The Practical Path - A Podcast for Personal and Spiritual Growth

First, something new we mentioned on the show this week We'd love to hear from you! No matter if you're a brand new listener to The Practical Path, of you've been with us from the start, you know we talk about all kinds of "real life" experiences, and what they have to teach us about personal and spiritual growth.

So... How about you? Is there anything you'd like to hear more about? Is there any particular question you may have...? We're no experts, of course, but both Vicki and Bill do enjoy sharing and helping and offering whatever wisdom and experience they have have that could be of service to our listeners.

This week, a new quote to kick things off: "If you aren't experienceing failure, then you are making a far worse mistake: You are being driven by the desire to avoid it." 

What does that mean for you? Bill takes some time to "unpack" his thoughts on the topic, as he considers his own actions (or lack of them) when it comes to building his online business... something he says is important to him. Seems the question is; how important? Something to think about in lots of different life-aspects. Relationships, jobs, and more. 

Also, an interesting blog post on "YAMO." What's that? "Youre' Always Mission Out." Kinda like YOLO (You Only Live Once).. it's a way of looking at all the different choices we have - with just about everything! - in life, and making good decisions. Ones based out of what we truly want, not out of a fear of missing something else. 

This week, more about learning patience! Bill is working his way through that lesson when it comes to his eye-surgery recovery. To say it's been a "long and winding road" would be an undertatement. 

More impotantly, Bill and Vicki talk about the differences between "respond" and "react." Hint: one is more proactive, the other is a more emotion-based. One is more "in-the-moment," the other is definitely more thoughtful. 

Also, there's a talk about how to build and develop better "resilience." Here's the link to the post we talked about: 

This week, to paraphrase The Beatles, "life is a long and winding road." In other words, we may have a good idea of where we'd like to go (or maybe not!), but the way we get to that desination very rarely follows the path we first imagined.

On the show this week, a good discussion of taking charge of your own life, following whatever path you choose, and maybe even doing some stuff along the way that scares you!

Along those lines, we talk about a recent Instagram post from popular author and personal development speaker Mel Robbins. It's all about finding the courage to do those scary things, and hopefull have fun along the way.

This week, a little bit more on the great conversation we started last week on "gratitude." There's plenty to talk about on the subject for sure. 

Also this week, a discussion on a new post we found, called "How to walk the path of “everyday enlightenment.” Hint: It's a lot easier than you might think... Second hint, it's not so much about hours of meditation... it's more about your daily actions. 

Thanks again for joining us!

With appreciation;
Bill Sklodowski
Vicki Wagoner 

This week - a nice, refreshing, deep dive into Gratitude. Whaat starts out as Bill's new idea to have a "moment of gratitude" at the beginning of each episode turns into a full hour's disucssion of the topic...

It's all about spreading good vibes or energies (whatever you choose to call it) around yourself, your family, community, and the entire planet (universe?). No matter how you slice it, there's plenty of good t come from an attitude of gratitude. Also, just for fun, Bill asks ChatGPT - an artificial intelligence app - for more info and "thoughts" on gratitude, and the results were - to put it mildly - mind-blowing! 

Thanks again for joining us!

With appreciation;
Bill Sklodowski
Vicki Wagoner 

This week... a really, REALLY good discussion and deep-dive, prompted by an Instagram post talking about how to determine if you are living with a "wounded" inner child. Spoiler Alert: You very likely are. Why? We've all had some "interesting" early-life experiences. Where they all bad or negative? No, but we all have some "recovery" to do. 

Listen in for the signs of an inner child that needs love and care, and of course some great ideas, tools and concepts of what you can do to help yourself become a better YOU. 

Thanks again for joining us!

With appreciation;
Bill Sklodowski
Vicki Wagoner 

This week, we should call it the "Grattitude Episode." It didn't start out that way, but once the conversation gets rolling, that's exactly what it turned out to be! 

It all starts with talk about a mutual friend of Bill and Vicki, and how a recent "milestone" birthday caused a bit of depression. Sounds strange, but when you hear the full story, you'll understand. Maybe it's happened to you, too? Seeing the years go by, perhaps losing family and friends. 

That's how we get to gratitude. While "love" can be a challenging thing to focus on for some, because perhaps of different love-related experiences and relationships, gratitude seems a bit more universal, perhaps easier to embrace. Bill and Vicki talk about how to generate more gratitude in life, and some of the experts that have helped shape our mindset about it. 

Thanks again for joining us!

With appreciation;
Bill Sklodowski
Vicki Wagoner 

Thsi week, not one, but two great lists of powerful ideas. See if you can put any of these concepts to work (or play!) in your life.

This week, as Bill continues his recovery from eye surgery, there's a good discussin of "patience." Funny how we can suggest it to our friends and family, but when it's our turn to demonstrate some, things can get a little wonky! 

Also this week, and perhaps related to the "patience" talk, a bigger discussion on the power of foregiveness. Not just any kind of foregiveness, but the really important kind, the kind we give to ourselves. 

Thanks again for joining us!

With appreciation;
Bill Sklodowski
Vicki Wagoner 

This week, Bill and Vicki talk about one of the best "cliche" lines of all time, at least in the world of personal development: "It is what it is." Crazy how one simple idea can cover so much ground, and how frustrating it can be when put to work in real life. Still, "it is what it is" is a - we hope! - useful idea for thinking about the ups and downs of life. 

Also this week, a review of a great blog post from Self.com on procrastination. Do you put things off? Yeah, we do to. We've got some simple tips on overcoming and dealing with procrastination. Don't wait on this one... do it now! (grin)

This week, some real "human stuff." Bill talks about the emotinal and energetic challenges of his upcoming eye surgery. All the usual suspects are here: Fear, anticipation, hopefulness, desire to just "get it over with," and lots more. For now, we're just calling it an "interesting experience." 

Also, another good discussion of another good blog post. This time, it's all about FOBO. You've probably heard of FOMO (Fear of Missing Out), but now there's FOBO, or Fear of a Better Option. What does that mean? It's all about the "analysis paralysis" that comes from having too many options, or thinking the "best" option is still to come. Ever been stuck in FOBO? Then this discuttion is for you. 

The search is offically on... we're looking for a new term or phrase to use in place of "senior citizen." Just seems like we're all approaching (or already at) "that age," and we would really like to find something better! Got a suggestion? Head over to our Facebook page. Do a search for "The Practical Path Podcast," and you'll find it. Looking forward to hearing from you! 

Part of that "senior thing" is the occasional health issue. Co-host Bill is dealing with that now, as he's going through the experience of a surgical eye procedure. When talking to his doctors, the story he heard was "just something that happens with age." Now you see what's up with the senior citizen thing! (grin)

On the more fun and interesting side, a nice discussion of "12 Sentences Emotionally Intelligent People Use Under Pressure." Good, helpful stuff! We'll post the infographic on the Facebook page. Check it out! 

Thanks again for joining us!

With appreciation;
Bill Sklodowski
Vicki Wagoner 

Crazy times out there, for sure. We start this week's journey down the Practical Path by talking about how we can be more mindful and (hopefully) aware of what's going on around us in these strange times, and how to be more peaceful and connected, with outselves and those who are important to us. 

This week... Bill has completed his short-distance, but long-on-meaning move across town in Gainesville, Florida. See what we did there? Yes, there are a few interesting life lessons to be learned, and "life experiments" to try for everyone, not just those looking to physically relocate themselves. 

Regular listeners to the podcast know that Bill has talked about his feelings of "wanderlust" now and then. Some news on that this week.. Bill has decided to move! Yet it's a relatively simeple cross-town thing, staying in the same city where he's at now, Gainesville, Florida. 

Still, it stratches the "wanderlust" itch, and there's some good conversation about new chapters of life, new intentions, and more. 

In addition, there's a good disucssion of a great way to gain more clarity and focus in life. A recent online magazine article talks about the idea of writing a "life brief." Not like a legal case, but similar, in that it's all about boilding down what's really important to you. 

This week, we had some questions about the ways co-host Vicki Wagoner helps her clients in various sessions of guidance and support. We take a few minutes to talk about her process, the people she helps, and the types of support and empowerment they recieve as her client. Powerful stuff! 

Also, Bill is a big fan of personal development writer and speaker Mel Robbins. There's a fun and interesting conversation about a new idea Robbins is talking about... the simple concept of "Let Them." What does that mean? Remember the Beatles' song, "Let It Be?" Kinda like that. Tune in to find out more! 

Thanks again for joining us!

With appreciation;
Bill Sklodowski
Vicki Wagoner 

This week, an update from Bill and Vicki about their progress, thoughts and other inspirations from the "experiment" with journaling for the past coiuple of weeks. 

Question: When you meditate, or are just quiet with yourself for a few minutes, do you hear those "voices in your head?" We're guessing you probably do... most people have some kind fo self-talk going on almost all the time. That's not a bad thing, by the way, it's the "default" wiriting system for us humans. 

Still, it's important to know if what you're hearing is supporting you, or causing more mental static and negativity. Vicki and Bill spend some time talking about how to manage and respond to the "stuff" you hear in your head. Like most everything else, self-talk can be a powerful tool for self-growth and development.

Thanks again for joining us!

With appreciation;
Bill Sklodowski
Vicki Wagoner 

This week, the results of an small "experiment" for both Bill and Vicki... keeping a journal for the week! There weren't any rules aboiut it... just write something - anything - every day for the week since the last podcast. We're happy to report that both our hosts did indeed write something every day, and this week they're back to talk about the experience.

How did it go? Good enough that both Vicki and Bill indicate they want to continue the journaling "thing" ... yet perhaps not every day. Perhaps when inspiration strikes, or something journal-worthy comes up. As the old restaurant line said, "No rules... just right" 

Tune in to see how it all went, and continues to go! 

Thanks again for joining us!

With appreciation;
Bill Sklodowski
Vicki Wagoner 

This week, something new. While Bill and Vicki have suggested "homework" for listeners in the past, this week they're giving themselves some homework. A bit of a challenge, as is popular on social media these days.

It's all about journaling. Both Bill and Vicki are taking up the challenge of writing something - anything - down on paper (yes, real paper and ink / pencil) for a week, starting with this week's show. They'll check in next week and see how the experiement worked. 

Do you do journaling? A lot of people do. We talk about it on this week's show. How (honesty) it hasn't been something that's been a priority for either Bill or Vicki over the years of personal growth. Will that change? We'll see! 

Thanks again for joining us!

With appreciation;
Bill Sklodowski
Vicki Wagoner 

With credit to a post on the "UpWorthy" blog, this week Bill and Vicki talk about some rules of life that you might not want to admit are true, but they certainly are. Here's a sample of one of the rules: "Some friendships will not last." Challenging, but true. 

As always, it's how we deal with the "uncomfortable truths" of life that set us up for success, happiness and more ... or the opposite. It's about being aware of what we're going through, and another of those rules: "Everything is temporary." 

We're setting the intention this week that even if some of life's "rules" can seem a bit harsh, there's always a good life lesson and "learnable moment" in everything. Yes, everything! 

Thanks again for joining us!

With appreciation;
Bill Sklodowski
Vicki Wagoner 

Lots of great talk about - and "nuts and bolts" ways to implement - gratitude in your life. Bill quotes a big study that showed (and continues to show) the ongoing, real-life physical health benefits of being in a better state fo gratitude about your life, and the world in general. Powerful ideas about being a little more positive and optimistic...

Of course there's more, including those little "lessons and learnings" from the Universe we talk about each week. For Bill, it's been an on-going life-lesson about setting, maintaining and communicating boundaries to himself and those around him. 

Thanks again for joining us!

With appreciation;
Bill Sklodowski
Vicki Wagoner 

This week, a deeper dive into the idea of "being your own best friend." Sometimes it takes a hard, direct look into the mirror ... not to berate yourself for the negatives in your life, but to recognize the goodness "in there" and to celebrate the little everyday wins in life. 

Also, Bill quotes from a great post on men doing the personal development "thing." How - as men - there's often the desire to do more, get more, work harder. That's not always the best way to grow, and we'll talk about some other (we feel, better) options. 

Thanks again for joining us!

With appreciation;
Bill Sklodowski
Vicki Wagoner 

This week, a small podcast-based celebration of Bill's birthday! Yay! Another successful trip around the sun. (Plenty of thanks and gratitude for that...)

More this week on setting up, speaking about and most importantly, enforcing "boundaries." It won't always be be easy... Bill has a good story on that, taken from his real-life experience of the past few weeks. Yet it's definitely worth the work and challenge it may present. Tune in for some ideas and tools for making boundaries work in your life.

Also, the power of "OK." Yes, it sounds pretty boring, pretty "meh," as some people say... yet that simple word (is "OK" a word?) can be so powerful and helpful in everyday life. Check out the show to see how Vicki and Bill put it to work. 

There's more as well... you're just going to have to listen in to find out what it is! 

Thanks again for joining us!

With appreciation;
Bill Sklodowski
Vicki Wagoner 

We've decided to make it a "thing" every week... our little opening story or "Lesson from the Universe." What have we learned - or simply been shown - by the universe in the past week that's made an impression on us. Might be good... might be a little negative. Doesn't matter. Bill and Vicki believe that everything that happens to us in this life has something to learn from, something to grow from. What's that been for you this week? 

Also, Bill found a wonderful article (see the link below) talking about setting personal boundaries in life, even if you are the person that "everyone depends on." For Bill, there's some personal / inward connection as well, as he's working on some "boundary issues" of his own, for himself. A little weird, yes, but check it out.