The events happening in our country and around the world are overwhelming and infuriating. It can make anyone feel helpless to create change. So what power do we have to create change? It comes to us in the form of community care which is available to us each and every day. Whether you are the one giving or receiving, it is done in a mutual way ... neighbor helping neighbor. No score cards. No pre-requisites. No conditions. It is out of the goodness of humanity that we help each other and receive help when we need it. Join Karen and Lynn as they talk through the ripple affect of small acts of caring.

Life is hard and people are struggling. This is a fact and it is a normal human response to the events happening around us ... in our communities, our country and the world. As the attempts by systems to dehumanize people get louder and more frequent in an age of endless information, it can be a heavy lift to hold empathy for the ever increasing harm and pain happening around us. Join Karen and Lynn as they share why empathy is our superpower against destructive systems and how it is the foundation for creating the world we hope for.

Systems of oppression thrive in environments that keep us separate, feeling different and "othering" people. The reality? We are all connected. Resisting the divisive nature of our world requires us to reconnect with the humans around us and hear who they really are. Each person has a story and connecting with curiosity and compassion helps us to understand how they came to understand the world. Join Karen and Lynn as they talk through the isolation, lack of belonging and differentness many are feeling and embracing connection as the antidote. Disclaimer: This does not mean that we tolerate abuse, oppression or violence. Ever.

In our attempts to find support, often we are told that "we are keeping you safe" when forced treatment or psychiatric interventions are put into place. But who are the systems really keeping safe? Join Karen and Lynn as they unpack the harm being done by hierarchical systems that look to protect the organization rather than honestly hear what support the person is asking for.

Connection is prevention AND it is also transformation. With each workshop, training and Community Living Room we participate in, we witness the transformation that happens when people feel seen, heard and valued just as they are through the connection and space we provide. Join Lynn and Karen as they share the true power of connection and how it has deeply touched their lives.

As human beings, we are constantly learning and evolving.This is also true of our values. When was the last time you looked deeply into your values and how they play out in your life? As our world changes, it is becoming increasingly important to know what you value and why. Join Karen and Lynn as they talk through the values alignment they both experienced at the recent Wisconsin Peer Recovery Conference and the importance of creating time for your own values self-reflection.

There are a number of memes on the internet stating, "If you aren't angry, you aren't paying attention." Our country is changing at unheard of speeds (intentionally, mind you) and you may be feeling off balance, overwhelmed or defeated ... in addition to angry! Your responses to the state of the world are NORMAL. Join Karen and Lynn as they talk through their own normal responses and invite you to join us and know you are not alone.

Nature is the perfect place to look when you are feeling paralyzed or overwhelmed. It is constantly moving, growing and evolving. The reality is we are moving, growing and evolving too, but it can feel like we aren't when life is hard or heavy. Join Karen and Lynn as they share how nature helps them navigate the hard and confusing times facing us individually and collectively.

Our world seems to be moving at an accelerated pace, and the constant stream of information isn't helpful. When we are feeling overwhelmed, it can be easy to react (rather than respond). Join Lynn, Karen and Nick Schiller (Karen's oldest) as they talk through the nature of reacting, how emotions play into our reactions, and giving ourselves the opportunity to slow down, pause and feel our way through to the other side.

Our world is overwhelming. Our lives can be overwhelming. Finding the time, space and energy to tackle even one piece of it can be overwhelming. Join Karen and Lynn as they lean on the wisdom of Adrienne Maree Brown and her philosophy that "small is all." Taking small steps or making small changes does have impact and often much bigger impact than we even realize.

We are all carrying a lot in our day-to-day lives. From the challenges we face personally, to the challenges of our family and friends ... add in the struggles of our communities, our state, our nation and the world ... is it any wonder we are feeling exhausted and overwhelmed? Join Karen and Lynn as they share their layers and reassure their listeners that they are not alone.

Did you know that an emotion only lasts 90 seconds? The first time we heard that we were not only surprised, but firmly believed that emotions could last for days. So why does it feel like the emotion is still present? Join Karen and Lynn as they talk through the biology of emotion and the connection between thought and emotion that keeps it hanging on.

On Valentine's Day, it feels fitting to talk about love. But let's expand the definition to include revolutionary love. Love that defies violence and control and oppression. Love that is not submissive but kryptonite to hate. Love that includes love towards self and others. Join Karen and Lynn as they talk through the concept of revolutionary love (a concept created by Valerie Kaur) and how it is the antidote to the world we are all navigating.

As children, many of us learned that it was unsafe to talk to strangers. But was this fear-based conditioning reality? Statistically speaking, most children experience harm at the hands of people they know. So how do we break this conditioning? We begin by acknowledging we are more alike than we are different and strangers are just friends we haven't met yet. Join Lynn and Karen as they share how talking to strangers has enriched their lives and helped to create connections in their community.

It can be incredibly hard to find moments of joy when the world can seem so heavy and dark. It can also feel "wrong" to be joyful. But here's the deal. It is never all dark or all light. Even funerals will have moments of laughter. Sparks of joy can happen when we allow ourselves to be present to what is happening around us. Join Karen and Lynn as they share their own recent sparks of joy and how we can allow for joy in our lives.

This has been a full, hard week. In fact it feels like the 76th week of January with all that has transpired this week. Couple the national news, with anything hard happening in community, and then add in any hard personal pieces and the layers are overwhelming. We feel you friends and you are not alone. Join Karen and Lynn as they talk through how long their week has been and how connection is a way to lighten our loads.

As humans, we all have moments of regret or wishing we could ask for a "do over." Embracing our full humanness means recognizing that we too are imperfect. Join Lynn & Karen as they talk through accepting our humanness and recognizing that we can make repair ... both to others and ourselves.

Did you know there was such a thing as "Quitter's Day?" It was created in direct response to the many New Year's Resolutions people set and the amount of time that passes before people fall back into old patterns. As they used to say on the TV sitcom Full House, "How rude!" If you feel the shame and guilt that comes with the judgment and ridicule of New Year's Resolution, hold tight. Karen and Lynn reframe our journey of change with self-compassion, practice and much more "being" than "doing."

In our day to day life, we are often met with responses to "see the bright side" or "be more optimistic" or "you need to get over it" when navigating challenging times in life. This toxic positive messaging seems to get amplified even more during the holidays when happiness or merriment is the only acceptable way to be. Enter Real Vibes Only. Our lives are complex and are composed of layers of impact. We hold emotion for our individual lives, as well as our families and friends, our communities, our country, our world. To say that it all needs to be positive is to avoid the realness of being human. Join Karen and Lynn as they unwrap the gifts of the season and honor all of the emotions and experiences we carry into the holidays.

As human beings, we hold a lot of emotions each and every day as we navigate our personal and collective lives. These days, changes in our world and the constant flow of information can be overwhelming, scattered and often attaches a sense of urgency. Join Karen and Lynn as they talk through their own experiences of being "all over the place" and finding ways to ground and center themselves when they can.