Welcome to 2019! Did you make any resolutions for this new year? I didn’t. With all the hype and statistically proven lack of success attached to new year resolutions, I opted out a few years back. However, I did make a few commitments to myself. Sound like semantics? Depending on how seriously you take your…
I write on Mondays. At least I intend to write on Mondays. However, it’s five-o’clock and I’m just now putting my first words to paper. I’ve been wrestling with what to write about, this Thanksgiving week. We all need to take time to feel gratitude and take note of what we are thankful for, of course. I…
How are you feeling today? Let’s get more specific: How are you feeling right now? Becoming acutely aware of how you feel is the first step towards purposeful thinking. What is meant by purposeful thinking? Why should you be interested? So glad you asked! Thinking purposefully means thinking for optimal experiences and results. You’ve probably heard Henry Ford’s famous quote “Whether you…
For the last few minutes I’ve been staring out the windshield (as a passenger), down a straight and desolate stretch of highway 441, considering what to write about. It’s December 17, and if you’ve been out on the roads, you know the hustle and bustle is in full swing! This time of year it’s easy…
Negative emotions are normal, we all experience them. There is certainly nothing wrong with them, unless of course we loose control in their grip, or they stick around too long. When either of those happen, they become distracting, debilitating, and damaging. Think about the last time you experienced strong negative emotions. Regardless of the specific…
Have you ever made an assumption about something or someone, only to find out later you were completely wrong? Oh boy, I have. In fact, just yesterday I made a few ugly assumptions about a young lady I have never even laid eyes on. When I found out how wrong I was, I felt terrible….
Internal struggles are tough because of the push and pull between intellectual, emotional, moral, and ethical considerations. Inside those are financial, relational, and even physical elements. They aren’t easy, that’s way we call them “struggles”, but dealing with them effectively, and sooner than later, usually saves us from unnecessary drama and negative consequences. I’m suffering with an…
Today I’ve been thinking about the human condition. Specifically, how we relate to each other interpersonally, and the consequences of our thoughts, words, and actions. In the last week, several situations have been shared with me (personal and professional) wherein manipulative, narcissistic, mean-spirited behaviors were described. In each case, the costs – time, financial, and…
The last couple of weeks of the year are such a crazy-busy time. At work we scramble to get everything done with “skeleton” crews, and there is so much to do outside of work. Preparing for our holiday celebrations, braving the shopping crowds and, ugh, the traffic! As we all move through the last two…
Gratitude: A feeling of appreciation or thanks. (Source: Merriam-Webster’s Learner’s Dictionary) As we approach the Thanksgiving holiday, and kick-off the “holiday season”, I want to share one of the easiest ways to keep your peace through all the preparation, hustle and bustle, and time with friends and family: Practice gratitude. Studies have proven the feeling…
We all have triggers. today i have a surprising concept for why we can be easily triggered by the behavior of others. Let’s start with what I mean by “triggered”: Agitation, frustration, and anger are a few of the negative feelings associated with being triggered. They bubble up (or explode) when we bump into specific…
I nearly had a full-on temper tantrum the other night. For real, I thought I was going to explode all over everyone, and it was all because of some seriously unmet expectations. It was the fifth evening of a fabulous vacation: Beautiful resort, perfect weather, and lots of exciting fun combined with plenty of “chill”…