Self Help
Think-Change: Five Things to Stop Doing to Create a Better You
Did you know that scientific research found that the brain doesn’t fully develop – especially your prefrontal cortex, the problem solving part of your brain – until your mid-20s?
However, a neuroscientist Sarah-Jayne Blakemore at the Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience at University College, London explained in a 2010 PhysOrg.com article that the brain continues to change shape well into your 30s and 40s. In fact, the prefrontal cortex of our brain takes the longest to develop and is the key area in charge of high cognitive functions: planning, decision making, social behavior, social awareness, emotional intelligence, and various personality traits.
So, when we are told to “grow up” and “get with the program” or “stop being so immature,” technically we can blame it on our brain development or lack there of. What does this have to do with the direction of our lives, especially now that we’re in the New Year and everyone is claiming 2015 as a better year for them? Everything. Read the rest of this entry »
The Power of Surrender
Surrender seems like an ethereal concept, one that takes more than power of will to remove the ego and to just let go. When stubbornness gets in the way of true change, we find that we’re stuck with old software uploaded into the most complex computer on earth — our brains.
We desire to improve but are often in the way of our own progress because unconsciously we continue to trigger emotions that reinforce negative childhood experiences, hold onto outdated beliefs and recreate negative behaviors, those of which we were taught long ago. We haven’t found a way to uninstall the old software and reprogram our brain with new, improved and healthier software that we’ve personally designed. It is not based upon forced ideals from circumstances, environment or society.
If we could only comprehend how much power we have over the results we wish to see in our lives, we’d stop doubting our capabilities and value the power we hold within us. It goes way beyond the overused concept of “self-esteem” and having “self confidence.” Plenty of successful people have confidence, but they lack the capability to expand outside of their box and welcome change regardless of how flawless their lives appear to be or what they’ve gained externally and the versions of themselves that they flaunt. Everyone today can create a social media profile, one that allows for a perfectly catered exterior and tastefully chosen posts in order to boast and throw up the illusion of an unblemished life. Read the rest of this entry »
Life Transition? Reinvent Yourself!
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According to a Huffington Post article, 55 percent of American women polled by PayPal explained that they are entrepreneurs because they seek a healthier work-life balance. Meanwhile, 47 percent of women said that passion for their career was their strongest motivation. For me, both passion and obtaining a work-life balance (quality family time) is extremely important. This is why I strive to keep an open mind when it comes to expanding my self-employment opportunities.
Risk is risk no matter the career. But it’s especially risky as competition increases, such as in a creative field, and takes even more guts. I had an exciting opportunity to work with a friend from undergraduate film school. She was at a transitional period in her career when, after getting sick, she took time off. In doing so, she found the time to pursue another creative venture. The next thing she knew, a hobby turned into a new business – her own fashion line.
The Bottom Line:
I enjoyed the opportunity to film and edit this video. Working in the creative field isn’t easy but can also be extremely rewarding. As I stated in a previous article, you have to think outside of the box and produce your own opportunity in a creative world. It’s great if you have contacts, connections and “peeps” to open doors for you. If you’re applying for jobs, that’s great. Keep at it. But in the meantime, if the doors aren’t opening immediately, then why rely on others to give you the opportunity that you can otherwise create for yourself?
Success Doesn’t Require A Leap, But A Micro-Step
According to recent 2014 statistics, here are the top 10 New Year’s resolutions: lose weight; get organized; save more money; enjoy life more; stay fit; learn something new; quit smoking; help others; fall in love; and spend more time with family.
However, out of the 45 percent of Americans who make New Year’s resolution, 24 percent fail and only 8 percent actually succeed.
Many people also have a bucket list of what they’d like to achieve before they leave this earth. Running a marathon happens to be one of the most popular. In 1976 there were approximately 25,000 marathon finishers, a small number compared to the record high of 541,000 determined runners that completed marathons in 2013. This is despite the Boston marathon bombing on April 15, 2013. Rather than deterring Americans, the tragedy perhaps inspired more runners to put on their running shoes. Read the rest of this entry »
Sleep is Our Best Friend for Professional, Personal Health
Imagine a type of fatigue that numbs you head to toe and scrambles your thoughts until you are engulfed in an incoherent fog. You might be so overcome with exhaustion that you literally cannot see straight. You are drained not by an intense workout at the gym or a long day spent in the sun but by a lack of sleep. But, no matter how tired you are you are unable to rest.
You’re brain will not shut off. Thoughts continue to race around your head as each minute and hour that ticks by makes you more and more frustrated. Insomnia, especially chronic insomnia, can be caused by a numerous factors. Regardless of general causes, studies show that insomnia to be one of the key signs of clinical depression. Read the rest of this entry »
Writing With Hope 