This framework can be successfully applied to both personal and professional development. If your self-esteem sags, then this is a tool to give it a lift. A common cousin to low self-esteem is negativity. See prior blog post Negative Mindset for a deeper exploration. By focusing on these five areas, you can begin feeling better, get things done and notice how your thoughts influence who you are and how you show up in life. Changing negative self-talk Changing your behaviors

Freedom is the opposite of feeling trapped or controlled. Any number of events, such as circumstances or relationships, can cause us to...

NEGATIVE MINDSET This is a hard one for people because it is so ingrained and second nature that shows up everywhere from private thoughts to public remarks. When used in humor it can be extremely funny; however, most of the time it’s not and usually dampens the mood with co-workers, family, and friends. Once a person recognizes they have a negative mindset and decides to change it, they are happy to find out it can be changed, they can reprogram their thinking. What is a Neg

She remarked on the car’s mothballed state - dusty on the inside, unwashed on the outside. She said, for how much you told me you love that car, it hurts to see it in that state looking tired and uncared for . It was true. 5 years ago, I had abandoned it and the sports car racer dreams I had once fulfilled with it. Cynthia’s remark forced an uncomfortable question. Why had I let it go? I was embarrassed that I had dropped it and hoped nobody would notice. What made me abandon

This question comes up frequently, what’s the difference between coaching and therapy ? The answer applies equally to both strands of coaching used in my practice: Life Coaching and Executive Coaching. Coaching aims to help people who are already functioning at ordinary or higher levels when they work through life’s ups and downs. Executive Coaching is about optimization, making more efficient use of your well-established skill set. It’s a form of fine tuning used to feel be

The imposter syndrome can impact very successful senior executives and entrepreneurs. Let’s define it: People who struggle with imposter syndrome believe that they are undeserving of their achievements and the high esteem in which they are, in fact, generally held. They feel that they aren’t as competent or intelligent as others might think – and that soon enough, people will discover the truth about them. Those with imposter syndrome are often well accomplished; they may hol

I recently attended a 2 ½ day Men’s Retreat with a group of men and a talented facilitator. I do this once a year for deeper personal development work. I was seen, heard and supported when it was my turn. One of the surprising parts of group work is how much I get when another man is doing his work and the ways I relate to his life and challenges. Some of us had painful stories and needed to let them go in order to make space for something new. It was a beautiful catharsis to

Recently I was a participant in a group personal development program that focused on setting a vision for the next 2-3 years and the subsequent goals associated with that vision. The big thing that popped out of this work for me were the behaviors that helped me achieve the goals. I’ll share two of them here. Meditation. I do this every morning for 10-15 minutes sitting in silence on a cushion within 15-minutes after I get out of bed; it helps my concentration since I haven

Looking back, I’ve often wondered why it took so long to embark on my personal development journey considering how much it has helped me live a more fulfilling life. I had many reasons: acknowledge something was wrong with me, didn’t believe I could change and thought I could do it myself. Earth I discovered personal development operates on two distinct levels: one is on the surface and the other deep inside. I’ll use the earth as an analogy. The earth’s crust represents dail

Anger, like any emotion, has value and a valid point. However, when it is our ‘go-to’ emotion, it can destroy relationships. Anger could be telling us something needs to be addressed or the anger is hiding something we would rather not feel. Generally, as children, it was not acceptable or welcomed to express anger. Often, we were shamed when we did express it; usually accompanied by the underlying message that it was bad to do it. As a result, we adults can stuff our anger o

This year I let myself off the hook for believing I had to act and look busy to earn my spot at the business table. I have wrestled with ‘earning my worth’ for a while and had reached a place I could joke about it with my peers and teammates, but it still influenced my day and ruled my work energy. I wanted more of the freedom that I had been successful in creating in other areas of my life. Over the years I learned about the busyness trap – from the shame I’d feel if I wasn

Self-care is more than going to the gym or eating well, it is a voice inside asking, Am I willing to love myself enough to make my needs a priority? The focus is on honoring and deepening our emotional sense of self-care, such as: never speaking badly about yourself, never giving up on your dream, being kind to yourself, letting go of what you can’t control, and giving up being a people-pleaser. We want to connect deeply to the people in our lives and to love and be loved. Cu