Barb Knows Best

This week on Barb Knows Best, Barb—a lifelong perfectionist—shares her wisdom and personal journey with perfectionism. Together, Barb and Michelle explore how this mindset shows up, especially during the holidays, and how to break free from its grip.

View full show notes of this episode.

Follow us @MichelleMaros and @Peaceful_Barb and share your experiences with us @BarbKnowsBestPod or at Michellemaros.com/podcast.

You can also find us on Substack at Love Notes by Michelle Maros and Peaceful Mind Peaceful Life.

Click here for Barb’s book, The Practice.

Don’t miss a thing, sign up for our newsletter, here!

This episode is sponsored by AG1, Anisa Beauty, BetterHelp and Sunbasket.

AG1 is a comprehensive, all-in-one supplement made up of 75 vitamins, minerals, and whole food sourced ingredients. Head over to drinkag1.com/barbknowsbest to get a free one-year supply of vitamin D3+K2 and five AG1 travel packs with your first purchase.

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Sunbasket offers wholesome, nutritious, and delicious meal kits, delivered to your door. Each week, you can choose from a brand new selection of quick and easy meal kit recipes, with a wide variety of dietary options, plus dozens of snacks, salads, breakfast items, and more. Go to sunbasket.com/barbknowsbest to save $120 across your first 4 deliveries.

In this week’s episode of the pod, Barb and Michelle discuss the old adage “you are the company that you keep”. Learn how Barb and Michelle think is the best way to cultivate meaningful, aligned relationships as well as being the example for the people in your life.

Follow us @MichelleMaros and @Peaceful_Barb and share your experiences with us @BarbKnowsBestPod or at www.michellemaros.com/podcast.

Episode Notes:

• Emotional contagion refers to a phenomenon of an automatic adoption of an emotional state of another person. We, as humans, have a natural tendency to mimic the people around us.
• Spend time with people that align with you are. Carefully choose the company you keep as they can influence how you think about yourself and how show up in the world.
• Be mindful of the places you hang out in, in the digital sphere, as it can influence you as much as those around you.
• You have choice. You can determine how you process and interpret the situation.
• Choose people that inspire you. Embrace the habits that you see in other people that will help you be the best version of yourself.
• Instead of modeling perfection, model authenticity. Be exactly who you are and just show up.

Resources Mentioned in Today’s Podcast:

• Emotional Contagion (Studies in Emotion and Social Interaction) by Elaine Hatfield, John T. Cacioppo, Richard L. Rapson
• Atlas of the Heart by Brené Brown

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In this week’s episode, Barb and Michelle take listeners through their detailed process of getting unstuck. It’s common for us to feel like we get stuck in ruts, habits, and situations that aren’t in our best interest. Luckily, we can start to move ourselves forward and out in an aligned, peaceful way. Follow us @MichelleMaros and @Peaceful_Barb and share your experiences with us @BarbKnowsBestPod or at www.michellemaros.com/podcast.

Episode Notes:

Eight Simple Tools to become unstuck:

1. Take an honest inventory of what you are feeling.
2. Acknowledge the negative thoughts that are fueling how you are feeling.
3. Have curiosity about the core of the negative thoughts. Ask yourself where are these negative thoughts coming from?
4. Learn to modify the negative thoughts. Don’t believe everything that your mind is telling you.
5. Come up with a positive replacement to intercept the negative thoughts.
6. Stretch your comfort zone. Even a tiny change can quickly shift the negative feelings of being stuck.
7. Visualize the life you truly desire and the dreams you have.
8. Realize your greatness lies in the power to choose your own thoughts.

References Mentioned in Today’s Podcast:

5 Gentle Reminders for When You’re Feeling Stuck

The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma by Bessel van der Kolk, M.D.

GET YOUR LIMITED EDITION BARB KNOWS BEST MERCH TODAY! CLICK HERE!

In this week’s episode, Barb and Michelle discuss the art of assertive communication, and how we all can cultivate the skills needed to communicate in this way. Plus, they share their own personal experiences being afraid to be assertive for fears of not being liked, and more! Follow us @MichelleMaros and @Peaceful_Barb and share your experiences with us @BarbKnowsBestPod or at www.michellemaros.com/podcast.

Episode Notes:

Tips to becoming a more assertive communicator:

• Know who you are and what you want.
• Say what you mean.
• Be present in your conversation.
• Take responsibility and do not be passive in your communication.
• Ask questions for clarity.
• Tell the truth.
• Know when to be silent.
• Give yourself permission to take space in the conversation.
• Reinforce your boundaries.
• Be open to compliments as well as criticism.

Helpful responses when you are in a difficult conversation:

1. I’ve already said No twice. Could we please talk about something else?
2. I don’t tolerate (insert boundary here), so we can pause this conversation and come back to it later.
3. Please let me finish this one thought and I will give you a chance to speak.
4. I am not comfortable doing that or that doesn’t work for me. This one line will help with someone who is not willing to take “no” for an answer.

References Mentioned in Today’s Podcast:

10 Reminders for Effective Communication by Michelle Maros

GET YOUR BARB KNOWS BEST MERCH TODAY! CLICK HERE!

This week, Barb and Michelle are sharing the highly requested list of Barb’s favorite quotes that have deeply resonated and changed her life. From famous philanthropists you’ve heard of to some amazing teachers that Barb met personally, this is an episode filled with wisdom and inspiration to bless you on your life journey.

In this episode, they talk about:

• Nuggets of wisdom that have encouraged and changed Barb’s life
• Being curious and remaining open to new lessons and perspectives from others
• Giving yourself the grace, compassion, and forgiveness as you navigate through life’s difficulties

Also mentioned in this episode:

• The Road Less Traveled by M. Scott Peck
• The Complete Poetry by Maya Angelou
• Top Five Regrets of the Dying by Bronnie Ware
• Devotions by Mary Oliver
• “Your vision will become clear only when you look into your heart. Who looks outside, dreams. Who looks inside, awakens” - Carl Jung
• “It’s never too late to be what you might have been” - George Eliot

Follow us @MichelleMaros and @Peaceful_Barb and share your experiences with us @BarbKnowsBestPod or at Michellemaros.com/podcast.

Click here for Barb’s book, The Practice.

Don’t miss a thing, sign up for our newsletter, here!

This episode is sponsored by AG1, BetterHelp, ByHeart, Factor, Lumen, and Mint Mobile.

AG1 is a comprehensive, all-in-one supplement made up of 75 vitamins, minerals, and whole food sourced ingredients. Head over to drinkag1.com/barbknowsbest to get a free one-year supply of vitamin D3+K2 and five AG1 travel packs with your first purchase.

BetterHelp is the world’s largest online therapy service—providing professional, afforable, and personalized therapy in a convenient online format. Go to betterhelp.com/barbknowsbest to get 10% off your first month.

ByHeart is an infant nutrition company built from the ground up to deliver real innovation on behalf of babies and parents. Their mission is simple: make the best formula in the world. Redeem your welcome offer at ByHeart.com/Podcast with code BARBKNOWSBEST for a limited time. Additional terms and conditions apply.

Factor’s fresh, chef-prepared meals take the guesswork out of eating healthy. Every meal uses thoughtfully sourced ingredients with no hormones, antibiotics, GMOs, or additives. Head over to factormeals.com/barbknowsbest50 to get 50% off your first box, plus 20% off your next month.

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