Love Your Story

Episode 144 The Power of Novelty   Bored? Been doing a lot of the same things lately? Talking to a lot of the same people? Dealing with the same old problems? Have you ever watched a movie or read a book where every day was exactly the same? The reason there is only one movie like this – Groundhog Day – is because it’s a reallllly boring story. We, humans, have active minds and novelty, freshness, bright and flashy squirrels grab our attention. Today’s podcast is about the richness of bringing novelty into your story. We all have ways of doing things. We all have things that work for us. I like my flavor of tea, I like to drive my Subaru, I like my house clean, I prefer my ripped jeans, and if I had my druthers I would wear high heels maybe only 5 times a year. I have my favorite Burt’s Bees lip color. And frankly, it’s taken me a lifetime to get all my favorites pinned down. I’m not saying get rid of the good stuff. But I am opening a discussion about bringing a little va-voom into your love life, i

Episode 143 Suicide Panel: The plea to “Stay in Your Body” Part 2 Welcome back to the Love Your Story podcast. Today is Part 2 of the Suicide Panel Discussion. If you missed last week’s discussion – go back and grab it – these 4 panelists are a powerhouse, and I must admit, just when I thought I knew what one of them was going to say, they surprised me with a different insight. I put together this panel because of my own shock at what is being called the suicide “epidemic.” It used to be that every once in a while you’d hear about someone taking their own life, but it wasn’t often and it was said in hushed tones. Now, it seems like every week I hear of someone else committing suicide and I’m shocked and filled with questions. What has cause the increase in suicide? Why now? What’s going on out there in battle for our lives? We all know that space of feeling disconnected, of being frustrated that life/relationships/career didn’t turn out as we expected. I’m sure at one time or another we’ve all fe

Episode 142 Suicide Panel: The plea to “Stay in Your Body” According to SAVE – Suicide Awareness and Voices of Education (who uses the most recent data available from the Centers for Disease Control and the World Health Organization) the following facts show us the current state and rate of suicide in the US. Suicide is the 10thleading cause of death in the US for all ages. (CDC) Every day, approximately 123 Americans die by suicide. (CDC) There is one death by suicide in the US every 12 minutes. (CDC) Depression affects 20-25%of Americans ages 18+ in a given year. (CDC) Suicide takes the lives of over 44,965 Americans every year. 80% -90% of people that seek treatment for depression are treated successfully using therapy and/or medication. Welcome back to the Love Your Story podcast. Every human soul is precious. We all know that space of feeling disconnected, of being frustrated that life/relationships/career didn’t turn out as we expected. I’m sure at one time or another we’ve all fel

Episode 140 Healing Body and Mind: Interview Amanda Grow – Part 2 Welcome to the rest of Amanda Grow’s story. Did you know that the United States has the highest maternal mortality rate in the developed world? Because severe childbirth complications have become very rare, it is easy to forget that childbirth can be life threatening. Amanda Grow, a wife and mother of 4 children – 1 daughter and 3 sons, experienced an extremely rare complication of childbirth known as Amniotic Fluid Embolism which has a mortality rate of 80%. Last week you heard about her rapid blood transfusion that nearly drained the hospitals blood supply and left her in a medically induced coma for a week. This week we’ll get more of her story and talk about the importance of healing. Amanda’s story today isn’t just about a miracle and the healing of her body. It’s also about the toll such an event takes on us mentally as well as physically, and today we’re looking at the total process of finding meaning in broken

Episode 139 Healing Body and Mind: Interview Amanda Grow – Part 1 Did you know that the United States has the highest maternal mortality rate in the developed world? Because severe childbirth complications have become very rare, it is easy to forget that childbirth can be life-threatening. Amanda Grow, a wife, and mother of 4 children – 1 daughter and 3 sons, experienced an extremely rare complication of childbirth known as Amniotic Fluid Embolism which has a mortality rate of 80%. Amandas story today isn’t just about a miracle and the healing of her body. It’s also about the toll such an event takes on us mentally as well as physically and today we’re looking at the total process of finding meaning in brokenness and the process of rebuilding. Amanda is the owner of Strategic ACT Prep, a business she built over 10 years that helps high school students prepare for standardized tests. At the time of her medical crisis, she had 12 employees and three locations. The crisis necessitate major life changes a

Episode 139 Speak Your Truth – with Guest Co-Host Laurann Turner Welcome to the Love Your Story podcast. Today is episode 2 with co-host LaurannTurner on deck for another imporatnt LIFE hack conversation. Your hosts are: Lori Lee – author of LIFE – Living Intentional and Fearless Everyday: the 21 LIFE Connection Challenges and Laurann Turner  – author of: Every Single Day Today we are talking about Speaking Your Truth. What does it mean to speak your truth? Barbara De Angelis is an American relationship consultant, lecturer and author, TV personality, relationship, personal growth adviser and spiritual teacher. She said, “Living with integrity means: Not settling for less than what you know you deserve in your relationships. Asking for what you want and need from others. Speaking your truth, even though it might create conflict or tension. Behaving in ways that are in harmony with your personal values. Making choices based on what you believe, and not what others believe.”   I start o

Episode 138 You See What You Look For – with Guest Co-Host Laurann Turner Welcome to the Lori and Laurann Series. During the month of May I will have Laurann Turner on to co-host with me on two important life-hack topics. Your hosts are: Lori Lee – author of LIFE – Living Intentional and Fearless Everyday – the 21 LIFE Connection Challenges And Laurann Turner  – author of – Every Single Day Today we are talking about how you WILL see what you look for. I want you to do an experiment with me. Wherever you are listening to this I want you to look around you for 15 seconds and notice everything that is red …….Okay now close your eyes. Tell me everything that you noticed that was blue. The first time I did this it clarified this idea of the power of my focus as a person. I could only remember the red because that was exactly what I was focused on. I quickly saw how this applied to other aspects of life. If I’m looking for good I’ll find it, at the exclusion of all else. If I’m looking for bad

Episode 137 Interview Christine McAlister – The Crossroads – Which path does your story take? Welcome to the Love Your Story podcast. Today I want to start out with a question: Have you ever had something really horrible happen in your life, and you came to the understanding that your story could go one of two ways – you could hide, wallow, wear the cloak of victimhood, lose yourself in the sadness or self-loathing or embarrassment, or whatever emotion was kicking your ass at the time, or you could write a life story with a resilient main character? When I talk about this I know it sounds a little flippant as if doing this is easy and must be done, but the truth is that it’s anything but easy. It’s the space where the battle is waged in our hearts and minds, but the outcome is what determines if our story is a tragedy, a comedy, and inspirational how-to.  That crossroads is a crucial space in all stories. Today my guest is Christine McAlister, a woman who gave birth to a full-term stillborn daught

Episode 136 Am I Worthy of Happiness? Love? Being Treated Well? In 1992 Wayne’s World came out. A silly show about 2 slacker friends who are trying to promote their cable show. One of their famous cult lines is “We’re not worthy.” They would sing out this phrase whenever something particularly good happened. We used to use this saying to elicit a laugh within our group of friends. I don’t know if any of us ever actually felt that way, we were just goofing around and being silly, but as I talk with people as I do my current work with story one of the primary issues that repeatedly pops up is that many people feel unworthy. Unworthy of good love. Unworthy of a good life. Unworthy of being treated well. They play small because they feel they deserve to be disregarded, heck they don’t deserve something better.  Whether it’s a voice in their head that capitalizes on mistakes they’ve made, or something they have marinated in over the years as others made thoughtless comments, these feelings are no joke. They create

Episode 135 Divorce Panel Marriage and divorce are both common experiences. According to the American Psychological Association, in Western cultures, more than 90 percent of people marry by age 50. This is healthy and desirable both mentally and physically when the relationship is healthy. But 40-50% of marriages in the US end in divorce with the rates being even higher for subsequent marriages. But let’s be clear…none of us got married with the intention of getting divorced. Suffice it to say, we can all say, “I never thought I’d be here.” I see this comment a lot on online dating profiles in the online dating realm. Other comments I see often include “just trying to make it through,” “I love my family more than anything.” “my kids are my whole world,” and “I like to laugh, have fun, and I’m looking for someone with a sense of humor.” The first two quotes establish the rocky and difficult nature of the path divorce shoves us onto; a path we didn’t plan for, a path full of pain, and loss of life expectatio

Episode 134 Living Intentional and Fearless Every day   Eleanor Roosevelt said, “in the long run, we shape our lives, and we shape ourselves. The process never ends until we die. And the choices we make are ultimately our own responsibility.” In other words: Happiness is an inside job and we are VERY POWERFUL beings. Today we are going to talk about what it means to live intentionally and fearless and I’m going to tell you about a new tool to help you jump into that feet first. I was on a podcast interview with Emily and Erik Orton from New York last week. They are the authors of the book Seven at Sea. He is a screenwriter and one of his productions flopped – stayed open for only 5 weeks, and he had to take a temporary job in a high rise. His job gave him a view out the window of the Hudson River and he used to watch the sailboats sailing by. He started dreaming about what it would look like to learn to sail; to live life on your own terms. He wasn’t from the class of people who usually sail. His wife

Episode 133 Interview Emily and Erik Orton – Seven at Sea: What Could Go Right? Wanderlust. Boredom. Frustration. Whatever the reason, we have all had days where we wished we could just pack our bags and take off. But for a myriad of reason – spouse, kids, jobs, responsibility – we do not. Last year we followed the Kjars, a family who sold their home and loaded their kids in a motor home and headed out to visit 50 states in 52 weeks. They left their daily lives – the grind and created an unusual storyline. Today I am speaking with another family, this one from New York City, who took their 5 children, cast off convention, and loaded up a sailboat for a year at sea with just their family. Erik and Emily Orton recently published their book – Seven at Sea. The book takes us along for the ride of challenges, joys and concrete issues like finances, schooling, learning how to sail….but most important, and the thing I like best is that it reminds us that our lives are what we make them. We write our story pl

Episode 132 Interview Rebecca Cookston – Deviate What does it mean to deviate? When I think of the word deviate I think of getting off course. Does deviate have a negative connotation to you? In the book Deviate, the Science of Seeing Differently, by Beau Lotto, he discusses the idea of looking at things differently in order to get different results. The word deviate is more about choosing what not to look at, in order to create a new experience. Today I am introducing you to a guest who is dear to my heart. Rebecca Cookston is a personal friend of mine whom I met while walking along my street one day. She had moved in four or five doors down with her new husband – husband number four, in a small cottage where she would create a worm farm and home school her children. She’s a salt-of-the-earth wisdom worker and I’ve spent many an hour discussing ideas with her over the years. Her experience with her now, 5 husbands, was always interesting to me for a number of reasons, first, I loved that someone I re

Episode 131 Interview Katie Lee- It’s Inspirational Music Time I’ve been looking for some really good music for the podcast. Well, I found a singer/songwriter that I’m going to share with you today. Get ready for some inspirational music – full songs! Katie Lee is a Special Ed. Preschool Teacher and Singer/Songwriter. She is originally from Arizona but has been in Utah for 10 years. She enjoys performing in whatever capacity she can. She often plays local acoustic shows, weddings, retreats and just held her first religious musical fireside, but I think she ought to be much bigger. This girl is TALENTED.  She is a lover of people and bringing light and joy into others lives, so she’s sharing her music with you today. She loves a good adventure and can make simple things fun. Today she is going to share three of her original pieces of music with us. It’s a special inspirational musical treat today! Tune in for my discussion with Katie Lee and for her wonderful music. Songs: &#

Believe. Believe. Believe. – A few words on living with Faith   Do we ever know our way forward, completely? I seldom do. I’m always walking one step further into the darkness hoping it’s the right direction. When we are trying new things and taking risks – living into possibility, this is the landscape. Martha Beck said, “Every leap into light starts as a leap in the dark.” That has been my experience. Stay tuned for a few words on living with faith – in yourself, in the force that guides you, in your possibility and mission. It changes the story completely. Stories are our lives in language. Welcome to the Love Your Story podcast. I’m Lori Lee, and I’m excited for our future together of telling stories, evaluating our own stories, and lifting ourselves and others to greater places because of our control over our stories. This podcast is about empowerment and giving you, the listener, ideas to work with in making your stories work for you. Power serves you best when you know how to use it Remember H

Episode 129 Interview Emma Houston: Your Fierceness-Own it! Live it! Welcome to the Love Your Story podcast. Today I’m talking with Emma Houston. I met her as I sat in the audience at a women’s empowerment weekend seminar. I loved her message, her spunk, her authentic energy and I wanted her to share with you the same things she shared with us in the audience that day. She is a thriver, a supporter, a victor, a mentor and a cheerleader for people going through life’s challenges. She’s a spunky little black woman, an active member of the Calvary Baptist Church, and the owner and CEO of Brighter Day Productions. Emma Houston Hails from Texas originally. In 2016 she was appointed as Diversity and Inclusion Director by mayor Ben McAdams for the Salt Lake County’s Office of Diversity Affairs, so she is obviously now in Utah. She is the former chairwoman of the Governor’s Office of Ethnic Affairs and former secretary for the YWCA Board and UAA Board. She is a cancer survivor and serves on the Huntsman Cancer Fo

Episode 128: Let’s Talk about Stress Baby Hans Selye said, “It is not stress that kills us, it is our reaction to it.” You, yes you, the one listening to the podcast – do you have stress in your life? Do you think of that stress as being good or bad? In today’s episode we’re going to talk about the S word! Yup – Stress. Who can’t use a few empowering tips and stories about this constant state of the 21st century? Stay tuned for insights from a lot of great minds on this topic. Stories are our lives in language. Welcome to the Love Your Story podcast. I’m Lori Lee, and I’m excited for our future together of telling stories, evaluating our own stories, and lifting ourselves and others to greater places because of our control over our stories. This podcast is about empowerment and giving you, the listener, ideas to work with in making your stories work for you. Power serves you best when you know how to use it. What if stress isn’t what you’ve always thought it was? I’m going to start today’s discussion

Episode 127 Interview Laurann Turner: Every Single Day Welcome to the Love Your Story podcast where we share stories so we can learn and growth with each other, and where we talk about story tools – life hacks—for living your best life story on purpose. Today I’m talking with Laurann Turner, author of Every Single Day. Laurann was raised on a small farm in Northern Utah.  She has an MBA and worked in the Healthcare Industry for 12 years in various positions including her latest job as Vice President of Operations. While working and building her exterior successes, she realized on the inside she wasn’t happy. – I think we’ve all been at a place where we can relate to that —  Having a desire to have inner peace & happiness she walked away from her esteemed career and six-figure income and then decided to start listening to her higher power and embark on a  16-month journey to reconnect with inner self and to become who she is truly meant to be. She sold her beloved house in order to disconnect with

Episode 126 The Dating Challenge: 35 Dates for Her 35th Birthday – Interview with Katie Houston Katie Houston is a thirty-something high school choir teacher who is passionate about education, writing, musicals, and human interaction.  She studied music education at BYU and the University of Utah and dreams of someday writing a book.  Her hobbies include singing with the Tabernacle Choir on Temple Square, crafting homemade cards, trying to look like she knows what she’s doing at Orange Theory Fitness, and watching crime TV. In todays interview we follow Katie’s challenge to date 35 men in 3 months. This is how it got started: She woke up early in the morning a couple days before her 35th birthday and spontaneously set a crazy goal: She was going on 35 dates in 3 months using social media to help connect her with new people. She launched her experiment by asking friends and family on Facebook and Instagram to set her up and she stayed active on dating apps. She also appeared on a Facebook l

Episode 125 Interview David Hutchens: Using Story to Create Connection Welcome back to the Love Your Story podcast. A few years ago I was volunteering at the Parliament of Religions – a space where every religious affiliation you can think of, from across the world-monks, Wickens, Christians, tribal leaders, etc. came together for a conference of understanding one another better and working together. So… I’m walking through the meditation labyrinths, the info. tables, and the food booths and I find this unmanned table with a stack of books and the word MUSE on it. I stop. I’m always looking for my muse. On the table sat a sign that read “$20” and a stack of books sat next to it. I picked up the book and flipped through it. It was well illustrated – gotta love an easy read– and the concepts were exactly what I wanted to know more about as I personally studied story and worked with my clients on finding and crafting their stories. So I dropped $20 bucks, took a book and tucked it in my