Category: Thriving
5 Steps to Thriving.
Note: This is my very first Vlog post. I supplemented an earlier post with a new 3 minute video presentation. I have lots to learn for sure. But it sure feels good to jump outside my comfort zone!
Thriving Steps based on Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs
Step 1
– Energy of Thriving
- A good night’s sleep.
- Healthy food.
- Clean air to breathe.
Step 2
– Foundation of Thriving
- Freedom.
- Survival Skills.
- Safe place to live.
Step 3
– Nourishment of Thriving
- Supportive relationships.
- Loving family and friends.
- Encouraging coworkers.
Step 4
– Enrichment of Thriving
- Education and learning.
- Goals and ambition.
- Stretching outside comfort zone.
Step 5
– Ultimate Thriving
- Purpose and Vision.
- Achievement of Life Mission.
- Self Actualization of Dreams.
How will you thrive today?
The power of beliefs.
Belief plays a pivotal role in resilience.
Believing that you have what it takes.
Believing that you can try again.
Believing in something greater than yourself.
Believing you are never alone.
Believing your power is greater than your pain.
Believing that things are going to get easier.
This 1 minute video encapsulates it all.
What beliefs help you overcome challenges?
Thanks Mom for always believing in me.
How do you prepare for work each day?
“Attitude is a little thing that makes a big difference.”
I value positivity and a sense of security in the classroom, above all else.
For it is only when students feel safe, supported, and uplifted are they motivated to learn.
Creating a harmonious classroom atmosphere happens long before the school bell rings.
Which is why my preparation for teaching psychology includes both energetic and intellectual preparation.
Ultimately, the more relaxed and happy I am, the more calm and content my students will be.
I am grateful for every student I teach and I want to make sure that they get the best of me.
Energetic Preparation for Teaching = Exercise
Intellectual Preparation for Teaching = Textbooks
How do you prepare for work each day?
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
TEDx Video: Thriving Under Pressure
Good news to share!
I have been working on a TEDx project with the University of Windsor TEDx team since last year. And just an hour ago, I received the good news that the finished video was uploaded to the official TEDx site today! So pumped!
In my TEDx Talk I discuss how to THRIVE under pressure using 3 stress resilience tools: challenge, control and commitment.
The purpose of this talk and my blog is to help students develop positive coping techniques in fun, interactive, and uplifting ways.
By first focusing on what is right, before examining what is wrong, students can be transformed by their challenges and adversities. 🌴💚
If you like, please share this TEDx video with friends and family on social media. The wider its reach, the more people I can help thrive under pressure!
May Your North Star Light Your Way. 💫
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.
Be willing to see failure as feedback.
What does failure mean to you?
With time, I have come to realize that failure has always been my greatest teacher. Each failure pointed me in a better direction. Helped me to develop strength and authenticity. Ultimately unveiling who I was and what I was destined to become.
- The failing grade I received on my first exam in graduate school taught me how to ask for support when I needed it most. No matter how shameful I felt or embarrassed I was.
- The end of a long-term relationship taught me how to value my time alone and make tough decisions for myself. No matter how weak I felt or lonesome I was.
- The lay off from a job I loved taught me how to let go, look forward, and trust in something so much bigger than myself. No matter how scared I was or irrelevant I felt.
What determines our reaction to failure?
Learning from failure is the ultimate goal. That said, not everyone responds to failure in the same way, at the same time.
Our reaction to failure is determined by several factors, including:
- The timing of the failure.
- The magnitude of the failure.
- The attribution attached to the failure.
- The level of support during the failure.
- The self-efficacy and belief in starting over.
Ask someone how they feel about failure in the midst of it; life as they know it is over. Ask someone how they feel about failure one year later; life as they know it has been transformed.
The key to supporting someone experiencing failure is not to rush them through the healing process. Yes, in the long run, the gifts of failure outweigh the costs. But we must be sensitive to how dark it feels in the eye of the storm. Only then can move towards the light.
Is it possible to see failure in a positive light?
Under the right conditions, failure strengthens us, adds to our self-knowledge, and enhances the quality of our lives.
- If it weren’t for failure, I would not have met my husband John.
- If it weren’t for failure, I would not be a psychology professor.
- If it weren’t for failure, I would not have written three textbooks.
- If it weren’t for failure, I would not be the person I am today.
Your turn:
- If it weren’t for failure _______________.
- If it weren’t for failure _______________.
- If it weren’t for failure _______________.
- If it weren’t for failure _______________.
Resilience Exercise
What lessons have you learned from failure?
TEDx Photos: Diamonds from Pressure.
“Don’t tell people your dreams. Show them.”
I am excited to share an interview, photos, and a short video clip from yesterday’s TEDx Event at the University of Windsor. It was one of the most positive speaking experiences I’ve ever had. Truly magical.
TEDx Videoclip
TEDx Slideshow
TEDx Dream Team
Thank you for letting me share my dream of being on the TEDx stage! The official TEDx video will be posted soon. 🎥
Related Post: How I prepared my TEDx Speech.
How will you move the world today?
What are you most excited about in your life right now?
What brings a smile to your face and makes your heart skip a beat?
Each time you share your zest for life — you move the world !
Related Post: Enthusiasm is contagious.
