Finding Joy in the Journey

Sometimes you need to take a break from things,

to help you find more joy in your journey.

I am going to have to take a podcast break,

But I hope to be back sometime in 2024!

Let's keep in touch on Instagram or Facebook!

I have talked about 1/24/50/24/1 before.

In a day, or a week, or a trip...

1% is horrible, 24% is bad, 50% is good, 24% is great, 1% is awesome.

And this really helped keep my perspective during our 33-day trip.

And that 1% horrible actually showed up on the very first day.

Italy was our first chunk and it was just Bryson and I. And I had it all planned out so that we would land, we’d have plenty of time to get to our Airbnb. It would still be daylight.

I knew how to get there on this special train in Rome and it was going to be easy.

Well, it did not go that way.

HELPFUL LINKS

How not to shoot yourself with an arrow twice

AND

How to avoid spending an extra $200 for Metro tickets in Paris!

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Whenever you have something big in front of you, try to break it into chunks.

Then, it doesn’t feel so overwhelming.

Also, reviewing how things are going between chunks,

what went well

what could you do better for the next chunk?

can really help you to process and then move forward with confidence into the next chunk “or section” of your journey.

With my 33 day trip, I broke it into five chunks of the actual trip, but really seven chunks when I include the preparation, and then readjusting back to home.

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I was so afraid about my 33 Day Trip

We had a chance to do some long-awaited traveling in May and June, and I had a lot of anxiety and worries about it beforehand.

I did a lot of emotional clearing, life coaching, and using affirmations in the months before our trip, so I could find joy in that travel journey.

And it worked!

I share them with you today.

You can download a copy on my website.

I loved doing this interview with Catherine Read about her book The Genius of Home.

My 2 youngest boys went to a Waldorf Inspired Charter school and I loved it, I think they did too...

So I enjoyed reading Catherine's book about her journey doing school at home with the Waldorf Curriculum.

We dove into daily, weekly and seasonal rhythms.

And then talked about how we are parents are the students in our family. Or how taking this mindset can help.

I'm Back! :)

I share an example of how this was true for Devon.

Then I share the exciting news - I am changing my podcast back to

Finding Joy in the Journey.

I am excited to move forward with this! Hear my reasons why. :)

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I am happy to report I am mothering a high schooler differently this time.
My youngest son is 5 years younger than my middle son and as Bryson is doing high school things now, I can see so clearly how I am at least trying to do things differently this time.

I recently saw this with Bryson asking a girl to homecoming. (** I am taking a break for May/June and also JULY!  So this is a repeat episode.  I should be back in August.  :)

When Carson did this, it was such a stressful time as I tried to help him with these things.  It was not fun for me at all!

So, this fall as Bryson started pondering asking a girl to homecoming, I sort of got sucked back into my old way of “helping” which was to stress out and try to help too much. 

I found myself saying, “I wish you weren’t even going, this is just too much.”

Here are the steps I took to break that pattern!

1. Pause, what is this pattern and what thoughts, and emotions are behind it?

2. What do you actually want?

3. What do you need to do to create that?

4. What emotions do you need to clear to help open the path to take you there?

5. Clear the emotions

6. Choose a new thought and actions

7. Take them and give yourself grace and try again!

Tips to clear the emotions around the situation

Take a bit of time to figure out what you want and find a new thought and emotions to help you create that.  Sometimes you do need to also clear the emotions around it, especially if they are strong! 

If you find yourself struggling with moving past a situation or maybe you are just overwhelmed with the emotions you are having, scribbling is such a great tool.

It is also SO easy to use this tool with children. They are pros!

I love sharing this tools with my students. It is easy to do and works so well.

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Do you notice that you are telling yourself stories all day long?  Stories about your choices, what other people are doing, you name it.

For instance, if my husband doesn’t do the dishes at night like he said he will, I will often tell myself the story of “He doesn’t love me.” In the morning when I see the sink full of dishes.   

Ahh, that is not a good story to tell myself.  But what can I do to change it? 

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Yep…. This is where the 1/24/50/24/1 comes in handy. 

Though sometimes it really can be 50/50 or 99/1… each day is different.

It is so interesting, because in reflecting on my life most of my days that have been the scariest and best days have all be about Devon.

• The day he was born
• The day he broke his jaw and arm mountain biking
• The day he was kidnapped in Mexico.

** I am taking a break for May/June and also JULY! So this is a repeat episode. I should be back in August. :)

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Some people love to say life is 50% great and 50% bad. 

I really don’t like that.  

When I think of my vibration chart, of course we sometimes feel the lower vibrations, but I don’t think we need to feel them half the time, I think we can learn to get up to at least neutral, curious or courage 50% of the time!  

So, I came up with my own percentages that feel better and more like a belief I want to choose to have. 

It is a lot harder to say and not as pretty, but way more useful for me!

1-24-50-24-1

Life is 1% amazing…

24% pretty good

50% OK

24% not so great

1% horrible

This could be throughout 1 day, or throughout a month, or throughout a year…

This is so helpful, because when the bad things happen, I can remember, this is normal, of course 100% can’t be good.  Also, when the boring normal ok things happen, I can remember this is normal too.  

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A new point of view of the Stripling Warriors.

Throughout the battles in which the young stripling warriors fought, many of their number were wounded, but not one of them was ever killed because, although “they never had fought, yet they did not fear death; and they did think more upon the liberty of their fathers than they did upon their lives; yea, they had been taught by their mothers, that if they did not doubt, God would deliver them.”

How were the stripling warriors taught by their mothers?
What helped them have faith?

I think about the power of a mother’s prayer. 

Do you think these warriors had seen their mothers praying for them over the years?

Do you think they saw their mother’s faith?

I would say yes! They were taught by their mother’s directly, but also most certainly saw their mother’s praying for them and felt their faith. 

These moms were praying their guts out while their children were away fighting for them. They were saying powerful prayers for very specific things, like safety and wisdom and protection, to be able to listen to and follow their leaders. 

When things got scary and the warriors needed courage, I can picture them remembering that their moms were praying for them and gathering strength from that image.

It wasn’t just that they had been taught in their youth, they knew their mothers were actively helping them through prayer, even while they were far away.

Prayer is one of my most favorite and powerful Mothering tools, especially as my boys have grown up and moved out!

One of my Powerful Mom Prayers

In this podcast I share how a powerful prayer I uttered on November 11th 2014 and how it helped save my oldest when he was kidnapped when he was only 16 years old. 

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Do you find it challenging to monitor your child's phone?

• The THOUSANDS of texts.
• The hundreds of emails.
• The websites they visit
• Not to mention the social media accounts.

I will be honest when my older boys were younger, I would maybe check their phones every other week and it was so time consuming and mind numbing too!

Do you have teenagers or young adult children?
That creates so many opportunities to try and let go of control, while also recognizing there are certain things I do still have stewardship over and have to set certain boundaries.  However achieving the balance in that is quite the learning experience for us all.
Using faith in my mothering has been so helpful, even essential as my boys have grown.
Today I dive into

Cheerfully –

Do All things that lie in our Power – 

Stand Still – 

With UTMOST Assurance of God –

That His Arm will be Revealed –
I also am excited to announce Essentials to Enjoy Life Class is open.  Through this class I have helped so many Moms increase their ability to mother cheerfully through faith.  
Come join in the fun!  

** I am taking May and June off, so this is a replay episode.  :) Enjoy!

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Have you ever wondered if your teenager was on drugs?
One day a few years ago, my friend called and said she had to tell me something.

She sounded hesitant but said she had prayed about it and knew she had to tell me.  I reassured her and told her to tell me.  If she was inspired to tell me something, I wanted to hear it!

She explained she had an impression that my son was on drugs that night.  She had experience with this herself, via family members.  So she knew the signs.  

I told her Thank you!!!  

Then talked to my husband, prayed and pondered.  

I bought some drug tests off of Amazon, just in case I wanted to go that route.
In todays episode I share how this led to a really great experience for our family and even created a wonderful way for my boys to get out of tricky situations when their friends offered them drugs.  

** I am taking May and June off, so this is a replay episode.  :) Enjoy!

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Your body can hold energy and emotions. Which is great when they are happy, but if you are angry or sad, typically we don’t want to just hold those and carry them around with us.

One of the easiest tools I share about clearing emotions and stress is Walking WHILE Talking.

In today’s episode I share tips for using this tool and what to do if you don’t have anyone to talk to!

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What is Spinning?

When thoughts and or emotions start swirling around in our head and body.  

You can have positive spins 

•       Trigger – Roller Coaster

•       Feeling - Excitement

•       Thought - Remembering Fun trips there 

•       Trigger - Memories of Park

We focus on negative spins, because those are what can cause problems

•       Trigger - Roller Coaster

•       Feeling – Sick, nervous

•       Thoughts – Remembering throwing up on friend

•       Trigger – Memories of being embarrassed

Another one, that is more common than seeing a roller coaster – dirty dishes in the sink!

•       Trigger - Dirty Dishes

•       Feeling - Frustration

•       Thoughts – Memories, all the times he didn’t do the dishes

•       Trigger

This week I share the importance of learning from past mistakes and how it can lead to lowering expectations for oneself. This is a valuable lesson that can be applied to various aspects of life, including work, relationships, and personal hobbies.

Last summer I was feeling overwhelmed and stressed during my busy summer and it made me realize the importance of taking a break to prioritize family time this summer.

What is coming up for you this summer? If you are feeling overwhelmed by some things, here are some good questions.

1. Is this essential to do?
2. If you need to do it, is there a past experience you can learn from to help you do it differently this time?
3. In what ways can I lower my expectations?
4. Make a choice to make it more manageable AND create an affirmation to help!

Here is what I am choosing to do –

This episode discusses the importance of growing patience as a skill rather than expecting it to be given. I share personal struggles with patience and how I have learned to be intentional about practicing patience.

I share tips on how to identify situations in your own life where you need more patience and intentionally practice growing that skill.

• Identify situations where more patience is needed
• Intentionally practice growing patience – either in the situation or before hand.
• Discuss situations that require patience – when both parties are calm

Today’s Show notes –

Do you sometimes feel like you’re running on empty with only your power?

You have gotten so far with your power, but it has run out and you realize,

• my kids are not going to fuel me up
• my spouse cannot fuel me up.

And certainly you can make some choices like fueling yourself with rest and food and affirmations, but sometimes you just need something more.

For me, I turn to Jesus.

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When you NEED your child to do something, it can put out some very intense energy and create a lot of push back.

When you can shift to just WANTING your child to do something

Everything can change!

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My son 

and I

love Floor and Ceiling goals.

Because it gives us a range of success. 

It isn't just do this giant thing or you failed!

Instead it is: do this little teeny, tiny thing and you've succeeded!

And of course you can always do more if you want, but you do not have to.

It is so liberating 

and motivating!

In today's episode I share some favorite floor/ceiling goals for me and my kids!

TOPICS

[00:00:28] Succeed with Teeny, tiny goals!

[00:00:36] Stop Yelling Goals

[00:02:49] Goals don't have to be big to work!

[00:03:10] Use this tool with your kids! Book Report Example

[00:05:30] Prove to yourself a floor goal is OK!

[00:06:32] Fuzzy Socks Count!

[00:07:13] How can use Floor/Ceiling Goals?

HELPFUL LINKS

Today’s Show notes – sheridanripley.com/floor-ceiling

It’s not like a crazy digital calendar where you have to download all these programs and write with a pen on your ipad.

It hooks into your Google calendar or your Apple calendar.

And it pulls it into this program... Artful Agenda

It has all the calendar views and even better - powerful LISTS!!

Listen in today to hear why I love it!

TOPICS COVERED

[00:00:35] Part of Challenging Children - is Keeping Track of All their Appointments!

[00:01:04] My struggle with switching to digital calendars!

[00:01:49] I Finally Found the Answer - Artful Agenda!

[00:02:17] Really Pretty/Can Color Code/See More than just Colored Dots!

[00:02:51] Useful Lists!

[00:03:21] Easy to add things from list into the calendar!!

[00:04:16] First Digital Calendar that is seamless and useful in ALL the ways!

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Try a free trial and use my referral code... RS543050

Have you ever felt anxiety?

Maybe your child struggles with anxiety?

Here is an easy tool that can help!

1. Feel the physical feeling in your body – just sit with it for a minute.
2. Currently you are naming it anxiety.
3. Add some deep breaths and name it something else –
4. Excitement, Curiosity, Courage (whichever is best for the situation)
5. Feel the physical feeling in your body and say – How would it feel to feel….. (fill in the blank with one of the above words)

There have been studies showing that this can work with giving speeches.

In todays podcast episode I share how it helped me and some examples of how it can help you!

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One of my favorite tools to share with parents

is Angels!

We surely have angels on both sides of the veil.

Earthly Angels

and

Heavenly Angels.

In this podcast episode, I interview Katie

and she shares her experience when her daughter got 3rd degree burns on her feet

and how Heavenly Angels helped during the drive to the hospital

and then so many other angels helped through the hospital stay!

If you want tips and tools to ask angels for help – I have a free email series to help!

It was such a pleasure interviewing Katie today. 

She shared her powerful IMPACT method, for creating intentional margins

so you can better enjoy life.

She also shared a wonderful question to help in parenting your challenging child!

TOPICS

[00:00:10] Meet Katie

[00:01:23] What do you do when you are stuck on the hamster wheel as a mom?

[00:02:28] The Creation of Intentional Margins

[00:05:47] IMPACT METHOD

[00:05:51] IM - Intentional Margins

[00:06:27] P - Priorities

[00:07:13] A = Action

[00:08:15] C = Calendar

[00:09:01] T = Timely Evaluation

[00:10:45] Using Intentional Margins and the IMPACT Method with the family!

[00:11:27] How do the people I love, feel loved by me?

[00:12:09] Breakfast more important than dinner for her kids!

[00:13:44] What do you want to do today??

[00:15:16] How to connect with Katie!

HELPFUL LINKS

Find Katie Here:

Instagram – @EverydayHappinesswithKatie

This is probably the book I most frequently suggest to my clients!

It proved invaluable in finally understanding Devon 

and how he could be so chill in some ways and SO DRIVEN in others!  

TOPICS

[00:01:42] I recommend this book to all my clients with challenging children!

[00:02:16] Brief overview of the types

[00:04:32] Christmas present example, understanding his typed helped us stay connected.

[00:06:27] Hiking disaster explained by his type 3 energy.

If I had understood this and really applied it sooner, it maybe could have prevented the Mexico Kidnapping!

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What is it about feelings that can be so overwhelming?

Honestly, for me, even really happy feelings on an intense level was overwhelming to me as a mom of young kids.

Having three little boys with big emotions sometimes just was overwhelming.

And then to add my own emotions on top of it was a little much.

Here are 5 easy steps I now use to safely feel my feelings.

[00:02:42] Step 1 - Acknowledge you are feeling something

[00:04:05] Step 2 - Accept it is ok to feel this way

[00:07:14] Step 3 - Let the Feelings Flush Down and Out

[00:07:36] Step 4 - Choose what you want to feel

[00:07:45] Step 5 Practice Thinking and Feeling what you WANT!

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My children have done things that make me feel furious.

Bryson, when he was a new driver, he had an 11:30 PM curfew.

Well, one night, very soon after he started driving, he didn't get home until 1:00 AM

He did call us and say he was going to meet his brother Carson at In n Out.

and we were like,

“No, don't do that. You need to come home.”

But he didn't listen to us.

Of course our natural inclination was anger or frustration and really furious.

Here is how we shifted to curious and how it helped!

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Today’s Show notes – sheridanripley.com/curious-not-furious

My oldest son is what propelled me into becoming a life coach. 

I learned a lot of tools and loved to use them and teach them.

They were put to the test when he was kidnapped in Mexico when he was 16 years old. 

Would they be helpful in a time of extreme stress?

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Do you Feel Guilty when you learn a new tool?

It's okay That you didn't know all these things sooner.

The experiences you have had with your challenging child are okay,

and you don't need to judge yourself for it.

Then I start judging all the things I did wrong parenting my challenging child.

In Tibet, they do not have a word that equals guilt.

Instead, they have a word that means

“Intelligent regret that decides to do something differently.”

In this episode we delve deeper into that and I share a tool to help stop the internal judge that may come up when you learn a new tool!

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This works with all ages of children.

However, it looks different at different ages.

Here's the thing that makes this so tricky.

Logically, we know,

“Or course, if my child is having a tantrum, I don't need to.”

Learn my 2 tips to help!

TOPICS COVERED

[00:00:35] Our Challenging Children Know Exactly How to Push our Buttons!

[00:01:01] Tantrum in a Food Court

[00:01:58] Hiking Trip Cut Short

[00:02:50] Teenage Tantrums Sometimes Look Like Lawyer Logic

[00:03:32] Tip #1 - Recognize Tantrums (more obvious when they are younger)

[00:04:33] Tip #2 - Use PQ Reps to stay calm!

[00:05:06] Parenting Challenging Children Calmly and Confidently in only Three Months

[00:06:42] The next time your child is having a tantrum - try these tips!

HELPFUL LINKS

Today’s Show notes – sheridanripley.com/ child-having-a-tantrum

I am shifting my podcast from Finding Joy in the Journey to Parenting Challenging Children.

In this weeks episode, I explain why I am changing focus 

and also the start of my journey parenting a challenging child, 

how for years we were so lost and confused 

and what made the biggest shift!

[00:00:54] My Challenging Child

[00:01:27] Pregnancy and Birth

[00:02:42] Developmental Delays Addressed - but Doctors still Perplexed

[00:03:47] Finally Some Help!

[00:05:30] I was inspired to learn more!

[00:06:37] Our children are our greatest teachers!

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I pondered on that for awhile and then asked for clarity, what did I need to do?

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Nope!

In fact I think it is pretty normal for people to struggle with the holidays.

Remembering 1/24/50/24/1 can help!

In fact, I imagine for Mary, the original Christmas Day was only 1% wonderful!

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How much time do you spend thinking about the things you need to do?

If you are like me, I make lists that contain many, many things to do and I can always think of more things to do.

Someone presented a question to me and it has been a game changer.

What should I NOT do today?

In this episode I talk about how pausing and asking that question has helped me to find more joy in my journey. And frankly, helped my family find more joy in their journey as well!

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I know the power of affirmations, indeed today I was planning on just reposting my awesome snow affirmation podcast, 

but then realized I needed to share some holiday affirmations to go along with it. So I am going to start with the holiday affirmations I have gathered and then will repost my snow affirmation podcast to demonstrate how powerful affirmations can be.

If you feel you need some more specific ones in certain areas, go google it and copy and paste your favorites.

As Halloween drew to a close, I remembered how I used to have worries and concerns about the upcoming holidays. 

I wanted to enjoy Thanksgiving, Christmas and the New Year, and I did have moments of joy. 

But those joyful moments were overshadowed by a cloud of stress that seemed to follow me around.

I started a quest to learn how to find more joy in my life and as I did,

I started to have more joy during the holidays too. 

I have gathered some holiday specific tools to help you. 

These are not tips like, Do Christmas shopping early…. My tips are a bit deeper and about thoughts and emotions.

In 12 Tips to Find Holiday Joy, I will walk you through, step by step how to implement these tools. 

As the class finishes you will feel more prepared and have solid ideas and a plan to find more joy this holiday!

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One of my favorite healing tools!  

Shifting up to gratitude.  

It isn't always easy,  

but it is always powerful.  

Need some help doing this?

Check out this weeks episode!

HELPFUL LINKS

• Set a Budget 
• Set Limitations
• Shop Online
• Give Experiences
• Clutter Free Gifts –
• White Elephant Parties
• Wrapping Gifts

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