"The only stupid question is the question that goes unasked.  So, fire away!"

Episode 9

Seriously...  Why do we refuse to give ourselves permission to be awesome?  Maybe it's because we don't always know where to start.  It's scary and frustrating to not have all the answers; even scarier when we don't have any of the answers!  That's exactly why you need to have the courage to ask questions when you really don't know something.  In this episode, we go back and revisit a few of your questions to highlight how important it is to ask them.  If you don't know what steps to take on your path, that's okay.  When you give yourself permission to ask, and screw what others think, you're free to walk your path of awesomeness.  Wait -- I hear you already asking: "Is this a fancy way of saying you're playing a clip show?"  Yeah, well, sort of...  Oh, did we mention that the legendary producer of the I Rise Podcast, Stan Rain, makes his podcast debut?  Oh, you'll definitely want to listen to his dulcet tones...

Asking questions is important, and you have a very amazing resource available to you.  Ask Mandee.  She's a badass.


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www.neverfingsettle.com

"Connect with your inner child.  It is healing, and they simply have more fun than we do….  And better candy."

Episode 8

Why are some people generally grumpier than others?  Well, it may depend on how nourished one's inner child is.  See, just because someone is over the age of 21 -- it doesn't guarantee that they are, in fact, a full-fledged adult in the emotional sense.  The inner child is where our joy comes from.  So if you are stifling your inner child, you could be cutting off the best source of unbridled joy.

This week, we help a friend starting off his new career wanting to make friends -- but he claims his "severe introversion" prevents him from doing so.  We help him sort it all out.

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www.neverfingsettle.com

Salutations!  Well, I'm sure by now you're wondering where the latest episode of the I Rise Podcast went...  Wheeeeellp...  Funny story!...  Let's just say that I had a few other super important priorities to take care of.  That said, I don't want you to think you're not a priority for me.  In fact, that's why I wanted to at least give you a little bit of insight into my thought process here, and say something about the importance of self-care.  I mean, I can't just keep giving you these tools and not utilize them myself.  After all, I'm suffering from the human condition, just like you.  So sometimes, my imperfect life likes to throw curve balls my way, too.  While it makes it difficult to do all the things, I won't let it stop me from doing what I want, and what I love.

I don't want to turn this into a super big deal.  We will be back with our normal weekly episodes next week.  Until then, I hope you have a fantastic week ahead, and I'm still here for you. If you have any questions, please send them to me!

Visit our homepage:
www.neverfingsettle.com

"Acceptance doesn't change the circumstances, or the people around you, but it does change your perspective, which in turn, changes everything."

Episode 7

The mind is a seriously powerful thing.  While we can't control all the things, all the time -- we can absolutely change how we react to any of the things, any of the time.  The difference between a tolerable day, and a terrible day, could hinge on your ... perspective!  With enough practice of shifting your perspective, you can turn any day into a good one, no matter what happens.  The first step in doing this one weird trick is to learn the art of acceptance.  Mind you, accepting any given situation (especially the really bad ones) doesn't mean you're "giving up" on it.  When you can see the situation for what it really is, and acknowledge it without resistance, you can use your situation (even the really bad ones) to your advantage.  And suddenly, a bad day is tolerable; and a tolerable day is actually pretty great!  One more thing: if you understand that you can't control the people around you, you'll also understand that they can't control YOU, either.  The power is truly yours!

In the Q&A this week, we help a friend utilize this technique in his sexless marriage, and arm him with the tools to make sure everyone has their needs fulfilled.

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www.neverfingsettle.com

"Laughter and sex cures a myriad of maladies."

Episode 6

Has anyone ever accused your love of wine or video games is "pathological"?  As in, you're doing it too much and it's bad for you?  Well, if it's not affecting your work or personal life, then I have good news for you!  You're not crazy!  We're often quick to put negative labels on people's quirks because they might not be ... "normal" ... whatever the hell that means!  Well, breaking news: "normal" doesn't really exist.  We all have personality traits and are attracted to certain behaviors that may seem "unique" by those who don't "get it".  I'm going to walk you through the difference between real pathology and stuff that just makes us all delightfully weird in our own lovable ways.  And I use fun examples.  Like sex.  And BDSM.  Who knew science could be so fun?

I'm also going to school you on the four feel-good neurochemicals in the brain.  For those of you keeping score, they are:

Endorphins: Allows you to push past pain.

Dopamine: Helps you reach your goals.

Serotonin: Makes you feel significant.

Oxytocin: Helps you bond with other humans, especially through touch.

I walk you through how the brain balances all of these in order to drive human behavior. And once you understand that, you'll have a much better understanding of not only your weirdness, but the weirdness of everyone else around you.  And maybe we all will jump to less conclusions about one's pathological activities.

In our question of the week, we help someone who's stuck in his ways and learn how to deal with the really big life changes he needs to make.

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www.neverfingsettle.com

"There's an equal chance that you will experience positive or negative.  With a fifty-fifty shot, stop counting on a negative outcome."

Episode 5

It's a new year, and a new you: I bet you're sick and tired of hearing that right about now.  If you are, you may be the type of person who tends to gravitate to the grumpier, more cynical side of things.  And if that's what you tend to focus on, you totally may be missing out on all the really good stuff that's happening around you and to you!  Let's get the new year off to a positive start by resetting our default filters to something a little less stick-in-the-muddy.

And this week, we help an out young man reconnect with his best friend after he gets ghosted.

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www.neverfingsettle.com

"You don't need a calendar to work on self-improvement. Every day is an opportunity to do better and be better."

In this week's episode, we talk about New Years Eve, and how to -- well, f*** the resolutions, because we all know you've had them five years in a row!  As well as societal norms.  How can we improve this year without talking about all the things you're NOT going to do in "the future"?  Spoiler: I drop a lot of f-bombs in this one.  That should clue you in on how I feel about societal norms.  Mr. Producer isn't happy about it.  [ … Nnnnnope!  -_-]

Also, what do you do when you're forced to deal with people you never want to see again?

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www.neverfingsettle.com

A little change for this week's show.  We weren't going to do one this week because blinky-lights...  But alas, Christmas is here, and people are freaking the eff out.  Including me, just a little bit.  So I wanted to get out some quick thoughts in a bonus episode to you before diving head-first into the war zone -- I mean, festivities!  No questions today.  We'll get back to our normal routine next week.  Promise!  Sorry about the quality on this one.  I recorded it on my iPhone instead of going all the way to the recording studio.  I hope my awesome, totally amazing, and spectacular producer doesn't mind!  ... [I'll allow it this one time... -_- ]

Keep strong, my misfits!  It all gets easier, and it all gets better.  I appreciate you!

Visit our homepage:
www.neverfingsettle.com