Find Your Way, While Losing Your Weigh(t)
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In this so very busy time of year, my most heartfelt wish is that you find a few minutes each day that are just for yourself. Find those minutes–steal them if you have to–and recharge your batteries so you can continue to support those who look to you.
From my wife (Tammy), my sons (Ethan and Bennett) and myself, I hope that you find happiness, relaxation and a rediscover a sense of wonder at the world around you.
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–Peer pressure and social norms are powerful influences on behaviour, and they are classic excuses. Andrew Lansley, British politician
–The conscience of children is formed by the influences that surround them; their notions of good and evil are the result of the moral atmosphere they breathe. Jean Paul, German author, 1763-1825
–My father taught me you have to believe in yourself and run on your own track. Jennifer Grey, Actress
–Be what you are. This is the first step toward becoming better than you are. Julius Charles Hare, English theologian, 1795-1855
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Farm City: The Education of an Urban Farmer, by Novella Carpenter. A fun read about running a small farm in downtown Oakland, California. Since I am so obsessed with eventually raising chickens, I like reading books like this.
Meron Bareket’s “Inspiring Innovation” podcast can be found here. He also has a free Podcast Tutorial Starter kit. You can also hear his story as my first guest on MYST 3.
Kary Oberbrunner’s podcast “Igniting Souls” can be found here. His book, “Day Job to Dream Job: Practical Steps for Turning Your Passion Into a Full Time Gig” is on Amazon. I bought it and it is a great book!
I used LoseIt! to lose my weight. Get Lose It! Premium because it works.
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Music composed and performed by Jason Shaw, courtesy of Audionautix.com
Voiceover courtesy of Matt Young. Matt is a professional voiceover artist. If you have any need of voiceover work, for your podcast, radio spot, or whatever, you can reach Matt by a variety of methods. He is on LinkedIn. On Twitter. And Google+. And you can read his really nice, contemplative blog. Matt was also my guest on MYST 54. Give his story a listen!
Some links (but not all) within these show notes may be Affiliate Links, meaning that I may receive a small commission when readers click on them and then purchase something. This does not increase your cost at all, but it does help me cover some of the cost associated with this podcast. Thanks!
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How many times have you been interviewed for a job, but did not receive a job offer? If your answer is “zero” then this episode is not for you.
If the answer is “one (or more)” then this episode is for you!
I’ve had many jobs. I’ve had many more interviews than I’ve had jobs. Sometimes I was successful. Others…not so much. So what makes me an expert? I’m not. But I have some ideas. When you listen to the show, you will hear all the details, but I will give you the abbreviated version right here.
A question for you?
What was your biggest mistake at an interview? Share your stories with everyone!
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Music composed and performed by Jason Shaw, courtesy of Audionautix.com
Voiceover courtesy of Matt Young. Matt is a professional voiceover artist. If you have any need of voiceover work, for your podcast, radio spot, or whatever, you can reach Matt by a variety of methods. He is on LinkedIn. On Twitter. And Google+. And you can read his really nice, contemplative blog. Matt was also my guest on MYST 54. Give his story a listen!
Some links (but not all) within these show notes may be Affiliate Links, meaning that I may receive a small commission when readers click on them and then purchase something. This does not increase your cost at all, but it does help me cover some of the cost associated with this podcast. Thanks!
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Today’s quote comes from Kara Counard, our guest from Episode 30. (Kara’s story is a powerful example of making tough choices, and finding greater success! If you haven’t listened to the episode, check it out.) Kara suggests that we need to change our minds about ourselves. What is she talking about?
We have control over very few things in our lives. We can’t control the weather.
We can train our pets (sometimes) but we really don’t control them.
Our kids? Please.
We can control the vehicles we drive…unless you hit a patch of ice here in Wisconsin, in which case you are being controlled by momentum.
We might have control over where we work, but my guess is that everyone who is listening right now has to answer to someone else for some part of your job. Even if you are a self-employed entrepreneur, you still need to be responsive to your audience so that you give them the answer to their problems.
About the only thing we can control with absolute certainty is our reactions to stimuli around us. That’s it.
I’ll cover this in greater detail in an upcoming show, but I recently had a student ask me why I don’t get upset when things go wrong. Sometimes a student will make a mistake. Or our assigned meeting room at the clinical site will be arbitrarily changed. Or weather forces a cancelation of class—after I’ve already driving 40 miles through a snow storm.
I don’t get upset because a) that won’t change anything, and b) how I react is my choice. Why bother getting upset over a snowstorm? That won’t change anything except to make me angry, frustrated and disturbed. The snow will remain, unfazed by my emotional outburst. And I choose to not lose my temper over things that I cannot alter.
It, like so much else, is a choice. And we can choose to look at things in any way we want.
Let me give you an example:
Last April, very early in spring, the ground still snow-covered, I was driving home on an interstate highway, with a posted speed limit of 65mph / 105Kph. As I drove, with no other traffic around me, the left front ball joint of my wheel snapped. One minute, I was driving carefree and then suddenly BANG! I was sliding. I steered to the right to get off the highway, and in doing so, slid about 20 feet down an embankment and crashed through two stout fence posts before coming to a stop.
The offending wheel! 
It was the most exciting 3-4 seconds of my life. It was 3-4 seconds that lasted about 18 lifetimes while it was happening.
When I came to a stop, my first reaction was laughter. I could not believe what happened and that I was completely unhurt. The car? Totaled. Then I called my auto insurance agent, and a local tow-truck service. I was dialing the local Sherriff’s line when I saw one of the deputies carefully walk down the embankment.
I got out, and we talked. He determined based on skid marks on the highway that I was not driving recklessly, and he also did not smell alcohol on my breath. So we waited for the tow truck and then he drove me to a restaurant to call for my son to pick me up.
That was scary. And I was sad, because I really liked that car, and I knew that the insurance company would declare it a total loss. But I was sooooo happy.
My wife wasn’t driving the car. Nor were my sons. That would have made me so worried. When it happened, there was no traffic around me. Suppose a car had been tailgating me? Or one had been driving in the lane to my right? If this had happened 5 seconds earlier or 10 seconds later (I later timed it), in both cases I would have not slid down an embankment, but rather been pitched off the roadway, down to another road 20 feet below. What if I had taken my alternate route home (which I do about half the times)? It is a lonely county highway, little traveled, with steeper embankments going down to small rivers? Or, most likely, if this had been a normal year, the snow cover would have been gone and the ground soft and soggy. Instead of sliding, my wheels probably would have dug in, and made my car roll. And at 65mph (ish), it would roll many times.
So many worse things could have happened. Instead of being upset at breaking my car, I was happy and overjoyed that nothing truly bad happened.
When was the last time something bad happened to you? Something unexpected? Did you react with anger, frustration? If you did react like that, did it make anything better?
What does that have to do with changing our minds about ourselves?
How we feel about ourselves, about others within our life, about our situation in life, all of those feelings are a choice. And if our current choice is not working for us, we need to change.
We need to change our reactions, our thoughts, our feelings. No one can change that for you. Do you dislike your manager? Maybe so. Does having those feelings result in any positive change? Probably not.
So what can you do? You have two options. No, three. You can change your reactions to you manager, you can change your thoughts about your current job and look for work elsewhere, or you can stay where you are and keep thinking your current thoughts and remain miserable. (Oh, and in case you don’t know, everyone around you knows that you are miserable. Including your manager.)
You need to make a choice about making a change. And all changes begin mentally. When I am having a bad day, I ask one question (and it is a simple one): “Is there something that I can do to directly change my situation?” In my broken car, there was nothing I could do to change the outcome. So I didn’t worry about it. When my wife told me that her car was handling poorly on the snowy roads, I could do something. I first checked the treads, and then I ordered the best snow tires I could get for her car. Expensive? Yes. But would I rather pay that, or always worry when the roads are snowy and slippery (about 4 months a year in this part of Wisconsin)?
“Can you do something that will change your situation?” If yes, then do it!
If no, then accept your situation. In blunt language, “Suck it up, Buttercup” and live with it. Whining won’t change it, and no one wants to hear that! Having a tantrum won’t change it. Accept it. Deal with it. Learn from it to (hopefully) prevent it from happening again.
Choose to change.
It is a powerful ability. And not everyone will take this advice. It looks much more passive than some people want, but it is really “active-passivity”. You are not passively accepting your fate, but rather, you are choosing to not fight a useless battle. Save your energies and ammunition for a fight that is possible.
You all know people around who fight everything, every time. They never win. No one takes their actions and words seriously. And then you may know that one person. Quiet. Gets along with everyone. Adapts to changes easily. Oh, he/she might grumble, but they don’t put up fights, and the grumbling is short-lived.
Until something big happens. And then, suddenly, they change. The quiet, peaceful, get-along person becomes vocal, forceful and stands their ground! And they usually win, right?
What will you do? How will you change?
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Music composed and performed by Jason Shaw, courtesy of Audionautix.com
Voiceover courtesy of Matt Young. Matt is a professional voiceover artist. If you have any need of voiceover work, for your podcast, radio spot, or whatever, you can reach Matt by a variety of methods. He is on LinkedIn. On Twitter. And Google+. And you can read his really nice, contemplative blog. Matt was also my guest on MYST 54. Give his story a listen!
Some links (but not all) within these show notes may be Affiliate Links, meaning that I may receive a small commission when readers click on them and then purchase something. This does not increase your cost at all, but it does help me cover some of the cost associated with this podcast. Thanks!
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People ask me if I listen to podcasts other than my own, and yes, of course I do! (But I almost never listen to my own!) And instead of doing another “portion control” and “eat healthy” episode (because that is what everyone does at this time of year, I decided to make a list of my Top 12 podcasts. I listen to many more than that, but I needed to stop somewhere.
These are not listed in any particular order of preference, except for one. The first one.
Meron Bareket’s Inspiring Innovation podcast. Meron was my first guest, way back on MYST 3. Meron is the expert who taught me what I know about podcasting. If you want to learn how to podcast, here is his free Starter Kit! (Side note: the voiceover artist for Meron’s show is none other than Matt Young, who also performs my intro and outro. Links to his business are below.) This show will reveal the secret strategies of successful entrepreneurs, and then give you immediately actionable steps that you can take to bring you closer to success.
Learning with Leslie from Become a Blogger.com is another podcast that is more focused on blogging and podcasting, but has information that can be used in the classroom or any business. He is “trying to change the world, one blog at a time!” Leslie Samuel has an enthusiasm that is contagious and a smile that comes through your ear buds. He, too, will give you everything he knows in order to help you find your personal success.
Pat Flynn bring two shows to this list, the original Smart Passive Income (which was the first entrepreneurial show that I listened to) and his newest show, Ask Pat. Both are excellent resources. SPI is a longer format (40-60 minutes) and primarily interviews with other entrepreneurial leaders, authors and business gurus. You can never predict what will be covered on each show. Ask Pat is a short format 9-12 minutes, and arrives Monday-Friday. He answers a listener’s specific question and lists that in the title, so it is easy to know if each show is critical to your success (and most are, in my opinion.)
I listen to a lot of public radio, and always have. National Public Radio (NPR) brings many shows to this list. The TED Radio Hour is probably my most eclectic show on my podcast playlist. There is no way to adequately describe what you will learn on this show. It is one my most useful podcasts for the classroom. (I only wish it came out more than once a week.) It is hosted by Guy Roz. Follow the show on Twitter @TEDRadioHour. Wait, Wait, Don’t Tell Me is NPR’s weekly current events news quiz, but these quizzes are nothing like the current events quiz that Mr. Kuegel gave me back in my 7th grade US Civics class at DC Everest Middle School! And if you want to know about cars, well, Car Talk is sort of about cars. Mostly, the show is an hour of listening to Click and Clack, the Tappet brothers (aka Tom and Ray Mogliozzi) who use cars, car problems, and listener calls to wax poetic about life, marriage, and how to avoid work. (Note: Tom died on November 3, 2014, at age 77. The show continues airing previous shows, and remains as funny as always.) Planet Money is a show about the economics of everything, and interwines politics, psychology, sociology and every other -ology you can think of, because money really is the center of all things. But this econ class is interesting and at the level that everyone can connect with. Marketplace is a daily (Monday-Friday) business show produced by American Public Media (APM), which also covers the politics of business, government concerns, global markets, and brings those high level issues down to the level of our checkbook and the price we pay for milk.
The last three featured on this episode are science-based. Sort of. You’ll see as you read.
Skeptoid is a weekly show from Brian Dunning, my guest on MYST10.
The best description of this show is from the website. “Skeptoid: Critical Analysis of Pop Phenomena is an award-winning weekly science podcast. Since 2006, Skeptoid has been fighting the good fight against the overwhelming majority of noise in the media supporting useless alternative medicine systems, psychics preying upon the vulnerable, the erosion of science education in the classroom, xenophobia of advanced energy and food production methods, and generally anything that distracts attention and public funding from scientific advancement.”
The Skeptic’s Guide to the Universe is another science podcast that is dedicated to exploring science–and mistaken assumptions about what people think are facts–in a panel format. Hosted by neurologist Dr. Steven Novella, each week the group tackles current news articles and digs to uncover the real story behind the facade. Now, I will be the first to admit this: sometimes, this show gets very deep scientifically. I don’t always have a good enough knowledge in physics to understand some of their discussions, but they make enough understandable that I am able to learn from them
Lastly, but not leastly, my friends Neil and Joe from London, England, produce the Warp Ten podcast. This is a show for the true Star Trek nerd. And yes, I am talking about myself. Neil (the diehard Star Trek fan) and his roommate Joe (NOT a Star Trek fan, “but trying damn hard!”) have ambitiously decided to watch every episode and movie of the Star Trek Prime universe (not the J.J. Abrams movies) in stardate order. At the current rate of two a week, they have more than 6 years left to record. Joe will either be converted and become a Star Trek fan, or his head will explode. This show is sometimes a bit rambly. They get off topic occasionally, and there is plenty of “frat house” humor. Their language has earned them an “Explicit” label, and it is well-earned. They are true to themselves. If you are put off by vulgarities, don’t listen. If you need excellent and uniform volume levels, well, they don’t have that, either. Of the 12, this is the most personal and non-commercial show. These two guys are making the show they want, and are defying the conventions about knowing your avatar. They are talking to people like themselves. If you are a Star Trek fan, give it a listen.
Other shows that I also listen to, but didn’t feature here (because I didn’t want this episode to last for hours!):
Julie Sheranosher’s shows, Time Hackers, and Time Hackers Hero Edition are both designed for the entrepreneur (or teacher, coach, or anyone) who needs help in finding more time in their day. Time Hackers in a Monday and Thursday show, each about 15 minutes, with simple time hacks that work! She helps you find missing time! In Hero Edition, this weekly show focuses on a single successful entrepreneur as she interviews him or her to find how these business leaders manage their precious time and get stuff done.
Julie was my guest on MYST 14.
Entrepreneur on Fire is from John Lee Dumas. A true daily show (seven days a week) he talks to the leading entrepreneurs of the time, finds out how they do what they do, and mines for the gems of wisdom so that everyone else can learn. John was my guest on MYST 36. His show is a must-have for anyone who has the passion for entrepreneurship and needs some guidance.
The So To Speak Show, with Lode Roels, is a show that an audiophile would appreciate. He focuses on radio and podcasting, as well as just about anything that can be recorded. Lode is currently from Canada, but spent time on the radio in Belgium. Everything sounds better with an accent!
Authors need to listen to Ani Alexander’s Write 2B Read podcast. She was my guest on MYST 38. She is an Amazon best-selling author and the only podcaster based in Armenia (as of today’s date.) If you are an author or want to be an author, you need to listen to this show. She gives her experiences, tips and encouraging advice, as well as interviews authors from around the world to find out their success steps. If you have a story inside you–and we all do–you need to listen to Ani.
NPR’s Intelligence Squared US Debates brings “Oxford-style debate to America – one motion, one moderator, two panelists for the motion and two against. From clean energy and the financial crisis, to the Middle East and the death of mainstream media, Intelligence Squared U.S. brings together the world’s leading authorities on the day’s most important issues”. A great way to hear both sides of an issue in a controlled and balanced format. Pop Culture Happy Hour “is a lively chat about books, movies, music, television, comics and pretty much anything else that strikes a nerve, all in a weekly roundtable from NPR.
Because I am a chef at heart, APM’s The Splendid Table “is public radio’s culinary, culture, and lifestyle program that celebrates food and its ability to touch the lives and feed the souls of everyone. Each week, award-winning host Lynne Rossetto Kasper leads listeners on a journey of the senses and hosts discussions with a variety of writers and personalities who share their passion for the culinary delights updated every Friday.” And produced in Wisconsin is another health-related show. “Laughter is the best medicine and you’ll get a healthy dose of it on Zorba Paster On Your Health. Family doc Zorba Paster, teams up with co-host Tom Clark for a jam-packed hour on healthy living that’s as irreverent as it is informative.”
I hope this list gives you a few new ideas. If you are a podcast, and I didn’t list you, it isn’t that I don’t listen to you, it’s that my show (and the show notes) can’t be infinitely long. Take no offense if you are not listed here.
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Music composed and performed by Jason Shaw, courtesy of Audionautix.com
Voiceover courtesy of Matt Young. Matt is a professional voiceover artist. If you have any need of voiceover work, for your podcast, radio spot, or whatever, you can reach Matt by a variety of methods. He is on LinkedIn. On Twitter. And Google+. And you can read his really nice, contemplative blog. Matt was also my guest on MYST 54. Give his story a listen!
Some links (but not all) within these show notes may be Affiliate Links, meaning that I may receive a small commission when readers click on them and then purchase something. This does not increase your cost at all, but it does help me cover some of the cost associated with this podcast. Thanks!
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Photo by Jeff Sheldon, via Unsplash.com
We are all creative.
That does not mean we are all artists, musicians, craftsmen, and designers. At least, not in a common meaning. But we are all creative in some manner, and that is important.
Me?
I’m a darn good cook and brewer of beer. I’m a pretty creative nurse educator and getting better at podcasting. My wife is awesome and can design her own clothes, create artwork and decorate a home on a budget.
Everyone has some area of creativity. It’s important to acknowledge that, nurture that, and then use it to enjoy life!
An apology for the sound quality of my voice. I’ve been battling a nasty upper respiratory virus since November 10, and it is just now easing. For about a week, I had essentially no voice at all, so what you are hearing represents a major victory over the virus.
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Music composed and performed by Jason Shaw, courtesy of Audionautix.com
Voiceover courtesy of Matt Young. Matt is a professional voiceover artist. If you have any need of voiceover work, for your podcast, radio spot, or whatever, you can reach Matt by a variety of methods. He is on LinkedIn. On Twitter. And Google+. And you can read his really nice, contemplative blog.
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Photo by Sonja Langford, via via Unsplash.com
I’m too busy!
Have you ever felt that way? I have. I do! But I will give you some ideas on how to reduce the stress and get tasks eliminated from your “to do” list!
Julie Sheranosher’s podcasts are designed to help YOU create more time in your life. You can listen to her life story here to discover what challenges entered her life and forced her to find greater efficiency. (It is fascinating!)
Time Hackers: Entrepreneurship on Steroids is where she gives you all her ideas for time creation. Time Hackers: Hero Edition is an interview show with successful thought leaders and reveals their tips for better time management.
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Music composed and performed by Jason Shaw, courtesy of Audionautix.com
Voiceover courtesy of Matt Young. Matt is a professional voiceover artist. If you have any need of voiceover work, for your podcast, radio spot, or whatever, you can reach Matt by a variety of methods. He is on LinkedIn. On Twitter. And Google+. And you can read his really nice, contemplative blog.
Some links (but not all) within these show notes may be Affiliate Links, meaning that I may receive a small commission when readers click on them and then purchase something. This does not increase your cost at all, but it does help me cover some of the cost associated with this podcast. Thanks!
Clint Eastwood said “Fate pulls you in different directions.” He’s right. Some things that happen to us are out of our control.
That’s why it is so important to take charge of all those parts of your life which are under your control.
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If you would like to listen to this blogpost, this was the basis for a recent podcast episode.
Unsplash License: “All photos published on Unsplash are licensed under Creative Commons Zero which means you can can copy, modify, distribute and use the photos, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission.”
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Photo by Matthew Clark, via Unsplash.com
Imagine two people in a canoe. The person up front digging hard with their paddle, propelling the canoe forward. The person in the back is along for the ride, but he has no paddle in his hands. He has no control over where he is going. He is sitting passively enjoying the ride. If he ends up in a good spot, maybe a sunny bank along the lake, then he chose wisely.
But what if the front person is over-eager, and aggressively tries to paddle through the rapids of a river? The trip will probably end differently—at the very least, it will be a much wetter journey.
What does that have to do with weight loss, writing a book, starting a new career, or any goal achievement? This idea builds on the concept of being your own person and finding—more importantly, using—your own voice!
Take charge. When you passively exist, you only receive what others decide for you. In the USA, we are soon going to have national, state and local elections. Vote! Take a stand. Choose a position. Make your choice. If you don’t vote, and you don’t like the election outcome, you are not in a position to complain.
If you are on a weight loss journey, you really can’t do it passively. It takes action, determination and drive to lose weight.
But you know, you actually can do it passively, in a fashion. If you use prepackaged meals, that is a relatively passive method of weight loss. If you try those special “fat burning, metabolism-boosting” pills, that is pretty passive.
But the problem is that it doesn’t let you learn how to eat healthy the rest of your life. If you follow their plans, you will lose weight. Will it stay off? That is the real question.
When you are in control of what you eat, you make decisions every day. Hopefully most days are good decisions, but even on those days where you choose unwisely, you are still learning about self-control.
In my first thought, of the two people in the canoe, what would be the result if the rider in back were to grab an oar? First he could help steer the canoe. He would be able to exert some influence upon the direction he moves. But he could also help propel the canoe faster, and reach their destination quicker.
But as it is, he is simply riding. Passive. One could even say “useless.” That is never a descriptor of anything good.
Photo by Antoine Beauvillian, via Unsplash.com
What about getting on a railroad? Isn’t that a passive choice? Sort of.
That is a choice you can make, too, and with that choice, you know the end destination. Depending in the railroad and ticket, you have a reasonable assurance that you will disembark where you are planning. There are no rapids for the engineer to steer through, and if the train unfortunately derails, it will have nothing to do with your actions, and you could have done nothing to prevent it.
But once again, you have no control over how fast you arrive and actually, your potential destination choices are also limited. This is like choosing a very restrictive weight loss plan, one where you strictly limiting certain foods. Might that work? Sure. But will it take you exactly where you want to go, in the comfort that you desire? Maybe. Maybe not.
Clint Eastwood said “Fate pulls you in different directions.” He’s right. Some things that happen to us are out of our control.
That’s why it is so important to take charge of all those parts of your life which are under your control.
Which choices are you making right now? And do you have the paddle in your hands, or are you riding passively.
That is always your choice.
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Music composed and performed by Jason Shaw, courtesy of Audionautix.com
Voiceover courtesy of Matt Young. Matt is a professional voiceover artist. If you have any need of voiceover work, for your podcast, radio spot, or whatever, you can reach Matt by a variety of methods. He is on LinkedIn. On Twitter. And Google+. And you can read his really nice, contemplative blog.
Some links (but not all) within these show notes may be Affiliate Links, meaning that I may receive a small commission when readers click on them and then purchase something. This does not increase your cost at all, but it does help me cover some of the cost associated with this podcast. Thanks!