We all strive to remain calm in today’s upside-down world. But how do you remain calm and confident during the pressure of COVID, civil unrest, and changing business conditions? Plus, the ‘normal’ stressors of life.

If you want something you have never had, you have to do somethings you have never done! Stop the old! “I wish”, “I hope.” These are not plans! Set SMART (Specific, Measurable, Actionable, Realistic and Time Phased) goals to create new connections in your brain and then reinforce them – we do it for our business!

“This year will be my year of transformation!” Many of us have said it or heard others say it, and yet life seems to get in the way, and the transformation we desired goes to the wayside. What is going on if so many people want it and yet it doesn’t materialize? Here are some things to consider:

Change is hard. We hear it often, we say it often, and we end up believing it.

Most of us want to change some things in our lives, yet…? It could involve changing a habit or just trying something different—try brushing your teeth with the opposite hand tonight to better understand.

Self-Preservation is the act of maintaining, protecting, or keeping something in existence – a basic survival instinct. We are taught this every time we fly – ‘Put on your own oxygen mask first, then help others.’ Yet how many of us have actually paid attention to the message and applied it to our own lives? The way to “save others” is saving yourself first! Sometimes what we think is self-preservation can be self-destructive behavior and a coping mechanism.

Have you ever said:

What am I doing here?

Why did I try this?

I don’t belong.

I am not good enough.

I shouldn’t have been chosen for this, and sooner or later everyone’s going to find out.

Join the club. You are amongst 70% of people who suffer from Impostor Syndrome.

“It’s not who you are that holds you back, it’s who you think you’re not.” Denis Waitley

As I read this statement, it rocked me. I wanted to dismiss it, to deny it, but it haunted me to think that it was true. The next decision was “How am I going to change?”

“I yam who I am and that is all that I yam.” – Popeye

Your body reacts to your mindset -- right down to the genetic level! Improved thought habits can create the benefits you'll get in your body.

The pursuit of happiness is one that humans have been working toward since the beginning of time. Yet the concept of “happiness” is often hard to accurately define. Living the good life, flourishing, self-actualization, optimism, joy, and purpose are words that come to mind with happiness.

Neuroscience has proven that our thoughts create up to 90% of illnesses and can even change our genes. Neuroplasticity (brain/change) is widely accepted, but can we change our lives by changing our thoughts?

Do you consider yourself to be a problem solver? The ability to solve life's problems and live the life you want to live sometimes means facing your fears and anxieties. We know as Einstein said: “We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them.”

Some people seem to sail through life making things look easy. They are confident, successful, self-assured and don't make mistakes. They seem to fit in and belong in any situation. And they are successful in all they endeavor. At least that is what is perceived!

We all experience uncertainty, risk, and emotional exposure. But how do express it? Many of us were told by our parents to stop being a baby, that big boys don’t cry, and to suck it up, I know I was. Those who compete in sports or have been in the military know the code of not exposing our feelings. Therefore often, guys carry this into our relationships, marriages, friendships, and business. We believe that it is somehow taboo to be vulnerable.

In football there is a saying that “Sometimes the best offence can be the best defense.”

In our lives some of the best-known defense mechanisms have become a common place.

Our mind wants to keep us safe. Anytime you shift to what is unfamiliar, your mind wants to pull you back. It requires work and tenacity to overcome, and it will come up with years of objections. Some can be valid; some keep us stuck, some we decide to keep.

Is diet, exercise or sleep more important to your health? If you said sleep, you are right. All three are very important elements; however, it has been shown that sleep deprivation will kill you in about the same amount of time that food deprivation and the disease it can happen because of it.

Maslow’s hierarchy of needs puts safety and security right after our physiological needs. And the last two years has caused many peoples’ safety and security net to drop if not hit bottom. Concerns that perhaps have never surfaced before like, “How can I pull this off?” “What will be the ‘new normal’ in either our work or our individual environments?”

This is the second in a three-part series on anger click here for the first article. People who are easily angered generally have what some psychologists call a low tolerance for frustration, meaning simply that they feel that they should not have to be subjected to frustration, inconvenience, or annoyance.

This is the first of a three-part series on anger – 1. What Do I Do with Anger? 2. Why are some people more prone to anger than others? 3. What can we do about our anger?

Many people would comment that I did not understand their stress levels because I had not walked in their shoes. We all have stress! Stress can help you meet daily challenges and can motivate you to reach your goals. It can help you accomplish tasks more efficiently. Stress is also a vital warning system, produced by your “always on Guard Duty - Amygdala” portion of your brain. It exists in all your senses and is your fight-or-flight response. Those responses that you feel when stressed are initially designed to protect you, whether it’s from injury or another perceived threat.