Replace the carrot and stick with chocolate

What do you do to ‘motivate’ yourself into doing something that would be good for you in the long-term but is difficult and not necessarily enjoyable in the short-term?  Do you keep yourself focused on today and pat yourself on the back when you  succeed?  Do you beat yourself up daily/hourly when you fail to…

Pick your battles

You can pick your friends and you can pick your nose….No, no that’s not what I mean.  In many situations as adults we learn that choosing what is worth attempting to change or challenge is worthwhile because not everything is worth the effort.  We are happier if we don’t spend all of our time challenging…

Challenge your beliefs

Sometimes the oddest beliefs are taught to us by our families.  And we don’t realize that’s what they are and that we live our lives by them until something brings them into bold relief.  Early in my career I was given the opportunity to learn American Sign Language and work as an interpreter.  During the…

You are evidence of what you believe

Ever heard “Words are just words” or “Actions speak louder than words”?  While words have power, our actions show our beliefs and our intent even if we don’t know consciously what they are saying.  Choosing over and over to stay home and watch other people live their lives says that you’re not good enough and…

Feeding Ourselves

Have you noticed that when you are really into doing something, you can forget time altogether, not feel hungry, and when you’re done you still feel great?  And when you are bored or unhappy or feeling stuck all you can think about is food? Feeding ourselves is not just about our bodies, in fact many…

Give yourself permission

A friend of mine was at my house and we were talking clothes. Yep, I’m female and sometimes I’m a cliché. 🙂 But I was stunned when she turned to me and said “Your life is so much fun. Look at all of this!”. Now, I enjoy my life, don’t get me wrong, but the…