Relationships 2.0 With Dr. Michelle Skeen

This week on Relationships 2.0 my guests are Linda and Charlie Bloom authors of Happily Ever After…and 39 Other Myths about Love: Breaking Through to the Relationship of Your Dreams. About the book: Bust the Myths to Build a Great Relationship According to bestselling authors and relationship counselors Linda and Charlie Bloom, accepting common myths such as “couples with great relationships don’t fight” or “little things aren’t worth getting upset over” can prevent you from building the strong relationship you hope for. This book offers compelling stories and valuable suggestions for replacing myths with realistic expectations, equipping you with behavior and communication guidelines that will enhance and strengthen your intimate relationship. With the Blooms’ strong yet flexible approach to love, you’ll discover a new openness in which mutual understanding can thrive. About the authors: Linda Bloom, LCSW, and Charlie Bloom, MSW, are bestselling authors and the founders and codirectors of Bloomwork. They have lectured and taught seminars on relationships throughout the United States and the world. They have been married since 1972.

This week on Relationships 2.0 my guests are Linda and Charlie Bloom authors of Happily Ever After…and 39 Other Myths about Love: Breaking Through to the Relationship of Your Dreams. About the book: Bust the Myths to Build a Great Relationship According to bestselling authors and relationship counselors Linda and Charlie Bloom, accepting common myths such as “couples with great relationships don’t fight” or “little things aren’t worth getting upset over” can prevent you from building the strong relationship you hope for. This book offers compelling stories and valuable suggestions for replacing myths with realistic expectations, equipping you with behavior and communication guidelines that will enhance and strengthen your intimate relationship. With the Blooms’ strong yet flexible approach to love, you’ll discover a new openness in which mutual understanding can thrive. About the authors: Linda Bloom, LCSW, and Charlie Bloom, MSW, are bestselling authors and the founders and codirectors of Bloomwork. They have lectured and taught seminars on relationships throughout the United States and the world. They have been married since 1972.

This week on Relationships 2.0 my guest is Hugh G. Byrne, PhD author of The Here and Now Habit: How Mindfulness Can Help You Break Unhealthy Habits Once and for All. He is returning for a second time to discuss part 2 of his book, putting wisdom into practice. About the book: Bad habits can take a hefty toll on your health and happiness. In The Here-and-Now Habit, mindfulness expert Hugh Byrne provides powerful practices based in mindfulness and neuroscience to help you rewire your brain and finally break the habits that are holding you back from a meaningful life. Have you found yourself doing something and thinking, Why do I keep doing this? We all have an unhealthy habit—or two, or three. Yours may be as simple as wasting time on the Internet, constantly checking your e-mail, or spending too much time in front of the TV. Or, it may be more serious, like habitual drinking, emotional overeating, constant self-criticism, or chronic worrying. Whatever your harmful habit is—you have the power to break it. The Here-and-Now-Habit provides proven-effective techniques to help you stop existing on autopilot and start living in the here and now. You’ll learn how to cultivate mindfulness to calm and focus your mind, be aware of thoughts without identifying with them or believing they are true, deal with difficult emotions, and clarify your own intentions regarding unhealthy habits by asking yourself, What do I want? How important is it to me to make this change? By learning to pay attention to your thoughts and actions in the moment, you’ll discover how to let go of old patterns and create healthier habits and ways of living that will make you feel good about yourself. And when you feel good about you, you can do just about anything. About the author: Hugh G. Byrne, PhD, is a guiding teacher with the Insight Meditation Community of Washington (IMCW), and cofounder of the Mindfulness Training Institute of Washington. He has worked extensively in the fields of human rights and social justice, and is committed to advocating the benefits of mindfulness and other contemplative practices to help relieve the suffering of the world. He teaches classes, retreats, and workshops in the United States and internationally. Byrne resides in Silver Spring, MD.

This week on Relationships 2.0 my guest is Hugh G. Byrne, PhD author of The Here and Now Habit: How Mindfulness Can Help You Break Unhealthy Habits Once and for All. He is returning for a second time to discuss part 2 of his book, putting wisdom into practice. About the book: Bad habits can take a hefty toll on your health and happiness. In The Here-and-Now Habit, mindfulness expert Hugh Byrne provides powerful practices based in mindfulness and neuroscience to help you rewire your brain and finally break the habits that are holding you back from a meaningful life. Have you found yourself doing something and thinking, Why do I keep doing this? We all have an unhealthy habit—or two, or three. Yours may be as simple as wasting time on the Internet, constantly checking your e-mail, or spending too much time in front of the TV. Or, it may be more serious, like habitual drinking, emotional overeating, constant self-criticism, or chronic worrying. Whatever your harmful habit is—you have the power to break it. The Here-and-Now-Habit provides proven-effective techniques to help you stop existing on autopilot and start living in the here and now. You’ll learn how to cultivate mindfulness to calm and focus your mind, be aware of thoughts without identifying with them or believing they are true, deal with difficult emotions, and clarify your own intentions regarding unhealthy habits by asking yourself, What do I want? How important is it to me to make this change? By learning to pay attention to your thoughts and actions in the moment, you’ll discover how to let go of old patterns and create healthier habits and ways of living that will make you feel good about yourself. And when you feel good about you, you can do just about anything. About the author: Hugh G. Byrne, PhD, is a guiding teacher with the Insight Meditation Community of Washington (IMCW), and cofounder of the Mindfulness Training Institute of Washington. He has worked extensively in the fields of human rights and social justice, and is committed to advocating the benefits of mindfulness and other contemplative practices to help relieve the suffering of the world. He teaches classes, retreats, and workshops in the United States and internationally. Byrne resides in Silver Spring, MD.

This week on Relationships 2.0 my guest is Christine Hassler author of Expectation Hangover: Free Yourself from Your Past, Change Your Present & Get What You Really Want About the book: We all face setbacks we cannot control, yet we often forget that we have a choice about how to handle those setbacks. The Expectation Hangovers we feel in the wake of disappointment, failure, or loss can become doorways to tremendous opportunities and life-changing gifts. Managing your expectations is not about lowering your standards. Master coach Christine Hassler explains how to pursue the right goals for the right reasons and also what to do when things don’t work out as expected. By the time you finish this book, you’ll understand why setbacks happen and have a clear course of action to pursue your dreams. About the author: Christine Hassler left her successful job as a Hollywood agent at 25 to pursue a life she could be passionate about . . . but it did not come easily. After being inspired by her own unexpected challenges and experiences, she realized her journey was indeed her destination. In 2005, she wrote the first guidebook written exclusively for young women, entitled 20 Something 20 Everything. Christine’s second book, The 20 Something Manifesto written for men and women stems from her experience coaching twenty-something’s. Her newest book Expectation Hangover: Overcoming Disappointment in Work, Love and Life is the guidebook for how to treat disappointment on the emotional, mental, behavioral and spiritual levels. Today, she supports individuals in discovering the answers to the questions: “Who Am I, What do I want, and How do I get it?” Christine is a Life Coach with a counseling emphasis known for catalyzing radical self-reflection while offering practical direction. She is passionate about busting the myth that life is about living by a checklist and having it all figured out. Christine believes we all deserve and are capable of discovering our passion, pursuing our dreams, and making an impact on the world. Christine began her evolution as a Gen Y expert with a discussion group for quarter-lifers in Los Angeles struggling with questions about themselves and their lives. As she continued her investigation of herself and others, she began to craft a roadmap for life for people of all ages which includes discovery, self-acceptance, self-forgiveness and clarity.

This week on Relationships 2.0 my guest is Christine Hassler author of Expectation Hangover: Free Yourself from Your Past, Change Your Present & Get What You Really Want About the book: We all face setbacks we cannot control, yet we often forget that we have a choice about how to handle those setbacks. The Expectation Hangovers we feel in the wake of disappointment, failure, or loss can become doorways to tremendous opportunities and life-changing gifts. Managing your expectations is not about lowering your standards. Master coach Christine Hassler explains how to pursue the right goals for the right reasons and also what to do when things don’t work out as expected. By the time you finish this book, you’ll understand why setbacks happen and have a clear course of action to pursue your dreams. About the author: Christine Hassler left her successful job as a Hollywood agent at 25 to pursue a life she could be passionate about . . . but it did not come easily. After being inspired by her own unexpected challenges and experiences, she realized her journey was indeed her destination. In 2005, she wrote the first guidebook written exclusively for young women, entitled 20 Something 20 Everything. Christine’s second book, The 20 Something Manifesto written for men and women stems from her experience coaching twenty-something’s. Her newest book Expectation Hangover: Overcoming Disappointment in Work, Love and Life is the guidebook for how to treat disappointment on the emotional, mental, behavioral and spiritual levels. Today, she supports individuals in discovering the answers to the questions: “Who Am I, What do I want, and How do I get it?” Christine is a Life Coach with a counseling emphasis known for catalyzing radical self-reflection while offering practical direction. She is passionate about busting the myth that life is about living by a checklist and having it all figured out. Christine believes we all deserve and are capable of discovering our passion, pursuing our dreams, and making an impact on the world. Christine began her evolution as a Gen Y expert with a discussion group for quarter-lifers in Los Angeles struggling with questions about themselves and their lives. As she continued her investigation of herself and others, she began to craft a roadmap for life for people of all ages which includes discovery, self-acceptance, self-forgiveness and clarity.

About the book: In this landmark book, world-renowned Harvard negotiation expert Daniel Shapiro introduces a groundbreaking, step-by-step method to resolve your most difficult conflicts. Find out how to successfully resolve your most emotionally charged conflicts. This indispensable guide reveals the five hidden emotional forces that strain your relations and block agreement: vertigo, repetition compulsion, taboos, assault on the sacred, and identity politics. The moment you feel attacked, these forces transform your conflict into an adversarial battle, turning even a straightforward disagreement into an emotional uproar. In Negotiating the Nonnegotiable, you will learn a powerful, proven approach to overcome these forces, reconcile your relations, and reach agreement in even your most challenging personal and professional disputes. About the author: Dr. Daniel Shapiro is world-renowned for his work in the field of negotiation and conflict resolution. He founded and directs the Harvard International Negotiation Program, which pioneers innovative strategies and teaching methodologies to address the human dimensions of conflict resolution. His advice is regularly sought by everyone from heads of state and corporate executives to struggling families and couples. Dr. Shapiro believes that we are all negotiating every day, whether in business, government, or at home with our families. He has developed new methods to deal with the heart of conflict: the emotional dimension. His strategies have helped thousands of people deal more effectively with the most important negotiations in their lives, allowing them to reach higher levels of success.

About the book: In this landmark book, world-renowned Harvard negotiation expert Daniel Shapiro introduces a groundbreaking, step-by-step method to resolve your most difficult conflicts. Find out how to successfully resolve your most emotionally charged conflicts. This indispensable guide reveals the five hidden emotional forces that strain your relations and block agreement: vertigo, repetition compulsion, taboos, assault on the sacred, and identity politics. The moment you feel attacked, these forces transform your conflict into an adversarial battle, turning even a straightforward disagreement into an emotional uproar. In Negotiating the Nonnegotiable, you will learn a powerful, proven approach to overcome these forces, reconcile your relations, and reach agreement in even your most challenging personal and professional disputes. About the author: Dr. Daniel Shapiro is world-renowned for his work in the field of negotiation and conflict resolution. He founded and directs the Harvard International Negotiation Program, which pioneers innovative strategies and teaching methodologies to address the human dimensions of conflict resolution. His advice is regularly sought by everyone from heads of state and corporate executives to struggling families and couples. Dr. Shapiro believes that we are all negotiating every day, whether in business, government, or at home with our families. He has developed new methods to deal with the heart of conflict: the emotional dimension. His strategies have helped thousands of people deal more effectively with the most important negotiations in their lives, allowing them to reach higher levels of success.

Last Friday, I had the privilege of speaking to students in Ms. Rhynes’ English class from Oakland Tech High School for the 3rd Annual Literacy Field Trip hosted at Barnes and Noble in Emeryville, California. Barbara Tavres, the Community Business Development Manager at B&N, and Ms. Rhynes partnered together several years ago because they both believe in the power of reading and the written word. Each student is given a $75 gift card to purchase books. Their preference was to have my co-author and daughter, Kelly Skeen, speak to the students about our book Communication Skills for Teens: How to Listen, Express and Connect for Success. But she was in Washington DC studying for final exams, so they got stuck with me. Kelly and I decided that I should present the foundational chapter of our book, “How to Really Listen,” since listening well is the key component for successful relationships in all areas of our lives. The students got really involved when we discussed common blocks to listening. In honor of this event, this week on Relationships 2.0 I will re-broadcast my chat with my co-author and daughter, Kelly Skeen, about Communication Skills for Teens: How to Listen, Express and Connect for Success. About the book: Communication is an essential life skill that every teen must learn. Based on the New Harbinger classic, Messages, this book will teach you the necessary skills—such as assertiveness, active listening, and compassion—to become an effective communicator for life. In an age of social media, texting, and ever-evolving technology, it’s easy to forget how to engage in real, face-to-face communication, a critical skill for your future success! As you become more connected to your smartphone and the internet, your ability to connect in person may diminish. But technology doesn’t replace the need for effective communication skills. In fact, successful personal and professional relationships are dependent upon connecting with people face-to-face. Communication Skills for Teens provides the guidance you need to become a better communicator and succeed in all areas of life. You’ll also learn tons of essential life skills, including active listening, assertiveness, clarifying language, the art of an apology, compassion, interviewing skills, family communication, and more. Each chapter focuses on one key aspect of communication, offers a real teen’s perspective, and includes practical exercises to help you apply what you’ve learned in the real world—away from your computer and smartphone screens. By following the practical, skills-based tips in each chapter of this book, you’ll learn powerful communication techniques to last a lifetime. For more information about the book, www.kellyskeen.com

Last Friday, I had the privilege of speaking to students in Ms. Rhynes’ English class from Oakland Tech High School for the 3rd Annual Literacy Field Trip hosted at Barnes and Noble in Emeryville, California. Barbara Tavres, the Community Business Development Manager at B&N, and Ms. Rhynes partnered together several years ago because they both believe in the power of reading and the written word. Each student is given a $75 gift card to purchase books. Their preference was to have my co-author and daughter, Kelly Skeen, speak to the students about our book Communication Skills for Teens: How to Listen, Express and Connect for Success. But she was in Washington DC studying for final exams, so they got stuck with me. Kelly and I decided that I should present the foundational chapter of our book, “How to Really Listen,” since listening well is the key component for successful relationships in all areas of our lives. The students got really involved when we discussed common blocks to listening. In honor of this event, this week on Relationships 2.0 I will re-broadcast my chat with my co-author and daughter, Kelly Skeen, about Communication Skills for Teens: How to Listen, Express and Connect for Success. About the book: Communication is an essential life skill that every teen must learn. Based on the New Harbinger classic, Messages, this book will teach you the necessary skills—such as assertiveness, active listening, and compassion—to become an effective communicator for life. In an age of social media, texting, and ever-evolving technology, it’s easy to forget how to engage in real, face-to-face communication, a critical skill for your future success! As you become more connected to your smartphone and the internet, your ability to connect in person may diminish. But technology doesn’t replace the need for effective communication skills. In fact, successful personal and professional relationships are dependent upon connecting with people face-to-face. Communication Skills for Teens provides the guidance you need to become a better communicator and succeed in all areas of life. You’ll also learn tons of essential life skills, including active listening, assertiveness, clarifying language, the art of an apology, compassion, interviewing skills, family communication, and more. Each chapter focuses on one key aspect of communication, offers a real teen’s perspective, and includes practical exercises to help you apply what you’ve learned in the real world—away from your computer and smartphone screens. By following the practical, skills-based tips in each chapter of this book, you’ll learn powerful communication techniques to last a lifetime. For more information about the book, www.kellyskeen.com

This week on Relationships 2.0 my guest is Helene Segura author of The Inefficiency Assassin: Time Management Tactics for Working Smarter, Not Longer About the book: Slay Procrastination, Distraction, and Overwhelm! Who doesn’t want more time and energy for family, friends, and personal passions? Author Helene Segura coaches real people in the real world to operate more efficiently during the workday, so they can have a life outside it. Her engaging time management program caters to diverse learning styles, offering case studies that allow readers to self-diagnose and zero in on the strategies most appropriate for them. Anyone wanting to streamline workflow and improve productivity can employ her wonderfully doable techniques — for clearing task lists, handling reminder systems, scheduling a variety of priorities, and even managing emails and phone calls. Thanks to Segura’s astute attention to personality, The Inefficiency Assassin meets readers where they are struggling and details quick and easy-to-implement strategies to, as Segura promises, “kick chaos to the curb.” About the author: Do you want to wake up 10 years from now and lament, “I wish I’d lived a little more instead of work around the clock”? Helene Segura doesn’t want to either. That’s why she tells her time what to do – and teaches busy professionals how to do the same by slaying lost time. The author of two Amazon best-selling books, Helene has been the featured productivity expert in more than 100 media interviews. During her time management keynotes and workshops, she shares her mind-bending framework for decreasing interruptions, distractions and procrastination so that companies can spend more time generating revenue. On weekends, Helene can be found experimenting with recipes or sneaking adult beverages onto the lawn bowling court. To connect with Helene or for details about her third book, The Inefficiency Assassin: Time Management Tactics for Working Smarter, Not Longer (New World Library 2016), visit www.HeleneSegura.com.

This week on Relationships 2.0 my guest is Helene Segura author of The Inefficiency Assassin: Time Management Tactics for Working Smarter, Not Longer About the book: Slay Procrastination, Distraction, and Overwhelm! Who doesn’t want more time and energy for family, friends, and personal passions? Author Helene Segura coaches real people in the real world to operate more efficiently during the workday, so they can have a life outside it. Her engaging time management program caters to diverse learning styles, offering case studies that allow readers to self-diagnose and zero in on the strategies most appropriate for them. Anyone wanting to streamline workflow and improve productivity can employ her wonderfully doable techniques — for clearing task lists, handling reminder systems, scheduling a variety of priorities, and even managing emails and phone calls. Thanks to Segura’s astute attention to personality, The Inefficiency Assassin meets readers where they are struggling and details quick and easy-to-implement strategies to, as Segura promises, “kick chaos to the curb.” About the author: Do you want to wake up 10 years from now and lament, “I wish I’d lived a little more instead of work around the clock”? Helene Segura doesn’t want to either. That’s why she tells her time what to do – and teaches busy professionals how to do the same by slaying lost time. The author of two Amazon best-selling books, Helene has been the featured productivity expert in more than 100 media interviews. During her time management keynotes and workshops, she shares her mind-bending framework for decreasing interruptions, distractions and procrastination so that companies can spend more time generating revenue. On weekends, Helene can be found experimenting with recipes or sneaking adult beverages onto the lawn bowling court. To connect with Helene or for details about her third book, The Inefficiency Assassin: Time Management Tactics for Working Smarter, Not Longer (New World Library 2016), visit www.HeleneSegura.com.

This week on Relationships 2.0 my guest is Cara Bradley author of On The Verge: Wake Up, Show Up and Shine About the book: In the final race of her college track career, Cara Bradley beat her personal best by a remarkable six seconds. Until then Bradley had been a so-so athlete hampered by pre-race jitters and self-doubt. But on this day Bradley was buoyed by a sense of calm confidence. She set about understanding how she could replicate this experience in every area of life. She has distilled what she found into four practices, four shift strategies, and a series of gut-check reminders for moving out of over-thinking and over-doing and into being fully awake and alive– clear, bright, confident. These techniques for settling busy mind, putting body and mind in sync, and cultivating awareness and strength are simple but require practice and attention, which Bradley coaches readers to apply daily. The reward is what she calls “high definition, high voltage living,” the ability to experience what Bradley did on the track not by accident, or in only a few memorable moments but on purpose, every day. About the author: Cara Bradley, a native New Yorker and former pro-skater for Team Rollerblade®, is a lifelong teacher, mental strength coach, and entrepreneur. She is passionate about feeling awake and alive and experiencing her life fully. As the founder of Verge Yoga, Cara has been in the trenches of personal transformation and mindfulness as a teacher to thousands including CEOs and professional athletes for over three decades. She is also the founder of Mindfulness Through Movement, a non-profit offering full year programs to schools in urban Philadelphia.

This week on Relationships 2.0 my guest is Cara Bradley author of On The Verge: Wake Up, Show Up and Shine About the book: In the final race of her college track career, Cara Bradley beat her personal best by a remarkable six seconds. Until then Bradley had been a so-so athlete hampered by pre-race jitters and self-doubt. But on this day Bradley was buoyed by a sense of calm confidence. She set about understanding how she could replicate this experience in every area of life. She has distilled what she found into four practices, four shift strategies, and a series of gut-check reminders for moving out of over-thinking and over-doing and into being fully awake and alive– clear, bright, confident. These techniques for settling busy mind, putting body and mind in sync, and cultivating awareness and strength are simple but require practice and attention, which Bradley coaches readers to apply daily. The reward is what she calls “high definition, high voltage living,” the ability to experience what Bradley did on the track not by accident, or in only a few memorable moments but on purpose, every day. About the author: Cara Bradley, a native New Yorker and former pro-skater for Team Rollerblade®, is a lifelong teacher, mental strength coach, and entrepreneur. She is passionate about feeling awake and alive and experiencing her life fully. As the founder of Verge Yoga, Cara has been in the trenches of personal transformation and mindfulness as a teacher to thousands including CEOs and professional athletes for over three decades. She is also the founder of Mindfulness Through Movement, a non-profit offering full year programs to schools in urban Philadelphia.

This week on Relationships 2.0 my guest is Emma Seppälä PhD author of The Happiness Track: How to Apply the Science of Happiness to Accelerate Your Success About the book: A leading expert on health psychology, well-being, and resilience argues that happiness is the key to fast tracking our professional and personal success. Everyone wants to be happy and successful. And yet the pursuit of both has never been more elusive. As work and personal demands rise, we try to keep up by juggling everything better, moving faster, and doing more. While we might succeed in the short term, it comes at a cost to our well-being, relationships, and, paradoxically, our productivity. In The Happiness Track, Emma Seppala, the science director of the Center for Compassion and Altruism Research and Education at Stanford University, explains that our inability to achieve sustainable fulfillment is tied to common but outdated notions about success. We are taught that getting ahead means doing everything that’s thrown at us (and then some) with razor-sharp focus and iron discipline; that success depends on our drive and talents; and that achievement cannot happen without stress. The Happiness Track demolishes these counter-productive theories. Drawing on the latest findings from the fields of cognitive psychology and neuroscience—research on happiness, resilience, willpower, compassion, positive stress, creativity, mindfulness—Seppala shows that finding happiness and fulfillment may, in fact, be the most productive thing we can do to thrive professionally. Filled with practical advice on how to apply these scientific findings to our daily lives, The Happiness Track is a life-changing guide to fast tracking our success and creating the anxiety-free life we want. About the author: EMMA SEPPÄLÄ is Science Director of the Center for Compassion and Altruism Research and Education at Stanford University and a leading expert on health psychology, well-being, and resilience. Her research has been featured in the New York Times, ABC News, Forbes, the Boston Globe, U.S. News & World Report, the Huffington Post, INC, and Fast Company. She is founder of the popular online magazine Fulfillment Daily and a frequent contributor to Psychology Today, Harvard Business Review, and the Huffington Post. Her writing has also appeared in the Washington Post, Scientific American Mind, and Spirituality & Health. Seppälä consults for Fortune 500 leaders on building positive organizations. A sought-after speaker, she has addressed academic, corporate, and governmental institutions, including Google, the National Science Foundation, and the World Bank. Dedicated to applying the science of happiness to people’s lives, she taught happiness and service classes to hundreds of students, for which she was awarded Stanford University’s Lyons Award for service. Touched by the selfless dedication of veterans and the profound trauma so many bring back from war, she conducted groundbreaking research on mind-body practices for combat veterans. This research was highlighted in the documentary film Free the Mind. She holds an undergraduate degree in comparative literature from Yale University, a master’s degree in East Asian languages and cultures from Columbia University, and a PhD in psychology from Stanford University. Originally from Paris, France, she is a native speaker of French, English, and German. She also speaks Spanish and Mandarin Chinese.