Have you ever wanted to run away from it all?   In today’s latest installment of the LifeLine podcast series in which I help you to discover your own story and see the good that already exists inside of you, I share with you some real feelings brought on by some current events in my life that has given me an understanding as to why people turn to different types of escapes to cope with hard things in their life.  We explore what causes us to turn to our escape, the paths of avoidance or dealing with the pain and identifying which one we are on, as well as examining our healthy ‘clarity giver’ types of escapes versus the unhealthy types that only numb or delay.  We talk about 6 different skills of mindfulness that help create a state of mental awareness and focus without becoming attached to what we have experienced.  We talk about the idea of leaning into and embrace the hard things in our lives instead of separate ourselves from.  I share with you my period of resistance during the initial transitory time of going from a stay-at-home mom to then trying to create a successful at-home business that would have allowed me to remain home to then needing to go outside of my home to become the sole provider.  I share how I fought so hard that this was not my story but learning to let go of the past and to embrace our struggles as part of our story to allow them to refine us and give us the experiential knowledge that we can build upon and will strengthen us, that will create empathy inside us and they have a purpose even if we have to create one. I share my favorite quote with you that reveals a connecting pattern between us of adding to the things that we have been given and then passing them on to others.  Friends I hope something I share today will help you to see that you can take on those seen and unseen battles you are fighting, that you are not alone, that there are tools, people, communities, and a God that are here to help you through it!

Want to know if this episode it for you?  This episode is perfect for someone who has ever wanted to escape from the reality of something hard in their life, someone who is looking to find answers on how to get past those feelings, or someone who would like to learn skills of mindfulness that will help them learn to cope with hard things.

What is this episode about?  In this episode you will learn about:

• this episode was inspired by real life current events in my life
• having feelings of wanting an escape because things in life are just so hard
• being at a crossroads of different ways to approach dealing with hard things – exploring different paths – scenic route of diversion vs shorter harder climb that leads to a peak of perspective
• paths of complacency, anger, control that leads to losing hope
• shorter path that you climb it, face it, let go, embrace it, learn from it
• what the different types of escapes
• my turning away from emotional eating as an escape and turning toward healthier outlets
• identifying your own escapes – healthy ‘escape’ that are actually allow you to gain perspective which are ‘clarity givers’ vs. unhealthy escapes that are an avoidance to dealing with our problems
• fight or flight response – the emotional component: emotional reactivity – feeling deeply can lead to anxiety or aggression
• the cognitive component of the fight or flight response – perception of control – perception of control
• why people turn to addiction
• truly escaping comes from facing your pain
• mindfulness – state of mental awareness and focus
• the goal of mindfulness to become aware without becoming attached to anything you have experienced
• it tends to help you understand your own reactions to things – by understanding your reactions without getting attached to things you find you can let things go that you might not have been able to in the past
• 6 different skills of mindfulness: 1. observation, 2. description, 3. participation, 4. taking a non-judgmental stance, 5. focusing on one thing in the moment, 6. effectiveness
• spiritual aspect of mindfulness to connect with our Higher Power
• a scripture in Romans 8 that helps me to remember that I am a spiritual being
• paradox – a statement that seems self-contradictory but in reality expresses a possible truth
• what an upcoming podcast guest explains about what he learned about paradoxes when it comes to a difficulty in a relationship
• leaning into that relationship instead of separated ourselves from it – the paradox of
• the two choices that we have when we face challenges
• my experience of resistance in the transitory period from being a stay at home mom, to trying to work at home, to leaving the home to be sole provider
• learning to embrace the struggle as part of my story
• creating purpose out of hard things
• my favorite quote – the pattern of adding to what we have learned to pass on to others

Show Notes:

“What is Mindfulness?” article by Elizabeth Hartney

“How Can I Stop Hurting?” article

Fight or Flight Response

Romans 8:16

Hugh Vail

“I Will Not Die an Unlived Life: Reclaiming Purpose and Passion” by Dawna Markova

Lewis Howes – The School of Greatness podcast

Hip Hip Party Goods

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