Everyone told him it would be the happiest time in his life.

"You'll see your child and feel a love like never before."

It didn't happen.

And the disconnection between "What I should feel and what I did feel" grew as Michael Anderson hid behind being busy.

A crisis point in his marriage forced him to look at his own need for healing. "Parenthood shines a light on all of the unhealed places in your soul."

Michael now serves as a therapist helping parents feel more connected with their families. This fascinating discussion offers gems of wisdom regarding handling our internal critic with curiosity, how to empower children to face mistakes and frustrations healthily, and underscores that perfection isn't the path to true connection.

"Connection is on the other side of vulnerability. And vulnerability is on the other side of discomfort," he shares.

Stopping to be silent and to reflect on the emotions that make us feel uncomfortable can help us reconnect with ourselves and then others.

Michael Anderson's first children's book, Jungle Tails: No More Mistakes offers families a wonderful opportunity to share the truth that messing up is normal and a necessary part of the learning process. Get your copy here: https://a.co/d/fgMP6YX and follow Michael on LinkedIn.

This is a love story about a man and his dog, Rafa the Frenchie. Rafa's sensitive tummy (as well as his brother, Roddick's) inspired a man whose background was NOT baking to create healthy treats for them. It's always a joy to see the smiling face of Ron Wittman at the La Jolla and Little Italy farmers markets in San Diego. But for several weeks in 2024, he just couldn't bring himself to bake. Quite unexpectedly, Rafa succumbed to cancer. Losing his constant companion was a crushing blow, but something beautiful to honor Rafa's life was birthed: A fundraiser to support the National Canine Cancer Foundation. Though the loss of a pet is at the heart of this interview, Ron's story includes inspiration for anyone who has had to reinvent their lives or who has entrepreneurial dreams. He also shares his own cancer diagnosis and how he not only survived but thrived. For the healthy dog treats he creates, visit www.squishyfaceandco.com, and to honor Rafa and contribute to the National Canine Cancer Foundation, visit https://www.squishyfaceandco.com/community.

A successful disc jockey with fans in DC, San Antonio, and all over the country, "Kid" Curry had reached the pinnacle of his career running the #1 rated radio station in Miami.

He was 50 and in the sweet spot of success... ...when the diagnosis came. Multiple Sclerosis (MS). Within three years he went from walking with a cane to using crutches to needing a wheelchair. Not only affecting his body, MS made him feel like his brain was "on fire" and his personality turned angry. That's when his wife said, "You've got to stop being angry at being in this wheelchair." This shift from anger to acceptance is only part of Kim "Kid" Curry's MS story. It's about a beautiful partnership with his wife, who never left his side and who he now cheers on as she operates as a hugely successful CEO. This new chapter of her success and the three books he's written since leaving broadcasting would have never happened without MS. Kim's commitment to a positive outlook shines through this interview, which covers a host of other topics, like why men don't talk about MS, the impact of vitamin D on his medication, how repealing The Fairness Doctrine changed broadcasting, and how he decided what was once scary is now "really pretty good." Learn more about Kim and his books at https://www.krcurry.com.