No, your world won’t come to a complete stop if you get your face out of your devices from time to time. On the contrary, in this podcast, explore how using your eyes as well as your ears to communicate with people puts you ahead of the game, whether that’s at work, at home, or even at the gym!
Listen to all Up! Podcasts here.
I don’t think my ballroom instructor/dance partner was concerned with my longevity when he barked “You gotta smile!” at me as we practiced for an upcoming competition. I’m like “Really? Besides remembering my patterns, keeping my upper body lifted, my feet grounded, my legs long, my head up and my elbows wide, all of which are taking 100% of my effort and concentration, I gotta SMILE?!” Apparently, yes. So fine, I will smile. There!
But really, smiling is good for a lot more than dance competitions. Namely, people who smile more tend to enjoy numerous health benefits such as lower blood pressure, more endorphins (the good-feel hormone) and less stress-enhancing hormones (i.e., cortisol). They also have a longer life span. Plus, people who smile are viewed more positively by others than people who don’t. What’s not to smile about in all that?
You may ask, so how? Run around with a dental-commercial smile pasted on your face? No. That’s phony and wouldn’t feel right anyway. Rather, simply allow your face to relax into a smile when you see or hear something that pleases you. It doesn’t have to be in public situations, although the barista will appreciate the smile that accompanies your “thank you” as will the cashier or your co-worker. You can smile at your pet, your child/partner (ok, sometimes anyway), that lovely flower or sunset or at the memory of a savored moment.
Smiling is more of a habit to get into than anything else. The slight relaxation that usually ensues when one smiles should be enough to prompt you to smile more.
Smile! And enjoy the
benefits.
Why is celebrating your Anniversary – or any other special occasion with your partner – seem to cost so much? Do you really have to spend a fortune to prove to your beloved, that yes indeed, you do love them? In this podcast, discover a way to celebrate your love without spending your last dime--and making them oh-so-happy in the process . . .
Listen to all Up! Podcasts here.
Do you ever feel like absolutely nothing is going your way? And like there’s nothing you can do about it but somehow endure this misery? In this podcast, find out how you can take charge of your life’s experiences and get to the happiness and success you deserve!
Listen to all Up! Podcasts here.
Whether these social media comments are harmful or beneficial isn’t the point. The point is that we are far more sensitized to others’ opinions of ourselves than we were a generation or so ago. It means that we tend to conform to how we think others want us to be or behave, and to not be who we truly are too much of the time. After all, we don’t want to be socially disapproved of. We don’t want to be swiped left.
Enough! Rebel! Take your life back! It’s about setting boundaries. We don’t need to be liked by everybody. We do need to be socially appropriate and responsible to our families, our communities and our work, but that’s about it. Boundaries can be set with respect and mindful of others, but they do need to be set if you intend to live your life in a way that pleases you, as opposed to pleasing everyone else who might weigh in on how you are and what you do.
I had an interesting experience with boundary-setting recently. I was on vacation, a rare treat for me, enjoying a boat ride along with half a dozen other vacationers. I didn’t know any of the people on the boat, which was fine with my introverted self. I was happily enjoying the sun, the ocean and the boat ride. A lady sitting near me asked me where I was from, I answered “California” and she immediately launched into “Isn’t it terrible about all those fires?” and went on and on about it.
Indeed, California had just been through a succession of devastating fires and it was on the news for days. I said nothing, just nodded, until she asked me, with considerable gusto, “So how did you do? Were you in the middle of all that? Was it really awful for you?” I made an executive decision with myself: time to set a boundary. “I prefer not to talk about it,” I said, as neutrally and politely as I could. “Oh!” she exclaimed, very surprised at my non-social response. But I didn’t want to talk about fires with anyone, certainly not a stranger, because after losing my home to a wildfire a few years ago, any talk about fires tends to trigger my PTSD symptoms.
I didn’t care what she thought of me. She could “swipe left” me the whole rest of the trip, it didn’t matter. I had taken back my life, done it “my way” as it were, with respect and appropriately, but taken it back nonetheless.
Do you sometimes let others’ opinions of you matter too
much? Diminish your individuality, your uniqueness? Something to think about.
When you find yourself overly conforming just to be “liked,” take a breath. Ask
yourself, “Do I need to set a boundary here? Take my life back?” and act
accordingly. You deserve to be who you are, who you want to be.
Too many decisions to make about too many things every moment of every day. Yikes! Welcome to the ever-increasing number of choices offered to us daily from big decisions like house/car buying to which laundry detergent will really clean your clothes.
In this podcast, you’ll discover a 3 step technique to help you deal with our exponentially expanding universe of choices, without going nuts or giving in to “whatever.”
Listen to all Up! Podcasts here.
As Valentine’s Day rapidly approaches, how about checking in with yourself as to your lovability? Yes, you know you’re a great person, terrific, but are you loveable? Great question! In this podcast, you’ll explore how to find out where you’re at in terms of your lovability – beyond your pretty/handsome face and winsome personality – to genuinely answer the question: Would you marry you?
Listen to all Up! Podcasts here.
As I stood in line waiting for a table last week, a couple of people were leaving the restaurant. One of them was complaining about the fo...
