Advertise on podcast: Kevin Polky - The Journey

In this week's reflection on The Journey, Kevin Polky explores a simple but powerful idea: If we want things to change in our world, we must first look at what we can change within ourselves. Inspired by a recent sermon and his experience in counseling, Kevin discusses the importance of recognizing what we can and cannot control. While we cannot control other people, circumstances, or the challenges life brings, we can choose how we respond. Kevin reflects on the difference between reacting and responding, the importance of taking responsibility for our actions, and the value of caring for ourselves physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. Rather than placing blame or waiting for others to change, Kevin encourages us to look inward, live with intention, and align our actions with our values and faith. Because if we want to see change in the world around us, it starts with us. Thanks for joining me on The Journey. Enjoy!

This week on The Journey, Kevin Polky welcomes Winnebago County Sheriff Gary Caruana for a conversation about leadership, community service, mental health, and the experiences that have shaped his career. Sheriff Caruana shares his journey from growing up in Rockford and beginning his career in law enforcement to spending 26 years in corporate leadership at UPS before returning to public service as Winnebago County Sheriff. Throughout the conversation, Kevin and Sheriff Caruana discuss the importance of supporting the mental health of first responders, breaking the stigma surrounding counseling, and the initiatives being developed within the Sheriff's Office to promote emotional wellness and suicide prevention. They also explore the programs available to individuals in the county jail, the importance of community partnerships, and how leadership, emotional intelligence, and a commitment to continuous improvement can help change the culture of law enforcement. This episode offers a look beyond the badge at the people, responsibilities, and challenges involved in serving and protecting a community. Enjoy!

Reflection: Where are the Birds? During this reflection, I share about my experience of walking meditation in nature as I intentional focus on listening for the birds is technique to get into a spiritual space in my thinking. Enjoy!

During this reflection, I share about how to manage fear: completing the threat response cycle and identifying your fear and developing a plan to manage your response if worse case scenario does happen. We can’t always stop the worse from happening, but we can develop a plan for our response if does happen. Enjoy!

During this reflection, I talked about different ways, awareness, education, action and empathy to keep our Light burning bright for others who are struggling in the darkness. Together, we can prevent suicide. Enjoy!

A Mom on a Mission to Make a Difference. Laura Kane joins us again on The Journey. She shares the story of Zach’s death and the origin of Marshmallow’s Hope. She took a leap of faith over 2 years ago and now her organization is providing counseling services for over 88 counties in Illinois. Check out her site www.marshmallowshope.org to learn more and about her upcoming event.

Matt Weldon returned to The Journey to share about a special organization, www.dontbenext.org that raises awareness and funds for local organizations who are making a difference in people’s lives. Check out his story and what they have coming up.

September is suicide awareness month. Shatter Our Silence is 10 years old and we are celebrating by having our biggest fundraiser yet. Check it out at www.shatteroursilence.org

Xavier Whitford returns to The Journey. It has been 12 years since her son has died from suicide. She has been committed to suicide awareness and education through her non-profit, Tommy Corrall Memorial Foundation. Today, she is reaching hundreds of people each year with the services they provide. They are starting a new event on September 10 th , Hope in Motion. Check it out at www.tommycorralmemorialfoundation.com.

This is an exceptional episode which Mike talks about his son, Ben and his wonderful gifts and talents and his tragic death by suicide. Mike shared about his grief journey and what helped battle the shame of feeling he failed his son. Enjoy!

During this reflection, I talk about setting goals for the upcoming school year and having the intention and daily discipline to create the story you want to tell at Christmas. Enjoy!

As summer begins to wind down and we prepare for the fall season, I’ve been reflecting on the value of stepping away from our normal routines and experiencing new places. Some of the trips Diane and I have taken have given us more than just memories. They have created meaningful moments of peace, perspective, and spiritual connection. In this episode, I share how those experiences inspired me to create a sacred space in my own backyard for prayer, meditation, daily devotionals, and quiet reflection. You do not have to travel far to find renewal. Sometimes, creating a place to slow down, reconnect with God, and take care of your well-being can begin right at home.

Heather returns to The Journey to share her story about her near-death experience when she was healthy, athletic 28-year-old educator who collapsed from a sudden heart attack. Thank goodness for the educators who were with her performed CPR and saved her life. Today, she openly talks about the primary reason for her heart attack was stress. More importantly, not managing her stress. During the episode, Heather talks about her soon to be released book, Stressed to Death and some of the takeaways. Great conversation!

In this Reflection on The Journey, I share a lesson that started for me when I was a teenager preparing for a bodybuilding competition. During a difficult stretch of dieting and training, I began to realize how much the words we use can shape the way we experience what we are going through. Over time, “Today’s better than yesterday” became a phrase that helped me shift my perspective. More recently, I have been practicing another simple reframe: changing “I have to” into “I get to.” In this episode, I reflect on how small changes in the way we talk to ourselves can begin to change our attitude, our perspective, and the way we approach the difficult things we know we need to do.

During this reflection, I share about recent article from Adam Grant who reviewed 35 year study on the impact of perfectionism on mental health which predated the digital age of social media. Though, I do believe social media and digital media have amplified the validation of perfection and think this is a good conversation about self judgment, fear of being judged by others and wanting to avoid making mistakes. Enjoy and share your thoughts!