You Need a PET
No, I’m not talking about a furry four-legged mammal though you may benefit from one of those as well (personally I’ve had dogs most of…
Can Cautionary Words Become Discouraging Words?
Words carry weight and the message we intend to send is not always the message received. Supervisors often try to share “known failure paths” in…
Can You Find It? It’s Often Hidden Well but it’s Golden
Concealed within every failure, buried within every setback, lie clues toward the path forward, lessons to be pondered and treasured. Regrettably it is all too…
Seven Habits of Happy People
They monitor their self-talk; keep it positive, solution oriented. They choose companions in life that challenge them to be their best. They Release. They focus…
Doing the Duchenne Smile
The non-technical definition Duchenne smile is a genuine smile that comes straight from the heart, reflecting true joy or real happiness i.e., not a forced…
What Do You Track?
Do you keep track of the wrong things? The things that go wrong? The stuff that didn’t work out? Rejections, mistakes, slights, stumbles, and fumbles?…
HOT THOUGHTS, COOL THOUGHTS
You are programming your mind, day in and day out, whether or not you realize it. The thoughts you CHOOSE to think powerfully affect the…
Never Waste the Pain
Suffering will come into your life; grow from it, don’t waste it. Failure will happen; use it, learn from it, don’t waste it. Disappointments will…
Five Ways to Face Down Fears
Fears are NOT facts… but we can choose to turn our fears into the functional equivalent of facts when we act as if they are…
Believe People UP, not Down
Sometimes when you fear the worst in people, you can destroy the best. Our expectations of people powerfully impact their behavior, especially at the margin.…
Kissing the Wave
The phrase “Kissing the Wave” comes from a quote by the nineteenth-century British preacher Charles Spurgeon: “I have learned to kiss the wave that throws me against the Rock of Ages.”…
Believe in Your Inner Hero
There is a hero inside of all of us. Yes, inside you and yes, inside me. There is a hero dormant within all of us, just waiting…
Tikkun Olam
Tikkun olam is a Hebrew phrase that is often translated as “repair the world”. In traditional Jewish teachings it is usually thought of as properly…
Destitutus Ventis, Remos Adhibe
“Destitutus ventis, remos adhibe” is a Latin proverb that translates as “If the wind will not serve, take to the oars.” The most successful people…
Leave it on the Riverbank
Two monks out walking came to a river with a strong current. As they started to cross, a beautiful girl called out to them, asking…
5 Learnable Traits of Mentally Strong People
The discipline to master emotions ere they become your master. Harness and direct your emotions and they will be an incredible source of energy. Unchained,…
Four Powerful Words
“I Can Do This” is a very simple, very short phrase yet it is an incredibly powerful self-affirmation, a bedrock reinforcement of self-worth and self-determination.…
The Folly of Self-Doubting
“I don’t believe anyone ever suspects how completely unsure I am of my work and myself and what tortures of self-doubting the doubt of others…
Learned Helplessness, Learned Effectiveness
Learned Helplessness is a mental belief that you are unable change a situation and a resulting unwillingness to continue trying; a sense of powerlessness that…
Thought-Watching
The steady stream of thoughts in our head, our self-talk, is so constant that we lose awareness of their impact. Yet thoughts are things and…
When Positivity Turns Negative
Folks, I’m a huge advocate of a positive mindset. Positivity is NOT a magic wand but most everything in life goes better when you walk…
Train It, Trust It
“Train it, then trust it” is a mantra for athletes about releasing worries in the moment of performance and having faith in the depth of…
How Strong is your Mind Moat?
We all know what a moat is, a protective ditch that surrounds valuable real estate. Moats are usually wide and deep and down here in…
Positivity is NOT a Magic Wand
Anyone who thinks that positive thinking will solve all their problems is delusional. That is not positive thinking, that is wishful thinking. Life is full…
Who is in Control?
What (or who?) runs your life? Where do you think the locus of control lies? Folks divide up into those that believe the locus of…
Caging Your “What If Monkey”
“What If Monkeys” are always asking “What if it doesn’t work?” And while there is certainly a need to evaluate risks and have plans to…