, toothbrush and meds What are some helpful booking strategies when working with a travel advisor? Be pretty specific with dates and what is important to you. Let them know what type of room you want and what your preferences are. This helps them to tailor something for the best experience for you! Also give them a budget...without that it's very hard to make sure that you get the best trip and so that they can do their job. They don't work for free and don't get paid until you have taken your trip...BIG misconception! Specials are based on supply and demand so if you book at a different time than someone in your group, there could be a price difference. Tickets can be put on hold for 24 hours unless it's last minute. Rates are going up so don't be surprised when booking! Connect with Dori and get some great deals through her private community at !!!! She shares some great specials in there but know she can take those and tailor to you specifically. You can also email her ! Resources recommended: Favorite Resorts: Family: Couples: , , , /episode/index/show/lifework/id/19781015