Tiny Bites of Wagaliciousness

I remember being a child who loved bedtime stories. Mom or Dad read stories to us, and I longed for the day I could look at the funny black squiggles on the page and make them come to life, too. Now I read all the time, never giving a second thought to the major growth in my abilities that learning to read represents. You, too? What talents do you have now that you once dreamed of having? What abilities do you have now that you take for granted? And what can we both do so we’ll remember how far we’ve come in life, and remember to celebrate that growth? We as humans take our strengths – even those we worked hard to learn and develop – for granted. We mentally downplay our own superpowers because we mistakenly believe that what comes easily to us now is easy for everyone else, too. No, it’s not. You ARE special. You worked for the growth you have achieved. Celebrate your unique talents and abilities for the evidence of the progress you’ve made in your life. Want more? Click here for a free audio course, "Happiness is an Inside Job"  #vetlife #veterinarian #vethospital #vettech #notonemorevet #pet #petindustry #animals #wellbeing #success #leadership #leader #lawofattraction

Can you think of a time in your life where there was a major upheaval? Maybe you lost a loved one, a marriage or even something as seemingly positive as graduating with a degree you’ve worked hard for years to earn. Life was suddenly different and you were suddenly left feeling slightly confused and quite unmotivated. When that happens, it’s very human to beat ourselves up to try to kick-start some momentum, and that just adds to the problem. The feelings of confusion and lack of motivation in the wake of a major life change are NORMAL. The brain likes to run patterns, and suddenly a major pattern has been disrupted. The pattern-running part of the brain suddenly can’t run normally, and the feelings of confusion and sleepwalking through your life are common. And here’s the good news – they’re also fleeting for most people. Be kind to yourself in the wake of a major life change, safe in the knowledge that you and your brain are creating new patterns to go with your new life. Want more? Click here for a free audio course, "Happiness is an Inside Job"  #vetlife #veterinarian #vethospital #vettech #notonemorevet #pet #petindustry #animals #wellbeing #success #leadership #leader #lawofattraction

Today, things went wrong for me, right out of the gate. The alarm didn’t go off. The computer wouldn’t boot up. Both dogs were misbehaving, one very loudly, and there was no time for my normal morning routine because…the alarm didn’t go off! Maybe you’ve had days that start like that? It’s easy to let the beginning of the day set the tone for how your day goes, and it’s important to remember that we have the power to decide. I remembered that things work out just the way they’re supposed to, and always in my favor in the long run. A mid-morning appointment went better than expected. The mailbox held a couple of delightful surprises. And I’m finishing up the day sitting on the sun porch, two dogs napping in shafts of late-day sun while an early fall breeze carries birdsong and the scent of flowering basil on it. The frustrations of this morning were washed away by the decision to have a great day, in spite of how it started. You can do this too – next time your day gets off to a challenging start, I challenge you to remember that things work out for you, too, and to look for the things that go well in that day. Want more? Click here for a free audio course, "Happiness is an Inside Job"  #vetlife #veterinarian #vethospital #vettech #notonemorevet #pet #petindustry #animals #wellbeing #success #leadership #leader #lawofattraction

Do you think of yourself as a caring person? Be honest about this – do you care about the people in your family? On your team? Do you care about your pets? Pollution? Recycling? Politics? The world? You have to have said “yes” to at least a few of those questions, so you are, in fact, a caring person. My bet is that, at least on a topic or two, you sometimes have to choose between doing what feels like the caring thing – pleasing another person – and what you need to do for yourself. Admit it – sometimes you do something you’d rather not do or something that interferes with what you really want or need to do for yourself. That presents a deep dilemma – please yourself or please someone else. The more often you put yourself second in that equation, the more you gut your sense of self-worth. The more often you put yourself second, the more stress you pile on yourself, whether you realize it at the time or not. The more often you put yourself second, the more the people around you will put you and your needs second, too. Don’t teach people how to abuse you, and please stop abusing yourself. Your needs come first – when you do that, you have much more to give to others. Want more? Click here for a free audio course, "Happiness is an Inside Job"  #vetlife #veterinarian #vethospital #vettech #notonemorevet #pet #petindustry #animals #wellbeing #success #leadership #leader #lawofattraction

Are you unhappy in your work life most of the time? Maybe, when you first started doing what you’re doing, you were elated, looking forward to making a difference through the work you’ve chosen. Fast-forward to today, where maybe most days you walk through the front door feeling dread about some of the people or some of the tasks ahead of you. What changed, and more importantly, what can you do about it? First, prioritize your wellbeing into the equation – you’ll need to either find a way to regain your enthusiasm for where you are or you’ll need to be OK with making a change in where you are. Once you understand that you are free to choose the path that suits you best, you’ll feel more empowered and in control. Then take an objective look at what’s creating the unhappiness – make a list of everything you can think of. Then look for commonalities, including what you’re bringing to those situations. Decide to fix what’s in your power to fix, or decide to find a work situation that’s more suited to your goals, values and talents. You’re in control of you – choose the path that’ll let you be joyful and joyous at work. Want more? Click here for a free audio course, "Happiness is an Inside Job"  #vetlife #veterinarian #vethospital #vettech #notonemorevet #pet #petindustry #animals #wellbeing #success #leadership #leader #lawofattraction

Want to lead a fabulous life, secure in the knowledge that you can handle whatever this world throws at you? Embrace your imperfections. You heard that right – accept that you are human, you will screw up, and that when you do, you didn’t intend to hurt anyone or cause a problem. You were just being fabulously human, imperfect you. I am a recovering perfectionist – but only where I am concerned. I never expected others to be perfect, but I did expect me to get everything right all the time. Wow…that’s exhausting, and impossible, and a the sure-fire way to gut your self-confidence. So go ahead – I dare you to do what I did – embrace your imperfections and go out and live your fabulous life. Things will go wrong. You’ll handle them. Feelings might get hurt. You’ll heal them. Friends who love you will love you even more, and the best part is – you’ll understand why they love you and you’ll love you, too. Want more? Click here for a free audio course, "Happiness is an Inside Job"  #vetlife #veterinarian #vethospital #vettech #notonemorevet #pet #petindustry #animals #wellbeing #success #leadership #leader #lawofattraction

Have you heard the saying, “your day will go the way the corners of your mouth turn?” The meaning behind that is pretty clear – foster a happy disposition and you’ll have a happier day, and foster a grumpy disposition and you’ll have a grumpier day. How can you foster a happier disposition? The easiest way to do that is to have a morning routine that supports your mental wellbeing. Think about what makes your heart happy first thing in the morning. Maybe it’s quiet time drinking coffee and listening to the birds in your neighborhood. Maybe it’s some alone time reading an inspirational or motivational book. Or maybe it’s a three-mile run through the streets of your town. Whatever it is, build it into your schedule and let what you love to do support you on a daily basis. That’s how you foster a happier disposition, and how you will enjoy your days more because you’ve intentionally created upturned corners on your mouth. Want more? Click here for a free audio course, "Happiness is an Inside Job"  #vetlife #veterinarian #vethospital #vettech #notonemorevet #pet #petindustry #animals #wellbeing #success #leadership #leader #lawofattraction

Is someone on your team a bit…difficult? Defensive? Withdrawn? Uncommunicative? Is this new behavior or something that’s been there all along, and now it’s bothering you? If it’s new behavior, chances are that something is going on in their life that they’re not processing well. Help them – offer to listen, and then listen. Resist the urge to talk – let them unfold their problem to you without interrupting or trying to offer suggestions. The less you talk, the more they’ll feel heard, and the more willing they’ll be to change the way they’re behaving at work. If their difficult behavior has been there for as long as you’ve worked with them, it’s up to you to find a way to mentally let go of it. Go to MSU – when they’re defensive, make up a story in your head that they were raised by wolves and can’t behave in a civilized fashion. Make yourself laugh with your Making Stuff Up stories inside your head and soon you won’t even remember why you didn’t want to be around them. Want more? Click here for a free audio course, "Happiness is an Inside Job"  #vetlife #veterinarian #vethospital #vettech #notonemorevet #pet #petindustry #animals #wellbeing #success #leadership #leader #lawofattraction

Are you feeling a little bit stuck? Most of us do, from time to time. When a big decision is looming, stuckness can feel overwhelming. I remember at the end of my 30-year marriage, when I had to figure out where I could live with two dogs, a bunch of furniture and very little cash flow – there were days when I didn’t even want to get out of bed! Here’s the good news, though – I wasn’t stuck then and you’re truly never stuck, either. You might feel stuck, just like I did, and we both were missing the big picture – life is always changing from one moment to the next, offering new opportunities, ideas and energy. We just have to remember that, and be open to considering the possibilities. So the next time you get that “stuck” feeling, remind yourself that life goes on and you’re going with it. Then take a deep breath, square up your shoulders and look for the ideas, opportunities and possibilities that are all around you. Want more? Click here for a free audio course, "Happiness is an Inside Job"  #vetlife #veterinarian #vethospital #vettech #notonemorevet #pet #petindustry #animals #wellbeing #success #leadership #leader #lawofattraction

Did something happen to you that really upset you? Do you find yourself telling that story over and over again, either to others or inside your own head? When you do that, you are literally reliving the event. Your brain can’t tell the difference between the actual event and your retelling of it, so it floods you with the same stress hormones it did when the event happened. It speeds your respiration and heart rate, causes your muscles to tense and re-creates the awful feelings of “fight or flight” in your body and your mind. The only difference between the actual event and retelling the event in your head or to others is – you didn’t do anything bad to yourself when it happened, and you are the ONLY person doing something bad to yourself in the retelling. Until you stop telling that story you will never be free of the trauma you’re inflicting on yourself. Let.It.Go. Release the need to relive and retell old traumas and you’ll release an enormous amount of tension and stress in your life. Want more? Click here for a free audio course, "Happiness is an Inside Job"  #vetlife #veterinarian #vethospital #vettech #notonemorevet #pet #petindustry #animals #wellbeing #success #leadership #leader #lawofattraction

Something isn’t better than nothing. Let me say that again…something is NOT better than nothing. Ok, if we’re talking about material objects or money, something can be better than nothing. If we’re talking about relationships, it’s always better to have the relationship you want and need, instead of a relationship that doesn’t suit you in every way. It doesn’t mean you’re with a bad person or you are a bad person for wanting more – most people are good people, and yet most people are not a good fit for you. Finding the person who makes your heart sing is always worth the wait. Why settle for someone who makes your heart mutter when you can – and will! – find one who makes it sing? Someone isn’t better than no one, and the wrong person being in your life will keep the right person from showing up. Want more? Click here for a free audio course, "Happiness is an Inside Job"  #vetlife #veterinarian #vethospital #vettech #notonemorevet #pet #petindustry #animals #wellbeing #success #leadership #leader #lawofattraction

What are you living for? What lights you up and makes you want to do it more and more? What do you love so much you’d do it for free if you had no bills to pay? That’s what you need to do more of. For me, it’s doing things with my dogs, and with people who love dog sports. I love dog sports so much that my Wednesdays are loaded up with dog training classes that I’m either taking or teaching. Whatever it is for you, honor your need to have it in your life. Schedule it into your calendar when you can – plan vacations around it – invite friends who love it to join you in doing what you love. When you do what you love to do, it elevates everything else you do because it’s a wonderful way to relieve stress. So find that thing that you’re living for and do it as much as you possibly can. Want more? Click here for a free audio course, "Happiness is an Inside Job"  #vetlife #veterinarian #vethospital #vettech #notonemorevet #pet #petindustry #animals #wellbeing #success #leadership #leader #lawofattraction

Are you in any sort of leadership position? It could be in your family, your job, your church, your hobby – whatever. If you make decisions that affect others, you’re in a leadership position. And the very best leaders aren’t bosses, they’re inspirers. They inspire those around them to want to work towards a goal set by the leader. They inspire those around them to do more than is required of them. They inspire those around them to grow into a better version of themselves. The truth is, to be a great leader means you hold up a beautiful mirror for each person you lead, showing them their strengths and their superpowers, and allowing them to showcase those strengths in the work they do. A great leader spends their time creating more great leaders. Now the secret is out – you know it – how will it affect the way you lead your team? Mirror, mirror on the wall – you can be the best leader of them all! Want more? Click here for a free audio course, "Happiness is an Inside Job"  #vetlife #veterinarian #vethospital #vettech #notonemorevet #pet #petindustry #animals #wellbeing #success #leadership #leader #lawofattraction

Get ready to go deep – who do you look to for permission? When I was a young woman just out of school, still trying to figure out who I was and what I would do in the world, I felt the need for permission. As a child and while we’re in school, adults around us give us permission – permission to play outside before doing homework, permission to wear something daring, permission to leave the classroom for a bio-break, permission to skip PE class – you remember all that, right? It’s kind of jarring to be out on your own with no one granting permission for the dozens of things you want or need to do each day. If you’re still looking for someone to give you permission, or are allowing someone in your life to be the person you look to for it, you’re giving away your power. Each time you feel the need to ask permission, remind yourself that you’re in charge of you, and no one else is. Give yourself permission to stop asking for permission! Want more? Click here for a free audio course, "Happiness is an Inside Job"  #vetlife #veterinarian #vethospital #vettech #notonemorevet #pet #petindustry #animals #wellbeing #success #leadership #leader #lawofattraction

Do you ever have days where you feel powerless? Talk yourself into your power. Seriously. When you’re feeling frustrated with a situation you can’t resolve, sad about something you can’t change, or even depressed about where you are in life, find a place where you can give yourself a good talking-to. A loving talking-to, out loud, is just what you need to remember just who you are. When you’re alone, start talking, reminding yourself of the achievements you’ve made in your life so far. Reminding yourself of the good you put out into the world on a daily basis. Reminding yourself of the love and loyalty you give to those who are important to you. Keep talking until you don’t feel powerless, you feel powerful. You remember who you are. You know what’s in your power to change and what isn’t, and you remember to let go of what you can’t change and focus on what you can. Talk yourself into your power on a daily basis – it’s a great habit to create! Want more? Click here for a free audio course, "Happiness is an Inside Job"  #vetlife #veterinarian #vethospital #vettech #notonemorevet #pet #petindustry #animals #wellbeing #success #leadership #leader #lawofattraction

Do you find it difficult to make decisions? A friend never wants to be the one to decide which restaurant we’ll go to or what time to be somewhere or even what drink to order. If you also find it tough to make decisions, this Tiny Bite is for you. Someone in your life taught you to feel wrong or incapable of making good decisions, so now you may not feel confident in your ability to decide. Confidence comes from experience. Make more decisions. Make small ones at first – ones that only affect you. The white phone case or the red one? Don’t try to figure out the “best” decision, just choose the one that makes you smile. Pretty soon you’ll start feeling more confident about making bigger decisions and then you’ll look back on your old, indecisive self and wonder who that person was. Make decisions. Feel confident. Lather, rinse, repeat! Want more? Click here for a free audio course, "Happiness is an Inside Job"  #vetlife #veterinarian #vethospital #vettech #notonemorevet #pet #petindustry #animals #wellbeing #success #leadership #leader #lawofattraction

Do you ever feel a bit unworthy? Most of us do from time to time, and sadly, some people live there. Where does the feeling of unworthiness come from? From being told and shown that we had to do more or be better in order to deserve good things in life. Those subtle and sometimes not-so-subtle messages come from everywhere – parents, religions, advertisements – and are 100% false. You were born worthy. If your heart is beating right now, you are worthy of whatever you want in life. The only person stopping you is you, listening to old programming that was never right. Decide what you want, design the best path to it, and go for it, you worthy person. Want more? Click here for a free audio course, "Happiness is an Inside Job"  #vetlife #veterinarian #vethospital #vettech #notonemorevet #pet #petindustry #animals #wellbeing #success #leadership #leader #lawofattraction

Who is deciding your future? Is it you, or is it the default you? What…you didn’t know there’s a default you? Yep…we all have one. It’s that version of ourselves who sits on the couch watching tv mindlessly. It’s that version of ourselves that hits the drive through instead of the grocery store. It’s that version of ourselves that promises to stop that bad habit…tomorrow. Habits are hard-wired into our brains by repetition – the more you do something, the easier it is to keep doing it. That’s good when it’s something good like brushing and flossing, and not so good when it comes to other things. Make the brain’s love of routine work for you – pick one thing you’d like to stop doing, focus on it, and each time you find yourself doing it, do something fun instead. For instance, I wanted to keep the TV off until after dinner, feeding dogs and cleaning the kitchen was done each day. Each time I found myself reaching for the remote, I picked up a dog toy instead and played with my dogs a little bit. Figure out your version of fun, do it consistently and pretty soon your old routine won’t be a bad habit anymore! Want more? Click here for a free audio course, "Happiness is an Inside Job"  #podcast #vetlife #veterinarian #vethospital #vettech #notonemorevet #pet #petindustry #animals #wellbeing #success #leadership #leader #lawofattraction

The first day of something new is kinda scary, right? Even if it’s something you’ve dreamed of, worked for and finally achieved, walking in on that first day can be very daunting. The fear might even threaten to make you turn tail and run. I remember the very first time I turned on the microphone in the radio studio to talk – if the guy who was training me hadn’t been standing right behind me, I might still be running, and that was a few decades ago! When you first experience something you’ve planned, worked and dreamed of, the fear might be so strong that you feel like you have to give up. Don’t. Instead, take a deep breath, stand up a little straighter and walk like you have a crown on your head. You did it…now go do it! Want more? Click herefor a free audio course, "Happiness is an Inside Job"  #podcast #vetlife #veterinarian #vethospital #vettech #notonemorevet #pet #petindustry #animals #wellbeing #success #leadership #leader #lawofattraction

Wisdom is where you find it, right? A meme rolled across my Facebook news feed the other day, and it simply said “Be selectively ignorant of everything irrelevant.” Wow…at first it made me question whether I wanted to identify as “ignorant.” Most of us don’t, right? Think of the power of that twisted little sentiment, though – when you can be selectively ignorant of things that don’t matter to you, think of all the things you can tune out of. Things like people complaining about everything…things like news stories the media is focusing on that don’t touch your life at all…things like all the little things you can’t do a thing about and yet for some strange reason you find yourself focusing on them. When you find yourself thinking about something that doesn’t make you feel good, examine it – is it irrelevant? Turn on your selective ignorance and shine on! Want more? Click herefor a free audio course, "Happiness is an Inside Job"  #podcast #vetlife #veterinarian #vethospital #vettech #notonemorevet #pet #petindustry #animals #wellbeing #success #leadership #leader #lawofattraction

Do you have days where you feel emotionally and physically exhausted by the end of the day? And do you have days where your workload was the same as normal and instead of being tired at the end of the day, you felt inspired, maybe even elated? What’s the difference between the good days and the draining days? If the work you do is basically the same, and the people you deal with are basically the same, what’s different? It’s your focus. At the end of each day, pay attention to how you feel – exhausted or exhilarated or somewhere in between – and then think about what seemed to dominate your day. There’s an old saying – it’s not climbing the mountain that wears you out, it’s the pebble in your shoe as you climb. Identify the pebbles in your life and do your best to not focus on them. Support your mental wellbeing on a daily basis. Want more? Click here for a free audio course, "Happiness is an Inside Job"  #podcast #vetlife #veterinarian #vethospital #vettech #notonemorevet #pet #petindustry #animals #wellbeing #success #leadership #leader #lawofattraction

What would happen if you treated your thoughts like an experiment? Not all of them – treat your automatic negative thoughts and feelings like an experiment – question them. Next time something sets you off, instead of going with the flow of the negativity, try to step back and observe the reaction and question it – “where did it come from, why is it coming up now and is it necessary that I feel this way”? If you’re stuck in the automatic negativity your answers might be something like, “what that idiot driver just did caused this, and of course I have a right to feel this way!” Truthful, perhaps, and completely unhelpful. Step back a bit further – why are you angry and do you want to be? You’re angry because you usually get angry at what looks like a dumb decision made by another driver. Do you have to get angry? No, of course not – it’s a habit. Do you want to feel angry? Empirically, no, but your body could be addicted to the adrenaline the anger produces. From your position of observer, decide how you’d rather feel. Calm is better than angry, right? So next time a driver does something stupid, could you choose to laugh it off and move on with your day? When you can, you win! Want more? Click here for a free audio course, "Happiness is an Inside Job"  #podcast #vetlife #veterinarian #vethospital #vettech #notonemorevet #pet #petindustry #animals #wellbeing #success #leadership #leader #lawofattraction

Think about the people you deal with all the time – how many of them do you love? If you have a spouse or partner, children, parents, siblings and other relatives, you might love them most of the time. There might be co-workers that you’re very fond of and occasionally feel love for. When was the last time you felt love for yourself? Think about it – seriously. When was the last time you felt love for yourself? The hardest person on the planet for you to love…is you. And the only person you will spend your entire life with…is you. If you want your life to be as pleasant as possible, try to love the person you’ll spend your life with. Find one new thing every week to love about yourself and focus on appreciating that thing about yourself. Maybe you’re a rock-star friend who is always there for your friends – love that aspect of yourself. Maybe you have really pretty eyelashes – loves that aspect of yourself. Each week choose something about yourself to love and focus on remembering to love that piece of you several times a day for the whole week. When you practice loving yourself you’re better equipped to love others, too.   Want more? Click here for a free audio course, "Happiness is an Inside Job"  #podcast #vetlife #veterinarian #vethospital #vettech #notonemorevet #pet #petindustry #animals #wellbeing #success #leadership #leader #lawofattraction

Is something chewing at you right now? I remember back when I was first married, had a bunch of friends and a husband who loved his circle of friends. Call me slow – it took me a while to realize that he expected me to do couples things with his friends and was never available to do things with mine. One day he said, “my friends are our friends, your friends are yours.” That hurt. I fretted and stewed about it for days, trying to understand such a strange, anti-social point of view from a man who seemed to be very social and extroverted. I’m not ashamed to tell you I cried over it. I didn’t jettison the friends, just lived a segregated life where they were concerned. I’m proud to tell you that if the same thing happened today I’d wonder what was wrong with the husband, not what was wrong with the friends. What’s changed? I’ve learned and grown as a person, and I bet if you looked back in your life, you’d find a thing or two that you’d do differently. Look at how you’ve grown as a person – appreciate and celebrate how you’ve grown as a person, and realize that as long as you’re breathing you’ll be learning and growing. Want more? Click here for a free audio course, "Happiness is an Inside Job"  #podcast #vetlife #veterinarian #vethospital #vettech #notonemorevet #pet #petindustry #animals #wellbeing #success #leadership #leader #lawofattraction

What is it that makes one person be mean to another? What is it that makes one person constantly bully another? What is it that makes one person try to destroy another?  It’s the same answer for all three questions – pain. Insecure people, people who are afraid of losing out, and people who mount behind-the-back smear campaigns designed to ruin someone else’s reputation or chances for advancement are people who are in pain, maybe even mental anguish. The truth is that people who behave like bullies and cut-throats are people who don’t know how to get what they want. They’re stuck in two-year-old behavior, throwing blocks and toy cars instead of sharing. The adult version of throwing blocks can look more like passive-aggressive comments, openly aggressive comments and behind-the-back smear campaigns, and yet it’s still throwing blocks. Ignore their bad behavior, feel sorry for their lack of socialization and move on with your life. Want more? Click here for a free audio course, "Happiness is an Inside Job"  #podcast #vetlife #veterinarian #vethospital #vettech #notonemorevet #pet #petindustry #animals #wellbeing #success #leadership #leader #lawofattraction

Are you harder on yourself than you are on your team and your family members? Do you set high expectations for yourself and beat yourself up when you don’t quite hit the mark? Do you sometimes find yourself calling yourself things you would never call anyone else? Things like clumsy, clueless and maybe even stupid? Consider this – what if you were as hard on one of your co-workers as you are on yourself? What if you talked to them out loud the way you talk to yourself inside your head? How would that change your relationship with them? How would it change the quality of work they were willing to do for you? How would you feel about yourself, talking to someone else like that? I’m gonna let that sink in…and then tell you something that will change your relationship with yourself. If high expectations and being hard on yourself worked, wouldn’t your life be perfect now? Stop mentally treating yourself like a rented mule and start treating yourself like your most valuable teammate – because that’s who you are. Want more? Click here for a free audio course, "Happiness is an Inside Job"  #podcast #vetlife #veterinarian #vethospital #vettech #notonemorevet #pet #petindustry #animals #wellbeing #success #leadership #leader #lawofattraction

So much busyness! Some days I feel consumed by all that needs to get done – do you ever feel that way, too? I keep a “to do” list on a white board in my office as a way to keep me focused, especially when my thoughts want to wander in a different direction. It’s good to be focused and productive, and sometimes it’s good to flip a proverbial bird at your to-do list and go rest instead. When you’re feeling overwhelmed, rest. It’s the best thing you can do for yourself and your productivity that day. Recognize the difference between a wandering mind and an exhausted one. One needs focus, the other needs you to close the door, turn down the lights, close your eyes and just be. Meditate or simply relax with deep, slow breaths for ten minutes or so. When you’re mentally exhausted those quiet minutes are your key to recharging yourself. Want more? Click here for a free audio course, "Happiness is an Inside Job"  #podcast #vetlife #veterinarian #vethospital #vettech #notonemorevet #pet #petindustry #animals #wellbeing #success #leadership #leader #lawofattraction

Did you do something today that made you smile? Maybe it even gave you goosebumps or made you a tiny bit teary eyed? Revisit that – what did you do that created that moment of happiness inside you? Today I saw a mom and her daughter walking hand-in-hand in a parking lot. They were going into the store I just came out of. Mom looked frazzled and her 3- or 4-year-old girl was lagging behind looking like she might burst into tears at any moment. The little girl and I locked eyes, I smiled at her and told her she was the best helper for her mom and wasn’t it fun to help her in stores. Her little face went from mad to curious, and then I said she needed a shirt that said Best Helper Ever because that’s what she was. It was like a cloud lifted off of her – she lit up with a smile, skipped a step or two to catch up with her mom and my guess is that the shopping experience was better for them both today. And I had to wipe my eyes a little bit. I don’t know where the words came from, and sometimes you won’t know where you get them either. When you have an experience like that, play it like a movie inside your head whenever you need a little boost. You do good things in the world – give yourself credit for them! Want more? Click here for a free audio course, "Happiness is an Inside Job"  #podcast #vetlife #veterinarian #vethospital #vettech #notonemorevet #pet #petindustry #animals #wellbeing #success #leadership #leader #lawofattraction

Do you have a tough time accepting a compliment? Many people do – myself included! If your knee-jerk response when someone praises you for your looks, your outfit, your work, whatever, is to deflect the praise, try this instead: “thank you!” Praise is the ultimate soul food – if you’re not in the habit of dishing it out, start today. Look for something to praise in people you interact with, either on a daily basis or casually. When you see someone with a great smile, tell them. When you’re at the gas station with someone who drives the same kind of car you do, tell them they have excellent taste in cars. When someone on your team shows initiative, praise them for it. When you’re comfortable dishing out praise, you become more comfortable accepting it with those two simple words – “thank you!” Want more? Click here for a free audio course, "Happiness is an Inside Job"  #podcast #vetlife #veterinarian #vethospital #vettech #notonemorevet #pet #petindustry #animals #wellbeing #success #leadership #leader #lawofattraction

Do you what-if yourself? Most of us do. Sadly, because of the negativity bias in our brains, most of that what-iffing takes us down a negative path. What if the car won’t start? What if I get caught in traffic? What if I work hard and don’t get the promotion? What if I get the promotion and don’t like the new boss? What if … arrrrgggggghhhhh! Stop it! What if the car starts like it does every day? What if your drive to work is like it usually is? What if you do get the promotion, and you love your new boss? It’s so easy to let our minds wander through self-made mine fields. Catch yourself what-iffing and consciously what-if in a fun, positive way. What if a unicorn slides down from a rainbow, lands on a leprechaun and they shower you with the pot of gold? What-if yourself until you’re laughing, and go have a great day! Want more? Click here for a free audio course, "Happiness is an Inside Job"  #podcast #vetlife #veterinarian #vethospital #vettech #notonemorevet #pet #petindustry #animals #wellbeing #success #leadership #leader #lawofattraction

Tik Tok challenges…Instagram influencers…Twitter mobs…the pressure to think and do alike has never been more intense. This is hard for children, teens, and adults to handle. As humans, we’re hard-wired towards community, which includes a desire to fit in. We were raised by people who used the concept of approval and disapproval to teach us how to sculpt our behavior, our beliefs and even our looks to please those around us. It’s no wonder that, even though the world seems to be preaching an appreciation of diversity and inclusion, the subtle messages we get all day long from media – mainstream as well as social – is to fit in. But to live who we authentically are is vital to mental wellbeing. You don’t have to live yourself out loud, though if that works for you then go for it. Simply resisting the pressure to do thing, be things and think things because it’s what everyone else is doing is you, standing in your power and your authenticity. Go, you! Want more? Click here for a free audio course, "Happiness is an Inside Job"  #podcast #vetlife #veterinarian #vethospital #vettech #notonemorevet #pet #petindustry #animals #wellbeing #success #leadership #leader #lawofattraction

Do you ever feel wishy-washy? Most of us do sometimes, and the quickest way to snap out of that helpless powerless feeling is to make more decisions. You make a lot of decisions every day without realizing it. Some decisions are pretty low-impact, like what color your outfit will be today. Some decisions are more impactful, like will you do the drive-through for dinner or go home and whip up something healthier? Pay attention to the decisions you make as you’re making them, and pay attention to how you feel after each decision. Celebrate the decisions that make you feel good and make a mental note of the decisions that you may not want to make again because they didn’t make you feel good. Noticing your decisions as you make them, noticing how they play out and make you feel and then making a decision about how to make the best choice for you in the future is brain-training that will create a better, more successful life for you. Want more? Click here for a free audio course, "Happiness is an Inside Job"  #podcast #vetlife #veterinarian #vethospital #vettech #notonemorevet #pet #petindustry #animals #wellbeing #success #leadership #leader #lawofattraction

I have a friend who says she has a sigh meter. When something is beautiful to her, she says it moves her sigh meter. When something touches her heart, she says it moves her sigh meter. When a situation is just right she says it moves her sigh meter. I love her sigh meter, have stolen it for myself and suggest you think about using it too. When you’re appreciating a thing or a feeling or a situation enough to realize it, then you’re present. When you’re present, you are at your most observant. When you’re observant, you can learn and grow and connect deeply with the people around you. So be like my friend – take your sigh meter with you wherever you go and remember to notice it when it moves. You’ll be surprised at what you’ll learn about yourself and the world! Want more? Click here for a free audio course, "Happiness is an Inside Job"  #podcast #vetlife #veterinarian #vethospital #vettech #notonemorevet #pet #petindustry #animals #wellbeing #success #leadership #leader #lawofattraction

Can you say this out loud? “Your approval or disapproval doesn’t matter to me.” If that just shocked you or scared you, it’s ok – most people can’t comfortably say that without lots and lots of practice and self-reflection. What if I told you that being able to say and mean that is one of the most powerful gifts you can give to yourself … would you be willing to hear me out? Children are raised to sculpt their behavior based on the approval or disapproval of the adults around them. Were you a child once? Then you were indoctrinated in the notion that in order to succeed, you needed to care what others thought of your words and actions.  Starting today, when you’re by yourself, start saying “your approval or disapproval doesn’t matter to me” in front of a mirror. Say it several times a day until it feels true. Then, when you need it for real, you’ll be ready to stand up for who you really are. Want more? Click here for a free audio course, "Happiness is an Inside Job" #podcast #vetlife #veterinarian #vethospital #vettech #notonemorevet #pet #petindustry #animals #wellbeing #success #leadership #leader #lawofattraction

Maybe you’ve heard the saying, “don’t look back – you’re not going that way.” Heck, I’ve said it in at least two of the 300+ Tiny Bite podcasts before this one. Oops…I just looked back! Where are you going in life? If you’re like most people, you have a general – or maybe very specific – idea of where you’d like to be in two years or five years or ten years, and not one of those goals includes finding a time machine and going backwards. Progress means to move forward or onward in space and time and that’s the direction you’re going. So you can look back if you want to, but only to encourage those who are following you. Otherwise, don’t look back because you’re not going that way. Want more? Click here for a free audio course, "Happiness is an Inside Job" #podcast #vetlife #veterinarian #vethospital #vettech #notonemorevet #pet #petindustry #animals #wellbeing #success #leadership #leader #lawofattraction

It’s ok to do nothing. Many of us are raised to value constant movement and work. We feel our worth by what we produce and how much we do and how busy we are. There is value in doing what you’ve agreed to do efficiently and well, and because you’re human, there exists the necessity for rest. Sometimes people say “I’ll rest when I’m dead” or “you can rest when you’re dead” and guess what? That’ll make you dead quicker than if you rest along the way. The human body, mind and soul need rest, and it’s imperative for your health to rest when you need it. Feeling worn out or burned out? Do nothing. Do nothing unapologetically. It’s up to you to take care of you. If you don’t do it, who will? Want more? Click here for a free audio course, "Happiness is an Inside Job" #podcast #vetlife #veterinarian #vethospital #vettech #notonemorevet #pet #petindustry #animals #wellbeing #success #leadership #leader #lawofattraction

Do you lead a team that could work together better than they currently do? Try laughter. Research into laughter – not the face people make when they laugh, but the sound they make – shows that people who laugh together like each other. And people who like each other want to collaborate and succeed together. I’m not telling you to whip out old copies of Mad Magazine – just look for times when you’re all together and can share a laugh. That “all together” part is very important – laughter has a dark side when it’s used socially to ridicule a  person. If there’s a sitcom dealing with your industry, maybe have a shared lunch each week and watch an episode. Find stories you can tell on yourself so that you’re the butt of the joke that your team can laugh along with. If something happens and it makes your team laugh, see if it could be a running joke. As long as it isn’t at a co-worker’s expense or making fun of a client, create a running joke and run with it. The more you and the team laugh together, the better you’ll work together. Want more? Click here for a free audio course, "Happiness is an Inside Job" #podcast #vetlife #veterinarian #vethospital #vettech #notonemorevet #pet #petindustry #animals #wellbeing #success #leadership #leader #lawofattraction

Do you know that it’s ok to say “no” and stop right there? It’s perfectly ok to want to help when someone asks you to, evaluate the request, realize that it will take too much time or too much energy or too much whatever, and say “no.” You don’t need to give a reason for your answer. Reasons don’t matter anyway, and feel like excuses to the other person. Even worse, if the other person really wants your help, they can use your reasons against you, defusing them one by one until you’re boxed into doing something you don’t want to do. And knowing you and your kind heart, you’ll do it, hopefully without beating yourself up about it. If you can suggest a person better equipped to fulfill the request, by all means suggest them. If a request feels like something you can’t or don’t want to do, don’t do it. And don’t explain why, either. “No” is a complete sentence that will serve you and your mental wellbeing very very well. Want more? Click here for a free audio course, "Happiness is an Inside Job" #podcast #vetlife #veterinarian #vethospital #vettech #notonemorevet #pet #petindustry #animals #wellbeing #success #leadership #leader #lawofattraction

Are you waiting for that perfect person to come along and complete you? The person who makes your life worth living and who will be your partner and best friend for life? The romantic notion of that once-in-a-lifetime love is so pervasive in society and yet it’s as much a fairy tale as Cinderella or Jack and the Beanstalk. Love has to come from you before it can come to you, so if you want to feel love, just go ahead and decide to feel it. Feel love for your car. Feel love for your pillow. Feel love for your pets if you have any. Feel love for the woman struggling with her crying child in the cereal aisle of the grocery store. Really feel the love – feel love for yourself. Appreciate your body and whatever it does to support you through the day. Feel love for what you know and what you’ve done and what you’ve overcome to be the person you are today. Feel love for the real perfect person in your life – the one who completes you, celebrates your growth, makes your life worth living and is your best friend for life – you. When you learn to love yourself as if you are the love of your life, love can’t help but flow to you from others. Want more? Click here for a free audio course, "Happiness is an Inside Job" #podcast #vetlife #veterinarian #vethospital #vettech #notonemorevet #pet #petindustry #animals #wellbeing #success #leadership #leader #lawofattraction

Are you like me - a big fan of process? Do you like processes that are science-backed? Would you like a simple, science-based process for self-development? Here you go – a study conducted by the University College of London in 2009 and published in the European Journal of Social Psychology found that a behavior can be changed, and that it takes an average of 66 days to do it. Here is your formula – form the intention to change or add a certain behavior, perform the behavior around an already-established behavior each day, keep a log or journal as you work to add the behavior and don’t beat yourself up if you miss a day. Just do it the next day as if nothing happened. Soon, you won’t have to think about doing the new thing – it will be a practice, then will be a routine, and then it will feel weird to not do it. Got something you want to stop doing or start doing? Now you have the process. Neuroplasticity for the win! Want more? Click here for a free audio course, "Happiness is an Inside Job" #podcast #vetlife #veterinarian #vethospital #vettech #notonemorevet #pet #petindustry #animals #wellbeing #success #leadership #leader #lawofattraction

Do you feel loyalty to anyone or anything in your life? Do you feel loyal to your employer? Your partner? Your school or your mentor or your dentist? Just what is loyalty, anyway? The Oxford dictionary defines it as a strong feeling of support or allegiance, and for most people there are a handful of people and institutions that they feel loyal towards. Remember, though – you can feel loyal towards a person and they may seem to be loyal to you when they’re really only loyal to their need of you. When they don’t need what you were giving them anymore, watch the loyalty you thought you had vanish as the person vanishes from your life. It’s OK – let them go. You’re worth true loyalty, the kind of loyalty you give, not the fair-weather kind that person gave you. Want more? Click here for a free audio course, "Happiness is an Inside Job" #podcast #vetlife #veterinarian #vethospital #vettech #notonemorevet #pet #petindustry #animals #wellbeing #success #leadership #leader #lawofattraction

Have you and a friend had a falling-out? Is it a big one – the kind where you won’t talk for days or maybe even weeks? Have you had that kind of falling-out with the same friend before? If so, it’s time to examine what that friendship really is. Is it just a habit? Is it a co-dependency? Is it a need to hang on to a certain period or part of your life experience, no matter how dysfunctional holding on to it might feel at times? Before you try to heal this falling-out with your friend, ask yourself how this friendship makes you feel. Do you usually have fun when you’re together? Does making plans with this friend make your heart sing? When something wonderful happens in your life, is this person at the top of your list to call and share the news? If you can’t answer “yes” to all three of those questions, this person may not be a real friend. Take a break. Take a long break. No calls, no texts, no DMs – nothing. Does it feel good to be free for a while? Then don’t go back. Moving on from relationships that no longer serve you is a wonderful form of self-care. Want more? Click here for a free audio course, "Happiness is an Inside Job" #podcast #vetlife #veterinarian #vethospital #vettech #notonemorevet #pet #petindustry #animals #wellbeing #success #leadership #leader #lawofattraction

Pop quiz… what are your feelings right this very moment? Contented? Irritated? Worried? Optimistic? Happy? Seriously…examine how you feel, without creating any judgement around it. Notice your feelings, and then think about how often you might feel that same way. Does it feel normal to feel worried or irritated or optimistic or however you’re feeling? Do you like the feeling or would you rather feel better? Brain imaging has shown us that you can change the way your brain is working for the better simply by choosing to feel better. Choosing to feel better can be tricky, though, because you have to be aware of how you feel in order to feel better. Here’s the great news, though – you just now showed yourself how to tune into your feelings. Can you do that several times a day until it becomes a habit? When you can tune into your feelings you can create a better atmosphere inside your head, inside your body and inside your life. Want more? Click here for a free audio course, "Happiness is an Inside Job" #podcast #vetlife #veterinarian #vethospital #vettech #notonemorevet #pet #petindustry #animals #wellbeing #success #leadership #leader #lawofattraction

Are you hard on yourself? Do you sometimes – or maybe often – compare yourself to others and feel inferior? Are you near a window? Look out the window and find two pieces of nature that are similar – two bushes, two trees, two birds – whatever you can see. As you look at the two things, are you comparing them and condemning one of them? Probably not – you’re probably noticing differences between them and not making judgements about what you see. We value diversity in people, in thoughts, heck, even in snowflakes! We’re taught from youngest childhood that it’s a miracle that they’re all complete individuals. Please stop comparing yourself to others. You are you and not one other person on the planet can say that. Go be the best you you can possibly be, because you are a unique and fabulous individual! Want more? Click here for a free audio course, "Happiness is an Inside Job" #podcast #vetlife #veterinarian #vethospital #vettech #notonemorevet #pet #petindustry #animals #wellbeing #success #leadership #leader #lawofattraction

No matter how hopeless things feel, it can help to remember that people have felt helpless before you and people will feel hopeless after you and yet hope is always within your grasp. In 1921, the poet Edgar A. Guest published a poem called "Keep Going” that is as relevant today as it was a century ago. When things go wrong, as they sometimes will, When the road you’re trudging seems all up hill, When the funds are low and the debts are high, And you want to smile, but you have to sigh, When care is pressing you down a bit, Rest if you must—but don’t you quit. Life is like the stock market – it’s full of highs and lows, and when you sell stock at a loss, you lock in the loss instead of holding on until the inevitable rebound occurs. And there’s always a rebound. Always. Want more? Click here for a free audio course, "Happiness is an Inside Job" #podcast #vetlife #veterinarian #vethospital #vettech #notonemorevet #pet #petindustry #animals #wellbeing #success #leadership #leader #lawofattraction

Want a way to quickly kick up your self-confidence? When something happens that used to make you angry or sad, notice it. Notice how you’re feeling about it now that you’ve grown wiser. Then laugh, forgive your past self for not knowing everything there is to know, and give yourself a mental hug for the growth you’ve achieved. Need an example? Recently I was second in line at a red light. When the light turned green, the person didn’t go. And didn’t go. And didn’t go! My younger self would have been impatient, blowing the horn and blowing her top. That day, that didn’t happen. Instead, I wondered if they were lost in sad thoughts because of something happening in their life. I felt compassion instead of consternation, and no matter what was causing that driver to be inattentive, I felt a lot better than when I used to get angry. And isn’t feeling better worth the mental gymnastics? Want more? Click here for a free audio course, "Happiness is an Inside Job" #podcast #vetlife #veterinarian #vethospital #vettech #notonemorevet #pet #petindustry #animals #wellbeing #success #leadership #leader #lawofattraction

How’s your self-esteem? A quick way to self-assess is to pay attention to what your brain says when something happens. Let’s say your lover broke up with you – is your brain more likely to say, “we had a good time while it lasted” or “what’s wrong with me – I can’t manage to stay in a relationship?” If it’s the former, yay, you! You’re maintaining a good sense of perspective, along with understanding that some things are not in your control. If your brain beats up on you with that “what’s wrong with me” kind of thinking, you could use a little self-esteem tune-up. When your brain is telling you that it was your fault, it’s saying something to you that you would NEVER say to your best friend. Don’t let your brain beat up on you – put up your mental stop sign and think about something else. Every time your brain tries to take you back to the breakup and how it was all your fault, think about something else. Do something that occupies your mind so it can’t beat you up. Sing a song. Give yourself permission to talk back to the negative self-talk in your head. That’s how you boost your own self-esteem. Want more? Click here for a free audio course, "Happiness is an Inside Job"  #podcast #vetlife #veterinarian #vethospital #vettech #notonemorevet #pet #petindustry #animals #wellbeing #success #leadership #leader #lawofattraction

I won an award recently. I’m not telling you this to brag. It was a very big one, the most prestigious that the organization grants, and it was a surprise. As I listened to the presenter, it slowly dawned on me that he was talking about me – that I was the person winning the big award. First came shock, then pleasure, then imposter syndrome reared its ugly head in that subtle way it has of bursting balloons. Thoughts of “but I didn’t do anything special” and “anyone in my position would have done the same thing” and “maybe no one else was nominated.” Seriously? Yes, seriously – imposter syndrome can and does undermine some of the best moments of our lives if we let it. In that moment, before I took the stage to accept the award, I reminded myself that others had been in my position and didn’t do what I did. That what I did was special. That, whether anyone else was nominated or not, the services I had provided to that organization warranted the recognition. I want you to do the same thing for yourself when imposter syndrome sneaks up on you, too – remind yourself that you are talented, intelligent and amazing! Want more? Click here for a free audio course, "Happiness is an Inside Job" #podcast #vetlife #veterinarian #vethospital #vettech #notonemorevet #pet #petindustry #animals #wellbeing #success #leadership #leader #lawofattraction

Is there someone in your life that you’re trying to make happy? I don’t mean someone you do nice things for because it makes you feel good, I mean someone who is in some sort of relationship with you, doesn’t seem entirely satisfied with that relationship, and you find yourself making decisions based on how you think it will make them feel? Take a moment and think about this – as powerful and as wonderful as you are, you do not have the power to make someone happy. You can give them a raise if they’re your employee, you can change the way you wear your hair if they’re your life partner, you can make all the external changes they seem to want from you and guess what – they will only be happy when they choose to be happy. What they’re choosing is to be unhappy and blame you for it. That’s a losing situation for you – you can never win. It’s time to decide what would make you happy in that relationship and go do it. Life is far too short to be another person’s excuse for unhappiness. Want more? Click here for a free audio course, "Happiness is an Inside Job" #podcast #vetlife #veterinarian #vethospital #vettech #notonemorevet #wellbeing #success #leadership #leader #lawofattraction

Look back on your life a few years ago. Did it feel more predictable than it feels now? You know that saying, “hindsight is always 20/20?” There’s neuroscience behind that. First, when you look back at events in your past you’re looking through the lens of what you learned from those events. Your brain is filling in the gaps you had at the time of the events, so of course it feels more comfortable now than it did then. Second, because life is a journey and you haven’t taken the next step yet, the present and future feel unpredictable, while the past has happened so there’s no need to speculate. Your life was never more predictable than it is right now, and was never more filled with potential, either. So enjoy those steps you’re taking now and the ones you’ll take tomorrow and the day after that. Stop looking back…you’re not going that way. Want more? Click here for a free audio course, "Happiness is an Inside Job" #podcast #vetlife #veterinarian #vethospital #vettech #notonemorevet #wellbeing #success #leadership #leader #lawofattraction