Tag: Motivation

The person you truly are is reflected in the choices you make in your life.  If those choices aren’t good, it’s probable that you will have an intimate relationship with Anxiety.  Perhaps the true testament of your character and emotional stability is what you do when no one is watching.  Being thoughtful and considerate of others and the environment around you provides you with a sense of self-worth.   If you aren’t worth much to yourself, then anxiety will likely take control over you.  It’s the little decisions you make when no one’s watching which define you.  Putting your weights back after you use them in the gym, returning the shopping cart to the store or storage area, discarding your trash appropriately are just examples of how easy it can be to become more conscientious.  No matter how small the act, these consistent decisions will give you a sense of accomplishment.  You will feel as though you are progressing in this world and progress breeds happiness.  Happiness in the enemy of Anxiety!

In a world of ever-changing social landscapes, we have become more divided than ever. What could be worse for your psychology and ultimate fulfillment when you see your neighbor as a threat?  If things like skin color, gender or politics define each of us then God help us.  In fact, WE ARE WAY MORE ALIKE than WE ARE DIFFERENT.  We have families that although we love them, they drive us crazy! We love our sports, our food, our music, and our culture.  We celebrate newborns and mourn the passing of family and loved ones. We worship and care for people we love.  We work hard to provide financial stability for our families.  We struggle with anxiety and feel that we are not enough. The list could go on forever and no matter where you live and/or the color of your skin, we are ALL just trying to navigate through our journey with as much peace as possible.  How you see others is your own perspective.  Perhaps if you see people based on their MERITS, you might realize that they are a lot like you.

“Look at a man the way he is and he only becomes worse, but look at him as if he were what he could be, then he becomes what he should be”. Johann Wolfgang von Goethe.

Your BRAIN is like a new apartment, a blank space waiting to be decorated. Your MIND is responsible for the décor.   They may seem like the same, but nothing could be further from the truth.  We all share almost the same brain but each of us has a distinctly different mind and you are fully in charge to choose to do whatever you want with it.  In other words, how you think will decorate the apartment you live in.  Do you want it bright and cheery or dark and gloomy?  It’s your call.

The more you think a certain way, the better your mind gets at it.  Think SH***Y become SH***Y.  Think positive become amazing!!  We are easily programmed to see things negatively.  The challenge is to see things positively because it takes far more work to achieve. The optimist outlives the pessimist by 7 years.  Thinking differently costs you nothing but the rewards are immeasurable!

Have you ever been in a noisy and busy nightclub while trying to have a conversation with someone?  It’s very difficult to concentrate and eventually make a connection.  This is a lot like our lives where we are constantly pounded with external stimuli from TV, internet, social media, etc.  We become so preoccupied with what’s happening with the world AROUND US that we forget to stop the madness and tune into our inner voice which is desperate to connect with us and make us whole.  For many, this disconnect with the truth about who we really are and the purpose we’ve yet to discover has lead to feelings of bitterness, frustration, anger and resentment.
Taking time to isolate yourself away from everything you know is an opportunity to discover and listen to your inner voice.  You may learn to focus on the things that make you feel happy instead of the tsunami of negative things that have destroyed your navigation system.  Isolate, be quiet, and truly listen and you will hear the messages that have been dying to get your attention for years.  Spoiler Alert:  YOU JUST MIGHT FIND PEACE AND HAPPINESS DEEP INSIDE.

As you navigate yourself through life, it’s easy to become manipulated by external forces (social media, television, politics etc.). These forces bring a plethora of negative influences that look to control your mind for their gain, not yours. Too often, we look to compare ourselves to what others are doing.  This is a trap!  Each of us is on a journey as specific as our own fingerprint.  Stop worrying that you’re not as good or as far along as someone else.  You’re exactly where you’re supposed to be. Perhaps it’s time to stop looking outward for validation and start looking inward at yourself for the answers you seek.  Do you even know who you are and why you’re here?  You’re so inundated with data from the external world that you don’t even know how to listen to your inner voice.  This is partly why you are anxious.  Consider temporarily isolating yourself from the world of social media, internet, television, and friends to stop the constant chatter in your mind.  The answers you seek about yourself are revealed in quiet isolation. It may take days, weeks, or months but when you become self-aware, you’ll return to the world with a profound sense of who you are and where you’re going.  You will learn to remove negative influences and surround yourself with only positive energy to assist you on your journey.

Life is filled with difficulty. It is the struggle that provides an avenue towards your greatness. No one before you and no one after you will ever reach their true potential without learning the lessons that this brutal life can instill.  Life does not happen to you, but rather for you.  Once you understand that these difficulties are inevitable and part of your journey to success, you’ll become less of a victim and more of an opportunist.You already possess everything you need to build a meaningful life. Start each day with an attitude of gratitude for all that you have.  Gratitude is the key that unlocks your heart and makes life meaningful. Get up each day and go after the things you want but never forget that you already have what you need.  It all comes down to your attitude and perspective.

When you think, nerve cells (neurons) connect with each other creating a hardwired pattern of thought.  A negative pattern of thinking results in the release of chemical hormones that flood your blood stream and stimulate all of your cells to make proteins that tend to make you sick.  It’s like putting Low Grade gasoline in your engine as opposed to High Octane!  It won’t hurt you right away but, in the end, things will erode. As long as you can breathe, you can change your life. Simply make a decision about how you want to feel and focus all of your energy on it.  Steer clear of negative thoughts, negative programming and negative people.  When you find yourself overwhelmed, go outside into nature and calm yourself.  Your experience in life is connected to how you feel, which is a product of how you think.

When you experience stress, you’re simply applying meaning to an event that has either HAPPENED or you THINK will happen to you.  Sometimes you are correct and sometimes you are not. Studies have shown that up to 93% of what you stress over never actually happens.  Unfortunately, poor thinking/chronic stress has profound negative effects on your cells and ultimately your health.  Perhaps like grandma used to say to you, “change your attitude and watch yourself soar”.  She was right and this podcast will teach you why she was right from a doctors’ perspective.  Your body becomes what you consistently think of.

There are several different causes of DEPRESSION but perhaps the most powerful one of all is LONELINESS.  That doesn’t mean that you simply don’t have other people in your proximity, it means that you struggle to make strong human connections. Over 55 million people in America wake up every day and take medication for depression and anxiety.  We’ve been told by the AMA and Big Pharma that mood stabilizing medications, SSRI’s, help to balance serotonin levels in our brain which reduces the symptoms of depression and anxiety. The question is, does the science support this hypothesis?  Does the medication really change the brain or is the effect a placebo?  Join me for this interesting discussion into all things related to depression.

Sports have been a staple in America for years.  If you live in the New England area like me, you know that the foundation of great sports lore is built around the Boston Red Sox.  Join me in this conversation with Chris Valente, the Director of Marketing for the Boston Red Sox as we get an update on our beloved team.  Chris discusses how sports have provided a haven for fellowship and entertainment allowing a modicum of escape from life’s challenges. When all else fails…Go Sox!!