Tiny Bites of Wagaliciousness

Do you shoulda woulda coulda yourself? That’s a habit many people have, and they think of the “shoulda woulda coulda” process as a way to improve themselves. Most of the time it isn’t – it’s a way to beat up on yourself and it guts your sense of self-worth. Hindsight is always 20/20. It’s easy to look back on an event and say “I wish I would have” or “it would have been good if I could have” or “I really should have” whatever. The brain will help you ruminate, and yet when you make a habit of doing it, it can become an addiction quite easily. The more you think about something, the easier it becomes to think about, until soon it’s all you want to think about, which is when it’s become an addictive thought process. This can be good if the thoughts produce good feelings, and very detrimental to your mental and physical wellbeing if bad feelings are produced. Next time you find yourself in shoulda woulda coulda mode, stop and assess your feelings. Then adjust your thoughts accordingly. Want more? Click here for a free audio course, "Happiness is an Inside Job" #veterinarian #petindustry #wellbeing #leader #lawofattraction

Imposter syndrome hits nearly all of us, at one time or another. High achievers and people who are struggling to juggle several roles at the same time are most likely to feel inadequate and like they’re going to be found out. The mental self-talk in the low points of life can be brutal: I’m not good enough I don’t know how I got into this predicament or how to get out of it What if people see me for who I really am and reject me Here’s the truth – people who worry about not being good enough tend to be better than their peers! The mere fact that they care about providing great service or great care or great whatever it is they’re tasked to provide speaks to a person who will go above and beyond to fulfill expectations. When you’re feeling like an imposter, you’re really over-qualified for what you’re doing, not under-qualified. The voice inside your head is lying to you – please quit believing what it says when it’s questioning your competence. Talk back to it – seriously! Either out loud if you’re by yourself or inside your head if others are around, tell that voice to take a hike because you have serious, important work to do that you are uniquely suited to do. And then go do it. Want more? Click here for a free audio course, "Happiness is an Inside Job" #veterinarian #petindustry #wellbeing #leader #lawofattraction

Do you feel lazy when you take time to do nothing at all? A surprising number of us do, and it’s no wonder. Much of what we’re told is multi-task this and go-go-go that, with the early bird getting the worm, the no pain, no gain crowd pushing us hard, and the thousands of messages that hit us each day, demanding our attention and action. That makes me tired to just think about it – you, too? Think about your car engine – if it ran at full capacity all the time, how long would it be before the engine conked out? We don’t expect our machines to work all the time and yet we often expect ourselves to do just that. Think of your body and mind as a highly refined engine – it needs good fuel, maintenance and it needs to rest between uses. You need this. Your body and mind need this. Please don’t beat yourself up for taking care of the highly refined engine that is you – your health and wellbeing depend on it! Want more? Click here for a free audio course, "Happiness is an Inside Job" #veterinarian #petindustry #wellbeing #leader #lawofattraction

We are creatures who seek freedom. We want to make decisions for ourselves, we want to do what we want to do when we want to do it, and we want to follow our own path and blaze our own trail. Do you want that freedom just for yourself or do you want others to have their own freedom, too? Uh-oh…did you just trip a little bit over that question? At the root of many interpersonal problems is one person wanting something the other person doesn’t want them to want. One partner in a relationship wants variety and the other wants monogamy. One business partner wants to focus on growing the client base and the other wants to focus on serving the existing clients. One world leader wants to facilitate harmony between nations and the other wants to dominate the world. Often these disagreements spring from both sides feeling their freedom to choose is being stifled and they often devolve into bad feelings, arguments and breaking off communication. Next time you’re in a situation where you feel your freedom to choose is being limited, instead of getting defensive, ask yourself what your options are. You may find a way for both sides to agree when you open yourself to all the options. Want more? Click here for a free audio course, "Happiness is an Inside Job" #veterinarian #petindustry #wellbeing #leader #lawofattraction

Do you live or work with someone who’s outspoken about their ideas and opinions, and theirs are the polar opposite of yours? This can be tough, especially around election time. You can choose to argue constantly, which is no fun for you or anyone within earshot, or you can choose silence. People who want agreement or an argument, and they don’t really care which one, don’t know what to do with silence. At first, especially if you’ve engaged in repartee with them previously, they’ll be persistent in trying to get a rise out of you. Practice silence. Smile blandly, lips closed. If you truly must say something, make it something like, “I know you have very strong feelings on this subject.” That’s neither agreement nor disagreement, it’s just an acknowledgement that you heard them. When you stop engaging, they’ll eventually stop spouting off around you, and won’t that be a deliciously delightful day? Want more? Click here for a free audio course, "Happiness is an Inside Job" #veterinarian #petindustry #wellbeing #leader #lawofattraction

You have goals. You have dreams. And maybe, as you go through your life one day at a time, those goals and dreams don’t feel like they’re getting any closer. I feel you – I certainly own that t-shirt! We’re not falling short on our goals and dreams because we’re not talented. We’re not falling short on our goals and dreams because we’re not deserving. We often fall short of our goals and our dreams because we don’t stay focused on them, and we don’t choose our path in life with those goals and dreams in mind. Today, write down your goals and dreams. Don’t share them with anyone if you don’t want to, just write them down. Now, take a sheet of paper, draw a line down the middle of it, and make two lists of the things that you do on a daily basis. One list is things that don’t get you closer to your goals and dreams, and the other list is things that do. See what you can eliminate from the list that doesn’t support the future you want because that frees up precious time and resources to add more to the list that does. Now…go chase your goals and dreams! Want more? Click here for a free audio course, "Happiness is an Inside Job" #veterinarian #petindustry #wellbeing #leader #lawofattraction

At the end of a bad day, do you have a process to help yourself feel better? Difficult days are normal, and also not fun. Carrying a difficult day around with you is a perfectly normal thing to do, and yet you don’t have to do that. Having a mental process to help you put whatever happened into perspective is important to your mental wellbeing. If you don’t already have a way to help yourself feel better, try this: remind yourself that there is an ebb and flow to all things, not just the tides. You did the best you could do with the events as they transpired, and knowing that, there’s no reason to beat yourself up, because you did the best you could do. You did better than many people would have, and if the same thing happens again, you might even do better because now you have the experience. You are not in control of the whole world – you can’t control others, how they act or how they think. All you can do is be your best self and do your best, and that’s what you did today. How do those words feel? If they feel like something you can use to soothe yourself next time you have a bad day, copy them from this podcast page and keep them with you for when you need them. You got this – you always do! Want more? Click here for a free audio course, "Happiness is an Inside Job" #veterinarian #petindustry #wellbeing #leader #lawofattraction

Have you ever had a defeat in your life? Something you thought would be a slam-dunk instead fell flat and you were the one with egg on your face? How’s that for a mixed metaphor?  Maya Angelou said, “We may encounter many defeats, but we must not be defeated.” I love that quote – it’s a reminder that taking the long view makes the short-term setbacks feel less like defeats and more like steps along the path. Failed an interview? Good for you – it was great practice for the interview for something far more suited to your talents and abilities. Wrecked your car? Good for you – you now know how to navigate the insurance process and now realize that cars are just paint and metal (or plastic) and can be put back together. Wanted someone who didn’t want you? Good for you – when you were able to let that futile hope go, I hope you felt how strong you are and how you’ve now made room in your life for someone even better suited to you. Have a defeat – don’t be defeated. That’s how you win at life. Want more? Click here for a free audio course, "Happiness is an Inside Job" #veterinarian #petindustry #wellbeing #leader #lawofattraction

Have you been through a relationship breakup when you thought it was forever? Whether you were married and got divorced, were in a committed, long-term relationship or even a whirlwind that seemed perfect, breakups hurt on a lot of levels. One of those levels has to do with societal expectations and perceptions. When a twosome becomes two individuals, there can be some clicking of tongues, not to mention the wagging of them. The fear of being the object of that kind of attention keeps some people in a relationship much longer than is good for them. It’s OK to break up. It’s OK to take some time off from each other. It’s OK to live on your own and learn who you are. All of those options are far better than being with someone who doesn’t value you. Loving someone who discounts you…staying with someone who discounts you…is you, discounting yourself. You’re worth far more than that. Forget what society and the gossips have to say about it – it’s your life and it’s up to you to live the one you want to live. Want more? Click here for a free audio course, "Happiness is an Inside Job" #veterinarian #petindustry #wellbeing #leader #lawofattraction

You are surrounded by teachers. Don’t believe me? You are – the woman with the beautiful smile at the drive-through window this morning taught you that there are happy people everywhere. The person wearing too much fragrance taught you that moderation is a way to be considerate of others. The mother yelling at her toddler at the park taught you that “out of control” isn’t a look you want to wear, especially not in public. Everyone is your teacher when you’re focused enough on your surroundings to notice and process the details. Others are usually so focused on their own lives that they have no idea they’re teaching you, and yet you can learn from them anyway. The flip side of the coin is also true – you are a teacher. Every time you go out into the world, whether you interact with others or not, your actions and attitudes have the potential to reach others and teach others, often in profound ways. At the end of the day today, take a few minutes to think about the people you might have taught and what they would have learned from you. If some of the lessons make you cringe, it’s OK – those are learning moments for you. What are you teaching the world? What do you want to be teaching? Want more? Click here for a free audio course, "Happiness is an Inside Job" #veterinarian #petindustry #wellbeing #leader #lawofattraction

Creating more mental wellbeing is simple – become good at deliberate focus. What is deliberate focus? That’s simple too – it’s choosing what you think about. And that’s not simple because your brain wants to focus for you, and since the brain has a negativity bias, it often chooses negative things to focus on. With that in mind, how can you learn to deliberately focus? A good way for you to think about your brain is as a tool that helps your body work instead of as you, yourself. When you can think of your brain as simply a way to get things done, it’s easier to choose what you will allow your brain to focus on and think about. When you find yourself focusing on negative events, thoughts or feelings, step back and observe how that focus makes you feel. Is it how you want to feel? Probably not, so deliberately decide to focus on something that will help you feel better. I have a picture hanging above my desk that reminds me of a dear friend, and thoughts of her always make me smile. Surround yourself with things that trigger good memories and make it easier for you to shift your focus. Want more? Click here for a free audio course, "Happiness is an Inside Job" #veterinarian #petindustry #wellbeing #leader #lawofattraction

Perspective informs point of view. Have you played with that new app that writes for you? I’m in a mastermind group with a diverse collection of women professionals and recently we discussed ChatGPT. The mastermind facilitator had played with it and was overjoyed with the many possible ways she could use it. A woman who’s been an adjunct professor at a New York university wasn’t in favor of its existence, and neither was the woman whose business is writing other peoples’ books for them. Those against it disliked it for mainly ethical reasons – the writer would never use it to “write” client books and the professor worries that students will use it to write their papers. Those excited about it liked how it could efficiently assist with creating lists, conducting one-stop research and could write for them the things they weren’t good at writing. The mastermind session reminded me to remind you – perspective informs point of view. Next time you’re in a disagreement, examine your perspective vs. the other person’s perspective and get set to see things differently.   Want more? Click here for a free audio course, "Happiness is an Inside Job" #veterinarian #petindustry #wellbeing #leader #lawofattraction

If you’re a younger Baby Boomer or a Gen X’er, chances are Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood had at least a little bit of influence on who you are today. The TV show designed for children aired from 1968 through 2001, when Fred Rogers hung up his red sweater for the final time. His messages were simple, direct and profound, and he had the gift for making each person in his huge TV audience feel like he was speaking just to them. If you watched Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood as a child, you were watching a show designed to make you feel cared for, important and loved. As a matter of fact, Fred Rogers knew a lot about using love as a way to connect people with learning – he had advanced degrees in child development and a divinity degree that led him into the ministry. One of his most profound quotes is this: “Everyone longs to be loved. And the greatest thing we can do is to let people know that they are loved and capable of loving.” Today, who will you let know they are loved and are capable of loving? Want more? Click here for a free audio course, "Happiness is an Inside Job" #veterinarian #petindustry #wellbeing #leader #lawofattraction

Several years ago, I learned that my marriage was over. It was an unexpected, eye-opening experience. A friend who knew us both well made a comment that struck a chord when she said, “you focused on what you loved about him, and he focused on what he didn’t love about you.” Maybe you’ve been in a relationship like that before, too? When you find yourself in a friendship, work relationship or love relationship with someone who disapproves of some aspects of you, whether they do it aloud or just in the privacy of their own head, you’re in a no-win position. You can try as hard as you want and you still won’t be able to change the way they’re choosing to focus. This is their life-long pattern and only they can choose to view the world differently. You can’t make that choice for them. What you can do is decide how much the relationship means to you and what your life would look like without that person in it. You might choose to leave, or you might choose to stay and just invest less of yourself in the other person. It’s your life, so it’s your choice. Give yourself permission to be the driver, not the passenger, and you won’t have the same eye-opening experience that I did with the wasband. Want more? Click here for a free audio course, "Happiness is an Inside Job" #veterinarian #petindustry #wellbeing #leader #lawofattraction

Do you find it hard to ask for help, too? Many of us do – maybe you were raised by people who believed in self-sufficiency, maybe you’re a perfectionist where you’re concerned, or maybe you feel that it’s just easier to do things yourself. All of this adds up to stress, isolation and burnout, and who wants that for themselves? May I offer you a different way to look at asking for help? When you help someone, you probably feel good about helping them, right? You might even get feelings verging on love for the other person as you’re helping them. Can you see that others might want to feel that way, too, and when you allow them to help you, you’re helping them, too? Next time you’re struggling to get something done, look around and find someone to ask for help. Give them the gift of helping you – you’ll both feel better! Want more? Click here for a free audio course, "Happiness is an Inside Job" #veterinarian #petindustry #wellbeing #leader #lawofattraction

Do events from your past make you feel bad? For nearly everyone, that answer is “yes.” Something happens and it changes the way we view ourselves, our lives and even our world. That’s normal – that’s a key component of learning. And while it’s common for human beings to let events from the past make them feel sad or guilty or incompetent or any other negative state of mind you can come up with, it’s not normal. It’s normal to want to feel good. It’s common, not normal, to let a bad memory take up permanent residence in the best part of your brain, eating up your time, energy and emotional stability like a train eats up railroad tracks, mile by mile by mindless mile. Want to stop letting past events control your current emotions? Start paying attention to how you feel, and when you notice that you’re sad, stressed, guilty or whatever, focus what you were thinking about that might have caused the negativity. Get in the habit of checking in with your emotions every hour or so, and soon you’ll discover which memories from the past take control of you automatically. Then, instead of commonly feeling bad, you’ll normally feel good! Want more? Click here for a free audio course, "Happiness is an Inside Job" #veterinarian #petindustry #wellbeing #leader #lawofattraction

Are you an empathetic person? Most of us have at least a little bit of empathy and at least a little bit of stubborn adherence to long-held beliefs. Holding on to something you believe is fine, as long as you don’t expect everyone else to think and feel the same way you do about the topic, because that’s the opposite of empathy. Empathy means being open to other points of view, being willing to form new opinions, and listening to others with your heart as much as with your brain. Empathy is a key ingredient to emotional intelligence and mental wellbeing, so here are three ways you can become more empathetic: Walk a mile in the other person’s shoes – see things from their perspective so you’ll gain understanding about their situation. Learn about a lifestyle or religion that’s very different from yours to see the points of commonality. Ask questions of others to learn about their lives, influences and beliefs. The more empathy you have for others, the less stressful your own life becomes. Want more? Click here for a free audio course, "Happiness is an Inside Job" #veterinarian #petindustry #wellbeing #leader #lawofattraction

There are people in your life who will tell you that you can’t do something. It might sound like an order, it might sound like sound advice, and it might sound like someone who fears for your safety. No matter how the negative words are couched, the words are still intended to limit what you can do. Children are often raised with rules for their behavior offered by well-meaning, controlling parents. Now that you’re a grown-up, you’re in charge of what you can do, what you will do and who you will allow to boss you around. Taking good advice is good – it’s a way you can learn from the experiences of others. Limiting yourself because of the opinions of others is not so good – you deserve to lead your own life, blaze your own trail, make your own mistakes and grow from them and through them. So when someone starts telling you that you can’t, decide if you want to. If you want to, then go do it and show them that you are more than they know. Want more? Click here for a free audio course, "Happiness is an Inside Job" #veterinarian #petindustry #wellbeing #leader #lawofattraction

Perhaps you’ve heard the adage “you are the sum total of the 5 people you surround yourself with.” Motivational speaker Jim Rohn had a keynote speech that taught that message as a key to personal and professional success, and in 2017, Northwestern University published a study seeking to prove or disprove it. In their research, they found that people who sat within 25 feet of a high-performing co-worker improved their output by 15 percent. Alarmingly, those who sat within 25 feet of a low performer saw a decrease in productivity of 30 percent. Yikes! Think about the five people you spend the most time with each day. How do they influence you – positively or negatively? Now think about where you want to be in your career in a year, three years and five years – will your current 5 influencers help you or hurt you? It may seem cold and maybe even harsh to choose your friends and close co-workers by whether they’ll help you get where you want to go – it’s up to you to decide what to do with this information. Now you know – those around you can have a profound affect on your success…or lack thereof. Want more? Click here for a free audio course, "Happiness is an Inside Job" #veterinarian #petindustry #wellbeing #leader #lawofattraction

Is there a part of your life where you feel stuck? Maybe your career isn’t growing the way you’d hoped, maybe your relationship is feeling a bit stale, and maybe you keep meaning to lose weight or get more exercise or write the Great American Novel and it’s just not happening. Life keeps moving – think about your entire life up until now and look at all the ways it has shifted, changed and grown as you’ve passed through time. There is no “stuck” outside of your head. All of the “stuck” in your life is inside your head, waiting for you to do something about it. Usually we feel stuck because we know what we need to do and don’t want to do it. Then the day comes when it’s harder to stay stuck than it is to take the action to make the change. If there’s part of your life where you feel stuck, understand that you are the one keeping your figurative feet in the mud. Ready…set…decide and take the first step! Want more? Click here for a free audio course, "Happiness is an Inside Job" #veterinarian #petindustry #wellbeing #leader #lawofattraction

Do you feel courageous? And did you just laugh out loud at the idea of that? It’s OK – many of us would. Think about your daily life – you get up, take care of yourself, maybe some other people and a pet or two, and then you get on with your day. You’ll work, either inside or outside your home, you’ll juggle chores and errands and appointments, figuring out how to feed yourself and maybe others along the way. You did that this morning and you’ll do it again tomorrow. That takes courage, along with a level of belief in yourself and your abilities that you probably don’t give yourself credit for. We often look up to the people in life who make a big splash, do big things and everyone knows their name – we think they are the movers and the shakers of this world. You are, too, as you go through your day. You touch lives. You teach people through the way you live your life. You change hearts. Even if you feel like the tiniest ripple on the pond, you’ve still changed the water. You totally matter – thank you for your contribution to the world. Want more? Click here for a free audio course, "Happiness is an Inside Job" #veterinarian #petindustry #wellbeing #leader #lawofattraction

Do you lose arguments? Good for you! Do you avoid arguments because you always lose? Even better for you! It often feels like the loudest person or the one willing to continue arguing is the person who “wins” and can also feel like the person who “wins” the argument is the person who is right. Most arguments are useless exercises in wasting adrenaline and oxygen. Both sides are right, according to each person’s world view, so to argue about who is the “rightest” of the right ones is pointless. If you live or work in an environment of conflict that escalates to arguments, maybe you feel like you have to fight it out, too. News flash – you don’t. Choosing to not argue is better for you physically and mentally. When you’re about to enter a situation with people who like to argue, remind yourself that it takes two people to argue, and if you choose not to play along, then there can’t be an argument. And think of something you can truthfully say in a kind and quiet way that might help to defuse the situation. “I know you feel strongly about that” or “I hear you and am not arguing with you” are examples of what you could say to calm the other person down. And if they won’t calm down, you can leave. Take care of your own wellbeing, mental and physical. Want more? Click here for a free audio course, "Happiness is an Inside Job" #veterinarian #petindustry #wellbeing #leader #lawofattraction

Do you find yourself in the same sorts of not-optimal situations time and time again? Maybe you tend to date the same kind of person, or maybe you say “yes” to another volunteer project when you really want to say “no”. We’ve talked before about how human brains love patterns, and this is another case of your pattern-loving brain needing a good talking-to. We do what we always do not because it’s good for us, but because to our brain it looks familiar and like the easiest path. That’s just your brain following a pattern. If you want to change your outcomes – you want to date someone who loves and respects you, or you want to learn to say “no” when you really can’t take on one more project – you’ll have to get intentional about re-wiring your brain on that subject. To do that, remind yourself that you’ve done whatever it is your brain wants you to do now before, and it didn’t turn out well. Remember that you can make a better decision, one that respects what you want instead of just following a pattern that doesn’t support who you are now and who you want to be moving forward. You’re in charge of you – boss that lazy brain of yours around! Want more? Click here for a free audio course, "Happiness is an Inside Job" #veterinarian #petindustry #wellbeing #leader #lawofattraction

Have you ever tried to teach a puppy not to nip and bite at your hands? Using their mouths is how puppies play with their littermates, so it naturally translates to mouthing their new human littermate – you! Those sharp little puppy teeth hurt, and yet we love the puppy so we don’t want to hurt its feelings. We might tell them to stop biting, and yet we’re not consistent and we’re not firm and so the biting continues. It’s the same with people – well, minus the actual biting, hopefully! When the words we use with our co-workers, our partners or our children don’t match the actions we take, there’s a big disconnect in communication. Dogs and people both watch and learn more from our actions than they do from our words, and when the words don’t match the actions, you’re sowing seeds of mistrust. Think about what you want people to know about you and learn from you – are you modeling those things in your actions? If not, lay out the steps you can take right now to start walking your talk. Your relationships with puppies and people will benefit, I promise! Want more? Click here for a free audio course, "Happiness is an Inside Job" #veterinarian #petindustry #wellbeing #leader #lawofattraction

Think about the people you work with, especially those who are senior to you. Do you feel free to voice a different opinion, or suggest a different solution to a problem? There are a lot of managers who are “my way or the highway” kinds of managers, and that’s not a good environment to work in. Yes, things get done, and yes, there are generally more injuries, absenteeism and employee turnover in those situations. Hopefully you’re in a different kind of environment – one where collaboration is valued and differing opinions are encouraged. And if you’re a team lead or manager, think about whether you encourage collaboration or enforce the “right way” to get things done. If you’re feeling a little bit sheepish right now, yay, you! Time to grow into the great leader your team needs – ask their opinions and celebrate the ones that lead to good outcomes. Want more? Click here for a free audio course, "Happiness is an Inside Job" #veterinarian #petindustry #wellbeing #leader #lawofattraction

The hardest person in the world for you to love is you. Growing up, you internalized what you did wrong, what others said about you or to you about your wrongness, and you let those opinions shape how you feel about yourself. Consider these questions: What if those people were wrong? What if their opinions of you were wrong? What if they themselves had been belittled and verbally battered as children and that’s all they knew how to do? Do you want to spend your whole life believing their wrong opinions about you? Of course you don’t want to believe wrong-headed nonsense, and yet nearly all of us do. When we hold on to what others thought of us as children and define our adult selves by those opinions we are withholding love from ourselves. The hardest person in the world for you to love is you, so one by one, start banishing those old, unkind and incorrect ideas you hold about who you are. When a negative opinion of yourself pops into your head, laugh at it and say, “you’re just old news and I don’t believe you anymore.” The more consistent you can be, the closer to loving yourself you’ll be. Want more? Click here for a free audio course, "Happiness is an Inside Job" #veterinarian #petindustry #wellbeing #leader #lawofattraction

The idea of change often challenges beliefs we hold, and we don’t like to have our beliefs challenged. Think about a belief you’ve had for a long time – maybe it’s something common like “money doesn’t grow on trees.” I heard that a lot growing up – you too? That’s a belief that can keep you stuck in a poverty mentality because it defines you as someone who doesn’t believe in an abundant flow of money. Maybe you believe it so strongly that even right now you’re starting to justify why it’s right to believe money doesn’t grow on trees. Guilty? The idea of change challenges our beliefs and we don’t like to have those beliefs challenged. What if I reminded you that the world has more financial abundance now than it ever has, and that you are as deserving of it as anyone? Isn’t that a better thought? Today think of a belief you’ve had for ages that doesn’t support the life you want to live and the person you want to be, and challenge that belief each time it comes up for you in your daily life. Get set to change and grow – challenging beliefs you hold that don’t serve you is the first step. Want more? Click here for a free audio course, "Happiness is an Inside Job" #veterinarian #petindustry #wellbeing #leader #lawofattraction

Trust yourself. Trust your instincts, your intuition, your gut…whatever you call it, trust yourself. Learn to feel the tingle on the back of your neck that tells you something could be wrong. Learn to be quite for a moment or two instead of responding quickly and angrily to someone who’s just hurt you. Trust that little voice inside you that says you need more respect than you’re being shown in your work or personal life – or maybe even both. We have survival skills that served early human beings, and even though we don’t have to be on guard for a saber tooth tiger attack these days, the same gut reactions that kept the species alive can serve you now, too. Think of a time when you paid attention to your intuition and it paid off. Congratulate yourself, tell yourself that story often, and then when you get those instinctual hits, trust them. Trust yourself. That’s your superpower. Want more? Click here for a free audio course, "Happiness is an Inside Job" #veterinarian #petindustry #wellbeing #leader #lawofattraction

Does it feel like time is zooming by? Where is it going and why is it in such a hurry to get there? There’s a time-travel portal in your brain that allows you to go back to the past and fast-forward into what you think – or maybe fear – your future may be. When you’re time-traveling, though, you’re missing out on your actual life! When the brain is wallowing in pain from the past or worrying about what might happen in the future it’s not focused on the present moment, and the present moment is the only place your life truly is. You can only decide now. You can only act now. And every second of your life is a brand new now, ready for you to make a new choice of how you want your life to be. To stop the rush of time, savor the time called “now” and quit letting your brain time-travel so much. Want more? Click here for a free audio course, "Happiness is an Inside Job" #veterinarian #petindustry #wellbeing #leader #lawofattraction

Nothing is forever. Nothing. Does that make you sad? I hope not because when I say “nothing is forever” I mean the not-optimal things as well as the good ones. When you plant a rosebush, you’ll get roses. You won’t get them all the time, and when they’re on the bush, the roses won’t last very long. When you buy cut flowers, they won’t last very long either – maybe a week or so. And when something not-optimal happens, that’s not forever either. When you catch a cold or the flu, you get well in a week or two. When you’re without a job, you’ll find another one soon enough. When someone leaves your life, you’ll have the memory of them to either cherish or learn from. Nothing is forever and that’s a wonderful thing. You just have to remember to look at it that way. Want more? Click here for a free audio course, "Happiness is an Inside Job" #veterinarian #petindustry #wellbeing #leader #lawofattraction  

Do you know someone who loves to tell you all their troubles and woes? Tommy Lasorda said “80 percent of the people who hear your troubles don’t care and the other 20 percent are glad you’re having them.” While his numbers aren’t scientifically proven, it’s easy to grasp the sentiment, and it’s also alarming to grasp the sentiment. Most people who talk about their troubles all the time are venting, and that’s a way for them to feel like they’re doing something about the problem. Constant complaining is also a form of addictive behavior supported by the brain’s negativity bias. What the complainers are doing is alienating most of the people who are listening, which wreaks havoc with personal and work relationships. If you manage a person who complains all the time, share Tommy Lasorda’s wisdom and ask them to think about it before they open their mouth to complain again. Understand that it will take time and commitment for them to break that habit – support them and celebrate them when they are showing signs of success. Want more? Click here for a free audio course, "Happiness is an Inside Job" #veterinarian #petindustry #wellbeing #leader #lawofattraction

Do you often feel overwhelmed? Those days where it feels like there’s not enough time and not enough of you to get everything done are stressful, tiring and just plain awful. Consider this, next time you have one of those days: you’re not making enough decisions. That feeling of being overwhelmed by stuff or tasks or the angst of people you care about is the feeling of having too much on your plate. There’s too much on your plate because you’re not moving things along and off the plate, and you do that by making decisions. Feeling stressed about getting to work on time? Decide to leave 15 minutes earlier each day – that will take the travel uncertainty away. Feeling tired of settling office spats between the same two people? Decide to sit them down together and tell them that they’re expected to behave like grown-ups and settle their own issues. Overwhelmed by the idea of having to put a meal on the table tonight, on top of everything else you have to do? Decide to get take-out or delivery. Decide more, and kick overwhelm to the curb. Want more? Click here for a free audio course, "Happiness is an Inside Job" #veterinarian #petindustry #wellbeing #leader #lawofattraction

“Please be nicer to my friend.” Those were words that came out of my mouth during a conversation with someone whose husband is in hospice. For the past two months, she’s continued to try to juggle running her business, chairing an important committee, working to create a session at an upcoming conference, all while coordinating her husband’s care between the visiting hospice team and the staff at his nursing home. She felt she had dropped a ball and was beating herself up for not being able to handle everything perfectly. Can you relate? Does this sound like you at times, too – a big personal issue trying to co-exist with your work and volunteer responsibilities? Jugglers drop a ball all the time – it’s how they become better jugglers. Your life isn’t a bunch of balls you’re trying to keep aloft, and when it starts to feel that way, instead of beating up on yourself, ask for help. Let friends and co-workers know what you’re dealing with and give them the privilege of helping you. And if you find yourself beating up on yourself, I’ll say this to you, too…”please be nicer to my friend.” Want more? Click here for a free audio course, "Happiness is an Inside Job" #veterinarian #petindustry #wellbeing #leader #lawofattraction

Do you work with a gossip? At some point nearly everyone will, and while that person is generally very entertaining, they’re also very dangerous. Maybe you’ve heard the saying, “if someone will gossip TO you, they’ll gossip ABOUT you” and that’s true. While some people gossip to inflict pain, most people gossip because they enjoy the attention it brings them, plus they get a sense of relief that it’s the “other person” who is bad or wrong or stinky, not them. The negative information they’re spreading serves to factionalize the workplace and poison the atmosphere. If you manage someone who’s a gossip, it’s vital to team cohesion to nip the behavior in the bud. If you work with a gossip, talk to their manager and to HR about the behavior. Either way, the gossip needs to learn the error of their ways and be willing to stop gossiping or they need to be shown the door. The quickest way to tank team performance is to fail to deal quickly with a gossip. Want more? Click here for a free audio course, "Happiness is an Inside Job" #veterinarian #petindustry #wellbeing #leader #lawofattraction

Do you have a friend or co-worker with … hmmmm … interesting ideas? The ideas could be about politics, the environment, or even about you – they’re ideas that differ from your beliefs on the same topic. Maybe you and your friend or co-worker have had conversations in the past and you realized that they are immovable in their beliefs, no matter what you say. This is very common, and is a very common cause of arguments and simmering animosity, especially among co-workers. Friendships can end – co-workers are yours for as long as you both continue working for the same company, so having a way to deal with your differences is vital to your mental wellbeing. Southerners in the US have a very powerful three-word phrase – “bless their heart.” The words sound sweet, though when spoken between two southerners, both know exactly what they mean – “there’s no hope for them, is there?” Think about adopting this phrase and using it in the privacy of your skull when dealing with someone with … hmmmm … interesting ideas. You’ll avoid arguments and stress, and that’s pretty powerful, right? Want more? Click here for a free audio course, "Happiness is an Inside Job" #veterinarian #petindustry #wellbeing #leader #lawofattraction

Think about yesterday – how did you feel as it started and how did you feel at the end of the day? If you started the day feeling great and ended the day feeling great, yay! More commonly, maybe you started the day feeling good and you rode a roller-coaster of emotions as the day progressed. Hopefully the day ended with you feeling good – maybe accomplished because you rode the roller-coaster well, or maybe relieved because you were able to hang on for the ride. If yesterday started well and ended with you feeling defeated or exhausted, examine your expectations for yourself. Most of the days of your life will be filled with ups and downs, and it’s how you view them, how you react to them and how you feel about yourself as you ride those ups and downs that shapes how you experience your life. How do you want to experience your life? To start and end most days feeling great, remember that you’re human. You will make mistakes, you will learn from those mistakes, and you will grow emotionally and intellectually because of those mistakes. Celebrate your mistakes and those feelings of defeat and exhaustion will ease right out of your life. Want more? Click here for a free audio course, "Happiness is an Inside Job" #veterinarian #petindustry #wellbeing #leader #lawofattraction

Have you ever been in a relationship with someone who is a great person except for one or two things? Because there’s no such thing as a perfect person, if you’re honest with yourself then the answer to that question is a resounding “yes.” Maybe you thought or hoped you could change those things, or maybe you knew that you could love that person in spite of the traits you saw as imperfections. Consider this – who they are is who they are. Their personality, beliefs, and behaviors have been shaped by the entirety of their life – everyone they’ve known and everything they’ve experienced. Perhaps you can be an influence in their lives if they want you to be, and perhaps not if that’s not what they want. What you can be is loving and forgiving and in charge of your own feelings, actions, and life. If the relationship feels good and allows you to grow and experience your dreams, those things you wish were different don’t matter. If the relationship feels bad, it’s up to you to walk away. That’s how you show yourself that what matters to you is important, and that’s where self-confidence and self-worth grow and flourish. Want more? Click here for a free audio course, "Happiness is an Inside Job" #veterinarian #petindustry #wellbeing #leader #lawofattraction

Is there someone in your life that you consider too outspoken? Maybe you even avoid being around them because they make you uncomfortable? First – let’s check and be sure – you are a human being, correct? OK, then you probably think that person’s behavior is wrong and they should behave better. It’s human to think that anything outside of what we consider good and normal and appropriate is wrong, and guess what? We’re actually the person who’s wrong when we decide that the other person is wrong. It’s not your job to control the behavior, attitudes, feelings or thoughts of the other person. When someone is too outspoken for your comfort level, then while they may be wrong for you, they’re not inherently wrong. Learning to take out judgement when thinking about or reacting to another person is a key skill in creating more wellbeing in your life. As for that outspoken person – if you can avoid them, great. If not, come up with something you can say inside your head to remind you that they’re fine just the way they are. That’ll help you be comfortable and less stressed. Want more? Click here for a free audio course, "Happiness is an Inside Job" #veterinarian #petindustry #wellbeing #leader #lawofattraction

Do you even know how powerful you are? My guess is that you don’t – you go through your day doing what you want to do, need to do and have to do, or maybe some days doing nothing at all. You have the routines you usually follow, and you have people you interact with. Think about the people – how do they experience you? What do the learn from you? How do they feel when their interaction with you is finished each day? The noted researcher and naturalist, Jane Goodall, said, “What you do makes a difference, and you have to decide what kind of difference you want to make.” Now do you see how powerful you are? Your interactions with people each day, no matter how mundane, have the power to change an attitude, change a mind and change a heart. You influence everyone you interact with, either in a good way or a not-so-good way. How do you want to influence each one? How do you want to show up in the world? Start each day with three questions – how do I want others to experience me? What do I want others to learn from me? How do I want others to feel after interacting with me? That’s how you use your power for good and how you make a significant difference in the world. Want more? Click here for a free audio course, "Happiness is an Inside Job" #veterinarian #petindustry #wellbeing #leader #lawofattraction

When you were a child, riding in the back seat of the family car on a long trip, did you utter the words parents dread? “Are we there yet?” I grew up in the time before portable screens – no smart phones, no tablets, no DVD players mounted in the ceiling of the car, and my brothers and I found ourselves in the back seat on long drives often. Mom was good at giving us games to play to distract us and help pass the time, yet inevitably one of the three of us would get bored and begin asking, “are we there yet?” That feeling of boredom mixed with impatience to arrive at the destination can quickly devolve into anxiety and stress, and it’s as true for adults as it is for children stuck in the back seat. The unknown of how long something will take is inherently stressful, and learning to soothe yourself in the face of the unknown is a skill worth honing. When you’re in that place of wondering when something will happen, soothe yourself with phrases like “it will unfold and I’m able to deal with the unfolding,” or “all in good time” or “it takes as long as it takes and I’m not in control of the timing.” Finding words to soothe yourself helps you stay focused on the journey, not the destination. Want more? Click here for a free audio course, "Happiness is an Inside Job" #veterinarian #petindustry #wellbeing #leader #lawofattraction

Think about the word “grace.” What does grace mean to you? It can be a woman’s name, it can be a prayer said before a meal, and it can be a calm, steady kindness in the midst of anger or turmoil. Let’s talk about that third meaning of “grace” – can you think of a time when someone shared their grace with you? I remember a time of being very angry when I believed I’d been wronged, and a friend listened to my ranting and raving. When I finally stopped, she gave me a hug and said quietly, “next week we’ll laugh about this.” Her calmness calmed me, and her certainty that in less than a week we’d be laughing about this terrible injustice helped me get over the white-hot anger of the moment. How about you – can you think of a time when someone’s grace helped you? Next time someone shares their grace with you, cherish it. And next time you have a chance to give someone grace in the midst of their struggles, know that you’re giving them exactly what they need, whether they know it or not. Want more? Click here for a free audio course, "Happiness is an Inside Job" #veterinarian #petindustry #wellbeing #leader #lawofattraction

Have you noticed how many people go on the attack so quickly? Social media is rife with people taking great offense to something the author of the post didn’t mean as offensive. A skirmish of words ensues, with the attacker feeling righteously justified in demanding an apology, retraction, and even online retribution. It happens in real life, too – people hear or see something that offends them and it’s the OFFENDER who is to blame for the way they feel. It’s the blame-game on steroids. These people who take offense easily believe that everyone else is responsible for the way they feel and they lash out when they read or hear something upsetting. The reason they’re lashing out is because they’ve painted themselves as the victim and given their power away. Someone whose feelings are easily hurt by others is handing those “others” control of their feelings and behavior. Next time someone goes on the attack over something you’ve written or said, think about what they’re really saying – “you’re in control of me.” Give them either no response or a very compassionate one, with hopes that they’ll soon gain self-control. Want more? Click here for a free audio course, "Happiness is an Inside Job"  #veterinarian #petindustry #wellbeing #leader #lawofattraction

"You cannot be lonely if you like the person you’re with." The late Wayne Dyer said that, and it’s so true. If you are hard on yourself most of the time, if you focus on what you think is wrong with yourself much more than you do what’s right, then you may not like yourself very much. And when you don’t like yourself, it can be challenging to find a way to appreciate the unique and wonderful being that you are. The steps are simple to get from where you are to a place where you truly understand and appreciate your value. Here are two things you can start doing today. Do them intentionally, every day for three weeks. Focus on one aspect of self-care – maybe your daily shower – and make it special with something wonderful like a hand-made, fragrant soap. Focus on others – notice the people you interact with at the store or at work or in the park. When you see someone with a great smile, tell them it’s great. When you see someone with a fabulous pair of shoes, admire those shoes out loud. When you focus on the details of your life in a positive way, you’re more likely to appreciate all the positives that you bring to it. Want more? Click here for a free audio course, "Happiness is an Inside Job"  #veterinarian #petindustry #wellbeing #leader #lawofattraction

You are successful. You are a rock star. You are amazing and getting more amazing every day! How does that make you feel – triumphant or like an imposter? Or maybe like I’m an idiot – that’s OK, too. I wanted to say those words to you today because they are true. You might not believe them today, and that’s OK. The point is, you have inside you everything it takes to be successful, to be a rock star in your field, and to be amazing. Just like you used to be a tiny, helpless baby and you’re not anymore, maybe you used to not believe you had what it takes to succeed. Now you can believe that. At the end of each day, write down three things you did that day that were good. Maybe you even surprised yourself – you found a creative solution to a problem, you helped a sad person feel better, whatever. Write them down, and review them the next morning as you get ready to start your day. You’ll see that you are successful…you are a rock star…and you are getting more amazing every day. Want more? Click here for a free audio course, "Happiness is an Inside Job"  #veterinarian #petindustry #wellbeing #leader #lawofattraction

Can you think of a time when you said or did something you wish you hadn’t? Unless you’re a sociopath, the answer to that is undoubtedly “yes.” I know I have – we’re human so we’re not going to get everything perfectly right one hundred percent of the time. Maybe you apologized later, or maybe you just moved on, hoping the memory of the words or deed would just fade away in the other person's mind. How did you treat yourself about it? Many people hold onto that uncomfortable memory, occasionally dragging it out as a vivid reminder of how incompetent they are. That’s also quite human, and it’s detrimental to your mental wellbeing. You can learn to let past mistakes go, and it’ll benefit you greatly when you do. Whenever you catch yourself thinking about what happened, remind yourself that you learned from the mistake and moved on. Say the words out loud if you have to. The more often you interrupt the thought, the less often the thought will crop up, and eventually it’ll be gone. Master your mind for mental wellbeing – you can do it! Want more? Click here for a free audio course, "Happiness is an Inside Job"  #veterinarian #petindustry #wellbeing #leader #lawofattraction

Do you lead a team? It could be a team of family members, co-workers or a sports team – if you are a leader of people, have you noticed that when you show your emotions, they pay more attention to you? Many of us want to lead with words and process and logic, and those are good seasonings in the recipe. The main ingredient when dealing with teams is the emotional makeup of the team and the emotional makeup of each team member. What IQ is for the brain, EQ is for the heart. EQ refers to a person’s emotional quotient, or ability to understand and manage their own emotions in order to succeed. When you are able to access your own emotions in a situation, you’re more able to help your team understand and manage their own. You’ll discover different ways to help each team member become more proactive in getting things done and more cooperative with their teammates. Emotions are powerful – understand and use yours to get the best from those around you. Want more? Click here for a free audio course, "Happiness is an Inside Job"  #veterinarian #petindustry #wellbeing #leader #lawofattraction

Does your 14-year-old self still live inside you? In an interview, Billy Joel shared a story about having a picnic lunch with Paul McCartney, Jon Bon Jovi and Jimmy Fallon. That would be a pretty mind-blowing experience for most of us – can you think of a parallel in your life? Something that maybe you might have taken for granted and others would have loved to experience? Maybe you were a straight-A student. Maybe you networked your way into a fabulous career without ever having to interview. Maybe you found a $495 Brahmin bag with the tags still on it at a garage sale for $20. Did you let the 14-year-old version of yourself geek out inside you or did you take it in stride and take the accomplishment for granted? My favorite part of that Billy Joel interview was the point he was making by name-dropping his picnic companions – he acknowledged that 14-year-old version of himself, who would have been over-the-moon excited just to see all those stars in one place, and to be among them. As he enjoyed the lunch, he also enjoyed the awe of a life that let him have lunch with other luminaries. Can you take your 14-year-old self with you today? Want more? Click here for a free audio course, "Happiness is an Inside Job"  #veterinarian #petindustry #wellbeing #leader #lawofattraction

We throw around the word “miracle” a lot. “It’ll be a miracle if I finish this on deadline!” “It’ll take a miracle for us to win the division.” “Getting to work on time in this traffic would be a miracle!” Just what is a miracle, anyway? Something so improbable that it defies the known laws of science would be a miracle. There are other things we call miracles, and they seem really miraculous, and yet they come right down to focus. Need to finish something on deadline? Break down the task into steps and focus on accomplishing the steps. Want the team you coach to win the division? Identify your superstar players, create scenarios where they can shine and develop the rest of the team around that plan. Need to find a way through traffic? Hmmmm…I live in the Atlanta area, so I feel your pain. You might actually need a real miracle, or at least to pay more attention to your navigation app on your phone. Next time you hear or use the word “miracle” stop and think about it – do you really need a miracle, or do you just need more focus? Want more? Click here for a free audio course, "Happiness is an Inside Job"  #veterinarian #petindustry #wellbeing #leader #lawofattraction

Have you ever grieved a loss? It could be the loss of a pet, a partner, a job – whatever, it was a painful loss to you. Sleep would help you forget for a few blissful hours, and when you awoke, that big knot in your stomach came right back, right? Yep – been there. Most of your friends were probably very kind for a while, and if you’re like most of us, you had that one friend who was ready for you to move on before you were ready. How did that make you feel? Some people might feel their friend was insensitive, disregarding the depth of the pain and the bigness of the loss. It would be normal to feel that way, and yet that sort of blaming and shaming, whether it’s done out loud or in the privacy of your head, is counter productive. It only serves to keep you stuck in the pain, feeling like you’ve been victimized again. Instead, thank the friend – either out loud or in the privacy of your head – for reminding you that life goes on when you’re ready. Who knows – your friend might even help nudge you back into normal life sooner, and that's a good thing, right? Want more? Click here for a free audio course, "Happiness is an Inside Job"  #veterinarian #petindustry #wellbeing #leader #lawofattraction

Can you be confident without evidence? When you have what feels like a great idea and you start taking the steps towards bringing that idea to fruition, how do you feel? If you’re like most people, pretty confident. After all, it feels like a great idea! It’s in this stage of development when you need to keep your idea to yourself, and that can be so hard because … it feels like a great idea! When there’s no evidence of your great idea, others often will try to talk you out of it. Human brains are wired to look for the pitfalls, and social programming reinforces that with the emphasis on weighing the pros and the cons of ideas. People don’t mean to rain on your parade, though that’s exactly what they do. And the closer you are to them – spouse, family member, boss, etc. – the more their words will gut your confidence. Next time you have a great idea, I double-dog-dare you to keep it to yourself until there’s evidence you can demonstrate to others. It won’t completely stop the nay-sayers, but it will help you remain confident in your idea in spite of them. Want more? Click here for a free audio course, "Happiness is an Inside Job" #veterinarian #petindustry #wellbeing #leader #lawofattraction