Masterful Mindsets

“The moment you say to yourself, “It is time to let go; it is time to forgive.” that will be the moment you will find peace.” ~unknown

The holiday season is over, and the new year is upon us. For many, that is a relief because although the holidays are meant to be a time for love, hope, peace, joy and togetherness, that’s not the case for everyone. Especially if you’ve spent a holiday with someone difficult who’s hurt you and left your heart clouded by pain or has you feeling angry from a disagreement. But the reality is, if you want to find your peace again, you’ve got to let go and forgive – not for the other person, but for you.

The beginning of the year is a great time to let go of things you no longer feel you need to carry. So as we welcome the new year, why not start it with a clean slate and a peaceful heart?

Take some quiet time this week and search your heart for any past pain or anger towards someone (even if that someone is yourself) that you might be hanging on to. ...

"Embrace your grief. For there, your soul will grow."   ~Carl Jung

The holidays aren’t always “the most wonderful time of the year” for everyone. As a matter of fact, this time of year can be a very difficult time for many. Especially if you are grieving from a loss, struggling financially, dealing with an illness, coping with depression, or feeling alone and isolated. 

The holidays can significantly increase sadness and grief, amplify emotional wounds and even escalate to serious depression. If you have experienced a loss (of any kind) recently, it can be an especially difficult time.

So how do you survive the holidays if you are hurting?

Grief and depression are natural when you are experiencing a loss in your life. For some, loss isn't just the death of a loved one, but can be the death of a dream, a relationship or even a job. Just know that grief and depression have many causes and take on many faces. You don't have to label it - if you are feeling it, you are feeling it. ...

“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...

"Expectation is the root of all heartache."   ~ William Shakespeare

When was the last time you stopped to think about what was most important to you during the holiday season? Often, we get so caught up in everything we think we must do that we forget what’s really important. And because of all that holiday stress and pressure to do more, the holidays end up being a holiday hassle rather than a joy.

So, if you’re finding that the holidays aren’t always so jolly and bright for you, don’t dismay. You are not alone! As a matter of fact, studies show that at least 88% of people experience high levels of what is becoming known as “Festive Stress”. Many of the common reasons are family turmoil, depression, overeating, financial strain and in a nutshell, unrealistic expectations about what the holidays should be. 

The good news is, I have one indispensable holiday survival tip that if you can implement, is going to help you eliminate tons of stress, overwhelm and guilt so you can truly...

"The best self-help must always begin with self-compassion." ~ Margie Warrell

Last month I confessed to you that I am a recovering perfectionist. And like so many of the people I work with who are high performers, we do tend to walk a fine line between having a desire to perform at a high level and trying to be perfect. But striving for progress rather than striving for perfection can actually free you to be your best self rather than getting paralyzed by the pressure of perfectionism.

It is my hope that after reading the article I wrote on this topic last month, you decided to make the shift with me. But, now what? Maybe you’ve tried and then found yourself back in old patterns if being hyper-critical of yourself, feeling like you must prove your worth, overachieving and striving to be perfect once again…  

If that’s true, then this article is for you because now it’s time to help yourself step into this new way of being, beginning with having self-compassion. Yes, as our quote...

“Gratitude is the healthiest of all human emotions. The more you express gratitude for what you have, the more likely you will have even more to express gratitude for.”  ~unknown

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving here in the US, so of course I can’t miss an opportunity to talk about the power of gratitude...

Research has shown that practicing gratitude regularly has a positive impact on not only your happiness and sense of well-being, but it actually has a positive effect on your health too. That’s pretty amazing for something that doesn’t require anything more than some effort. No magic pill, no money needed, just a commitment to pause every day, be present and choose gratitude.

Which is why I started a gratitude practice for myself years ago where each day I journal about what I am grateful for. And I truly believe that as a result of keeping this simple practice going throughout the years, it’s transformed me into a more positive and hopeful person on the inside and it’s made me into ...

“Let us be grateful to people who make us happy, they are the charming gardeners who make our souls bloom.” ~ Marcel Proust

This week my daughters host their annual Friendsgiving celebration at our home!

I love listening to the hum of their voices talking and laughing. It’s been a little quiet around here this year as both girls and all their friends are away at college. So, I do love when they all come home. And although their friendships will change as they each start to go their own way; the ones who give consistent effort to stay connected will be able to pick up right where they left off every time they get together.

I think about the friends I have - acquaintances, colleagues, family, my spouse, my daughters’ friends’ parents, my workout friends, my long-distance friends, my closest friends, old friends, new friends, potential friends… and on and on. All different levels of friendship and yet all hold value and a place in my heart. Maybe you can relate, when you stop to think ...

“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 ...

“At the end of our lives we all ask, Did I live? Did I love? Did I matter?”  ~ Brendon Burchard

Every year on my birthday, I like to take time to reflect on my life. Honestly, some years I spend the entire month in reflection. It’s a fun way to celebrate and be grateful while also seeking ways to make the next year even better. And this year is no different. However, some years, I have had the opportunity to spend it with one of my mentors, Brendon Burchard and a group of fellow Certified High-Performance Coaches™.

We get together every year for training and some years it happens to fall around my birthday. We are able to be in a room together sharing love, wisdom, energy and an intense passion for helping people live their best lives. (It’s a training but it also feels a bit like a celebration!)

Anyway, as I sat to journal on the questions that I might want to ponder for my birthday self-reflection, I found that something Brendon always talks about kept coming up for me…

If yo...

"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...