Welcome back to the 1life podcast. I’m Behka White and this is Episode 140 - Ship it. Today I’m sharing a composite book review, challenging the idea of born genius and highlighting the 10,000-hour rule for expertise. I'll also discuss Seth Godin's quote, "Ship often. Ship lousy stuff, but ship," and how it relates to overcoming imposter syndrome and refining your craft.

Welcome back to the 1life podcast! I'm Behka White, and this is Episode 139: "The Stairwell." In this episode, we reflect on the powerful poem "Meet Me in the Stairwell" by Stacey Randall, shared by my friend Rabbi Steve in commemoration of 9/11. The poem offers a profound message of God's presence and unwavering love, even in our darkest moments. Join me as we explore the comforting truth that no matter where our journey takes us, we are never alone, and God's love can always find us.

In Episode 138, Behka commemorates her son Josiah's birthday, who would have been 18. Josiah, born with a rare genetic disease, lived for only 42 days. Despite being told he wouldn't survive, Josiah showed a relentless will to live, leaving a lasting impact on the family. His 42 days were filled with lessons about life, death, pain, love, grief, and family bonds. To honor Josiah, Behka reissues the "42 Day Challenge," prompting listeners to reflect on how they are using their "big chance at life."   She then shifts to discuss finding one's "life's work," referencing Moses at the burning bush and the idea that God has a work for everyone. To guide this, she shares four principles from Elder John C. Pingree Jr.: (1) Focus on Others, (2) Discover and Develop Talents and Spiritual Gifts, (3) Make Use of Adversity, and (4) Rely on God. Behka suggests that listeners are likely already engaged in their life's work and encourages them to use the 42-day challenge for intentional recentering and motivation. The invitation is to choose something important and work at it relentlessly for 42 days.

Welcome back to the 1Life podcast! In Episode 137, Behka celebrates Mother's Day and reminds us that motherhood, like life, is beautifully imperfect. She shares a funny, relatable story about a parenting 'fail' involving her son and his ukulele. This anecdote illustrates the point that no parent is perfect, and those imperfections don't ruin our kids. Behka emphasizes that we all have a perfect Mother in Heaven and encourages mothers to embrace their imperfections and allow the Savior to fill in the gaps. She reminds all mothers that their work is important, they make a difference, and they're doing better than they think they are. This episode is a heartfelt tribute to mothers everywhere, celebrating their efforts and offering encouragement.

In Episode 136 of the 1life podcast, Behka discusses the concept of "Enduring to the End." She connects this idea to her personal experience with her son Jonah's passing. Behka shares that when Jonah was very ill, she considered turning off his oxygen to end his suffering, but ultimately decided not to. She describes how choosing to let Jonah live his last day led to a day filled with joy, love, and creating special memories with their family. This experience taught her that even amidst hardship, there is joy available, and that enduring to the end can bring blessings and rewards that cannot be gained any other way. Behka encourages listeners facing challenges not to give up and "peel out early," but to choose to endure and look for the joy available on the way. She references James 5:11, "Behold, we count them happy which endure," suggesting that happiness can be found through perseverance.

In Episode 135 of the 1life podcast, Behka discusses her role as a hospice chaplain and the concept of Medical Assistance in Dying (MAID) in Colorado. Professionally she supports her patients' decisions, and personally, she holds a differing belief system.    Behka believes God determines the day of birth and death, and choosing to end life prematurely interrupts an intended progression. She also believes the body is an essential part of the soul, and its separation at death is a form of bondage for the spirit until the resurrection.   She emphasizes the preciousness of life and invites listeners to take a moment to feel the joy of being alive, to breathe in positivity and release negativity. She encourages listeners to hug loved ones and express how precious life is.

Episode 134 focuses on a parenting tip centered around letting children solve their own problems. Drawing from her experience as a mother of nine, Behka discusses how the natural instinct of parents is to "swoop in" and fix things for their kids. However, she argues that this approach weakens children's problem-solving skills and fosters dependence. The episode emphasizes that children often have the capacity to handle challenges but may lack experience. Behka shares personal stories of how she's learned to step back and provide love, support, and listening rather than solutions. She encourages parents to believe in their children's abilities and offer perspective only when asked, ultimately fostering resilience and strength in their kids.

Episode 133 delves into the meaning of "Carpe Diem," which translates to "seize the day." The podcast emphasizes the difference between passively letting the day happen to you versus actively choosing the kind of day you want to have. It highlights the power we have in how we respond to external circumstances and encourages listeners to intentionally define their day with qualities like gratitude, joy, productivity, or fun. The core message is to be present, engaged, and make the most of the time available by actively shaping each moment into something meaningful. The invitation is to choose what kind of day you will have, claim it, and live it.

This episode explores the importance of humor in life. Sharing a personal anecdote about a chaotic Christmas decorating experience with young children, Behka highlights how humor can transform stressful situations. The key takeaway is that life can be tough, and humor makes it more fun. The episode encourages listeners to actively seek out humor in their daily lives, promising that if they do, they will find it. 

In this episode, Behka explores how a powerful quote from basketball star Paige Bueckers, "The past can't hurt us, it can only make us stronger," can apply to our own lives. We discuss how our past experiences, both good and bad, can be used as tools for growth and improvement, rather than letting them hold us back. Tune in to hear about reframing your past and making productive adjustments for a stronger future.

Episode 130 discusses an engineer's perspective on life, which is to examine how things work, even if they are already functioning well, in order to understand them better and be able to fix them if needed. This advice is applied to life, suggesting that reflecting on what is working well in relationships or other areas and understanding the reasons for that success can help improve areas that need work. The invitation is to analyze a successful aspect of life to apply that knowledge to an area that needs improvement.

Episode 129 focuses on the concept of asking "What CAN I do?" when facing limitations or difficulties. It uses the speaker's personal experience of recovery from a hysterectomy as an example. During recovery, the speaker felt depressed about what she couldn't do, but then remembered John Wooden's quote, "Don’t let what you cannot do interfere with what you can do." This prompted her to focus on the things she could still do, even within her limitations, such as resting, connecting with her kids, and accepting help. The episode encourages listeners to apply this principle when facing their own barriers and to ask themselves, "What can I do?" and then act on it.

In Episode 128 host Behka White discusses how life presents us with challenges, or "shapeless masses," which we can choose to see as either stumbling blocks or stepping stones. Using David from the Old Testament and a poem called "Bag of Tools" as examples, it emphasizes that we have the agency to decide how we respond to these challenges. God gives us what we need, not necessarily what we expect, and it's up to us to use our "tools" to grow. The episode encourages listeners to consider what they have been given and to turn their stumbling blocks into stepping stones, with the help of a Savior who strengthens and delivers.

Episode 127 uses the "crab mentality" to illustrate how people in an unsupportive environment can hold each other back from success. It emphasizes the importance of surrounding yourself with people who encourage and uplift you, rather than those who pull you down. The episode encourages listeners to be architects of their own environment and to seek out relationships that foster growth and success.

Episode 126 focuses on the importance of raising children to be good humans rather than focusing solely on their achievements. Behka White shares a story about a man who prioritized raising his sons over raising cows. The episode emphasizes that children need opportunities to learn, grow, fail, and succeed with humility. It encourages parents to find activities that ignite their children's passions and get them engaged in life. The overall message is to prioritize raising good humans over chasing achievements.

Episode 125 features a story about a high school volleyball coach who inspired her players to be optimistic and resilient. The coach, Nancy Zehnder, was known for being tough but also fiercely loving and supportive. She started each practice with a thought or quote and pushed her players to work hard and support each other. The episode concludes with a poem about two frogs in a cream bowl; one gives up and drowns while the other keeps swimming and eventually churns the cream into butter and escapes. The moral is to be optimistic and never give up, even when things are tough.

In Episode 124, Behka White shares a story about a man who, due to a stroke, had difficulty communicating during his sermon. He shared his regret for not serving a mission in his youth and encouraged young people to serve. The main message is that it's never too early or too late to serve God, and we need to show love and belief to the young people in our lives.

Episode 123 encourages listeners to reflect on the past year with gratitude and curiosity. The host suggests questions to consider, such as what you're most grateful for, your most important growth, biggest challenge, biggest disappointment, and what you learned. These questions prompt reflection on personal experiences and lessons from the year.   The host shares her own responses, highlighting gratitude for her husband's job change, personal growth in various areas, and the challenge of perimenopause. She also discusses the difference between worth and achievement, emphasizing that worth is inherent and unchanging, while achievement is based on external factors. The episode concludes with a focus on gratitude and self-reflection.

Episode 122 is about applying the three foundational principles of meditation to life. The three principles are breath, posture, and forgiveness. Deep breathing slows the heart rate and brings calm. Posture affects how we feel and approach the world. Forgiveness means forgiving ourselves and starting again. The quicker we forgive ourselves, the easier the road will be. The host, Behka White, invites listeners to use these principles to live their best life. 

Episode 121 of the 1Life podcast explores the difference between winning and success, using the example of a basketball game between CBU and USC. The host's daughter played for CBU, the underdog team that ultimately lost. Despite the loss, the host emphasizes the success found in the effort and improvement demonstrated by the players. The episode highlights the importance of focusing on the process rather than solely on the outcome, emphasizing that true success lies in giving one's best effort and making progress. The host concludes with an invitation to engage in the process of life, show up, give your best effort, and learn and grow from the experience.