Having It All: Conversations About Living An Abundant Loving Life

How self aware are you? That's a loaded question, huh! Abraham Maslow once said "what is necessary to change a person is to change his awareness of himself". I believe that self awareness is a foundational skill that can unlock your abundant loving life, and without it you're destined to stay frustrated, scared, anxious and stuck. I certainly don't want that for you! In today's episode I'm sharing with you 4 real examples from my life where I've succeeded and struggled with self awareness. These simple examples will help you see how I'm actively working on being more self aware each day, and you'll learn tips for improving your self awareness as well. Do you want to take it to the next level? Get in touch with me if you're tired of letting your inner critic run the show. If you don't want to constantly compare yourself to others, if you don't want to feel anxious all the time, if you want to feel unstuck and get your life moving in the right direction, I can help. I've walked many people through this process

How is the state of your relationship? How about your partnership? I never used to look at the two as separate. The "relationship" included everything -- the romance, the intimacy, the day-to-day life dynamics, the household management. But for me, as my primary relationship has matured and as new things like marriage and kids have entered the picture, I now see that there's a distinction between the relationship (influenced more by the heart) and the partnership (influenced more by the mind). In today's special episode I invite my amazing wife Sarah in on this conversation, and together we talk about the difference between relationship and partnership, how ours has evolved over the years, and how we navigate breakdowns in each area. If you want to reach out, share your thoughts, offer episode suggestions, or anything else, you can reach me at matthew@matthewbivens.com or on Instagram @matthew_bivens. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What does surrender mean to you, and how practiced are you at it? I took my GameDay recently and was offered up a supreme opportunity for some surrender! (If you're not sure what a GameDay is, I explain it in the episode) The ability for me to surrender is at the center of my self mastery journey. It finds it's way into my relationships, my health, my fitness, my self talk, the visions for my life, and everything else.  I've spent years working on my ability to surrender. I've gone from being very concerned, attached, closed off and rigid, to much more surrendered, loving, open and flow. I love the growth I've made, and I'm constantly humbled by the fact that there is no destination. this never stops. I will always be presented with opportunities to surrender. It's humbling, and frustrating at times as well!!! In today's episode I'm giving you a real peek behind the curtains at how I'm working on surrender, humility and self mastery, and how all three showed up in my GameDay. I bring you into my thought proce

Do you know what it means to be intentional with sexual intimacy? Intention means something done for a purpose.  Sexual intimacy is a deep, pure connection with yourself and/or another person, where sexual energy is exchanged.  Put them together and what you have is a recipe for massive healing, growth and personal transformation.  So, how intentional are you with sex? Sex is a thing that requires zero maturity or acquired knowledge to participate in, yet can be extraordinary risk from both a physical and emotional standpoint. In today's episode I'm talking about the practice of setting intentions for your sexual intimacy, and how it can transform not only your experience of the sex you're about to engage in, but also what happens after the sex is complete. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Have you given yourself permission to slack on your exercise and overall physical health? I get it, we're in the middle of a global circumstance that can be used as a great excuse to not exercise and neglect your health. But the ripple effects of doing so are far reaching, and you may be underestimating how detrimental it can be for your overall health & wellbeing if you've been putting physical exercise on the back-burner. In today's conversation I'm illuminating the 5 key areas of your health - physical, emotional, mental, spiritual and social - and I'm showing you how they are all connected. Now is not the time to take your foot off the health gas. Especially if you're afraid for your physical health, now is the time to do MORE exercising, MORE clean eating and MORE healthy social connecting. Links from today's episode: Follow Dasha Shaw aka "The Hair Doula" on Instagram @thehairdoula Grab a copy of The Legend Of The Curl Girl on Amazon Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Would you describe your life as "fun"? Fun is one of those things that many people have given up on. As kids, fun came naturally - you didn't need to be taught how to have fun, how to play, how to create joy in the mundane. But as you got older and took on the responsibilities of adult life, fun may have fallen lower and lower on your list of priorities. In my opinion, FUN is a vital element of having it all. It's the final F in our 6 F's Framework (Faith, Family, Friends, Fitness, Finance and Fun) Fun gives life meaning and flavor and has us returning for more. But if fun doesn't come naturally to you, OR if you've decided that fun is not necessary, then it may feel very distant and unfamiliar. In today's episode I'm discussing the importance of intentionally injecting FUN into your life, and I'm giving you some simple tips on how you can have more fun each and everyday. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Are you a multitasker?  We all like to think that we're pretty efficient at doing multiple things at a time. We switch between different work tasks at once, we try and clean the house while disciplining the kids and ordering food over the phone, we put on our clothes while checking Instagram and talking with our partner. All in an attempt to be more productive, have more time, and feel more effective.  But I'm about to burst your pretty little multitasking bubble! Multitasking is a lie and a trap!! It's not really a thing and falling into the trap robs you of the very experience you want to have: a sense of peace, more time, feelings of effectiveness and productivity.  We fall into the trap because our society rewards "doingness". The busier you are, the more valued you are. So we try and stuff more and more into our 24 hour days. That leads to multitasking, which leads to feeling overwhelmed, stressed out, anxious, hurried, impatient and frustrated. I'm guilt of this as well (which is why I recorded this pod

What is "conscience" and how can you use yours to help you find your way through life? As you're trying to navigate through life - figure out who you are, what you're passionate about, how to create some balance - you need tools to help you navigate. Chances are, you have navigational equipment that you're not using, one of those tools is your CONSCIENCE.  We all have it, the little voice that tells us whether something will serve us or not.  I like to look at my conscience as a compass -- it tells me if I'm moving North, South, East or West. And I use that compass to navigate through life.  In today's episode I talk about how your conscience compass works, how you can learn to trust it more, and how to use it to navigate your life more effectively. More for you: If you're interested about my working on your Conscience Compass, check out my newest programs: Habits Power Up! and the Life Navigator. Email me at matthew@matthewbivens.com or DM me on Instagram @matthew_bivens to learn more.  Learn more about your

Are you fully aware of the impact the people you hang around, the environments you put yourself in, and the content you consume is having on you? In sports there's this concept of "protecting your house", which is all about not letting the opponent through your defenses. In life, we must protect our health, psyche, spirit, joy, peace. Because outside factors are constantly bombarding us, trying to pull our energy down and keep us there. In today's Having It A.L.L. Moment you will why protecting your house is a vital piece of having it all, and you'll learn how you can start doing it today. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How are you weathering the storms that you're in right now? Life will drop circumstances in your lap, you can count on it. What's not always a sure thing is handling those storms with peace and confidence.  One of my goto tools for weathering the storms of life has been meditation. And over the years I've found that I turn to different types of meditations depending on what I'm going through.  In today's episode I'm sharing with you the three types of meditation I use to help me cope with life's challenges. By the end of the episode you'll be more equipped to create some inner peace in the midst of outer turmoil.  Links to my current favorite meditations: 5 minute morning meditation - https://youtu.be/taxs_vhlxgs 15 minute morning meditation - https://youtu.be/LpAzmyrUswg Sleepcast from Headspace - https://youtu.be/9OHvPNatlBc Headspace app - https://www.headspace.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When your intuition/gut/instincts speak to you, how do you respond? In today's Having It A.L.L. Moment I share the importance of paying attention to your intuition and I give you a simple way to learn how to trust your instincts more that will have you going from skeptical to faithful. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How clear are you on your personal values? And are you allowing your personal values to guide your life? A huge part of living an authentic life is operating in accordance to your personal values.  The truth is that you really don't know who you are if you don't know your personal values. Many people have a vague understanding of their personal values, but few are crystal clear AND EVEN FEWER live their life according to those values.  On today's episode I'm sharing with you a simple process to re-discovering your personal values, helping you uncover what's most important to you, and teaching you how to live an authentic life through your values. Get your pen and pad ready for this one! And if you're interested in doing a deep dive on your personal values (as well as 4 other necessary components to having it all), then check out the Having It A.L.L. Blueprint course: https://www.matthewbivens.com/blueprint Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How do you juggle all the different roles and responsibilities that you have? That question was asked to me recently by a listener and I think it's in such alignment with everything that we talk about on this podcast. A major part of living your abundant loving life is being able to experience peace, joy and flow in the midst of the life you've created. It's not about how many balls you're trying to keep up in the air, it's about how effective you are and how much you're enjoying the experience. In today's episode I share with you the mindsets, tools and personal practices that grant me the ability to peacefully and joyfully juggle many roles and responsibilities, while keeping overwhelm and imbalance at bay.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Is the life you're living one of your own design, or are you trying to follow someone else's blueprint? We spend so much time comparing ourselves to others. Looking at how they do life and believing that their path is the only path. And then when we try to replicate what we see, we find that it doesn’t work and we get frustrated, judge ourselves, and feel stuck.  Stop doing that!  Just because someone does something one way, doesn’t mean that’s the only way!  In today’s Having It A.L.L. Moment I’m giving you permission to put your stank on it and live a life that’s unique to you.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In today's special episode of the podcast, I acknowledge reaching the 300th episode and I talk about some of the highs, lows, and insights that helped us get to this point. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When pain hits you, do you lean into it or run from it? I used to be the person that ran from pain. Any type of pain, from physical to emotional, I wanted nothing to do with it! And it made perfect sense to me: pain did not feel good, and so why would I want to experience something that didn't feel good? Today I have an entirely different perspective towards PAIN. In fact, I embrace and love pain today, and doing so has been a critical step in my personal growth and healing journey. Tune in as I give you a new way to look at PAIN and show you why leaning into pain will free you from your fears.  Links: Fight Club Chemical Burn Scene Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

If you were to assess how your presence impacts the world, would you be the type of person that adds, subtracts, multiplies or divides? That's the topic I'm exploring in today's Having It A.L.L. Moment! Each one of us, at all times, is doing one of those things. But how aware are you of the impact you're having? And is the impact you're having the one that you desire? Today you'll be asked to think about your sign and the impact you're having in the world.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Do you feel you lack consistency in some important areas? One of the biggest challenges that people share with me is their lack of consistency. Sometimes it sounds like "I never follow through", or "I lack dedication", or "I don't have perseverance when times get tough". All of those shortcomings live under the umbrella of consistency, and it's a real challenge that robs the joyful life experience for so many. It did for me for many years. For most of my life I would never consider myself consistent, not in the areas that mattered most anyway. I could always find examples where I started something and stopped, where I wanted to do something and got all excited for a short period of time, then inevitably fell off. It seemed to happen again and again. But there were two moments in my life that taught me some powerful lessons in consistency, that changed everything for me. In today's episode I talk about what I've learned about my own lack of consistency and what those two examples taught me that has transformed

Do you have a tendency to take things personally? Be honest with yourself. In the book The Four Agreements, author Don Miguel Ruiz has this amazing description of taking things personally, he calls it "eating emotional garbage". "You eat all their emotional garbage, and now it becomes your garbage". In today's Having It A.L.L. Moment I remind you to not take things personally and help create a different context around the garbage others try and feed you.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How are you breathing right now? You take over 20,000 breaths per day, but how many of those are you aware of and present to? Breathing is one of the most powerful habits that is so overlooked and under-appreciated. In today's episode I'm taking it back to basics and am teaching you a very simple breathing technique that you can use to get you back to your center, equalize your mind/body/spirit, and simply ground yourself.  Links: Sarah's episode on breathing "Breathe Damnit!" Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices