Optimal Relationships Daily - Dating, Marriage and Parenting

Epizódy

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  3143: Team Up with the Person Against the Problem by Keith Wilson on Rebuilding Trust 16.09.2026 8min

  Get the 200+ Page Optimal Living Daily Workbook (PDF) - Free. Want to turn today's episode into an actionable plan? Join the Optimal Living Weekly newsletter and I'll send you our 200-page digital workbook immediately. It's packed with the best takeaways from the show, formatted for easy reading and implementation at home. Get your free PDF workbook here: https://oldpodcast.eo.page/join Discover all of the podcasts in our network, search for specific episodes, get the Optimal Living Daily workbook, and learn more at: OLDPodcast.com Episode 3143: Keith Wilson explains what to do when a partner admits out loud that they are struggling with the very thing that has already hurt the relationship. He describes that admission as a sign of progress rather than a fresh betrayal, and makes the case for treating the Problem as a separate opponent the two of you face together. It is a practical reframe for couples trying to rebuild trust without turning every slip into another fight. Read along with the original article(s) here: https://keithwilsoncounseling.com/2017/11/03/team-up-with-the-person-against-the-problem/ Quotes to ponder: "If you get the opportunity to work with your loved one to vanquish the Problem, don't mistake this opportunity for the Problem, itself." "Before you lose your lunch, be glad he's telling you this. He's telling on his Problem. He's trying to enlist you in a fight against it." "At the core of every Problem is a piece that ain't ever going away, nor should it." Optimal Relationships Daily is a daily relationship advice podcast where we narrate the best articles on healthy relationships, dating, marriage, and parenting, read to you by a professional narrator so you can strengthen your closest connections a little more every day. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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  3142: [Part 2] How To Love Yourself Unconditionally, Even When You're Suffering by Sabrina of The Budding Optimist on Emotional Freedom 15.09.2026 10min

  Get the 200+ Page Optimal Living Daily Workbook (PDF) - Free. Want to turn today's episode into an actionable plan? Join the Optimal Living Weekly newsletter and I'll send you our 200-page digital workbook immediately. It's packed with the best takeaways from the show, formatted for easy reading and implementation at home. Get your free PDF workbook here: https://oldpodcast.eo.page/join Discover all of the podcasts in our network, search for specific episodes, get the Optimal Living Daily workbook, and learn more at: OLDPodcast.com Episode 3142: In part two, Sabrina explains how she turned her attention to the few things she could still control during treatment, from getting up at the same hour every morning to fifteen minutes of slow walking that eventually became hiking and swimming. She shares how that sense of agency, paired with a gains perspective that counted what she had received instead of what illness had taken, moved her the rest of the way toward unconditional self-love. It is a practical close to a story about rebuilding the relationship you have with yourself. Read along with the original article(s) here: https://buddingoptimist.com/how-to-love-yourself-unconditionally/ Quotes to ponder: "Suffering is like a pot of stew simmering on the stove." "Instead of ruminating over the things I've lost because of cancer, I learned to open my eyes to the rewards I've gained." "No matter what failure I encounter, no matter how hard I fall, I always search for the silver lining." Optimal Relationships Daily is a daily relationship advice podcast where we narrate the best articles on healthy relationships, dating, marriage, and parenting, read to you by a professional narrator so you can strengthen your closest connections a little more every day. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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  3141: [Part 1] How To Love Yourself Unconditionally, Even When You're Suffering by Sabrina of The Budding Optimist on Self Compassion 14.09.2026 8min

  Get the 200+ Page Optimal Living Daily Workbook (PDF) - Free. Want to turn today's episode into an actionable plan? Join the Optimal Living Weekly newsletter and I'll send you our 200-page digital workbook immediately. It's packed with the best takeaways from the show, formatted for easy reading and implementation at home. Get your free PDF workbook here: https://oldpodcast.eo.page/join Discover all of the podcasts in our network, search for specific episodes, get the Optimal Living Daily workbook, and learn more at: OLDPodcast.com Episode 3141: In part one, Sabrina shares how she began learning to love herself unconditionally during a blood cancer diagnosis at nineteen, starting with the decision to stop reopening old wounds from years of family conflict. She explains why the shame, self-blame, and self-pity she carried kept her from accepting herself, and what shifted once she gave herself permission to let those wounds finally heal. It is an honest opening to a story about the relationship that shapes every other one. Read along with the original article(s) here: https://buddingoptimist.com/how-to-love-yourself-unconditionally/ Quotes to ponder: "The cocktail of shame, self-blame, and self-pity I fed myself was toxic." "I realized I had to give myself the permission to heal." Optimal Relationships Daily is a daily relationship advice podcast where we narrate the best articles on healthy relationships, dating, marriage, and parenting, read to you by a professional narrator so you can strengthen your closest connections a little more every day. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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  3140: 9 Things a True Friend Would Never Do by Marc Chernoff of Marc and Angel on Friendship Building 13.09.2026 10min

  Get the 200+ Page Optimal Living Daily Workbook (PDF) - Free. Want to turn today's episode into an actionable plan? Join the Optimal Living Weekly newsletter and I'll send you our 200-page digital workbook immediately. It's packed with the best takeaways from the show, formatted for easy reading and implementation at home. Get your free PDF workbook here: https://oldpodcast.eo.page/join Discover all of the podcasts in our network, search for specific episodes, get the Optimal Living Daily workbook, and learn more at: OLDPodcast.com Episode 3140: Marc Chernoff shares nine things a true friend would never do, from criticizing you for being flawed to walking away the moment times get tough. He explains why the people who stay through a hard season, rather than the ones who show up only for the easy ones, are the friends worth keeping close, and why a grudge, a lie, or a one-sided exchange is a signal rather than a small annoyance. It is a clear-eyed look at what healthy relationships ask of both people. Read along with the original article(s) here: https://www.marcandangel.com/2026/06/23/9-things-a-true-friend-would-never-do/ Quotes to ponder: "True friends love and appreciate each other just the way they are." "Don't look for a friend who will solve all your problems; look for one who will face them with you." "True friendship is a sweet responsibility to be nurtured, not an opportunity to be exploited." Optimal Relationships Daily is a daily relationship advice podcast where we narrate the best articles on healthy relationships, dating, marriage, and parenting, read to you by a professional narrator so you can strengthen your closest connections a little more every day. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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  3139: WITH MUSIC - Nurture Self-Worth: Heart-Centered Yoga Nidra 13.09.2026 9min

  Get the 200+ Page Optimal Living Daily Workbook (PDF) - Free. Want to turn today's episode into an actionable plan? Join the Optimal Living Weekly newsletter and I'll send you our 200-page digital workbook immediately. It's packed with the best takeaways from the show, formatted for easy reading and implementation at home. Get your free PDF workbook here: https://oldpodcast.eo.page/join Discover all of the podcasts in our network, search for specific episodes, get the Optimal Living Daily workbook, and learn more at: OLDPodcast.com Episode 3139: This is a bonus episode from our sister podcast, NSDR - Non-Sleep Deep Rest, narrated by Dan. It is a heart-centered Yoga Nidra practice, set to music, that guides you into deep rest while gently rebuilding your sense of self-worth. We wanted to share it here because self-worth is the quiet groundwork under every relationship you have. Follow NSDR - Non-Sleep Deep Rest here: https://pod.link/1746217225 Optimal Relationships Daily is a daily relationship advice podcast where we narrate the best articles on healthy relationships, dating, marriage, and parenting, read to you by a professional narrator so you can strengthen your closest connections a little more every day. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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  3138: Are You in an Unhealthy Relationship? by The PsychAlive Team on Relationship Red Flags 12.09.2026 9min

  Get the 200+ Page Optimal Living Daily Workbook (PDF) - Free. Want to turn today's episode into an actionable plan? Join the Optimal Living Weekly newsletter and I'll send you our 200-page digital workbook immediately. It's packed with the best takeaways from the show, formatted for easy reading and implementation at home. Get your free PDF workbook here: https://oldpodcast.eo.page/join Discover all of the podcasts in our network, search for specific episodes, get the Optimal Living Daily workbook, and learn more at: OLDPodcast.com Episode 3138: The PsychAlive Team walks through the warning signs that a rough patch has hardened into an unhealthy relationship: less eye contact, less physical affection, communication breaking down, and a couple starting to speak as though they are one person. They explain Robert Firestone's concept of the fantasy bond, where two people keep the form of closeness while the real feeling drains out of it, and why deep fears of intimacy quietly push us there. They close with how to tell whether the relationship itself is the problem, or whether it is the way the two of you relate. Read along with the original article(s) here: https://www.psychalive.org/unhealthy-relationship/ Quotes to ponder: "A fantasy bond replaces real acts of love and affection toward your partner with an illusion of connection." "Being vulnerable to someone leaves us feeling vulnerable to the world." "You may be surprised to find that it isn't the relationship that is unhealthy but the ways you relate that are unhealthy." Optimal Relationships Daily is a daily relationship advice podcast where we narrate the best articles on healthy relationships, dating, marriage, and parenting, read to you by a professional narrator so you can strengthen your closest connections a little more every day. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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  3137: How to Get Kids to Clean Up Without a Fight by Jen of This Time of Mine on Positive Parenting 11.09.2026 8min

  Get the 200+ Page Optimal Living Daily Workbook (PDF) - Free. Want to turn today's episode into an actionable plan? Join the Optimal Living Weekly newsletter and I'll send you our 200-page digital workbook immediately. It's packed with the best takeaways from the show, formatted for easy reading and implementation at home. Get your free PDF workbook here: https://oldpodcast.eo.page/join Discover all of the podcasts in our network, search for specific episodes, get the Optimal Living Daily workbook, and learn more at: OLDPodcast.com Episode 3137: Jen shares ten tips for getting kids to clean up without it turning into a fight, starting with the groundwork that makes the job possible at all: declutter, give everything a labeled home, and keep it all within reach. She covers giving a warning before cleanup starts, setting a timer as a game rather than a countdown to punishment, putting music on, and cleaning more than once a day so messes never grow into something overwhelming. It is grounded parenting advice for making cleanup an ordinary family habit instead of a nightly standoff. Read along with the original article(s) here: https://thistimeofmine.com/how-to-get-kids-to-clean-up-without-a-fight/ Quotes to ponder: "Kids and messes go together like peanut butter and jelly." "Kids will be less likely to put up a fight if cleaning is just a regular part of life." "Kids always do better when they know exactly what's expected of them." Optimal Relationships Daily is a daily relationship advice podcast where we narrate the best articles on healthy relationships, dating, marriage, and parenting, read to you by a professional narrator so you can strengthen your closest connections a little more every day. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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  3136: How to Fight Entitlement Mentality in an Entitled World by Kalen Bruce of Freedom Sprout on Family Values 10.09.2026 10min

  Get the 200+ Page Optimal Living Daily Workbook (PDF) - Free. Want to turn today's episode into an actionable plan? Join the Optimal Living Weekly newsletter and I'll send you our 200-page digital workbook immediately. It's packed with the best takeaways from the show, formatted for easy reading and implementation at home. Get your free PDF workbook here: https://oldpodcast.eo.page/join Discover all of the podcasts in our network, search for specific episodes, get the Optimal Living Daily workbook, and learn more at: OLDPodcast.com Episode 3136: Kalen Bruce explains why entitlement has taken such deep root in kids, and why the standard advice about teaching hard work and saying no only goes part of the way. He argues that the real replacement for entitlement is gratitude and contentment, and that giving is the fastest route to both, whether a child gives their time, their money, or their help. It is practical parenting advice for raising kids who value people over possessions. Read along with the original article(s) here: https://freedomsprout.com/entitlement/ Quotes to ponder: "If you give your kids everything they want now, expect to keep that up when they leave home, or have very disappointed adult children." "Gratitude and contentment will overcome entitlement." "Giving is the fastest way to show contentment and gratitude." Optimal Relationships Daily is a daily relationship advice podcast where we narrate the best articles on healthy relationships, dating, marriage, and parenting, read to you by a professional narrator so you can strengthen your closest connections a little more every day. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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  3135: Is There Such A Thing As Planning Too Far Ahead? by Liz Keneski and Taylor Anne Morgan with Luvze on Lasting Love 09.09.2026 9min

  Get the 200+ Page Optimal Living Daily Workbook (PDF) - Free. Want to turn today's episode into an actionable plan? Join the Optimal Living Weekly newsletter and I'll send you our 200-page digital workbook immediately. It's packed with the best takeaways from the show, formatted for easy reading and implementation at home. Get your free PDF workbook here: https://oldpodcast.eo.page/join Discover all of the podcasts in our network, search for specific episodes, get the Optimal Living Daily workbook, and learn more at: OLDPodcast.com Episode 3135: Liz Keneski and Taylor Anne Morgan share findings from a study asking engaged and married people how much they discussed marriage, proposals, rings, and weddings before getting engaged. Talking about the possibility of marriage tracked with higher satisfaction and commitment for engaged couples, while frequent pre-engagement talk about the proposal, the ring, and the wedding tracked with lower satisfaction among married ones. They are careful about causation, but suggest the difference may be focusing on the relationship itself rather than on the events and objects around it. Read along with the original article(s) here: https://www.luvze.com/is-there-such-a-thing-as-planning-too-far-ahead/ Quotes to ponder: "As a couple grows closer and their relationship becomes more serious, it's entirely natural to discuss future plans." "According to our results, discussing plans to marry may be an important step in moving a relationship forward and likely reflects something happy couples are naturally inclined to do." "However, planning far ahead with frequent discussions about the specifics of getting engaged and having a wedding may not help the relationship or your chances of experiencing a more satisfying proposal, ring, or wedding." Optimal Relationships Daily is a daily relationship advice podcast where we narrate the best articles on healthy relationships, dating, marriage, and parenting, read to you by a professional narrator so you can strengthen your closest connections a little more every day. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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  3134: How to Screw Up Your Marriage on Purpose by James Altucher on Marriage Tips 08.09.2026 8min

  Get the 200+ Page Optimal Living Daily Workbook (PDF) - Free. Want to turn today's episode into an actionable plan? Join the Optimal Living Weekly newsletter and I'll send you our 200-page digital workbook immediately. It's packed with the best takeaways from the show, formatted for easy reading and implementation at home. Get your free PDF workbook here: https://oldpodcast.eo.page/join Discover all of the podcasts in our network, search for specific episodes, get the Optimal Living Daily workbook, and learn more at: OLDPodcast.com Episode 3134: James Altucher wrote this list for a friend getting married, framing it as a tongue-in-cheek guide to ending a marriage: interrupt her mid-sentence, stop surprising each other, go passive aggressive after every fight, treat the housework as someone else's job. Read straight, it is an inventory of the small corrosive habits that do most of the damage in a long partnership. His closing point is the serious one, that saving the good things usually means doing less of the bad rather than adding a new technique. Read along with the original article(s) here: https://jamesaltucher.com/blog/how-to-screw-up-your-marriage-on-purpose/ Quotes to ponder: "Sometimes people marry for the wrong reasons and sometimes people marry the wrong people." "More importantly, sometimes when we want to save the good things in our life, it's more important to do LESS of the bad things." "Try first to do less of the bad. Then maybe good things will happen." Optimal Relationships Daily is a daily relationship advice podcast where we narrate the best articles on healthy relationships, dating, marriage, and parenting, read to you by a professional narrator so you can strengthen your closest connections a little more every day. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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  3133: Becoming Emotionally Self-Reliant by Leo Babauta of Zen Habits on Emotional Freedom 07.09.2026 9min

  Get the 200+ Page Optimal Living Daily Workbook (PDF) - Free. Want to turn today's episode into an actionable plan? Join the Optimal Living Weekly newsletter and I'll send you our 200-page digital workbook immediately. It's packed with the best takeaways from the show, formatted for easy reading and implementation at home. Get your free PDF workbook here: https://oldpodcast.eo.page/join Discover all of the podcasts in our network, search for specific episodes, get the Optimal Living Daily workbook, and learn more at: OLDPodcast.com Episode 3133: Leo Babauta shares how years of emotional neediness quietly damaged his relationships, and what changed when he stopped treating other people as the source of his happiness. He offers a short self-test for emotional dependence, traces the pattern back to childhood, and suggests practical alternatives: sitting with your own mind, comforting yourself, reassuring yourself, and giving instead of waiting to be given to. The payoff he describes is loving from wholeness rather than need, which is the foundation of steadier relationships. Read along with the original article(s) here: https://zenhabits.net/self-reliance/ Quotes to ponder: "I wanted someone else to make me happy, blamed others for my unhappiness, sought to fulfill my emotional needs through others." "We look for happiness from others, but this is an unreliable source of happiness." "Create your own source of built-in happiness. Walk around as a whole, happy person, needing nothing." Optimal Relationships Daily is a daily relationship advice podcast where we narrate the best articles on healthy relationships, dating, marriage, and parenting, read to you by a professional narrator so you can strengthen your closest connections a little more every day. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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  3132: How Can a Couples Therapist Help Me Navigate the Decision of Divorce? by Sara Stanizai of Prospect Therapy on Hard Conversations 06.09.2026 11min

  Get the 200+ Page Optimal Living Daily Workbook (PDF) - Free. Want to turn today's episode into an actionable plan? Join the Optimal Living Weekly newsletter and I'll send you our 200-page digital workbook immediately. It's packed with the best takeaways from the show, formatted for easy reading and implementation at home. Get your free PDF workbook here: https://oldpodcast.eo.page/join Discover all of the podcasts in our network, search for specific episodes, get the Optimal Living Daily workbook, and learn more at: OLDPodcast.com Episode 3132: Sara Stanizai explains what a couples therapist actually does for a couple weighing divorce: creating a neutral space for the full range of feelings, assessing the relationship objectively, exploring alternatives, and keeping the conversation productive in a way it rarely is at home. She points out that emotions are data rather than noise, and that an outside observer trained to see beneath the conflict can shift a gridlocked perspective just enough to move. The decision itself stays with the couple, but the process gives them a clearer basis for making it. Read along with the original article(s) here: https://www.prospecttherapy.com/blog/2023/11/7/how-can-a-couples-therapist-help-me-navigate-the-decision-of-divorce Quotes to ponder: "Deciding whether or not to pursue a divorce is a deeply personal and often difficult decision." "Emotions are valuable pieces of information, and ignoring them is to throw away a whole file folder of data." "Sometimes couples get tunnel vision and only see the things that prove their point." Optimal Relationships Daily is a daily relationship advice podcast where we narrate the best articles on healthy relationships, dating, marriage, and parenting, read to you by a professional narrator so you can strengthen your closest connections a little more every day. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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  3131: Build Healthy Habits For Kids With a Feeding Schedule by Crystal Karges on Positive Parenting 06.09.2026 10min

  Get the 200+ Page Optimal Living Daily Workbook (PDF) - Free. Want to turn today's episode into an actionable plan? Join the Optimal Living Weekly newsletter and I'll send you our 200-page digital workbook immediately. It's packed with the best takeaways from the show, formatted for easy reading and implementation at home. Get your free PDF workbook here: https://oldpodcast.eo.page/join Discover all of the podcasts in our network, search for specific episodes, get the Optimal Living Daily workbook, and learn more at: OLDPodcast.com Episode 3131: Crystal Karges explains why a consistent meal and snack schedule does more for a child's eating than the food on the plate. She walks through four reasons routine helps: it builds a positive feeding relationship, it signals that eating matters, it lets kids tune in to their own hunger and fullness, and it creates more chances to serve a variety of foods. She is careful to note that a schedule is a guideline rather than a rule, which is what makes it practical parenting advice for real family life. Read along with the original article(s) here: https://www.crystalkarges.com/blog/this-is-why-you-need-a-meal-schedule-to-raise-healthy-eaters Quotes to ponder: "As much as we may hate to admit it, kids actually do better with structure." "Consistent routines create structure and predictability, which is important for building healthy habits for kids." "Establishing a routine with eating, such as with a meal schedule, helps a child trust that food is consistently available." Optimal Relationships Daily is a daily relationship advice podcast where we narrate the best articles on healthy relationships, dating, marriage, and parenting, read to you by a professional narrator so you can strengthen your closest connections a little more every day. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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  3130: Do You Want Your Partner To Treat You Like Royalty? by Evan Marc Katz on Lasting Love 05.09.2026 9min

  Get the 200+ Page Optimal Living Daily Workbook (PDF) - Free. Want to turn today's episode into an actionable plan? Join the Optimal Living Weekly newsletter and I'll send you our 200-page digital workbook immediately. It's packed with the best takeaways from the show, formatted for easy reading and implementation at home. Get your free PDF workbook here: https://oldpodcast.eo.page/join Discover all of the podcasts in our network, search for specific episodes, get the Optimal Living Daily workbook, and learn more at: OLDPodcast.com Episode 3130: Evan Marc Katz makes the case that the generosity people hope to receive from a partner usually has to be spent first. He points out how easy it is to catalog every criticism you have received while forgetting the small digs you hand out, and why positive reinforcement brings out a better version of the person you are with. It is straightforward relationship advice on how acceptance, not correction, builds lasting love. Read along with the original article(s) here: https://www.evanmarckatz.com/blog/understanding-men/do-you-want-your-partner-to-treat-you-like-royalty Quotes to ponder: "Treat your partner like royalty every single day." "Positive reinforcement makes a man feel great about himself AND about you." "Want to be treated like a princess? Start treating your men like kings." Optimal Relationships Daily is a daily relationship advice podcast where we narrate the best articles on healthy relationships, dating, marriage, and parenting, read to you by a professional narrator so you can strengthen your closest connections a little more every day. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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  3129: Want Your Child to Talk to You? Become a Brilliant Listener! by Dr. Laura Markham of Peaceful Parent Happy Kids on Listening Better 04.09.2026 12min

  Get the 200+ Page Optimal Living Daily Workbook (PDF) - Free. Want to turn today's episode into an actionable plan? Join the Optimal Living Weekly newsletter and I'll send you our 200-page digital workbook immediately. It's packed with the best takeaways from the show, formatted for easy reading and implementation at home. Get your free PDF workbook here: https://oldpodcast.eo.page/join Discover all of the podcasts in our network, search for specific episodes, get the Optimal Living Daily workbook, and learn more at: OLDPodcast.com Episode 3129: Dr. Laura Markham explains that getting a child to open up has almost nothing to do with the right question and everything to do with how you listen. She walks through twelve habits, from putting the phone away and trading questions for gentle openers, to matching your reaction to their mood and keeping your own worry out of the room. It is parenting advice for becoming the person your child brings the hard things to. Read along with the original article(s) here: https://www.peacefulparenthappykids.com/read/brilliant-listener Quotes to ponder: "The most important skill in talking with anyone, including children, is listening." "What your child needs from you is your full attention and empathy." "Empathy is mirroring whatever she's already showing you." Optimal Relationships Daily is a daily relationship advice podcast where we narrate the best articles on healthy relationships, dating, marriage, and parenting, read to you by a professional narrator so you can strengthen your closest connections a little more every day. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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  3128: Is Your Child Selfish? 4 Simple Ways To Turn Your Kid Around by Adina Soclof of Parenting Simply on Positive Parenting 03.09.2026 10min

  Get the 200+ Page Optimal Living Daily Workbook (PDF) - Free. Want to turn today's episode into an actionable plan? Join the Optimal Living Weekly newsletter and I'll send you our 200-page digital workbook immediately. It's packed with the best takeaways from the show, formatted for easy reading and implementation at home. Get your free PDF workbook here: https://oldpodcast.eo.page/join Discover all of the podcasts in our network, search for specific episodes, get the Optimal Living Daily workbook, and learn more at: OLDPodcast.com Episode 3128: Adina Soclof explains that children who seem selfish are usually just doing what their age allows, since seeing an adult's point of view is a skill they have not developed yet. She offers four ways to teach it without coming down hard: empathizing with their feelings, saying what you need before the moment arrives, describing your situation plainly, and modeling compassion for others. It is practical positive parenting for raising a child who notices what everyone else is carrying. Read along with the original article(s) here: https://parentingsimply.com/is-your-child-selfish-4-simple-ways-to-turn-your-kid-around/ Quotes to ponder: "It is helpful to know that kids do not want to misbehave they are usually just acting normally for their age." "Empathizing with kids and respecting their negative feelings is truly the best way to teach our kids to see our perspective." "Naming their feelings helps kids to become emotionally literate and comfortable with their wide range of emotions." Optimal Relationships Daily is a daily relationship advice podcast where we narrate the best articles on healthy relationships, dating, marriage, and parenting, read to you by a professional narrator so you can strengthen your closest connections a little more every day. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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  3127: The Marriage Diaries: Surprise! I Was a Lousy Wife by Mary Carver on Marriage Expectations 02.09.2026 9min

  Get the 200+ Page Optimal Living Daily Workbook (PDF) - Free. Want to turn today's episode into an actionable plan? Join the Optimal Living Weekly newsletter and I'll send you our 200-page digital workbook immediately. It's packed with the best takeaways from the show, formatted for easy reading and implementation at home. Get your free PDF workbook here: https://oldpodcast.eo.page/join Discover all of the podcasts in our network, search for specific episodes, get the Optimal Living Daily workbook, and learn more at: OLDPodcast.com Episode 3127: Mary Carver shares what she learned after nearly thirteen years of the same fights brought her marriage to a breaking point. She describes carrying a long checklist of what a good husband should do while never once asking what kind of wife she was being, and how quietly that scorekeeping turned into contention. It is a candid look at how examining your own expectations can reopen a marriage that felt finished. Read along with the original article(s) here: https://declutteryourlife.co/the-marriage-diaries-surprise-i-was-a-lousy-wife/ Quotes to ponder: "With so much energy poured into my good husband checklist, of course I didn't waste time thinking about what kind of wife I was." "Everything was about what I wanted, how it made me feel and what I thought I deserved." "It was only after counseling and a lot of soul-searching that I realized my expectations, combined with my insistence on being right and having rights, were ruining my chance at a happy marriage." Optimal Relationships Daily is a daily relationship advice podcast where we narrate the best articles on healthy relationships, dating, marriage, and parenting, read to you by a professional narrator so you can strengthen your closest connections a little more every day. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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  3126: Why Couples Shouldn't Do Couples Therapy (Says the Couples Therapist) by Dr. Kelly Flanagan on Conflict Repair 01.09.2026 10min

  Get the 200+ Page Optimal Living Daily Workbook (PDF) - Free. Want to turn today's episode into an actionable plan? Join the Optimal Living Weekly newsletter and I'll send you our 200-page digital workbook immediately. It's packed with the best takeaways from the show, formatted for easy reading and implementation at home. Get your free PDF workbook here: https://oldpodcast.eo.page/join Discover all of the podcasts in our network, search for specific episodes, get the Optimal Living Daily workbook, and learn more at: OLDPodcast.com Episode 3126: Dr. Kelly Flanagan explains why so many couples arrive at marital therapy locked in the same fight every week, and why the real opponent is shame rather than the person across the room. He describes how a criticism squeezes an already saturated heart until shame leaks out as attack, and how naming that feeling out loud stops the cycle in a way no amount of arguing can. It is honest marriage advice about turning inward first so the relationship has room to change. Read along with the original article(s) here: https://drkellyflanagan.com/why-couples-shouldnt-do-couples-therapy-says-the-couples-therapist/ Quotes to ponder: "Our hearts are like a sponge for shame, and most of us are pretty saturated with it by the time we meet our lifelong companion." "You don't fight for your Saturday night by fighting with your spouse. You fight for your Saturday night by fighting with yourself." "Until we can be gentle with ourselves, we can't be gentle to anyone else." Optimal Relationships Daily is a daily relationship advice podcast where we narrate the best articles on healthy relationships, dating, marriage, and parenting, read to you by a professional narrator so you can strengthen your closest connections a little more every day. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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  3125: 10 Questions Happy Couples Are Constantly Asking One Another by Anita Chlipala with Gottman on Lasting Love 31.08.2026 9min

  Get the 200+ Page Optimal Living Daily Workbook (PDF) - Free. Want to turn today's episode into an actionable plan? Join the Optimal Living Weekly newsletter and I'll send you our 200-page digital workbook immediately. It's packed with the best takeaways from the show, formatted for easy reading and implementation at home. Get your free PDF workbook here: https://oldpodcast.eo.page/join Discover all of the podcasts in our network, search for specific episodes, get the Optimal Living Daily workbook, and learn more at: OLDPodcast.com Episode 3125: Anita Chlipala explains how couples drift from loving talk into logistical talk without noticing, and offers ten open-ended questions that reopen the conversation, covering childhood memories, unmet needs, private worries, unfulfilled dreams, and physical intimacy. She notes that the couples who stay connected are simply deliberate about it, setting aside twenty distraction-free minutes and letting themselves be vulnerable rather than staging grand gestures. It is small, repeatable relationship advice for keeping a marriage close over the long run. Read along with the original article(s) here: https://www.gottman.com/blog/10-questions-happy-couples-constantly-asking-one-another/ Quotes to ponder: "Too many couples become emotionally disconnected and they never saw it coming." "Let yourself be vulnerable. It's a pathway to intimacy and it helps you build and maintain trust." "Intimacy suffers when people stay focused on the things that aren't going well or take the good things for granted." Optimal Relationships Daily is a daily relationship advice podcast where we narrate the best articles on healthy relationships, dating, marriage, and parenting, read to you by a professional narrator so you can strengthen your closest connections a little more every day. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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  3124: [Part 2] Productivity Tips for Working Moms - How to Get Things Done! by Julianna Poplin of The Simplicity Habit on Quality Time 30.08.2026 9min

  Get the 200+ Page Optimal Living Daily Workbook (PDF) - Free. Want to turn today's episode into an actionable plan? Join the Optimal Living Weekly newsletter and I'll send you our 200-page digital workbook immediately. It's packed with the best takeaways from the show, formatted for easy reading and implementation at home. Get your free PDF workbook here: https://oldpodcast.eo.page/join Discover all of the podcasts in our network, search for specific episodes, get the Optimal Living Daily workbook, and learn more at: OLDPodcast.com Episode 3124: Julianna Poplin continues with the practical half: rank the day by what is most important and time sensitive, then do the worst task first so nothing hangs over the rest of it. She explains how make-ahead meals hand back an entire evening during the week, and how a written list, a paper planner, or a bullet journal gets every obligation out of your head and into one place. The payoff is not just a shorter to-do list, it is focused, unhurried quality time with the family. Read along with the original article(s) here: https://www.thesimplicityhabit.com/productivity-tips-working-moms/ Quotes to ponder: "Make it a priority to give your kids focused attention each day." "By making your meals for the week on the weekend, you can spend valuable time each evening with your kids or tackling something else on your to-do list." "Reading all the productivity tips for working moms in the world won't change your situation." Optimal Relationships Daily is a daily relationship advice podcast where we narrate the best articles on healthy relationships, dating, marriage, and parenting, read to you by a professional narrator so you can strengthen your closest connections a little more every day. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices