Flourishing Flame: from Burning Out to Burning Bright Leah Brown

In this episode, Leah interviews special guest, Jessica Klassen, who is the founder of Ripple Boxes, which are encouraging Christian gift boxes.
Leah and Jessica discuss caring for others and Ripple Boxes, talking about what they are and how they bless others through who they go to, those who send them, the small businesses the items in the boxes come from, and the people who the small businesses help and support. 
Jessica shares her story about wanting to make a difference in the world and reminding others of God’s love and how the Ripple Boxes came to be from this passion. She also explains her passion for helping those in trafficking and poverty and how the small businesses she works with help people with those struggles. 
Leah and Jessica then discuss the progress of the company, the difference it has made, and how it has impacted many lives. Jessica also gives some advice on how to be a light and see people in a more intentional way and build relationships with them. 
If you’re interested in Ripple Boxes or contacting Jessica, her website and email address are:
www.rippleboxes.com
Jessica@rippleboxes.com
Jessica is also gifting her Gratitude Journal to listeners and viewers of this podcast. To access it, follow this link:
https://www.pages.rippleboxes.com/freebie-9398-7212-4755

What is the DISC model, and what is it used for?
In this episode, Leah interviews counselor and certified coach, Michelle Kessler.
Leah and Michelle discuss the DISC model of human behavior, explaining what it is and how others use it in professional and personal settings like at work and with family and friends. Michelle shares what each letter stands for and expands on what that looks like and how it shows up in individuals. She also explains how this tool helps with understanding ourselves and others, communicating, and strengthening our connections. 
They continue on to talk about how the model assists with our self awareness and our relationships, and the two explain how that might look within the family dynamic in understanding our spouses and children better which can be empowering and lead to stronger relationships. The results of understanding the model in ourselves and others may look like less conflict and stress, more connection and stability, and assistance in navigating relationships.
If you are interested in learning more about Michelle and her work, or if you are interested in working with her, her contact information is below. 
Michelle Kessler
Mkesslercoaching@gmail.com
Kessler Coaching and Consulting
Music credits: Holizna - Poor, but Happy
Edited and produced by Beruna Studios -  berunastudios.com
 

After spending some time looking at ourselves and our values, priorities, wants, and needs, Leah is shifting the focus to relating to others, relationships, and how all those things we’ve been looking at in ourselves translate and play out within our relationships. 
We are wired for relationships, and there are a few key components to building and maintaining those relationships. Leah discusses the importance of curiosity, believing the best, and gratitude within relationships. 
She also explains a frame of looking at our relationships like accounts, not that they’re transactional, but so we’re mindful of what we put in and receive. She expands on “deposits” and “withdrawals” and what that looks like within our relationships.
Over the next few episodes, we will continue to discuss relating to others and how the information from the last several episodes translates into our relationships.

In this episode, Leah moves on to discuss one of the influential aspects of frameworks, which is boundaries. She explains more in detail about what they are, why they’re important, and how to create and maintain them. 
Boundaries are the limits that keep you and your relationships safe. In life, we have boundaries all around us in different physical forms like fences and walls and even the lines on roads. These examples all keep us safe and show us limits.
Interpersonally, boundaries provide safety for us and our relationships. They protect our time, space, and energy and are about us, not the other person. Some may see boundaries as constricting, but they’re really a safety mechanism and a basic function. When used correctly, they’re not to control others or manipulate them, but to provide safety within our relationships. They also help us know what our responsibilities are and for others to know what theirs are. They are helpful and crucial for healthy relationships.
In practice, boundaries may look like not eating certain things because they don’t make you feel good, or not drinking alcohol or rules around what you let others borrow of yours. 
When creating boundaries, ask yourself what the things are that help to fulfill your wants and needs and that maintain your personal space, time, values, and needs.
Having boundaries helps our frameworks and knowing them ahead of time allows us to have those frameworks before we’re presented with a question or opportunity. They’re also important for being able to fit in those things that are important to us and the things we need to get done.
When enforcing boundaries, it’s important to use stand-up words like “I won’t” so that you can give strong, empowered answers instead of a partial yes or no. It’s kind to give a clear answer and to have those boundaries since it helps give the other person clarity on where you stand and what to expect from you. 
 
Music credits: Holizna - Poor, but Happy
Edited and produced by Beruna Studios -  berunastudios.com

In this episode, Leah discusses decision making, decision fatigue, and frameworks to lessen the toll of decisions.  
In life, there are many opportunities and decisions that arise, and it can help to have “unshakeable unbreakables” or frameworks based on personal rules, values, and priorities. These frameworks can help protect you from decision fatigue, over giving and depleting your energy, and keep you oriented towards the things you want in life. 
With some decisions, having personal rules makes the decision for you before you face a question, which can help take the pressure off in the moment. Taking your priorities and values to make a framework can look like personal rules, time blocking, and personal purpose statements. Time blocking helps to balance life and work, allowing for focus on specific commitments in their dedicated time block. 
With personal purpose statements or personal constitutions, you can compare opportunities to what your purpose is and see how it aligns with your values and priorities and how they fit into what you want in your life. In Leah’s Burnout Buster Blueprint, she works with others to create their personal constitutions. Having your own personal purpose statement or constitution helps take the pressure off when opportunities and decisions arise, protecting you from decision fatigue and pressured yeses. You can compare opportunities to this framework and ask questions like “will this help with what I want in life or will it pull me away from where I want to go” or “does this align with my priorities?” 
Having these frameworks already set in place can reduce pressure and decision fatigue while bringing relief, peace, and confidence, allowing for empowered nos and resounding yeses. 

Do you have trouble saying "no"? Do you worry about letting others down or missing out on an opportunity because you say "no"? In this episode, Leah discusses saying "no", why it’s important, and how to practice this in your life. When we say yes, we are also saying "no" to other things.
Sometimes situations come into our lives that are simple yeses or easy nos, but other times we may struggle with saying "no". Saying "no" is an important muscle that we need to exercise, not only for our own protection, but for others. 
Expressing a direct "no" helps us to feel empowered, and it protects our time and energy while also being kind to the other person. We can use stand-up words like “I won’t” or “I don’t” when we say "no", and we can express our appreciation for the consideration. 
Sometimes saying "no" can be difficult if our brains aren’t used to it, so practicing with ourselves or friends can help rewire our pathways and make saying "no" easier when the time comes. 
Learning how to say "no" and exercising this muscle is important since it protects and empowers us while showing kindness to those on the other end.