Pursue What Matters

This week, we will discuss the importance of understanding your strengths. Doing so makes your application of grit much more effective. I will help you understand how you can see your strengths through a personal assessment and how you can play to your strengths.   This podcast will help you: Understand the importance of your strengths Identify your strengths through a strengths assessment  Play t...

Grit can be a beautiful thing and is foundational for success, but what you apply your grit to matters. Tune into today as I discuss why grit alone is not enough.   This podcast will help you: Learn the meaning of grit Prioritize your direction of girt Understand that grit alone may not be enough   Connect on Instagram @dr.melissasmith   Don't miss out on weekly podcast episodes. Subscribe here to...

It can be painful to admit you may not be skilled in an endeavor you are pursuing. But the sooner you can see this reality clearly, the sooner you can begin climbing the right mountain. Join me as I discuss why focusing on developing your existing strengths gives you a much higher Return on Investment (ROI).   This podcast will help you: Choose effective strategies for growth  Learn to let go of y...

Boundaries ensure you thrive! Your willingness to hold yourself accountable will set the foundation for greater well-being and thriving in life. Today on the podcast, I will help you understand the leading causes of doing too much, and I’ve got many ideas to help you set boundaries with yourself and others. This podcast will help you: Understand that burnout has different causes Set work, lifestyl...

This week, I am reviewing Damon Zahariades' book, The Art of Saying No: How To Stand Your Ground, Reclaim Your Time And Energy, And Refuse To Be Taken For Granted. Tune in as I talk about why it’s a good idea to say “no” more often, and how to set and hold boundaries. You’ll learn that you’re responsible for being clear and respectful, but you are not responsible for others’ reactions.  This podca...

Are you doing too much? Join me to talk about how you may be pushing yourself to the brink. Burnout is definitely a thing.  This podcast will help you: Understand the impact of burnout Identify signs you may be doing too much Learn specific ways to help yourself do less Connect on Instagram @dr.melissasmith Don't miss out on weekly podcast episodes. Subscribe here to receive new episode drops in y...

Join today to learn how mastery and self-worth are foundations for building secure self-esteem both at work and at home.  This podcast will help you: Understand mastery Identify how mastery can help you trust yourself Learn what the paradox of self-esteem is  Connect on Instagram @dr.melissasmith Don't miss out on weekly podcast episodes. Subscribe here to receive new episode drops in your inbox e...

Join me on the podcast to understand how cultivating self-compassion over self-esteem builds the foundation for greater well-being, happiness, achievement, and meaning. As we strengthen our foundation of self-worth, it becomes internalized. We know we matter, and we are less vulnerable to how others see us.  This podcast will help you: Identify what self-worth is and why it matters  Learn that you...

With this week's podcast, I'll be diving into Ryan Holiday's new book: Courage is Calling: Fortune Favors the Brave. In this episode, I'll unpack the elements of fear, cowardice, courage, bravery, and lastly, the elements of heroism, an expression of valor.  This podcast will help you: Identify the elements of fear Learn how acts of courage can inspire you  Understand why the world needs your cour...

Join in as I discuss the two things you’ll want to focus on in order to feel better about yourself. I will share what healthy self-esteem is and how you can truly cultivate this both for yourself, your family, and those you lead.  This podcast will help you:  Understand what healthy self-esteem is Learn how healthy self-esteem develops Identify the two components of healthy self-esteem Connect on...

Join me on the podcast as I talk about the problem of self-esteem and give you practical suggestions to keep you on the right side of self-esteem. This podcast will help you: Identify the problem of self-esteem Learn how facing challenges sets the foundation for secure self-esteem  How self-esteem can feed narcissism Connect on Instagram @dr.melissasmith Don't miss out on weekly podcast episodes....

Join me this week on the podcast as we discuss the good, the bad, and the ugly of self-esteem. We’ll explore why self-esteem is good if done right and give you some solutions to better apply self-esteem in your life.  This podcast will help you: Learn the impact of the self-esteem movement (hint: it’s not all roses)  Understand the difference between secure & insecure self-esteem Identify effectiv...

With this week’s podcast, I’ll be diving into Pink’s incredible book: The Power of Regret: How Looking Backward Moves Us Forward. In this episode, I’ll unpack why Pink says regret is so important to life, and I’ll help you use regret to “make smarter decisions, perform better at work, and deepen [y]our sense of meaning and purpose.” This podcast will help you: Understand the value of regret Identi...

Falling for the sunk cost fallacy leads to emotional bias, poor decision-making, and worse outcomes. Join me this week as I help you identify this fallacy and - more importantly - help you overcome this challenge for better decision-making.   This discussion will help you: Learn what the sunk cost fallacy is See how emotional bias can lead to poor decisions Develop a decision-making process that o...

Finding the sweet spot in life between two extremes is a daily struggle. With confidence, it’s just the same. Too much confidence can turn to arrogance and burn the bridges of relationships. Too little confidence will make you ineffective and easily ignored. This week I want to help you find that sweet spot of confidence. This discussion will help you: Understand the difference between competence...

This week I want to help you navigate the journey from novice to expert and avoid the issues of overconfidence that may leave you vulnerable to getting stranded on the top of Mount Stupid. This discussion will help you: Identify how you might get stuck on Mount Stupid Understand the relationship between competence and confidence  Apply consistent practices to help  you succeed on your journey   Co...

This episode is all about understanding true confidence and casting off common misunderstandings of confidence. Applying the principles in this episode will help you be truly confident while gaining the trust and respect of those around you. This discussion will help you: Understand the true meaning of confidence Identify common blindspots that get in the way of confidence Apply solutions to help...

This week I’m reviewing Donald Miller’s new book, Hero on a Mission: A Path to a Meaningful Life. Miller uses his own experiences to help you live a better story. If you recognize the villain or victim roles in your own story, join me to learn how you can actively choose to be the hero in your journey and a guide in others’ stories.  This discussion will help you: Recognize when you’re playing the...

Why is trust so hard to build and maintain? Perhaps the biggest reason is that trust requires vulnerability. In order to build trust, you must make yourself vulnerable to some extent. Otherwise, trust cannot be built.  This discussion will help you: Understand what trust is Identify why trust matters at work Learn how to build trust  Connect on Instagram @dr.melissasmith Don't miss out on weekly p...

Today I’m talking about the impact your thoughts can have on the presence and strength of depression as well as anxiety in your life. While there are a variety of factors that lead to these complex mental health issues, at the root of each are thoughts that send us in a tailspin.   This discussion will help you: Identify the prevalence of anxiety and depression  Understand  the connection between...

Welcome to my book review for January 2022! To start the year off strong, I wanted to continue my deep dive into thoughts and their effect on each of us. This month I'm reviewing Retrain Your Brain: Cognitive Behavioral Therapy in 7 Weeks, a fantastic workbook by Seth J. Gillihan focused on helping you banish destructive thought processes.   This discussion will help you: Understand what CBT is Ap...

The stories we tell ourselves are usually chock full of cognitive distortions, which are inaccurate thoughts, perceptions, or beliefs that are characterized by negativity. This week I want to help you identify, understand, and rewrite the stories that may not be serving you.   This discussion will help you: Understand what cognitive distortions are Learn how cognitive distortions may be outsmartin...

This episode is about banishing those miserable thoughts, learning to sort through the good and the bad in your thought process, and staying off the path of misery. This podcast episode will help you: Learn the role of thoughts Understand the cognitive triad of self, world, and future Get out of your own way Connect on Instagram @dr.melissasmith Don't miss out on weekly podcast episodes. Subscribe...

This week I'm introducing my new, limited-time course, Stress is Not the Problem. This exclusive, brand-new course will teach you how to overcome the misunderstandings of stress many of us have and use a proper understanding of stress as a launchpad to greater growth and well-being. I hope you'll join me on this episode as I discuss why this is the case and what this short course can do to help yo...

Did you know that your beliefs about stress can significantly alter the impact stress has on your body? Stress can lead to health-protective benefits or health-destructive costs for you. The very cool thing about this is that you get to choose your outcome.  So many of us get stress totally wrong and then are surprised when it threatens to take us down. I am committed to helping you understand the...