Encouragementology

What happens next. You are never too old or too lost, or too happy to reinvent yourself and seek a new opportunity. You’ve heard it before, Life is Too Short. We need to be reminded that life’s too short to spend every day doing work you hate. Life’s too short to hold grudges against people we love. Life’s too short not to see the wonders of the world. Life’s too short to not live life to the full...

What’s the rush? Why are we in such a rush to live life. Now more than ever, we have everything we could ever need at our fingertips but we want more and more. We want to know why access to all the information we could ever ask on the internet doesn't come to us faster.  Our lives seem to travel at warp speeds, with our minds taking in and spewing out information faster than we can keep up with, a...

Why do we have to be sitting at a critical crossroad in our life to realize we need a change? No pain no change?  What are you searching for to make yourself happy? Friends, love, acceptance, an awakening, a hobby, stuff, more stuff, and even more stuff. When you sit alone with your thoughts...did it work? Do all those things = happiness? Life tells us to find a steady job, a safe routine, work yo...

How do you handle stress? Take a moment and think about that. When something uncomfortable happens what is your go-to method for getting through it. You might have different degrees of stress with different coping mechanisms. Daily Stressors could be: Your work schedule Your kids’ schedule Financial obligations Health problems Where you live, what you drive Not enough hours in the day to accomplis...

We’ve all heard it before,  “don’t be selfish”, that person is “self-centered. “Look at him, he’s all about himself”. It’s all about ME! Many of us have been taught the order: God first, then your children, then your spouse, then your family, so on and so on…..” Why is it that WE continually come in dead last? And more importantly, why are we ok with that? What does it even mean to take care of yo...

When do you ask for help?  When do you give over power and realize YOU can’t do it all….successfully? How many attempts do you make? How many failures do you have? Why is it so hard to admit defeat? We are going to be looking at these questions from two different angles. When have you had enough and are ready to make a change and when do you have enough and realize you still aren’t happy? Webster...

I used to think when somebody left my life that I must have done something wrong. I would search for an answer, obsess really on what I must have done. The reality is, usually there isn’t a clear answer. I am, as you are continually growing and evolving. As a result, needs and wants change. You will meet people along the way that will play all types of roles in your life. Some are to lead you, sup...

Are you a People-Pleaser? Someone who goes out of their way to help other people and rarely finds the word NO? When does your pleasing cross the line and become control and manipulation? Let’s dissect the differences between GIVING and TAKING when it comes to caring. GIVING represents giving freely or without expectations. The intention to help someone who needs help for the moment without any pre...

Do you associate hard and tough as being in control? When you feel vulnerable do you feel weak? Perhaps it’s fear, hurt or betrayal. Our ideas of these terms could have evolved and morphed throughout our lifetime. Through childhood, adolescence, or adult experiences. Vulnerability in the technical term means the quality or state of being exposed to the possibility of being attacked or harmed, eith...

Why are we our own worst critics? Why are we so hard on ourselves and each other?   It’s ok to push yourself to learn more, be healthier, love harder etc but at some point, we have to be happy with who we are. We have to learn to love ourselves even during the process. According to Wikipedia: self-acceptance is an individual's satisfaction or happiness with oneself, and is thought to be necessary...

Would you say you just “go with the flow”....handling what every life throws your way? Are you in charge or are you letting fate dictate your next move? Let’s evaluate your current situation and ask yourself this question, “Who is responsible?” Are you struggling with missed opportunities or a bad hand because of something you did? Or is life handing you the lemons? Some of us are stuck in the rol...

Do you have a clear idea of what you want your life to look like? Would you say you’re more of a dreamer or a goal setter? How are you on the execution? Getting to the next level starts with a clear assessment of present state, where you are and what you are doing. It might be time to get REAL. What does your day look like? What time do you get up How do you start your day Where are your thoughts...

Now here is a true challenge, staying positive in a negative environment. Sure there are pockets of positivity but you can’t turn on the news, browse your social feed, or have a water cooler conversation without negativity layered in. Do you feel like a positive person? Someone who sees the glass half full vs half empty? Always searching for the silver lining, turning a frown upside down? Well, co...

Have you ever heard “Perception is Reality?” What do you think that means? Is it one of those things your parents say to scare you like: if you keep frowning your face will get stuck like that or if you drink that, it will put hair on your chest. I guess that one’s not scary for everyone. See, what people perceive is usually what they believe, and this is based on what they hear, see and think. It...

Do you feel like life is speeding by? Are you stuck in the past obsessing about what you should have done? How much do you discount today waiting for tomorrow? Timothy Ferriss wrote the book “The 4-Hour Work Week” on how to experience the benefits of retirement while you are working vs waiting until the end of your life to start living. Mel Robbins urges you to just GO and act on your instincts wi...

You can search the internet and find a gazillion top ten lists instructing you on how to achieve optimal Mind, Body & Spirit. Everything from traveling the world and adopting the spirit-filled practices of other cultures to setting a 5-minute timer on your phone for a mid-day meditation break. I may have nothing new. My advice is simply, my advice and may or may not rise to the top of the list. Bu...

How do you define failure? First you have to know what it is to be able to forgive and move on. Wikipedia presents it as “the state or condition of not meeting a desirable or intended objective, and may be viewed as the opposite of success.” You could have A failure or you could lump up all your life experiences together and feel like A failure. Let’s concentrate on the previous - one instance at...

It’s so easy to get lost in what you can do…..for everyone else. When you get done saving the world my guess is you are too tired to follow your own dreams. Am I right? Being it all to everyone is a myth, it’s impossible. Something has to give or everyone, including you, will get a half-hearted attempt. It may be time to evaluate the plates you have spinning and make sure your dreams are represent...

  “You change for two reasons: Either you learn enough that you want to, or you've been hurt enough that you have to.” ~Unknown Boundary - a line that marks the limits. Have your limits been tested? Are your boundaries frequently crossed or violated? How strong is your perimeter? Developing a healthy boundary is establishing a system of rules that protect you from overextending yourself and being...

We’ve all heard the words “paralyzed by fear”. The inability to move in any direction and the tendency to stay stuck and obsess with “what if’s” Have you ever found yourself there? You get a thought and instead of following it down the happy trail you take a side path to doom. The mind is a powerful control center and can shoot holes and inject fear into almost any situation. You then rationalize...

What does your circle look like? Notice I didn’t ask you how many Facebook friends you have or followers on Twitter and Instagram. Who do you let into your inner circle? So many of us are looking for true and authentic connections. When you were growing up, you liked everyone small like you. Then your personality started developing and you weeded through those who looked like you but didn’t think...

The day starts and ends with you. Have you ever thought about it that way? When you wake up in the morning YOU are in charge of what you feed your consciousness. Much of our day can be dictated by the demands of life, kids, work, school, and so on but YOU can make a conscious decision on all the extras.    In an article published by the National Science Foundation, it was found that 80% of thought...