Meaning with Shirley F. Rivera

In this episode of Carpe Diem Connections we’re discussing Meaning with Certified Ikigai Tribe Coach Shirley F. Rivera.

This week on Carpe Diem Connections, we’re talking about Meaning. This is the 10th and Final Key as defined by Action For Happiness.

I’m joined by my friend and certified Ikigai Tribe Coach, Shirley F. Rivera to discuss the meaning, purpose, and ikigai. All of these terms are somewhat related, but they describe the motivational feeling of fulfillment in life.

In this episode, Shirley talks about ways to discover your ikigai and describes the history and more about what ikigai is all about.

You can find out more about Shirley on her Website: https://www.shirleyfrivera.com/

Check out our YouTube video or listen to the podcast episode.

And as always, please feel free to tell us your thoughts on the Carpe Diem Connections Facebook Group.

Acceptance with Rebecca Burns

Becky Burns talks about her journey with self-acceptance.

In this week’s episode of my Carpe Diem Connections Podcast, I’m rejoined by my friend and Season 2 co-host, Becky Burns. In Season 3, I’ve been going through each of the 10 Keys of Happiness as defined by Action For Happiness. This week, we are talking about the 9th Key of Happiness: Acceptance.

In 10 Keys to Happier Living, the chapter on Acceptance really focuses on self-acceptance, which Becky and I agree seems to be a prerequisite to accepting others. A good place to start is understanding yourself by taking the VIA Character Assessment. (Amy Sargent talked about this in a previous episode about Emotional Intelligence.)

In this episode, Becky, in her wonderfully wise way, talks about her journey of self-discovery and self-acceptance over the years.

Becky has been a long-time student of Paramahansa Yogananda and recommends his teachings on meditation and spiritual living.

Check out our YouTube video or listen to the podcast episode.

And as always, please feel free to tell us your thoughts on the Carpe Diem Connections Facebook Group.

Resilience in spite of ALS: Nic Friedman and ALS Never Surrender

Nic Friedman, son-in-law, to ALS Never Surrender’s Steph Courdin, is our guest on Carpe Diem Connections talking about resilience despite an ALS diagnosis.

Resilience is the trait that my friend, Craig Dunham, demonstrated, despite a diagnosis of ALS. It’s the trait that most inspired me to live with what I think of as a “Carpe Diem” mindset.

This week on my Carpe Diem Connections podcast, I talk to Nic Friedman, CEO of ALS Never Surrender, and son-in-law to Steph Courdin.

I got involved with the ALS Never Surrender non-profit a few years ago and was inspired by the founder, Steph Courdin, who gathered a group of colleagues and volunteers to create a mobile app that would collect valuable ALS patient progression data.

ALS patient, Steph Courdin, empowers research teams and inspires me to be resilient and live fully

In this week’s episode of Carpe Diem Connection, we’re talking about Resilience, the 7th Key to Happiness, according to Action for Happiness. Steph’s son-in-law, Nic Friedman, tells us the moving story of the history of ALS Never Surrender. As Steph noted in this video, though his app wasn’t able to save him, it may save the world.

Though Steph lost his battle with ALS in 2019, his work carries on through his family and the volunteer-run non-profit ALS Never Surrender. Tune in to this special episode of Carpe Diem Connections to hear more about the amazing progress that’s being made.

The unedited YouTube video interview with Nic can be found here.

We end with a reminder to live every day as Steph did – with intention, resilience, and a sense of awe and wonder at each sunset.

Join us on the Carpe Diem Connections Facebook Group and share your stories of resilience.

Awareness and Mindfulness with &Happiness Host Klaudia Mitura

The thing I like most about hosting my Carpe Diem Connections podcast is the connections I myself make. It’s like a scavenger hunt to find fascinating guests — and I have this great big World Wide Web to look for them.

I hit the jackpot with the guest on my podcast this week, Klaudia Mitura. She’s an award-winning podcaster herself of the popular podcast &Happiness. One morning I asked Alexa to play a Happiness podcast for me and she played this one! Klaudia and her co-host, Kitty Newman use the letters of the alphabet as prompts to do a deeper dive into different types of Happiness. Theme-nut that I am, I was immediately hooked!

It was clear, after listening to a few episodes, that Klaudia knew not only a lot about happiness, but about the science behind our emotions as well. I was thrilled when she agreed to be on my podcast, talking about the 4th Key of Happiness as defined by Action for Happiness: Awareness.

In this episode, I question Klaudia about the practice of meditation. Being a bit of a skeptic and a person who definitely does not want to spend time thinking about nothing but my breath, I’ve been slow to fully embrace meditation, despite its constant recommendations in happiness literature. Listening to Klaudia about her thoughts and explanations was enlightening.

We also talk a bit about the practice of Emotional Intelligence and practices besides meditation that encourage being present and mindful.

Tune in and let us know what you think on the Carpe Diem Connections Facebook Group. Or, if you prefer, view the YouTube video of our Zoom interview.

And don’t forget! This month is Carpe Diem Day and I’m hosting contests! Come play!