The Positive Professional: Recent Episodes
Tracyavon
Today, I’m diving into a topic that’s close to my heart—how to cultivate your own happiness. Now, let me start by acknowledging something many of us have been taught to believe: that happiness comes from external sources. Whether it’s relationships, achievements, or material possessions, we’ve often been led to think that these are the things that will make us truly happy. In today’s episode, I’ll be sharing practical tips, personal insights, and actionable steps that will help you take control of your own happiness. We’ll talk about what happiness really means, why you shouldn’t rely on others to make you happy, and how to cultivate happiness from within. So, whether you’re listening on your way to work, during a break, or winding down for the evening, I hope you’ll find something valuable to take away.
This episode dives into a topic that affects so many yet is often misunderstood and under-discussed: recovery from narcissistic abuse and gaslighting and how self-compassion can serve as a powerful tool on the road to healing.
In our fast-paced world, rest is often equated with sleep, but there's so much more to it. Today's episode will explore mental, physical, emotional, and sensory rest, along with one more type of rest you might not expect. Understanding these different types of rest can help you achieve a more fulfilling and healthier life.
-Mental rest is about quieting your mind and taking breaks from constant thinking.
-Physical rest involves both passive and active relaxation to help your body recover.
-Emotional rest means allowing yourself to express and process your feelings.
-Sensory rest focuses on reducing sensory input and finding calm.
-Social rest involves being intentional about your social interactions and setting boundaries.
Incorporating these types of rest into your routine can help you lead a more balanced and fulfilling life."
Take small steps to integrate these different types of rest into your daily life
How to be Intentional About Experiencing Joy
Today I’m diving into a topic that can truly transform your life: how to be intentional about experiencing joy. In our fast-paced world, it’s easy to let moments of joy slip by unnoticed. Today, we’ll explore how to capture those moments, create them intentionally, and live a life that celebrates daily joy.
This episode explores how slow breathing techniques can significantly impact our psycho-physiological state.
This episode discusses the importance of not hiding your feelings. And what better way to illustrate this than by examining the much-anticipated movie "Inside Out 2."
Today I'm going to explore a topic that's often misunderstood but widely discussed: narcissism. I'll break down what narcissism is, the different types of narcissistic personalities, and how to identify them in everyday life.
Today I'm diving into an incredibly relevant topic as we move into the warmer months—how to maintain your mental health in the summer. Summer is often seen as a time for relaxation, vacations, and outdoor fun, but it can also come with its own challenges for our mental well-being. Whether you're a student on break, a professional dealing with the summer slump, or just trying to make the most of the season, this episode is for you.
Cloud meditation is a visualization technique often used in mindfulness and relaxation practices.
Benefits of Cloud Meditation
Reduces Stress and Anxiety: Visualizing your thoughts drifting away can help reduce stress and anxiety, providing a mental break from worries.
Enhances Focus: Focusing on the visualization helps improve concentration and mindfulness.
Promotes Relaxation: The calming imagery and deep breathing foster physical and mental relaxation.
Encourages Letting Go: It teaches a gentle way to acknowledge and release intrusive thoughts.
Tips for Practice
Consistency: Try to practice at the same time each day to build a routine.
Comfort: Ensure your environment is comfortable and free from distractions.
Patience: If your mind wanders, gently guide it back to the visualization without judgment.
Today I'm delving into the origins of Decoration Day, which was first observed by formerly enslaved people in South Carolina, and its evolution into what we now know as Memorial Day. This episode will discuss why it is crucial to acknowledge and preserve African American contributions to this significant part of our history.
References:
Blight, David W. Race and Reunion: The Civil War in American Memory. Harvard University Press, 2001.
Bellware, Daniel and Richard Gardiner. The Genesis of the Memorial Day Holiday in America. Columbus State University, 2014.
"Memorial Day History." U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, https://www.va.gov/opa/speceven/memday/history.asp.
"History of Memorial Day." History.com, A&E Television Networks, https://www.history.com/topics/holidays/memorial-day-history.
Hite, Richard. "Memorial Day’s Complex History: From Civil War’s End to Modern Observance." National Archives, https://www.archives.gov/news/articles/memorial-day-origins.
McCrae, John. "In Flanders Fields." In Flanders Fields and Other Poems, 1919.
Jarvis, Eric. "First Decoration Day was held by freed slaves in 1865." The Post and Courier, https://www.postandcourier.com/news/first-decoration-day-was-held-by-freed-slaves-in-1865/article_aa3c3e90-1f11-11e7-bf7a-0f48f7f2949c.html.
Feel free to use these references for further reading and verification of the information shared in this episode. Thank you for listening!
Fear gets to the best of us, whether it is fear of failure, success, or fear. All of us have experienced fear at some point in our lives and it can be a real stumbling block that holds us back from being truly successful. Fear can’t hold you back forever if you don't let it. There are several ways to overcome fear, this episode provides my top 9.
Today’s episode will dive deep into what it means to truly protect your peace and the importance of taking off your cape of invulnerability. I’m talking about self-care, setting boundaries, and the courage to be vulnerable. I’ll explore why these are critical for your mental health and how they can transform your life.
Today's episide will explore what it means to be hypo-aroused and hyper-aroused, how these states affect our daily functioning, and what we can do to find our balance again.
Whether you're a newcomer or a seasoned leader, imposter syndrome can cast a long shadow on your career achievements and mental well-being. Today, I’ll break down what imposter syndrome really is, share some examples from real-life scenarios, and offer ten practical tips to conquer these self-doubting feelings.
April is Stress Awareness Month! This episode is dedicated to uncovering the intricacies of stress. We'll explore what stress is, its effects on our brain and body, and share ten practical strategies to help you manage stress effectively.
Affirmation meditation is a practice that involves the repetition of positive, empowering statements to foster a positive mental attitude, enhance self-esteem, and promote overall mental well-being. This practice is grounded in the belief that the words and thoughts we repeatedly affirm to ourselves can influence our feelings, behaviors, and life experiences. The episode explores the mental health benefits.
Grief is a universal experience, yet uniquely personal. Whether it's the loss of a loved one, a significant life change, or letting go of a part of ourselves, it can reshape our world. Today, we'll explore this process and how mindfulness strategies can support us through it.
Are you ready to transform challenges into opportunities? Dive deep with us in our latest podcast episode, where we explore the essential building blocks to forge unbreakable resilience. Whether you're navigating personal hurdles, professional challenges, or simply seeking to strengthen your mental fortitude, this episode is your guide to thriving against all odds. This is not just about bouncing back; it's about leaping forward with greater strength and wisdom.
Listen now on on all streaming platforms and start your journey towards becoming an unstoppable force of resilience. Don't forget to subscribe for more empowering episodes!
Mindful breathing is a fundamental practice in mindfulness meditation. It involves paying close attention to the breath as it flows in and out of the body. The goal is to focus solely on breathing and to be fully present in each moment. This practice can help calm the mind, reduce stress and anxiety, and improve concentration and emotional well-being.
This episode explains how mindful breathing is an effective technique for managing stress.
A simple yogic breath exercise, often referred to as "Pranayama" in the context of yoga, is designed to help calm the mind, reduce stress, and enhance physical well-being.
Today’s episode, we're tackling a topic that touches us all: navigating the tricky waters of difficult conversations, and how doing so impacts our mental well-being. Whether it's a disagreement with a friend, a sensitive chat at work, or broaching tough topics with family, we've all faced moments where words feel like they weigh a ton. Today, we're going to break down how to handle these moments with care, empathy, and a little bit of wisdom.
Most people in our culture today are so busy running around trying to arrange their lives to be somewhere else. We all want to be somewhere else geographically or financially or in our relationships. We want to be anywhere but here as we've been led to believe that if only we can be somewhere else then our lives would work. This escapism acts like a drug that only gives temporary relief to a chronic problem.
Somewhere does not exist and someday never comes, although you keep hoping that it does. This can be very disempowering and is responsible for a lot of disappointment and frustration for a lot of people.
This episode explains that right now is all you've got.
Ever wondered how some people have everything that they dream of and for many, it just remains a dream? Here are some tips on how to help turn your dreams into reality. Fortunately, it's not a question of genetics or luck; this episode explains how it's down to the thinking strategies that we use.
In a world where political news is inescapable and opinions are strong, it's crucial to understand how this affects us psychologically. Whether you're deeply involved in political activities or just a casual observer, the effects are real and worth discussing.
This episode explored how closely politics is tied to our identities and values.
This episode will discuss the systemic issues that can arise in academic and professional settings, where power dynamics and a lack of accountability can lead to detrimental experiences of those being bullied.
In memory of Dr. Candia-Bailey
As we stand at the threshold of another year, it's natural to reflect on our past and plan for our future. New Year's resolutions are a tradition for many, but today, let's talk about something equally important – the concept of grace. This episode explores what it means to give ourselves grace, especially as we enter a new year.
In a world that often whirls with turbulence, finding moments of thankfulness can be a powerful anchor. This episode navigates the waves of chaos so we can discover the pockets of gratitude that can illuminate our paths.
The holidays can be a very challenging time. You may have concerns about weight gain, family members, work, money, and all kinds of other things. The good news is that, even with all these concerns, you can keep your mental health strong and vibrant during the holidays. You can have great joy during the busiest of times with some positive choices. Joy comes from within, and taking control of your life brings you both confidence and joy. During the holiday season, though, it can seem like your life gets out of control very easily. There's always so much to do, and people are generally more demanding of your time and energy. This episode provided steps to protect and preserve your mental health during the holidays.
Imagine yourself as a deep sea diver, a ballroom dancer, a professional athlete, a famous artist, or whatever you can’t imagine. “No, that is not me”, your timid little voice inside your head escapes into your conscious thoughts. Take a moment to reflect on how many times per day your mind rejects what your imagination dreams up. It then may dawn on you as no surprise that many of us live our daily lives with self-limiting behaviors. When we come to realize that it is our own self-limiting thoughts that are creating and constraining our realities, which are keeping us from embodying our imagination, we then can start to take action and move from a restrictive mindset to one where manifesting our goals and dreams is second nature.
One of the most destructive effects of procrastination is the fact that it makes you feel out of control. Procrastination is like an ‘invisible force’ that keeps you from doing what you know you must do. With the increasing demands on our time and attention, there seems to be an increase in procrastination as a chronic problem, especially among those people who want to succeed the most. Procrastination usually sets in when you feel overwhelmed by all the ‘have to’s’ in life and instead of making steady progress you take on too much without ever getting any of it done.
Feeling out of control takes away all your power to shape and direct your own life. It’s true that there are many things over which you have no control. Still, you always have full control over what really happens to you – and what really happens to you is a mental process independent of the circumstances and events of the outside world. Being empowered means that you realize that you already have the power and this realization also gives you the ability to take action. This episode shares five empowering procrastination tips that can help you reach this realization and become empowered to deal with procrastination and inaction effectively.
This episode explores Seasonal Affective Disorder, uncovering its impact on mental health, and discussing practical strategies to navigate through those gloomy days.
Today's episode, we're exploring a topic that affects many of us, yet often remains hidden in plain sight - emotional labor. We'll be discussing the various forms of emotional labor, the toll it can take on individuals, and practical strategies for managing it.
This episode delves into a fascinating topic that affects us all: how thinking with a negative filter can shape our perceptions and decisions.
While a lot of good things come from a positive attitude, totally embracing positivity even when life is difficult isn't always the best choice. You might suffer from toxic positivity if you believe you should act positively no matter how dire, dangerous, or demanding your current experience is. This episode shares a few signs that your mental well-being and other aspects of your life are negatively impacted by your rosy disposition.
The term gaslighting has existed for decades now, but its usage seems to have spiked in recent years. Gaslighting is when someone makes someone else question their sanity, perception, or memories. It seems like people finally realize how serious and manipulative the behavior is. One of the most nefarious aspects of gaslighting is that it often happens so gradually, the victim doesn't even notice. That's why you need to watch out for these warning signs.
The ego represents our sense of self, our identity, and the way we perceive ourselves in relation to the world. It's an essential part of our personality, but it can also be fragile and susceptible to wounds. These wounds can occur through various life experiences and significantly impact our emotions, behaviors, and overall well-being. This episode provides strategies on how can we start the healing process.
It’s often said that writing things down helps you to remember them and that writing down your goals helps you to achieve them. This is because writing things down gives you a clearer picture of what you want, and what you intend to achieve, and it maps out the direction to take.
Successful people recognize the power of writing down their goals and use it to achieve every goal they set. So, if you want to make sure you attain your goals, make writing them down a priority.
The best way of realizing what you can achieve and how far you can go is by simply being clear about what you want to attain, where you intend to go as well as who you intend to be in a certain number of years. You will only achieve that by writing things down. This episode provides five advantages of writing down your goals.
Life is not easy for the majority of adults everywhere around the world. While finances are a common problem for many, there’s also spiritual, social, health, family, and other issues. How all these are handled often depends on our priorities. Sadly, most people tend to either forget or turn a blind eye to the fact that most if not all our areas of life are somehow related, and more importantly, their combination plays a significant role in how valuable we become as individuals. This episode provides strategies on how to stay on track.
Sharing is something that was instilled in every one of us when we were younger. Even now we teach children to be kind and generous from a young age. They learn the importance of extending a helping hand to anyone in need. This episode explains how generosity brings healing and transformation to the world.
When you think of spring cleaning, you probably think of the time of year when you go all out cleaning up your house. You know the time you move the fridge and sweep out all the nooks and crevices. What if you took that same idea, but instead of cleaning your physical surroundings, you tidied up your life? If you don't quite understand what that means, this episode provides nine tips that can get you started.
How are you at living in the moment?
If you're like most people, stepping back from the goal long enough to enjoy the journey can be challenging. After all, there are things you want to achieve, so why waste time worrying about the journey? Enjoying the journey is more important than you might think. When you embrace the now and enjoy the process, you're in, you see all the opportunities, the learning experiences, and the best of what makes up life. The journey is what allows us to be calm and collected, even when times are tough. The journey is also where you find the most happiness ...if you can only let it happen. With so much going for the journey, why is it so hard to just let go and be? This episode explains 9 reasons why it’s so hard and what to do about it
Ruminating thoughts refer to repetitive, persistent, and intrusive thoughts that keep circling around the same theme, often causing distress and anxiety. These thoughts can be about anything, such as past events, worries about the future, self-criticism, or negative judgments about oneself or others. This episode provides tips on how you can decrease them.
Psychological First Aid (PFA) is an evidence-informed approach for assisting individuals who have experienced a traumatic event, crisis, or disaster. The goal of PFA is to provide emotional and practical support to people in distress, with the aim of reducing initial distress and promoting adaptive functioning and coping in the short-term aftermath of the event. PFA is typically provided by trained mental health professionals, but it can also be provided by non-mental health professionals, such as emergency responders, teachers, or volunteers. This episode explains the 8 core actions.
Psychological safety refers to an individual's perception or belief that they can express themselves, share ideas, opinions, and concerns without fear of negative consequences such as judgment, ridicule, or reprisal. This episode explores how it is a key aspect of a healthy and inclusive work environment.
If you do not have the right mindset for achieving your work-life balance then you will never succeed. It is likely that you will have limiting beliefs that are preventing you from achieving a true work-life balance. This episode explained the need to identify these and replace them with empowering beliefs that will drive you forward to the right work-life balance.
If you are interested in "Work-Life Balance" training for your organization email: info@tfordconsulting.nyc
If you truly want to achieve the best work-life balance then it is essential that you know about the most common misconceptions about it. Unfortunately, a lot of people are guided by these misconceptions and this prevents them from achieving their work-life balance.
In this episode we will take a look at I'll share the 5 most common misconceptions about work-life balance. Once you are aware of these, you can dismiss them and focus on what you really need to do to achieve the right work-life balance.
Manifestation meditation is a practice that aims to help individuals manifest their desires and intentions into reality. The purpose of this type of meditation is to focus your mind on your goals and desires, and to visualize them as if they have already been achieved.
The idea behind manifestation meditation is that the energy and intention you put out into the universe can help bring your desires to fruition. By focusing on positive thoughts and emotions, you can attract abundance and positive experiences into your life.
This type of meditation can be particularly useful for those who are looking to make positive changes in their lives, such as starting a new career, improving relationships, or achieving personal goals. It can also help you develop a more positive and optimistic mindset, which can benefit your overall well-being.
In honor of Social Work History month, I had the honor to interview a fellow Clinical Social Worker and native Queens Diva. Cerene and I attended Benjamin Cardozo High School in Queens NY and we discussed all things clinical social work including how anxiety and depression can present differently in Black/African American women.
Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) is a program that helps people manage stress and improve their overall well-being. MBSR has been shown to be effective in reducing symptoms of stress, anxiety, depression, and chronic pain. It has also been used in a variety of settings, including hospitals, schools, and workplaces, to improve overall well-being and increase resilience. This episode discusses its benefits for teens, adults, and older adults.
Conflicts are bound to happen, whether at home, at work, or in between. Unfortunately, what can start as something trivial can quickly escalate to something much more serious in a matter of minutes.
That’s why it pays to know how to effectively resolve any conflict you find yourself in. This way, you can create some healthy boundaries and balance your emotions without creating unnecessary stress and anxiety.
This episode provides five tips for more effective conflict resolution that will help you out of any jam.
Meditation is good for your mind, but sometimes your body needs a little tweaking to get it to cooperate. This episode explains steps you can take before and after meditating and during your session to relieve physical discomforts and make it easier to concentrate.
Mindful Leadership is a style of leadership that emphasizes awareness, attention, and presence. It involves being fully present in the moment and actively listening to others, being aware of one's own emotions and reactions, and practicing non-judgmental acceptance of oneself and others. By practicing mindful leadership, leaders can create a more positive workplace culture that fosters creativity, innovation, and collaboration. This episode explains some ways that mindful leadership can improve workplace/organizational culture.
Usually when we hear the word "willpower," we relate it to losing weight or quitting smoking. Willpower is extremely helpful when trying to break those bad habits, but it can also be beneficial in other areas of your life as well. It's important to realize that we're not born with willpower; it's something we must nurture and build in ourselves. Once we strengthen our willpower, it'll provide us an upper hand in achieving our goals. Why? Because we'll develop an unshakeable focus and intensity in purpose! So how do you go about building your willpower?
This episode shares four strategies to get you headed in the right direction.
No matter where you are on your life journey, setbacks can cause disappointment and a loss of momentum. Whether it’s a new career you’re working towards or an overall appreciation of life, every step towards fulfillment can seem financially, emotionally, or psychologically draining from time to time. To boost your confidence, this episode shares a list of the top 10 power words and tips to keep you motivated and passionate, no matter what life throws your way.
No matter where you are on your life journey, setbacks can cause disappointment and a loss of momentum. Whether it’s a new career you’re working towards or an overall appreciation of life, every step towards fulfillment can seem financially, emotionally, or psychologically draining from time to time. To boost your confidence, this episode shares a list of the top 10 power words and tips to keep you motivated and passionate, no matter what life throws your way.
In our society, the default answer to nearly every question is “Yes.” Advertising is all geared towards getting us to say “Yes - I need that.” We phrase our inquiries looking for yes: “Would you like more coffee?” “Would you be interested in joining me for dinner?” “Would you help me move next week?” “Would you mind if I asked you a personal question?” “Do you love me?” With such a powerful default answer ingrained in us it can be very difficult to say anything else - often leaving us feeling trapped, guilty, or frustrated as a result.
With such an expected and requested default answer “No” becomes one of the most powerful words we can use - if we can manage it! With all the pressure though, overcoming this momentum for “Yes” can be incredibly difficult sometimes.
While it is still very important to make sure we are clear about what we want to say yes to it is equally important, if not more so, to be clear about when to say no. Specifically, the issue here is to be clear about what is important to us. Yes and no are equally viable and relevant answers in the appropriate circumstances - but may yield dramatically different results. This episode explores the most important step in figuring out which answer is right is to start off by understanding what is important to us.
Welcome to Season 4!!
At this time of year, you may be considering whether you're going to make a New
Year's resolution. Maybe you've made them in the past and lost interest over time. Or perhaps you buckled down and followed through. Either way, you're now facing the beginning of another new year. Even if you're less-than-thrilled with your follow-through in prior years, the new year brings amazing opportunities to challenge yourself in all kinds of ways. This episode provides ideas to help you set up your resolutions so you'll be successful during the coming year
Have you been having trouble achieving a specific goal? Are you allowing other less important things to get in the way of accomplishing what you really want? Then, it’s time to do a VISION check. Just as it is important to get our eyes checked regularly to assure that we will be able to see clearly, it is equally as important to do a VISION check to be certain that our goal is on track. This episode provides helpful tips on how to do so.
From time to time, each of us will find ourselves in a rut of boredom and disinterest. We seem to lose our zest for life and feel tired, irritable, and unmotivated. We want to hide under the covers rather than face the day. Perhaps you're feeling overwhelmed by work, or sad about the pain and suffering in the world, or just bored with the routine of your daily life.
You are not alone. We all go through periods like this at some point. The good news is that we can do something about it. This episode provides some tips to help break out of the rut and feel excited about life again.
Would you like to live abundantly full of happiness and contentment? How about a life with excellent physical and mental health? Greatly increase your chances of that happening by showing and sharing gratitude. That’s right, something as simple as practicing thankfulness and expressing how grateful you are for the people and things you have in your life has a powerful impact. This episode provides some simple things you can do starting today to show your gratitude.
One of the most destructive effects of procrastination is the fact that it makes you feel out of control. Procrastination is like an ‘invisible force’ that keeps you from doing the very things you know you must do. With the increasing demands on our time and attention, there seems to be an increase in procrastination as a chronic problem, especially among those people that want to succeed the most. Procrastination usually sets in when you feel overwhelmed by all the ‘have to's in life and instead of making steady progress, you take on too much without ever getting any of it done.
Feeling out of control takes away all your power to shape and direct your own life. It’s true that there are many things over which you have no control, but you always have full control over what really happens to you – and what really happens to you is a mental process independent of the circumstances and events of the outside world. Being empowered means that you realize that you already have the power and this realization also gives you the ability to take action. This episode provides five empowering procrastination tips that can help you to reach this realization and become empowered to effectively deal with procrastination and inaction.
Are you one of those people who can’t seem to stop “doing?”
I have yet to meet anyone who hasn’t felt overwhelmed from time to time. We often deny we are overwhelmed because we do not know how to stop the frenetic behavior that leads to this feeling. So we do nothing. Our employers, colleagues, or friends often do not help support us to stop overworking. This episode provides strategies immediately diminish feelings of being overwhelmed so you can refocus and make some work/life balance decisions.
When a person suffers from a mental health illness, such as depression or anxiety, the first-line treatments are usually mental therapies and medicines. What isn't always talked about are the variable lifestyle choices that affect our mental health. Making beneficial life choices can be uplifting. While time and financial constraints may restrict a few people's capacities to make such choices, we all can make small but significant changes. This episode provides five lifestyle choices to get you started.
Confidence is vital for supporting the health, success, and happiness that you deserve to find. How you approach troubles, goals, and even new experiences are all impacted by the level of belief that you have in yourself. Thankfully for everyone, confidence isn’t just a trait that you’re born with, it’s a muscle that you train. Taking the time now to nurture your self-worth will reap benefits for your personal and professional life for years to come. This episode explains 10 of those benefits you will find while building confidence.
Self-respect means you believe in yourself – in your ability to achieve, contribute, and learn. You believe your opinions, ideas, and feelings are as important as everyone else's opinions, ideas, and feelings. It's a state of mine and it's one that allows you to celebrate strengths, challenge weaknesses, and have an overall positive feeling about who you are and what you're doing.
So, what are the greatest benefits of self-respect? There are many, but I've narrowed it down to ten in this episode.
Life is a balancing act and most of us aren’t great at channeling our inner Simone Biles. From our personal lives to the office and all the way back home to our communities, the bad news is that it’s hard to be all and do all. The good news is that no one expects you to! Life balance is a journey, not a destination, this episode provides a few of these tips to enjoy the ride.
Each day brings with it its own set of new possibilities and choices. But we shun many of them for fear of risking leaving the familiarity of your comfort zone, or that you’d rather not rock the boat and that your life is just fine the way it is now. But what if these opportunities could be what you need to be happier and live better lives? To reach somewhere you’ve never been, you have to do something you’ve never tried before. You may fail, true, but either way, you’ll come out on top because something will have happened to your character, a change for the better. You may not see it at first, but it’s there. And with each new eye-opening challenge, you’ll believe more and more in your abilities and inner strength than ever before. You’ll finally realize that you can break through that glass ceiling hovering over your head - that there are no limits to what you can accomplish.
As you face new challenges, you become stronger and more excited by the prospect of life itself. This episode provides tips on how you can get started.
For many of us, the mere thought of setting goals and then subsequently achieving those goals successfully can be overwhelming and intimidatingly daunting because of the fear of the possibility that we might fail at the task of accomplishing our aspirations efficaciously, however, the concept of setting goals need not be so exhausting, as long as we remember to set realistic expectations for ourselves and not become overly ambitious or set goals that are ultimately unattainable. The process of setting goals can be achieved through organized thinking and through a “baby step” style of approach where smaller goals are set first, and our confidence builds with each goal that is realized successfully. Alternatively, the endeavors embarked upon that did not succeed can be viewed as learning opportunities rather than esteem diminishing failures. This episode provides tips on how to set goals in such a way as to optimize your success.
Your comfort zone. It’s your safe haven from the crazy outside world. You’d be insane to leave that, right? Wrong. While being in our comfort zone is important, it won’t really lead you anywhere but right there in the same place you’ve always been; safe, but not really going anywhere. And while that may be fine with some people, others believe they owe it to themselves to break through the glass ceiling and find their true potential. It’s how you respond to these ups and downs that is a measure of your character and inner strength. Ideal situations do not test your resilience. Then when the tides are against you, that’s when you must have an inherent desire to prevail, motivation, and a strong sense of self. This episode provides some lessons you will gain once you step outside your comfort zone.
Being in your comfort zone isn’t a bad thing, provided that you are able to move out of it when advantageous. Moving outside of your comfort zone isn’t always necessary, but sometimes it can allow you to see or take advantage of new opportunities. Sometimes it can be hard to tell when you are just resting in your comfort zone and when you are stuck there. This episode explains 5 reasons why you may be stuck.
When it comes to getting things accomplished, motivation can be hard to come by. Yet, motivation is exactly what is needed. A small amount of motivation is required to do small, simple things, like brushing your teeth. Bigger tasks require more motivation to complete.This episode provides helpful tips on how to manufacture motivation when you have none.
The term “intersectionality,” originates from Black Feminist thought by way of Kimberlé Crenshaw, a pioneering scholar, and writer on civil rights, critical race theory, Black feminist legal theory and so much more. In 1989, Crenshaw developed the idea of “intersectionality,” as a way to understand the impact and experiences of overlapping and intersecting identities. Intersectionality refers to the convergence of multiple systems of oppression, that negatively impact marginalized groups of people. This episode explores solutions toward implementing an intersectional based approach to mental health treatment.
The Strong Black Woman Schema or Super Woman narrative is essentially a societal view that Black Women are resilient, strong, and therefore can take on anything in life. However, while some may view this narrative as something positive or even empowering, there are levels to this ideology. This episode explains how the idea of resilience can cause others to view Black Women as superhuman and therefore lacking the need for support on an individual and even systemic level.
“The pessimist sees difficulty in every opportunity. The optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty “
– Winston Churchill
An optimist, when faced with a problem, tends to find the upside to the situation and starts figuring out ways to solve that problem or ways to turn it around. A pessimist, however, immediately throws up his hands, and yells, “That’s it; it’s all over. I can’t handle this anymore.” Or he will distance himself from the problem, pretending it doesn’t matter. This is denial, and it never works.
According to the world's foremost expert on optimism, Dr. Martin Seligman, everyone is born optimistic. And yet, 95% of grownups are pessimists, not optimists. What goes wrong? Some people see the glass as half empty. Others see it as half full. This episode explores is it really as simple as that? Is it possible to be a bit of both?
If you sometimes feel as though you’re caught in life’s quicksand, you have a lot of company. We work, we struggle, and we try to do everything we possibly can to move on to a higher level of well-being but it seems like the harder we work, the more stuck we get. If you’re approaching a Category 5 frustration level, this episode will provide tips on how to shift your focus to have a more meaningful life.
"Nobody succeeds beyond his or her wildest expectations unless he or she begins with some wild expectations." - RALPH CHARELL
What are your expectations for your life? Are you excited about your future or are you facing it with apprehension and fear? For most people, the future holds too many uncertainties and the fear of what might happen tends to overshadow the ray of light that represents the life they ultimately desire. This episode provides tips on how to lift yourself out of your current circumstance and step up to the level of life you desire.
Every day, we fight to maintain a sense of calm as the world around us pushes our patience buttons. We may have heard that patience is a virtue, but why is it so hard to be patient? What factors play into our ability to let go of our frustrations and let things roll off our backs? Our fast-paced society has us frustrated over small things. Even though we know we need to learn how to be patient, we all still struggle; this episode explains some reasons why.
Imagine this: you’re on your way. You’re about to make some serious progress in something which matters deeply to you when suddenly, there it is. A nasty little inner voice telling you all the ways you’re going to fail. The brakes slam on. Wherever you were on this particular road to realizing your goals, you’re parked now and going nowhere fast. All because of some negative self-talk.
Nope. You can’t let it end that way. It’s time to re-write the script and get moving again. It’s the negative self-talk that needs to stop in its tracks, not you.
This episode provides some methods for quick and easy success.
Have you ever considered you might be overthinking? While carefully considering a new idea can be an excellent thing, there comes a time when thinking about something that needs to give way to action. Sometimes, though, we stall ourselves out by getting so involved in our thoughts, we never act at all. This episode provides helpful tips for decreasing overthinking and worry.
If you have ever been in the middle of a project, task for a client, or trying to organize the household budget and you can't seem to focus then you have experienced the need for mind mapping. Mind mapping helps you take your jumbled mess of thoughts and organize them visually to help you focus on the task at hand and get to where you need to be with the task. If you have never used mind mapping, this episode will provide a few techniques and information about the process to help you get started.
Our lives are filled with daily stressors, and we know that stress can cause tremendous damage to the body and mind. Holding yoga poses, stretching muscles, being focused on the presents, and breathing deeply and slowly helps us achieve a state of greater relaxation and harmony. We are able to consciously choose our response to stress instead of being at its mercy. Remaining calm under difficult circumstances is a choice, and this episode explores how yoga can provide the tools.
Gratitude is a powerful thing to exercise when we are looking to create more abundance in our lives. Why? Because as we focus on all that we are grateful for, we begin to feel more abundant, and when we begin to feel more abundant we then begin to attract a flow of abundance in our lives. What you focus on grows. Like attracts like. This episode provides tips on how to integrate it into your daily life.
Everybody suffers from anxiety at some point or another. Anxiety is just a normal part of everyday life. It can actually be a useful emotion in helping us to cope with stressful situations. Other times, anxiety can be out of control and interfere with our ability to function normally in stressful situations even if the stress is just manufactured in our minds. This episode explains the four steps involved in overcoming performance anxiety.
Inner Peace, isn’t that what we’d all love to experience consistently as we weave our paths through everything life gives us? The good news is it is far simpler to attain than many of our outer (material or physical) goals. This episode provides tips on how to develop a lighter inner dialogue that promotes a feeling of well-being and inner peace.
Learning how to use journaling effectively is a great way to reduce feelings of stress and anxiety, so you can enjoy more of your life in a more meaningful way. Journaling helps to lessen your feelings of distress, get your thoughts out on paper, and even work out solutions for your challenges.There are many different ways to get started with journaling. This episode provides several strategies you can choose depending on you and what you want to accomplish.
Emotional intelligence is when you can understand the emotions of yourself and others and manage your own feelings well. It shows a balance between intelligence and self-awareness. Studies have shown that emotional intelligence training improved employee productivity. That may be because emotional intelligence reflects an ability to make better decisions, problem-solving skills, and being a great communicator. This episode provides helpful tips to build workplace emotional intelligence skills.
Have you ever worked on writing a personal vision/mission statement? While doing this, did it ever occur to you that the vision you have for my work is closely related to your personal vision?
What if we spent as much time getting to know who we are and what we want for ourselves? This episode explores why a personal vision/mission statement is the framework for creating a powerful life. Unlike a goal, a vision or mission rarely changes. It is a reason for our existence. It guides us in the decisions we make and the directions we take.
Whether you’re preparing to implement a list of New Year’s resolutions or just deciding to live a better life that delivers more in terms of personal satisfaction, there are many different ways you can choose to be a better person from here on out.
Sometimes the changes that you make will mainly benefit you. Usually, when you improve yourself, it helps to have a positive impact on those around you. There are some areas of your life you probably know you can improve on. This episode provides 12 tips on bettering yourself in 2022.
Too often we charge in when it would be better to assess where we are first. It can be painful to look back to see our mistakes and shortcomings. And yet, it’s the best way to determine what we need to do to make significant changes in our lives. Before you prepare to start the new year with loads of new resolutions and goals, listen to this episode to get tips on how to take some time to reassess your life in these different areas.
When Socrates said, “Know Thyself,” he was teaching his students how to be at peace with who they were as individuals. Little did he know that his words would still hold true centuries later.
Self-knowledge was his path to embracing each person’s unique personality. Yet this path to self-awareness needs a bit of soul searching. That can be challenging for some people. The episode shares tips that will help jump-start your journey into self-reflection. By finding the answers you’ve been looking for, you can start to strive toward your true potential for the new year!!
Season 3 starts on Jan 15th, 2022!!
When Socrates said, “Know Thyself,” he was teaching his students how to be at peace with who they were as individuals. Little did he know that his words would still hold true centuries later.
Self-knowledge was his path to embracing each person’s unique personality. Yet this path to self-awareness needs a bit of soul searching. That can be challenging for some people. The episode shares tips that will help jump-start your journey into self-reflection. By finding the answers you’ve been looking for, you can start to strive toward your true potential for the new year!!
Season 3 starts on Jan 15th, 2022!!
This episode explores the multi-layers of race-based traumatic stress and the impact on one's mental health.
Do you find yourself constantly doubting your decisions? Are you fretting over other people’s reactions to your actions or opinions?
In this episode, I'll share some tips and tricks to help you stop worrying about what people think of you. Learn how to use constructive criticism to your advantage. Then, simply filter out any negative judgment.
This will leave you less anxious and less overwhelmed. As a result, you can stay more focused on yourself and the best ways to achieve your goals.
If you ask a number of different people to define what work-life balance means it is likely that you will receive different answers. This is because there are a number of misunderstandings about it. Some people think that it is just about using effective time management. Time is an important factor, but it certainly isn’t the only thing that you need to pay attention to.
When some people visualize the work-life balance they have an image of a see-saw in equilibrium. One side of the see-saw is work-life and the other is the personal life and these are perfectly balanced. That is an impossible thing to do and even if you could do it. This episode explores why prioritizing is essential for a good work-life balance.
Self-blame refers to a person’s tendency to consider themselves at fault, especially when things don’t go as well as planned, even if the cause or events were beyond their control. A pattern of self-blame leads a person to feel constantly guilty and inferior. This episode provides steps to Keep your self-blaming and self-criticism in check.
Have you ever been told to stop living in the past? People will often say this in an attempt to provide encouraging advice about moving on with your life. It sounds easy, but is it? This episode provides tips on how to move forward and effectively grow from her past.
Growth begins when you step out of your comfort zone. You will then see more doors of opportunity opening before your eyes. Personal values are ethical principles that form your internal beliefs about what is good and what is important to you. They are what you stand for, your viewpoints, and your outlook on life. This episode explores is it possible to define your personal values; and what benefits are there in going beyond your comfort zone?
The Window of Tolerance is a term derived from the field of Neuroscience which is the scientific study of the nervous system. In 1999, Dr. Dan Siegel, a Clinical Professor of Psychiatry, coined the term in his book The Developing Mind, to describe the best state of arousal or stimulation in which we are able to function and thrive in everyday life. In other words, how much stimulation can we take from our environment before we reach our tipping point? This episode provides grounding techniques that help to assist with regulating our window of tolerance.
Compassion fatigue is a term used to describe the physical, emotional, mental, and psychological effect that comes from helping others, especially those who are traumatized or suffering from any significant emotional damage. It often comes from accumulated stress or trauma resulting from being overwhelmed by the feelings, pain, and traumatic experiences of others. Lending a helping hand to a person who needs it means being empathetic and giving a piece of ourselves to be the next person for them to feel better. Sadly, if not careful, this could have its side effects. This episode provides strategies on how compassion fatigue can be prevented.
Your daily choices can help to introduce more peace and harmony into your life as you navigate minor and major challenges. This episode provides helpful tips on how to stay grounded to increase your happiness and more productivity.
Life is easy if you recognize what works and what doesn’t work, and then apply that knowledge to the future. You become more capable, knowledgeable, and powerful with each passing day. Each day provides you with information that can be used to enhance your approach to life. This episode provides helpful tips on how to leverage your successes and failures to become the most successful version of yourself.
Decluttering your mind is largely the result of decluttering all aspects of your life. We tend to put too many burdens on our minds, but there’s a more effective way to live. This episode provides helpful tips on how you can reduce the load on your mind and give it the peace it craves.
How many things have you done in the last five years that you consider to be meaningful? You can bet that you’ll have even more meaningful experiences over the next five years if you create a bucket list. This episode provides helpful strategies that canhelp ensure that your life is exciting and fulfilling.
It can be difficult dealing with many circumstances these days, but it is still important to learn how to control your temper. The main thing to remember here is that you are always in control. There is one difference that you should be aware of. It is not how you are feeling that is wrong. It is what you do with your feelings that becomes the issue. This episode provides helpful tips on taking a look at your lifestyle and see if you can identify what is triggering your anger.
Peace is a state of mind more than anything. It is about keeping a calm and stress-free internal environment. When you face challenges and remain level-headed and calm as opposed to angry and frustrated, you have attained that serene state of mind. The mind is where we fight most wars that determine our thoughts, mood, actions, and behavior. Our nature turns to negative scenarios much quicker than it embraces positivity. To overcome this flaw of humanity, we must constantly fight off negativity and replace it with a positive mindset. It is the only way to calm the noise. This episode provides helpful tips on how to cultivate an attitude to peace and calm with bonus "peace affirmations".
More often than not, we tend to focus on too many things every day, leading to confusion, anxiety, and annoyance. This stress can be hard on the mind and body, but the good news is that you can lower your stress levels and calm your mind, helping yourself to feel better each day. This episode provides 5 tips to alleviate day-to-day stress.
While it’s a common term that is thrown around a lot these days, many people are still unaware of what self-care means. This is because it is often explained in a very vague way.
Self-care is about taking care of yourself the same way you take care of others. It is about knowing what your mind and body needs. You’ll know when to step back to replenish your resources and you’ll show self-compassion.
Before you implement self-care into your life, you’re going to want to understand the stages of change. It’s one thing to start a new habit, but it’s an entirely different task to keep up the new habit.
By understanding the stages of change, you’ll find it a lot easier to stick to the self-care habits you want to implement into your routine. This episode explores the different stages of change are and the 6 areas of self-care to focus on the different types of self-care that you include in your routines.
Work-life balance is essential to combat stress, ensuring both personal and professional success. This episode explores problems affecting work-life balance and ways to achieve it in order to live the meaningful and impactful life you desire.
What does “emptying your cup” even mean? It means opening your mind and being receptive to new information. It means humbling yourself and knowing when it is appropriate to express your knowledge and when to put yourself in a learning mode. This episode explains how emptying your cup means increasing your willingness to let go of what you know.
Would you like to live abundantly full of happiness and contentment? How about a life with better physical and mental health? You can greatly increase your chances of that happening by showing and sharing gratitude. This episode explores how practicing thankfulness and how grateful you are for people, and things that you have in your life can have a powerful impact.
Social media leaves you exposed and puts you at the mercy of people who don’t even try to have well-informed opinions before they express them. Essentially, anyone with the means to get online gets a say. This episode explains what gaslighting looks like on social media.
Inner peace refers to the state of psychological or spiritual calm despite the presence of factors that bring out the stress in us. In this guided meditation, we are going to first watch out for our breathing before going to a place where we find utmost peace and calmness.
There really is no health without mental health. This is because health is a summation of wellbeing of the physical, mental and social aspects of your life. Many people are finding ways to stay healthier mentally because of how impactful poor mental health can be. This episode explores the differences between mental health and mental illness; as well as providing helpful strategies on how to maintain your mental health.
Interview with Desiree Alexander, Esq., Trial Attorney | Founder of The Lit Aunty™️ discussing the importance of maintaining your mental health while living a passion-filled life.
Gaslighting is a form of psychological manipulation and can be found in all interpersonal relationships. Being constantly belittled, questioned, your traits being used against you, your personality being criticized, and being ridiculed can make you wonder if there is something wrong with you and constant negative thoughts will obviously impact one's mental health. This episode provides information and resources to gain a better understanding and support.
Call The National Domestic Violence Hotline at 800-799-SAFE to find one near you or to simply talk to an advocate about what’s happening.
Interview with Sammy Warrayat, host of the "Successful Millennials Podcast" discussing how mental health and wellness are understood between Genx, Millennial and GenZ.
You can follow the Successful Minnennial Podcast at:
https://linktr.ee/millennialsuccesspodcast
IG: @financezilla
This episode explores the power of forgiveness and not letting old grudges steal your happiness. When you are mindful of all of the things you are grateful for in your life then you can learn to appreciate all the good even in the midst of the bad and cultivate happiness.
This episode explores why it's important to embrace your imperfections and the benefits they can deliver.
This episode explores how you can choose to be grateful for what you have and happiness follows.
This episode provides tips on how to address inner conflicts to be happier and more fulfilled.
This episode explores how positive self-talk can spur you on to do great things and live an exciting life full of passion.
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*Please excuse the background audio*
Interview with Dr. J. Flint who wrote an article in the Grio"
"Black psychologist warns about the mental health dangers on Clubhouse. Dr. Jinaki Flint says the new popular social media app creates a 'false sense of intimacy' for users who feel safe to share their personal traumas." ```
This episode explores ways on how to living with purpose helps to make the tough times easier to deal with, and the good times even better.
There is so much going on all around us and all of it is in constant pursuit of our attention. Every screen we own lighting up with the constant notifications beeping and enticing us to give them a chunk of our time. This episode explores ways of getting you closer to your journey of achieving inner focus.
Motivation is what compels us to set goals, and more importantly - drives us towards them. This episode provides tips on how to tap into the power of motivation.
Interview with Dr. LaShawn Paul (Social Work Diva) discussing different social media platforms and the impact on mental health practice.
This is the final episode of Season 1 and is explores mindfulness skills you can use in all situations.
This episode discusses the benefits of incorporating journaling with your mediation practice.
This episode uses guided imagery of a Light House to calm the mind and connect with your inner voice.
This episode explores the importance of having a better understanding of self and becoming empowered to make positive changes.
This episode explores how practicing taking mindful moments daily can reprogram your mind away from anger.
This episode discusses how meditation is a practice that can help you to have more love for yourself. This is a simple and low-cost way to enhance how you feel about yourself and create a foundation for peace, happiness, and joy
This episode explores breathing and focusing techniques to stay calm in stressful situations.
In this meditation you can let go of all your worries tension. This is your time to relax.
Affirmations can be used for so many things in your life, from encouraging more positive thinking, getting more intention for what you do each day, becoming healthier inside and out, and yes, reducing stress and anxiety. This episode helps you to understand exactly why mantras and affirmations help with your stress.
This episode discusses techniques to strengthen your self-discipline and implement these strategies into your daily life.
This episode explores several ways to focus on breathing and create a practice that works more deeply and is more meaningful.
Using the breath to acknowledge our thoughts and emotions are fleeting and always changing. They are just energy flowing through the body. Our thoughts and emotions are fleeting and always changing. They are just energy flowing through the body. Who and what we really are is the awareness that’s witness to those thoughts and emotions. If your thoughts and emotions are like the weather in the sky, you are the sky itself. By identifying more with the self as the witness, and less with emotions themselves, we are able to realize greater clarity, peace, and ease.
This episode explores how having a positive attitude works for you rather than against you.
This episode provides a series of positive statements to foster a sense of hopefulness.
This episode explores how using visualtions can increase your motivation, improve your internal dialogue and help you relax
This episode explores how living intentionally helps you to discover the link between certain risk and your goals.
This episode explores lessons we can learn that will serve us well as we move through changes.
Using the breath to expand awareness of perfection. Perfection is not a furtive condition, or future state kf mind. Perfection can only exist here and right now. Perfection arises in the present moment.
This episode explains how active relaxation activities can help you to achieve better mental health and broader sense of personal wellbeing.
Using the breath to acknowledge thoughts and movements in the mind like clouds in the sky.
If you are currently experiencing a dry spell in the way of Motivation or even if you have never thought of yourself as a driven individual this episode shares 5 helpful steps that can be an effective way to enhance your overall Motivation and drive to achieve the goals you ha e set for yourself.
Optimisim and pessimism are ways of looking at yourself and the world through a postive or negative filter. Once you think of them as reflections of your mindset, it becomes much easier to belive to you can change.
We all need hope to live a happy and healthy life. This episode explores why it matters and other aspects of hope.
Using the breath to practice present moment awareness to experience peace, joy, contentment and gratitude.
Using the breath to open awareness of your mind. Feeling the sensation of open spaciousness while spending time in a state of infinite potential.
Using the breath and focusing on the throat Chakra to honor commitments and contemplations of using words in a positive and meaningful ways.
Daily affirmations that can be used to when your mind is occupied with judgmental thoughts
Everyone has fears and many people let those fears stop them from doing things that may prove worthwhile or even lucrative. Learn some tips that can help you take your mind off of your fear.
Selfcare benefits you and everyone else around you. Knowing what you enjoy that makes you happy or understanding your passion and purpose in life benefits the people around you.
Connecting with the wisdom in your body, breath and the mind. Acceptance is mindfulness and awareness of reality as it is. -Mindfulness Mastermind.com
Power words can change your life in many ways. Focusing on using power words will assist you in becoming the best version of yourself.
It's important for you to take the time to acknowledge just how awesome and valuable you are. Use these affirmations to turn the whole outlook of your day.
A powerful practice thay can ease a racing mind by drawing attention to our innermost self. -Guidedmeditation.com
Taking care of yourself should not be overlooked. This episode explores the benefits of putting YOU first.
Words can be extremely powerful and it is important to be careful with your word choice.
Tip No. 10 of the 10 week series on how to deal with self isolation during the COVID 19 crisis.
Tip 9 of the 10 week series on How to Deal with Self Isolation during the Covid 19 crisis.
Focusing on how connection makes us feel good, like we are all in this together. This episode is in memory of George Floyd, Breanna Taylor and countless other unarmed African Americans killed by the police.
Tip No. 6 of the 10 week series on how to deal with self isolation during the Covid 19 crisis.
A Guided meditation using the concept of a butterfly's transformation to embrace change. This episode is dedicated to the Class of 2020.
Tip No. 5 of the the 10 week series on how to deal with self isolation during COVID 19.
Tip No 4 of the 10 week series in how to deal with self isolation during Covid 19. Living your values could be the single most important thing any of us could do right now.