well-being

Using 'What’s Going Well' to Battle the Spread of Negativity

Using 'What’s Going Well' to Battle the Spread of Negativity

Humanity on the whole has never been better off than we are now. The world is safer, we live longer, we are healthier, and many people are wealthier.

But as humans, our brains are naturally wired to cynicism. We’re more likely to focus on the negatives of a situation and not even notice the positives.

Using 'What’s Going Well' to Boost Peak Performance

Using 'What’s Going Well' to Boost Peak Performance

Changing our focus to What’s Going Well and rejecting negativity isn’t just about making us happier (though that’s a nice side-effect, too!). When we practice it regularly, it extends far beyond day-to-day joy and becomes a part of who we are. Eventually, we don’t have to work to practice it anymore. It comes to us naturally.

Using What’s Going Well to Change Our Language

Using What’s Going Well to Change Our Language

Language is embedded in everything around us. It doesn’t just impact how we think, it is how we think. It’s the start of a chain reaction: how we think greatly impacts what we believe, and what we believe impacts the actions we take or don’t take, which eventually shapes our reality.

Laugh More in 2016

In speaking engagements I use humor to inspire and engage my audiences. (Little known fact, I have performed stand-up comedy shows.) However, lately I have noticed there are days I am not laughing enough. Research shows kids laugh up to 415 times a day while adults laugh only 15 times. This year one of my goals is to laugh more. Besides, why should the kids have all the fun?

Manage Your Own Punch Bowl

Being a leader requires emotional energy. There are lots of demands on your time and energy. I was recently leading a seminar with a group of upcoming leaders and I was asked, "How can I stay positive in such a demanding world as a leader with the complexity of all my roles?" I responded that it’s up to you to fill your punch bowl. Every day I think about what activities I will engage in that will fill my punch bowl.
 

Advice to Your Younger Self

My youngest daughter just turned 11. This momentous event got me thinking about what advice I would give the 11 year old me. I then started asking a lot of friends, colleagues, and random people this: Given all that you know now, and what the 11 year old you was dealing with, what advice would you give yourself?