Masterful Mindsets

“Cheers to a new year and another chance for us to get it right.” ~ Oprah Winfrey

Question: We are a week into the new year, have you set your New Year’s resolutions yet? What are you waiting for? How do you intend to create a life you’ll love this year?

Action Challenge: It seems that setting new year’s resolutions have become a thing of the past for many. Most likely it’s because too many times people set them and they don’t work (more in another blog post about why that is). But what if you had a plan to insure they’d work? 

If the nagging feeling in the pit of your stomach - you know, the one that keeps reminding you of your past resolution failures - has been keeping you from setting your intentions for creating a life you’ll love, then get ready… because I’m here to tell you that this is the year for real change. And I’m not talking about just saying you are going to make some changes; I’m talking about taking action and really changing.   

Follow the steps below to draft...

“Eat, Drink and Be Mindful.” ~ Michelle Weimer

The holidays are certainly meant to be enjoyed and if you do attend social gatherings, you know they are almost always accompanied by lots of fun holiday food and drinks. But using the excuse of “holidays” to overindulge, can easily lead to unwanted weight gain if you aren’t careful. So it’s important not to let the holidays be an excuse to overindulge so much that you sabotage your healthy lifestyle. You’ll regret it later and find yourself frantically trying to set unrealistic resolutions to get rid of all that extra weight in the New Year.

If you've worked hard this year to achieve weight loss goals or just choose a healthy lifestyle in general, then why put yourself in a position to let those holiday get-togethers cost you extra pounds that leave you back at square one and feeling guilty for letting it happen? Especially when all it takes is a little effort to stay on course and still enjoy yourself...

So how do you do that?

T...

“Flourishing goes beyond happiness, or satisfaction with life. True, people who flourish are happy. But that’s not the half of it. Beyond feeling good, they’re also doing good-adding value to the world.” ~ Barbara Fredrickson

As I shared with you last week, each year around my birthday I take time to reflect on my life. And again, this year was no different. I journaled and reflected on those three questions that one of my mentors, Brendon Burchard always asks, "Did I Live? Did I Love? Did I Matter?"

But then, I decided to move from reflection of the past year to asking a few questions of myself in a future focused manner. And this is where I embraced the ideas from another mentor of mine, Brian Johnson.

Brian is the founder and CEO of Heroic Public Benefit Company. And I had an opportunity this fall to spend several days with Brian, his wife Alexandra, his right-hand man Michael, and an amazing group of other Heroic people.

You see, Brian has a mission. His mission is to help ...

"I am careful not to confuse excellence with perfection. Excellence, I can reach for - perfection is God's business."   ~ Michael J. Fox

I have a confession to make… (although if you've been in my community for any length of time, you probably already know this about me) I am a recovering perfectionist. Yep, I have been trapped in the claws of perfectionism a lot throughout my lifetime. I don’t really remember exactly when or how it started. But I certainly can remember many occasions when it held me back from peace, happiness, and even success in my life.

So, it’s not only easy for me to spot a fellow perfectionist, but when I do meet someone who is suffering with this debilitating issue, it breaks my heart. Because I know all too well the pain that perfectionism can cause.

What about you? Do you suffer from perfectionism? Is being a perfectionist keeping you from fulfilling your true potential and living your best life? If your answer is even a tiny bit of a yes, then I have g...

“It’s your road, and yours alone. Others may walk it with you, but no one can walk it for you.” ~ Rumi

Have you ever found yourself enviously comparing yourself to others or wishing you had someone else’s life instead of focusing on your own life’s path? When you try to follow someone else’s path, it can be uncomfortable and frustrating. Why? Because you are your own person. Every experience you have is uniquely yours because you are unique. Sure, you can model after how others do things, you certainly don’t have to reinvent the wheel but trying to fit a square peg in a round hole will surely only end in disappointment for you. True happiness comes when you free yourself to be yourself. And you find your true power when you start taking actions to move yourself along your own path.

So, do what fits you… do things your way, with your own twist. March to the beat of your own drum, listen to the rhythm of your own heart and know what you desire most - then start walking your road to...

“My mission in life is not merely to survive, but to thrive; and to do so with some passion, some compassion, some humor, and some style.” ~Maya Angelou

By now most schools are back in session and autumn is starting to whisper, “I’m on my way…” So as the smell of sunscreen is being overtaken by the scent of pumpkin spice, so too are our carefree feelings being overtaken by a sense of overwhelming tension.

This year being an election year there is a special weight coming with the changing of the seasons. I don’t think I need to tell you that the weight of all the “heaviness” our world and nation has faced over the last nearly 10 years, it can be a lot for many people to manage on their own.  

Combine all these emotions with the usual feelings that most people face as the last quarter of the year comes tumbling in and it’s no surprise that so many people are feeling a crushing sense of exhaustion, hopelessness, and negativity. I mean, aren’t we supposed to be starting new and fres...

 “The first step towards getting somewhere is to decide that you are not going to stay where you are.” ~John Pierpont Morgan

How often do you find yourself dancing with indecisiveness about what your next steps or actions will be in your life? I will admit there have been times when I’ve felt stuck and hesitant to take a step forward into something new. The fear of uncertainty and failure can be paralyzing if you aren’t careful. But sometimes all it takes to move forward is the decision that you are ready to take that first step and the certainty of knowing that no matter where it takes you, you’re going to be alright.

I remember as a little girl growing up, my grandparents used to say, "Watch out for that first step. It's a doozy.", which I always thought was funny. But I was not lost on the fact that what they were actually saying, was to be careful because that first step could be tricky, difficult or even dangerous. And if you weren't careful, you could trip and fall. It was ...

"The will to persevere is often the difference between failure and success."  ~David Sarnoff 

When you hear the word persistence, what do you think of? For me, I like the way Josh Shipp describes it. He says, "Perseverance is stubbornness with a purpose." At first read, that is funny, right? But it also proves a valuable point. That sometimes what one person sees as a negative trait, another can see as a great quality.

I remember when I was a school counselor and I'd help students with their scholarship applications. Often they were asked to describe themselves. So I'd give them the directive to make a list of their qualities. Many struggled and they'd say things like, my parents think I'm stubborn, my friends think I'm bossy, my teachers think I'm…

As for myself personally, I've been called stubborn on more than one occasion too. So now I know, that just means I'm persistent. 😉 Which, in the right context, can be a great quality. Being stubborn from an egocentric place is not a...

" - it's possible." ~ Les Brown

Next week my youngest daughter will graduate from high school, and as I'm sure many of you know embarking on a new journey can be a fearful experience. I decided that this week, I wanted to set the stage for the words of Les Brown to speak to anyone experiencing the closing of one chapter and beginning of another. So I’m giving up my writing space and time with you this week to Les Brown, because what he says, I could not say any better myself.

Although you may have heard or read this before, I can promise you, it's worth the read again. Therefore, as a little something different, below is the rest of the speech that inspired me to use today's quote. It’s simple really… “ - it’s possible” speaks volumes to me. Often shouting out, above the noise and chatter of fear, especially when I’m embarking on a journey to make a dream a reality. Loud and clear. It's possible! And guess what, your dreams are possible too. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise.

“Grow through what you go through.”

Well, spring is here! My family is home for spring break, and we are busy planting, playing, loving and working. In other words, we are enjoying life.

Although the reality is, life can be chaotic and full of hardships, disappointments, and trials. I was thinking about this recently as my youngest daughter is nearing the end of her senior year. Time has flown by, and we are about to embark on a new chapter of our lives. That’s a challenge for me because I know she will be leaving soon. But instead of choosing to stay stuck; rejecting change, and resisting the future, I went through a process that I want to share with you today. I set into motion a series of steps that have pushed me past the bittersweet pain that change often brings and on to making the most of the life I have while I work towards embracing the future that is before me.

In general, it can be easy to get stuck in the trap of putting life off until things are steady, like when you...