Category: Change

When you hear the words “mind control”, I’m guessing your thoughts go to things like hypnotists, Sci-Fi movies, and social media among a host of other things. In each of these situations, the idea of mind control is typically something that someone (or something) does to another person. However, I want to consider mind control from a personal standpoint. Is it possible to achieve self-mind control? What would that look like? Is this something to be desired? 

Now, maybe the term “mind control” is a bit extreme to use in this context, but I want to suggest that we can have more control over our own minds than what most of us would normally think. This includes our thoughts and mindsets and, to a certain extent, our moods and emotions as a result. To understand where I’m coming from, it will be helpful to highlight a recent line of research in neuroscience that looks into the wellbeing of our minds. An organization called The Center for He ...

 I was recently listening to the podcast "Unlocking Us" by Brene Brown, a favorite of mine, on Spotify.  The podcast was diving into a series addressing the Brene’s book, The Gifts of Imperfection, and includes a conversation between Brene and her two sisters, Ashley and Barrett. I first read the book about 7 years ago, and it has had a powerful impact on my journey.  In episode 4 of the series, a phrase jumped out to me: “Do your work” in reference to living wholeheartedly. Brown says wholeheartedness “is like a North Star. You never get there, but you know when you’re heading in the right way.” 

I am not going to get into the wonderful life changes that Brene addresses in her book, but I would definitely recommend it if the idea of “wholehearted” living intrigues you.  What I wonder is what keeps you from “doing your work?” At times, we have an idea that something ...

There have been a few times in my life when I found myself standing at the edge of a cliff.  

One of my favorite times was when I visited the Grand Canyon while I was in college. It was breathtaking, but I'll admit that I was thankful for the railing. 

When I visited the Grand Canyon, I was able to hike down to the bottom. I didn't scale down a cliff, but instead took a meandering, all-day hike to a place called Phantom Ranch. 

Our lives can often mirror this same journey. 

There is rarely a time when we make one big decision to get us where we end up going. Instead, we often take baby steps down a path that can leave us wondering how we ended up there. Just as often, we look for the one “big decision” to change our life for the better. 

Unfortunately, we often don’t pay attention to the little things along the way that lead us down the path.  We can become so preoccu ...