My guest today is Grace Aduroja Kolker.  I met Grace through Brian Levinson, my guest on episode 27.  Grace and I had a list of things we were looking forward to talking about and that was disrupted at the last minute.  In fact, we almost didn’t record a conversation at all, but then decided to go for it.  Here’s what happened: our scheduled call to record the podcast was the evening of the Oscars.  Grace logged into Zoom at the scheduled time which happened to be about 2 minutes after Will Smith walked on stage and slapped Chris Rock for making the joke about Jada Pinkett Smith.  Those of you who know me, won’t be surprised to know I was NOT watching the Oscars, so Grace fills me in and I offered for us to delay our recording until after the ceremony was over which she accepted.  In the meantime, I jumped on Twitter to catch up and see the posts coming in including the video of the scene.  When Grace and I got back on Zoom, we talked about what happened and how we each felt impacted.  Maybe we skip the podcast.  Or maybe we talk about this and see where the conversation goes.  So, this is a different angle than I’ve ever taken on a Make Life Less Difficult podcast where we take a current event (literally it happened just before our conversation), and we share our own reactions, thoughts, and emotions.  We discuss the possible implications, the complexity of the situation, amygdala hijacks, the emotional response of the brain, the desire of the human brain to tell a simple story, and the deep complexity to what happened at the Oscars. I’m deeply grateful to Grace for her willingness to step into this conversation, sharing her reflections, reactions, emotions, and for the opportunity to process something so recent and raw in a way that left both of us feeling more settled in the end. I hope our conversation adds to your own processing of difficult emotional situations whether you watched the Oscars or not.  We are each deeply complex human beings, with deeply complex stories.  The more we can have compassion for ourselves, the more we can extend that compassion to others.  Notice the judgements you have (they are normal) and also I challenge you to step into a place of curiosity  and see what else you can learn (about yourself and others).And thank you for indulging me in this episode of Make Life Less Difficult which is a bit different than some of the others.  But then again, this entire podcast is an experiment, so perhaps an experimental episode is the norm!  Resources:Blog: What is an Amygdala Hijack? Video: Amygdala Hijack explainedBook: What Happened to You? by Oprah Winfrey & Bruce PerryConnect with Grace:WebsiteLinkedInwww.makelifelessdifficult.comMake Life Less Difficult~ Support:buymeacoffee.com/lisatilstra

My guest today is GG.  GG runs an American Bakery in Pokhara, Nepal, a beautiful town in the foothills of the Himalayan Mountain Range.  I recently had the amazing experience of visiting Nepal for the first time.  For years, John and I have heard about Pokhara from our paragliding friends and acquaintances, and we were finally able to check it out ourselves.I went for two weeks of vacation and cleared my scheduled, not intending to have any work appointments or do any podcast recording.On the morning of day one, however, I met GG and before I could stop myself I was asking her if we could record a podcast!  I had to know more about her story!  She graciously agreed.  But we did this simply and without any great recording equipment so the audio isn’t the best and you’ll hear some background noise that is from the bakery itself.  I left in the customer commenting about how delicious the baked goods are too!  Because they were amazing!Before I turn it over to my conversation with GG, I want to also tell you a little about KarmaFlights, which is an NGO that GG’s Bakery is connected to and raises money for.  On the homepage of the KarmaFlights website, it says “Invest in Purpose, not for Profit.”  The tag line of this organization is “As you give, so shall you receive.”  Prem Kunmar is the local Director of KarmaFlights.  You’ll hear GG talk about him and his amazing ability to complete projects in an environment that is notoriously difficult for doing so.Isabella Messenger is the International Director of KarmaFlights.  She’s an amazing paragliding pilot and I hope to have her on the podcast soon and hear more of her story and how she began working with KarmaFlights.In any case, I hope you enjoy this conversation.  I hope you are inspired to find your freedom and peace, just as GG has found hers.  Thank you for your tolerance and patience with the sound quality!  Thank you, GG, for the work you do, for the inspiration you provide, and the positive difference you are making in the world! KarmaFlights Websitewww.makelifelessdifficult.comMake Life Less Difficult~ Support:buymeacoffee.com/lisatilstra

My guest today is Mike Meydenbauer.  Mike is an executive coach focusing on helping leaders and teams stay ahead in volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous times.He works with leaders to help them remember their innate capability to lead with passion, make bold decisions, and develop the mindset to achieve the impossible.Mike’s father’s untimely death from cancer thrust him into a world of change and uncertainty at a very young age. Out of this he found his sense of purpose in the world.  He went to the U.S. Naval Academy and spent a career in the Navy and later became a diplomat, living around the globe. Mike and I connected through our mutual friend and colleague Russ Watts and also through the connection of storytelling.  I asked Mike to be a guest on the podcast before I knew anything about the story he would share.  A story of loss, heartbreak, miracles, and faith.  I feel a great sense of honor to host Mike’s telling about his son, Niko, who forever changed their family’s life in just 2 short weeks of living.  Navigating unexpected medical emergencies, hospitals and then the loss of Niko in a foreign country and in a foreign language added to the immense challenges he and his wife faced.Mike, I’m grateful to have you on the podcast, thank you for sharing, thank you for inspiring, and thank you for inviting each of us to keep Niko’s memory and influence alive and making a positive difference in the world so many years later.Connect with Mike:LinkedInwww.makelifelessdifficult.com Make Life Less Difficult~ Support:buymeacoffee.com/lisatilstra

My guest today is Russ Watts.Russ is a repeat guest on the Make Life Less Difficult podcast and if you haven’t heard his previous episodes, please check out Episodes 4 and 26.  You don’t want to miss his stories!In today’s podcast Russ and I have a conversation about plant medicines and psychedelics.  These elements are becoming more popular and part of mainstream conversations in large thanks to journalist and author, Michael Pollan, as well as the research of Johns Hopkins University.  Since 2000, Johns Hopkins’ Center for Psychedelics and Consciousness Research has led the way in scientifically studying psychedelics.  they were the first to receive regulatory approval for studies in the US in over 50 years.On their website it says:“At the Center for Psychedelic and Consciousness Research, researchers focus on how psychedelics affect behavior, mood, cognition, brain function, and biological markers of health. Upcoming studies will determine the effectiveness of psilocybin as a new therapy for opioid addiction, Alzheimer's disease, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), post-treatment Lyme disease syndrome (formerly known as chronic Lyme disease), anorexia nervosa and alcohol use in people with major depression. The researchers hope to create precision medicine treatments tailored to the specific needs of individual patients.”  This is a topic that is, as Russ identifies, incredibly vast and varied in understanding because of things we’ve experienced in the past.  Having conversations and curiosity about these things doesn’t come easily in all places or for all people.  Looking at different perspectives, however, is something that I believe can make life less difficult.  There’s no one-size-fits-all approach for anything in life.As a disclaimer, neither Russ nor myself are doctors, psychologists, or professionally trained in the topics we’re discussing, nor are we offering suggestions or advice around the use of plant medicine or psychedelics.  We are sharing our personal opinions and thoughts only.  Thank you for listening in to the conversation and we hope you find something new and interesting.  Connect with Russ on LinkedIn www.makelifelessdifficult.comMake Life Less Difficult~ Support:buymeacoffee.com/lisatilstra

My guest today is Chris Thyberg.Chris is the founder and principal of The Serving Way, a leadership coaching practice dedicated to partnering with experienced and emerging leaders in all sectors as they pursue great purposes for results that really matter. It is his calling and privilege to journey alongside clients as they develop new capacities to achieve exceptional performance and transformative action. Chris has been traveling the serving way of leadership for more than 35 years as a senior executive, a team builder, a facilitator, and an executive leadership coach. He shares that he’s experienced significant triumphs and tough setbacks. He knows firsthand what it’s like to flourish or suffer under leader depending on their approach to leadership.  He believes great leaders begin by leading themselves well.  He works diligently to lead himself well as he works with others to help them develop these foundational life and leadership skills as well.Chris lives in Pittsburgh with his wife, Leslie. They love to eat Leslie’s amazing cooking, laugh a lot, travel when there isn’t a pandemic, and hang out with their grown kids and partners who all live nearby. No grandkids … yet … but four furry grand-dogs to look after when needed.Thank you so much for sharing pieces of your journey, Chris, and the wisdom you have learned and continue to learn!Connect with Chris:WebsiteLinkedInwww.makelifelessdifficult.comMake Life Less Difficult~ Support:buymeacoffee.com/lisatilstra

My guest today is Larry Center. Larry served as the Assistant Dean for Continuing Legal Education at Georgetown University Law Center for over 30 years.  He’s now shifted to leadership coaching and brings a wealth of knowledge from his own leadership journey and development.In our conversation, Larry shares pieces of his journey that started with being born extremely prematurely.  He worked hard to teach his body coordination that didn’t come as naturally for him as his peers, much later in life learning he had cerebral palsy.  Larry graduated from Georgetown Law School, and over the years has been on an intentional journey of growth, development, and learning.  And also, of sharing what he’s learned with others – both personally and professionally.  Larry identifies his personal mission statement as “helping other people make a positive difference in their lives.”  Larry embodies a deep self-awareness and authenticity, which are key to effective leadership.  He believes that both personal and professional success is based on our ability to build and nurture meaningful relationships.  And you’ll hear multiple stories throughout our conversation where he lives this out.There’s so much wisdom in what Larry shares and I’m grateful to present this conversation.Connect with Larry:WebsiteLinkedInwww.makelifelessdifficult.comMake Life Less Difficult~ Support:buymeacoffee.com/lisatilstra

My guest today is Devon ONeil.  I first met Devon through an article he wrote called, “What it Takes and Why it’s Worth it,” that was published in The Adventure Journal.  Devon shared his experience of moving to Colorado to pursue his dreams of living in the outdoors and having near-constant connection with nature and the sports he loves.  That wasn’t the part of the article that caught my attention… it was the part of his writing where he shared the sacrifices he and his family have made to make that dream a reality.  This paragraph really resonated for me:“It costs a great deal to have world-class adventure available on a random Wednesday. Questioning your trades is inevitable. Freedom or career? Community or solitude? Safety or adrenaline? I live with my decisions, but that doesn’t mean I don’t regret what I give up.”This well-articulated paradoxical reality prompted me to reach out to Devon and see if he would come on the podcast! I loved our conversation and am thrilled to share it with you here.  I hope you’ll find inspiration to go after your dreams, shape your life the way you want it, and to realize everything we choose to do comes with something we won’t be able to do.  And that’s ok.  It’s not all about reaching the summit… it’s about enjoying the journey and learning all we can every step of the way!Thanks so much for sharing your journey and wisdom, Devon!Connect with Devon here.Make Life Less Difficult~ Support:buymeacoffee.com/lisatilstra

My guest today is Elizabeth Tilstra.  Elizabeth describes herself as a perfectionist who found herself in the physically-demanding career of professional ballet, later becoming a Doctor of Physical Therapy.  As a PT she is dedicated to working with people committed to being hard on their bodies – just as she was as a professional dancer.She works with clients from all backgrounds, but finds her passion is working with dancers and helping them care for themselves, keep their bodies strong, and be their best selves on and off the stage.She is a movement expert, having been in the art of movement and body awareness since the age of five. Picking up on the nuances of movement is essential as a professional dancer. And as a PT.  as a physical therapist, she can understand and identify dysfunctions that arise from improper mechanics, and then find creative ways to improve them. Elizabeth is a passionate educator at heart. She shares that nothing bothers her more than feeling like she doesn’t have all the answers, yet she’s the first person to tell you she doesn’t have all the answers. But you can count on her to be reading, researching, inquiring, and listening to continue growing and learning to better serve her patients and clients. Elizabeth is also my sister-in-law, married to my husband’s brother, and I’m so grateful to have her as a guest today.  Her story is one of determination and growth and resilience.  Thank you for sharing, Elizabeth!Connect with Elizabeth:InstagramLinkedInwww.makelifelessdifficult.com Make Life Less Difficult~ Support:buymeacoffee.com/lisatilstra

My guest today is my niece!  Sarah Cole joins me to discuss conflict and how we can make dealing with conflict a little less difficult.In Episode 16, I shared strategies for approaching and managing conflict based off the Thomas-Kilmann Model of Conflict Management.  After listening to this episode, Sarah reached out to me and asked me several questions including, how can someone who is a hardcore accommodator learn to be more assertive?  And what are the differences between a peacekeeper and a peace maker?Sarah and I exchanged a few messages and then I said, Hey!  Would you come on the podcast and we can have a conversation about all this?!?She said a quick yes, before she “chickened out” and here we are!Sarah is studying Social Work at Southern Adventist University in Tennessee.  She loves people and animals and engaging in interesting conversations.  Sarah, thanks for coming on the podcast and for the fantastic reflections you share.  I love the metaphors you introduced me to and am grateful to be able to share them with others! www.makelifelessdifficult.comMake Life Less Difficult~ Support:buymeacoffee.com/lisatilstra

My guest today is Kris Burbank.Kris’s website begins with the phrase: Learn to Bloom.  Kris embodies this admonition in a deep way and helps others learn to bloom amidst the challenges of life.  As the proud mother of three grown children, including a son born four months premature with severe cerebral palsy, Kris loves working with parents to help them figure out how to make the most of their lives.  She helps parent navigate with joy, compassion, and humor (even when it’s messy!).Through her own family’s experience with CP, ADHA, PTSD, anxiety, depression, and more, Kris says she continues to learn life’s lessons daily.  She acknowledges the difficulty of parenthood and she also emphasizes that support and community and knowledge can enable us to be our truest and best selves and can make life less difficult.As an executive leadership coach, Kris connects this reality to positive impacts in our professional performance.  She’s working to help leaders develop their leadership potential as courageous and effective leaders because the world needs them!  Kris has her ACC accreditation with the International Coach Federation.Kris, thank you for sharing your journey, stories, and lessons learned with us here!Connect with Kris:WebsiteLinkedInwww.makelifelessdifficult.comMake Life Less Difficult~ Support:buymeacoffee.com/lisatilstra