I have two teenagers in the house. Jesus be near. It’s been a busy few weeks in our household! After we returned from our overseas trip, we needed a few days to decompress (aka, not see one another) before embarking on a crazed few weeks before school starts.My firstborn son, JJ, turned 13. I have literally no idea where the time has gone. Also, he has braces and is every bit that awkward teenager. I love him so much. Now that I have two teens, I’m nervously diving into the book “Things I Wish I’d Known Before My Child Became A Teenager” by Dr. Gary Chapman. And, I’m gladly soliciting your best advice on how to handle teens! We also celebrated my husband’s birthday and I surprised him by inviting several friends to embark on my new fave, Trapeze Yoga. It was a RIOT. Within 5 minutes, we were CRYING laughing so hard. If you’re looking for something fun to do with mixed company, I highly recommend looking for something that pushes you out of your comfort zone.

Speaking of comfort zone… Growth and comfort, unfortunately, don’t co-exist. That means the only way we grow is by getting a little uncomfortable, by pushing ourselves. I was back at the Global Leadership Summit this past week, co-hosting the largest, annual leadership conference, soaking in the incredible content, storytelling and opportunities to grow. One of my favorite talks was from Vanessa Van Edwards, a researcher and founder of The Science of People, a behavior research lab. Vanessa spoke about how we can go deeper in our connections with people, simply by asking the right questions…(something I’m realizing I need to do better considering the whole multiple teens in my house thing). Vanessa says when we ask others deep questions, we’re essentially gifting them with a dopamine hit — They release large quantities of it! So, instead of asking the usual “how was your day?” or “any fun plans this week?” line of questions, try the following and watch your connections soar!

• What’s your biggest goal right now? 

• Are you learning anything right now? 

• What book, TV, or movie character is most like you? 

• What’s something most people don’t know about you? 

• What’s the proudest moment of your life? 

• How do you feel most misunderstood?

Try this with someone you’re trying to go deeper with…for me, it’s my JJ. I’d love to hear your feedback on this exercise! Just DM me :) Until next time, friends!

FARIS FAVORITES

1. Download Vanessa Van Edwards' Connection Blueprint here — It’s FREE!Photo via Vanessa Van Edwards

2. I loooooove me a good, gold hoop. And, I also love supporting mom-owned businesses. These Luna Hoop Earrings from Danielle Walker, a momma of three, are one of my staples. Plus, they’re made in the USA! Because you’re my people, I’m giving away two pairs! Just send me a DM through my Instagram page.

3. A salon-quality blowout in 10-minutes? I’ll take it. I’ve been hearing rave reviews about this Revlon One Step Dryer Brush. It felt like one of those things that is too good to be true — But then my team at CARRY Media™ tried it and FELL IN LOVE! Photo via Amazon.com

Here's what you missed this week in The CARRY™ ALL, the weekly newsletter BY working moms, for working moms (and the Media company birthed out of my own Called Out story!)

1. Your workplace rights before, during and after pregnancy.2. A letter to the pregnant woman who loves her career.3. How being a surgeon prepared one woman for motherhood.

The Paula Faris 'Faith & Calling' Podcast

Yes, I’m taking a summer break from the podcast…but, I’m sharing with you some of my favorite episodes, to date!

Mark Wahlberg and Mel Gibson talk about their faith and a new brand of faith-based movies…this is the only podcast I’ve done WITH video. Enjoy! 

Popular podcaster, author and all-around fun person, Annie F. Downs, talks about her past life as a teacher and how she took a huge risk to step into the writing space.