We all put on masks. But the greater the difference between our masks and our real selves, the greater our struggles become. This episode is all about how to resolve that tension. How do we relieve the tension and stress of constantly hiding ourselves away and pretending to have it all together?

We believe that lasting life can happen for your good and for God's glory.

Chapters:
00:00:00 Introduction
00:00:08 Unpacking the Inner Workings of Our Lives
00:01:43 Identifying the False Self: Who Are You Really?
00:02:18 Presenting a Put-Together Image vs. Being Authentic
00:04:07 The False Self: Desiring Acceptance through Image and Performance
00:05:52 The False Self and the Development of the Shadow
00:07:04 Examples of the False Self and the Shadow
00:10:08 The Impact of the Shadow on Our Lives
00:11:04 The Power and Influence of Shadows
00:13:17 The Consequences of Living into the False Self
00:17:22 Finding Healing by Embracing the True Self
00:21:42 Embracing God's Invitation of Love and Acceptance
00:24:57 Reflecting on Our False Self and Shadow in Life's Story

What if what we think peace is just a false peace? What if the way we think we find peace is backward?

Peace is more than just the absence of conflict; it is the presence of wholeness. In order to find restoration, healing, and recovery, we often have to push through the difficult things. Just because things seem calm doesn't mean that things are the way they are supposed to be. To find true healing and restoration, we must lean into things that don't always feel peaceful.

• (00:06) - Finding true peace: serenity, sanity, and wholeness
• (02:06) - Shalom: a deeper understanding of peace
• (05:22) - False peace vs. true peace: facing reality and restoration
• (11:22) - The impact of unhealed wounds on our lives
• (12:45) - Jesus is for the injured and those with a limp
• (15:06) - The myth of happiness and seeking false peace

How do we find serenity in the middle of the storm? This week, we turn to a prayer that many have found to be a help in their journeys. We unpack the serenity prayer, and it's spiritual import to our daily lives. So often, we struggle to deal with our anxiety or navigate the difficult situations we find ourselves in. Finding peace can allow us to move forward.

God, grant me the serenity

to accept the things I cannot change,

the courage to change the things I can,

and the wisdom to know the difference.

Living one day at a time,

enjoying one moment at a time;

accepting hardship as a pathway to peace;

taking, as Jesus did,

this sinful world as it is,

not as I would have it;

trusting that you will make all things right

if I surrender to your will;

so that I may be reasonably happy in this life

and supremely happy with you forever in the next.

Amen.

-- Reinhold Niebuhr

The person we trust most is often ourselves. What if we can't trust ourselves as much as we thought? What if we actually need to surrender control to avoid the outcomes it seems like we are headed toward? We have been listening to our own wisdom, and so far it has not gotten us to where we thought it would. This week we look at the freedom that comes with surrendering our lives to Jesus and experiencing the grace that He has for us. You can experience change, just not alone.

• (00:04) - Wrestling with Denial and Identifying Insanity
• (01:51) - Letting Go of Control and Allowing Someone Else to Drive
• (05:14) - Jesus Take the Wheel: Turning Life Over to Christ
• (09:39) - Habitual Route to Work
• (10:44) - Blessed are those with Roads to Zion in their hearts
• (12:06) - Inviting Jesus to Pave New Roads in Our Hearts
• (12:57) - Finding Rest in Jesus
• (15:04) - The Love and Mercy of God

Doing the same thing over and over again but expecting different results. How do we stop the cycle we are in? If we are stuck in addiction or in the past, we might be behaving in a way that is going to lead to results we don't want. This week we talk about some of the keys to putting a stop to the insanity and turning around.

• (00:07) - Introduction: The Rooted Life Change Podcast
• (01:21) - Illustration: How did we end up here?
• (05:34) - Turning towards sanity: Wake up and embrace strength and acceptance
• (10:22) - Finding Serenity in the Midst of Life's Storms
• (13:10) - Aligning Actions with Values for a Life of Integrity
• (15:23) - Cultivating Trust in Others and in Ourselves

No one sets out to end up in a bad place, so how do we end up in places we would never want to go. We get comfortable with how we are living but what if we are comfortable with things that are leading us bad places. When our habits and cycles are unhealthy we need to own the fact that we are not going in a good direction.

• (00:06) - Introduction to the Rooted Life Change Podcast
• (01:34) - Exploring the Concept of Sanity and Insanity
• (02:34) - Unhealthy Habits and Routines Leading to Undesired Outcomes
• (03:56) - The Incongruity of Actions Leading to Unwanted Consequences
• (05:35) - Insanity: Doing the Same Thing and Expecting Different Results
• (06:32) - Addiction as a Path to Isolation and Loneliness
• (07:53) - Believing Short-Term Lies and the Consequences of Choices
• (09:43) - The Lie of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil
• (11:43) - The Consequences of Our Choices
• (12:30) - The Insanity of Believing Lies
• (13:52) - The Lies We Tell Ourselves

Pride can take many forms. We might not think of ourselves as prideful, but if we are in a place where we are stuck, it just might be one of the things holding us in place. A place of humility is a place of learning and growing. It's a place where our hearts are ready to receive what God has for us.

We believe that lasting life can happen for your good and for God's glory.

Theme Music by Lexin_Music from Pixabay

• (00:12) - Addressing Denial and the Obstacle of Shame
• (02:09) - The Second Obstacle: Pride and the Hero Narrative
• (08:03) - Pride as the Blame Game and Neglecting Personal Responsibility
• (11:16) - The Impact of Carrying Our Habits and Mindsets
• (12:31) - Overcoming Pride and the Importance of Humility
• (15:03) - Heeding Correction and Embracing Humility
• (22:58) - Welcoming viewers to the conversation

In this episode, we discuss the importance of admitting our problems and overcoming denial. We explore the consequences of staying on our current path and how denial suppresses our feelings and hinders growth. We highlight the need to confront our problems head-on and seek help for true life change. Despite our flaws, God's love guides us towards a better future. Lasting change is possible, and we invite listeners to subscribe, comment, and share their questions and topics for future episodes.

• (00:05) - Welcome to the Rooted Life Change Podcast
• (01:04) - Choosing between staying the same or making a change
• (02:10) - Staying in denial costs us discomfort and leads to unwanted outcomes
• (03:12) - Consequences of not making change and staying in denial
• (06:23) - Staying in denial costs us energy and exhausts us
• (07:45) - Staying in denial stunts our growth
• (10:15) - Staying in denial isolates us
• (11:57) - The Consequences of Denial and Isolation
• (15:37) - The Consequences of Denial and Procrastination
• (17:29) - Evaluating the Path and Future Consequences
• (20:20) - Embracing Change and God's Grace