Maura Sweeney: Living Happy Inside Out | Self-Improvement | Leadership | The Power of Happiness
170 episodes - English - Latest episode: about 2 months ago - ★★★★★ - 112 ratingsThe Maura Sweeney: Living Happy Inside Out podcast is specifically designed for you to begin living happy from the inside out. With reflective questions, anecdotal stories and encouraging thoughts, Maura empowers you toward transformation, reinvention and personal growth. Because Maura focuses on the thought life, she's been described as spirituality centered, philosophy focused and self-help oriented. However, when listening to her podcasts, you’ll quickly realize that Maura’s inspiring messages are always 4u!
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Episodes
127 What Are You Afraid of?
October 23, 2017 20:08 - 11 minutes - 16.4 MBMost of our personal conflicts and greater social problems arise out of fear. In this podcast, I discuss the two ultimate, yet polarized, human emotions: one is love and the other is fear. Love is our birthright and our natural state of wholeness, peace and harmony where vitality continually flows. The second emotion, fear, exists on the opposite side of the emotion spectrum. Fear obscures our true life, seeking to avoid, protect and limit rather than allowing us to extend and grow. Di...
126 Limited Scope
October 03, 2017 19:39 - 11 minutes - 16.4 MBAre you seeing life through a limited lens? Have you been viewing your life and circumstances through a restricted and narrow perspective, or opening up your mind to a broader way of thinking? In this podcast, discover several examples of how by defining an idea through a narrow perspective, I prevented myself from seeing so much more – even though the evidence was all around me! If you have ever restricted your own ideas on life and are looking for inspiration that leads to abundant ...
125 Eye of the Hurricane
September 10, 2017 18:28 - 13 minutes - 6.46 MBWhat do you do when facing some of your biggest fears? In this impromptu and unedited podcast, Maura Sweeney releases some of her own thoughts on the subject, while hours away from the eye of Hurricane Irma approaching her Tampa Bay, Florida home. Whether you are facing a traditional hurricane or encountering any of a number of common human fears, you’ll find something to uplift, inspire and empower you from the inside out. #Hurricane #Irma #Empowerment #Fears #Peace
124 The Cost of Happiness
August 15, 2017 04:30 - 12 minutes - 16.9 MBWe all want to be happy, but what if that desire for happiness makes us afraid? Often, we focus on the “cost” of change rather than the ultimate benefits we hope to enjoy. The cost of happiness can show up in a variety of ways. Each one of them reveals itself via a private nudge, especially when we’re paying attention to life cues. Listen as I share three of my own stories about confronting the cost of happiness: 1) facing a type of self-incarceration so I could adjust for future freedom...
123 Help
August 08, 2017 04:30 - 11 minutes - 15.1 MBHave you ever felt all alone, crying for help, wondering if anyone in the universe was listening to your call? Perhaps you’re experiencing that kind of daunting vulnerability right now. You are definitely not alone; the call for help is common to us all. This podcast delves deeper into the cry for help, viewing it from an an alternate angle and a more encouraging, perspective. Your call for help may actually indicate something quite positive. Your greater self may be anticipating new g...
122 The Golden Rule
July 31, 2017 20:08 - 13 minutes - 18.5 MBRemember The Golden Rule, the credo that reminds us to do unto others as we would have them to do unto us? Many of us agree that The Golden Rule sounds great in theory. Over time, however, we discover that people around us don’t always abide by it. Perhaps we don’t abide by it, either. My previous podcast on Respect feeds right into this latest subject, delving into the nebulous and often challenging arena known as interpersonal relationships. Within this current podcast, I share how I’v...
121 Respect
July 25, 2017 20:07 - 12 minutes - 16.7 MBIn our quest to live a happy life, the desire to feel respected by others plays a big part. But what happens when we’re not sufficiently respected? What do we do and how do we respond, especially when we feel humiliated? When such challenges occur, we can respond by counter-attacking those around us. Choosing to do so, however, can further erode our self-respect while undermining the respect we might offer to others. Is there another way to handle disrespect and humiliation? Can we possi...
120 Angry or Aspiring to Love
July 11, 2017 16:00 - 11 minutes - 10.5 MBYou might not be dealing with anger, but you could easily find yourself in the negative emotional zone known as fear. Fear is the opposite of peace; it’s the antithesis of love. By its very nature, fear separates us from the awareness of peace, security, happiness and so many more positive, life-affirming emotions. In this latest podcast, I share a personal story from my background. Busting the myth of the “perfect childhood,” I talk about a weakness in my own household that left me feel...
119 Integrity
July 05, 2017 16:00 - 11 minutes - 10.3 MBAre you a person of integrity? In this latest podcast, I take up the definitions of integrity. Not only do they include honesty and moral uprightness, but definitions for integrity speak to a person’s state of being “whole” or undivided. There are many ways in which our sense of being “whole” or “undivided” impacts our thoughts and intentions about ourselves and others. In particular, when we see ourselves as divided rather than part of the whole of society, we can lose our peace and com...
118 Where is Your Reality
June 27, 2017 16:00 - 11 minutes - 10.9 MBI recorded this latest podcast at a park rather than from my familiar, sound-controlled closet. The change-up of venues was prompted by yet another day marked by upsetting “news” reports. Such ever-escalating, emotionally charged reports are fostering fear and division not only among the U.S. populace; they’re threatening the equilibrium of people in several Western European countries, too. The intoxicating and reality-shifting power of hyper-sensationalized news had prompted me to recla...
117 Who or What Are You Protecting
June 15, 2017 14:23 - 10 minutes - 9.96 MBAre you protecting someone, or something, to your own detriment? We can all train ourselves to believe in something quite strongly. We may adamantly protect a person, a belief or even a dogma, even when such protection proves illogical. In this podcast, I talk about Stockholm Syndrome, a term coined several decades ago when victims of a Swedish bank robbery curiously protected their own captors, refusing to testify against them in court. The idea of protecting other people, ideas or ev...
116 Making Happy Hour Happy
May 18, 2017 12:56 - 12 minutes - 11.1 MBAre you waiting for someone else to create happiness, or are you ready to create some yourself? In this latest podcast, I take up the topic of Happy Hours! Discover the elements that make a happy hour truly happy and start thinking outside-the-box. Though I talk about my earliest recollections of family “happy hours” during the 1960’s era of cocktails and martinis, I expand the notion about where – and how – happy hours happen. Join me through a few of my own experiences in life as I cre...
115 How Did They Make You Feel
May 12, 2017 13:05 - 10 minutes - 10 MBWhen paving the path to happiness from the inside out, we can supercharge our travels by checking in with our emotions. They can speak to us plainly in ways that intellect alone cannot. This latest podcast got its genesis from two recent encounters, both of which left me with positive, expansive feelings. Those same encounters inspired me to reflect upon two previous experiences from decades ago that provided me with earlier cues to forming healthy relationships. The first was negatively m...
114 Reactor or Creator
May 03, 2017 13:44 - 11 minutes - 10.1 MBAre you a knee-jerk reactor to news and stimuli? Do you succumb to words or reports that excite, anger or otherwise move you to fear, anger or unrest? If so, you’re not alone. We all experience external probes that press our proverbial buttons. Those moments take us away from our peace, happiness and rest and, as unwitting followers, we unwittingly give away our personal power. If you’ve struggled with being thrown off your place of peace and served as reactor rather than creator of your...
113 Harmony is a Secret to Happiness
March 20, 2017 16:33 - 10 minutes - 9.35 MBDid you know that harmony is a secret to happiness? It is! When we harmonize our words with our behaviors, we discover heightened levels of happiness, peace and well-being. In this podcast, I take up the topic of marrying our public professions and beliefs with private and sometimes unconscious behaviors. We begin with several meanings for the word harmony and learn the concept as described by Buddha. Next, we’ll cover the difference between stage personalities and behind-the-curtain, ...
112 Can You Be a Bridge?
March 06, 2017 19:12 - 11 minutes - 10.6 MBBridges are spanning structures that provide passage over waterways, railroads or other obstacles. And when we think of bridges, architectural wonders like the Brooklyn Bridge, the Golden Gate or the Sydney Harbor Bridge come to mind. In this podcast, however, we talk about the idea of serving as a human bridge and consider the ways in which doing so can change our lives and the lives of others, too. Learn about the first time I became an unwitting bridge and how the experience changed at ...
111 What Are You Listening To?
January 12, 2017 14:59 - 10 minutes - 9.23 MBAre you paying attention to what you’re hearing? This podcast examines the way we inadvertently act as self-censors. We screen in certain types of news, ideas, sounds and insights – and we also screen out others! If you have never considered how what you listen to impacts your well-being, this is a podcast for you. I share a bit of my own background and the process of learning how to listen in ways that would empower, rather than depress, my sensibilities and thoughts. I also talk abou...
110 Peace on Earth
December 20, 2016 17:27 - 12 minutes - 11.6 MBIn this special holiday podcast, I ask the central question: Are You Peace on Earth? We live in an externalized society where everyone seeks peace but fails to find it. We fight, we strive and we even go to war, chasing that ever-elusive desire for "Peace on Earth." However, true peace begins in our hearts. Listen in to my podcast that breaks down the meaning of peace and invites you to experience it for yourself. Be sure to stay tuned till the end of this podcast. You'll want to meet ...
109 Are You a Stereotype
December 12, 2016 16:53 - 10 minutes - 9.66 MBIt’s easy to get caught up in stereotypes, those widely held but preconceived notions we use to categorize people or ideas into fixed boxes. Stereotypes provide us with easy ways to identify each other and communicate in general terms, but they also contain a downside. When improperly applied, they cause us to limit our understanding of others and run the risk of having others limit their understanding of us. We often find ourselves assimilating into one group, culture, ideology, religio...
108 Who Do You Want to Be?
November 27, 2016 05:30 - 11 minutes - 10.7 MBIf you’ve ever felt disenchanted, disillusioned or even critical of experts and authorities, consider looking to yourself as a new source. In a busy world, we often surrender our talents and ideas to others. We take a passive approach to the greater world, viewing it like observers watching an on-stage performance rather than actively playing a role of our own. Listen as I share two seminal personalities from the past and how they helped inspire me to play a role in our current culture a...
107 Thanks for Gifts in Disguise
November 20, 2016 05:30 - 11 minutes - 10.2 MBWe all look forward to receiving gifts that excite our senses and surprise us in positive ways. But what happens when the “gift” we encounter has nothing to do with our perceptions of good? In this podcast, we explore how life’s curve balls can actually bring us some unexpected gifts in the form of personal benefits. In it, I share a story from several years ago that turned a good portion of my life, thoughts, spirituality and even sense of self on its head. During the process, I was force...
106 Living in Polarity or Peace?
November 13, 2016 23:07 - 12 minutes - 11.1 MBThe contrast between polarity and peace came into sharp focus recently with the 2016 U.S. Presidential election process and the division and strife that followed. In this timely, yet evergreen, episode, we take a look at the distinctions between what it feels like to live in polarity and what it’s like to abide in peace. Discover how peace is not the opposite of someone else’s position. Instead, it paves a third path for anyone seeking inner happiness. Choosing to live in peace provides ...
105 Living With Inspiration?
October 30, 2016 18:42 - 11 minutes - 10.5 MBWhen it comes to living happy from the inside out, inspiration plays a major role in the process. In this podcast, we’ll explore several meanings for the word that help provide familiarity with the emotions, energies and atmospheres that accompany inspiration. Next, I share two personal stories that demonstrate how inspiration (or the lack of it) plays a part in our human experience. As I talk about both a private discourse and a public event, you’ll learn how individuals felt, responded...
104 Are You Generous?
October 10, 2016 23:59 - 10 minutes - 9.46 MBWhen defining yourself as generous- or not - do you restrict the meaning of the word to giving others big presents or large sums of money? The concept of generosity carries far greater meaning, one that starts with the heart. In fact, when distilled down to its earlier roots, generosity actually points to the “great soul” within us, one that finds varied ways to express itself liberally in the world. In this podcast, learn some of the finer attributes that constitute generosity. Discover...
103 Creating Your Culture
October 02, 2016 18:02 - 11 minutes - 10.7 MBMost of us absorb and assimilate into cultures that surround us, but did you know you have a role to play in creating culture, too? We don’t often think about the word, but it provides a powerful topic for anyone wishing to influence positive shift or desiring a more satisfying life experience. In this podcast, we’ll explore some of the definitions of culture. I’ll also share two of my personal stories about how I’ve been a recipient of positive culture and how I had to become a creator ...
102 Following the Essence of Your Life
September 26, 2016 16:23 - 12 minutes - 11.1 MBIn an externalized world, we often seek life everywhere but at its source: our essence! Discover some of the intriguing and powerful definitions for this little referenced word. Learn how it addresses and points to some of the intrinsic and desirable properties of who we truly are. If you’ve been looking to increase your sense of happiness and connect with your true life, tune in to this latest podcast which is all about your “be-ing” rather than your do-ing. Then, listen to Guy Djoken, ...
101 Be Your Own Cookie
September 06, 2016 18:54 - 10 minutes - 9.78 MBIf you’ve ever baked cookies with a cookie cutter, you’ll know exactly where this message is heading. In this light hearted podcast, I talk about the well-intentioned but sometimes limited paths we occupy because of our upbringing and “cookie cutter” social training. As a result, many of us leave extra cookie dough on the kitchen’s cutting room table. We’ve forgotten to cook up our life with self-expressed flavorings, spices and flair. Listen as I share a bit about zumba instructor Debbi...
100 What if you didn't need money to live?
August 22, 2016 05:00 - 11 minutes - 10.4 MBWhy does money carry such an overwhelming importance in our lives and our decision-making processes? A recent conversation I had with a retired U.S. general provided inspiration for this ever-present and seemingly overwhelming question. We’ve all fallen prey to the powerful idea that claims we need money in order to live. The all-too-familiar familiar notion shows up in ways ranging from the subtle and familiar to the highly coarse and cavernous. In this podcast, I take up several ...
099 Can You Learn from Bad Examples?
August 15, 2016 05:00 - 11 minutes - 10.6 MBWe’ve all experienced some bad examples in life. Bad examples show up as parents, teachers, bosses and other supposedly superior personalities. Their effects often remain with us, even long after those relationships have passed! In this podcast, I share two bad examples I had in my life and how the difficulties I experienced were ultimately used for good. We’ll look into why some people we’ve expected better from flounder in their own frailties. We’ll also consider how to become benefici...
098 Have You Discovered the Beauty of You?
August 08, 2016 05:00 - 9 minutes - 8.53 MBWhether you realize it or not, there is a beauty that is waiting to be discovered in you. We often reduce our ideas about beauty into narrow categories that restrict our awareness and experience of beauty. But there are definitions to beauty that far exceed our imagination and beg for disclosure in and through your life. Join me in this podcast as we take a look at fuller definitions of beauty and consider how limiting our traditional senses are to perceive it. You’ll come away with an i...
097 Is Your Silence Golden?
August 01, 2016 04:30 - 10 minutes - 9.15 MBAre you choosing when to speak and when to be silent, too? In this podcast, we explore the old adage “Silence is golden” that dates back to the early Egyptians. Using a bit of observation with life scenarios common to us all, we’ll discover new ways to inject peace into our own lives and into the lives of others as well. Enjoy this inspiring self-empowerment episode that reminds you of your own power to positively influence the world around you. Then, listen in as Helena from Bosnia & ...
096 What Are You Giving Your Power To?
July 25, 2016 04:30 - 8 minutes - 8.12 MBIn a world where we can get caught up in the heaviness of a 24/7 news cycle that draw us into anger, defensiveness and aggression, we can benefit by choosing to invest our energies in other pursuits. In this podcast, we’ll explore how you can become a focal point of energy and a force to create positive experiences that uplift both you and the world around you, too. Personal empowerment for a happier and more peaceful life. Then, listen in as Christy James, a professor at Liberty Univer...
095 Can I Do This?
July 18, 2016 04:30 - 10 minutes - 9.64 MBHave you ever found yourself asking the question, “Can I do this?” When it comes to slaying dragons and setting ourselves to task for some big life expectations, we can be extremely daunted by our own doubts and abilities. In this podcast, we’ll learn how – and where – to find the source to do what you’re hoping to do in life. A fresh look at a Bible scripture will provide inspiration and self-help for anyone who has big things planned in their heart and in their future. Then, listen a...
094 Speaking Your Truth
July 11, 2016 16:59 - 9 minutes - 8.69 MBHow do you speak your truth? When we think about speaking our truth, we imagine ourselves boisterously declaring our point of view or fighting aloud either for or against an idea or an agenda. However, speaking our truth can also occur in nonverbal ways. At times, we can “speak” without saying a word. In this podcast, explore how we can convey our truth to others simply by our presence. Be inspired to tap into your own truth and extend it in powerful ways to the world around you. Then,...
093 I Am You!
June 20, 2016 04:30 - 12 minutes - 11.2 MBToday’s special podcast is a return to my back story and why it helps me relate to you. Our life details all vary, but this unifying story helps me relate to any person who has been living beneath outer expectations and wants to move into their inner hopes for personal expression. Pressures in life may daunt us, but they also help us move forward into new possibilities. They also empower us to discover our own sense of agency. Listen in and make some of your own connections toward living hap...
092 World Happiness Survey
June 10, 2016 13:41 - 7 minutes - 7.01 MBDo you know what you really want in life? If not, this podcast will help you become more emotionally aware of what you truly desire and facilitate your focus and behaviors toward those ends. Using results from my own Happiness Survey of individuals from 28 states and 23 countries, I share five key areas that define what most of us truly want in life. Find out what these unifying elements are that define our common pursuit of happiness. Use the list as personal inspiration or create a list ...
091 Living Out of Your Belief?
May 31, 2016 04:30 - 10 minutes - 9.32 MBAre your inner beliefs in accord with your outward behaviors? If not, this podcast is for you! First, we’ll take up the various definitions of the word belief and explore how our inner self recognizes and resonates with our true belief systems. I’ll discuss some of the ways we ignore, suppress or resist expressing those beliefs as well as the feelings of stress this fracturing process engenders. As always, you’ll hear some of my personal anecdotes navigating along the path to personal harm...
090 Defending Your Dogma?
May 02, 2016 16:32 - 7 minutes - 7.18 MBAre you defending a dogma, a point of view or “-ism” that has become insufficient, obsolete or even discredited? If you have been struggling with an outmoded belief system established by an external authority that is no longer speaking truth to you, it may be time to step into the light. This is a self-help episode to help you find harmony, integration and greater peace from within. Listen and let go of what you no longer can uphold as reality while increasing your happiness and emotiona...
089 What is Your Title?
April 05, 2016 13:15 - 8 minutes - 7.83 MBI'm not referring to your official job title, but to an identity that best describes the essence and fullness of who you truly are. Most of us are accustomed to carrying limited ways of identifying ourselves, staying carefully and rigidly within the lines of social and professional constructs. Yet each of us carries attributes that make us uniquely rich in character, talents and more. As we begin to think of ourselves in outside-the-box ways, we set ourselves free to shine in full bloom and...
088 Are You a Vaunter?
March 29, 2016 14:26 - 9 minutes - 9.07 MBYou may be unfamiliar with the term vaunter, but you’ve definitely met a few! If you’ve ever been turned off by braggarts whose presence fills the air with an inflated ego, you’ll find today’s podcast to be of interest. More than exploring the role of the vaunter, this podcast examines what happens to any of us when our position in life causes our pride to puff up in unattractive – and exclusionary - ways. Excellent food for thought and an opportunity to practice some emotional intelligenc...
087 What are you teaching?
March 20, 2016 18:18 - 8 minutes - 7.99 MBYou don’t need to hold the title of school teacher to realize that your life is teaching others about you – and life – all the time! This podcast takes a look at the disconnections that often show up between our words and professions versus our hidden motives and actual behaviors. If you appreciate the familiar expression “actions speak louder than words,” you’ll want to listen in and find out whether what you’re teaching others is something you want to truly convey! Then, listen to Lean...
086 Party or Polarity?
March 05, 2016 15:18 - 10 minutes - 9.46 MBAre you creating a party or still living in polarity? What are the differences between these two atmospheres and how do they affect you and others around you? We can live in environments that are supportive, inclusive and uplifting or we can default back to the land of conflicts, opposites and opposing forces. One environment brings us peace and joy while the other keeps us in a continual state of fear, unease and instability. Learn more and discover how you can create your own happiness –...
085 Are You Being You?
February 18, 2016 21:25 - 10 minutes - 9.96 MBWith one of the most central questions you can ever ask yourself, this podcast explores the social and emotional constructs that keep us from living our true self. Discover what they are and what hurdles you might have to overcome in order to live out your fullest, happiest and most authentic self. Allow this podcast to inspire you to greater levels of influence and leadership in your life. Then, listen to author and leadership expert Dr. William Anton talk about what makes him happy from ...
084 Did You Buy That?
January 16, 2016 00:51 - 7 minutes - 6.88 MBHere’s a look at separating our ideas, desires and intentions from those placed upon us. Have you taken time to discover how frequent messages, close relationships and familiar atmospheres may have clouded you? You may be assuming that you authored your own ideas when, in fact, someone else gave them to you! This podcast provides you with self-awareness and self-empowerment to help you separate your own ideas from those conveyed to you by others! Then, listen to Lila Zizoula from the Ame...
083 Declaration of Independence
January 05, 2016 17:00 - 10 minutes - 9.84 MBAre you the embodiment of the Declaration of Independence? The official document announcing a free and independent people would eventually form the foundation of the U.S. Constitution. Find out what the Declaration of Independence has to do with happiness – and how you can apply that document’s intent to your personal life today. This podcast contains empowering content with a governmental angle. Then, listen to mentor and coach Kristie Kennedy as she shares what makes her happy from the i...
082 Recognizing Love
December 23, 2015 22:43 - 9 minutes - 9.41 MBIn this podcast inspired by the holiday season, I explore what universal love feels like so that you might recognize it, too. I share some of my earliest recognitions of this kind of love, explaining how it manifests and what it feels like when we’re on the receiving end of it. You’ll be inspired to connect with this kind of love and possibly become a source of extending it to others. Then, listen to my daughter Kaley as she shares what makes her happy from the inside out, too.
081 Incognito
December 08, 2015 17:00 - 8 minutes - 8.23 MBHave you been walking around incognito, concealing your true colors and identity from everyone -- including yourself? This podcast provides empowering content that will encourage you to step to the forefront, even if just a little bit. Then, listen in to Elizabeth MacDonald as she shares what makes her happy from the inside out, too. #Empowerment #SelfHelp #Happiness #Freedom #Maura4u
080 The Land of Possibilities
December 01, 2015 17:00 - 9 minutes - 8.87 MBDo you know you can author your own possibilities in life? We begin with the meaning of the word possibility and then explore how your mind’s views of possibilities reflect back to you in experience. Powerful self-help for anyone who wants to gain access and control over their thought life and break through into new arenas of empowerment, creativity and more. Then listen to today’s guest from Israel as he shares what makes him happy in life from the inside out, too. #Visualization #Empower...
079 The Power of Memories
November 24, 2015 17:00 - 8 minutes - 8.48 MBWhat are you doing with childhood memories – then, as well as now? Referencing a seminal article entitled “5 Things Your Kids Will Remember About You” released earlier this year by the Pantheos website, I explore the power of memories and how we can become architects of new ones today. You don’t need to be a parent to appreciate the sense of meaning and influence this podcast will convey. You can become the power of memories that can change the lives of others. Then listen to Connie Bowman...
078 You as Ambassador
November 17, 2015 17:00 - 9 minutes - 8.91 MBDo you realize that you – yes, you – are an ambassador? You don’t need an official diplomatic title to become a person of influence. This is powerful and inspiring content to help you gain awareness of your voice, ideas and ideals. This is also empowering information for you about the stature and presence you can carry as you choose to intentionally activate those ideals. Next, listen to Brent Price, Lifestyle Income Show expert from Australia, who shares what makes him happy from the insid...