Masterful Mindsets

“The truth will set you free” ~ John 8:32

As we come to the end of this series on the lies that worry tells us, it’s important to note that worry and fear are two different things. Sometimes fear creates worry and sometimes, worry can create fear. For example, the fear of the unknown can cause us to worry about the future. And worrying about the future can stoke the fire of fear, making it grow out of control and keeping us from ever stepping forward into the future we want to create.

I could go on and on about the differences between worry and fear but that's a much bigger topic, so I won’t get into that today. For now, just keep in mind that there will always be things we fear. And that’s okay. True fear isn’t always within our control, and it is sometimes necessary in order to keep us safe. But worry is within our control and it rarely, if ever serves a purpose. So, if we don’t want our fear to paralyze us and hold us back, then it is to our benefit to keep worry quiet or bett...

“Even the darkest night will end and the sun will rise.” ~ Victor Hugo

In the past few years, our world has become increasingly filled with worry and fear. However, I did not create this series solely because of the uncertainty and turmoil that has ensued since this decade began. Because the truth is, worry is always there, ready to pounce and leaving us feeling as if we can’t possibly breathe from the weight of the worry in our hearts. We may never be completely exempt from worry. But we also must remember that more times than not, worry lies. (So, if you missed any of the series thus far, feel free to click on each lie below to catch up.)

As a refresher, the three common lies worry tells us that I’ve been examining in this series are:

1. The worst is going to happen.
2. You can’t handle it.
3. This will last forever.

Moving forward, today I am continuing our series on the three big lies that worry tells us, where those lies often come from and most importantly, how to overcome t...

“Worry does not empty tomorrow of its sorrows. It empties today of its strength.” ~ Corrie ten Boom

Today, I am continuing our series on the lies that worry tells us, where those lies often come from and most importantly, how to overcome them so you can have courage to step boldly into your future.

Three of the most common lies are:

1. The worst is going to happen.
2. You can’t handle it.
3. This will last forever.

If you missed part one, of this series, where I discussed Lie #1, you can CLICK HERE to read it.

Let’s take the second lie now, “You can’t handle it.” This worry feeds off of the fear that the process of doing something will be painful or too difficult in some way. It often stems from believing that we are not good enough, smart enough, capable enough, strong enough -whatever enough. That is a lie! But I'm here to tell you the truth...

Without me even knowing you – I believe you can handle it! Why, because as humans, we are resilient. We are stronger, smarter and – MO...

"There is only one cause of unhappiness; the false beliefs you have in your head, beliefs so widespread, so commonly held, that it never occurs to you to question them." ~ Anthony de Mello

I once heard someone say that worry tells lies. And I have no doubt that's true. Heck, I've experienced it myself and I've seen it happen with others on countless occasions. In particularly, worry tends to tell 3 HUGE lies:

1. The worst is going to happen.
2. You can’t handle it.
3. This will last forever.

Think about it, when you worry, what are you worrying about? What is your inner voice repeating over and over? Sure, it might not be worded exactly like the statements above but if you break down the chatter going on in your head, I’d be willing to bet that most of the time, it would be a version of these three beliefs at the core. And when these deep underlying beliefs bubble up, they can not only bring in worry and fear but also create a lot of unnecessary anxiety and stress.

So how do you h...

“Let us be thankful to the people who make us happy; they are the charming gardeners who make our souls blossom.” ~Marcel Proust

If you live in the US, odds are you’re preparing for the Thanksgiving holiday tomorrow. Which can mean many different things for people. For some it’s no more than an excuse to eat and drink too much. Or a much-needed day off from work. But for most people, it’s a day to get together with family and friends to remember what we are most thankful for. And if you’re lucky, the two go together… the people you’re with are in fact what you are most thankful for. So, as we prepare for this day of thanksgiving… why not use this as a time for reflection and sharing with those we truly are grateful for.

Going back to the research I’ve been sharing with you over the last couple of weeks from Robert Emmons, who wrote the book Gratitude Works! I want to share another idea for how you can practice gratitude in a powerful way and in fact, share the gift of gratitude. ...

“It is not joy that makes us grateful; it is gratitude that makes us joyful.” ~David Steindl-Rast

Last week I gave you an interesting statistic on the power of gratitude… I shared that people who have a gratitude practice of writing down at least 5 things they are grateful for once a week can boost their happiness by as much as 25% in as little as 10 weeks. Which is a compelling statistic in and of itself. But today I want to share a few more facts with you about the power of gratitude. (Just in case a 25% increase in happiness isn’t enough to convince you that it’s worth it to have a gratitude practice.) 😉  

So Robert Emmons, who is one of the world’s leading researchers on the science of gratitude along with his colleague Mike McCollough were the first researchers to discover the profound benefits of gratitude through their studies.

What they found was that people who regularly cultivate gratitude “experience a multitude of psychological, physical, interpersonal, and spiritual...

“Happiness is a habit. Cultivate it.” ~ Elbert Hubbard

Last week I shared with you that happiness is a choice and I challenged you to be the sunshine for yourself and others. This week I want to share a few simple ideas with you on how to cultivate more happiness in your life on a regular basis so you can in fact choose happiness and be the sunshine! Let’s go…

Guard Your Energy – Being around negative people who are unhappy with their current circumstances and unwilling to empower themselves with hope and hard work to create a better future, can be a real energy suck and emotional drain. Guarding yourself from that negative energy will help you keep your soul fire burning. Ever heard someone called a “wet blanket” it’s a term used to describe someone who spoils other people’s fun. So, you can see how they’d easily put out your fire. And how can you be the light that shines for others if you’re around people who are always putting out your fire?

Generate Joy – Just as negative en...

“When you are here and now, sitting totally, not jumping ahead, the miracle has happened. To be in the moment is the miracle.” ~ Osho

This past week marked the end of another era in my family’s lives. My youngest daughter’s middle school years officially came to an end and now my husband and I find ourselves as parents of two high school students! I can hardly believe that our girls have grown up so fast but here we are, with a senior and a freshman. It seems like just yesterday I was chaperoning the 5^th grade class on an overnight camping trip to mark the end the elementary years and transition into middle school.

I was actually blessed with the honor of chaperoning both girls on their school trip to Camp Jackson. It’s a beautiful location in the mountains of Colorado that has been holding camps for close to 100 years. I can still remember it like it was yesterday… It’s always such a wonderful experience. When you take the time to be present and in the moment among nature, it’s...