Ep. 213 Your Fairytale Love Story Isn't Going To Be A Straight Line Ft. Kelly Gardner and Emily Gough

Kelly Gardner  As a personal development coach who works with parents, I'm particularly passionate about helping people navigate the major transitions in family life. Wether the transition that occurs in becoming parents or the one that occurs when a relationship becomes irreparable, these transitions create great opportunities for growth.  Believe me when I say that these lessons have been hard earned.   My first child came swiftly on the heals of my first marriage.  Not so surprisingly we failed to navigate the change of roles from partners to parents. Both of us feeling abandoned, neglected, and undernourished led to increased conflicts that eventually ended in divorce. It was undoubtedly the biggest failure of my life AND it also sparked my transformation from a grown child with a baby to a mature nurturing adult stewarding life.   In the aftermath of the divorce, I began to reflect on what went wrong. I realized that I had been blaming my partner for the problems in our relationship, rather than taking responsibility for my triggers and unhealed traumas. This realization was a wake-up call, and it was the beginning of my personal development journey.  I got involved with personal development and started leading men's groups, and it changed my life. I began to deepen my exploration of compassionate communication as well as taking a path of radical responsibility for everything that was showing up in my life.  I started applying these principles to my life and relationships, and it opened up a whole new world of possibilities. My second journey through marriage and parenting would prove to be far more successful.  Although a change in sexual identity would bring an end to our marriage, we continue to share a thriving relationship as compassionate co-parents and loving friends.  My two divorces were certainly among the hardest challenges I have faced in my life, but they were also the challenges that taught me how to truly hold and grow both a family and a life of purpose.  The clarity I gained and offer to my family and clients is what I call Inspirational Parenting.  This approach is about allowing the reflections of our closest relationships to become the guide for the growth most needed to create greater fulfillment.  From that place of fulfillment, inspiring others to meet me at my highest.  I can not change others but I can inspire their growth and if nothing else, I will grow in the process.  Emily Gough Emily is a relationship coach, author of the book You Grow Me, speaker and host of the Room to Grow™ Podcast. An old soul, Emily brings playful energy and a sense of humor combined with compassion and candor to the exploration of love. With a wide-ranging educational and work background along with more than a decade of coaching experience, she takes a holistic approach to relationships. Using the psychology and physiology of emotions, Emily will give you the real-life tools and perspective you need to reconnect to yourself and create a drastically happier, healthier and more loving relationship. With over 25 years of experience in education, Kelly has taught some form of personal growth to individuals from preschool to graduate school and beyond.  His early training in drama therapy, non-violent communication, and childhood development combine with his more recent experiences in parenting, personal development and leadership training to create a unique approach to helping individuals grow their most loving relationships. _____ Work with me, your host,  here: Thelovelyalea.com  Get my free MAGIC MENTOR guide at thelovelyalea.com Become a Patreon Member to get behind the scenes, extra content, and workshops.patreon.com/thelovelyalea Follow me on Instagram instagram.com/thelovelyalea ( Remember I will never DM you for readings - watch out for Scammers ! ) Check out my workshops at Spiritualshitschool.com