Today Gia and Karen get real and vulnerable with a discussion about failure. You’ll hear about an article that inspired this conversation called “What To Do When No One Shows Up To Your Reading” by Matthew Norman (see the link below.) This episode includes:
the entrepreneurial mindset about failure
how spiritual entrepreneurs may see failure differently
Today Gia and Karen discuss the universal tendency to compare ourselves to others. There will always be someone who accomplishes more than us, has more wealth, better luck, or less suffering – or it least it seems that way. They share their own struggles with comparisons and how they are still working to overcome that tendency. You’ll hear about:
how the ego seeks rewards for accomplishments and clings to expectations (which is a set-up for disappointment)
we are each on our own path and get the lessons we need in life
other people become mirrors for us, helping us see where we need to love ourselves more
we need to appreciate what this life offers us instead of wishing for something different
the Galaxy view helps us see the perfection in everything
the keys to overcoming the pain of comparison are love and trust: love yourself more and trust that Universe is giving you exactly what you need
Today Gia and Karen talk about the fickleness and frustration of the creative process and share their own stories of awakening the muse within. You’ll learn how Gia manages creativity as a songwriter and how Karen finally found her voice as an author. The conversation includes:
how the creative impulse can feel uncomfortable at times
that creativity shows up best when we are relaxed
what happens when the mind takes over the creative process
why some projects are meant to go unfinished
the benefits of meditation to get the mind out of the way
Today Gia begins the show by talking about the recent death of a friend and how she was inspired by her grief to review her old journals from 2013 when her grandmother died. She shares the trauma she experienced when she froze while playing a special song at Grammy’s funeral and how she views that situation now. We launch into a discussion about the lessons and grace that can come from our pain and devastation and these topics:
The Violin Metaphor and how being hollowed out is necessary for our music to emerge
What doctors need to learn about healing when the physical body cannot be cured
The pain of grief from the Garden view even when we know that the Soul lives on from the Galaxy view
How after-death connections are not the same as the physical connection was in life
The ongoing pain from the gaps left behind when loved ones die
The role social media can play in grief by allowing us to share our pain with others
How our suffering can help transform us into who we are meant to be
While our show is focused on LIFE, we acknowledge that DEATH is an integral part of life and therefore we must discuss these events that have occurred on our journeys. We hope that sharing these stories will help you with your own pain and loss. We are right here with you, living life one day at a time and doing the best we can on this Planet Earth journey. Here are our links for you:
In this episode Gia and Karen explore the pain experienced by those who unintentionally harm others, through accidents or mistakes. This conversation is an offshoot from last week’s podcast, Episode 5 and you may want to listen to it if you haven’t heard it already. We talk about the challenge of forgiving others who have hurt us and the even greater challenge of forgiving ourselves when we’ve screwed up. This episode covers:
How good things can arise from the midst of tragedy
The remarkable story of Matthew Shephard, whose parents forgave his murderers and went on to found the Matthew Shephard Foundation for the purpose of erasing hatred
Why it’s hard for people to forgive others
The “Galaxy View” of tragedy and how it helps us to be more compassionate with ourselves and others
How practicing forgiveness helps us but doesn’t let the perpetrator “off the hook”
Steps for finding our way to forgiveness and compassion for others
We are sending tons of love to all who have been harmed by others and may struggle with whether or not forgiveness is a good idea. Know that you must find your own path to peace and joy but we’re here to cheer you on as you seek to live with compassion and forgiveness.
In this episode Gia and Karen discuss an article about grief we recently read that was titled “Everything Doesn’t Happen for a Reason” by Tim Lawrence. We dissect the article and find plenty of statements to disagree with, to validate, and to further explain. The conversation covers these interesting points:
What “everything happens for a reason” means and doesn’t mean
Suffering is not a requirement for growth but can be a catalyst
Grief is a process and may look different to us at different stages in the process
We have to hold both perspectives: (1) Suffering is terrible AND (2) it is possible to grow and transform as a result of our suffering
Deep love makes us vulnerable to suffering and loss and can break our hearts open
How finding meaning in our suffering helps us carry the pain
Self-compassion is necessary to get through time of suffering
Why saying nothing can be the best thing to do during times of grief
We know that grief is an individual process, unique to each person who experiences it. But it is also a universal experience–something we all share as part of life here on Planet Earth. We hope you find comfort and peace in knowing that we feel the pain of life, too, right along with you. Send us your comments! We are sending you our love!!
Today Gia and Karen celebrate Mother’s Day and salute all the amazing women who help nourish and nurture life on this planet! Karen shares some thoughts about her own journey being a Mom to Gia and Aaron and the blessings of motherhood. They also talk about:
the power of the mother-child bond (the strongest relationship we will experience in life)
how Moms may struggle to care for themselves while caring for everyone else
keeping exercise in balance by learning to listen to the body and not just the mind
what to do when there’s no time for self-nurturing
why Karen thinks Green Smoothies are magic (recipes below!)
how to take a “mini-vacation” within
how the mother-child relationship keeps evolving over time
Take the opportunity to love your Mom right now and to take good care of yourself – the world needs a healthy you!!
Today Gia and Karen talk about how to find abundance on our spiritual journeys while we are also struggling to make a living in the everyday world. They discuss:
Trusting the abundance of the Universe, even when you can’t see it
How intuition can come to us through our struggles
What does success mean on the spiritual path
Why we shouldn’t compare ourselves to others
Trust is key to the journey – we have to let go of our expectations
Love your own path and be happy for others who are own their own unique journeys as well
We can co-create love, wholeness and abundance for our world as a whole
Loss and brokenness can reveal our path and purpose
Gratitude is the key to abundance
From Sarah Avant Stover: “the 4 G’s” for journaling
Gratitude
Good
Glitches
Goals
We are most grateful for YOU our podcast audience! Thanks for sharing the journey with us and remember that we are right there with you in the crazy ups and downs of life!
Gia and Karen discuss the inevitable downturns of life and how they get through them. They reveal some of their own struggles with disappointment and emotional letdowns and their recognition that these events are a normal and necessary part of life. You will learn:
How to prepare for downturns so that you can experience more equanimity
What you can learn from times of darkness
Why you need your own “toolkit” to help you raise your energy again after experiencing a downturn
Cool tips and tools for getting out of a slump and back to higher consciousness
Why life provides us with more questions than answers
Remember, you are not alone if your are currently struggling in a downturn of life–we are right there with you! Check out these resources mentioned in this podcast:
Get acquainted with yoga and meditation teacher and singer-songwriter Gia and her Mom, Karen, who is a doctor and author. Find out about their philosophy and how they both survive all the crazy ups and downs of life as creative entrepreneurs. In this episode you’ll hear about:
Life as a school where lessons are learned and love is the ultimate purpose
How to handle fear of failure
Recognizing that the higher wisdom of the Universe doesn’t always make sense to our rational minds
The Garden and Galaxy views of life
The amazing “Mural Dream” that shows how life is ultimately perfect, just as it is
Get inspired and enjoy the ride on this wild planet with Gia and Karen–we’ll share our best secrets for living joyfully with you!
It's Just Life! 