Act to Live Scott Palasik & Jaime Michise

Quote: 
“Never help a child with a task that he feels he can succeed.” – Maria Montesorri 
“Development is a series of rebirths.” –Maria Montesorri
 Summary: On this episode of Act To Live, Scott and Jaime are joined by Kirsten Nichter. Kirsten is a special education teacher and parent coach. Through her experiences working with young children, Kirsten realized her passion for helping parents. Kirsten shares her story of becoming a parent coach, as well as guiding Scott and Jaime in exploring topics like self-compassion (as a parent), building resilience within oneself and their children, and more! 
ACTion Event of the Week: Each day, take a few minutes to answer the following two questions - What was your parenting win today? What is something that you are grateful for? 
Where do we walk next? Join us on the next episode of Act to Live as we explore HOPE and FAITH! 
Kirsten links: https://www.connectionsparentcoaching.com/
https://www.instagram.com/connectionsparentcoaching/
https://www.facebook.com/ConnectionsParentCoaching
References: Chow, K. (2017). Building Resilience Through Play Based Learning. Housman Institute.
Li W, Tan F, Zhou Z, Xue Y, Gu C, Xu X. Parents' Response to Children's Performance and Children's Self-Esteem: Parent-Child Relationship and Friendship Quality as Mediators. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2022 May 15;19(10):6012. 
Neff, K. (2015).  Self-Compassion: The Proven Power of Being Kind to Yourself. 
Siegel, D. and Bryson, T. P. (2019). The Yes Brain: How to Cultivate Courage, Curiosity, and Resilience in Your Child.

Siegel, D and Bryson, T.P. (2020). The power of showingup: How Parental Presence shapes who our kids become how their brains get wired.
Clinton, J. (2013). The Power of Positive Adult Child Relationships: Connection Is the Key. Harvard University. 

Quote: Trust is “the most effective way of relating to and working with others” and “one of the most powerful forms of motivation and inspiration.” -Stephen Covey  
Summary: On this episode of Act To Live, Scott and Jaime are joined by Dr. James Panico. James guides a thought-provoking discussion about trust. How is it defined? What role can it play in one’s life? What happens when trust is harmed? And more!
 
ACTion Event of the Week: Think about those people in your life who you deeply trust. Take some time to reach out to them - in any way that you’d like - and let them know how much you value them and the trust you share! 
 
Where do we walk next? Join us on the next episode of Act to Live as we explore HOPE and FAITH! 
References: 
Trust. Psychology Today. https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/basics/trust

Summary: On this episode of Act To Live, Scott and Jaime take some time to share pieces of their unique stories. They then delve into the idea of stories - the ways stories differ depending on who’s living or viewing them, the ways stories can change (often unexpectedly) over time, and the impact time and space can have on one’s ability to tell a story. 
ACTion Event of the Week: Write YOUR story! Take some time to ponder and reflect. Then, sit down and start writing. Perhaps from the beginning…or maybe you choose to focus on a time or event that stands out most in your mind. 
Where do we walk next? Join us on the next episode of Act to Live as we explore HOPE and FAITH! 
References: 
Dibdin, E. (2022, March). The Mental Health Benefits of Journaling. Psychology Central.   https://psychcentral.com/lib/the-health-benefits-of-journaling 
Dingfelder, S. (2011, January). Our stories, ourselves. American Psychological Association.   https://www.apa.org/monitor/2011/01/stories 
McAdams, D.P. (2006). The Redemptive Self: Stories Americans Live by. New York: Oxford University Press.
Sutton, J. (2018, May). 5 Benefits of Journaling for Mental health. Positive Psychology. https://positivepsychology.com/benefits-of-journaling/

Summary: On this episode of Act To Live, Scott and Jaime introduce the theme of Season Six - exploration! Each episode will feature a single word meant for listeners to explore right along with the duo. Jaime and Scott begin the episode by defining exploration and the role it plays in their lives currently. They then discuss some ways that we can engage in self-exploration and a few of the benefits. 
ACTion Event of the Week: Take some time to think about an area of your life in which you’d like to explore. Then, dive in…in any way that feels right to you…write, meditate, talk with family and friends, etc. 
Where do we walk next? Join us on the next episode of Act to Live as we explore FAITH and HOPE!
 
References: 
Bench, S. W., Schlegel, R. J., Davis, W. E., & Vess, M. (2015). Thinking about change in the self and others: The role of self-discovery metaphors and the true self. Social Cognition, 33(3), 169–185.
Epstein, S. (2010). Demystifying intuition: What it is, what it does, and how it does it. Psychological Inquiry, 21(4), 295–312.
Explore. (Retrieved 2024). Dictionary.com  https://www.dictionary.com/browse/explore 
Hovde, M., & Wade, D. (2022). What Is The Purpose of Self-Exploration? Psychology Central.com https://psychcentral.com/blog/self-exploration-getting-to-know-thyself 
Sutton, J. (2023). 30 Best Self-Exploration Questions, Journal Prompts, & Tools. Positive Psychology.com.  https://positivepsychology.com/self-exploration/
Thomas, V. (2016). Using mental imagery in counseling and psychotherapy: A guide to more inclusive theory and practice. Routledge.
 

Summary: On this episode of Act To Live, Scott and Jaime are joined by the amazing Kaludia Burian! Klaudia shares some of her journey to becoming an integrative nutritional health coach. She helps us to understand what a health coach is, what they do, and how they may be able to guide us in becoming the best and healthiest version of ourselves. Klaudia also provides some wonderful resources, so that we can all learn even more.
ACTion Event of the Week: If you found yourself thinking, “I want to learn more about health coaching,” check out the resources below.
To find a Nationally Board-Certified Health and Wellness coach in your area https://members.nbhwc.org/search/custom.asp?id=6956
Quick read from Forbes Health on 'What is a Health Coach'? Do I need one? (includes links to additional resources)
https://www.forbes.com/health/body/what-is-a-health-coach/
To connect with Klaudia personally or request The Weekly Nibble https://mytulsinutrition.com

Where do we walk next? Join us on the next episode of Act to Live as we explore our Zones…of regulation!

Summary: On this episode of Act To Live, Scott and Jaime discuss a question they’ve been pondering for a while. Is it possible to love someone unconditionally? The duo talks about what unconditional love entails and contrasts it with conditional love. Jaime and Scott also talk about ways in which we might be able to cultivate unconditional love, which not so surprisingly, starts with learning to love ourselves unconditionally. In the end, Scott and Jaime decide that perhaps the best way to encompass the true spirit of unconditional love is being able to - not so simply - say “I love you” to another person without feeling the need to add to the statement. 
ACTion Event of the Week: Think about those in your life who you love unconditionally. What is it about those people and relationships that allow you to offer and share this love? Then, think about yourself - do you love yourself unconditionally? It can be difficult, and yet so important, to do so. After pondering these questions for a while, think about one way in which you can practice and strengthen your ability to unconditionally love yourself and others. 
Where do we walk next? Join us on the next episode of Act to Live as we explore loving kindness! 
References: 
Cuncic, A. (2022). What is Unconditional Love? Very Well Mind. https://www.verywellmind.com/does-unconditional-love-make-for-healthy-relationships-4165457
Psychologs Magazine (2023). True Meanings of Unconditional Love. https://www.psychologs.com/true-meanings-of-unconditional-love/
Raab, D. (2020). The Secret of Unconditional Love. Psychology Today. 
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-empowerment-diary/202002/the-secret-unconditional-love