Tag: personal growth

“A little consideration, a little thought to others, makes all the difference.” – Eeyore

About three weeks ago, I opened my laptop to start working and clicked on a Facebook message. A friend that I’d known from Miss O’s pre-school days had died. I burst into tears. It couldn’t be. She’s ten years younger than I am, her youngest child is only 11 years old. She loved being a mom more than anything and I couldn’t believe that she wouldn’t be there to see her beloved kids grow up.

And moreover, because I’d seen the posts where she’d had a car accident about nine months previous and then complications had kept coming up, I was bereft because I hadn’t done anything but post a couple of comments. She wasn’t someone I was particularly close to, but I had so much respect and adoration for her.

It hit me especially hard because I was also in the middle of reading Amy Weinland Daughter’s book, Dear Dana. Dear Dana, is a beautiful chronicle of a letter writing campaign – and a thoughtful reflection of how social media does and does not work for us when it comes to real relationships.

On the latest episode of the How to Share podcast, I was lucky enough to be able to talk with Amy about Dear Dana and the incredible insights she gleaned. Amy tells us how her project got started when she saw on Facebook that her friend from summer camp 30 years before had a son who was sick and needed prayers. Amy starting writing them letters.

She explains how this effort blossomed into a project to write each one of her 580 Facebook friends a letter. We talk about the level of effort involved in writing that many letters and how it was transformative for her.

Amy shares some of the research around the benefits of writing and we talk about the insights of what she learned about the benefits and limitations of social media in the process of her project. One of my favorite a-has is that we can use social as a jumping off points for real relationships because we lose the richness if there is no investment in relationships.

We talk about God-whispers and how listening to them can help us participate in making this world a better place. Amy’s perspective is so real and inspirational that I know it’ll leave you feeling motivated.

This is an incredible episode with a powerful story and loads of magic. I know you’ll love it.

Takeaways

• The most changed participant in the writing process is often the writer themselves.
• Writing doesn’t require formal skills or extensive practice.
• A simple act of writing can have a significant emotional impact.
• All you need is a postage stamp and a human heart to express yourself.
• The power of writing has always been within us, waiting to be discovered.
• Engaging in writing can lead to personal growth and transformation.
• You don’t need to write hundreds of letters to make a difference.
• The act of writing can break down barriers to communication.
• Everyone has the potential to express themselves meaningfully.

Here’s an incredible clip from Amy reminding us that it’s never too late to care:

Here are some ways you can watch this amazing and inspiring episode:

• The podcast player embedded below
• Click this link to watch in a browser: How to Share Impactfully with Social Media Friends with Amy Weinland Daughters
• Subscribe to How To Share on Spotify, Amazon Music, or Apple Podcasts
• Subscribing to the YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@howtosharepodcast

Please listen, watch, provide feedback and subscribe.

51: Letting Go of Outcomes: The Mindset That Keeps You Moving – The Life of Try: Personal growth, one try at a time.

Expectations can inspire us to try—until they harden into a demand for a specific outcome. In this episode of The Life of Try, Wynne Leon explores how unmet expectations fuel disappointment, why that disappointment can keep us from taking healthy risks, and what it looks like to stay hopeful without clinging. From a childhood lesson about “pressing for the answer” to Alexander Fleming’s accidental discovery of penicillin, we’ll trace how openness, curiosity, and faith can turn apparent failures into forward motion. Along the way, we’ll draw from Brené Brown’s research on disappointment, Maya Shankar’s reframing of identity after loss, and spiritual wisdom about surrender and non‑attachment—so you can keep trying even when the path changes.In this episode, you’ll learn how to:Recognize when expectations are motivating you—and when they’re setting you up for disappointmentPractice openness and curiosity when a try doesn’t go as planned (and why that matters)Name and communicate your expectations to reduce “unspoken contracts”Reconnect with your deeper “why” when your “what” gets taken awayHold onto faith that trying will lead somewhere good—even if it’s not the destination you imagined.The Life of Try is a podcast about personal growth, one try at a time.What happens when trying becomes more important thangetting it right?The Life of Try is a personal growth and self‑help podcast about getting unstuck, navigating uncertainty, and choosing to try—even when it’s uncomfortable, inconvenient, or not your idea.Hosted by Wynne Leon, the show explores how real growth, reinvention, and discovery often begin not with confidence orclarity—but with a single attempt. Through thoughtful interviews, reflective conversations, and real‑world case studies, each episode examines what it looks like to keep going when doubt shows up, plans fall apart, or life forces achange you didn’t ask for.This podcast is for anyone who:Feels stuck or uncertain about what’s nextIs navigating change, burnout, or reinventionWants to live more intentionally without pretending growth is easyBelieves progress starts by trying—again and againThe Life of Try isn’t about hustle or perfection. It’s about learning as you go, surfacing what matters, and sharing what you discover along the way.If you’re ready to surf the uncertainty, outlast the doubts, and step into your own try‑cycle, you’re in the right place.Links for this episode:The Life of Try HomeLetting Go of Outcomes: The Mindset That Keeps You Moving transcriptSir Alexander Fleming – Biographical – NobelPrize.orgHow to Regulate Your Emotions and Mental Chatter When Bad Things Happen | Maya ShankarAtlas of the Heart: Mapping Meaningful Connection and the Language of Human Connection by Brene BrownPenicillin Wasn't Alexander Fleming's First Major Discovery | Scientific American

1. 51: Letting Go of Outcomes: The Mindset That Keeps You Moving 11:33
2. 50: How to Write the Book You've Been Meaning to Write | Dr. Victoria Atkinson (Slivers) 23:26
3. 49: Personal Growth Pivot Points: Pause, Quit or Keep Going? 11:02
4. 48-How to Get Unstuck: Michael Yang on Saying Yes, Resilience, and Coming Alive 24:50
5. 47-From Stuck to Momentum: Thomas Edison’s Method for Progress (Try, Learn, Improve, Repeat) 09:01

Links for this post:

How to Share Impactfully with Social Media Friends transcript

Dear Dana on Barnes & Noble and Amazon

Amy’s website

(featured photo from Pexels)