Chicken Soup for the Soul with Amy Newmark

Hey, it’s Amy Newmark with your Chicken Soup for the Soul and today I’m going to share a piece of advice that seems to shock a lot of people—that you’re allowed to CHOOSE your friends, and if they’re no longer working for you—UNchoose them. Our new book, Chicken Soup for the Soul: Making Me Time, covers the many ways that people reclaim a bit of their calendar for themselves, creating more balance in their lives. And one of the ways to reclaim that time and make more space for “me time” is by making sure that you’re only spending time with people who add VALUE to your life. That can mean assessing the time you spend with friends, and even relatives. Because you need to zealously look out for own emotional health and not let people sap away whatever energy you have. You want to save that energy for yourself and the people who are most important to you. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Hey, it’s Amy Newmark with your Chicken Soup for the Soul and today I want to talk about that miraculous thing that sometimes happens, which is a continuing connection with someone who has passed on. We see these stories all the time and they always amaze me. Sometimes you can come up with a scientific explanation for why they happen… and sometimes you can’t. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Hey, it’s Amy Newmark with your Chicken Soup for the Soul. And today we’re talking about Chicken Soup for the Soul: I’m Speaking Now; Black Women Share Their Truth in 101 Stories of Love, Courage and Hope. And it’s not just stories—we have a dozen powerful poems in this collection as well. Today we’re going to hear Stephanie Gates read her poem from the book. It’s called “I Am Not Safe” and this is something we need to talk about. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Hey, it’s Amy Newmark with your Chicken Soup for the Soul. And today is going to be fun because I’m going to share a couple of stories from our new humor collection–Chicken Soup for the Soul: Read, Laugh, Repeat—and to make it even more fun, these are holiday stories and I’m always up Christmas stories in the middle of the summer. So let’s start with a story by Janell Michael, who decided to create one of those meaningful, homemade gifts when her children were 19 and 17 and she was feeling overwhelmed by how soon they would truly be on their own. She wanted to do something for Christmas that would show them how much she loved them. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Hey, it’s Amy Newmark with your Chicken Soup for the Soul and today’s inspiration comes from Chicken Soup for the Soul: Navigating Eldercare & Dementia, which contains the emotional support and practical tips that you need as you navigate the world of eldercare, especially when Alzheimer’s or other dementias are part of it. You’ll feel less alone and more empowered in your new role after you read these stories. And it’s not all about dementia either. Today I’m sharing two stories about elderly family members who just needed a purpose and were completely re-energized when, by accident, that purpose came along. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Hey, it’s Amy Newmark with your Chicken Soup for the Soul. You know, our book about how age is just a number has been a big hit, and it’s partly because it shows that it’s never too late to do most things, and that includes romance. It’s never too late to bring the romance back into a tried and true old relationship. So today I’m going to share two stories about how couples revived and maintained the spark in their decades-old marriages. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Hey, it’s Amy Newmark with your Chicken Soup for the Soul and today it’s from our latest book, Chicken Soup for the Soul: Making Me Time. This is a collection of stories about making that all important time for yourself, and personal care, and finding the right equilibrium and work/life balance. Me time is different for everyone. For some people it means an hour a day for exercising, for others it means reading or taking a class or meditating. For some people, it means seeing a friend and for others it means seeing nobody. And today, I’m going to talk about how you can figure out what kind of me time will work for you, and how sometimes that truth is staring you in the face and you don’t even realize it. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Hey, it’s Amy Newmark with your Chicken Soup for the Soul and I’ve got two amazing stories to share with you today—two miraculous tales of family members separated for decades finding each other again. One involves sisters separated from their birth family by adoption, and another involves a daughter finding her father purely by happenstance, decades after the last time she saw him. And you won’t believe how it happened. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Hey it’s Amy Newmark with a special episode today featuring two fabulous poets from our new book, Chicken Soup for the Soul: I’m Speaking Now; Black Women Share Their Truth in 101 Stories of Love, Courage and Hope. In addition to the 101 stories, we have 12 poems, and today you’re going to hear from two of the poets, who will perform their poems for you and talk about this new book and what it means to them to have this platform for sharing their experiences as Black women. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Hey, it’s Amy Newmark with your Chicken Soup for the Soul and today I want to share some great stories that will encourage you to be you, not some other person who you think you should be. I’m going to talk about six stories that will help you be true to yourself, from one of our new books--Chicken Soup for the Soul: Be You. Because, women—and men--are tired of being told who they should be. They’re starting to take back the power, figuring out who they want to be and how to get there. That’s why Chicken Soup for the Soul: Be You was created, to be a source of affirmation and inspiration for people of all ages as they figure out how to be the best versions of themselves. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Hey, it’s Amy Newmark with your Chicken Soup for the Soul and I’m starting a new topic today, with stories from our new book, Chicken Soup for the Soul: Navigating Eldercare & Dementia. This new collection really supports family caregivers, and we need lots of support, because it’s tough becoming the caregiver for an impaired spouse or parent. These stories will make you feel less alone and more empowered in your new role. I think one of most important things you can do if your family member has dementia is to learn to let go of your reality. You have to accept that your loved one has a new reality. There’s no point trying to correct an incorrect memory—you just go with it. Because what difference does it make anyway? Your role is to keep the conversation going, even if it’s not based on the true facts or history as you know them. And your role also is to live in the moment, learning how to sit back and enjoy the little things, which might just mean that you and your loved one spend half an hour discussing a tree that you’re looking at. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Hey, it’s Amy Newmark with your Chicken Soup for the Soul and I’ve got a fun new book to talk about today, Chicken Soup for the Soul: Miracles & Divine Intervention. This book is filled with stories about miraculous, amazing events and I want to share two of them with you today – two miraculous coincidences that tied together the generations in two families. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Hey, it’s Amy Newmark with your Chicken Soup for the Soul and today we’re going to talk about getting physical. And by that I mean getting fit, doing sports, and getting out there in nature. I’m sharing two stories from our new book about how age is just a number, and these stories that prove that it’s never too late to find your sport and get back in shape. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Hey, it’s Amy Newmark with your Chicken Soup for the Soul, and today I’m sharing two stories from this book that I find so fascinating, Chicken Soup for the Soul: Listen to Your Dreams. I really believe that you can use your dreams and premonitions as a kind of GPS for navigating your life and the stories in this book prove it. That inner voice is worth listening to, because it can make a big difference in your relationships, your career, your health, and your overall happiness. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Hey, it’s Amy Newmark with your Chicken Soup for the Soul and today I’m sharing a couple of very funny stories from our new humor collection, Chicken Soup for the Soul: Read, Laugh, Repeat. This book is a collection of some of the funniest stories we’ve published in our 28-year history. We’ve got stories about Domestic Disasters, Marriage, Embarrassing Moments, Weird Family Members, Senior Moments, Holiday Hiccups, Kids, and two chapters on Dogs and Cats Doing Crazy Things. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Chicken Soup for the Soul’s powerful new book, "I’m Speaking Now; Black Women Share Their Truth in 101 Stories of Love, Courage, and Hope,” also contains 12 raw, personal poems that will open your eyes to the reality of the Black experience in America today. On today’s episode, you’ll hear about a pandemic garden’s bounty and a sister’s plea to view her brother as the gentle, sweet man he is, not as a threat. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Hey, it’s Amy Newmark with a little Chicken Soup for the Soul inspiration and today I’m sharing two more stories from our latest book, Chicken Soup for the Soul: Be You. This is a collection of stories about female empowerment, self-discovery, self-esteem, self-care, and also about women helping each other—to be the very best version of themselves. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Hey, it’s Amy Newmark with your Chicken Soup for the Soul and today we’re wrapping up our review of our big winter bestseller, Chicken Soup for the Soul: Making Me Time. It seems like Me Time was a hot topic during the pandemic as people realized that self-care matters—work/life balance, finding that equilibrium in your life, that time to pursue your passions or hobbies or exercise or just close your eyes and think. Our book basically presented 101 different ways that our writers found their best form of Me Time, and today I’m going to share six of those with you—six ways to incorporate “me time” into your life. And if these don’t work for you, I’m sure they’ll get you thinking about your own best path to that critical time for yourself. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Chicken Soup for the Soul’s powerful new book, "I’m Speaking Now; Black Women Share Their Truth in 101 Stories of Love, Courage, and Hope,” also contains 12 raw, personal poems that will open your eyes to the reality of the Black experience in America today. Please enjoy today’s episode in which two poets share their poems with you. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Hey, it’s Amy Newmark with your Chicken Soup for the Soul. So, I’ve been sharing some of the very funny stories in Chicken Soup for the Soul: Read, Laugh, Repeat with you on this podcast. This book is a collection of some of the funniest stories we’ve published in our 28-year history. We’ve got stories about Domestic Disasters, Marriage, Dogs and Cats Doing Crazy Things, Embarrassing Moments, Weird Family Members, Senior Moments, Holiday Hiccups, and Kids. Today I want to share a couple of stories that have me laughing out loud every time I read them. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Hey everyone, it’s Amy Newmark with your Chicken Soup for the Soul, and today we have a special guest for Friend Friday, the acclaimed novelist Breena Clarke. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Chicken Soup for the Soul’s powerful new book, "I’m Speaking Now; Black Women Share Their Truth in 101 Stories of Love, Courage, and Hope,” also contains 12 raw, personal poems that will open your eyes to the reality of the Black experience in America today. Please enjoy today’s episode in which two poets share their poems with you. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Hey, it’s Amy Newmark with your Chicken Soup for the Soul, and today I’m sharing two stories from this book that I find so fascinating, Chicken Soup for the Soul: Listen to Your Dreams. I really believe that you can use your dreams and premonitions as a kind of GPS for navigating your life and the stories in this book prove it. That inner voice is worth listening to, because it can make a big difference in your relationships, your career, your health, and your overall happiness. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Hey, it’s Amy Newmark with your Chicken Soup for the Soul inspiration and today we’re talking about hot flashes and hot cars, and how they totally go together. These stories are from our new book about how age is just a number, because you’re only as old as you act, right? Well, that’s how it works if you have the right attitude. And it helps to have a sense of humor, because things do change. There’s gravity, and smaller print, and tighter jars. But there’s also new freedom and a sense of liberation from a lot of things that you don’t have to do anymore. And that’s when you get to do new things, maybe things you’ve been dreaming of for a long time. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Hey, it’s Amy Newmark with your Chicken Soup for the Soul, and today I’m sharing two more stories from our latest bestseller Chicken Soup for the Soul: Miracles & Divine Intervention. This is not a religious book—it’s a book for everyone, filled with stories that will give you goose bumps. Today’s are about two really weird coincidences that just go to show that it truly is a small world. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Hey, it’s Amy Newmark with your Chicken Soup for the Soul. Do you ever wake up knowing that you’ve just had an important dream, and then, bam, it’s gone? That’s a shame, because our dreams are a window into what our own brains are trying to tell us! The fact is that we’re too busy during the day to pay attention to that quiet voice inside that knows us so well—our subconscious. Sometimes, our truth is lurking in there, waiting for us to discover it at night through our dreams. Here are six ways you can use your dreams for personal transformation, based on the stories in Chicken Soup for the Soul: Listen to Your Dreams. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Hey, it’s Amy Newmark with a little Chicken Soup for the Soul inspiration and today I’m sharing two more stories from our latest book, Chicken Soup for the Soul: Be You. This is a collection of stories about female empowerment, self-discovery, self-esteem, and self- care, and that self-care is so important. It doesn’t take much to give yourself a little break—some self-care—and today we’re talking about going on excursions or even vacations all by yourself with no one to answer to. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Hey, it’s Amy Newmark with your Chicken Soup for the Soul. So have you ever talked to someone who makes their me time by getting up an hour earlier each day? It sounds counterintuitive, but people swear by it. They feel more energized and happier because they’ve carved out that special time for themselves every morning. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Hey, it’s Amy Newmark with your Chicken Soup for the Soul. And today is going to be fun because I’m sharing two stories from our new humor collection called Chicken Soup for the Soul: Read, Laugh, Repeat. This is a compilation of some of the funniest stories we’ve published in our 28-year history. We’ve got stories about Domestic Disasters, Marriage, Dogs and Cats Doing Crazy Things, Embarrassing Moments, Weird Family Members, Senior Moments, and what I like to call Holiday Hiccups. Today’s stories are about marriage, or actually what happens on the way to marriage. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Hey, it’s Amy Newmark with your Chicken Soup for the Soul and today we’re talking about making sure that you choose people in your life who choose you back. How many times have you kept going in a relationship—whether it’s romantic or a friend or a family member—where the other person isn’t putting in the same effort? Today’s stories will give you the motivation to stand up for what you deserve—a relationship that’s based on mutual respect and effort. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Hey, it’s Amy Newmark with your Chicken Soup for the Soul and today’s inspiration comes from Chicken Soup for the Soul: Making Me Time, which is all about self-care, and work life balance, and finding your own best kind of equilibrium and me time. One of the strongest themes that runs through this book is found in people realizing that they had been struggling with their schedules, juggling too many things, and they hadn’t thought to actually ask anyone for help. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Hey, it’s Amy Newmark with your Chicken Soup for the Soul. And today is going to be fun because I’m introducing you to our new very funny book called Chicken Soup for the Soul: Read, Laugh, Repeat. This is a collection of some of the funniest stories we’ve published in our 28-year history. We’ve got stories about Domestic Disasters, Marriage, Dogs and Cats Doing Crazy Things, Embarrassing Moments, Weird Family Members, Senior Moments, and what I like to call Holiday Hiccups. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Hey, it’s Amy Newmark with some instant inspiration for you from Chicken Soup for the Soul. Today I want to talk about moms, and how we just can’t stop ourselves from being moms, even for strangers, as we go about our daily lives. I’m going to share two heartwarming stories from our latest book for mothers and grandmothers, Chicken Soup for the Soul: The Magic of Moms. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Hey, it’s Amy Newmark with your Chicken Soup for the Soul, and today I’m sharing two stories from a really fun new book, Chicken Soup for the Soul: Laughter Is the Best Medicine. This is our first humor collection, and even when I was reading a story for the third time during our editing process I was laughing out loud. Today I’m sharing two stories about classic embarrassing moments, ones that are sure to brighten your day. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Hey, it’s Amy Newmark with your Chicken Soup for the Soul. We’re talking about moms a lot as we head into Mother’s Day and today we’re focusing on moms who do volunteer work or give back in some way, and the impact that has on their kids. These are moms who quietly do their good deeds, sometimes with their children not even knowing about them. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Hey, it’s Amy Newmark with your Chicken Soup for the Soul, and today we’re talking about how to get back to authenticity in your life. Sometimes it just takes hearing a few well chosen words to get you back on track, and that was the case in our first story, by Trisha Faye, who tells us that a Facebook post changed her life through just seventeen words. Those seventeen words were all Trisha needed to reorient her. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Hey, it’s Amy Newmark with your Chicken Soup for the Soul and today we’re taking about making sure that you get some “me time” onto your schedule. We all know that we need it, and that self-care is super important, but somehow we all put other things first. So how you do enable yourself to put aside that time that you need, that me time that helps you be the best version of you? Today, I’m going to share two stories that I think will help you develop your own strategy for taking control of your calendar and your to-do list so that you make sure you have the bits of relaxation and time off that you need. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Hey, it’s Amy Newmark with a little Chicken Soup for the Soul inspiration and today I’m sharing two more stories from our latest book, Chicken Soup for the Soul: Be You. This is a collection of stories about female empowerment, self-discovery, self-esteem, and, in some cases, breaking new ground and doing what were traditionally considered to be men’s professions. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Hey, it’s Amy Newmark with your Chicken Soup for the Soul and today’s inspiration comes from Chicken Soup for the Soul: Making Me Time, which is all about self-care and work life balance and finding your own best kind of equilibrium and me time. I would say the biggest theme I saw in the book was the value of getting outdoors in nature, whether it meant engaging in vigorous exercise or sitting on a rocking chair on the back porch. Everyone seems to find peace and perspective in being outside, watching the other animals we share the planet with and realizing that life goes on around us no matter what we are going through. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Hey, it’s Amy Newmark with a little Chicken Soup for the Soul inspiration and today I want to talk about some of my own battles with male chauvinism. In a way, they’re kind of funny, at least I think so, because sometimes you have to have a sense of humor when you’re dealing with ingrained male ways of thinking. Now these things happened years ago, but they show where we’ve come from. And unfortunately, these attitudes are still prevalent and pervade the relationships that women have in business and their personal lives even today. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Hey, it’s Amy Newmark with your Chicken Soup for the Soul and today I’m wrapping up our tour of our January bestseller about miracles and divine intervention. Whether you’re religious or not, sometimes things happen that are unexplainable, or fabulous coincidences, or mysteriously occur at exactly the right moment, and we find ourselves describing them as miracles. If you keep your eyes open, you notice them and appreciate them. And you come to expect that a miracle will come along once in a while when you need one. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Hey, it’s Amy Newmark with some instant inspiration for you from Chicken Soup for the Soul. Today we’re talking about the magic of moms—how they give such great advice and always know what to do, even if we don’t necessarily admit that until we’re well past college age. We included a lot of stories about great advice from moms in our latest book and I want to share two of them with you today because they contain such wise words that we can all benefit from. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Hey, it’s Amy Newmark with your Chicken Soup for the Soul, and today I’m sharing two stories from our latest and greatest, Chicken Soup for the Soul: Laughter Is the Best Medicine. We put this book together long before the coronavirus outbreak, and I’m recording this episode of the podcast in early March, so I have no idea what will be happening by the time you listen to this, starting in mid-April. All I can say is that this is our first humor collection, and I laughed out loud over and over again as I was editing this manuscript. So I hope today’s stories about a couple of funny incidents that happened at home will brighten your day. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Hey, it’s Amy Newmark with some instant inspiration for you from Chicken Soup for the Soul. Today I’m talking about miraculous moms, because we all know that moms are miracle workers, right? They sometimes astound their husbands and children with what they can accomplish. They are our role models and our cheerleaders, and they are constantly making the impossible happen for us. That doesn’t stop when they die. I remember how I got my hair cut the day before my mother’s funeral because I heard her voice in my head saying, “Amy, don’t you think your hair’s gotten a little long?” Well, that guidance continues, but often in way more important ways, like in today’s stories about moms who actually saved their daughter’s lives… from the grave. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Hey, it’s Amy Newmark with your Chicken Soup for the Soul and today we’re taking about creating your own space—your own sanctuary—in your home. This can be inside or outside, and it’s the place where you feel relaxed and special—a place for self-care and me time. It doesn’t have to be much either. Even though you’ve heard about man caves and she sheds, you can get by with a much smaller and simpler space… and still feel like it’s your perfect refuge. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Hey, it’s Amy Newmark with some Chicken Soup for the Soul inspiration for you, and today I’m introducing our latest book, Chicken Soup for the Soul: Be You. This is a collection of empowering stories for women, although I think the lessons in them are great for guys as well. Today’s stories are about women being comfortable being on their own, with some alone time. It’s part of the journey you’ll take in this book to find your own truth and how to feel comfortable just being you. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Hey, it’s Amy Newmark with your Chicken Soup for the Soul, and today we’re talking about miracles, and the unexplainable, and love that doesn’t die even after someone’s gone. Sometimes the stories we publish seem pretty incredible, but I’m sharing them with you because they did happen to our writers and they can provide some hope of a continuing connection with someone you’ve lost. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Hey, it’s Amy Newmark with your Chicken Soup for the Soul. Today I’m sharing two stories about the importance of making “me time” for yourself, and how it can even be life-changing if you do that just once a week. What matters is having that special time to look forward to. You could view it as a life raft in your busy life, floating there and waiting for you to climb on for some downtime. I know we’re all told that we should build “me time” and self-care into every day, but sometimes you can’t pull that off. Here are two real-life examples of people who scheduled their me time for once a week and found that worked very well for them. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Hey, it’s Amy Newmark with your Chicken Soup for the Soul and today we’re talking about how you can make life after 60 the BEST part of your life. We have a bestselling book out called Chicken Soup for the Soul: Age Is Just a Number and it’s filled with great advice for those of us over 60. Actually, it’s great advice for anyone of any age, so you don’t have to wait until you’re 60 to use some of these tips. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Hey, it’s Amy Newmark with your Chicken Soup for the Soul and today I want to talk about that little voice inside that sometimes warns you of danger. We often dismiss that foreboding feeling, thinking we’re just being silly, but after reading thousands of stories about this phenomenon I think it’s worth putting aside any embarrassment—any feeling of “Oh this is silly”—and instead, paying attention to those gut feelings. I’m going to share two examples with you today, from our latest book about miracles and divine intervention. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices