26 December 2016

Whenever you’re feeling disappointed or unsatisfied with one or more areas of your life, the key is to reflect on your expectations. It’s likely that, whether consciously or not, you carry around certain predictably unrealistic expectations of yourself or others around you. In one sense, expectations are perfectly healthy metrics for making sense of your world. But expectations can also be premeditated disappointments!

 

This week, take a moment to think about some expectations you may have set recently, regarding your accomplishments, your relationships, your business or career, or even of the holiday season itself. Did reality meet your expectation? Or did the situation fall short of what you hoped for? When expectations aren’t met, use every coping tool at your disposal to resist the tendency to put yourself down. Instead, look at the expectation — was it realistic? — and then resolve to eliminate whatever unrealistic expectations you still have. This is perhaps the most powerful step you can take in eliminating unnecessary stress, resentment, and even depression.

 

19 December 2016

On behalf of our entire staff and team, let me take this opportunity to wish you and yours a very Happy Holiday season! We hope that this is a time characterized by love, joy, and goodwill. But just in case for you, this is a year of loss or because of any other reason, this holiday season is a painful or stressful one — remember that like all difficult life events — this too shall pass. And in the meantime, do something great for yourself. Most importantly, resolve to get a head start on turning things around, so 2017 is your best year ever!

 

12 December 2016

If the holiday season is a stressful time for you, you have plenty of company. Why is this? The desire to make as many people as happy as possible, shopping for gifts, the holiday parties (for work, family and social circles), cooking for large numbers of people and doing it all with the expectation of unfettered joy — are just a few examples. These next few weeks, think about what’s really important to you. Try to do this without any of the rules or preconceived notions that you may have accumulated over the years regarding the holidays. Then, resolve to make this holiday season the most enjoyable it can possibly be, by letting your chosen values, overrule any stress producing expectations of others. In other words, focus less on pleasing everyone else and getting things “checked off,” and more on what’s really important to you and those you love. You will most likely feel a lot better, and may even still manage to get it all done. But most importantly, realize that even in this season of high expectations, you can still be live life on your own terms.

 

5 December 2016

As the end of the year quickly approaches, you might want to take some time to reflect on where you now are in relation to some of your long-term (or short-term) goals. Which goals would you like to accomplish before the end of the year? Have something (or more than one thing) in mind? Now, what actions do you need to take in order to fulfill those goals? Making New Year’s Resolutions can at times seem like just one more ritual, but the idea behind them is an important one. The New Year is often a reminder to let go of the past and move forward with some area of your life. What resolutions did you make for 2016? And which of them are you still committed to finish or meet? We’ll talk about your 2017 resolutions in a few weeks.  But for now, and before the holiday season becomes too intense, make this a week to think about — and yes, accomplish — whatever would make 2016 the winning year you imagined it to be when it began!

 

28 November 2016

Most of us (if not all of us) assume many roles in our everyday life. Sometimes juggling all of your roles and the personas they often require (for example, parent, co-worker, boss, friend, lover, business partner, etc.) can be extremely overwhelming. However, feelings of overwhelm can be defeated when you make a commitment to rise above your roles so that they revolve around you and bring you sense of satisfaction and fulfillment, rather defining you and triggering stress. In other words, you can be in charge of your roles, instead of letting them rule you! Take some time this week to reflect about each one of the roles you’ve taken on — whether consciously or automatically. Which nourish you? Which need to be tweaked? Which may need to be minimized or discarded? Once you give some conscious thought to how you manage or juggle your roles, notice how much lighter and in control you are likely to feel!

 

21 November 2016

As Thanksgiving approaches, there’s no better time to recognize the benefits of looking at your life and all that’s a part of it — with gratitude! Gratitude is merely the practice of seeing your life and what it is through a positive lens, rather than focusing negatively on what’s missing or what you believe it should be. The feeling of gratitude is an important aspect of achieving an overall sense of fulfillment. In other words, it’s an attitude you can choose to adopt; and once you do, you’ll feel an immediate and powerful positive shift. So why not make gratitude your focus this week and take the time to reflect on feeling grateful for the family and friends in your life, as well as all of your own unique gifts and successes. And don’t wait until Thursday! Gratitude is never out of season! Take some time today and this week to specifically reflect on the positives in your life right now. You may also find this to be a very effective first step toward recognizing what needs to change in an area of your life that may be lacking. But leave that part for next week. For this week, just be sure to leave a seat at the Thanksgiving table for gratitude!

 

14 November 2016

If you associate success with happiness or fulfillment (whether in your business or career, marriage or love relationship, or your favorite avocation, etc.), remember this: “success” and “happiness” are extremely subjective terms. And it can be quite disappointing to realize that one does not always lead to another. For example, even if you believe that you have achieved everything you’ve ever strived for in your life, and true happiness and fulfillment is still eluding you — you’re not alone! So here are some questions to ask yourself regarding success that you can plug into virtually any (or all) aspects(s) of your life. For example, is your job, career or business — passion and purpose-driven (or merely reward-driven)? In your marriage or love relationship, do you feel genuinely connected to your partner, or are you just comfortably going through the motions? Take some time this week to focus less on the results or outcomes of your life choices, and more on how you feel about yourself with these important parts of your life. Use this very reliable barometer to make decisions about what direction you need to take in your life and what improvements will deliver true fulfillment!

 

7 November 2016

Breaking out of your comfort zone is one of the most important aspects of attaining success! This is true regardless of how you define success or which part of your life (e.g., your business, relationships, career or any aspect of your life purpose) that you’re most focused on. When adhering to your comfort zone holds you back, think of it as what I have long called living in a comfortable state of discomfort. Breaking free will most likely allow you to make new connections, discover and pursue new passions, and most importantly, get you back on that path your highest potential! If you find yourself reluctant to leave your comfort zone, why is this so? Do you fear change, the unknown, failure or looking foolish? Take a minute to identify the fear that’s holding you back. Then make a commitment this week, to do one thing to face that fear head on! Remember, facing an anxiety weakens it and strengthens you. And each time you do this, you are taking a major step in the direction of that life you were literally born to live. So take a minute to think of an area of your life, where you’ve started to feel too “comfortable.” Then decide whether or not you might benefit from swapping that illusion of comfort for something new and exciting! What are you willing to do this week to take a step — however small — outside of your comfort zone?

 

31 October 2016

Think of a time when you may have compared you own life — or some aspect of it — to someone else’s. Was that useful? Did it motivate you to enact change in your own life, or did it just trigger self-doubt? Instead of letting your perception of someone else (and how happy, successful or fulfilled they may or may not be) cloud your own self-perception, recognize that the only comparison that is ever valid is the one between your life as it is now and what it could be! The latter can be thought of as a vision (or rough draft) of your full or highest potential, as you now see it, in that part of your life. In reality, all of the necessary resources you need to reach your highest potential exist within you, just waiting to be recognized and activated. This week, remind yourself of this crucial assumption. Then, with the right strategies along with the will and determination to use them, there’s very little you cannot overcome or achieve.

 

24 October 2016

In a marriage or love relationship, your ability to successfully resolve conflict together is by far the best predictor of whether your relationship will thrive or even survive! If your conflict resolution skills can use improvement, a great first step is to become proactive; in other words, don’t wait until you are in the middle of an argument or crisis to work on this problem together. Instead, take the time when things are going well to look for alternative ways to both see and resolve an ongoing conflict you have. Dare to be different! Perhaps simply being open to new ideas and other points of view would make a quick and noticeable positive shift. Do you really want your significant other to be a psychological clone of you? If your first instinct is to answer “yes” be careful of what you wish for! The problems that go along with that fantasy alone could be the subject of a lengthy book. Instead, try this: go out of your way not only to understand another point of view, but also to avoid the temptation to make your partner wrong. Then, remember that understanding is not the same as agreeing. Willingness to acknowledge and accept that many alternative viewpoints exist is the first step in arriving at a win-win solution. For many, this election season presents an excellent opportunity to put this strategy to work, with a variety of people in your life! Most likely, you already do this with certain people in your life. How can you expand this conflict-resolving attitude even more? What’s a step or two you can take in that direction this week?

 

17 October 2016

Expectations are in fact premeditated disappointments! Whether you are in a marriage or love relationship or you’re looking for one, take a moment to reflect on what you expect from your significant other. One common, yet overlooked issue in practically all relationships is the role of expectations. And when expectations are not managed properly, they can become problematic— and lead to anger and disappointment. So are your expectations causing you pain and distance in any aspect of your life? If so, you have within yourself, all you need to turn this problem around very quickly! Take a moment this week to look at all the expectations you have of your significant other, the next person who may assume that role or — perhaps even more importantly — anyone else in your life that triggers anger in you. Then instead of focusing on the blame or any aspect of that other person, focus on your changing expectation of him or her, and then experience the positive shift that follows!

 

10 October 2016

At times, life events can make it difficult to maintain strong self-confidence and positive self-image. Sometimes, it might even feel like the opposite — which is self-consciousness — is unavoidable, but that’s just an illusion. You can resolve to overcome self-doubt, self-consciousness and the anxiety that results (worry about the approval of others, for example) so that you’re no longer governed by any of these negative forces. To the extent that you are committed to living your life to its fullest, this mindset may resonate with you: think of that very personal image you have of yourself as completely separate from your achievements or lack thereof. That is, think of yourself and your achievements as two parallel lines that do not meet and are never dependent on each other. When you do this, you’ll notice that your successes and failures no longer influence your opinion of yourself. This can be thought of as genuine freedom! What can you do this week to adopt this winning attitude?

 

 

3 October 2016

Think of a crucial choice or major life change you’ve made in your life. For example, deciding whether to stay or go in your marriage or love relationship, choosing a career path (or making a career change), whether to become a parent or to relocate to a new area. Change can be scary or exciting. But in fact, it’s one of the only true constants in life. If you find your life in a pivotal moment, or at some proverbial “crossroad” right now, take a moment to reflect on some difficult choices or life changes you’ve made in the past that worked out for you. What did life look like beforehand that prompted you to make those choices? How did you push yourself toward change? What about now? This week, use that self-confidence you gained by making a previous life choice or change as the motivator first to think through, and then to forge ahead with the next one.

 

26 September 2016

Life may require you to assume many roles in your day-to-day life. Handling and balancing those roles — your job, parent, spouse/partner, leader, follower, taking care of aging parents, other extracurricular activities outside of work, etc. (which are merely examples) — can be vexing, to say the least. Instead of letting your roles define you, remember that you are a lot more than the sum of your life roles — something much greater. So let your inner voice take command and guide you to rise above them. If you make your goal to simply allow the roles you play to revolve around you instead of becoming, controlling, or defining you, you will be more aligned with your greater life purpose. This week, try to operate from this point of view and be aware of how delightfully different you may feel.

 

19 September 2016

Perhaps stress is an inevitable part of your life. What if there were ways not only to manage your stressors, but also to make them work for you? As long as you’re willing to do some simple reflecting and strategizing this is certainly possible. Take a moment to list (either in your head, your smartphone, or on paper) all of the sources of stress that are now present in your life. For each item, ask yourself what your life would be like if that item somehow ceased to be a stressor. Then you’re ready to look at how each stressor can be eliminated or cut down to size. Effective time management is always one powerful and proven strategy for addressing items on your list. What are you willing to do — this week — to manage your time more wisely? We are all given the same 24 hours every day. How will you use yours?

 

12 September 2016

Many of us look forward to the weekends for a chance to relax and recharge. But if you find yourself predictably counting down until Friday, ask yourself if it’s time for a tweak, major change, or something in between — with respect to your job or career. What would life be like if you looked forward to each of the seven days of the week as much as you treasure the weekends? Now here’s the good news: This level of gratification is possible, as long as you are committed to having a passion and purpose driven job, career or business. So what would you need to do to achieve that standard? And unless you’re there already, what are you willing to do, this week, to begin the process of getting there?

 

5 September 2016

Goal setting is a crucial practice for achieving success in any important area of your life. This week, think of the toughest goal you’d like to accomplish within the next couple of months. First, get yourself into the right frame of mind. Take a moment to think about one or more goals that you have set for yourself in the past and then reached. Try to savor the feeling you felt once you were able to successfully reach that goal — especially if it was a difficult one. Then, focus on that actual goal you would like to work on now. A specific goal should have all the “W”s: What is the goal? (And what are the steps and sub-steps for reaching it?); When do you want it accomplished by? (Or what are the timelines for each step?); Who is or can be involved with it besides you? (That is, who can help or support you in achieving it?); Where is this to take place?; Perhaps most importantly, why do you want to achieve this goal anyway? (In other words, what’s in it for you to pursue this?); Now you’re ready to give this goal all you’ve got! Repeat this exercise whenever you have an important goal or find yourself straying away from the path of your highest potential!

 

29 August 2016

 

As Labor Day quickly approaches (and with it, the unofficial end of summer!) take time to think about how you can bring that summertime frame of mind with you into the new season. Many people associate summer with feeling relaxed, at-ease, and sometimes more adventurous. If this is true for you, what can you do this week to actively maintain that mindset while tackling some goal or serious task that’s important to you? Remember, relaxation and productivity don’t have to be mutually exclusive! This week, try this little trick. In that mellow frame of mind, ask yourself these questions: What is something I would like to (or really need to) get serious about achieving? What would it look like to have accomplished this goal? If you can approach questions like these and maintain your summer mental state, you may never have to dread what, for many, is this “harsh” transition again!

 

22 August 2016

Success has as many definitions as there are people. Often success is defined by externals: money, position, prestige, expensive toys, a certain relationship(s) or other trappings. But many people I’ve worked with have all of those things in abundance, but still don’t feel successful at all. Success-and I refer here to the type that you feel about yourself in your most private moments-is within your grasp immediately! It’s a function of how realistic your goals and expectations are  and how determined you are to reach them.And it’s easy to forget that success can also be a matter of simply believing in yourself, and acknowledging that you succeed each time you leave your comfort zone and move forward by giving something important your best efforts. This week, take a moment to imagine what your life would be like if you were truly “successful” by your own definition. What would that look like? Then simply allow yourself to stay in the frame of mind of having achieved that success for whatever period of time you choose. With your commitment to do this often, soon that mindset will become your default position!

 

15 August 2016

Goal setting can be an important practice for achieving success. For most high achievers, having a clear goal (or goals) is the most important step in staying on the path to your highest potential. Take a few moments to write down some goals for this week. What’s something you’ve “been meaning or wanting to do”? Is there something you’ve been putting off? Why not begin tackling it today? For example, if you had total success with reaching a specific goal you have in mind, how would the situation be by Thanksgiving? What can you do this week to maximize the chances that your goal(s) will have the exact outcome or result you want?

 

8 August 2016

One key to reaching your highest potential is to recognize and celebrate your uniqueness. So what makes you you? What distinctive traits, talents, and idiosyncrasies are you most proud of? What’s something that you can do perhaps better than anyone else alive? Take some time this week to reflect on and discover an element of your individual uniqueness, and then map out ways to cultivate it in order to make something great — long or short term — happen in your life. Maybe there’s something within you that you’re not using as well as you could be. If so, what’s holding you back?

 

1 August 2016

 

When the work that you do is the work that you love, not only will it come easier to you, but you will feel more aligned with your purpose as well as more satisfied, engaged, fulfilled, and inspired in your daily life. When your career is personally gratifying, motivation comes from within you. Financial status, recognition, praise, and approval are certainly nice; but no longer the main forces that motivate or satisfy you. Do you love the work you do? If not, what would have to happen for you to answer yes?

 

25 July 2016

 

Nobody else can tell you what you are, should, or should not be passionate about. Moreover, our specific passions themselves are not consciously chosen. Your true passions actually choose or call upon you! To be true to yourself, never ignore those callings, as they represent the reasons why you’re here or the life you were born to live. What are you feeling most passionate about right now, and what are these passions trying to tell you?

 

18 July 2016

Allow your passions to serve as a your most reliable roadmap for the most important life choices you make. Today, write down an area of your life that’s lacking the passion you would like it to have; such as your career, a relationship, your sexuality or even a hobby or avocation. Close your eyes and visualize yourself becoming more passionate in that area of your life. Be aware of what it would take to make your vision a reality. Then commit to doing whatever is necessary right now to bring passion to this and other life areas that can use it the most.

 

11 July 2016

Always give yourself at least as much acceptance and approval as you seek from others! Take some time to reflect on where your own self-acceptance can use a boost. Does anything prevent you from giving yourself total and unconditional acceptance? Then reflect on what (and who) makes you feel best about yourself. This is a great litmus test for where you should be putting your energy.

 

5 July 2016

Hope you had a great July 4th weekend! While holidays can be a lot fun for you and your family, they can also be a time of stress even under the best of circumstances. And, of course, when there are unusual relationship or family stressors going on, even more so. This week, take a moment to appreciate the things you may sometimes take for granted; and also resolve to address that source of stress that just isn’t going away by itself.

 

27 June 2016

Do you feel overwhelmed by all the things you would like to accomplish? Sometimes just the feeling of overwhelm can hold you back from truly pursuing your dreams and passions. However, there are strategies to attack overwhelm head on. Think about some of the important the goals you want to accomplish in the next year. Write them down and prioritize your goals by their long-term importance. Be working on the most important ones first. This way you prevent what’s unimportant from zapping your energy.

 

20 June 2016

Whether or not you and your partner are having issues in your marriage or love relationship, take some time to focus on how you communicate with each other. Some essential tools for good communication can make your relationship stronger and a lot happier. For example, the next time you want to relate something important, but difficult, to your partner, do so assertively by making an “I” statement. By doing this you make your feelings clear — paving the way for further dialogue — without attacking your partner.

 

13 June 2016

 

Put the serenity prayer to work for you this week. Anything in your life that can’t be changed, you can choose to accept. This means you never again need to blame yourself or anyone else for your situation. You can choose to give up what I have long called that comfortable state of discomfort and accept yourself and others around you. Accepting does not mean liking. It means no longer demanding change for something that can’t be changed. The next time you are feeling down, empower yourself by identifying those aspects of your life that you can actually change for the better in your relationships, your workplace or any other area of your life. Then take massive action, if necessary, to optimize it.

 

6 June 2016

When there’s anger or unfinished business toward someone in your life that you’d like to join together with to resolve, you have choices. One is to go over each issue in detail in order to resolve and neutralize it. The other is to agree to close the door on past upsets–by agreeing that your relationship is far better off without that toxicity–and start over. Sometimes it’s a combination of these two approaches that can clear things up. If there’s someone in your life where resentment is still zapping your energy, use one or a combination of these strategies this week to clear (or begin the process of clearing) the air–for your own peace of mind.

 

30 May 2016

If anxiety is interfering with your daily life, it’s time to take some steps to get it under control. While you may not be able to control what’s happening with the people, places and things around you, you can absolutely learn to control your reaction to any external event or person. What specific things in your life trigger anxiety in you? This week, make a list of as many as you can think of and add to it as you think of more. For each item from your list, ask yourself: What is the worst thing that could possibly happen as a result of this anxiety trigger? Follow that up by thinking through just what you would do to handle it, if it did occur. Chances are you’ll feel your anxiety decrease as you do this.

 

23 May 2016

If there’s so much you want to do but in reality, so little time to do it, the feeling of overwhelm itself can actually hold you back from accomplishing your major goals. If this increasingly prevalent state of mind speaks to you, try visualization as a simple strategy to help you see the results you want materialize in the shortest time possible! Practically every major achievement throughout history was a result of someone’s vision. So remember to consciously visualize the endpoint of any goal you are striving to reach.

 

To visualize the end result: Close your eyes and imagine your goal having been fully met. See the sights, hear the sounds, smell the smells, and feel the sensations of your goal realized. Take note of how you feel about the prospect of having reached your goal. Now you’re ready to dive in and make it happen!

 

16 May 2016

Turn down the volume on your own self-critique and work towards self-acceptance. For example, it’s getting warmer, which for many, means more internal pressure to achieve a “summer physique.” Remember, you may be obsessing about things that other people don’t even notice. Take a moment this week to reflect on how this may apply to you. It’s time to give yourself unconditional acceptance! What’s still standing in the way of you achieving this glorious state of mind?

 

9 May 2016

One key to avoiding the doldrums in your marriage or love relationship is to recognize your uniqueness. The best relationships embrace the distinctive traits, needs, concerns, and idiosyncrasies of each partner. Take some time this week to discuss and write down a few goals for what you would like to see your relationship become over specific periods of time. Just as in business, any important project, your finances or your career – relationship goals with timelines bring them to a better level of reality and doability. Where would you like to see yourselves a month from now? Six months from now? In a year? Five years? Ultimately?

 

2 May 2016

Remember that just about all of your important decisions are, to one extent or another, educated guesses. And most of them have factors that could even pull you in the opposite direction. So you can never be certain about an outcome, but you absolutely can gain mastery over your choices, which in reality, is the closest thing there is to insuring the result you want! This week, think of some important life choices you’ve made in the past — whether it’s recently or a long time ago — that you’re most proud of. Keep this list as a frame of reference that you can refer to for a shot of empowerment, whenever you find yourself overwhelmed or anxious by an important decision.

 

25 April 2016

Visualization exercises are helpful tools for managing tension and stress in your life that simply fix your conscious mind on an image of your choosing. You can visualize an object or even a concept like happiness or peace of mind. Use this visualization technique for moments when you feel stress budding. Take a moment to imagine what your life would be like if you were completely happy and you had an unlimited amount of peace of mind. Then simply allow yourself to stay in that place for whatever period of time you choose. You can also visualize a completely safe place, such as your own private sanctuary, which has all the ingredients you need to feel totally stress-free.

 

18 April 2016

Whether or not you’re currently in a love relationship, it’s crucial know what your expectations are for this area of your life. Understanding your own needs, desires and most importantly, your expectations is crucial to building and thriving in a loving partnership. What is it that you are seeking in a partner? Close your eyes and see if you can get a clear vision of who it is you want your partner—present or future to be. Include all traits as well as whatever else is important to you. And remember, expectations are usually premeditated disappointments.

 

11 April 2016

Becoming emotionally fit is much like becoming physically fit. Sometimes “there’s no gain without pain” means getting out of your comfort zone, in order to take some risks associated with your goals. For you, perhaps that means being more assertive, letting go of something or someone that you have been holding onto but now consider toxic. Or it also could mean letting another person into your life emotionally, getting some dream started or making a choice you’ve been procrastinating on. What are some steps you can take this week towards getting into emotional shape, in order to take or a challenge or part of your life to the next level?

 

4 April 2016

Life is about making choices. When you think about it, it’s your choices that really make your life what it is and you, the person that you are. You can also choose the attitudes that ultimately determine how you will feel about any part of your life or the people in it. It’s up to you, whether circumstances become a source of pain, or whether they simply present a challenge, no matter how difficult the challenge may be. When you forget you have these choices, you’re at the mercy of external circumstances around you. But by knowing you are in charge– that’s power! Where could you use a positive shift in your thinking? This week, make the choice to shape at least one attitude, by using a positive affirmation that recognizes this power you have and, even more importantly, living by it.

 

28 March 2016

Your higher self resides within you. One of its more important functions is to connect you with your unique strengths, calling, purpose, principles, mission; and your commitment to pursue them. Your spiritual self (or lack thereof) is heartfelt; it may even call upon you to connect with and feel love and awe for the beauty of nature and the world. What is it that connects you to your spiritual source? This week take some time to practice whatever puts you in touch with the infinite pool of resources within yourself, whether it’s prayer, yoga, journaling, journeying meditation or your own unique blend of all these things.

 

21 March 2016

 

Always remember that the best mentors for you are generally people who have and are still accomplishing for themselves what you are now striving to do. Consider getting the help you need to start moving now, or as soon as possible, to be one of the most important steps toward reaching your highest potential. I say soon, because once it’s gone, time is the one commodity that cannot be replaced. Is there a mentor, coach, or therapist you could reach out to this week, for help in manifesting an important dream or goal?

 

14 March 2016

The strongest and deepest levels of happiness come not as a result of what you do for yourself, but what you give with no strings attached. Identify anything that comes to mind, where you could see yourself expending the degree of energy toward something outside of yourself that benefits something larger than yourself, not just you directly. What are some steps you are willing to take this week, in order to maximize your impact toward a cause, mission or contribution that you are passionate about?

 

7 March 2016

This week, resolve to use every tool at your disposal to work towards finally and permanently eliminating obstacles preventing you from pursuing your passions. Remember, your roles don’t define you. Rather, your unique calling, talents, and passion, along with the self-permission to pursue them to the fullest, are what do. Your passions and the internal rewards they give you are ultimately more meaningful to you than anything you could ever receive from any source outside of yourself. What is a passion (or passions) that you can choose (or even better yet commit) to be your major source of guidance this week?

 

29 February 2016

It’s usually difficult to be optimally creative while obsessing about what others will think of your creation. Once you remove that pressure, and instead decide to concentrate on doing what you were truly meant or born to do, you can expect to experience some amazing changes. Remember, your primary reward while being creative comes from the process of creating. Are there any creative projects you’ve been putting off because of the pressure you feel regarding what other people will think? If so get moving on it! Whether it’s writing, painting, dancing, or cooking; take some time this week to focus on at least one thing that truly inspires your imagination and creativity!

 

15 February 2016

Making a decision can seem very daunting if you are clouded by ambivalence. But remember, you have unlimited power in making changes that will affect you from today to the rest of your life–beginning right now. By focusing on your power, you can start looking upon decisions not as burdens, but as exciting and empowering challenges.This week, make a list of some significant life choices you have made in the past–recently or even a long time ago-of which you are most proud. Keep this list as a frame of reference that you can refer to for a shot of empowerment, anytime you find yourself stuck or thinking that you’re incapable of defeating those feelings of ambivalence.

 

8 February 2016

Prudent risk-taking is what builds emotional muscle! Although it’s a nice feeling when people agree with your opinions, when they don’t, they have given you another gift: the opportunity to confirm that you can handle conflict or even rejection. This same principle applies to failure. Of course, we should always strive to succeed. But failure at times is inevitable, except for those who fear it so much that they don’t even try, which I would argue is failure by default! With this in mind, what are some risks that you would take if not burdened by the fear of rejection or failure? This week, try something new that you’ve wanted to do, ungoverned by other people’s approval or the fear of failure.

 

1 February 2016

Life does not give you happiness, it only gives you time to use in the best way you can. Think about those times when you were profoundly happy. Chances are you were in some way connected to something or someone you felt passionate about! This week, think about how you can use the time you have, to maximize that standard of being guided by your passions and living by them as much as possible.

 

25 January 2016

We all can use some positive reinforcement now and then. A great way to get some is to start the cycle by giving some. Take time to acknowledge how certain people in your life, whom you may take for granted, positively affect you. Who is someone you can appreciate to this week? Let him or her know with a phone call, email, or letter!

 

18 January 2016

Living on “auto pilot” may help you accomplish some of your goals; but achieving inner peace, fulfillment and self-awareness is greatly enhanced by intentionally stopping to fully take in what’s going on around you. Mindfulness, or the practice of living in the present moment, can create a life-changing shift. Notice the sounds and scenery around you on your way to work, savor each bite during your lunch break or make a commitment to spend more time simply focusing on the here and now. This week, how can you make this simple form of mindfulness more of a staple in your day-to-day life?

 

11 January 2016

Blaming others for any aspect of your current life situation only hurts you! Resentment against family, friends, and colleagues only holds you back and keeps you stuck. Letting go of blame is akin to shedding a painful burden. And even more importantly, take steps to let go of any resentment you hold toward yourself. A little forgiveness there for disappointments you may have goes a long way. Who is a person in your life that you can stop blaming today? Feel free to include yourself; and for your own sake, forgive so that you can feel much lighter and more peaceful!

 

4 January 2016

Happy New Year! Think about the goals you wish to accomplish in 2016. Never forget that what you choose and what you act on are within your control. You can’t always determine your outcome or destiny, but you can make 2016 the year you become empowered by your choice to be guided by your unique passions and what you see as your highest purpose. What’s at least one thing you would do differently this week, if you paid a bit more attention to a passion within you that speaks to an important area of your life? By making a commitment to use your passions as a guiding force, 2016 can be the year that you fully align with the life you were born to live!