Advertise on podcast: Power For Positive Living

Finding the right friends and building meaningful relationships can make a real difference in our happiness and overall well-being. Think about how you browse a bookstore. You explore different titles, discover what interests you, and choose books that add something valuable to your life. What if we approached friendships in a similar way? But friendship isn't just about what we're looking for in others. It's also about what we bring to the relationship. If you had a personal billboard advertising yourself as a friend, what would it say? What makes you someone others would want in their lives?

Friendships are an important part of our lives, but they often change as we grow older. Some friends have been by our side for decades, while others come and go as life takes us in different directions. In this episode your host explores how our friendships evolve over time and how even lifelong relationships need care and attention.

When we think about aging, we often focus on the physical changes—how we look, how we feel, and what our bodies can or can't do anymore. But growing older involves much more than physical changes. It also affects our emotions, relationships, finances, sense of purpose, and overall outlook on life. In this episode, we explore why preparing for these changes is just as important as taking care of our physical health. Your host discusses how thoughtful planning, a positive mindset, and an approach that fits our individual needs can make growing older a more rewarding experience—not only for ourselves but also for the people who care about us.

Birthdays mean different things to different people. Some of us celebrate them in a big way, some would rather keep things simple, and others would just as soon let the day pass without much attention. For your host, though, one day simply isn’t enough. Over the years, his birthday celebration has grown to include the entire month of October. It’s become less about the birthday itself and more about spending time with people, enjoying new experiences, and creating memories to carry forward. Of course, every birthday also reminds us that life keeps changing. Another year brings new experiences, new challenges, and sometimes a different perspective on where we’ve been and where we’re going. We may not get to choose all the changes that come with another year, but we do get to choose how we respond to them. And maybe that’s one of the best things about birthdays: they give us a chance to celebrate where we are, appreciate the people and experiences that got us here, and look ahead to what comes next.

At different points in life, many of us find ourselves asking a simple but surprisingly powerful question: Who am I? Who am I today compared with the person I was years ago? How have my experiences, relationships, successes, and mistakes shaped me? And what choices am I making now that could change the person I become in the future? In this episode, we explore what it means to take an honest look at ourselves—not through clinical labels or complicated theories, but through questions that can help us better understand who we are and what matters to us. The conversation explores five deeply personal areas of life: our relationships with our parents, our beliefs about God and spirituality, how we would want our lives to be remembered, emotional and physical intimacy, and our thoughts and experiences surrounding human sexuality. There may never be one final answer to the question “Who am I?” As we grow and our lives change, the answer can change with us. This episode offers a starting point for that conversation—and an opportunity to think about where you've been, who you are today, and who you may still become.

Some of the most important questions we can ask ourselves are also some of the simplest: Who am I? Who am I today, and how have I changed from the person I was years ago? What choices am I making today that might shape the person I become tomorrow? There are no shortage of questions when it comes to understanding ourselves. And taking an honest look at who we are isn’t always easy. It takes time, reflection, and a willingness to be honest with ourselves. In this podcast, we’ll explore some questions that can help us take a closer look at ourselves and the way we relate to the world around us. We’ll look at five areas of everyday life: our need for privacy, our need for other people, how we respond to authority, the way we see our bodies, and our need to be loved. The goal isn’t to come up with perfect answers. It’s simply to stop for a moment, think about the questions, and maybe learn something new about ourselves along the way.

One of the most important questions we can ask ourselves is also one of the simplest: “Who am I?” The answer goes deeper than our job, our relationships, our interests, or the roles we play in everyday life. Understanding ourselves often means taking the time to look beneath the surface and think about what really matters to us. One way to do that is by asking ourselves a series of thoughtful questions. There’s no single right way to explore them. You might write your answers in a journal, talk them through with someone you trust, or simply spend some quiet time thinking about them. In this podcast, we’ll explore questions that can help us better understand who we are. What do our possessions mean to us? What brings us the greatest satisfaction in life? What do we see as our weaknesses? And what are our basic attitudes toward the people around us? These questions aren’t about finding the “right” answers. They’re about looking a little more closely at ourselves and perhaps discovering something we hadn’t noticed before.

One of the most interesting questions we can ask ourselves is simply, “Who am I?” It sounds like a simple question, but answering it can lead us to discover things about ourselves that we may not think about very often. Beyond our job, our relationships, our responsibilities, and the roles we play every day, who are we really? One way to explore that question is by taking some time for honest self-reflection. You might write your thoughts in a journal, talk them through with someone you trust, or simply spend some quiet time thinking about them. In this podcast, we’ll explore several questions designed to help us look a little deeper. We’ll talk about getting to know ourselves better, describing ourselves in our own words, telling the story of our lives in just ten statements, and considering one thing we might want to change about ourselves. There are no right or wrong answers. The goal isn't to come up with a perfect definition of who we are. It's simply to take a little time to understand ourselves better—and perhaps discover something along the way that we didn't realize was there.

From the time we're born, we're given labels. Family, friends, teachers, and society all influence how we see ourselves and who we're expected to become. Many of those messages come from people who care about us, but that doesn't mean every label still fits. As we grow, it's easy to keep living according to old expectations instead of asking an important question: Who am I today? In this episode, your host explores how our self-image is formed and how taking an honest look within can help us build a healthier, more authentic identity.

"If I am 98% perfect in everything I do, it will be the 2% I remember when all is through." For many people, one small mistake can overshadow dozens of successes. Instead of celebrating what went well, the mind fixates on the few imperfections. In this episode, your host explores the concept of "Red Ink Thinking"—the tendency to focus on flaws rather than accomplishments. Through personal stories and honest reflection, he discusses how perfectionism can affect self-esteem, relationships, and personal growth, and why learning to appreciate progress instead of perfection can lead to a healthier, more balanced life.

Each of us presents a version of ourselves and to others. Sometimes we're open and transparent. Other times, we hide our feelings to protect ourselves from rejection, disappointment, or hurt. The emotional clothing we wear can change depending on the situation. Around people we trust, we may feel free to be our authentic selves. In unfamiliar or uncomfortable situations, we may put up emotional walls to feel safe. By becoming more aware of the roles we play and the defenses we build, we can begin making choices that lead to greater authenticity, healthier relationships, and a more fulfilling life.

The passions we have when we’re younger can be difficult to hold onto as the years pass. Over time, routines take over, and we may find ourselves thinking, feeling, and acting in the same familiar ways without asking whether they still serve us. Taking an honest look at these patterns—and making meaningful changes—can feel uncomfortable, especially when we’ve held the same beliefs for many years. But we are not powerless. We can challenge old habits and choose a different path forward.

Teachers spend much of the day asking students to listen—but how often do we stop and ask whether we're truly listening to them? Real listening goes beyond hearing words. It builds trust, strengthens relationships, helps us better understand students and families, and creates classrooms where people feel valued. In this episode, we explore why listening may be one of the most important qualities an educator can develop, how it shapes the learning environment, and the lasting impact a teacher can have simply by making others feel heard.

Real connection starts with feeling heard. In our relationships with family, friends, and the people closest to us, communication isn’t just about talking — it’s about truly listening. But how often are we fully present when someone is sharing what they think or feel? Listening takes more than staying quiet while another person speaks. It requires attention, patience, empathy, and a willingness to understand, even when we don’t agree.

What does it really mean to listen? In this episode, we explore one of the simplest yet most powerful ways to show love and care for others: truly listening. Not just hearing words—but being present, understanding, and making space for someone to feel seen and heard. Through a moving pastoral letter, this episode reveals how the simple act of listening can profoundly change someone’s life.