Elevator Talk With Michelle

How To Ask For What You Really Want

Boundaries keep us safe. They differentiate us from each other. They help us focus on what’s most important to us and they improve relationships by creating clear expectations, and responsibilities. However, it can be hard to figure out what boundaries you need to set. One way to identify your boundaries, is to think about the areas of your life where you’re experiencing problems. Do you constantl...

A father once said to his daughter: "Congratulations on your graduation. I bought you a car a while back, and I want you to have it now. Before I give it to you, take it to a car dealer in the city and see how much they will give you for it.” The girl came back to her father and said: "They offered me $10,000 dollars, because it looks old.” The Father said: "Ok, now take it to the pawn shop and se...

Are there valid reasons why you can’t get things done? Absolutely! In fact, many times, external forces are working against you such as the weather, other people’s attitudes, a car that won’t start, or world events. There are also, times when it turns out that we our own biggest issue. This is also known as self-sabotage, and it can be hard when it comes to our productivity and our wellbeing. The...

Here’s how to make getting through hard times less difficult: 1. Stay Positive. “Life is not the way it’s supposed to be, it’s the way it is. The way you cope is what makes the difference.” – Virginia Satir When you stay positive, you’re putting yourself in the best position possible to not only make it through those bad times, but also to become a better person in the process. When life takes a t...

The only person who travels with you through your entire life (outside of God) is you. It’s you (and God) from the cradle to the grave. Therefore, it’s important that you take time to really get to know who you are. The three most important reasons for self-knowledge: 1). Self-love. If you know yourself the good, the bad, and the ugly, you can start to accept who you are exactly as you are. It may...

Have you ever asked yourself why is it that we have a hard time letting go of people that have made it clear, they don’t want us? I think it has to do with the fact that we didn’t make the decision to leave them first. Let’s unpack this a little bit: 1. Remember It’s Not About You. When people choose to walk out of your life, it’s a choice they are making for some reason or other. They are looking...

We are responsible for the choices we make, so when our lives fall apart, we have to take responsibility for the part we play and not push the blame off on other people. You took the wrong turn, you gave the wrong person your love, you put up with foolishness, you didn’t know when to say no, you turned down that opportunity, you cheated, you gave up on yourself. The list can go on and on, but you...

In order to create the life you’ve always dreamed of, you have to start by creating a vision of who you want to become. Here are some things you may want to do: 1. Picture What You Want Your Future To Look Like. Everybody that has achieved greatness started with a vision (Colonial Sanders, Henry Ford, Walt Disney, Oprah Winfrey. Ilyana Vanzant, Lisa Nichols, & Angel Richardson to name a few). You...

Welcome back to another Elevator Talk With Michelle. For the time that is ours to share, I want to talk about: Down But Not Out. 2 Corinthians 4:7-11 (New King James Version)- Cast Down but Unconquered 7 But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us. 8 We are hard-pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despa...

Welcome back to another Elevator Talk With Michelle Podcast. For the time that is ours to share, I want to talk about: The Glass Of Water | An Inspirational Story. Once upon a time a psychology professor walked around on a stage while teaching stress management principles to an auditorium filled with students. As she raised a glass of water, everyone expected they’d be asked the typical “glass hal...

Here are some things you need to do to set realistic expectations: 1). Examine The Expectations Of Yourself. You should always strive for growth and improvement, but are your goals planned and executed in small, achievable steps or big unmanageable actions? Trying to get everything perfectly done all at once will keep you from taking consistent action toward your goal(s). Likewise, it will often l...

Self-esteem influences everything from your thoughts to your appearance to the way you conduct yourself. When you’re self-assured, you have a better chance of leading a productive and fulfilling life. When the opposite is true, battling your inner demons can drain all of your energy. Which then causes you to display a defeated vibe. People who lack self-esteem will often times display these 8 beha...

'Twas the Night Before Christmas History: The poem, originally titled: "A Visit" or "A Visit From St. Nicholas", was first published anonymously on Dec. 23, 1823, in a Troy, New York newspaper called The Sentinel. It wasn't until 1837 that Clement Clarke Moore accepted credit for writing A Visit. He reportedly wanted to keep his authorship secret initially because he was a professor, and the piece...

There are two common detours that people tend to make before they create their New Year resolutions. First, they think about what they should do, instead of what they really want to do. Second, they think about what they should stop doing, instead of what they want to achieve. To be successful, you need to want it more than you want your next breath. Here are eight rules for creating successful Ne...

Here is a list of things that you should give up in the New Year. Doing so, can and probably will reduce your stress levels, help you get out of your rut, and dramatically improve your quality of life. 1). Any Form Of Negative Self Talk. Negative self-talk is very harmful and can lead to anxiety and depression. 2). Ignoring your Well-being. Don’t take your mental health for granted, take time to t...

Here are 10 ways to reduce holiday stress before it comes, so you can spend your time on what really matters to you: 1). Clearly picture the Christmas you want to have. Set expectations for yourself and others by painting a picture of what you want your Christmas to look like. Be crystal clear. Here are some things to think about before the holidays start: • Who’s sitting at the table at mealtime?...

Holiday shopping means that you are probably using your credit and debit cards more than normal. With the recent increase of incidents involving credit card fraud, it is important to do your part to minimize the risk of becoming the next target. Here are five safety tips that can help keep your credit card and debit card information safe this holiday season–and all year long: 1). Shop on legitimat...

A survey conducted by the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) found that 64% of individuals living with a mental illness, reported worsened conditions around the holidays. Be it due to separation from loved ones, personal grief, the pressures of gift-giving, economic hardship, challenging interactions with family members, or shorter days. However, there are ways to help address the stress o...

The FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) has been receiving record numbers of complaints each year about fraud schemes targeting consumers. The center says in 2021, Americans lost $173 million to credit card fraud and more than $337 million to non-payment and non-delivery scams. These scams work, because we don’t know what we don’t know. Here are the top holiday scams and tips for preventin...

It’s the season of joy at Starbucks, and the holiday menu is back starting Nov. 2 at Starbucks stores in the United States. The new bright and beautiful Starbucks holiday cups are filled with festive flavors to explore, like the new Iced Gingerbread Oatmilk Chai, and returning seasonal favorites including Peppermint Mocha, Caramel Brulée Latte, Chestnut Praline Latte and Iced Sugar Cookie Almondmi...

The start of a new year is the perfect time to turn a new page, which is probably why so many people make New Year's resolutions. The new year often feels like a fresh start and a great opportunity to change bad habits and establish new routines that will help you grow psychologically, emotionally, socially, physically, or intellectually. Of course, resolutions are much easier to make than to keep...

As the days to Christmas tick away, there may not be enough time to watch every Christmas movie. But don't worry, I have you covered. From the disputed "Die Hard" to the classic "A Charlie Brown Christmas," here is a compiled list of movies to stream this holiday season: Amazon Prime "Miracle on 34th Street" (1947) "Scrooged" "Christmas Carol" (1984) "Last Holiday" "Christmas with the Kranks" "It'...

We have a lot of Christmas traditions, in the United States such as: Tree decorating, baking holiday cookies, and opening Christmas presents both on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day; just to name a few. Oh, and let’s not forget watching Hallmark Christmas movies during the month of December. Let’s look at the way other Countries celebrate Christmas: Sweden: The Yule Goat has been a Swedish Christma...

Creating a holiday budget really means creating a regular life budget with a category for holiday saving or spending. As you begin to think about your holiday budget, it helps to know what budgeting method works best for you. The zero-based budget. This is where you have a plan for every dollar you bring in. First, calculate your monthly income, including any side hustles. Then list out your month...