The Life Gets Better Now Podcast – Navigating Life’s Ups and Downs with Less Pain and More Joy A note from your hosts, Mary Hayes Grieco and Erin Warhol: Hey, friends and fans of the podcast – Thanks so much for tuning in and listening to our weekly conversations over the last year, and sharing it with your friends. If you haven’t discovered it yet, you can sign up for our lively 30-minute podcast to be delivered to your I Phone or your email, weekly, when we get started with Season Two. But meanwhile, check out our archives right here, and have a listen to a topic that interests you – Forgiveness, Boundaries, Intuition, The Invisible, The Magic of Storytelling …  We’re pretty proud of our 40+ episodes! We learned a lot and enjoyed ourselves along the way, and we heard that you did too! We heard it’s your weekly dose of low-stress, insightful, spiritual classroom – you know, kind of like cherry-flavored spiritual vitamins. Currently, we’re cooking up some new shows with new voices, and you’ll be intrigued to hear that we have a series coming up called, The Surprising Gifts of Catastrophe. We’ll also be off to learn more about all of this podcast biz at The Podcast Movement Conference in Chicago this summer. See you when we get back, with Season Two. Best, Mary and Erin

It’s the Listener Favorite Series! These are the shows that we heard that you listened to again… and again … because you learned some fresh new things that made life get better. The kind of things that are useful to everyone, everyday, yet no one else is talking about in the way we do in these podcasts. Positive anger, healthy boundaries, an accurate intuition to guide you along, our life with the Invisible. Here they come again, so, enjoy! again! And thanks for sharing it with a friend. Love, Mary Hayes Grieco and Erin Warhol   Dear friends, “There’s a benevolent plot afoot, and the conspirators are everywhere, visible and invisible. Their mission: the complete destruction of my fears and limitations, and the complete fulfillment of my life purposes.” – from The New Kitchen Mystic Oh! I’m enjoying doing this podcast so much, and I hope you are enjoying this meaty storytelling I am allowing myself to shamelessly indulge in. This week we continue our appreciation of the weird and wonderful as we explore our interface with other beings in the Invisible: animal spirits, angels, and special places in Nature, as I tell about some of my spiritual adventures in my wild 40 acres. Can the spirit of a bear roam the woods? Did the spirit of the former landowner guide my husband around to show him his uncompleted tasks? Did Jack the dog have and invisible friend, a white wolf? Was it really my mother’s ghostly hand on my back on Mother’s Day, come back to thank me for something? Are there 12 Step meetings in heaven? (What?!) My Dad’s spirit told me that there are. I hope that when you listen to this week’s podcast you will remember how enchanted and precious this world is, and how filled with love. Much love to you, Mary and Erin ______________________________________________________________ EPISODE 130: Our Life with The Invisible We belong to a Mystery, and it’s our joyous duty to learn how to honor it, enjoy it, and create with it. The spirit world is right next to, and woven into and throughout the physical world. We are in relationship with people that we know, and spirits who we sense. And we’re all citizens of The Benevolent Universe, a point of view that is really worth subscribing to. Mary and Erin are hot now, into a stream of storytelling about our life with the Invisible world. Enjoy Mary’s comfort level with the easy ebb and flow between the seen and the unseen, and Erin’s enthusiasm to become comfortable with it.

It’s the Listener Favorite Series! These are the shows that we heard that you listened to again… and again … because you learned some fresh new things that made life get better. The kind of things that are useful to everyone, everyday, yet no one else is talking about in the way we do in these podcasts. Positive anger, healthy boundaries, an accurate intuition to guide you along, our life with the Invisible. Here they come again, so, enjoy! again! And thanks for sharing it with a friend. Love, Mary Hayes Grieco and Erin Warhol This week, Mary and Erin celebrate the good results that come from following an active and accurate intuition, and how to cultivate this important life skill. Intuition is an expression of your truest inner self, and it is trying to bring you the good things you don’t even realize that you need. There’s no need to be afraid of it! Learn about the BLOCKS to intuition: Ignorance, doubt, fear, and glamour. What are we so afraid of? Being wrong, being viewed as weird or crazy, being vulnerable to spooky things and things that go bump in the night? Mary says, “Our soul is hanging out in Eternity, unfettered by time or space as our personality knows it. It has The Big Picture, and it is eager to communicate that perspective to us as we make choices each day. Our culture is still driven by scientific materialism, which denies intuition, or demands proof and evidence of these truths. But tell me, can you prove art or poetry? Would we want to deprive ourselves of the truths that are found there? I don’t think so. Intuition brings us rich perception of our real and best life, and we are well served when we decide to develop it and follow it into our fulfillment.” Today, Mary gives us some astute tips about the discernment and development of this important function in the path of self mastery: decision, experimentation, discernment “tricks” and gratitude for successes. Enjoy the stories: – of how intuition led Mary to a free vacation in Mexico, and also to the purchase of a special place – her 40 acres of quiet woodland. – Erin reflects on how her intuition has worked in her life, from the small and silly things to the big ones, like quickly buying her perfect new home with her new husband. Join us in validating and celebrating the experience of seeing “God’s yellow highlighter” on the important people and things on your path.

It’s the Listener Favorite Series! These are the shows that we heard that you listened to again… and again … because you learned some fresh new things that made life get better. The kind of things that are useful to everyone, everyday, yet no one else is talking about in the way we do in these podcasts. Positive anger, healthy boundaries, an accurate intuition to guide you along, our life with the Invisible. Here they come again, so, enjoy! again! And thanks for sharing it with a friend. Dear friends, I hope you enjoyed Part I of our 3-part discussion on the fine art of intuition. As we said last time, there are 5 different ways people are intuitive, and this week we get into the details. Are you a visual intuitive, finding Waldo in the picture every time? Do you have that nice calm, directive inner voice that guides you along? Maybe you’re kinetic, a person who “follows your feet” with an uncanny sense of showing up at the right time and right place. ********************************************** Tune in for more tales from The Benevolent Universe, and hear how intuition led my family to Jack the Best Dog Ever (even though I truly am not a dog person.) Remember – your intuition is guiding you into ease and happiness learn to recognize and follow it it’s fun! Warm regards, Mary Hayes Grieco & Erin Warhol Listener Favorite Series: Episode 117: You’ll know in a Flash! Intuition Part II The adventure continues in our discussion on how to master the use of intuition. There are 5 Types of Intuition: seeing, hearing, sensing, moving/touching, and pure knowing. Which type do you have? And can you trust it? Learn how to recognize the kind of intuition that you have, and how to work with it for greater ease and power in how you live your life. Mary and Erin swap delightful intuition stories in this episode: Jack the Best Dog Ever joins Mary’s family Erin finds the Lost Notebook by following her hand. “There is a benevolent plot afoot, and the conspirators are everywhere, seen and unseen. Their mission: the complete destruction of my fears and limitations …” from The New Kitchen Mystic by Mary Hayes Grieco

It’s the Listener Favorite Series!   These are the shows that we heard that you listened to again… and again … because you learned some fresh new things that made life get better. The kind of things that are useful to everyone, everyday, yet no one else is talking about in the way we do in these podcasts. Positive anger, healthy boundaries, an accurate intuition to guide you along, our life with the Invisible. Here they come again, so, enjoy! again! And thanks for sharing it with a friend. Love, Mary Hayes Grieco and Erin Warhol “Your intuition is trying to show you only one thing all the time: how to be happy as you. It’s there to make life easier. Your intuition will help you understand your purpose, unfold it, and solve everyday problems. It needs to be reinstated on its throne next to the logical mind, so the two can work as partners.” -from The New Kitchen Mystic by Mary Hayes Grieco Our intuition is the means by which our soul guides our personality into ease and greater purposefulness. There is a spectrum of intuitive sensitivity, and different ways that it operates in different people. Most people operate with some amount of intuition, especially in concerns around safety, important relationships, parenting, and excellence in the workplace. And we can all learn to have more intuition, readily recognizing “God’s yellow highlighter” which is subtly emphasizing the things that are important for us to pay attention to. Enjoy Mary’s stories – how she safely navigated hitchhiking around the country as a young hippie, by following the guidance of her intuition at all times; – learn how intuition helps us with things small and large – from buying carpeting on sale – to meeting your soul mate.

It’s the Listener Favorite Series! These are the shows that we heard that you listened to again… and again … because you learned some fresh new things that made life get better. The kind of things that are useful to everyone, everyday, yet no one else is talking about in the way we do in these podcasts. Positive anger, healthy boundaries, an accurate intuition to guide you along, our life with the Invisible. Here they come again, so, enjoy! again! And thanks for sharing it with a friend. Here’s Part 2 of our conversation about healthy boundaries.   This topic is so valuable we want to take a deeper dive into it, as it’s the sort of thing that finds most of us on a lifelong learning curve.   Welcome to our snappy little “boundaries tune-up” concept.   We are pretty darn sure that if you are not feeling steady, relaxed, clear-headed and confident this week, a boundaries tune-up will put you right.   Remember, if you are experiencing stress, carrying a resentment, needing to say NO, or to drop something in order to make room for something new in your life …   – it’s time for a little assessment about where to draw a line,   – and where you need to say YES and NO on different levels.   Because you are the boss of you, and you get to make your own decisions about Yes and No.   When you need more sanity and happiness in your daily life – take another look at those boundaries of yours.   Enjoy! And tell us what you think.   Yours, Mary Hayes Grieco and Erin Warhol   EPISODE 121: HEALTHY BOUNDARIES TUNE-UP – Part 2 Everyone needs to set or re-set their boundaries from time to time, to eliminate stress and to be proud of the shape your life is in. Being human is complex, and we need to manage ourselves physically, emotionally, mentally, energetically, and spiritually. Adjusting our boundaries on these levels from time to time shows us and the people around us that we have rights and and can make choices, and that we deserve good treatment. In this weeks chunky, chock-full podcast, we suggest a healthy boundaries assessment on different levels: Physical:     diet, clothing, budgets, resources, home and nature, time management – especially some time to yourself! Emotional:      laughing, crying, venting anger, handling a forgiveness issue.  Getting attention for your feelings or paying attention to the feelings of others. Say NO to shame, whatever else you do. Mental:      Screen out negative thinking and storytelling. use words mindfully. Prevent overwhelm and simplify your social media life. Unsubscribe! Energetic:     Cultivate your vitality. Practice healthy energy hygiene. Preserve and nurture your life force. Spiritual:      Take time for spiritual practices you enjoy. If you pick one item on each level to tweak, even a little, you will feel the tune-up happen! You’ll be glad to be you again.

It’s the Listener Favorite Series!   These are the shows that we heard that you listened to again… and again … because you learned some fresh new things that made life get better. The kind of things that are useful to everyone, everyday, yet no one else is talking about in the way we do in these podcasts. Positive anger, healthy boundaries, an accurate intuition to guide you along, our life with the Invisible. Here they come again, so, enjoy! again! And thanks for sharing it with a friend. Love, Mary Hayes Grieco and Erin Warhol ——————————————————————————————- Hi friends, If I do say so myself, these next two podcasts are so thick with useful ideas, you might want to get a notebook and scribble away as you listen to them. Erin and I tackle a vitally important and seldom discussed health concept: our personal boundaries. As we all know, being a sane person is a hard gig to master and maintain in our wildly dysfunctional world. It’s important for each of us to have a basic sense of our worth and rights, and to delineate for ourself and others how we expect to be treated. Our boundary preserves our integrity and our sanity with certain people and situations, andit’s a skill set that too few of us learned from our families. How do we know that our personal boundaries are in good shape today? We feel relaxed, safe, clear-headed, and confident. Hey, I want that. You too? So say goodbye to stress and resentment and join us these next 2 weeks in a Boundaries Tune-Up. We’ll encourage you to say that golden word, “NO,” to someone like you are handing them a jewel, and to enjoy the power of subtraction which makes room for the things that you want in your life. Be the King or Queen of your life! Rockin’ the ordinary people power, Mary Hayes Grieco & Erin Warhol —————————————————————————————– From the global intensity that erupts: -when one country’s military crosses over a border of another country, -to the obssessive worrying of a co-dependant, -to the silent steamy contempt of an introvert who didn’t get enough private time  silence with their morning coffee — “boundaries” are a key component of keeping the peace on both a large and a small scale. Why is it that women are so much worse at saying “no” than men are?   How do you teach healthy boundaries to a sensitive child? Should you sleep with someone because THEY really need it? Do you HAVE to loan someone your bike even though you don’t ride it? How do we make room for our dreams in an already overcrowded daily life? Erin and Mary launch two weeks of power-packed thinking about the subtle but vital art of knowing our boundaries, and how to  set them or re-set them when we are feeling stressed or resentful with people or situations.

It’s the Listener Favorite Series!   These are the shows that we heard that you listened to again… and again … because you learned some fresh new things that made life get better. The kind of things that are useful to everyone, everyday, yet no one else is talking about in the way we do in these podcasts. Positive anger, healthy boundaries, an accurate intuition to guide you along, our life with the Invisible. Here they come again, so, enjoy! again! And thanks for sharing it with a friend. Love, Mary Hayes Grieco and Erin Warhol Unexpressed anger eats us up inside. Healthy anger is that little bit of fire you need sometimes to set things right. It helps you know who you are and what you want and do not want in your life. But how do you handle a flare of rage that rises towards your boss, or your small child, or someone who can hurt you if you show your anger? Mary helps Erin along with her nervousness about feeling anger as she discusses safe ways of releasing rage to gain relief from frustrating obsession and rumination when we’ve been done wrong. Hear the story of the woman who’s long term health condition cleared up after releasing her rage and forgiving her ex, and the story of how a parent can help a frustrated child who’s being picked on. Mary says, “Your belly is where you carry your power… sometimes you need to go to a private place, and shout it out, from the belly … and then you forgive them.” Rock on, people. Forgiveness – after you let your anger out first – makes us free.

It’s the Listener Favorite Series!   These are the shows that we heard that you listened to again… and again … because you learned some fresh new things that made life get better. The kind of things that are useful to everyone, everyday, yet no one else is talking about in the way we do in these podcasts. Positive anger, healthy boundaries, an accurate intuition to guide you along, our life with the Invisible. Here they come again, so, enjoy! again! And thanks for sharing it with a friend. Love, Mary Hayes Grieco and Erin Warhol   “Your anger is a doorway to your power, but it’s not a house that you can live in.” The vibrant emotion of anger is a natural response when we have been insulted, belittled, or treated disrespectfully by another person. It does us a lot of good when we handle it in a healthy way, and it’s toxic and stressful for us when we keep it stuck inside as an ongoing resentment. Mary and Erin get down and dirty with exactly how we move through anger when we’ve been wronged, and beyond it into new strength and clarity. Enjoy this rare and energizing conversation about a problem that affects us all, and some great tips for how to be angry in a healthy and productive way.

Hi Everyone, Here we go with more on hope: “Hope for our world.” Do you think that the general state of the world is getting better or worse? Someone recently asked this question of the Dalai Llama, the leader of the Tibetan Buddhist world. With his characteristic giggle and emphatic gusto, His Holiness replied, “Better!!! Undoubtedly it is getting better.” I’ll take this answer from a guy who lost his ancient homeland, witnessed the destruction of its temples and the torture of his friends, was personally chased by the Chinese who wanted him dead, and for over 60 years has been an emissary of peace and compassion to a wide variety of global situations. In our intense times, it is really necessary for each of us to find our own personal “healthy hope habit,” and live it each day, all out! For ourselves, and each other, and the human world as a whole. Today’s podcast has a few ideas about how to do that – thanks for joining in. Love, Mary Hayes Grieco & Erin Warhol EPISODE 141: Hope for Our World “Keep it Simple,” the 12 Step Slogan goes. In these uber-complex times, this may be the medicine for all of us. Like the philosopher Henry David Thoreau, who explored the principle of SIMPLICITY in his famous book, Walden: Or, Life in the Woods, we need to learn how to live deliberately, “to confront the essential facts of life, and learn what it has to teach.” In fact, living simply is a noble goal, and a high state of living and understanding, though it means different things to every person. How do we participate as engaged citizens, without being overwhelmed with the scope and variety of the problems that are afoot? By doing our own tiny part, and realizing that sometimes a problem is solved and a solution is created from a level way beyond our rational ability to plan and implement it. It’s important that we all hold the spirit of good will, and the best and highest intentions for humanity, and together create the fertile ground that will support the miraculous changes that we need. We need to keep the faith, collectively. Let’s remember the simple things: Live one day at a time. Help who you are able to help, practically. Do what is yours to do and love who is yours to love. If we each tend our own little piece of the garden, with as much love,care, and realism as we can muster, then it’s a good day. There’s a LOT of positive intention going in to our society. If we can align with it, then something good will happen for us and everybody, again and again. So, pass it on! Thanks for sharing our podcast with your people. Peace, out!