We all face challenges in our lives, and how we react to these challenges has a huge impact on our well being. Some have said that positive psychology at its core is all about struggling well, and in today’s episode I’m talking about different types of traumas that we face and how we can struggle well with them, how we can overcome our challenges.

I dive deeply into the concept of post-traumatic growth (PTG), and break down the five aspects of PTG. Providing examples for each, I walk through all five aspects and show new ways of relating to one’s traumas and turning your pain into purpose. I offer tools that you can use right now to deal with traumas, both small and large.

In this episode I mention Ritual Vitamins, which has been a sponsor of our show. You can visit https://ritual.com/purposegirl to start your ritual today and take 10% off during your first three months.

It would really mean a lot to me if you would go to Apple Podcasts and leave me a review (hopefully a great one!), leave a 5 star rating, subscribe to this podcast so you never miss an episode, and download the episodes! And please spread the word and help our community grow!

Thank you so much spending your time with me! And if you aren’t following me already, you can find me on Instagram and Facebook, and click here to receive my newsletter.

May you live purposefully, may you love yourself, and may you love life.

Bye for now!

Rates of anxiety among adolescents have been steadily growing in recent years. In the United States, 1 in 3 kids will be diagnosed with an anxiety disorder by the age of 18, and the global statistics are similar. My special guest, Renee Jain, brings together technology and child psychology as she works with children and parents to build the emotional intelligence of children, helping build their resilience, empathy, kindness, and critical thinking, so important in the face of the struggles that our children today are experiencing.

There are plenty of contributing factors, from social media to our obsession with perfection to overscheduling our children to putting intense pressure on them to succeed and get into the top schools, and more. But according to Renee, all of this is leading to the suppression of and the disconnection from the inner voice of our children, which is the real root of the issue here.

Only about 20% of kids who struggle with anxiety will get access to a mental health professional, but there are effective tools that these kids could learn to help them handle their anxiety. Realizing this, Renee left her tech/finance background and switched careers to support children and their mental health. She started a company that creates animated cartoons and programs, tools that are used by therapists, parents, and schools, to teach kids important life skills to improve their wellbeing.

One of the principles that GoZen teaches is that we shouldn’t be trying to be stress-free. Instead, we should learn to understand our stress and use it to our advantage. In fact, all emotions are OK, and they can also be advantageous and positive catalysts for change. Through GoZen, Renee teaches children how to understand and manage their emotions, and how to use them to their benefit.

Renee walks us through a number of steps that are part of the GoZen process, including learning to stress better and reacquainting oneself with one’s emotions and identifying where one feels emotions in one’s body.

The GoZen program can be used reactively with children who are already struggling and who are working with a therapist, but many schools also use it universally, with all students, in a proactive way, arming them with life skills that everyone really needs.

If you’d like to learn more about Renee and GoZen follow her on Facebook (https://facebook.com/gozenonline/) and Twitter (@gozentweets), and check out her website (https://gozen.com).

Renee has led a number of summits, including the Happy Child Summit, in which I participated.The Happy Child Summit is a free online event April 8-11, 2019. This event brings together 20 experts speaking on everything from motivating your kids to teaching the skill of grit to tackling technology and MORE. You'll learn ways to set goals, provide positive sports coaching, nurture your child's character strengths, overcome challenges and SO MUCH MORE.You can learn more about the Happy Child Summit at https://happychildsummit.com/?ref=13.

Renee also mentions https://www.characterlab.org, where you can get resources called playbooks that provide evidence-based tools for working with children. And Renee recommends the book, The Self-Driven Child, which you can get at Amazon (https://amzn.to/2F9z9gU).

It would really mean a lot to me if you would go to Apple Podcasts and leave me a review (hopefully a great one!), leave a 5 star rating, subscribe to this podcast so you never miss an episode, and download the episodes! And please spread the word and help our community grow!

Thank you so much spending your time with me! And if you aren’t following me already, you can find me on Instagram and Facebook, and click here to receive my newsletter.

May you live purposefully, may you love yourself, and may you love life.

Bye for now!

March 8 is International Women’s Day, and in honor of this I’m celebrating the women who have inspired me, and I hope that their stories inspire you as well.

I start with my grandmother, Mary Ann Reinstein, a Holocaust survivor who lost everything when she was young, lived through a lot of hardships, lived a life of service and never complained. I talk about my mother, Gladys Rockind, a brilliant and accomplished woman who led her college math department for more than 20 years and still raised three children and was the primary homemaker. And I talk about a current coaching client of mine. This woman is battling cancer and the way she is handling it and facing life truly inspires me.

Jen Sincero also inspires me. Jen wrote You Are A Badass (https://amzn.to/2IX8c3G) and You Are A Badass At Making Money (https://amzn.to/2IWgj0I), and if you haven’t read these books, you must! I pick up and reread her book whenever I need some kickass motivation.

Regena Thomashauer, also known as Mama Gena, is an inspiration to me. I have learned so much from her, and I truly adore her. She has spent decades teaching women to stand in their power by connecting with and embracing their joy. I highly recommend her book, Pussy: A Reclamation (https://amzn.to/2J0EpY2).

Tererai Trent’s life story, her journey from Zimbabwe to poverty in Oklahoma to fighting for her own education while raising four children, is truly inspirational. Oprah said her interview with Tererai Trent was her favorite interview ever, and you can get her book, The Awakened Woman, at Amazon (https://amzn.to/2UpdTZJ).

Brene Brown is another woman who truly inspires me. Her book, The Gifts of Imperfection (https://amzn.to/2EMr8NA), changed my life, shifting me from the feeling that I had to be perfect and be ashamed if I wasn’t, to developing shame resilience.

In this episode I ask you to leave me voicemail at http://purposegirl.com/voicemail, and tell me your name, where you’re from, what you love about The PurposeGirl Podcast, and what topics you’d love to hear on this show. I also mention Fab Fit Fun, which has become a sponsor of our show. You can sign up to receive your Fab Fit Fun boxes at https://fabfitfun.com, and be sure to use my code, PURPOSE, to get $10 off your first box.

It would really mean a lot to me if you would go to Apple Podcasts and leave me a review (hopefully a great one!), leave a 5 star rating, subscribe to this podcast so you never miss an episode, and download the episodes! And please spread the word and help our community grow!

Thank you so much spending your time with me! And if you aren’t following me already, you can find me on Instagram and Facebook, and click here to receive my newsletter.

May you live purposefully, may you love yourself, and may you love life.

Bye for now!