Pursue What Matters

Self-compassion is about learning to give yourself some grace while holding yourself accountable to the realities of life. It’s learning to be kind to yourself instead of critical, realizing that self-compassion is actually the path to greater achievement and happiness. Plus, it feels a lot better than always being the target of that critical voice.  This week, I’m reviewing the excellent book Sel...

This is a busy time of year and if you’re not careful, all the good things of love and work will distract you from taking care of your most important asset: you. With this episode, I want to encourage you to take some time to realign your commitment to caring for yourself. I hope this episode will help you reflect on the past year and look forward to the coming year with a focus on leveling up you...

Working hard only to feel undone by stress and overwhelm is one of the worst feelings, but unfortunately, one of the most common. In this episode, I want to help you understand what might trip you up. I’ll be sharing two common traps that get people stuck in stress and overwhelm, and I’ll give you some great solutions to help you avoid the traps and see your hard work turn into success. This podca...

This week I want to help you answer the question of ambitious goals and if you’ve got what it takes to achieve them.  This discussion will help you : Reassess what success looks like Plan and Prepare for big goals Implement solutions that will help you stay on the path of success I hope you’ll join me as I share the secret sauce of achieving ambitious, even lofty, goals. Show notes available at: h...

Too many of us spend our lives looking left and right to define success and then wonder why we’re unhappy. This week I’m inviting you to define success for yourself. I’ll help you cut through the overwhelm of comparison and focus on what truly matters to you. This discussion will help you: Consider what success means to you Reconcile your values and desire for success  Learn skills to help you ban...

This week I’m focusing on the science of spirituality and the astounding benefits of cultivating a spiritual practice. Spirituality has far-reaching benefits for your emotional, neurological, physical and social health.     ​I’ll review a fascinating new book: The Awakened Brain: The New Science of Spirituality and Our Quest for an Inspired Life by Lisa Miller. Our discussion will help you better...

In this episode, I interviewed Jake Kelfer. Jake is a lifestyle entrepreneur and coach to ambitious entrepreneurs and freedom seekers, helping people create incredibly impactful and profitable businesses. He is the bestselling author of Elevate Beyond and Elevate Your Network, a high-energy motivational speaker, and the founder of the Professional Basketball Combine, which has helped 70+ NBA draft...

Last week I helped you answer the question “are you a control freak” and I made a case for why being a control freak isn’t the worst thing ever. But I also talked about the importance of integration so that control tendencies don’t take over your life and relationships.  This week I’ll help you take a look at the dark side of over-control and how you can embrace radical acceptance to help you over...

Are you a control freak? Maybe you've been made aware of this through the comments of family, friends, or co-workers. Perhaps you're self-aware enough to recognize your tendencies to oversee, control, and take responsibility for everything. Even if you haven’t been accused of being a control freak, this episode will help you better understand the role of healthy control in life and how to use it f...

You, like many leaders, probably are in a constant state of evaluation. You evaluate your team, your life, your decisions. You constantly evaluate and reevaluate everything you do. If this is the case with you, I'd bet you're pretty stressed out. This constant effort of trying to control everything is exhausting. This week's podcast is all about learning to let go of that desire for control. This...

Growth is hard. Learning how to push yourself appropriately and take risks while balancing your need to be safe and secure is tricky. If you've recently paid attention to the podcast, you'll know this episode wraps up a 3-part series on tolerating risk.  Part 1 helped you identify your security needs so you can respect them without being ruled by them. Part 2 identified the important function of g...

Every person has security needs and growth needs. Security needs are the needs that keep us safe and protected. As Maslow taught, growth needs are the needs we have to become more than we are on the path to self-actualization.  These needs stand at opposite ends of a continuum, but are both equally important for well-being. Last week’s podcast focused on helping you understand security needs, and...

Life is risky. Nothing is guaranteed, and regardless of where you are, you're going to take your punches. Learning how to navigate the risk that comes from living life, and even more, learning how to tolerate the risks that come when leading a team, is vital to your success. So vital, in fact, that this episode is part one of a three part series on risk. This week is all about understanding yourse...

You talk to yourself. It's ok, and you can admit it. Everyone does it. Talking to yourself or having a "voice" in your head is as common as breathing air. Unfortunately, that voice in your head, if it's anything like mine, is often your biggest critic rather than your supporter. It doesn't have to be this way, though! This week I'm reviewing the book Chatter: The Voice in Our Head, Why It Matters,...

There are thousands, if not millions, of books, videos, articles, and posts on the topic of communication. Communication is studied in schools and universities, it's done via nearly every conceivable technology, and it's something you and I take part in everyday. Needless to say, communication is a vital part of daily life. It would not only be easy but would also be completely feasible and releva...

Trust is vital to just about everything in life. Trust with your spouse, your family, your neighbors, co-workers, friends, even your mailman. Trust is vital to a civilized society being able to function. You're likely very familiar with this need for basic trust in day to day life. Trust goes deeper than just believing that not everyone is out to get you or that most people are generally good folk...

As a leader, you have power. Whether it's as a boss, team leader, parent, or simply leading your own life, you have power. Many are afraid of power, while others seek to increase the power they hold. Learning how to use power for good is vital to leading well. In the words of Spiderman's Uncle Ben: "with great power comes great responsibility." This week I am talking about power and how your willi...

Are you arrogant or just confident? If you've listened to the podcast recently, you know that not all pride is created equally. Some pride is healthy, while other forms of pride are incredibly unhealthy. This week I’m tackling arrogance and confidence. Arrogance is a weapon used against others to compensate for low self-worth, whereas confidence is a tool of contribution. Those who are confident h...

Children are beginners in the true sense of the word. Every day and every experience brings something new. This makes learning so much easier for them. Without preconceived notions, previous life experience, or strongly-held opinions to interfere with the learning process, children are miraculous learning machines.  While you and I can't turn back the clock and learn as children again, there is an...

If you were like me growing up, you were taught that pride is one of the deadly sins. But what if that wasn't completely true? Certainly pride, when it displays in unkindness towards others, boasting, or any form of narcissism, is not productive and can be cancerous for a team. But there is such a thing as healthy pride. It comes when we banish self-deprecation, people pleasing, and caring how oth...

Self-connection is the foundation for living a meaningful life. That’s quite a statement, but it’s true. Last week’s episode focused on the plague of disconnection that keeps you from appreciating your most important relationships and accomplishments in life.  In this episode, I define self-connection so you know what it is and why it’s so important. Then I’ll share with you seven keys to help you...

What if I told you that we have a serious crisis on our hands? It’s not a global pandemic and yet it may be just as dangerous to our health and well-being as a plague. The malady of the day is disconnection. Disconnection from friends, emotions, the present moment, and so much more. So much of what you and I take in everyday reinforces disconnection. Disconnection is driven by incessant marketing...

It’s time for another great book review. This month I'm reviewing Rick Hanson's excellent book Resilient: How to Grow an Unshakeable Core of Calm, Strength, and Happiness. Hanson teaches that, "Fundamental to psychology & medicine is the idea that the path your life takes depends on just three causes: 1) how you manage your challenges 2) how you protect your vulnerabilities and 3) how you increase...

I spend a lot of time on this podcast talking about how to lead your team effectively, how to improve your work environment, and how to help your team with specific concerns. All of this is dependent on you being in a place as a leader to effectively lead. It’s difficult to lead your team when your personal life is in shambles.  This week I’m focusing on helping you live an abundant life. An abund...

Do you wear busy as a badge of honor? Maybe you look at your busy schedule, and between the stress of figuring out how you’re going to manage it all, you feel a little pride that you can “handle” such a crazy schedule.  Being busy can often be worn as a badge of honor. Does having a busy schedule actually make you happy? Does your busy-ness move you forward in purpose-driven ways? Do you feel fulf...