Living on Purpose — An unofficial parenting guide to raising successful humans

318. Reclaim Your Time: The Art of Being Present and Intentional, featuring Cassie Holmes

With all the things we have to do as parents and as adults, it seems like we never have enough time to stop and enjoy where we are. But the truth is that being fully present and engaged can actually transform how we experience time—when we focus on what we love, it brings joy into those moments and creates a ripple effect on every aspect of our lives.

Cassie Holmes, a professor at UCLA and a leading expert on time and happiness, shares how we can shift from merely managing our time to fully embracing it. How will you make the most of the time you have with your kids while they’re still kids?

317. Weaving change - creating a cultural and relational revolution, featuring David Brooks

We all go through valleys in life, and during these times it’s easy to feel disconnected and alone. Shame, uncertainty, and grief can lead us to stay silent. But it’s crucial to talk about our experiences—especially as parents, when isolation can hit hard.

Today's clip features David Brooks, who points out the deep crisis of isolation and fragmentation facing our society. He talks about a range of everyday yet exceptional people he calls Weavers, who lead lives of greater purpose and joy through human connection. Real change begins not with so-called “success,” but with awareness and small meaningful actions starting right in your home.

Connection, Living on PurposeErin HollandSeptember 14, 2024relationships, connection, isolation, parenting, breakthrough

315. The Path to WELLthy Living, a conversation with Nathalie O’Donald

Today’s guest is Nathalie O’Donald, a remarkable woman whose passion to empower others led her to create the Wellthy Mom blog. She believes that “wellthy” starts within and is reflected in intentional choices that foster well-being in every area of life.

Our conversation covers a lot of ground, from motherhood to entrepreneurship, self-care, and personal growth. She explains that motherhood was never meant to put a period in your life, but rather a comma. Mothers aren’t supposed to be martyrs, but instead examples of how to live a good and fulfilling life. Nathalie’s words remind us that we are called to walk the talk, because our kids will emulate what we do more than what we say.

313. Wee Wellness Wednesday: Reclaiming Rest and Focus

In our fast-paced world, it can be tricky to slow down and be intentional with our time, especially when it comes to rest. Our culture often equates busyness with success, and so we struggle to prioritize our well-being through rest and mindfulness. But we can find ways to include more rest through small intentional steps—and in doing so, we may find that our focus improves and we can better care for our families and actually find greater success.

276. Are you having fun yet?, featuring Catherine Price

As a parent, you have a lot on your plate—and sometimes you end up sacrificing self-care and any small things that bring you joy. But actually, fun is a feeling rather than an activity, and happiness is something you can choose.

Catherine Price is a science journalist and author who is passionate about helping people make positive changes in their lives and have more fun. She explains the three components of fun and why each one is so important to your well-being. So what would it take to rearrange your day to look for the pockets where you could create joy?

241. Own your crazy spots + how to love your teenager well, featuring Lisa Damour

The secret is out we don’t really know what we’re doing - “Parents are only people that had kids!”

Truly, I think teenagers have it rough because they’re going through massive developmental changes, which is similar to parents navigating their kiddo as well as their own personal changes throughout the parenting journey.

Bottom line, we all need MORE SUPPORT + MORE GRACE because it’s pretty stressful at times.

We also have limitations and blind spots - or crazy spots as @lisa.damour calls them - which makes it easy to get wrapped up in our own heads, leaving us feeling stuck or alone.

As adults, we need people to both call us out on our craziness and be our biggest fan—and our teenagers are no different. They also need to be seen, understood, and accepted.

Dr. Lisa Damour shares why it’s important to recognize and talk about our “crazy spots,” and how to actually help our kiddos mature, rather than simply age into adolescence and adulthood.

240. The journey of loving others, featuring Lisa Nichols

Why is it so hard to make friends as adults?

Maybe it’s because you’re not always in situations where you automatically meet people in the same life stage as you. But also, maybe it’s because you close yourself off, quick to judge others and afraid of being judged yourself, and unwilling to take a chance.

Building community takes time, not to mention vulnerability.

Today, motivational speaker Lisa Nichols reminds us that kindness matters, and being receptive to new friendships could actually change your view of yourself and of the world. You just have to be open to it.

239. How to have a super fantastic day, featuring Keith Harrell

Sometimes you need to be reminded that YOU matter, and that the way you choose to face each day matters. You want to teach your kiddo how to filter through the noise of life and put themselves in circles that inspire and encourage them to grow—but the only way to do that is to model it through your own attitude. Motivational speaker Keith Harrell will fire you up as he explains that it’s up to you to create your own environments that fill you and foster positivity. How will you choose to approach each day?

238. Making space for peace, featuring Hal Elrod

What things in your life feel unfair and cause you to get worked up? We all have those triggers—and in those moments, it’s easy to feel powerless. But what if we shifted the narrative by changing our own reaction, instead of being angry at what can’t be changed? Author and speaker Hal Elrod explains that while we can’t always change our circumstances, we always have the power to choose how we respond, and that can change our entire experience of life. It is in those moments that we create space for more beautiful things to grow in us and in our kids.

237. There is so much more to come, a reflection on 3 years of PG-ish and why you should pursue your dreams!

As I reflect on this journey, I remember all the time spent to scheme, dream, curate, pivot, launch, fail, and keep going. I started this podcast after huge changes in my family life, and I knew I needed to challenge myself to find (and share) resources to grow myself as a person and a mama. I believe reflection is important to remember how far you’ve come, and how much more is still to come—and it’s the little victories that keep you going and need to be celebrated. So today I’m here to share that taking risks is worth it, celebrating small wins is important, and pursuing life and love whole-heartedly is what fills you and me.

236. Ready or not, kids take their cue from you, featuring Madeline Levine

Do you ever lose sight of the end game? Sometimes as parents, we focus on the short game—grades, extracurricular activities, and how to fix things immediately for our kids. But does that actually serve them well as they grow into adulthood?

Dr. Madeline Levine, a psychologist with 40 years experience, explains that kids don’t need us to fix everything. They actually need adaptability, mental agility, curiosity, collaboration, tolerance for failure, resilience and optimism. And how do they learn those skills? By watching how we handle life and how we trust them to handle it well too.

235. Children can't be what they can't see, featuring Lael Stone

Do you ever feel like you manage life well…until the small people in your life don't want to go along with your plans? That’s when the heat turns on, when they find the most inopportune moments to lose it. But the truth is that their cries and outbursts are a way to be seen and heard.

Parenting educator Lael Stone nudges you back to your kids’ side, reminding you that your level of compassion and nurturing and how you regulate your emotions in these early years has an impact on who they become. You have the power in how you show up to teach either anxiety and depression, or kindness and compassion.

233. Forget vitamins, go have some fun instead, featuring Catherine Price

What made you smile today?

If it’s tough to answer this, you’re not alone. We get overwhelmed with all the things of life—work, home, kids—that it’s easy to miss the small moments that would bring us joy.

Catherine Price is a science journalist and author who is passionate about helping people make positive changes in their lives. Surprisingly, her solution to stress, life, better parenting, and all the problems we face, is simple:

Have more fun.

Catherine explains why this matters, how it affects our health, and how it’s a choice we make rather than an experience. If you need more happiness in your life, you won’t want to miss this.

232. Love is space making, featuring Marcus Buckingham

Our instinct as parents can be to hold our kids tightly in order to protect and guide them into the life we want for them. Sadly, such a tight rein can squash their unique traits—pieces of them that should be celebrated and allowed space to learn and grow in their own way.

In a society that likes to point out weaknesses and conform you to fit a specific mold, Marcus Buckingham wants to turn this thinking upside down by helping you (and your kiddos) to define strengths, innate tendencies, and personal loves.

In this clip, Buckingham shares the extremes of his own experiences, from his ex-wife and son’s involvement in a college admissions scandal, to his own childhood filled with space to become his own person.

231. Don't regret your regrets, featuring Dan Pink

Do you find yourself sometimes blaming your current unhappiness and dissatisfaction on past choices? While that’s a common sentiment, regret can actually have a positive effect on your life. The trick is to find the gift in your regret, and learn from it as you move forward. Author Dan Pink has collected over 16,000 regrets from people around the globe, and today he shares the four core regrets we all face, and explains how to transform your regrets into a life you enjoy more.

230. Why you should think tiny, featuring BJ Fogg

Why is it so hard to create good habits? We think that if we can find enough motivation and discipline, we should be able to accomplish our goals. The problem? We think we have to go big or go home—and so we set ourselves up for failure.

B.J. Fogg, a behavior scientist at Stanford, explains why tiny habits are the key to changing your life. It comes down to creating triggers based on existing behaviors. We have the power to reprogram our brains one small positive step at a time—whether it’s doing daily push ups, or finding our calm in the midst of difficult parenting.

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Our Favorite Things—A Resource Guide!

Show links:

Watch the full clip.
Learn more at bjfogg.com.
Read Tiny Habits: The Small Changes That Change Everything.

As always, I’d love to hear from you! Subscribe, leave a review, or follow PG-ish on IG @pgishparenting, or you can always find me at www.pgishparenting.com.

229. It's a matter of life and death, featuring Dr. Chelsea Shields

As July wraps up, let’s take a moment to honor Social Wellness Month. Your personal well-being and connection network is important for not only your health, but the health of your family. Scientists are finding that the strength of your community can have powerful effects not only on your health, but can also influence your biology, lengthen your life, and improve your overall well-being.

Dr. Chelsea Shields, a biosocial anthropologist, will explain social wellness in detail, and why it’s crucial that you take daily steps toward community and relationships. She shares three simple tips to move toward healthy social wellness.

228. From overwhelm to the life you love, an interview with K. Domiana Ndour

Even with a 4-month baby in her arms during our interview, K. Domiana Ndour emanates an authentic and grounding presence. She’s not only a wife and mom of three, but also a retired pro basketball player, two-time best-selling author, somatic healer, coach, international speaker, certified yoga instructor and educator. She’s on a mission to equip busy moms like you and me with the tools to self-heal and regulate emotions, all while breaking the cycle of burnout and overwhelm. This is definitely an episode you won’t want to miss!

227. Refuse to die an unlived life, featuring Les Brown

Most parenting advice is all about how to get your kid to follow your rules and your schedule. But the real secret to parenting that most people won’t tell you? Work on yourself. Of course, that’s much easier said than done, because introspection is tough to fit on your to-do list amid parenting, working, cooking, cleaning, and all the things that life requires.

Renowned motivational speaker Les Brown shares that you have greatness inside of you, and taking the time to understand what you really want and the impact you want to make is of first importance. Listen as he gives a few tips on how to upgrade your life in big ways.

226. 30 minutes is all you need to change your life, featuring Dr. Wendy Suzuki

When the weight of the world is too much, too heavy, too chaotic, you can make some simple changes to be the calm in the storm—and exercise is one of those tools.

Dr. Wendy Suzuki, a professor of neuroscience and psychology and dean at NYU, breaks down how exercise has both immediate and long-term effects on your mood and body, and how these effects alter and protect your brain. And the best part?? Getting this exercise might be simpler than you think.

Sponsors and discounts:

House of Wise — use code PGISH for 10% off
Our Favorite Things—A Resource Guide!

Show links:

Watch the full clip.
Learn more at wendysuzuki.com.
Read Healthy Brain, Happy Life and Good Anxiety.

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Have more fun.