Category: Optimism
Good energy multiplies.
I want to give the world the best of me.
This is my hope every time we meet.
And every time I teach.
No matter how brief or long our interaction.
I want to leave you feeling brighter, lighter, more confident.
The bonus is — when your energy rises, so does mine.
A boomerang effect of the highest kind.
Which is why I will always keep your vibes in mind.
When your day brightens, so does mine. 💫
How will you illuminate the world today?
Related Post: Shine your light.
1000 views on the official TEDx site!
I am so excited to share that my TEDx video hit 1000 views today! 🎥
A BIG thank you for watching and sharing my TEDx talk with your friends and family. We are stronger than our stress. This I know for sure. Together we will thrive under pressure. 💥
Click on TEDx Video → Thriving Under Pressure
The stories we tell ourselves.
Flooded with helplessness.
A friend of mine recently returned home from vacation to find his newly constructed house flooded.
The feelings of helplessness that followed were magnified by the story he was telling himself on repeat. That he was an idiot. Naive. A loser. Stupid for not knowing better.
Loss of control.
This was something completely beyond his control. Yet there he was battling Mother Nature head on.
Making himself entirely responsible for the deluge of rain. All powerful. Yet completely powerless. Imprisoned by his thoughts alone.
He and his wife had only lived in their new home for 18 months. A dream house built for retirement.
Every aspect of the design painstakingly conceived. Which only amplified his despair.
Infinite Rumination.
But in that moment, the story in his mind was filled with self-accusation and punishment. Second guessing on repeat.
The loop in his head based on the assumption that he was all-mighty. At the epicentre of the universe. Fully in charge of Mother Nature and her actions.
This is what happens when we lose control of external circumstances. We attempt to control it internally.
Overcome by emotion.
Logically, he knew that it was not the end of the world. That there were far worse things that could have happened and have happened in his life.
But in times of panic, our emotional brain (the amygdala) hijacks our thinking brain and we can no longer think rationally.
And that’s ok. Because in order to heal, we must first bear witness to our pain. Only then can we move on and beyond.
Breathing space.
It has been four days since the flood and thank goodness the overwhelming feelings of helplessness have subsided for my friend.
Time heals. And so does a wife’s love. The support of neighbours. And a mom’s embrace.
It happened. He is strengthened. He will thrive.
Change the story.
Now when he passes the construction zone in his house, instead of chastising himself, he thinks of how lucky he is to have a basement renovation just 18 months after moving in. Same basement. Different narrative.
This story makes him smile.
Purpose for one day.
I have the pleasure of starting each day with my husband John.
Each morning begins at 6am with an hour of coffee talk weekends included.
No alarm clock necessary.
Having something as wonderful as hot coffee and good conversation to look forward to each day is its own wake up call.
This morning I asked John to share why he thought he was born.
Deep talk, I know.
But that’s just how life rolls when you’re married to a psychologist.
John’s answer: “To make one person’s life better that day.”
To which I replied: “Purpose achieved.” (He makes the best coffee!)
This conversation got me thinking about how important it is to live our purpose in short 24 hour segments. Too long a timeline and we feel lost and overwhelmed.
Name the purpose. Claim the day. Leave the details up to the universe.
Who. What. Where. When. How. Are spontaneous.
Simply be on the lookout for one opportunity to be on purpose for one day.
1 person. 1 purpose. 1 day.
Diamonds.
There’s a diamond inside all of us.
Waiting to be discovered.
Related Post: Your strengths light my way.
5 Ways to Embrace Change.
I love new beginnings. The start of a day. The beginning of a week. A brand new month. A whole new season.
All are perfect times to begin anew.
“The only way to make sense out of change is to plunge into it, move with it, and join the dance.”
Need help embracing change but don’t know where to start? In this 8 minute CBC-TV interview below, I share 5 stategies for embracing change.
What are your strategies for embracing change?
Visit my YouTube Channel for all my positive psychology videos.
You hold the key.
Even though we often have little control over the “outside forces” in our lives, we can always make a positive difference – from the inside out.
Start here. Right here. Right now. Be still. Breathe in gratitude. Be thankful for this very moment. Start small. Notice your passing thoughts. Let go.
Awareness empowers.
Notice the exact time it is right now. Say today’s date out loud. Look up at the sky. Wink at the clouds. Stomp your feet on the floor. Smile with gusto.
Slowly bring yourself back to this moment.
Grab onto the coffee mug you are holding. Inhale the rich scent of the sumatra you are drinking. Feel the warmth of each passing breath.
Feel the texture of the clothes you’re wearing. Wake up to the sound of your voice. Whisper. Sing. Shout it out!
Dance a little dance. Stand up tall. Anything and everything that shifts you from outer space to inner spirit. From not enough to overflowing.
Positive change begins within.
Come back to yourself. Back to the grace of your magnificent spirit. Into the beauty of your incredible form. Feel the rhythm of your beating heart. Sense the pulse of life itself.
Everything you need to transform yourself and the world already exists within you. You matter. You truly matter. But you have to believe it to see it. Feel it to know it. One gentle, uplifting thought at a time.
You hold the key.
To change your life, change your habits.
What is the one habit you have been vowing to change for good?
What are you waiting for?
The right time?
The right place?
The right person?
Today I challenge you to wait no more.
For now is the right time.
For here is the right place.
And YOU are the right person.
Helpful Resources: Changing a Habit for Good.
Writing in One Word.
In One Word: Describe how you feel when you write.
Writing makes me feel ALIVE!
For me, writing is all encompassing.
The words become the beat of my heart.
The words become the oxygen I breathe.
The words become all that I touch, feel, and see.
For me, writing is all encompassing.
I am the words. And the words are me.
How does writing make YOU feel?
Related Post: Happiness in One Word.
