Susceptibility to Stress

Why are some people more susceptible to stress than others?  I’m going to focus on stress and burnout this month and really dive into the factors on which I believe we need to focus in order to be more resilient. Stress is a somewhat catch all term these days, but for my purposes we will

Self-care Before Service

I think it’s safe to say that most of us that either grew up in a veteran-based family or who actually joined the service were taught to have a heart for service. I know I was taught as a child to be of service by the examples of my veteran father and nurse mother. I

On Purpose, with a Purpose

Are you floating through life hoping for the best? I can honestly say that I was doing that for the past 5 years or so. I had some work goals that I was managing intentionally, but personally, not so much. Last fall, I decided I needed to do something different. I wanted to lose weight

Embracing your Unique Creativity

Did you know that all humans are creative? “Creativity is the power to connect the seemingly unconnected” as stated by William Plomer is the definition of creativity that makes the most sense to me . The brain is hardwired to make predictions based on experiences and patterns. It doesn’t care if the prediction is correct

Hope is a Strategy

You’ve probably heard people say that hope is not a strategy. I’ve actually said this myself. I think what we actually meant to say is that wishing is not a strategy. The definition of hope according to a quick search is “expectation and desire for a certain thing to happen”. This definition implies an action

Breaking the Habit of Rumination

Rumination is the endless spin cycle of rehashing a situation hoping to gain insight. My friends, this insight never comes. Rumination is a trigger for anxiety and overwhelm and does not serve us in any way. You might call rumination, worry, but it’s the same thing. Did you know that rumination is a habit? We

Practicing Self-Compassion

I’ve had a challenging few months in helping my mom through her illness. In challenging times, I’m convinced we learn the most about ourselves. My sense of compassion for my mom is very high. As she is dealing with a disease that won’t get better and will eventually take her, I find myself thinking that

Tools for Cultivating Personal Awareness

Our brains are an amazing piece of anatomy. More powerful than any computer, it’s one big prediction engine that makes processes habitual to conserve energy. This is great, except when it isn’t. It’s not so great if you are trying to get a different result in your life. In a habitual process, thoughts turn into

Strive for Uncomfortable

Have you ever tried to purposely create the feeling of uncomfortable? Are you thinking that I may have lost it? Hang in there with me and see where I am going with this. To grow, there must be discomfort. In nature, when things grow, there is a breaking through that happens that I presume is

The Process for Living an Intentional Life

What does it mean to live with intention? I suspect that the answer is different for all of us. For me, it means living my life on purpose, choosing to plan what I’m going to accomplish every single day and holding myself accountable to following my plan.  In the past, I had tried to start