The Change Room with Rod & Lesley

In this episode, Rod and Lesley talk about winning at suffering.  You think you have it bad, well... let me tell you.  To get in the mood, they suggest you start with an old Monte Python clip about old English guys lamenting about how good it was when it was so bad.  Lesley reveals that it was the moment that she saw in herself that she was winning at suffering that she decided to win at happiness instead.  Rod quizzes Lesley and they get at a few tips.  If you find you are being one-upped on the suffering scale, recognize your reaction of feeling invalidated and give the other person some compassion. Be curious to see if they are a friend in need, or a friend in a bad habit (if you listen, you'll get it).   ps - The intro music is played by Lesley on cello on a piece specially written for our podcast by her cello teacher, Mary Katherine Finch (www.marykatherinefinch.com)

In this episode, Rod and Lesley take an experience with figuring out a vaccine registration portal to talk about when you need a change but don't realize it.  Like the fish who doesn't realize they are in water, we as humans don't realize we needed a break until we take the break. Or, we didn't realize how crappy the stress was, until we are free from the stress.  In an ironic twist, both Rod and Lesley realize that there is a way (even though they didn't see it at first). And that way is to leverage the RAIN approach (Recognize, Allow, Investigate, and Nuture - discussed in an earlier episode), when you start to get the hint that you might be in a spot that you should change from.      ps - You'll hear new intro music. That is played by Lesley on cello and written by her teacher Mary Katherine Finch (www.marykatherinefinch.com)

In this episode, Rod and Lesley consider if the old adage of the cobbler's kids having bad shoes applies to change managers. Following their intuition, it doesn't.  In fact, it seems that once 'change management' is into your essence, it is hard not to focus on others when trying to make a change happen.  This causes a little crisis of ethics...but only for a moment.  Listen to hear what Rod and Lesley both do when trying to get family members to adopt their ideas.

In this episode, Rod and Lesley take on a new challenge - what do you do when there is no change in our lives. When every day is the same! They talk about how we now have to plan ahead for surprise moments. Yes, it might take the spontaneity out of it, but novelty in our day to day is still a good thing.  They also reflect on how we have all changed to adapt to this Groundhog Day life, and that it will be a change process again when this eventually ends.  

In this episode, Rod and Lesley talk about how they are polar opposite on decision making.  Rod, mulls over decisions in-depth. Lesley, makes them with ease.   Tough decisions, of course, are moments where we make change happen in our lives.  One benefit of thinking about, and learning about tough decision making is that it reveals the gift that it can give you.  When tough options are difficult to compare on a pro and con list, how you make the decision is a way to express who you are as an individual.

For anyone who is like Rod and mulls over hard choices in a long drawn out way, this Ted Talk explores this topic. The talk is long winded and hard to follow, but listen carefully to the last three minutes, the insight is reveal.  

How to make hard choices by Ruth Chang

In this episode, Rod and Lesley mark the one year anniversary of COVID lockdown with a reflective discussion on what it was like a year ago, and how we have changed since.  To the surprise of no one, Rod reveals himself as a worrier, and Lesley thinks buying a few extra cans of soup makes her a prepper.  Discussion touches briefly on the space time continuum and reveals that Lesley can't wait to get back to giving awkwardly long hugs to people (to the surprise of no one).

In this episode, Rod and Lesley honour International Women's Day March 8, 2021 with with an open and genuine conversation about what it means to choose to challenge.  Lesley shares great insight and personal stories on how she has changed her view on what it means to be involved in Women in Leadership initiatives.  This is their longest podcast to-date, but there was much to discuss and share.

#ChooseToChallenge  #IWD2021

In this episode, Rod and Lesley share the R.A.I.N. mindfulness based model, developed by Tara Brach as a way to help when feeling overwhelmed with fight or flight emotions.  You'll hear Lesley share her fan-girl crush for podcaster Laurie Santos (Happiness Lab) along side her mental block with A. (yes, the letter A).

Rod admits to be decent at Recognizing emotions but not much more than that. Sharing the common challenge we all have to resist trying to fix our, and other's, problems.

Find out more about R.A.I.N. at https://www.tarabrach.com/rain/

In this episode, Rod and Lesley do their first interview!   In honour of Black History Month, they invited Amina Charles to join them and share her experience of change in her life.  And what a story it is!  Rod and Lesley were left in awe listening to such a courageous and positive personality. Amina shares her story of coming to Canada at 12 to being in an adult literacy learner, to participating in her first protest, to starting her own business.   Reference links • MTML (Metro Toronto Movement for Literacy) www.mtml.ca • Amina's online business True Tranquillity that sells crystal infused candals - www.truetranquillity.com 

In this episode, Rod and Lesley talk about dealing with disappointment.  And leave it to these two to bring this topic up on Valentine's Day.  It wasn't heart-break that motivated this topic though, it was the cancelation of March Break ! This discussion picks up in many ways from the New Year's episode (Episode 22) discussing Hope and Optimism for 2021 in the time of Covid.  They knew then that s*** would happen, but it always seems like a surprise when it does.   Ps - Next week will be a surprise episode with something we've never done before.