Tiny Bites of Wagaliciousness

Isn’t it nice when a friend texts you or calls you out of the blue, just to say “hi”? You popped into their head, and they took a minute – ok, in some cases, 45 – to let you know they were thinking about you. How do you feel when that happens? Pretty good, right? Research on social interactions and how they affect both the giver and the receiver shows several interesting findings: The person thinking of initiating contact can feel significant anxiety, often second-guessing themselves out of actually making contact Reaching out in the moment that the thought to do it occurs feels best to the person initiating contact No matter how long its been since last contact, the receiver feels good about the “thinking about you” check in Both people end up having their mood lifted after an impromptu check-in So the next time you wonder if it’s been too long since you’ve talked, and the person may not welcome a call or text, or has forgotten who you are, or maybe got so disgusted with you that they’ve blocked your number, silence the demons and send the text or make the call. You’ll both be delighted that you did! Want more? Click here for the Mind, Body, Soul Sessions, a daily way to feed your total self.  #veterinarian #petindustry #wellbeing #leader #lawofattraction

What is intuition? Turns out, scientists, psychologists, and researchers can’t quite agree on what it is, though they do agree that it’s pretty tough to measure or track. Most of us have had intuitive hits that we’ve felt, followed, and had positive outcomes result. Yet trying to make that happen “on demand” is tough – kind of like waiting for lightning to strike the same tree a second time in the same thunderstorm. Theoretically it could happen – it’s probably not going to though. Today, think about times you’ve had an inspiration that felt like it came from nowhere, you followed it, and things turned out well. If you can, try to remember the details of your day before the inspiration hit – were you bored, tired, contented, happy? Were you busy or waiting? Were you in a frightening space, or a comfortable one? Write down everything you can remember – when you can see a pattern, you can set yourself up for more intuition by re-creating the pieces of the pattern. Set yourself up for success and let intuition loose in your life. 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 walking down the street and tripped a little bit? After the momentary fear of falling, maybe you felt very self-conscious, and maybe you even blushed a little bit, wondering if anyone saw you trip. Caring about what others think is a human trait. We’re social creatures and have an innate desire to fit in, which can lead to caring too much about what others think about us. Using the stumble on the street as an example, most people would be a bit embarrassed, let it go, and get on with their day, not giving it another thought. Those who care too much about what others think often use an incident like that as a way to beat themselves up. The internal dialogue might sound like, “I’m so clumsy” and “everyone thinks I’m a klutz” and they revisit the trip-up repeatedly inside their head, feeling that fear and embarrassment over and over throughout the rest of the day. If that sounds like you sometimes, try this: when you’re about to relive an embarrassing incident in your head, put up a mental stop sign and remind yourself that’s in the past and now is now, and now is all that matters. Then get on with your non-clumsy day! 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 wish you were taller or prettier or whateverer? Welcome to the human race! I always wanted to be tall – 5’8” was my goal. Nowhere in my family tree did tall women appear, and yet I was sure I could be taller than the 5’4” I topped out at. For years, I felt inadequate and like a failure over not reaching my goal height. How idiotic is that? Wishful thinking can take an unhealthy turn when we focus on the failure to achieve the wish and feel somehow “less-than.” We are always becoming more, we’re always changing and growing intellectually and emotionally, if not in actual height. Embrace the positive changes you can make in your life and joyfully set about making them, and ignore the changes you wish you could make and are powerless over. When you can master that, you have found the path to more self-confidence, happiness, and success. 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 times the voice inside your head said something nice about you. You might have to think hard about it – our brain’s negativity bias makes it dish up far more negative thoughts about us than positive ones. A National Science Foundation study found that nearly 80% of a person’s thoughts are negative and 95% of those are repetitive thoughts. What kinds of thoughts? (Specific co-worker) hates me. I have bad hair. I’ll never get this done in time. This will never work. Things never work out for me. I’m not good enough. But the good ones pop up now and then. What are they? Really think about what your brain spits out about you that’s good. Things like: I reached that goal…I rock! I’m trustworthy. I’m a good friend. Write down the things about yourself that you love, take a picture of your list and set it as the wallpaper on your phone. Look at it several times a day as a reminder of who you really are. As you do this, you’re creating new neural pathways and new, more positive repetitive thoughts. Because you are trustworthy and a good friend and you do rock – isn’t it time you believed those things about yourself? 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 who always rains on your parade? There you are, having a perfectly good day, and then they have to point out something wrong with you, or with something you’re doing? It feels like they’re always poised and ready to take you down a few notches, right? Can you believe me when I tell you that behavior is more about them than it is about you? You’re shining your light on the world in your own unique way and they feel compelled to try to change or control you. Don’t let them, and try not to condemn them either. You haven’t lived their life, so you don’t know where their negativity started – maybe their mom talked to them the way they now talk to you. Plan something non-confrontational and light to say every time they rain on your parade, maybe something like, “I can’t hear you – I’m having too much fun!” Practice your line before you need it, and say it with a big, authentic smile. Then just keep on shining your light in your unique way! Want more? Click here for the Mind, Body, Soul Sessions, a daily way to feed your total self.  #veterinarian #petindustry #wellbeing #leader #lawofattraction

We hear it a lot – be authentic. What does that mean, actually? When you are authentic, you aren’t apologizing or hiding part of who you know yourself to be. You’re not hiding behind a mask or contorting yourself for the approval of others. When you’re authentic, you allow your pain and your joy to show. People know that you’re human and you have experiences similar to their own. When you’re authentic, you walk your talk, doing as you say you’ll do. People know they can count on you and know that you mean what you say. When you’re authentic, you know what makes you happy and you do that as often as possible. When you’re authentic, you know who you are and you’re comfortable sharing your thoughts and beliefs with others. Most of us are authentic in some ways and not others – that’s normal. Take a few minutes today and consider these different aspects of authenticity. Where can you add more authenticity to your daily life? Because when you do, people will feel it and feel more comfortable with you, because you’re being true to who you are. You authentic person, you! Want more? Click here for the Mind, Body, Soul Sessions, a daily way to feed your total self.  #veterinarian #petindustry #wellbeing #leader #lawofattraction

Who could disagree with love? Turns out, almost everyone. For most people in most cases, love is a condition instead of a feeling. Examples include: rude person gender identification religion political leaning ethnicity   When faced with those differences, many people choose to not love. Some may keep their disapproval to themselves, and some may use language and behavior as a way to distance themselves from the person they don’t approve of. The amygdala, the primitive part of our brain, has a 3-5 second head start over the cerebral cortex, the reasoning part of our brain. It’s normal to have a quick, knee-jerk reaction to something that feels foreign or dangerous or unwanted. It’s loving to shift that feeling as quickly as possible, finding a way to incorporate the other person’s differences into a more caring response. When you can do that, you’re in agreement with love. When you can’t, you aren’t. Do you agree with love? Can you?   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 lead a team? Then you probably have communication issues from time to time, and hopefully not all the time! Whenever two or more humans get together, there’s bound to be misunderstandings. An author can’t be a good editor of their own book because they know what they mean. Their sentences and metaphors make perfect sense to them and may not to their readers. If people came with an editor for their thoughts there wouldn’t be nearly as many misunderstandings. Joe says “it’s under control” and Mary hears “I’ve completed the task.” In reality Joe isn’t focused on that task yet and thinks Mary will help when it’s time to tackle it. When Joe comes to her later, expecting her involvement, she may feel like he’s dumping his emergency on her. See how easy it is to miscommunicate? And that’s just two people – most teams are much larger than that, providing much more opportunities for communication failures. What’s a leader to do? Communicate clearly, set clear goals and timelines, give regular, respectful feedback, and keep your door open to all employees so they know they can come to you with issues. When they do, remind them that everyone is human and deserves the benefit of the doubt that it was a miscommunication, not a misdeed. When you’re clear and kind, it helps your team be that way too.  Want more? Click here for the Mind, Body, Soul Sessions, a daily way to feed your total self.  #veterinarian #petindustry #wellbeing #leader #lawofattraction

Want to know how someone feels about you? Pay attention to their actions. They will show you if your feelings matter to them or not. They will show you if you’re a priority in their life or not. They will show you if your investment of time and emotion in them will pay off or crash and burn. Don’t listen to their words, sweet as they may sound. Most people believe what they’re saying to you as they say it, and sometimes can’t live up to the words. That doesn’t mean they’re a liar, it just means they’re human. They probably meant what they said at the time, and when the rubber meets the road, they do something that contradicts those words. Believe them. Don’t make excuses for them and don’t vilify them either, because that gives them more emotional space in your life than they deserve. Trust them. Believe them. Not everyone is a great fit for you, as an employee, as a friend or as a romantic partner. Trust their actions. They are more telling than their words. Want more? Click here for the Mind, Body, Soul Sessions, a daily way to feed your total self.  #veterinarian #petindustry #wellbeing #leader #lawofattraction

Quick…how negative are your thoughts right now? Think about what you were just mulling over in your mind – were they worrisome thoughts, stressful choices, or even fear about your future? According to the American Psychological Association, American adults report higher stress levels now than they did before the pandemic, with 62% of women between the ages of 18 and 34 saying that most days they feel completely overwhelmed by stress. There are a lot of things that contribute to that stress, and focusing on the negative aspects of life has the affect of compounding the feelings of stress. What you focus on is what you see – if you focus on feeling unsafe walking in your city, you’ll see plenty of scary-looking people and situations. If you focus on feeling uncared-for by the government, you’ll see evidence of their cavalier attitude towards their constituents’ concerns. On the flip side, if you focus on the goodness of most people, you’ll see evidence of that all around you, too. One of the easiest ways to ease the stress you feel is to focus on something that doesn’t feel stressful to you. Let the things and people you love lift you out of stress and into mental wellbeing. 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 make space in your week for fun? You remember fun – it lived inside you when you were a child, seemed to become more of a neighbor when you moved out on your own, and the more responsibilities you shoulder, the farther away fun seems to be. Invite fun to come and play with you. Think about what you really enjoy doing – for some, it’s playing a sport, for some it’s going for a long run, for some it’s playing in the playground, with or even without children to play with. Fun is there for us all the time – we just forget to make space and time in our lives to play with it. Fun can happen at any time, in the middle of the most mundane things. If you’re feeling stressed, find something or someone to have fun with and watch your stress ooze away. By the way, “ooze” is a fun word, isn’t it? The benefits of fun are well-documented through neuroscience research, so you can trust that fun isn’t frivolous, it’s good for you! Feeling bored? Create fun. Feeling sad? Let something or someone lift your spirits. Fun is always at your fingertips – you just have to invite it to play with you. Focus on fun and watch how it transforms your life, mind, body, and soul. Want more? Click here for the Mind, Body, Soul Sessions, a daily way to feed your total self.  #veterinarian #petindustry #wellbeing #leader #lawofattraction

Why do we vilify the concept of ego? We work to become self-aware, and yet many people use the word “ego” like it’s a bad thing. We work to become self-confident and then cringe when others call us egotistical because they can’t deal with our confidence. The dictionary describes ego as “a person’s sense of self-esteem or self-importance.” In psychoanalysis, ego is the part of the mind that is responsible for reality testing and the sense of personal identity. In metaphysics, ego is simply a conscious, thinking being. Here are some questions for you: Is it good to have a sense of self-esteem? Is it good for you to know who you are? Is it good for you to be a conscious, thinking being? I hope you answered “yes” to all three of those, and if so, let’s stop vilifying ego. Your ego is who you are, your self-esteem, your self-confidence, and what your thoughts, wishes and dreams bring to the world. Those who don’t know who they are have no way to be a force in the world. Go ahead – revel in yourself and your ego! Want more? Click here for the Mind, Body, Soul Sessions, a daily way to feed your total self.  #veterinarian #petindustry #wellbeing #leader #lawofattraction

We think there are thoughts we’re not aware of driving our actions and that’s sort of right and sort of wrong. What we really have going on inside our noggins is the brain running patterns, and because we don’t have to think about them, it feels like unconscious thoughts to us. The patterns our brains know how to run are varied and wonderful, and we started learning them the moment we were born. When babies are hungry, they cry and get fed. Their brains learn that crying produces food and voila – a pattern is created. As they grow, the adults in their life get the fun of channeling the crying into polite asking, and then into learning to wait until it’s time for food. You run a “first thing in the morning” pattern, a driving pattern, a hanging the toilet paper pattern – so many patterns! When a pattern is interrupted – for instance, the toilet paper is hanging in your not-preferred direction – it’s likely that you feel irritated. That’s your brain reacting to a disruption in the task. Today think about the things that happen in your daily life that you don’t give a lot of thought to – those are the times of your day that you’re giving over to habit instead of focusing and making conscious choices. And conscious choices are where growth and fun happen! Want more? Click here for the Mind, Body, Soul Sessions, a daily way to feed your total self.  #veterinarian #petindustry #wellbeing #leader #lawofattraction

One of my dogs has decided that the chipmunks living under the sun porch are more interesting than coming inside the house. I discovered this the hard way one night when I was ready to go to bed and put the dogs out for their last potty of the night. Three hours later she finally decided that coming inside might be more fun than trying to catch the uncatchable. During that three-hour detour from sleep, I vacillated from irritated to angry to whiny to desperate, and cycled through those emotions several times. One person can’t catch a dog that doesn’t want to be caught, and none of my great training tricks worked. As I thought about the overly-exciting night the next day, a thought popped into my mind: Whatever you’re not changing, you’re choosing. What does that mean? It means when something you don’t like happens, you can either choose to find a better way to manage the situation or you can choose to make no changes. Moving forward is easiest when you make conscious choices that shape the outcome you want. In this situation, that means Kacey goes out on a leash for the last potty of the night. Do you have a situation that could use a conscious choice? Make it and get set to enjoy your future sooooo much more! Want more? Click here for the Mind, Body, Soul Sessions, a daily way to feed your total self.  #veterinarian #petindustry #wellbeing #leader #lawofattraction

When was the last time you watched a child playing with nothing more than a few little things and their imagination? They didn’t know anyone was watching so they weren’t performing or trying to do something right, they were just there, in the moment, delighted with whatever they were imagining. Could you see their heart shining? Could you feel their intense concentration, or maybe their vivid imagination, or their pure joy? Children haven’t had their love for the world trained out of them and so can delight in the most mundane things. Can you? Can you look at the world through the eyes of your heart? Can you imagine your world instead of evaluating it all the time? Can you envision the possibilities instead of dreading the outcomes? Can you look at the world through the eyes of your heart? Think about it and then set aside a few quiet minutes, just for yourself, today and try it. You’ll be astonished at how wonderfully the eyes of your heart see the world, and your place in it. Want more? Click here for the Mind, Body, Soul Sessions, a daily way to feed your total self.  #veterinarian #petindustry #wellbeing #leader #lawofattraction

If you’re in a low period in your life, no matter what the reason, it can feel like your soul is being sucked right out of your body, or like you’re being held down with a huge boulder. The feeling of being exhausted is real, and it can be very easy to just crawl under the covers and hide from the world. If you ever feel like that, remember this one tool that can help you feel better in just a few minutes: go outside. If you’re a runner, skip the treadmill at the gym and go for a run outside. If walking is more your speed, pick a park and go walk in it. If you can barely muster up the energy to go to the front door, go there, step outside and sit under the sky for 10 minutes. Your mood will improve, whether you are very active outdoors or are completely sedentary – the mood-altering affect of being outside works no matter what you’re doing. Plus, research has shown that there’s a positive affect on the size and quality of your frontal cortex when you spend time outside. Want a bigger, healthier, happier brain? Go outside for 10 minutes a day. 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 around a narcissist? It’s exhausting – they have an unrealistic sense of their own wonderfulness, and believe others should pay special attention to them and do special things for them. They believe their position on everything is right, and if you disagree, then you’re the problem and you are wrong. Your negative reactions are personal attacks on them, and some days it feels like they’d argue with you if you told them it was light in the daytime and dark at night. Exhausting! More men than women suffer from narcissistic personality disorder, and it is a mental disorder, not just an annoying and infuriating personality quirk. If you work with a narcissist, limit your exposure to them. If you manage a narcissist, suggest they avail themselves of the mental health benefits your company offers. If you’re in a relationship with a narcissist, chances are they won’t hear you when you suggest counseling, though you might suggest it anyway. What you should never do is believe them when they tell you everything is all your fault. Nope – they’re the one with the personality disorder, not you. 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 someone who complains a lot? It doesn’t matter what they complain about – they just seem to have a complaint about almost everything? People like that can be very hard to be around, yet sometimes you don’t really have a choice. Maybe you work with them, maybe you live with them, or maybe they’re a friend or relative you see from time to time. It’s not fun to be around a Debbie or Dennis Downer, and having a plan laid out in advance can be vital to your mental wellbeing. Here are some things you could consider saying: “I’m so sorry – I just remembered an errand I have to get done today!” “Hey, did you hear that? I’d better go check on it!” “I’m so sorry to interrupt you – do you know where the closest bathroom is?” Or you could put on your placid cow persona – in your mind, you’re in a beautiful sunlit green field and you’re happily soaking up the warm sun on your skin as you chew the delicious grass over and over and over. You don’t actually have to chew – just imagine yourself as a very contented cow, keeping a calm look on your face and hearing none of the carping that’s going on. Placid cow…placid cow…placid cow… 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 or live with someone who always seems to want to prove their worthiness? Here’s what that might sound like: “I’ve taken care of the slide deck so you don’t need to worry about it.” “Sure I’ll stay late again tonight.” “Do you think this dress makes my butt look big?” While statements like these made occasionally are normal, if you live or work with – or maybe are – someone who says things like this a lot, it could be a sign of low self-esteem. People who do far more than their share of the work, people who have no boundaries between work hours and personal time, and people who rely on the opinions of others more than their own are showing you that they feel the need to prove themselves to you or others because they don’t have a very high opinion of themselves. You can help them – when they say something that indicates a lack of self-esteem, reflect what they said back to them in a more positive way: “Thank you for doing the slide deck – you do such a great job!” “Oh, no – that’s right, you’ve stayed late a lot. You’ve done more than your share – thank you and go home.” “That dress makes you look awesome!” Show them they don’t have to prove themselves to you. Want more? Click here for the Mind, Body, Soul Sessions, a daily way to feed your total self.  #veterinarian #petindustry #wellbeing #leader #lawofattraction

Has someone ever said to you, “You’re never satisfied” like it’s a bad thing? News flash – it isn’t. It’s normal and natural to evolve and grow as you move through time. You’re still the same person you were when you were 8 years old, and yet you’re also not that person at all. Your body is very different, your knowledge is very different, your talents and skills are very different, so it’s only natural that your desires and dreams are very different. You shouldn’t be satisfied with whatever life hands you, even if it’s something that you wanted. Why? Because if you’re eternally satisfied with that thing, then you’re not growing as a person. You can love something or someone dearly and still want something more. There’s no shame in that, and there’s nothing wrong with it either. So when someone says to you, “You’re never satisfied,” instead of questioning yourself, your values, and your desires, ask yourself why the other person might be trying to control 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 had a boss who was bossy? By that I mean they told you what to do, and then got onto you when it wasn’t done at the point they thought it should be or in exactly the way they thought it should be. How did that boss make you feel? Valued? Appreciated? As an important part of their team? Now, have you ever had a boss who was curious? By that I mean they asked you early on what your strengths are, what you like to do, what you do for fun Then they checked in with you now and then, asking about how this project or that task was going, and if you had everything you needed to get the job done. How did that boss make you feel? Valued? Appreciated? As an important part of their team? Which boss would you happily work overtime for? Which boss would you bail out in an emergency? And the most important question in this Tiny Bite episode – which boss 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

Who do you love and admire? Think about it – who are the people in your life that you consistently learn from, like to be around, and look up to? Chances are, those are people who’ve navigated some difficulties in their lives, and learned how to retain or regain their balance and move on. That characteristic is called resilience, and people who are resilient got that way through life experiences that weren’t optimal. There’s a movie called "Wild" where Reese Witherspoon plays a woman who hikes 1100 miles despite having no outdoors experience. During her hike, flashbacks show us the challenges she’s faced, and along the trek she discovers her talents and resilience. You don’t have to do anything that dramatic – you can decide to study the people in your life that inspire you. When you see how they handle the little hiccups in their lives, it illustrates how they have handled the big ones, too. Model their little victories and you’ll be ready for your own big victories, too. Want more? Click here for the Mind, Body, Soul Sessions, a daily way to feed your total self.  #veterinarian #petindustry #wellbeing #leader #lawofattraction

Ouch – did someone just hurt your feelings? That’s not fun, and when the same person does it often enough, it’s a good sign for you to examine the quality of that relationship. Do they truly not care about your feelings or do they have a different way of expressing themselves, one that you’re not comfortable with? Everyone grows up with different people around them, talking to them and treating them in ways that don’t match what you grew up with. Often, hurt feelings spring from one person expressing themselves in a way that feels normal and maybe even loving to them, and feels hurtful to the other. It’s good to calmly ask the other person to clarify what they just said to you so you don’t misunderstand. Here’s what’s not good – when your feeling get hurt, resist the temptation to question your own self-worth. Especially when someone we love or admire says something that stings, it’s very easy to internalize what was said, turning it into a club to beat yourself up with. What someone else thinks of you is not the definition of you. Someone’s words can only undermine your sense of self-worth when you let them. Don’t let 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 know not everyone is your friend, right? Did you know not everyone needs to be your friend? On the surface that may sound like a ridiculous question – of course I know not everyone needs to be my friend. Yet, how often do your feelings get hurt when some of the people at work or in your circle of friends or family do something together and you weren’t invited? If you know that not everyone has to be your friend, why does it hurt your feelings when a group goes out without you? Oh, yeah – FOMO sucks, and we’re all human and long to be included in everything, even the things we don’t really want to do. When that little pang of disappointment hits you, instead of wallowing in the feels of it, examine it. Would you even have wanted to be part of the gathering? Are there people in the group you don’t really care for? What were you doing that was feeding your soul while they were doing whatever they were doing? You might just discover that you had more fun doing life your way than you would have if you’d been invited. Not everyone needs to be your friend – and you need to treat yourself like you’re your very best friend, and that means letting everyone else off the hook about hurting your feelings. 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 had to cut someone out of your life? That’s a hard decision to come to, and if it’s one you’ve been through, you know there are two hard parts to doing it: the actual event, and the feelings you have about doing it. Once upon a time a boyfriend who had some of his things in my house hit me. I knew he wasn’t Mr. Forever, though I never dreamed he would be Mr. Physical Abuser. I called a close friend – yes, the one who had every right to say “I told you so” though she never did – and she and I put all of his belongings out in the front yard while the locksmith re-keyed the locks. Though the relationship was over, I felt bad for a long time. I second-guessed my choice in men, my boundaries, and even how I’d handled moving him out. Those aftermath feelings can be as toxic as the relationship. If you find yourself having to cut someone out of your life, here’s a sentence that might help you: you made decisions, you acted on those decisions, and when you learned more, you made new decisions. Every decision you’ve made has been valid and has added something, even if it’s just wisdom, to your life. Now, make the decision to move on knowing you did the best you could. Want more? Click here for the Mind, Body, Soul Sessions, a daily way to feed your total self.  #veterinarian #petindustry #wellbeing #leader #lawofattraction

Were you ever a lifeguard? If you took lifeguard training, there was probably one thing they told you that shocked you, and that you vowed you could never do: let someone drown. Lifeguards are taught how to create flotation devices out of everyday pieces of clothing, how to safely approach, calm, and secure a drowning person, and when to know that “safely” isn’t possible. A drowning person is sometimes so panicked that they can’t be calmed, which is when the lifeguard has to choose to save themself. Is there a situation in your life where you feel like maybe you’re drowning? Or do you have a friend or family member who struggles to make good decisions in their own life? Take your new lifeguard knowledge and use it to help you through whatever life is throwing at you. Remember that you can’t help another person – or yourself – if you’re not making calm, clear decisions. Want more? Click here for the Mind, Body, Soul Sessions, a daily way to feed your total self.  #veterinarian #petindustry #wellbeing #leader #lawofattraction

Did someone betray your trust? Was it today, or was it a long time ago? Chances are, the betrayals feel pretty much the same, no matter when they happened. Betrayal hurts. We trusted, maybe even loved someone deeply, and it feels like they used that trust against us. They didn’t really…they just very clearly showed us who they are. Why do old betrayals still hurt so much? Because our brains can’t tell the difference between something that’s happening now and something that happened many years ago that we’re thinking about now. If it’s active inside our skull, then the brain cranks up the same neurological and biological atmosphere inside us, making us feel all the same feelings no matter when the actual event happened. This is where forgiveness can play a huge role in your overall stress and in your mental state. True forgiveness has nothing to do with the person who betrayed you – it’s all about you choosing not to relive the event inside your head. As a famous Disney princess sings, “Let it go, let it goooooo”. When you can let old grudges, hurts, and betrayals go, you’re setting yourself up for less stress and more wellbeing. Want more? Click here for the Mind, Body, Soul Sessions, a daily way to feed your total self.  #veterinarian #petindustry #wellbeing #leader #lawofattraction

The world is out to get you. Really…it’s out to get me, too. What do I mean by that? Everywhere we look, we’re shown and told how we’re supposed to look, what we’re supposed to want to eat, what we’re supposed to drive, live in, live with, give birth to…it’s exhausting! And if we’re not careful, all of those messages can become yardsticks we measure ourselves by, and then judge ourselves as succeeding or lacking. Human brains are hard-wired for being in tribes or clans or communities, and when we look at what’s popular in the world, we automatically sort ourselves into being part of a particular tribe or not part of that tribe. For instance, I’m not in the “spiky high heel” tribe anymore, yet when I see an outfit set off by beautiful stilettos, my heart clenches just the teensiest bit. For just a moment, I long to be part of that tribe. Momentary twinges are normal and nothing to worry about, though if you make many of your daily decisions based on what the world is telling you you’re supposed to want, it’s probably causing you some major anxiety. Today, take fifteen minutes and think about the decisions you make based on popular culture, not on who you really are. Tomorrow, take one of those decisions and reclaim it for yourself. The next day, maybe try it again. Want more? Click here for the Mind, Body, Soul Sessions, a daily way to feed your total self.  #veterinarian #petindustry #wellbeing #leader #lawofattraction

I’m about to say something to you and I don’t mean to get between you and your religious convictions – this is about your life, not your faith. Suffering does not equal virtuousness. Seriously! If you’re in the habit of “going along to get along” when you’d really rather scream, know this – you’re suffering and screaming inside, and it’s hurting your body and your soul. I’ve been guilty of this, too – doing something I’d really rather not do, just to keep the peace, or not doing something I felt needed to be done because the person I was with disapproved. As children, the adults around us taught us ways of being and thinking and feeling, and as children, we didn’t know enough to question what we were taught. As adults, many people still don’t question concepts they learned at an early age. You don’t have to “go along to get along” or “suck it up buttercup” or “mind your own business” if those things feel wrong to you. It’s your life – live it your way. Stop suffering inside because others expect you to live your life their way. 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 manage people? Do you know what your turnover rate is? Even before the pandemic, employees were nowhere near as likely to stay with a company for years and years, as their parents had. Post-pandemic, turnover has become a major problem in many industries. Here’s how you find your turnover rate – take the number of employees who’ve left in the last 12 months, divide that number by the number of employees you have when you’re fully-staffed, multiply the result by 100 and you’ll end up with your turnover rate. If your number is 10% or less, yay you! If it’s more than 10%, then you need to examine the factors that are driving the turnover. Is it compensation? Work load? Work hours? Not appreciating team members?   Poor communication? Poor hiring decisions? List everything it could be, then brainstorm ideas to fix the problems you’ve identified. When you bring down the turnover rate, you stand a better chance of creating a welcoming, nurturing culture on your team, and that’s one people want to stay in. 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 remember learning how to ride a bike? Swim in open water? Drive a car? Pick one and try to conjure up how you felt as you were preparing to do it for the first time. If you’re remembering feelings of excitement, nervousness, and maybe even sweaty-palms, heart-palpitations fear, then welcome to the human race, because that how we all usually feel before we do something for the first time. If it was something you now do regularly, can you feel compassion for the version of you that was nervous? And can you feel proud of that version of you for working through the trepidation and doing it anyway? Whatever you do today had its own “first time.” You had never done it before, and now, today, you did, maybe for the 10,000th time. Now, is there something you’re preparing to do that you’ve never done before? How are you feeling about it? Make a decision that you’ll do it, then go ahead and do it so you can ease that tension inside you. See? You’ve just accomplished something brand-new for you. You did it – yay, you! Want more? Click here for the Mind, Body, Soul Sessions, a daily way to feed your total self.  #veterinarian #petindustry #wellbeing #leader #lawofattraction

This morning I had an irritating and enlightening experience. I was driving on a two-lane road, going slightly over the speed limit, and was being tailgated. Aggressively tailgated. The driver would drop back a little, then speed up, coming back up fast and so close I couldn’t see the taillights or grill of their car. I kept driving, and kept being more and more irritated by this stupid, dangerous, and unnecessary nonsense behind me. I realized I needed to find a way to not be irritated, so I looked around at the beautiful morning, beautiful trees, and beautiful homes, and said out loud about the driver behind me, “You can find 100 things around us both to make you smile, and you’re focused on the one thing that irritates you.” As soon as the words came out of my mouth, I realized that they were as applicable to me as they were to the driver behind me. I laughed at myself and stopped caring about the antics of the other driver, and took my own advice – it really was a beautiful morning! Next time you feel yourself getting upset over something you can’t control, remember – you can find 100 things around you to make you smile, so forget about focusing on the one irritating thing. 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 seen someone comment on a post as if they were personally, highly, insulted by it? And you read what insulted them and can’t figure out why they’re so upset? Listen up and I’ll tell you why: They think it’s about them. Seriously – even when the person who wrote the post couldn’t possibly know the offended person, the offended person feels justified in their righteous indignation because they feel personally attacked. Maybe the person who put up the post tries to explain, which just releases more vitriol from the angry commenter. Maybe others try to help the angry person understand. You’ve seen this, right – there is literally nothing that can be said in that moment or in that thread at a later moment that will mollify the angry person. Nothing. They feel justified in their anger and they’ll defend their right to that anger seemingly to the death. What should you do? Nothing. No explanations, no arguments, no justifications – nothing. Let it just lie there. Keep scrolling. It takes two people to argue, so if you wade in, know that you’ve just volunteered to be the second person in that argument. Stop your typing fingers and keep scrolling. The mental wellbeing you save will be your own. Want more? Click here for the Mind, Body, Soul Sessions, a daily way to feed your total self.  #veterinarian #petindustry #wellbeing #leader #lawofattraction

You can’t pour from an empty cup. You can’t give what you don’t have. You owe yourself the love that you so freely give other people. These adages and a million more are things you’ve probably heard and maybe never really thought about. For one minute, examine the words. When you’re down to your last nerve, are you your best self? When you’re exhausted, are you useful to anyone? When you’re in the habit of beating yourself up, don’t those hateful words come out of your mouth now and then, even though you don’t mean to hurt the other person? Please prioritize yourself. Prioritize your self-care. Prioritize your physical body, and prioritize your mental state. See the doctor – whatever kind of doctor you need. Get outside and move your body – it’s good for your mental and physical health. Have your hair done…get a mani-pedi…splurge on a new purse or shoes or suit. Do you, because you matter. And because you truly can’t pour from an empty cup, so focus on filling yourself up regularly. 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 yourself criticizing yourself a lot? Sadly, many people do, and it’s a very tough habit to break. If you want to lead a happier, more successful life, it’s a habit you MUST break, and you can break. It isn’t easy and it is possible using these steps. First, notice when you’re hard on yourself, saying things like “I’m so dumb” or “I’m a failure” or “I’ll never [fill in the blank with the dream you think you can’t reach.]” Laugh at yourself and say out loud, “Oh, that old nonsense again?” Then counteract the negativity with a reminder of the times when you were smart, or when you did succeed, or when you could feel that dream of yours so vividly that it felt like you were living it. Then go back to doing what you were doing, and take the internal successful words with you instead of the self-condemning words. Learn to approve of yourself instead of disapproving of yourself – it’s not egotistical, it’s vital to your mental wellbeing, happiness, and success. 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 something you want to do, and you’re afraid to take the steps necessary to get it done? Oh, that’s such a human characteristic! Think of the journey to this new experience as a thickly wooded area, and the thing you want to do is on the other side of the woods. In order to get there, you have to move through those woods somehow, some way. Looking at the woods from afar, they look impenetrable, and moving towards them might seem like a futile thing to do, so you don’t do it. That’s a very common thing – people want something, can’t see the path clearly, so they never go after it. You can dare to be uncommon – get closer to the woods. Learning something about that thing you want to do will move you closer to the woods, and as you get closer, you’ll begin to see openings between the trees. You may even see a footpath made by those who’ve done the thing you long to do, a footpath you can follow. Step by step, you can get there. Only you can take those steps, though. 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 open to new experiences? Most people think they are, yet they stay stuck in the same old routine. They have their list of “someday” things – someday they’ll see the world, someday they’ll get married, someday they'll...whatever – and they don’t do the things that can help them get closer to “someday.” Maybe it’s the fear of the unknown, or maybe it’s because they’re so comfortable in their daily life that they don’t want or need anything else. For today, think about your life in a deeper way – what do you want to experience “someday?” Make a list, and then prioritize the list: 10 is something you definitely want to experience, and 1 is something you’d like to experience and won’t cry if you never do. Pick the thing with the highest number, and then list the things you do now that will get you closer to that experience. Now list additional things you can do to get you closer, faster. Ready…set…get moving towards that thing you dream of doing! Want more? Click here for the Mind, Body, Soul Sessions, a daily way to feed your total self.  #veterinarian #petindustry #wellbeing #leader #lawofattraction

Want to be more in control of your life? Be more in control of your brain. Your brain does a lot of things automatically, like keeping your heart and lungs working. Those are good things. Your brain also does a lot of things automatically, and some of them are not good things. Do you get irritated when you get caught at red lights? I used to, too, because I like to drive and stopping doesn’t equal driving. Getting irritated and focusing on the irritation makes a minor annoyance into a big dang deal, especially where your blood pressure and stress level are concerned. When you notice yourself getting irritated, ask yourself why it serves you to be irritated. Most of the time the answer will be – it doesn’t serve you at all, and it actually harms your body and your mood. In that moment, take control of your brain – focus on something pleasant. If you’re at a red light, look around for something funny or pretty or novel. Distract yourself from the automatic negativity that your brain wants to focus on, and watch your life get better.  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 have a dear friend whose tone of voice or words to you sometimes feels like an indictment of who you are? Most of us have a friend like that – someone who would do anything in the world for you, is there when you need them, and occasionally sounds like they seriously disapprove of you over something trivial. I remember when I was sharing a hotel room with a friend, hadn’t finished getting dressed yet, and the friend told me that my hair looked awful. Her tone of voice made it seem like bad hair equaled bad human. Do you have a friend like that? If the friendship is important to you, do what I did: remind yourself that your friend probably learned that tone of voice from a disapproving parent. They’re using it on you without remembering how bad it felt when it was used on them. You can try to help them understand how that tone feels to you, or you can let it go and chalk it up to “everyone’s entitled to be human” and embrace their human-ness, as you know they usually embrace yours. Want more? Click here for the Mind, Body, Soul Sessions, a daily way to feed your total self.  #veterinarian #petindustry #wellbeing #leader #lawofattraction

As a child, did you ever have the experience of losing control of your balloon string and watching the balloon sail away from you? I remember vividly the day an especially beautiful helium balloon got away from my little six-year-old hand and soared into the sky until it was too tiny to even see. As I cried, mom redirected my attention to something fun and a lot closer until the sting of losing the balloon was gone, just like the balloon. As an adult, I discovered that the very same redirection can take the sting out of grown-up losses, too. While having a wonderful friend or family member around to help redirect your focus is great, you can do it for yourself, too. Next time you’re feeling a loss and hurting from it, remind yourself that it’s ok to feel the hurt and not ok to live in that hurt place forever. Then find something you love to do and go do it. That’s the best form of adulting – taking care of your own hurting heart. 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 waiting for an apology from someone? If so, why? Before you give a knee-jerk reply to that question, ask yourself why the apology matters. Is it because your feelings were hurt? Is it because you were right and they were wrong? Is it because you need some sort of closure? What if I told you that an apology isn’t the answer to any of those questions? Your feelings belong to you, not to anyone else. Examine why you’re giving that other person power over your feelings. Your sense of right and wrong is rooted in your life experiences, and the other person might have a completely different set of experiences. And closure is up to you, not anyone else. The other person has shown you who they are. Believe them. When you base your feelings on whether or not they behave the way you want them to, you’re handing your power to them. How much sense does that make? Accept the apology graciously if one is eventually offered – in the meanwhile, quit drowning in the drama and get on with your 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 work with someone who is stubbornly, doggedly determined to do something, even when that “something” seems unnecessary or maybe even useless? For example, say a vet hospital employee is doing inventory of the prescription drugs, is told to discard any out-of-date drugs without counting them, and counts them anyway. To you, that may seem to be a waste of time and effort, and to the employee it may seem like doing the job the “right” way. Would you be surprised if I told you that both of you are right? Each person’s decisions are greatly informed by the lessons they learned in childhood, so if you learned to follow instructions as they are given to you and the other person learned that if a job is worth doing, it’s worth doing “right” – with “right” in this case meaning completely – then you would both do the inventory differently, and you would both be doing it correctly. It doesn’t hurt to follow instructions as given – in other words, don’t count the pills in expired bottles – and it doesn’t hurt to count the pills in the expired bottles, either. Instead of being irritated that someone does something differently than you would, maybe try to be happy that you’re not having to do it! 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 stared at a large body of water and were mesmerized by the way the waves come and go? I love salt water and the way it interacts with a sandy shoreline, and when I’m anywhere near a beach, you can bet my toes will be on it. When you stand and watch, the waves are all very similar and yet completely different. They’re all reaching for the sand, maybe getting tall enough as the water’s edge nears, to fall forward in a foamy flourish. Some move faster than others, some stay low and don’t break, and all take their bubbles back out into the larger body of water, mysteriously vanishing, only to return in a slightly different form. There is a beautiful rhythm to surf, just as there’s a beautiful rhythm in your life. You rise from sleep, you move through your day, you accomplish things, maybe make a mistake or two, and at the end of your day you return to sleep. Like each wave, each of your days is similar and yet distinct, and like each wave, each of your days isn’t perfect, yet it’s still beautiful. Can you think of the rhythm of your life like the rhythm of the waves? Can you appreciate the infinite variety and the comforting sameness? 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 completely sure of something, so sure you maybe even argued your point with someone? It’s something you’ve believed your whole life, so it felt like beliefs in opposition had to be wrong? Right? And then you learned something that made you question what you believed? Yay, you! You’ve bucked your brain’s tendency to hold on to a belief, and allowed yourself to consider opposing views. Do you know what a wonderful place the world might be if more people could do that?   Neuroscience illustrates the way our brains cling to long-held beliefs as f our very lives depended on it, and neuroplasticity illustrates how we can take control, break the neural pathways of beliefs that no longer serve us, and re-wire our brain for more success and happiness. It all starts with your own ability to examine, question, and even change old beliefs. When you leave yourself and your mind open to new possibilities, you literally become a better version of yourself, one belief 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

Do you love memes, too? I love how people can distill wisdom into just a few words and create a compelling reminder of something I know and maybe have forgotten to use in daily life. A friend posted a meme recently that said, “May your self-love be stronger than your self-doubt.” What a powerful reminder of how our inner dialogue can either support us or sabotage us. And it’s a potent reminder of something else, too: when we’re beating up on ourselves, we are telling ourselves that no one else is as – fill in the blank – as we are. The mere existence of a meme that’s been liked thousands of times and shared hundreds of times says that the feelings of self-doubt are universal and the feelings of self-love are rare. They don’t have to be rare – today, set aside 10 minutes to make a list of the ways you are good, and maybe even great. Supportive friend? Caring partner? Considerate? Whatever you like about yourself, put it on the list, and then post that list where you can see it often. Read it at least once a day. That’s how you help your self-love be stronger than your self-doubt. 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 were a small child, there was so much to learn – you had to learn to roll over, then crawl, then walk, at the same time you were learning language and behavior. Then there were all those years of school, where you learned things that you might need someday, along with other things you never will. Wittgenstein's Ladder, anyone? Now that you’re launched into adulthood, do you still focus on learning? Maybe not as focused as you used to be – do you still make it a point to try to understand things in a new way, or see things from another person’s point of view? Learning draws energy through us because our brains are wired to enjoy the a-ha moments in life. If you work with someone from a completely different background, maybe you could learn about their early life, foods and customs. If you work with someone whose political leanings are different than yours, maybe you could ask them what events in their life shaped their beliefs. Pro tip – talk about ideas, not people, to keep the conversations civil. Just because the construct of school isn’t in your life anymore doesn’t mean that learning stops. Learning stops when you die. Have fun learning, right up until then. 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 wagalicious? What the heck is wagalicious, you may ask? Have you ever seen a dog so happy that it seemed like their tail was wagging them? Maybe they’re happy to see their favorite human, or happy to get a cookie, or happy to chase a ball? Dogs are masters at being in the present moment – they don’t worry about what happened 5 minutes ago, 5 hours ago, or 5 days ago, and they don’t worry about what might happen in the next 5 minutes, or hours or days. They’re happy now. Right now. So happy that they’re wagalicious. Can you think of a time you were that happy? What were you happy about? Was it something that was happening right in that moment? Yep – you were wagalicious. Now think about how you can have that feeling more often – how you can focus more on what’s going on around you so you can milk a happy event and turn it into a wagalicious one. Today, take a couple of minutes to make a list of the wagalicious moments in your past and think of how you can make more of them, so you can feel as wagalicious as a happy dog does. Want more? Click here for the Mind, Body, Soul Sessions, a daily way to feed your total self.  #veterinarian #petindustry #wellbeing #leader #lawofattraction

Did you ever trip in public and reflexively look around to see if anyone saw you? That’s an example of the spotlight effect and is an almost universal reaction. Our brains are hard-wired to care what others think of us, as an evolutionary development that helps us feel connected to those in our immediate families and communities. Some people feel the spotlight effect in circumstances where they’ve done nothing to call attention to themselves, like tripping in public. Those people feel as though all eyes are on them anytime they’re outside of places they feel safe, and so they either get help through medications or they isolate themselves to ease their anxiety. Do you know anyone like that – maybe you? Understand that an ancient part of your brain is trying to control you through fear, because that’s exactly what’s going on. Do you want to be controlled by your brain or do you want to exercise control? Next time you feel like all eyes are on you, take a long, slow, deep breath, and as you breathe, remind yourself that you’re in control and all is well. 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 in your life who’s always telling you to calm down…be quiet…bite your tongue? Unless they have somehow come to own you, do you know you’re allowed to disregard their desires? It doesn’t matter if they’re your boss, your parent, your partner…whoever. They are not the boss of you. When others tell you to change yourself so they can feel better, they’re telling you how you affect them, they are not telling you who you are. You are you, unique and just right. If you want to consider their guidance and modify your behavior, that’s up to you, and is the pathway to growth and maturity. You don’t have to do it, though. You can be confident enough in the person you are, just the way you are, to smile sweetly at them and ignore their words. No one else can live your life except you, and you are here to live it as you see fit, in the way that makes you happiest. If that means you’re loud and proud and right out loud, go for it! Want more? Click here for the Mind, Body, Soul Sessions, a daily way to feed your total self.  #veterinarian #petindustry #wellbeing #leader #lawofattraction