Does taking a risk in life stress you out? Any time we engage in an activity, we are taking a risk. This is how we live our lives—from getting out of bed in the morning and not losing our balance so we don’t fall—to crossing the street and hoping a car doesn’t appear from nowhere to hit us. Watch Now
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Parenting Tip: Remember that being positive in your communications is a more constructive teacher than sending negative messages. Your children do better when they feel good, not when they feel bad. Speaking to children about what you WANT—in contrast to what you DON’T want—prompts feelings of being valued, supported, respected, motivated, and challenged. Communicating in positive terms also triggers enthusiasm, capability, and pride. These approaches promote maturity while bringing more joy to parenting. READ MORE
READ MORE >>> →One way to reduce stress is to realize that everything in life has a price. The key to reducing stress is knowing the price beforehand and being willing to pay the price. I’m not talking about actual dollars and cents here. I’m talking about the emotional, mental, or physical costs for every action you take. For example, at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, one of the world’s great technology universities, new students are asked to choose two from the following: friends, grades, or sleep. The point, of course, is that one cannot have all three. The concept that “everything has a price” is similar to “opportunity costs” that economists use. For example, if you watch a television program, rather than
READ MORE >>> →You’ve heard the phrase “Seeing is believing”. Well, this is absolutely true … when the ‘seeing’ is in your mind. One of the great approaches to successful living and reducing stress is to develop the art of prompting positive images. For example, suppose I lay a plank on the ground. Almost anyone can easily walk on the plank from one end to the other. But if I were to raise the plank 10 feet off the ground, how many people do you think would get across it without falling? I would guess quite a few people would fall off the plank. Learn More
READ MORE >>> →I’ve long-asserted that rewards are counter-intuitive. A friend told me the following story that illustrates how rewards also sabotage teamwork. My friend was chatting with a man who coaches sports teams of 8 and 9-year-olds. He mentioned that he had a lot of difficulty this year in getting the kids to work together as a team. My friend, an experienced primary teacher, started to offer some suggestions that she had found successful for developing an atmosphere of teamwork in her classroom. But the gentleman quickly stopped her. “Oh, you don’t understand,” he said. “It’s not the kids who are the problem; it’s the parents! The parents have all told their kids that they would get money for every goal they
READ MORE >>> →To live your life to perfection sounds just about perfect, doesn’t it? Don’t be fooled, this tip will have you realize why aiming for perfection is flawed and what you can do about it. Perfection is a goal that you should not strive to achieve because it can prompt a crippling condition, anxiety, and overly critical self-evaluation. Excellence can be reached—but not perfectionism. Striving for flawlessness and setting excessively high standards is a burden no one should carry. WATCH MORE
READ MORE >>> →Many people find it challenging to separate themselves from what others may think about them. This is especially the case when it comes to learning. We can see this play out in classrooms and workplaces every day. Both children and adults are afraid to make a mistake when learning something new, and as a result they prefer not to take chances, not to speak up with new ideas, and not to stretch beyond their current comfort zone. Doing so is simply too stressful. But consider this: generally, people are not embarrassed to make mistakes when learning a musical instrument. They don’t give up when they play a wrong note on the piano—or in my case the Great Highland Bagpipes. The
READ MORE >>> →When I was a young teen-ager, I had a clear glass covering the top of my desk in my bedroom. From time to time, I would collect thoughts that made an impression on me and placed them under the glass so I could review them. One of the quotes I saved under that glass may have a long-term effect on you—as it had on me. The quote I remember most came from Bernard Baruch, an advisor to presidents—among his many other achievements and contributions. I quote Bernard Baruch: “I believe above all else in reason, in the power of the human mind to cope with the problems of life. “To nothing so much as the abandonment of reason does humanity
READ MORE >>> →We usually think of Halloween as a time for fun. For example, as an elementary school principal for seven years, each Halloween 750 youngsters in kindergarten through 6th grade dressed in masks and costumes followed me around the playground as I played my Great Highland Bagpipes. It was always a joyous occasion and lots of fun. Let’s reflect on the reason people wear costumes and masks this season. They engage in this activity to hide their identity—to become a different person.
READ MORE >>> →We can all benefit from taking an occasional break from our daily stress. Think about how much stress you are carrying around every day. While stress is inevitable in today’s world, how much you carry with you, and for how long, can have significant negative effects on your health. I once heard the following analogy, which really put this topic in perspective. A young lady confidently walked around the room while leading and explaining stress management to an audience with a raised glass of water. Everyone knew she was going to ask the ultimate question: “Half empty or half full?” She fooled them all. “How heavy is this glass of water?” she inquired with a smile. Answers ranged from 8
READ MORE >>> →Whether you expect to succeed or expect to fail, your expectations become self-fulfilling prophecies. When you expect failure, you communicate your expectations to your subconscious mind. Your brain accepts the notion and prompts your mindset as if you will fail. You actually program yourself in a negative way to do the things that will lead to failure. This negative thinking creates anxiety that contributes to stress.
READ MORE >>> →Many teachers and parents often ask me how they can instill a joy of learning in children who seem to hate school. Since it’s true that you teach someone something they don’t want to learn, the question then becomes, “How can you create interest so that the young person will WANT to do what you would like?” In other words, how can you spark the joy of learning? Here are a few suggestions: Let the youngster know that you understand how he or she feels and that you will make no attempt to change the youngster’s feelings. (This approach is often referred to as paradoxical in that as soon as you indicate you will not do anything, the person very often wants to do
READ MORE >>> →We all know smoking is bad for you, but did you know that the simple act of sitting too long is also unhealthy? Who knew, the dangers of sitting? Sit still long enough to hear this tip, and you may take a stand against sitting. The human body is made for movement. The sedentary culture of sitting for long periods of time is taking a major toll on people’s health. When sitting for long periods, our bodies become less efficient. Sitting for more than six hours a day puts you on a very unhealthy path—even if you exercise.
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READ MORE >>> →I’ve long asserted that we should celebrate the differences in people rather than pose them in a negative light. Unfortunately, many people see their differences as flaws, and they view their diversity in a negative way. But in reality, our differences are not flaws; rather, they are what make us unique. They key is to focus on the positive aspects of our diversity. This topic reminds me of the story about the cracked water pot. A water-bearer in China had two large pots, each hung on the ends of a pole that he carried across his neck. One of the pots had a crack in it while the other pot was perfect and always delivered a full portion of water. At the end
READ MORE >>> →You may know the term “monkey on your back,” which refers to some problem or challenge that needs to be addressed. But what happens when someone want to hand you his monkey? This tip is about what to do when someone wants to unload his monkey on you. When we do things for people that they can do for themselves, we deprive them of the opportunity to learn, grow, and become more self-sufficient.
READ MORE >>> →Many people struggle with self-acceptance. In other words, too many people are searching for acceptance outside of themselves when they haven’t yet learned to accept themselves. Self-acceptance means being okay with WHO you are. It means being kind to yourself even when you make mistakes, fail, or do something that you later regret. When you practice self-acceptance, you reduce your stress level greatly. Self-acceptance is a close relative to self-esteem. It is difficult to have one without the other, and, if you have one, you will tend to have the other. There may be many reasons why people have low self-acceptance, but most fall into one or more the following areas: A desire to be perfect A focus on imperfections rather than on blessings An eager desire for
READ MORE >>> →“No” is one of the shortest words in the English language. However, its constant use can prompt some of the biggest challenges in family and in other relationships. Ever say “NO!” to a person? It seems rather obvious that the response to this question prompts negative feelings. If you ask for something and you receive a negative response, you will not be very pleased.
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