SoundByte Therapy

17/08/2022

Jody Michael, jmacoaching

16/06/2022

THE ONLY THING THAT WAS EVER WRONG WITH
ME WAS MY BELIEF THAT
THERE WAS SOMETHING
WRONG WITH ME.

11/04/2022

"The privilege of a lifetime is to become who you truly are."
– C.G. Jung

While I haven’t written in quite a while, I have thought of those who support my efforts with SBT site.
Thank you for listening to and participating in my podcast through these last months of winter and my lingering Covid symptoms. At first glance, I could easily say that not every experience in our lives is a lesson. But I would be wrong. These months and lingering symptoms have been my most recent lesson to-date.

Each moment we have is an opportunity to open our minds and hearts to the possibilities of change, reconciliation, and/or healing. Every thought we conjure has the power to find peace in our otherwise tumultuous lives. I am asked quite often about how to ‘feel better’ in such negative and boundary-less times as these. There is not a pat answer for the question but there are steps we might consider if we want to experience life differently than we currently do.

First, actively listen to our own internal dialogue. What we say to ourselves is the most important and powerful conversation we have. So, ask yourself:
Is what I am thinking a negative narrative? Is it judgmental? Do I know it is true? Is it even necessary?
When we challenge ourselves to find more positive and thoughtful gateways of thinking, we may find ways to stop dwelling on judgments and false narratives about things we cannot change. We may then keep focus on the only entity we CAN change— ourselves.

Once we can hear ourselves, we can then decide what we would like to think that would better suit how we want to show up in the world. In other words, we can decide to change what we think which, in turn, will put us on a path to feel differently.
This is not a new concept by any means but we seem to have discarded our responsibility to set appropriate boundaries so that we can live a more purposeful life without so much conflict.

Think on how we might follow a path of least resistance; no judgment, just peacefully choosing the radical stance of accepting what is rather than narrating a needless commentary that leaves us angry and separate from one another.

Make a conscious choice daily to realign ourselves with cooperation and harmony in all situations. Leave the negative narratives in favor of finding common ground by CHOOSING to stop thinking and judging those people and situations that cause us emotional isolation and negative reactions.

And finally, forgive.
Forgive ourselves for the negative judgments and narratives we have internally caused that brought on angst and anger and depression and anxiety; forgive ourselves for not accepting what is.
Forgive others for lashing out or attempting to control us. They, too, are grappling with blurred boundaries and false internal information.

Allowing ourselves to examine our internal processes will give us insight into the possibility of changing. What a welcome relief from the constant negative and boundry-less existence we internally create. Then we can see ourselves and the world as Jung does; a true opportunity to become who we really are.

Always grateful,
Diane (Dee) Ferreira, MS, MMHC, LPCC

03/12/2021

18/11/2021

Next time, before you disagree with someone, take a breath and open your lionheart. Let the person off the hook, give your body a break from aching to win, and take the path of least resistance.
And decide , right then and there, that being right is not nearly as important as simply being. Listen to the sound of your own silence and feel the peace of knowing that right and wrong is not relational when it comes to human connection.

12/11/2021

Whether we are finishing school, raising kids, growing a career, or planning retirement, we focus our lives on the tasks at hand. The goals and accomplishments are so satisfying when looking in hindsight. The objective process of gaining experience in any of these areas manifests wisdom and patience, if we accept our own human condition of mistakes and overcoming barriers. When we look back to those days of learning about how to make decisions, we can objectively see our
changes and mostly appreciate them. After each of our life phases, we reflect and celebrate the successes we have had. We see how each choice we made along the way helped or hindered us and, hopefully, we are grateful for the journey.
But there is a counterpoint to our objective accomplishments that we may not always be aware of; one that has a great influence, not necessarily on the successes we’ve had, but on the happiness we seek.
We don’t often consider the subjective portion of our existence, mostly because we are uncomfortable with feelings that cannot be measured or subjectively ‘accomplished’. However, feelings give us a wealth of knowledge about who we are, what we are capable of, and how we want to show up in the world. Being aware of our feelings will allow us to know our limitations, find what we like and dislike about ourselves, and indicate to us what we can choose to feel to live a balanced and productive life, regardless of our objective accomplishments.
Our objective path is the ‘doing’ portion of our time here on earth. And while it may be successfully executed, we also might consider that the ‘being’ portion of our lives is the greatest asset that cannot be measured by tasking or goal-setting.
It is the constant change—the ebb and flow of how we feel toward ourselves and others—that allows us to hone skillful connection.
We are, individually and collectively, our most important endeavor of discovery about the heart and soul of our being.

24/09/2021

08/09/2021

Check out this weekly blog and catch up with other relational blogs on our website at soundbytetherapy.com (Don't forget to like and follow, FB fans!) SoundByte Therapy Podcast is also available every Wednesday on these podcast platforms: Google, Apple, Spotify, Castbox, and Amazon.

IMAGINE THAT!
I am not a religious person.
But I am a believer. I cannot say exactly in what (or who) it is that I believe in so strongly but I can tell you that whatever it is, it is uniquely mine.
We are searching for a house. After selling our current home last week, we began the arduous task of finding a larger house to fit our new work-from-home lifestyle. There is nothing quite so daunting as to have a deadline of five weeks to find, negotiate, close, and move into unfamiliar surroundings. That'll either make a believer out of you or quite the opposite. :)
Living through the uncertainty of the unknown is, for me, solidly fixed on our house hunt right now, but it also occurs to me that most humans are in a state of flux most of the time. We rarely know what's coming, can't predict the future, and have faulty memories of the past. We are imperfect in every way, as it was intended, I suppose. But how we choose to manage the feelings of unrest and anxiety is really the key, right? I mean, this is the ticket to freedom, right? Allowing the present moment to be what is and trusting that all will be well seems to be the formula for feeling and finding peace.
Still, we persist in doing just the opposite.
Emotionally tumbling between our past mistakes and future screw-ups, we concoct stories in our heads that terrify and stymie us. We do that without regard or consideration for what could work far better in our favor which is to simply stay present, allow what is, and find gratitude in every step we take. There is nothing easy about simple but it is do-able. We have the ability to hone the skills to stay present and it begins with one exclusively human trait:
Imagination.
Imagine a life where we choose to attend and witness the present moment without judgment of self and others or fear of the unknown. Imagine that failure does not exist and life is a series of awareness(es) that leads us into a world of peace. Imagine believing that everything that happens is because we are imperfect without exception. Imagine that our only task is to be.
Our house hunt will continue.
We will find and have all that we need and want, simply because I believe in what I choose to imagine.
What will you imagine for yourself today?

01/09/2021

Check out the newest weekly blog at soundbytetherapy.com
‘Whatever Shape Your Shape Is In’
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A relationship podcast about life's tricky questions you've always wanted to ask a therapist.

30/08/2021

Something extraordinary happened during the men’s Olympic 800 meter race in Tokyo earlier this month; one that is the epitome of grace and sports etiquette. I learned about the event in the New York Times this morning and I realized just how much we might all be able to benefit from briefly retelling the story.

Isaiah Jewett from California and
Nijel Amos of Botswana are runners who were competing in the semifinal on August 1st, when both men fell while rounding the last curve just short of the finish line.
Jewett said about Amos, “At that moment, when I saw him, and the way he looked so down, it hurt me. I didn’t want to hurt, and I didn’t want him to hurt. I wanted to do something that was good, to do something that was right.”
So Jewett extended his hand, and he and Amos helped each other up to jog the final 150 meters together.
It takes a great deal of courage and fortitude to run a race on such a high profile stage. And to fall near the end is almost unthinkable to an athlete.
But in this case, what happened after the fall was the true
witness of what humanity could achieve if we chose to think more about helping one another and less about winning.
I wholeheartedly agree with Jewett when he so eloquently stated this universal truth. “At the end of the day heroes fall all the time,” he said, “but legends always get up.”

And, with a little help, we all have the ability to be legendary.

26/08/2021

Latest blog on our website, “How will you show up today?”
Check it out!!
Soundbytetherapy.com

A relationship podcast about life's tricky questions you've always wanted to ask a therapist.

19/08/2021

Out of all the medications and treatments in the world, none are nearly as potent as the medication of positive thought and the productive treatment of self.

13/08/2021

Absolutely True!

12/08/2021

Hey, all! Just a moment to remind you that SoundByte Therapy podcast is on weekly (every Wednesday) at Google, Apple, Spotify, and Castbox. But you can now also listen on our website at soundbytetherapy.com!
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A relationship podcast about life's tricky questions you've always wanted to ask a therapist.