Podcast

045: Seven Relationship Lessons from the Greatest Christmas Movie Ever Made

By John Certalic on December 4, 2019 0

Show Notes

Hello everyone and welcome to episode 45, where today we look at 7 relationship lessons found in the greatest Christmas movie ever made. I never, ever, in a hundred million years, ever want to be known for exaggeration and hyperbole. So it’s going to be a challenge for me to reign myself in when talking about the wonders found in It’s a Wonderful Life!, that 1947 Christmas movie classic staring Jimmy Stewart and Donna Reed.

The thing I like about the movie is that while it’s become a holiday tradition for people to watch, it’s more than just one of those Christmas feel good movies. There’s so much relational, and spiritual wisdom, found in this film that’s easy to miss because it’s become so familiar to many of us.

So today I’m suggesting that during this Christmas season, when you watch It’s a Wonderful Life! you look at through the lens of relationships. It will be a much richer experience for you, and the people you watch it with. [Read more…] about 045: Seven Relationship Lessons from the Greatest Christmas Movie Ever Made

044: Thankful for the People who Invested in Us

By John Certalic on November 27, 2019 0

Hello everyone and welcome to episode 44, the last in our “November to be thankful” series. I’ll have links to the other 3 episodes in the show notes below.

Carol pointed out to me that some listeners may not know what the “show notes” are and where to find them. “Show notes” for each episode are notes to myself, reminding me what to include in the episode. It’s not a transcript, and not exactly an outline. They are simply the main points I want to cover. Some people prefer to read these before or after they play the episode.

They are especially helpful if you want to check out links to other resources mentioned in the episode. You’ll find them at the end of the show notes under “Other Resources.”

To find the show notes, go to our website, johncertalic.com/podcast. There you will find the most recent podcast episode with the podcast audio player, along with the show notes right below it. Scroll down to see the show notes for prior episodes.

Well, on to today, where we wrap up our four part-series by considering the benefits to us in being thankful for the people in our life, both past and present, who have invested in us. Especially for those for whom there was no discernible return on their investment. [Read more…] about 044: Thankful for the People who Invested in Us

043: Thankful for People Different from Me

By John Certalic on November 20, 2019 4

Show notes

My greatest fear about aging is finding myself living an increasingly narrow life. I see it in my 96 year-old mother-in-law. The memory care and assisted living facility Elda lives in is full of people whose lives have narrowed considerably, and are a shadow of what they used to be.

And it’s not just with the elderly with their ever-increasing physical limitations. I see some people my age and much younger living lives that are slowly closing in on them relationally, and emotionally.

I see some of that tendency in myself, where I resist growing as a person because to grow is to change, and I’ve gotten way too comfortable with the status quo.

It raises the question then of what can we do to keep growing as a person into old age, where we resist the natural forces of life that close in on us.

I propose that the antidote to this issue is to foster relationships with people different from ourselves. [Read more…] about 043: Thankful for People Different from Me

042: Thankful for the Irritations of Life

By John Certalic on November 13, 2019 0

Hello everyone and welcome to episode 42, where Friday the 13th falls on a Wednesday this month. This 13th of November in the year of our Lord, 2019. I hope you’re not superstitious; instead, this is a month to be most thankful.

Later this month, at Thanksgiving dinner, like a lot of families, we go around the table and everyone shares what they have been thankful for this year. The expressions of gratitude are usually the same: for family, good health, prayers that have been answered, and maybe one or two events from the past year.

It’s always good to re-affirm blessings like these. They’re the good things of life that deserve to be acknowledged. But what about the not-so-good things? Is it possible to be grateful for them? I think there is. I think we can find a measure of gratitude in our relationship with the annoyances and irritations of life that can actually bring us joy.

Let me explain. [Read more…] about 042: Thankful for the Irritations of Life

041: Thankful for the Cheerleaders in My Life

By John Certalic on November 6, 2019 2

Show notes

Hello everyone and welcome to episode 41. Last week, we waved good bye and said see you next year, to October, the month that makes me smile. This week, we welcome in November, the month that makes me thankful. It’s the month we remind ourselves of blessings in our life we often have the tendency to forget.

November is like our favorite-out-of-state relative who arrives once a year on our doorstep, smiling ear-to-ear, with arms wide open with hugs for everyone. Her very presence reminds us what it’s like to slow down, and take pleasure in enjoying the life we already have, rather than the one we want.

November is about our thankfulness for what is, that exceeds our hope for what isn’t in our lives. It’s the month to remind ourselves that at the end of the day, nothing enriches our life more than relationships. Not things, not experiences, not even good health.

So starting today, and for the four Wednesdays in this November, 2019, we’ll be looking at Four different kind of relationships we can be thankful for, some of which may surprise you. Four relationships that add rich meaning and purpose to our life. [Read more…] about 041: Thankful for the Cheerleaders in My Life

040: A Square Peg in a Round Hole

By John Certalic on October 30, 2019 0

Show notes

Do you ever feel out of place in a group, where you just don’t quite fit in? I know I do from time to time. In today’s episode we’ll talk about how to deal with this kind of relationship with a group or organization, where we feel like a square peg in a round hole.

Of all the weeks in the year to tackle this topic, the last week of October is, in my mind, the best time of the year to do so. Because it highlights a famous historic figure who is the poster child for being a square peg in a round hole.

I’ll tell you about him in a minute or so, and what we can learn from him when we feel like we just don’t in. [Read more…] about 040: A Square Peg in a Round Hole