One of the biggest changes I have made in my life in the last few years is to recognize how much I have focused on immediate gratification.  Not the obsessive-compulsive, addictive definition where you can't stop yourself from eating, drinking, shopping, Facebook scrolling, or whatever, but more of the chasing after things that I knew I could get and fast. Examples of this are: over scheduling my days by booking too many appointments and then having to race from one to another, just...

When you meet a woman who has good boundaries, bears no resemblance to a people pleaser and carefully considers her own needs before agreeing to take responsibility for someone else's, time seems to stand still and you're admittedly in a bit of shock as well as admiration. I am not talking about a woman who is a genuine bitch, who actually doesn't give two shits about anyone but herself, that's a different story. I don't mean a Disney villainess either. I am talking about a woman who is...

In order to have an emotionally healthy life, we need to understand where feelings come from, and it's not where most people think it is. It's such a common misunderstanding and the source of many dysfunctional relationships, broken friendships and even divorces. It's also not our fault, because we are being taught to believe that we are responsible for other people's feelings and they are responsible for ours from a very early age, at home, in school, and in our religious institutions.

Once...

I have always been high energy, goal-oriented, ambitious person who simply can't stay in one place and have been on a lifelong adventure of continuous personal evolution. But, I didn't always label my drivenness as a positive trait, as I do now. In fact, it took me many, many years to fully embrace who I really am, without trying to slow down or play small to make others more comfortable. And I got lots of negative feedback that told me I was not OK the way I was. 

Like most kids who...

I have been talking about writing for more years than I care to admit. I had countless ideas, good ideas, I thought. Other people would tell me " You should write" to which I would reply, " I know!" When I would read other people's books, blogs, articles in my genre, I would think to myself "This isn't that great. I could do this." But I didn't. 

There were at least 5 or 6 complete books mapped out on 3x3 post-it notes on the wall of my office. I Googled various titles and checked if the...

I've just got to rant about something that has been making me just a little bit crazy, ever since I went to grad school in the early 90s. The number of people who become therapists, coaches, energy workers, and every brand of healer, without working through their own baggage. There I said it. 

I believe we need to deal before we can heal. We need to deal with our own brokenness, our own emotional scar tissue, our own traumas, and dramas before we are truly equipped to help another...

I just arrived at my hotel for a four-day conference. My Uber driver was right on time, at the ungodly hour of 4:30 AM. The Alaska Airlines flight from Portland to Orlando was also on time. I got to sit in the exit aisle, so my 34" inseams were fully extended. The guy seated next to me used the restroom as often as I did, so I didn't even need to create a hassle over that. There was even an empty seat between us, so my stuff could spread itself out. Flight attendants were personable and...

The human brain loves to identify, label and categorize things. It's how we learn and how the brain can store so much information without ever having an upgrade, or even an update, across the entire span of human life. It's really quite amazing but is also the source of considerable suffering, mainly because there is no such thing as an operations manual for humans. If you are lucky enough to stumble upon this information, it definitely helps you understand why you are the way you are, and...

I watched a very inspiring movie last night & I'm almost 100% positive you've never heard of it. The title is "The Eagle Huntress", a 2016 documentary story of Aisholpan, a 13-year-old Kazakh girl from a nomadic family in Mongolia, who was driven to become the first female eagle hunter to compete in the eagle festival in Mongolia. Her father, Nurgaiv, was an eagle hunter, as was her grandfather. In fact, Aisholpan was born into a family that had produced eagle hunters for over 1,000...

It can be really scary to recognize that you can't do things the way everyone else does and you really don't want to, even if it "works." It just feels wrong, like you are denying your authentic self. This trait can be seen as obstinate, rebellious, insubordinate or stubborn. But I think it's simply being genuine and true to yourself when you don't think like everyone else. 

If you are an entrepreneur in the online world, like myself, there are hundreds of marketing and branding coaches...