Tiny Bites of Wagaliciousness

Let’s talk religion today, and don’t worry – I’m not choosing sides or preaching. With all the good that religion has given to the world, it’s been the crux of much of the bad, too. Wars almost all have had as their basis religious wrangling. Humans are hard-wired to be tribal, to fear and distrust those different from “our” tribe, and to try to convert others to our way of thinking and believing. When you read the religious texts, it’s clear that all religions have beneficial tenets, and all have some parts that we would consider barbaric today. I’ll never forget the day my late father-in-law started running down Jewish people. In front of his grandchildren. In my home. In the 21st century. Maybe you know someone who’s backward thinking comes out of their mouth at times, too? Try not to argue – instead, look at them as if they just broke your heart, and then change the subject. If they persist, leave the room and don’t come back until the topic has changed. People are entitled to their opinions – you don’t have to participate in them. PS...want more? Subscribe to the Mind, Body, Soul Sessions podcast, a weekly mental spa treatment for your total self! #success #leader #lawofattraction #personaldevelopment #mentalwellbeing

Is there something that feels big, feels scary, and feels outside of your control? Maybe it’s a war, maybe it’s a life-threatening diagnosis for someone you care about or for you, or maybe it’s that you feel uncertain if your job is secure. Give yourself 10 minutes today to write down what the big scary thing is, why it scares you – all the reasons you can think of, and what, if anything, you can do to tame the monster. If it’s not in your control, then it doesn't need to take up space inside your head and your heart. This is a great place for the mental stop sign – when you catch yourself filled with gloom and doom, put up a mental stop sign right in front of your eyes. See it in all its red and white glory, no matter what direction you move your eyes or your head. Find something else to concentrate on – read a book, throw yourself into work, sing a song – and every time the gloom and doom returns, put up the mental stop sign again. At first you’ll be doing this a lot – that’s normal. Be patient with yourself, use the stop sign, focus on something else, and soon the big scary thing won’t be so in control of your thoughts or your emotions. PS...want more? Subscribe to the Mind, Body, Soul Sessions podcast, a weekly mental spa treatment for your total self! #success #leader #lawofattraction #personaldevelopment #mentalwellbeing

Do you remember the last 5 Olympic gold medalists in any sport? Can you name the last 5 Nobel Peace Prize winners? Can you name your state’s Senators, your Representative, and the mayor of the town you live in? Don’t worry – most people can’t. Do you remember a teacher who had a big impact on you? Can you name 3 friends who would help you if you needed them? Who are 5 people you love to spend time with? Bet you could answer those questions, couldn’t you? The people closest to you in proximity have far more influence on you and your life than politicians, sports stars, and celebrities ever could. Yes, their accomplishments may be quite impressive – not as impressive as the ability to listen to you when your heart is broken, the willingness to help you when you need help, and the day-to-day inspiration that some people provide just by showing you, up close and personally, what you are capable of. Stop overestimating the importance of famous people in your life, and start appreciating the importance of those closest to you more. PS...want more? Subscribe to the Mind, Body, Soul Sessions podcast, a weekly mental spa treatment for your total self! #success #leader #lawofattraction #personaldevelopment #mentalwellbeing

Do you find yourself waiting for people who are late…a lot? Do you hate waiting for people who are late? This Tiny Bite should help you feel better, like it did me when I learned this info. On-time people often perceive late people as arrogant, or like they think their time is more valuable than anyone else’s. Pretty irritating, right? What if the person who’s habitually late actually has such a low opinion of themselves that they don’t think you’ll miss them if they don’t show up? What if, when they were a child, they learned that being on time wasn’t important, or maybe even only for stupid people? What if they are so engrossed in what they were doing that they couldn’t shift gears in time to be on time? There are a lot of reasons people are late, so try not to jump to conclusions. And do check on them, but don’t wait until you’re angry. You know that thing that you take pictures with, and check your socials on, and buy things with? It makes calls, too…call! PS...want more? Subscribe to the Mind, Body, Soul Sessions podcast, a weekly mental spa treatment for your total self! #success #leader #lawofattraction #personaldevelopment #mentalwellbeing

“We don’t see the world as it is, we see the world as we are.” Anais Nin wrote that in 1961, before neuroscience research could back it up. Turns out, she was right. In 2015, social media exploded in a debate over whether a photo showed a black and blue dress or a gold and white dress. People thought it was a hoax – that everyone was seeing it the same way they were and lying about it for pure entertainment value. The truth is – everyone perceives the world differently and that was just a vivid example. And do you know that for literally centuries, science has shown that color doesn’t exist out in the world – it exists within our minds, each brain interpreting different wavelengths of electromagnetic radiation slightly – or more than slightly – differently. Why is it important for you to know all this? Next time you’re in a discussion over the rightness of something, remember – you’re seeing the world as you are, and the other person is seeing it as they are. You could very well both be right! PS...want more? Subscribe to the Mind, Body, Soul Sessions podcast, a weekly mental spa treatment for your total self! #success #leader #lawofattraction #personaldevelopment #mentalwellbeing

Let’s talk about verbal bullying. I heard two people in a cafe talking about the “right” way to take a shower, as if anyone who did it differently was a weirdo. I remember a girl in my high school gym class who said women who only shave their legs to just above the knee are freaks. What do those have in common? When spoken aloud and directed at another person, that’s verbal bullying. One of my aunts bullied Mom relentlessly about the way toilet paper was hung in our home. This may seem like trivial bullying – trust me, when it’s directed at you in a way that makes you feel “less than” you’ll feel the seriousness of it and the poison in it. Every human on this planet has a different set of life experiences, different knowledge, and different emotional reactions. No one has the right to make anther person feel bad because they do things differently. If you work with someone who makes these kind of bullying statements, or if someone directs verbal bullying at you, use this phrase: “Are you trying to be helpful or hurtful?” Don’t wait for an answer – let them marinate in your question while you exit the conversation. Take that, verbal bully! Want more? Click here for the Mind, Body, Soul Sessions, a daily way to feed your total self.  #veterinarian #petindustry #wellbeing #leader #lawofattraction

We’ve all had that one friend – you know the one. The one who is a good friend and sometimes feels the need to put you down. The one who makes plans and then changes them at the last minute because something else came up – something that didn’t include you. The one who occasionally shoots sharp painful barbs at you, saying “well, the truth hurts.” I hope, if you’ve had that friend, that they’re in your past now. If you currently have a friend like that, this next sentence might help you put them in your past: Disrespect closes doors that apologies can’t reopen. Really take those words in – people who disrespect you, your feelings, and your boundaries often apologize later. Do those apologies help? Maybe for a while, until that person disrespects you once too often and you’re done. My suggestion – skip the drama and be done far sooner. They’re showing you who they are – believe them. You deserve to be surrounded by people who respect you, not disrespect you. Close the door. Want more? Click here for the Mind, Body, Soul Sessions, a daily way to feed your total self.  #veterinarian #petindustry #wellbeing #leader #lawofattraction

Can you let someone else love something you really don't love? Think before you answer – this is something that most of us struggle with. From childhood, being right was drilled into us. It’s the way learning works – “right” is good and “wrong” is not so good, so we’re incentivized to be right. That creates a pattern of thought in the brain that makes you certain that what you know is the way it is, and when you find someone who doesn’t agree, you feel the need to defend your position and show the other person the error of their ways. The problem is that the other person feels as “right” in their knowledge as you feel in yours, so the other person won’t be very receptive to your attempt at correcting them. A much more powerful way to handle this is to let the other person be right, too. What if what you know is right for you and what they know is right for them? What if you can be OK with not having to teach, and instead just accept their right to their differing view? What if you can let someone else love something you don’t really love? This one powerful concept will release more stress in your life than almost anything else. Want more? Click here for the Mind, Body, Soul Sessions, a daily way to feed your total self.  #veterinarian #petindustry #wellbeing #leader #lawofattraction

Have you ever been part of a true brainstorming session? Real brainstorming sessions are about positive ideas building on each other, with no “yeah but” allowed. I was working at a great Washington DC radio station when I was first exposed to brainstorming, and the person running the session had to remind me – more than once! – that we were looking for ideas, not the reasons ideas might not work. It was an eye-opening experience – we can actually focus just on the positives, not the potential drawbacks? Maybe you were taught to weigh the pros and the cons while making decisions, and maybe you did that with yourself and your life too. Have you ever tried brainstorming when trying to decide how to move forward on your life goals? What if you allowed only ideas that felt good to you? What if you saved the “yeah but” until later? Block out about 10 minutes today and brainstorm one thing about your life you’d like to improve. Generate as many fun ideas as you can think of and write them down. Don’t judge – just write. Then get on with your day and watch for clues about which direction your ideas will take you on the way to your goals. Want more? Click here for the Mind, Body, Soul Sessions, a daily way to feed your total self.  #veterinarian #petindustry #wellbeing #leader #lawofattraction

Adulting. What a fun word adulting is. It’s a playful way of saying that the child inside you is a little bit tired of taking care of responsibilities and obligations. Yes, no matter how old you are, how many wrinkles and grey hairs you have, there is still that spark of innocent fun that you had as a child, and it’s that part of you that pushes back against all that adulting. Don’t get me wrong – adulting is important. It’s how the world progresses, it’s how you pay your bills and feed yourself and your family, and it’s vital to the continuity of civilization. Play is important, too. Light-hearted moments are important, scheduling fun is important, laughing with friends and loved ones and co-workers is important. Never lose track of the child inside you – never get so adult that you lose your sense of play, squash your need for laughter, and forget to look to the skies on Christmas eve. Remember to make childing a thing in your life, too. PS...want more? Subscribe to the Mind, Body, Soul Sessions podcast, a weekly mental spa treatment for your total self! #success #leader #lawofattraction #personaldevelopment #mentalwellbeing

Maybe you heard the recent Tiny Bite about what great leaders have in common? It’s a focus on constant learning and self-improvement. It can be easy to look at self-improvement as self-indulgent or unnecessary, and you’re fooling yourself if that’s how you view it. You’re also probably short-changing yourself as a human being by staying stuck in the same old mindsets, attitudes, and thought processes you’ve always used. If your life is exactly what you want it to be, if your career is exactly what you want it to be, and if your love life is exactly what you want it to be, then yay, you! You’re probably a unicorn. It’s human to have hopes and dreams and aspirations, and the way to make those hopes and dreams and aspirations realities in your life is for you to change and grow. Maybe you’ve heard the old adage, “if you do what you’ve always done, you’ll get what you’ve always gotten.” In order for your life to improve, you have to improve. Be open to other points of view, other ways of doing things, and be open to self-improvement seminars, books, and coaching. When you give yourself the gift of learning and self-improvement, you give the world the very best you you can be. Want more? Click here for the Mind, Body, Soul Sessions, a daily way to feed your total self.  #veterinarian #petindustry #wellbeing #leader #lawofattraction

Do you ever feel unappreciated? Maybe even like no one cares about you? Then this Tiny Bite is for you. Most of us feel that way sometimes, and some people feel that way a lot of the time. People are hard-wired to feel like they are the center of the universe, because we literally are the center of our own universe. Our world revolves around us. What this means in a practical sense is that when we start feeling unappreciated, unless we find something else to think about that feeling is going to intensify. Try this method of mental refocusing to help you gain perspective the next time you’re feeling unloved and unappreciated. Picture the last person you made smile. Now, think of everyone you’ve ever made smile as fireflies sparkling around you – there are a lot, right? Add strangers whose day you might have brightened without even knowing it, then add in the anonymous people your donations have helped. There are thousands and thousands of fireflies by now. Focus on those fireflies – they’re lighting up to show you the way you light up the lives of people every day. Appreciate yourself – you make a difference in this world! Want more? Click here for the Mind, Body, Soul Sessions, a daily way to feed your total self.  #veterinarian #petindustry #wellbeing #leader #lawofattraction

Have you ever been so frustrated by something that you just broke down and cried? Not from sadness, not from grief – from pure, unadulterated frustration? One of my dogs has been attacking his foot. It doesn’t look like bored-dog-itis, it looks like something is wrong with the foot. Two months, 12 treatment trials, and two grand later, biopsy results from the latest treatment trial once again showed nothing. Meanwhile, he was still attacking his foot, breaking cones and removing any bandage or bootie in under 2 minutes flat. You know when people say they’re at their wits’ end? Yep, I got there. Tired of having no answers. Tired of having a dog hurting himself. Tired of not being able to do anything to help him. I stood in the kitchen and cried. Understandable, I guess, but not helpful. Have you ever been in a situation like that? Frustrated, and tired of being frustrated? Here’s something you can try that can quickly shift your spirits to a better-feeling place. Your brain can’t spiral and stress if you’re singing. It can’t – it can either spiral and stress or sing, not both at the same time. Go for a drive or a walk or just crank up the tunes wherever you are. Sing. Sing loudly, sing badly, just sing. It won’t be long before you’re distracted from the frustration and able to focus on something you can do something about. Want more? Click here for the Mind, Body, Soul Sessions, a daily way to feed your total self.  #veterinarian #petindustry #wellbeing #leader #lawofattraction

Do you work in a company where you don’t feel trusted, or maybe you don’t trust your team members? Do you know that oxytocin drives a feeling of trust, whether it’s you trusting others or your boss or team trusting you? In scientific experiments, researchers found that oxytocin production in people drops as their stress levels go up, so one of the best ways to increase feelings of trust is to decrease levels of stress. One of the best ways to do that is to recognize people for hitting a goal, providing exemplary service, or whatever metric is important in your business. That is what you need to be recognizing. For it to work well as a stress-reduction technique, the recognition needs to be as immediate as possible, public, and authentic. Participation awards don’t count – genuine, heartfelt, public appreciation for a job well done promotes a feeling of trust like nothing else can. If you lead a team, take some time today to lay out a recognition strategy for your people. If you’re on a team that’s stressed, share this Tiny Bite with your team leader. Hey team leaders – this is settled science. Lower stress to increase trust and employee engagement. Ready…go! Want more? Click here for the Mind, Body, Soul Sessions, a daily way to feed your total self.  #veterinarian #petindustry #wellbeing #leader #lawofattraction

Is someone you cared deeply about missing from your life? Maybe they moved where they live, maybe they moved on from you, or maybe they moved on from life on earth. No matter the reason, they’re missing from your life, and it hurts. A lot. Or maybe what you’re feeling is more like anger than hurt. The depth of the feeling is the focus of this Tiny Bite – someone you cared about is gone and you’re having a strong reaction. I knew someone who’d been divorced for nearly a decade who railed about the unfairness of it all, how mean her ex was, and how her life would never be the same because of what he’d done to her. Moments of those feelings are normal – living in them for years on end isn’t normal or necessary. Think about how pilots learn to take off and land, which is the most dangerous part of flying. They do touch & go training – they’ll fly a little bit, make a big turn in the sky, line up with the runway and land, then take right back off again. You can do that, too – when you notice that you’re marinating in sadness or anger, imagine that you’ve just landed your plane and have to take off again right away. Think of something that makes you happy, and as your thoughts turn to that, feel your mood lifting off, too. All feelings are valid – you get to choose whether you’ll roll down the runway in a bad mood or lighten up and fly. Want more? Click here for the Mind, Body, Soul Sessions, a daily way to feed your total self.  #veterinarian #petindustry #wellbeing #leader #lawofattraction

Let’s talk about authenticity. Seems like most of the world is talking about being authentically who you are, and while that sounds great, what does it mean, exactly? Authenticity is more than just being honest, or being real, or being open and transparent. Those are all good attributes and are part of who you are. Being authentic means you get who you are, what’s important to you, what your ethics are, and you choose your words and deeds accordingly. Being authentic means you’re not chasing the latest fad, or doing things that go against your personal code of ethics, or sharing more than is comfortable for you to share. We’re all human, and that means we’re all different, we all make mistakes, and we recognize when others make them, too. Warts and all, those mistakes make us human, and it is by admitting them, learning from them, and allowing others to see our personal growth so they can be inspired by it, that we show our authenticity. Want more? Click here for the Mind, Body, Soul Sessions, a daily way to feed your total self.  #veterinarian #petindustry #wellbeing #leader #lawofattraction

Most of us have big goals – life goals, career goals, relationship goals, whatever. Even if they just feel like wishes or dreams to us, they are actually goals. And big goals can feel very daunting – they feel distant in time, affordability, or reality. Have you ever heard a friend who longs to be in a relationship say, “All the good men are either taken or gay?” That’s an example of a big goal that feels unreachable to that person, and that’s someone who needs to learn the concept of small goals on the path to the big goal. Think about the big goal you’d love to accomplish someday. It doesn’t matter what it is, every big goal has small steps along the path to it. Today, write down your big goal in big letters at the bottom of a sheet of paper, or at the bottom of a whiteboard you can dedicate to just that goal. Now, break it down – what has to happen before you will be living that goal? Say it’s winning the lottery – clearly, buying lottery tickets has to be part of that goal, right? Think of what has to happen along the way to your goal, and write the steps on the sheet above your big goal. Now you have little targets to hit – each time you achieve one, cross it off and celebrate – you’re one step closer to your big goal! Want more? Click here for the Mind, Body, Soul Sessions, a daily way to feed your total self.  #veterinarian #petindustry #wellbeing #leader #lawofattraction

Have you ever been the target of someone’s jealousy? It doesn’t feel good, does it? It’s easier when they’re outspoken, saying things like, “What makes you so special?” and “You always get the plum assignments.” Phrases like that pointed at you can be painful, and yet they’re gifts the other person is giving you. They’re telling you what’s happening inside their head so you can’t possibly misunderstand. What if they don’t say anything to you, you just suspect they’re jealous – maybe you catch a look on their face directed at you, or you get bad vibes from them whenever you’re together? Don’t confront someone over how you think they feel about you. How they feel about you is none of your business. You can’t change their feelings, you can just be the best version of yourself that you’re capable of, and they’ll either accept you or they won’t. Either way, who cares? The same way you don’t have to love every person on this planet, others are allowed to not love you, too. Live your life your way instead of shaping yourself to please others. Want more? Click here for the Mind, Body, Soul Sessions, a daily way to feed your total self.  #veterinarian #petindustry #wellbeing #leader #lawofattraction

Think about the most successful leader you know personally. It could be your boss, the leader of a volunteer group you’re part of, a good friend – it could be you. Picture that person and think about these questions: What books do they read? Do they take continuing education classes, whether required or not? Do they reach out to their mentors from the past? Do they have a coach – life coach, leadership coach, business coach, etc.? Are they comfortable admitting they were wrong and flexible enough to solicit and follow opinions and ideas of others? Successful leaders are always evaluating and improving themselves. Always. They surround themselves with other people who are successful leaders and learn from them. Successful leaders understand that they must be constantly growing and improving their skills so they’ll be able to help their teams grow and improve theirs. The other leaders – the ones who aren’t as successful – are often seen and heard evaluating and judging others. Which kind of leader do you want to be? Want more? Click here for the Mind, Body, Soul Sessions, a daily way to feed your total self.  #veterinarian #petindustry #wellbeing #leader #lawofattraction

Do you find it hard to make decisions? Many people do. In a sense, making a decision requires us to predict the future, and not just one future – many. When deciding whether to eat Chinese food or Italian food with your friends, your mental process goes to which ones your friends prefer, and how each one of them will behave if they don’t get their preferred meal. You also consider which on of those choices will make you happiest. You’ve just predicted your version of the future in your mind, haven’t you? Making decisions quickly is really just sorting through various versions of the future and deciding which one feels best. If others are in on the decision, then it’s human nature to point out the positive aspects of the decision you like best, and maybe downplay the positives of the other choices. If you’re someone who struggles to make a decision, remember this: not making a decision is a decision. It’s deciding to let the will of others prevail, and when you do that too often, it undermines your sense of self-worth. Start noticing how many decisions you’re faced with each day, and how easy or hard they are for you to make. Then polish up your crystal ball and play with predicting the future inside your mind – you’ll gain confidence in your decision-making abilities! Want more? Click here for the Mind, Body, Soul Sessions, a daily way to feed your total self.  #veterinarian #petindustry #wellbeing #leader #lawofattraction

Think about your brain as a tool you use. That’s actually what it is – it’s not you, it’s the mechanism that runs your body and allows your soul or energy body or whatever you call the non-physical part of you to think, feel, and react. Just as a hammer can’t evaluate its own usefulness, your brain can’t either. Your brain just hums along, keeping your body breathing and your heart pumping, remembering your to-do list, your shopping list, and your child’s teacher’s name – hopefully! Your brain is too busy doing what it does to spend time and energy cataloguing all the good things you do each day, and appreciating all the talents you have, use, and share easily. It doesn’t remind you how awesome you are. Most people don’t see their own worth because they’re too busy getting through the day, and maybe thinking about hopes and dreams for the future. Every day, set aside a few minutes – 5 to 15 will do it – to focus on what’s right about you and what’s right in your world. When you get in the habit of focusing on your talents and what you appreciate in your life, you create mental and physical wellbeing in your body and your life. Take care of yourself…you’re worth the trouble. Want more? Click here for the Mind, Body, Soul Sessions, a daily way to feed your total self.  #veterinarian #petindustry #wellbeing #leader #lawofattraction

Have you ever taken a wrong turn in an unfamiliar city? Maybe you misunderstood your navigation app, or maybe your phone battery died – whatever the reason, suddenly you’re in a place you didn’t mean to be instead where you thought you’d be. Now, apply that to your life instead of your physical location – have you ever been in a job or a relationship and thought, “how did I end up here? This isn’t what I want or what I intended.” That happens to us all as we live our lives – we make decisions, the consequences play out, and sometimes our life feels like it’s taken a big wrong turn. If you were trying to get somewhere in an unfamiliar city, you don’t go all the way back to the beginning and start over, you just figure out the next direction from where you are right now. If you feel like you’re standing in the wrong place in your career or relationship, don’t go back and try to retrace your steps to figure out what went wrong. Just begin where you are and move forward on the right path. Decide on the first step, then the next step, and then the one after that. Not only will you improve your life, you’ll build your self-confidence, one step at a time. Want more? Click here for the Mind, Body, Soul Sessions, a daily way to feed your total self.  #veterinarian #petindustry #wellbeing #leader #lawofattraction

When you’re successful, why do you sometimes feel unsuccessful? When you’re part of the inner circle, how can you possibly feel like an outsider? When you achieve something big, why is that little voice inside your head calling you undeserving? Consider this – other people feel what you’re feeling, too, just like you. They’re feeling undeserving, like an outsider, and unsuccessful. How can that be? It’s because most of us were taught at a young age that feeling really good about ourselves is egotistical, self-centered, and exhibitionist. It may not be as extreme as imposter syndrome, and yet we still feeling like not quite enough…good enough, smart enough, powerful enough. Enough! When you’re feeling that way, stop and ask yourself this question: if I was saying words about my friend who’d just achieved what I achieved, what would those words sound like? Would they be words to lift her up or words to shoot her down? Then, talk to yourself like you’d talk to your friend. Want more? Click here for the Mind, Body, Soul Sessions, a daily way to feed your total self.  #veterinarian #petindustry #wellbeing #leader #lawofattraction

Have you ever been in this kind of conversation: someone talks about a painful event in their life, you listen, and in an attempt to relate to them, you talk about a similar painful event in your life? The conversation continues, and if there are multiple people, everyone adds their story to the pile of pain until you’re all marinating in a puddle of miserable memories. Yes, the conversation allows you all to relate to each other, and yes, the conversation lowers the mood of every person in it, and you each end up with a body filled with stress hormones as your brains recreate the conditions that existed inside your body when the actual event happened. YIKES!! That’s not how you want to treat your body, right? The brain can’t help recreating past conditions when you focus on them, so give it good conditions to recreate. Next time someone talks about a painful event in their life, can you talk about a similar event that had a better outcome? Can you focus on the good outcome instead of the painful event? If you can shift the conversation to a more positive path, yay you! If you can’t – if the person or people around you are determined to wallow in past pain, remove yourself before your brain douses your body with stress hormones. Go find some fun – you’ll be healthier and happier when you do! Want more? Click here for the Mind, Body, Soul Sessions, a daily way to feed your total self.  #veterinarian #petindustry #wellbeing #leader #lawofattraction

Has a piece of your life come to an end and now you’re faced with starting over? Maybe you’re an empty-nester, maybe your marriage ended – no matter what the event, starting over can feel like starting from scratch. It can feel daunting or downright scary to look at a future you weren’t anticipating, don’t feel prepared for, and aren’t even sure you want. Remember this – you’re not starting from scratch, and you’re not starting over. You’re beginning again to create something new. The person you were when that chapter of your life started has learned and grown into the person you are now. You are wiser, you are more experienced, and you are more capable of beginning again than you were in your younger years. Setbacks are just opportunities for you to teach yourself how awesome you are – use this setback as a steppingstone to an even stronger you. Want more? Click here for the Mind, Body, Soul Sessions, a daily way to feed your total self.  #veterinarian #petindustry #wellbeing #leader #lawofattraction

I watched a very inspiring movie recently, a story about a man who rose from poverty and abuse to wealth and success. To a very large extent, he created himself and the life he led. He did it through hard work and perseverance, all the while feeling like he wasn’t good enough. He felt that way about himself because the words he heard daily when he was growing up were words like “you’ll never amount to anything” and “you’re weak and pathetic.” In this movie, when he was praised, he offered appreciation to those who had helped him along the way, those who had believed in him when he didn’t even believe in himself. His story is my story, and his story is your story. His story is a universal story – we’re all where we are because someone else believed in us and helped us. Remember this truth when someone you know needs help believing in themselves. Be the mirror that reminds them of their unique and wonderful traits. Everyone needs friends like that. Want more? Click here for the Mind, Body, Soul Sessions, a daily way to feed your total self.  #veterinarian #petindustry #wellbeing #leader #lawofattraction

Some people call themselves honest and say whatever they’re thinking whenever it pops into their head. When they hurt someone’s feelings, words like, “well, the truth hurts” are offered instead of an apology. Beware – if someone in your life is honest like this, stay away from them as much as possible. That’s not honesty, that’s a callous disregard for your feelings. They probably had someone in their life when they were young who talked to them the same way – they’re not making it up, they’re parroting the so-called caring that they received. They need to learn to break the cycle of verbal abuse the same way those who were physically abused need to learn to break that cycle. Meanwhile, you don’t have to allow yourself to be their target, and if you love them, please understand that you can love them and not believe them when they say hurtful things to you, couched as “the truth.” Want more? Click here for the Mind, Body, Soul Sessions, a daily way to feed your total self.  #veterinarian #petindustry #wellbeing #leader #lawofattraction

What thoughts do you start your day with? How you begin is likely to be how you continue throughout the day. Since many research studies show that happier people achieve more goals, the logical conclusion is that trying to create more happiness in your outlook will make you more successful. So, since how you begin the day is likely to be how you continue throughout the day, what can you do to remember to begin the day feeling hopeful? We all have morning routines – how can you plug positivity into yours? I go out with the dogs first thing in the morning, enjoying the feeling of the fresh air, the sound of the birds, and the way the sky looks. I try to spend about ten minutes outside while the coffee pot is doing its thing and the dogs are doing theirs. I watch how the dogs interact with the world and wonder what their noses are telling them that I’ll never know. When I go back inside, it’s with a mind more open to the good things around me. Maybe that idea can help you start your day on a more positive note, too? Want more? Click here for the Mind, Body, Soul Sessions, a daily way to feed your total self.  #veterinarian #petindustry #wellbeing #leader #lawofattraction

Is there someone on your work team or in your circle of family and friends who disrespects you or disregards your feelings? Most of us have someone in our sphere who behaves like that, and it can be very uncomfortable to be around them. I worked with a guy who invaded my space, talked over me in meetings, and didn’t share information he had that I needed in order to do my job well. I dreaded being around him and having to deal with him. With the passage of time and more life experience under my belt, he wouldn’t bother me so much now. Instead of focusing on how he behaved, I would focus on what I could do, like tell him to take a step back because his shirt smelled bad, continue talking while ignoring him as he talked over me, and find a different way to get the information I needed. Life is like social media. People will do whatever they will do, and you can’t control it. All you can do is choose how you’ll respond to them and whether to have them in your life or not. Want more? Click here for the Mind, Body, Soul Sessions, a daily way to feed your total self.  #veterinarian #petindustry #wellbeing #leader #lawofattraction

Do you keep a “to-do” list? I do, and I also have several daily tasks on my Google calendar, just to be sure I don’t forget to do them. As a business owner, I wear a lot of hats and can sometimes forget things in one part of my business when focusing on importing things in another part. Does this happen in your life, too? To-do lists can be very helpful, and can also create a sense of being overwhelmed. So.Much.To.Do! Try this – it’s really helped me go from feeling like there’s too much on my plate to feeling excited about everything I’ve gotten done. Instead of crossing things off your list, or erasing them from your list, try this: create a Ta-Da! list, and as you accomplish something, move it from your to-do to your ta-da list. Celebrate your successes, no matter how small. Ta-da…look at everything you’ve gotten done already today! Want more? Click here for the Mind, Body, Soul Sessions, a daily way to feed your total self.  #veterinarian #petindustry #wellbeing #leader #lawofattraction

There are well-meaning people who tell others “You’re living the best time of your life right now.” They could be talking to a teenager, a college student, a newlywed, a new parent, someone whose child has gotten old enough to go to school, etc. etc. etc. The well-meaning person is trying to be helpful, reminding someone to enjoy the life they have now, which is good advice and I wish they’d just say that. When you tell someone that this is as good as it gets, in that moment they might be feeling that way, too. Or they might be feeling uncertain in their new role. They might be feeling like a failure. They might be feeling like they’re not fulfilling their potential. They might be wishing for a slower, simpler time. When someone in that mental state hears that they’re living the best time of their life, it causes pain, not hope. If you know someone who uses this phrase, please share this Tiny Bite with them. If you are someone who uses this phrase, please stop. Let each person decide what is the best time of their life – you can support them and love them. That’s how you help them, not harm them. Want more? Click here for the Mind, Body, Soul Sessions, a daily way to feed your total self.  #veterinarian #petindustry #wellbeing #leader #lawofattraction

“You must first be willing to be a survivor before you can be a success.” The Reverend TD Jakes said these words at the grand opening celebration for Tyler Perry’s studio complex in Atlanta during an on-camera interview. While he was talking specifically about Tyler Perry, that sentence describes everyone. We all have things in our lives we’ve overcome, some small, and some huge and horrible. When we believe that we are a victim, we stay stuck in a victimhood mentality. People who see themselves as victims stay guarded, not allowing themselves to try new things or meet new people for fear of being victimized. You cannot succeed by cutting yourself off from new experiences and new people – it’s in those interactions that we learn who we are at our core. If you want to be successful, no matter how you define success, pay attention to how you think and speak about yourself and your experiences. Eliminate the victim words and stories – replace them with more positive words and stories and get set to be a success. Want more? Click here for the Mind, Body, Soul Sessions, a daily way to feed your total self.  #veterinarian #petindustry #wellbeing #leader #lawofattraction

Are you feeling trapped? Trapped in a job, trapped in a house, trapped in a relationship? Do you know that it’s only in your mind that you’re trapped? Do you know that you, with your powerful mind, can loosen those emotional ropes that feel like they were put on you by someone or something else? You can, using principles based in neuroplasticity. When you’re feeling trapped, you’re focusing on what you don’t like about a situation. That’s normal and natural and human and serves only to keep you feeling trapped, because focusing on the negatives works like blinders, keeping you from seeing the possibilities that are always all around you. When you notice that you’re focused on what’s making you feel trapped, stop. Think about something else, or sing a song if you can’t get those negative thoughts out of your head. Distract yourself by focusing on something you do like, or doing something that takes your mind off the negativity. This allows your brain to take in clues that can – and will, if you let them – become ideas, then avenues to get you out of that trapped place. Voila- not feeling trapped anymore! Want more? Click here for the Mind, Body, Soul Sessions, a daily way to feed your total self.  #veterinarian #petindustry #wellbeing #leader #lawofattraction

Usually I ask you to focus on the positive aspects of whatever is happening to you and around you. Today is something completely different – today I want you to take a few minutes and make a list of the not-optimal things that have happened in your life. My list would include losing both parents, the sudden end of my 30-year marriage, and a bunch of other painful episodes. Write as many as you can think of, and while you’re writing, don’t focus on how you felt when each event happened, just the events themselves. Once you’ve made the list, think about what each episode taught you and how it helped you grow in wisdom. Write down what you know now that you didn’t know before – the lessons learned about yourself and about your place in the world. Write down how you’ve grown as a person, as a friend, as a partner, as a leader – wherever you can see growth in yourself, write it down. Now, focus on that list. Study it, internalize it, feel proud of your growth. Maybe take a picture of the list and keep it in your phone, so when you’re tempted to beat yourself up about something you can look at the list and remind yourself that you’re a work in progress and are constantly growing. That’s a focus that will serve you! Want more? Click here for the Mind, Body, Soul Sessions, a daily way to feed your total self.  #veterinarian #petindustry #wellbeing #leader #lawofattraction

Have you ever thought about the difference between hearing and listening? The artist Ana Teresa Fernandez wrote, “To hear is to let the sound wander all the way through the labyrinth of your ear; to listen is to travel the other way to meet it.” Isn’t that a beautiful way of expressing the difference? We hear things all the time – you’re hearing this Tiny Bite podcast – and we have to be present to listen. I’ll never forget the day the wasband and I were walking and I remarked about how lovely the birdsong was. His response was that he didn’t hear birds. When he stopped to listen, he realized that the birds had, in fact, been singing – he just wasn’t listening. When you’re focused on what’s happening inside your head, you’re not present in the world. When you’re focused on what’s happening in the world around you, then you can truly listen. Try it and hear what you’ve been missing! Want more? Click here for the Mind, Body, Soul Sessions, a daily way to feed your total self.  #veterinarian #petindustry #wellbeing #leader #lawofattraction

Most people know someone who makes poor decisions. For many, that “someone” is a person they care about, maybe even love deeply. They see the poor choices, self-destructive behavior, and maybe even a level of denial, and do their darndest to help. They bail them out financially. Maybe they even bail them out of jail. They give them a place to live, make excuses for them, and even try to control their lives and movements for their own good. Listen to me – it will never work. You can love someone, and you can’t change them. You can’t save them. You can’t make them see their life the way you see it. All you can do is love them and let them know they’re not alone. Their life is theirs, as painful as that realization may be for you. Their choices are theirs. Their journey is theirs. Love them and allow them live and learn their own life lessons. Who knows – they may find a path back to a healthier life. Want more? Click here for the Mind, Body, Soul Sessions, a daily way to feed your total self.  #veterinarian #petindustry #wellbeing #leader #lawofattraction

Do you ever come home from work feeling exhausted, both mentally and physically? Maybe the day had more challenges than normal, maybe your co-workers were more challenging than normal, or maybe you just got up on the wrong side of the bed. No matter why the day was challenging, no matter what you dealt with, don’t take it to bed with you. Before you do anything else, hit the shower. Shed your work clothes, prepare some comfy clothes for the rest of the evening, and step into your attitude-adjusting chamber. As the water flows over you, think of it rinsing off the stress of the day. As you soap up, think of the soap as getting the sticky, prickly feelings from the day off your skin and flowing into the drain. As you feel the water on your skin, focus on the fresh, calm, renewed spirit you’ll have as you step out of the shower and back into control of your life. Ahhhhhh…showers can be such blessings, can’t they? Want more? Click here for the Mind, Body, Soul Sessions, a daily way to feed your total self.  #veterinarian #petindustry #wellbeing #leader #lawofattraction

Most people have at least a little bit of people-pleaser in their personality. Those who raised us wanted us to do what they wanted us to do, so they acted pleased when we did it and displeased when we didn’t. We learned early on how to smooth our paths by at least trying to look like we cared what others thought about our actions. Fast-forward to adulthood, and because we’re drawn to what feels familiar to us, we can end up in a relationship with someone who expects us to bend ourselves like a pretzel to please them and be what they want us to be. No matter how long you’ve been in a relationship like that, it’s OK to be done with it. It’s OK to stand up for the person you are. It’s OK not to twist yourself into knots trying to please your partner. If your relationship feels like a problem, it’s OK to stop participating in the problem. You have one precious life – if you want to be a people-pleaser, please yourself for a change. Want more? Click here for the Mind, Body, Soul Sessions, a daily way to feed your total self.  #veterinarian #petindustry #wellbeing #leader #lawofattraction

How do you treat someone who mistreated you? It’s so easy to paint them as the bad guy, point the finger at everything they’ve ever done to anyone and to you, and to plot delicious revenge – you know, the kind of revenge that never backfires on you and makes them look like a fool. When you spend your precious time and energy railing against what’s been done to you and who did it and how awful they are, you’re allowing them to live rent-free in your head, in your heart, and in your life. Seriously, they’re not worth it! Your life belongs to you – don’t give up huge chunks of it to someone who did you wrong. When you find your thoughts returning to that person, laugh out loud at yourself and do something that is fun, engrossing, and makes it not possible for that thought process to continue. You’re in charge of the thoughts inside your head – no one else puts them there and no one else can stop them except you. Don’t waste time on bad feelings about bad experiences in your past – shift your focus to something fun and fulfilling now. Want more? Click here for the Mind, Body, Soul Sessions, a daily way to feed your total self.  #veterinarian #petindustry #wellbeing #leader #lawofattraction

Have I told you about the amazing committee I have working for me? When something feels too difficult for me to do, or when I don’t have an idea of how to start something I want to do, like write a book, I give it to my amazing committee. General George Patton said, “Don’t tell people how to do things, tell them what to do and let them surprise you with their results.” When I delegate to my committee, I just tell them the problem I’d like to solve, and then I let it go and I move on to working on something else. When the committee has a great idea or the solution, they let me know, and I stop whatever else I’m doing and follow their instructions. You have the same amazing committee I have – do you delegate to yours, too? I call my committee The Committee in the Back of My Head, and that’s a fun name for “intuition.” Instead of staying stuck in a problem, I hand the problem to the committee and focus on something else. Try doing the same thing the next time you feel like you’re beating your head up against the wall trying to figure something out. Your amazing committee will surprise you with their results, too! Want more? Click here for the Mind, Body, Soul Sessions, a daily way to feed your total self.  #veterinarian #petindustry #wellbeing #leader #lawofattraction

Think carefully before answering this question: are you competitive? That’s a tough question to answer because it’s not specific – do I mean competitive against others or against myself? I train my dogs and compete in different dog sports, so you would be accurate to say I’m competitive. I like to earn placements in those competitions, so it could seem like I’m competitive against the other teams. I’m not. I root for the success of every team I watch, and I root for the success of my dog as we step into the ring to test our level of training and teamwork. I compete against no one and no other dog – I compete against who I was yesterday. My goal is to be competitive only with myself, and to cheer on everyone else who’s trying. So, are you competitive? If so, what kind of competitive are you – competitive against others, or against who you were yesterday? Unhealthy competition makes people un-fun to be around, and healthy competition brings out the best in us. Want more? Click here for the Mind, Body, Soul Sessions, a daily way to feed your total self.  #veterinarian #petindustry #wellbeing #leader #lawofattraction

Think about a person you don’t like or maybe don’t approve of. What is it about them that you dislike? Is it who they are now or what you know about their past? Maybe they’ve done something that you know about or have heard about that you think is bad, so you think they’re bad. Does that sound like something you might be doing with this person, or maybe with someone else? While people do show us who they are in the moment, just as we change and grow, so do others. When you judge someone today by the actions in their past, you’re not recognizing the growth they may have undergone. You don’t have to like them, and you don’t have to trust them, you just need to remember to allow them to show up as the evolved person they’ve become. When you do, you may just discover a person you weren’t expecting – someone you can like and trust. Want more? Click here for the Mind, Body, Soul Sessions, a daily way to feed your total self.  #veterinarian #petindustry #wellbeing #leader #lawofattraction

Good people get tired of being good to ungrateful people. That’s human nature. Losing your temper after trying and trying and trying to respond to someone who is badgering you is human nature. In both situations, the “human nature” part of you feels justified in giving up on someone who seems ungrateful, and in getting angry at someone who just won’t let it go. Believe me, my “human nature” side has shown itself plenty of times, and it’s not a pretty sight. In the moment I felt perfectly justified. On reflection, I realized that when I’m able to rise above the knee-jerk responses and give the irritating person the benefit of the doubt, I feel better. In my life, and in yours too, it’s important to make ourselves feel better, and one of the best ways to do that is to find a way to love even the most unlovable people, especially when they’re at their most unlovable. Want more? Click here for the Mind, Body, Soul Sessions, a daily way to feed your total self.  #veterinarian #petindustry #wellbeing #leader #lawofattraction

You know scientists will study anything, right? And you know I’m a science nerd, right? The other day I was talking with a couple of friends about music and dancing, and we realized that just watching someone dance made us all feel better. A Columbia University neuroscientist studied the brains of dancers and declared that dancing is a pleasure double-play: music stimulates the brain’s pleasure centers and movement to that music releases endorphins, intensifying the pleasure. A study at Albert Einstein College of Medicine studied 11 types of physical activity and their effects on developing dementia, and found that only dancing lowered the risk of dementia. The research is in – running, swimming, and cycling are good for your body and only dancing is good for your brain.  Dancing is joy in motion with music as the excuse, so go ahead – get up and dance. Want more? Click here for the Mind, Body, Soul Sessions, a daily way to feed your total self.  #veterinarian #petindustry #wellbeing #leader #lawofattraction

Who is in charge of your mood today? Your dog, who woke you up when he chased his tail at 3:47 this morning and you couldn’t get back to sleep? Your cat, who stalks and kills imaginary demons all night long? The leg of the bedside chest you stubbed your toe on as you got out of bed? Those can all be a reason for your mood to dip, and the truth is, no one is in charge of your mood but you. How can that be? Let’s take the middle-of-the-night dog antics, which may or may not have been performed by my dog Archie, banging into furniture as he tried to catch the waggy thing at the end of his body. Who knows why the urge to chase his tail happened – maybe he was having a dream and woke up convinced his tail was out to get him. One thing is certain – he didn’t set out to ruin my sleep. He didn’t wake me on purpose, and so using him as the excuse for being grumpy is just me looking for a scapegoat. Or scapedog – whatever! No matter what, you are in charge of your mood. When you find yourself not behaving the way you’d like to behave, no one but you can shift your mood. Decide how you want to feel, then find a way to feel that way. Voila – instant mood shift! Want more? Click here for the Mind, Body, Soul Sessions, a daily way to feed your total self.  #veterinarian #petindustry #wellbeing #leader #lawofattraction

Have you ever suffered a setback? Sure you have – we all have. I finished in the top 10 of my class so was going to be featured onstage at graduation. Oops…I overslept and was late for rehearsal, so I walked with the rest of the class instead of in the spot I’d earned. At the time I was so disappointed in myself, in whoever made the stupid rigid rules, and mainly in myself. Did I mention the rest of the graduates walked in alphabetical order and my last name starts with a W? At the time I was focused on how unfair it felt, how I’d screwed up, and how my parents were probably tsk-tsking inside their heads as they waited for their smart but careless child to get her diploma. Sometimes what looks like a problem is actually the fertilizer for your personal or professional growth. That might have been the last time I overslept for something where others needed me to be on time. Ever faced a setback that felt big and bad, only to discover that it created a desire to do better? Next time something in life causes you to stumble, look at the setback as a chance to reassess your path, and turn that setback into fertilizer for your future. Want more? Click here for the Mind, Body, Soul Sessions, a daily way to feed your total self.  #veterinarian #petindustry #wellbeing #leader #lawofattraction

Is someone you know a workaholic? Aside from their work, you don’t know what else they do besides eat and sleep? That’s the opposite of “work/life balance” and is detrimental to their wellbeing and probably to at least some aspects of their future. Unless their work fulfills their every desire, they’re cutting themselves off from experiences and people that would add interest, enlightenment, and fun to their life. There are many reasons someone might be a workaholic – extreme work ethic, problems in their personal life, misplaced priorities – and there’s never a good reason to squander relationships and fun in exchange for a paycheck. If you know a workaholic, see if you can get them to come out and play with you now and then. If you are a workaholic, understand the damage you’re doing in the rest of your life, and maybe even in your work life. Take tiny steps at first, and start adding a bit of fun to every week. You might curse me now – trust me, you’ll thank me later. Want more? Click here for the Mind, Body, Soul Sessions, a daily way to feed your total self.  #veterinarian #petindustry #wellbeing #leader #lawofattraction

Do you know how alone you are? Maybe you don’t feel alone because you live with a partner and maybe some offspring, or you work as part of a big team, or you live in a large multi-unit building. There may be people all around you, people in your field of vision almost all the time, and yet you’re very alone. You’re alone in your thoughts – no one else can think them or can know them as you think them, only you. You’re alone in the experiences you’ve had in your life up until now – no one else has lived the same life as you, not even the family you grew up in. You’re alone in your plans for the future – you may hold a vision, goals, and dreams, and no one else holds them with you. Even if you have a life partner who shares your visions, goals, and dreams, their idea of how to achieve them is likely quite different than yours, and their view of the timeline is different, too. While you’re busy feeling like you’re part of this or that, remember to celebrate the fact that you are unique – alone in your thoughts, experiences, and dreams. And that’s a powerful place to stand once you get comfy with it! Want more? Click here for the Mind, Body, Soul Sessions, a daily way to feed your total self.  #veterinarian #petindustry #wellbeing #leader #lawofattraction

Do you think of yourself as a creative person? Many people say they’re not creative, and I say they are defining creativity the wrong way. Creativity is drawing and painting and sculpting. Creativity is composing and playing music. Creativity is writing a poem or an essay or a play or a novel. But wait, you say you can’t do those things, which proves you’re not creative. Listen up – creativity is working Wordle every day and solving it sometimes. Creativity is finding a way around limited finances to make the purchase you want or need. Creativity is getting dressed in the morning and looking fun or funky or tailored or classic, whichever look you were going for. Creativity is choosing to think about the woman who said something snarky to you again this morning in a caring way, not an unkind one. There are so many wonderful, commonplace, creative ways to be creative. Discover your creative superpowers and enjoy them every day! Want more? Click here for the Mind, Body, Soul Sessions, a daily way to feed your total self.  #veterinarian #petindustry #wellbeing #leader #lawofattraction

Quick – what are you doing right now? What are you wearing? How does your hair look? How do your surroundings look? What’s the weather like? Who’s with you? Who do you wish was with you? How do you feel about all of what’s going on for you right now? Do you appreciate the work you do, and at least most of the people you work with? Do you like the clothes you have on, and the way your hair is choosing to be today? Have you noticed that the plant in the corner is about to bloom, and that the sun is playing peek-a-boo with some pretty clouds, and that one of your co-workers seems sad today? Did you have to work to answer those questions? If so, then you probably weren’t focused in the moment. I know, I know…it sounds trite and overused, this whole “be in the moment” thing, but this moment is the only place you have any power. Everything you do is done now, every decision you make is made now, and every thought you have is thought now. You can think about yesterday or tomorrow, but you’re thinking about them now. What if you thought about now more often? Try it and discover what you’ve been missing! Want more? Click here for the Mind, Body, Soul Sessions, a daily way to feed your total self.  #veterinarian #petindustry #wellbeing #leader #lawofattraction