THE AMBER WEITZER PODCAST | SILHOUETTES OF SUCCESS
SHONDA MORALIS | EPISODE 73 | SHOW NOTES
FEATURED GUEST
Our VIP Featured Guest Shonda Moralis, MSW, LCSW is on a mission to help women play big without burning out. She is a Life Balance Coach, Therapreneur, Author, and Podcast Host. Shonda serves on the board of Shanthi Project, an education nonprofit providing evidence-based mindfulness services to children and adults. She lives in Pennsylvania with her husband and two kids, loves to play outside, endeavors to practice what she preaches, and is perennially fascinated by what makes people tick. She is the author of Breathe, Mama, Breathe.
Her new book is about to release…pre-order now!
5-Minute Mindfulness for Busy Women
Beat Stress and Find Calm, Anytime, Anywhere!
CONVERSATION HIGHLIGHTS
Mindfulness, Meditation and Mindful Breaks: Shonda explains the difference between Mindfulness, Mediation and Mindful Breaks. Her words are golden, tune in (or the full transcript below) as she reviews these three topics.
Life-Balance: Shonda demystifies life balance, don’t give up on it! She speaks to us about developing awareness, becoming aware of when things seem a little off kilter or becoming out sync in our lives. She talks about defining what life-balance means “it’s about our definition and our expectations and so if we recognize that there’s None of all, there’s no kind of endpoint.” There isn’t a perfect state of balance-it’s not an actual destination and as she views it as an ongoing gentle kind recalibration. Grab your notebooks! She talks about being a recovering perfectionist, overachieving yet continues to be a high achiever. She has evolved over the years and with these practices and become more playful. She begins her days with gratitude, fresh air and meditation (with her coffee!).
5-Minutes: Shonda is kicking off her “5-Minutes to Better Life Balance” challenge this week, September 7th, 2022!
Click here to join in: Shonda’s 7-Day Mini Meditation Challenge
Her intention is to help women establish a daily habit of meditation and mindfulness practice, see you inside the challenge!
INTENTIONAL INSPIRATION
“Awareness. So being aware take if nothing else pause and put your hands to your heart to your chest area. This releases a little bit of oxytocin. It reminds us reminds us to be kind to ourselves and take three deep breaths. Inhales and exhales If. You do that a couple of times a day you will pause. You will come back to yourself and you will also counteract this sort of stress cycle that we tend to live in. So just that stopping pausing and being kind to ourselves and giving us. Permission giving ourselves permission to do what it is. We really want to do for ourselves.”
RESOURCES
SHONDA MORALIS
Website: ShondaMoralis.net
IG: @shonda.moralis
LinkedIn: Shonda Moralis, MSW, LCSW
Favorite Shares:
Podcast Transcript
00:00.18
amberweitzer
Hello hello and welcome to the Amber Weitzer Podcast Silhouettes of Success. Our vip featured guest is a life balance coach author. Podcast host licensed clinical social worker in private practice with over 25 years of experience in the mental health field and authority in mindfulness and women’s empowerment. She is on a mission. She is the author of None books creator of online courses and. Frequent Tv and media guest contributor silhouettes please help me welcome Shonda Moralis to the show. Hello Shonda how are you.
00:38.81
Shonda
Hi Amber I’m so happy to be with you today.
00:43.80
amberweitzer
So so honored and tickled to be with you because I think you you probably are the expert that um, we have needed especially over the last couple of years. Probably yeah, probably.
00:46.30
Shonda
And.
00:53.78
Shonda
Oh yes, oh yes, yes.
00:59.99
amberweitzer
And daily. But but I tell you what? Ah yeah, yeah, yeah, so.
01:04.23
Shonda
It’s been rough, especially for us women for sure.
01:06.72
amberweitzer
Yes, yes, so again, Welcome and thank you for taking some time to share your silhouette of success story with us all right I always enjoy kicking it off.
01:14.48
Shonda
My pleasure.
01:22.13
amberweitzer
Um, especially for the audience. Um, that might not yet be familiar with you to let you share and help illustrate the early shaping of your silhouette of success by talking a little bit about your background.
01:33.41
Shonda
Sure so like you said I am a licensed clinical social worker I’ve had my own private practice for 20 years or so maybe more I’m not counting anymore. Um, and and I I get into mindfulness and meditation through a yoga practice which started. Over twenty years ago as well. And so what happened was I have two kids I have a 20 year old daughter and a 10 year old son and that’s an interesting point people like to know what that’s like to have two kids 10 years apart but that’s maybe for another time and but when my daughter was three I started to I took a class on mindfulness. And I started practicing meditation on the daily and really quickly started to notice all of these real benefits I am a high achiever recovering perfectionist. Um, and when they told me to sit down and slow down I was like um, wait hold on I don’t think so I don’t know if i. Want to do that or if capable. So um, but I tried you know I’d see it as an experiment which I invite everyone to do and ah started to notice that by slowing down just a notch I was actually more efficient more productive happier. You know more playful all of these things I was just my better self I had more. Patience and tolerance for for my daughter so I was hooked and I continued to learn and teach and um practice meditation and mindfulness. Um, and fast forward to the time when my daughter is about to turn None and I’m pregnant with my son. And I know from experience now that there’s no way I will be meditating for a half an hour every day when I have a newborn so I wanted to keep mindfulness in my life in some very practical flexible ways. Um you know and we juggle so many hats as women. So it’s like you know how do I do all of this and keep a little bit of this. Ah, keeping me grounded in my life. So I developed these 5 minute practices and and started teaching them to other moms and women that I was working with and they too were able to see how just with 5 minutes a day we can really change the feel and the pace of our day. Um, from one that feels really frantic and urgent to more calm and sustainable and then what happens is we can we can sustain that energy longer. So we’re not completely exhausted by the end of the day and we can think more clearly so there are so many evidence-based science backed. Benefits to mindfulness and meditation and that’s part of what I bring into my work and my books most recently with how do we create life balance as these you know busy moms who and and women who want to wear all of these hats.
04:14.60
amberweitzer
Well okay so I have a page I always have my notes here and I I have a page. Um, it’s interesting. So I’ll go backwards for a second and touch on some of these things. Ah that mythical life balance is.
04:25.36
Shonda
Sure. Um, a.
04:33.86
amberweitzer
Is There is it mythical is it real? Ah so it’s great that you touch on that. Um, and Wow and the clear thinking and being more playful in your better self. So I think I’m raising my hand to. Maybe try out for that experiment that you went On. Ah.
04:53.36
Shonda
Definitely yes so I love you know I love talking about life balance because that’s the thing right is is people will say there’s no such thing. It’s a bunch of BS give it up and I’m like no no, no, no, no, why would you want to give up life balance.
05:04.84
amberweitzer
I.
05:08.20
Shonda
Think it’s all to me about our definition and our expectations and so if we recognize that there’s None of all, there’s no kind of endpoint. You don’t reach this perfect state of balance and now you’re like oh okay, I’m done I got this. That’s perfect I can do this the rest of my life I mean of course, not um that it’s very imperfect. It’s. I see it as sort of a recalibration an ongoing gentle kind recalibration that can be fun if we’re looking at it in the right Way. Um, So of course our lives Change. We have different phases. We’re ever evolving which is a great Thing. So if we’re constantly sort of just paying attention. Huh It’s feeling a little off now or I’m craving a little something or it’s feeling a little dull. It’s feeling a little overwhelming that points us in the right direction if we’re aware.
05:57.57
amberweitzer
Wow Oh my goodness and that being aware the awareness and we’ll we’ll dive more into that here in a little bit but thinking about all that you do, um, let’s back it up to the very early morning.
06:14.39
Shonda
Ah, and.
06:16.43
amberweitzer
So Or whenever that is it might be the afternoon. Whatever I let you share your story but the alarm clock goes off and your workday begins or your business day or your day of Productivity. Um, what does that look like for you are you more of a structured individual. Do you have a routine. Are you more spontaneous where do you find yourself and share a little bit of those tips and tricks with us.
06:39.90
Shonda
Yeah, great question and I’m you know I say that has evolved for me as well. Like I said I used to be a super ah perfectionistic and I’m still a high achiever but it’s relaxed over the years thankfully
06:53.37
amberweitzer
Ah.
06:55.13
Shonda
So I definitely still like routines. But I I used to be very like oh boom I cannot miss this half an hour meditation and like I said I think when I added another child in my life and then started to see you know it comes at a cost to if we’re too rigid if we are too structured so I think a kind of a loose structure is what works for me and i. Kind of recommend for a lot of people. So I wait the alarm clock goes off and I have one of those really ancient kind of alarm clocks I don’t use my phone it beeps at me which is probably jarring but I’m used to it and I before I even open my eyes I think about what I’m grateful for. So just a few things and I try to be a little bit creative and not just the same things over and over so wanting to bring in something new and novel so it keeps our brain focused on the good and then I get up kind of go the bathroom do what I need to do with let the dog out. I often will grab my cup of coffee and sit outside on our patio and I live in the Northeast and Pennsylvania so you would literally can find me out there in January with my parka on and my cup of coffee sitting there listening to the birds. My family thinks I’m a little crazy but I love it. It wakes me up. Um, and I meditate and I do that for anywhere from five to I’d say 20 minutes in the morning um and you know does that deviate. Occasionally sure you know, depending on what’s going on in our lives. But for the most part that is really a grounding ritual for me and you know what helps us. Notice what’s going on within ourselves our thoughts our body sensations our emotions it can help us set our intention for the day. It just a really great practice.
08:39.61
amberweitzer
That’s fantastic in sharing that I could visualize you doing all of those things. In fact, um, you know you mentioned the age difference in your children and I am right there with you 26 and going on 15 Um.
08:49.86
Shonda
Um, yeah, nice.
08:56.31
amberweitzer
Yeah, and it’s funny because I had a conversation with him last night and the night before um, you know, maybe conversation dialogue and maybe a little salesmanship on his side but we talked about the alarm clock versus using.
09:13.70
Shonda
Ah, right? yeah.
09:13.74
amberweitzer
Old school alarm clock a regular alarm clock versus having your cell phone in your room. So it’s so timely that you shared that and I enjoy hearing that you’re doing that? Yes, correct. Yes, Yes, yes yeah.
09:21.40
Shonda
Yes, so that was the fifteen year old I’m assuming you had this dialogue with yes. ah ah yeah exactly he would handle that. Yeah, ah, right.
09:30.30
amberweitzer
26 I’m glad use. Whatever it takes to you know, keep going stay on. Ah yeah, stay on time. You’ve got this good for you use all those tools so thinking on your career path as well. Um.
09:39.69
Shonda
Right.
09:45.70
amberweitzer
Who do you think or could you tie back to that maybe influenced you the most as you maybe embarked on your career path or who supported you in that.
09:53.70
Shonda
Such a good question I would say I’ve always been None drawn to Matt whether it’s like a formal mastermind that I have now with fellow female entrepreneurs or. Somebody that I kind of bounce ideas off with I have a good friend that we’ve been talking on a weekly basis. We just check in with our businesses and that I find is super helpful on so many levels. Um, they can keep us grounded when we’re feeling lost and what I also think is so helpful is that. We high-achieving women tend to forget all that we’ve accomplished even just yesterday or last week and when we are kind of following each other and supporting each other It’s like hey yeah you might be having this kind of a day or even just feeling like you’re not show where sure where to go next but look. You did last month and and then somebody can be like oh that’s right I did do this this and this I forgot about that. So um I feel like that is really really helpful and important. Um I’ve had teachers mindfulness and meditation teachers who’ve helped me and that I am still friends with you know, twenty years later that have really been supportive and and also I would say along with being an author. Um there is there is ah you know 1 or 2 people in my life who because there are be people who would say initially before I wrote my first book. Oh well, you know I don’t know that’s really hard. That’s a lot I mean you need to have a bigger platform or. Telling me kind of why I can’t really and I think it was very well-meaning. But if I listened I wouldn’t be here talking to you so I kind of just tried to come back to? um, let me give this a try. Let me experiment and I and I think life is a bunch of experiments
11:26.77
amberweitzer
I.
11:44.40
Shonda
And I think it can be so much fun when we look at it that way and that doesn’t mean there aren’t times where we’re kind of you know, ah rocking in the corner or you know one and tear our hair out because we feel like we have no idea what we’re doing but um, yeah, but that overall it’s. Can be really fun.
12:05.46
amberweitzer
It’s marvelous that you say that that the experiments of what you know life is full of the little experiments. Um, it goes it ties back and in my head I was thinking it ties back to what you talked about learning to be playful again if you make it a fun challenge. You know.
12:18.22
Shonda
Are a.
12:23.33
amberweitzer
I Think sometimes we need those folks softly putting at naysayers because we need to say oh really, you know? Okay, all right? But you’re right if you don’t believe enough in yourself sometimes to just kind of push through that.
12:26.80
Shonda
Yes.
12:39.10
Shonda
What? Yeah well and and I’m not even sure I mean definitely it’s great if we do believe in ourselves and I highly you know recommend um that we work on that. But even if we don’t It’s sort of just like this idea of why not try.
12:41.30
amberweitzer
You don’t know.
12:54.23
Shonda
And you know not being afraid of failure I call a failure the other f word because I don’t really like the word failure again I feel like if we’re looking at it as an experiment.. There are some that are going to do well and some that are going to tank. Um, but we learn every single time and if we can have that growth mindset. Um, then who knows what we can Accomplish. Um.
13:15.72
amberweitzer
Ah, that is so Fantastic. Oh that is just great So talking through that a little bit too and this might complement this part of the conversation. How do you get? unstuck. When you need motivation or to break through that barrier. Um, that seems to be between you and maybe a goal or ah and a dream of yours. What do you do.
13:38.26
Shonda
Yeah, yeah, yeah, well first like can I just share None thing about that I think is so interesting. Um, people may not be familiar with Adam Grant is he did ah a Youtube I mean a ted talk about this. Um, and he calls it the yeah u-shape curved. So anytime we are endeavoing on a new project creative project. We are going to hit a u- shapeped curve and it’s certainly been the case in my experience which is this we start out by saying like oh this is kind of cool I like this this is awesome and then we start working on something and we’re like wait a minute I don’t know. And then we get to the bottom of that u and we’re like oh this is crap I’m crap this is terrible and that’s where we can stop because we think oh this is awful like if you’re writing a book who cares? No one’s going to want to read this. This is terrible. Um, and all and I’ve been there with with my books and other projects I’ve done.
14:17.20
amberweitzer
Ah.
14:31.90
Shonda
And if you keep going and expect that you’re going to be there and then you keep going you start to get to this place where it’s like you head up that other side of the curve and it’s wait a minute this might be okay oh I am okay, this is okay and this is awesome and you’re back to there again. But. But um, so it’s persistence and that’s what you’re asking about and I think sometimes it’s just to expect that you’re going to hit the bottom of the u-shaped curve and know it. It’s coming. It’s coming and that’s where you know for me having those women in my life who can be like hey I think you’re in the u shape bottom of your ear shape curve right now. Oh yeah I forgot that was coming dang all right? So it so it’s just then just a matter of just keep going. Um, sometimes that looks like you know setting a timer for myself figuratively more than literally. Um, just to say just sit down and get started writing just start for 10 minutes
15:07.86
amberweitzer
Oh.
15:26.53
Shonda
Because that’s the hardest time is to get started um for me and for most of the writers I talk to so if you can just get started and just push through those first ten minutes then you start flowing and you’re like oh yeah, okay I can keep going now. Um, so that’s how I that’s how I keep going.
15:45.80
amberweitzer
That’s amazing and thank you for sharing that we will definitely at the end. Ask you for resources. But in addition I Always like to maybe prompt our silhouettes for some fun. Mentors are different things that encourage them so we’ll make sure and include his link into the resource section. So Thank you,? You know in talking through a little bit too about what you mentioned earlier the life balance and different things because.
16:02.22
Shonda
Um, yes.
16:17.80
amberweitzer
Social media and marketing and all these things we have such access to and as women and I’ll just speak for me. We see all of these amazing accomplishments and achievements. Um, and then you sit back and think.
16:25.80
Shonda
Better.
16:33.66
amberweitzer
And I know we don’t see the behind the scenes because we all go through it and how we get there right? after we come out of our you but talking through that. Um, sometimes we’ll ask ourselves like how does she do it and we’ve we’ve heard a little bit about your structure your routine.
16:37.50
Shonda
Yes, yes.
16:51.80
Shonda
Ah.
16:52.28
amberweitzer
Okay, Shonda how do we do it? How do you? You know the mom that you know the what you know? how do you get it all done or do you prioritize talk to us a little bit about that take take the the myth out of that for us.
17:04.21
Shonda
Yes, yeah, ah, yeah there so great question again and I think it’s it comes back to so my book is structured in this way where um, there are 3 types of what I call mindful breaks. So those are those pauses and reminders. Take just 5 minutes or less in the middle of our day and so I think the best none punch the best ah combo most powerful combo is to meditate for None nutes in the morning and then. At the end and and I have this um, guided meditation on my website by the way if if somebody wants to sign up and and um have my voice guiding you through this at the end. It’s this question of okay, what am I craving right around right now today. What am I needing sometimes we need a little bit of calm and and awareness right? It’s like oh my gosh I’m feeling a little overwhelmed and I just need. Some rest or calm. Um, sometimes we need a little bit of like a shot of confidence or like some mindset work sometimes we need just kind of that overall balance getting it back into balance. So it’s it’s the awareness piece. What’s here. What am I noticing what is needed. And that’s one and then what is None small action. Step I can take toward that so that’s where I have ah 50 mindful breaks in the book that you can choose from these different categories depending on what’s needed in that moment in that phase of your life. Um, and so. To me. It’s about None way to really look at this is um that it’s an upward spiral of growth and there you know there are times where we have to slam on the brakes in our lives. You know, maybe we’re in a caretaking mode or. Something’s happening that it’s just like we have to really lower our expectations and say I am going to really just prioritize the absolute top priorities right now and then there are times in our lives where it’s like hey I’m ready to kind of take on a little bit more we can put that press on the gas pedal sometimes life put. Pulls the emergency break on us. You know so we just are screeching to a halt. Um, so I think it’s you know it’s encouraging ourselves. It’s little tiny action steps that are intentional that are deliberate heading us in this direction. We want to head so of course we need to know where am I headed right? like what does that look like so. You know that’s one of these mindful breaks. These practices is kind of like what does that look like what is my best possible future look like what am I working towards um and then what is None tiny action step I can take right now towards that. So um, this combination of intentional action and also knowing when it.
19:40.52
Shonda
To to lower our expectations of ourselves and just you know rest because sometimes for us high achievers. It’s It’s hard to do that. It’s hard to give ourselves permission to just do nothing and rest.
19:52.56
amberweitzer
Yes, agree with you on that would you say or educate me educate us. Um, the differences between Mindfulness meditation and mindful breaks.
20:07.83
Shonda
Sure Yeah, they’re often confused so mindfulness is paying attention to what’s happening in the moment with an attitude of kindness. So as best we can. We’re not judging. Of course we always judge to some degree but to notice and be kind to ourselves. Um, and so.
20:10.18
amberweitzer
Is there a difference in those 3 Okay.
20:27.53
Shonda
The opposite of mindfulness is when we’re running on automatic pilot and if we’re not really paying attention if we’re not really there we’re in our minds in the future we’re worrying. We’re what ifing we’re running through our to do list or we’re in the past kind of remembering or rehashing a conversation. Let’s say so mindfulness brings us back into the moment. And that is where we have power. We have choice of what do I want to do now I’m noticing I’m here. Okay so I notice more I notice and can savor more of life’s beautiful moments and I also have choice in how I respond in situations rather than just reacting habitually so that’s Mindfulness. Meditation is when we’re going to actually carve out time in our day to practice the skill of mindfulness and so I can go sit and close my eyes and notice my breath for None nutes and I notice what I will also notice is my mind will wander off very soon many times and the biggest myth I encounter is that. People will say I’ve tried to meditate I can’t clear my mind. My mind’s too busy I have too many thoughts. Well, it’s not about clearing our mind of thoughts. It’s about noticing and and making ourselves aware of all of our thoughts because that’s again where the power is so meditation is a practice much like if I’m going to going to. Build up my bicep I’m gonna go do some repeated bicep curls to build that muscle. It’s the same with meditation I’m repeatedly returning my attention to a point of focus and that builds this mindfulness muscle of attention and mindful breaks are simple ways. That I can just come back into the moment while I’m driving my car while I’m folding the laundry right before I’m you know while I’m waiting in line at the grocery store I don’t have to go and find a quiet spot to practice meditation but it brings us back out of autopilot and back into the moment. When we do that when we sprinkle our day with those kind of mindful breaks. We start to notice the pace like I said before starts to slow down a little bit. You know I’m I’m more aware of my life. Um, so it’s really powerful and it’s it’s a practice.
22:36.33
amberweitzer
Okay, so again I’m I’m immersed here are taking notes. It’s like I love I Love how you share that where where we at one phase we have you know the power and the choice and then meditation is the practicing and oh yeah, yeah, thank you.
22:55.66
Shonda
Well what I don’t want is for anybody to be overwhelmed with this idea because meditation it’s it’s not easy, but it’s very simple. You know I can sit outside like I mentioned I can sit outside in my back patio for 5 minutes and meditate on sounds. You know every time my mind wanders off to what I need to do that day.
22:55.67
amberweitzer
You for that. Oh Wow. You know.
23:15.35
Shonda
Come back to just listening to the birds just hearing the the wind rustle in the leaves. Um, where I can come back to my breath as that point of focus so it doesn’t need to be. You know we don’t need to make it big and difficult and it’s it’s quite simple. Um, but. But it it is helpful if you’re learning in the beginning to have a voice guiding you. So whether you use an app or a guided meditation. But again I come back to experiment have fun with it and that’s one thing I see with ah us perfectionist recovering perfectionists is our type a is were like. Well, this is good for me I should probably do this for an hour every morning and then then nobody does it because they don’t have time they they see like ah that’s too intimidating. Um, so it’s have this sense of amusement you know can we take ourselves. Not so seriously like wow there I go again, drifting off to my to do list that was number. 50 in this 5 minutes and that’s fine.
24:12.92
amberweitzer
It takes a lot again. I can only speak for me but in my observations Sometimes it takes a lot for us to unlearn some behaviors. Um, and I think that only recently I’ve been. Able to do that and just morsels of what you said So I Can’t wait to dive into your book and check out your website and um, you know the guided where you’re doing that all of those things I’m kind of jumpuming at the bit to get to that now. It’s yes, but just to have that the whimsy.
24:40.46
Shonda
And I’m glad.
24:47.57
amberweitzer
Back in more playful in life and just to kind of realize it’s okay now. Yeah yeah.
24:51.87
Shonda
Oh please, it’s more than okay, it is it is you know it is life. It is necessary and we deserve it and we women are so good at taking care of others and you know, kind of we fall way down on ah on our list. It’s sort of like I’ll get to myself when I.Dot that dot that you know everything else is taken care of and then before you know it that you know the day’s over and oh yeah, I forgot about myself. Um, so really, these are really simple ways where we can celebrate life and and write and be more playful and all of these have fun. Yeah yeah.
25:26.70
amberweitzer
Yeah, awesome. I’m excited. You’re pumping that talk to us a little bit more in depth about your upcoming book and maybe the inspiration or motivation behind that um, share with us.
25:40.81
Shonda
Sure so my none book is breathe Mama breathe 5 minute mindfulness for busy moms and like I mentioned that that came about with the birth of my son and trying to juggle all those balls as a as a mom with little ones. Um, and then you know after my son went to preschool and elementary I was kind of like I have a little bit more time here like what is it? What and I started to work more with women who working on empowerment and confidence and kind of like reaching playing big and that really fuels me. Um. And so what I also see though of course with women who want to play big is that we are often on the precipice of burnout because we are such high achievers and so that’s where the life balance comes in It’s kind of like how do we? How do we have all of our. Best selves and our gifts to the world because we all have all of this amazing stuff. But we have to be calm ish first you know we have to find we have to be a little bit of grounded because otherwise we’re just sort of putting out fires. We’re not our best selves. Um, and again best selves doesn’t mean like this idea of perfection but just kind of like how do we ah live in a way that feels relatively balanced. A lot of the time so that we are showing up ah in in our lives in in the ways we really want to so in my so in the second book. Ah, don’t forget to breathe like I mentioned there are 50 different mindful breaks to choose from and I talk also about meditation and the powerful combination of the None
27:20.31
amberweitzer
Excellent, excellent and again audience we will share those links in the resource section. So it’s going to be so simple for you to get your copies. Ah. Oh goodness, gracious all right? Our time is flying by and so I definitely always want to respect your schedules even though I’m just I’m just hungry for more and more with you. Um, so again I’ll have to sign up on that website as soon as we hang up here. Um, thinking about. Sharing like we shared earlier with Adam Grant’s Ted Talk we all crave great resources and different ways to help continue to grow and improve and expand our minds. So in addition to your books. Do you have? maybe. Some favorites that you’d like to share with the audience. Yes, anything you can think of that you’d want to share our way.
28:10.50
Shonda
Some favorite books and resources. Oh sure. So some of the books that were that influenced me are playing big I use that term by Tara Sophia Moore and that’s a great one John Cabot Zin has written a lot of books on mindfulness. Um, Bernie Brown of course that I’m sure most most of us are familiar with. Um yeah, I’m kind of drawing a blank I can come up with some other ones to throw in the resources there too because yes I definitely love listening to.
28:34.92
amberweitzer
Have.
28:49.76
Shonda
Podcasts and reading books and I think sometimes I read so much that I’m It’s not coming to me right now.
28:54.34
amberweitzer
Yeah, no, that’s good. Will you just share it. Yeah, you shared a whole you know mini library here for us so we’ll take it. We’ll take it all right? My lady it has been. Just stimulating I’m so pumped after visiting with you today and again the time has just flown. Um, but keeping with. Ah, promise to share intentional inspiration. Um with our audience. Do you have a favorite key go to piece of advice that you’d like to share.
29:25.69
Shonda
I would say ah awareness so being aware take if if nothing else pause and put your hands to your heart to your chest area. This releases a little bit of oxytocin. It reminds us reminds us to be kind to ourselves and take three deep breaths. Inhales and exhales If. You do that a couple of times a day you will Pause. You will come back to yourself and and you will also counteract this sort of stress cycle that we tend to live in. So just that stopping pausing and being kind to ourselves and giving us. Permission giving ourselves permission to do what it is. We really want to do for ourselves.
30:07.28
amberweitzer
Perfect. It’s perfect. What a perfect way. It’s um, it’s also a you know an exercise in addition to the inspiration. So thank you for that all right? Where can our audience go.
30:18.26
Shonda
You’re welcome.
30:22.15
amberweitzer
To connect with you and maybe follow you on your socials and support you in your continued success.
30:26.29
Shonda
Yeah, definitely Shanda Morales Dot Net and that’s SHOND a m o r a l I s dot net and I’m also running a None day mini meditation challenge for. Life balance starting in September. So if if anybody is listening at that time head to my website you can sign up for that and every day you can follow along on Instagram and Facebook where we’ll be meditating 5 minutes a day and do it on your own time and reporting back and kind of sharing our wins. And then choosing a mindful break that fits us for that day. So it’s my intention is to help women establish a daily habit of meditation and mindfulness practice. You’re welcome.
31:11.79
amberweitzer
Well, that’s a gift. Thank you, thank you for telling us about that. Yes, so we’ll definitely make sure that we’ve got all of that exposure because that’s only going to help improve lives of everyone listening. So. Thank you Thank you all right? Sean it has been. Genuine sincere pleasure visiting with you today. Thank you for sharing your time and your silhouette of success with us. You have been a delight and just totally inspirational for me guilty pleasure. So thank you once again.
31:41.52
Shonda
Well thanks Amber it was wonderful to talk with you.
31:47.66
amberweitzer
All right? enjoy your day. Thank you.
