007 | 3 Ways to Be Courageous without Leaving Home with Melanie Burk

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Courage begins in the heart. It’s what helps us shoulder unexpected and unwelcome responsibilities. It’s what keeps us moving in the face of fear. During these strange times, when COVID-19 has turned our lives upside down, we perform ordinary acts of courage every day without realizing it.

This week’s guest, Melanie Burk, is a mother of five, wife to a physician assistant, small business owner, and woman of faith. Like other Americans, the Burks have been sheltering in place and homeschooling for about three weeks.

Redefining Courage

In this episode, Melanie and I redefine courage for those who have been asked to “stay home, stay safe” during the COVID-19 pandemic. While traditional courage emphasizes physical action,* we emphasize the need for “mental strength to persevere.”

This type of courage isn’t about fixing or doing. It’s about enduring and being. It includes (1) courage to feel waves of heavy emotion, (2) courage to embrace stillness, and (3) courage to practice self-compassion.

Seeking Light & Joy

Together, we explore the emotional demands of our collective heartache, as well as our individual opportunities to seek light and joy. We also share how faith in a loving God helps us get through the daily challenges of quarantine.

Also in This Episode

• Why emotional self-care is essential, not selfish, during quarantine.

• How to find stillness, even if your home is loud or busy.

• Simple ways to invite children into stillness with you.

• Why self-compassion is the secret to personal growth.

Show Notes

Note: This list includes Amazon affiliate links to books mentioned in this episode. I receive a small commission for products purchased through these links, which helps to support free content on the podcast.

Connect with Rachel on Instagram

Connect with Melanie Burk on Instagram

Dr. Brene Brown

Dr. Kristin Neff

Three Elements of Self-Compassion

Self-Compassion & Mindfulness

Christlike Parenting (Book)

* We express gratitude to healthcare professionals, first responders, grocery store employees, and other essential personnel who cannot stay home during this pandemic and who continue to show extraordinary courage as they perform their regular responsibilities and keep our communities afloat.

006 | Using Creativity to Reduce Stress & Spark Joy with Lynn Muir

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We’re living in stressful times, and our options for emotional release are more limited, thanks to COVID-19. But even in these restrictive circumstances, we have the freedom to practice creativity. Creativity is a powerful coping strategy that can spark joy, reduce stress, and improve connection to self and to others.

Creative Exploration

Lynn Muir is a multi-passionate creator, who dabbles in everything from watercolor to woodworking. She is also a co-owner of The Makers Avenue, a creative studio for women and children. Lynn loves power tools, sawdust, and paint and believes creativity is “essential to a productive and happy life.” She’s not afraid to get messy or try new things.

Benefits of Creativity

In this interview, Lynn shares how she makes time to create as a busy mother of five, plus why it’s essential to her emotional well-being and how it blesses her children. She also explains how creativity has helped her through the most difficult trials of her life, including postpartum depression and her daughter’s cancer.*

Nurturing Creativity in Children

Lynn also offers tips for cultivating creativity in children—with special emphasis on how to involve boys. She also highlights some of the life lessons her children have learned through artistic exploration.

This light-hearted, laughter-filled conversation offers hope and practical tools to help you and your children through tough seasons, including the COVID-19 pandemic.

Also in this Episode

• Lynn’s most memorable craft projects, plus her biggest creative flop.

• A simple, fool-proof exercise for people who claim: “I’m not creative.”

• How creative play reduces stress and boosts self-confidence.

• Why you don’t have to like or finish your creative projects to benefit.

SHOW NOTES

Connect with Rachel on Instagram

Connect with Lynn Muir
Instagram | Facebook | YouTube | Website

The Makers Avenue
Instagram | Website

* Lynn was diagnosed with breast cancer just a few days before we recorded this interview. I want to thank her for having the courage to share such tender memories in the midst of an emerging trial.