The biological system that alerts us of danger and draws attention to something that requires action is the sympathetic nervous system. In other words, it is the system that is activated when we feel stressed. There are many stressors that trigger the production of cortisol, which creates a surge in...
Summer is not only a time to recharge, but it also represents change for many people. As seasons shift, so do routines. As we near the end of summer, students are starting or returning to school, many people are entering college, parents are learning how to be empty-nesters, summer jobs are ending, ...
Have you ever met someone within a leadership position that had no idea what they were doing? There is no structure or consistency, you get mixed messages from them, and it seems like they are just winging the whole thing. Trust me, you don’t ever want to be that person. To be able to lead others, y...
When you look for the signs of success, you’ll find clues that lead you to where you need to go. In the same way that our brains filter out information that is not important, our brains can also be trained to filter in information that will help us achieve our goals. Everyone defines success a littl...
When we are young, we live authentically. We are true to ourselves because we aren’t taught to “fit in” until later in our development. When I was in elementary school, I never cared about fitting in. I loved to wear mismatched clothes, like princess t-shirts under striped dresses or colors that you...
What’s your go-to response when someone asks how you’ve been? Something I have noticed in my own life is that I tend to say something along the lines of, “Oh you know, I’ve been staying busy.” Once I made this realization, I started noticing it a lot more in other people’s responses as well. Instead...
The sound of the waves crashing on the beach echoes in your mind. You think of the sway of the trees, the salt in the air, and the sun on your skin. Ultimate relaxation is just days away. Vacation is calling your name, but all you can do is feel the weight of the world on your shoulders as you exper...
It seems like a straightforward question. What gets you out of bed in the morning? Is it the thought of breakfast, the promise of coffee, the opportunity to start fresh today? Maybe you’re excited to do something or go somewhere. Is it a sense of obligation, a commitment to routine, or the need to m...
One of the things that has inspired me over the years is the idea of knowing just a little bit more, the journey to greater knowledge. I have wanted to know more about leadership, more about finances, more about entrepreneurship, more about the industries I serve, just more. I remember the words of ...
We often think of success in life as this grand, complicated plan that needs to be created. That isn’t the case, though. The truth about success is that it comes down to some very simple things.
The first thing is direction. I see so many people that are going through life trying this thing or that...
I have always been fascinated with how we evolve and become the versions of ourselves that we present to the world. One of the great thinkers I have studied for this is Erik Erikson. Erikson was a psychoanalyst and developmental psychologist who is best known for his theory of the eight stages of ps...
We have to start with the premise that the main role of a leader is to create more leaders, not to gather followers. I have wondered what a difference this would make with organizations if they shifted their mindset away from trying to “make” people do what they are supposed to. The new mindset woul...
