Your Stories Dont Define You, How You Tell Them Will

362 Stories Influence Our Identity and Personal Narrative    As we close the chapter on 2024 and begin to start anew in 2025, it’s time that we take a step back to reflect on the narratives and stories that we have been harboring. We must take it upon ourselves to determine if these stories still serve us or if it is time to let those stories stay a product of their time and remain in the past so that we can create new stories that reflect us who we are now.  In today’s monologue Sarah Elkins ruminates on the effect the story The Giving Tree had on her as both a child and a mother, and how it has inspired her to reflect on other stories that no longer serve her.    Highlights What stories are you telling yourself that do not stand the test of time? How do the stories you’ve heard influence you and the relationships with the people around you. It’s not too late to change the ending of your story. Will you choose a kinder conclusion or will you choose the option that gives you peace?   Quotes “Think abo

361 Tools For Change Change is an unstoppable force of nature. From the great Rocky Mountains to the spring flowers, all of us are subject to change, whether it be for positive or negative is entirely up to you and the choices you make in utilizing your skills and natural talents.  In today’s episode Sarah Elkins and her guest Sally Magee discuss how change can be dealt with in a constructive and helpful way to not only better yourself but those in your life as well.   Highlights Personal experience affects professional experience, and we need to find balance. Sometimes a language barrier or miscommunication can leave a humorous memory you can bond over. Using every tool in your arsenal to help yourself and others. Set a small but manageable goal.    Quotes “I think sometimes people get short sighted in seeing the tool for; “Oh, well this only applies at work, or it only applies in certain areas” You know; “At work I’m this way, at home I’m this way.” And your strengths apply to every part of your l

360 Taking Your Own Advice   Sometimes in life we are told by those who come to us for guidance how valuable and insightful our input can be, however it is often difficult for us to take our own words to heart. This can be for a myriad of reasons, but if our personal board of directors insist that we have a good head on our shoulders, certainly we must turn inward and offer advice to ourselves.  In this episode, Sarah Elkins ruminates on the importance of taking your own advice and being mindful of how your stories impact those involved in it, especially when they aren’t around to hear the story being shared.    Highlights Appreciating the facets of the people in your life and how they influence your stories. Finishing what you started, especially when you don’t think you can. Being mindful of how you share the stories about the people in your life.   Quotes “You have to finish the commitment you made (for the summer). Because if you don't, this challenging situation will come back to you in different

359 What is Success?   Success and our paths to reaching it look different for every person, especially when it's to someone who isn’t an achiever and doesn’t care for titles. Our own personal success is often more meaningful than a trophy. In today’s episode Sarah Elkins and Robin Hamilton discuss their own personal definitions of success as well as the trials and hurdles on their paths to self discovery and success.   Highlights Showing appreciation for your stories and the stories of others. Don’t forget to keep your eyes open and grateful to the opportunities presented to you. What do you want to do? And what are the next steps in reaching that goal? Are you presenting yourself in a way you can be proud of as well as those who rely on you?   Quotes “You need to take the blinders off, and you need to be careful of the story or the narrative you’re telling yourself of what should be and be open to what is in front of you.” “You’re doing all of this work anyway, why don’t you just do it for yoursel

358 Inner Leaders No matter how much of a master we think we are at the things we do, we can always learn more. Whether that be in the form of learning a new hiking path, learning a new crochet stitch, or how to best use your behavior in the workplace to encourage others to thrive. In this episode Tanya Bugbee and Sarah Elkins discuss the importance of having a coach, and using the skills that connect us to others.    Highlights Sometimes it takes time for us to accept and share the important details of our lives. Practice and leaving reminders for yourself to work on the behavior you want to make an adjustment to.  We need someone pragmatic and straight to the point to coach us.   Quotes “It connects us, those stories. We make a connection when we share something vulnerable or whatever we’re sharing. It’s a way to connect and to bond and to understand.”  “We need to have strong inner leaders in our voices.”   Dear Listeners it is now your turn, If you are a coach, who are you reaching out to for coac

357 The Objects That Matter To You   Connection, especially in today’s day and age, is becoming a lost art. Today we are given the unique and groundbreaking idea from Lisa Weiss, to ask about the objects that are held onto by the people around us, connecting with them through the shared love of holding onto pieces of the past that have shaped us into who we are today.    Highlights What are you keeping from the past? What commonality do you look for in others? What do you surround yourself with that matters to you?   Quotes “I don’t want to live an unlived life.” “I tend to like objects that make me feel like I matter to someone else.”   Dear Listeners it is now your turn, One of the first topics in this conversation was considering the depth of the object you’re holding on to. So what is an object in your life that you can look at and tell a story about that includes other people, other characters in your story matter. How can you share that with people? Think about opportunities to use objects to co

357 Sarah’s Hike Many times in life it feels like we’re in the plot of a movie franchise from 2003, hopelessly watching and waiting for the inevitable drop of the other shoe, the logs or cars to fly off of a semi-truck on a highway that we have to take. Often this stress and future-tense fear can become all-consuming, blinding us to the people we share the car and road with. However if we remember to take a breath and slow down, letting those in your car offer their insight and assurance, you will make it to your destination and this too shall pass.  In this episode, Sarah Elkins offers some insight she found on a hike in the beautiful snowy mountains of Montana, sharing her boundless optimism and valuable thoughts.    Highlights Where do you find inspiration? Are you in a place where you are waiting for the other shoe -or in this case car- to drop? Is that really the most healthy place for you to grow and learn? Who is the company in your car as you are stuck behind the semi of unpredictability?   Qu

Labels and judgment are an unfortunate symptom of society, more often than not people will be framed in a particular light without any chance to defend themselves or for a full explanation to be given. Because of one person saying something, one bad interaction, or one misinterpretation a person can be frozen in time under whatever label was given to them. In today’s episode Sarah Elkins ruminates on enlightening experiences that have recently occurred that have helped continue to shape her perspective on the damage of labels and unfair judgment.    Highlights Art imitates life and more often than not, not for the better. Labels and keeping someone frozen in time can warp our perceptions of others and ourselves.  Work on strategies to help yourself avoid judging another and labeling them unjustly.   Quotes “Their spouses, families, and friends are all shocked of course, and they say things like “My whole life with you is a lie!” I desperately wanted to ask those family and friends, Did you feel loved

354 Amy’s Mess Hunger, for the lucky among us, is an inconvenience, the final straw during a bad day that fuels a bad temper, or an awkward moment in a silent room. But for many in our community hunger is painful, difficult, and inescapable making it near impossible to do anything let alone attend school. Approximately 2.5 million children are homeless in the United States, many of whom somehow still have to attend school, often hungry. But we can help, whether it be through donations or time, we can help the children in our communities. Today Sarah Elkins and Amy Adams discuss Amy’s Mess, a nonprofit organization that seeks to feed the children and families of the Helena Community and to spread awareness of the plight of homeless families.    Highlights Acts of kindness can help your community. Doing what you can within your means.  Working together with your community to help eachother.   Quotes “I realize what I’m doing is not a fix, but at the same time these kids have a lot of instability and ins

355 Create The Community You Need   Building a community can be a daunting yet very rewarding task, in order to find this community often you need to spread out and meet strangers, expanding both your world view and understanding of others.  In this episode Sarah Elkins and Emily Carlson discuss the importance of building community and making your very own personal board of directors to work together for a better tomorrow.   Highlights Knowing what really matters to you and never compromising your values. What you want from life changes over time. Ask what someone has tried before exploring solutions to a problem.    Quotes “I knew I needed to do something in this world and I knew I didn't want to leave my baby.” “Complete strangers when you begin a call can become apart of your community when you leave.”   Dear Listeners it is now your turn, You’ve heard a lot of inspiring moments in this conversation, what will you take away from it? Maybe you’ll reach out to someone you admire and respect and ask f

353 Food Stories Revisited   Revisiting episode 292 “Food Stories” Sarah Elkins reminisces on the importance of love languages and how important it is to show those you love how much you care. Love languages come in many different forms; gift giving, words of affirmation, and for today’s episode specifically, the act of cooking and giving a good meal to those you hold close. It is vital to the health and continuation of relationships that we discover these languages and think about how these actions impact how others view us.   Highlights Spending time with those you love, nurturing them and being nurtured in turn. Don’t wait for the perfect time to use something you love. Finding direction.   Quotes “How do you want to see yourself? What do you want to see in yourself?” “When you want people to see you in a certain way but can’t demonstrate it through your actions; What stories can you share so they experience you that way?”   Dear Listeners it is now your turn, What is your love language? What stori

352 Human Curriculum   Human connection is imperative to our growth and success as people, however if we do not take time to work towards creating a community to feed our social needs we will end up stunted and spinning our tires unable to continue.  In this episode Sarah Elkins and Christopher Filipiak discuss the importance of community and growth, which often comes with the fact we must allow ourselves to be vulnerable by loving and being loved in return.    Highlights Growth often means vulnerability. Creating community and passing those skills down to those who look up to you. We need hugs. We need to know we are wanted and loved. Bringing community and love to everything you do.    Quotes “Being able to find the people you resonate with, and I think so much of it is getting clear and creating the life that you actually want, whatever that looks like, and being able to be honest about that.” “It helps me to lean in to creating a community that I want.”   Dear Listeners it is now your turn, How

351 Communication Is In Everything We Do   We are always communicating in everything we do, from overtly talking to or texting someone, to smiling and nodding to strangers you pass on the street, it’s human nature to want to be seen and heard and to give that to others.  In this episode Sarah Elkins and Jim Collison discuss the importance of communication and how understanding your strengths leads to better communication not just with others but with yourself.   Highlights Choose to put yourself into situations where you can tell a great story afterwards. Live a life bigger than the one you have. Strengths are sometimes seen as a weakness before you learn how to use them. Be patient enough to let things happen.   Quotes “You can’t take people places you’ve never been.” “I think some people miss on Clifton Strengths, it does explain who you are, but it is also a productivity tool. How do you get better?”   Mentioned in this podcast National Suicide Hotline, Text or Call 988 Help is available. You are

350 Growing Through Failure   It is vital to our success to fail, we need to try things that are new and be comfortable in the fact failure is normal and expected. By letting ourselves be uncomfortable and fail at new things, we leave room for growth and success. In this episode Sarah Elkins and Paige Arnof-Fenn discuss the importance of trying new activities and accepting our failures as opportunities to grow.   Highlights Building a community of people who know when to reach out for help and who you can reach out to. Don't just do what you’re great at, try things that are new, especially if you suck at them at first. Explore outside your comfort zone to learn new and amazing things about yourself and the world around you.   Quotes “Be brave enough to start something you kind of suck at when you really haven't sucked at stuff in a long time.” “Part of being an adult is being comfortable being uncomfortable.”   Dear Listeners it is now your turn, We covered a lot of ground today, but the thing that ju

349 Community Building   How we choose to spend our time directly impacts the way we live both in our careers and in our day to day lives, however if we are spending our precious time surrounding ourselves with negativity and naysayers we are very unlikely to succeed. Which is why it is so important to find a community that encourages and supports each other. In this episode Sarah Elkins ruminates on the path that led her to success and satisfaction, the importance of the individuals that helped her along the way, and the community they built.   Highlights Identifying paths and the advocates who encourage you and see the best in you. What is your role? And are you in a place that helps you thrive in that role? Belonging and inclusion.   Quotes “There’s no way I could’ve known this path before I took any of the steps on it. Some people know what they want to do at a very young age, I was not one of those people. What I did have, and continue to have, are people in my life who believe in me, who often s

348 Artistry in Community Art has always brought people together, even in the darkest times of human history there is always a creative trying to give the world just a little bit of light.  In today’s episode Sarah Elkins and Al Swanson discuss how community and artistry often go hand in hand, as well as the importance of giving back to your community.   Highlights Community. Passion for the path you chose. People will fall in love with the creator, not the product.   Quotes “Though the challenges are there I think because you are allowed to go down that path you chose, it’s the more I’m interested in something the more I want to talk about it.” “Pick your medium, and you have to love it, and you’re gonna have to want to give it.”   Mentioned in this episode Sarah Yaeger George McCauley   Dear Listeners it is now your turn, What are you going to explore today, tomorrow, the next day, in your creative outlet? What small thing can you take on, it might be picking up a coloring book and starting to color

347 Find The Hidden Prize In Failure   Everything you do, starts and ends with you. From habits we try to make consistent, to our careers, everything we do comes from ourselves, and sometimes we fail which is just as important as success. Often we must fail and learn from those mistakes in order to succeed.  In this episode Sarah Elkins and Charles Clark discuss the importance of the evolution of the self, accepting our successes and failure, as well as the importance of stopping to check in with yourself and ensure you are still in alignment.    Highlights Show up for the one. Embody your word of impact. Take care of yourself, find time to regroup. You need to live what you teach, be a good example not just to others but yourself. You need to be willing to accept when it’s time to look in the mirror and confront yourself.  Accept your failure AND your successes.   Quotes “There’s that one person out there who really needs it and it kind of reminds me of this whole idea like; Hey just think about

346 The Words You Use   You lead from wherever you sit, which is why it is so important to be intentional with your thoughts, words, and motives as you go through life.  In this episode Sarah Elkins and Erin Diehl discuss the importance of picking the right words for yourself and being intentional with the energy we bring to any situation.   Highlights Picking the right mantra for yourself. Nothing is one size fits all. Letting others voice their thoughts so they feel seen and heard. Give yourself grace.   Quotes “Rituals, and prayer, and mantras, and affirmations, and words mean a lot, but we have to really believe them and internalize them, in order to make a difference in our own life and then we can therefore change others once we have shaped ourselves.” “I look back at past versions of me, that didn’t have some of the knowledge I have, and I just give her grace because she was just figuring it out and I’m still figuring it out.”   Dear Listeners it is now your turn, What can you do in the words t

345 Staying Embodied As An Artist Like everything in existence, we change and grow and it can become difficult to stay involved in the things that make our lives fulfilling and enjoyable. Our passions can come and go which is normal, but it is always important to remember to take care of yourself and what makes you thrive in order to return to your passions. In this episode Mary Riitano and Sarah Elkins discuss how acting has come and gone in Mary’s life and how honing numerous skills can help us return to the passions that spark joy in our lives.    Highlights It’s normal to be terrified of something you’ve done before. Cocktail of chemistry. You can pick up different things to discover -or rediscover- yourself. We all grow and change at our own unique rate, there is no deadline to spread your wings. Create a rich tapestry of skills.   Quotes “That mask we wear on the outside; we’ve got to get through this in a brave way, and you don’t want to show any of the stuff on the inside. But remembering

344 Evolving Stories Returning for his second episode, Tom Jackobs and Sarah Elkins discuss how storytelling has changed for both of them since their last conversation, how their tools and strategies have changed, as well as how important storytelling is as a medium for both of them.    Highlights It is okay to look for coaches, especially when you yourself are a coach. Find your own strategies and tools for writing and working. You can be good at things and not be the best at them.    Quotes “At least I started writing, because that is the hardest part.” “I’m not a chef, but I’m a good cook.” “We need the ones that are going to slow us down and make decisions better.”   Dear Listeners it is now your turn, You’ve listened to this whole conversation about how Tom started his book, how he wrote his book, why he wrote his book, why he started his podcast, and some of the challenges he experienced in that time. What is something you want to take on that you’ve been considering for a long time that you are