We usually don't make the best decisions when we're exhausted. But, in hurried the pace of today's world, we sometimes keep pushing forward before we recognize the signs that we're tired at all.

In this episode of the Magical Mindset Moments Podcast, we'll explore 5 signs that we need rest... 

1. You have the thought "It's all up to me."
2. You're experiencing feelings of superiority over others.
3. You feel isolated, disconnected, or lonely.
4. Everything you touch breaks and you're leaving chaos in your wake.
5. You find yourself trying to take shortcuts.

But - don't worry! - we won't simply leave you with a missive of "just rest more".

Jen will also give us some practical, tactical ways we can weave a self-care practice of rest into our everyday lives - and get our kids in on this helpful practice so we can help them adopt lifelong healthy habits too.

This Week's Big Think: Which one of the five “rest signals” is showing up for you right now? What rest can you practice this week in response to this signal?

As we wrap up Season 1 with this important lesson, we also want to take a moment to say thank you for listening.

We are so grateful to you for being on this journey with us. During our holiday break, we hope you'll stay connected with us by becoming a Pen Pal using the form at the bottom of our website or following Magical Mindset Moments on Instagram.

Happy holidays! We hope your season is one of peace and joy. We will see you in the new year!

So often when we are facing Herculean tasks or are watching others do so, we ascribe our or their successes or failures to identity words.

We say: I am so lazy. Or he's so motivated. Or she's so smart. Or they're so bossy.

But what if identity isn't the whole story? What if it's not even the important part of the story? What if we make like Dory and forget identity entirely?

Then what? 

Well, buckle up, because that's exactly what we're diving into today with Jen's Four Things Framework that is going to give you a more compassionate, whole-hearted, helpful way to assess your roadblocks and make forward progress for yourself or guide the tiny humans in your life to do the same.

The Four Things are: Information, Support, Skills & Tools, and Demands

Once you hear how these coalesce, you're going to be able to extend far more grace to yourself and the people in your life and make big, bold steps towards lasting, positive change.

This Week's Big Think: Where are you or your people struggling to get the results or outcomes you desire? Which area do you need to focus on - information & resources, support, skills, or demands? What is your next right step in that area? 

Like the Big Think? You'll love the Beyond The Big Think, our weekly PDF download that we share with our Patreon supporters: The Magic Family. Learn more at patreon.com/magicalmindsetmoments.

Have you ever thought about the fact that the majority of our parental lives will be spent in relationship with adult children?

It can be hard to imagine when you're elbow deep in diapers and bottles or trying to figure out how to get that incredible stink out of sweaty soccer gear day after day.

But that's really the truth of it, isn't it? 

This hit me square between the eyes when I read Julie Bogart's fantastic book Raising Critical Thinkers earlier this year. And it ties in with another insight I had while watching Finding Nemo with my kiddos during a family trip to Southern California.

So today we're going to dive in the watery world of Nemo and Friends and see if we can find our way back to the truest hearts of one another...even when it's challenging.

This Week's Big Think: Think about a time you disagreed with another person about the facts or ideology of a situation. With grace and curiosity, consider how you handled it and what you might do differently in the future.

Happy Halloween! Is there any better way to celebrate today than spending the whole month prior watching Hocus Pocus on a loop?

If you're on Team Lauren, the answer is no. There is not. 

If you're on Team Jen, the answer is yes. Watching literally anything not dealing with the occult would be great. Thanks. 

But, no matter which team you're on, today we're dealing with the lighter side of witchy energy because we're going to have a chat about Dani, the firecracker of a little sister from Hocus Pocus. 

As Winifred notes: she's a clever little white witch, and that's just one of the many reasons we love her. 

Truth teller. Other seer. Self-accepter. Take us to there!

Today we're going to explore Dani's awesomeness, and kick Halloween off with a mindset lesson that will carry us through the rest of the holidays.

Enjoy a little mental protein before the sugar high to come.

This Week's Big Think: On the spectrum of brash truth teller to wallflower chameleon, where do you fall? How do you feel about that?

Vulnerability can be challenging. And our two pals from Pixar's Ratatouille, Remy and Alfredo Linguini, both experience vulnerability in different ways during the movie.

In this episode of the Magical Mindset Moments Podcast, Jen presents three distinct types of vulnerability for us to discuss, as well as tools and strategies for us to use when we navigate these tricky, stressful situations.

How we show up for ourselves and for others in these moments really matters. And, as parents, we're called to process our own stuff so we can be grounded and learn how to support our nearest and dearest as they make mistakes or have vulnerable moments too.

This episode is a great place to start doing just that. Let's get to it!

This Week's Big Think: Where are you vulnerable right now? Who are you in connection with that is experiencing vulnerability? How can you respond to minimize the mess and maximize the magic? 

Love the show? Show your support by joining the Magic Family on Patreon.

Did you know that Harrison Ford's dysentery-induced diarrhea forced an improvisation on the set of Raiders of the Lost Ark that led to one of the most memorable moments in the whole movie?

It's true!

But does that cool-yet-gross bit of trivia hold any lessons for us as parents?

Of course it does! Otherwise we wouldn't be talking about it.

This Week's Big Think: Take some time this week to think about a great memory you’ve had from an experience where a change in plans required you to shoot from the hip and improvise like Indy.

Love the show? Show your support by joining the Magic Family on Patreon.

When you're high on the hog, it can be hard to empathize with the little guy...until you're taken down a peg or two. That's when our most fun thoughts come out to play.

Maybe that's one of the very many reasons why watching Woody's journey from running the show solo as Andy's favorite toy to learning to share the spotlight with Buzz is so satisfying. 

Regardless of our typical position in the pecking order, we can all relate to his big, scary feelings: do I belong? do I matter? am I loved? 

In this episode of the Magical Mindset Moments Podcast, Jen guides us as we explore this life lesson from Toy Story. She helps us unpack our fear and guides us to a simple tool we can use when we're wrestling with these weighty thoughts. 

This Week's Big Think: As you move through life and big scary thoughts come up for you, can you pause and ask yourself one question: What if I’m wrong about that? And then see what happens…

Loving the podcast? Support Magical Mindset Moments by joining the Magic Family on Patreon.

A few weeks ago when we explored life lessons from Cinderella, we talked about how wishing won't get the job done when we have big juicy goals. Envisioning our goals is lovely. It does put gas in our motivational tanks. But, ultimately, we have to put our feet on the gas pedal and start moving. We have to lean into action. 

But there's another aspect of growth that's important to remember and it's that growth is iterative. We can't magic our way to the top of a staircase. We have to take each step one at a time. 

And we believe that Pixar's very first short, Luxo Jr., is a great place for us to explore this lesson. This 1986 short is the origin story of the Pixar lamp that we all know and love and the Pixar ball we've spotted in hidden throughout Pixar movies.

Join us as we explore the power of iterative growth with a frustrating/lovely reminder that the imperceptible movement we're making is actually where the best stuff is happening.

This Week's Big Think: What is one thing that you are working on right now that you are iterating on and getting better at each and every day?

Loving the podcast? Support Magical Mindset Moments by joining the Magic Family on Patreon.