I recently listened to the podcast: ManTalks - Motivation, Anxiety and the Science of Stuck with Britt Frank. I’ve listened to her before and absolutely recommend her if you have issues with anxiety. She’s quick and knows her stuff!

Here’s my summary if you can’t find the time to listen to the full episode.

Anxiety is not a thinking problem, it’s a body problem.

I’m seeing a lot of grief going on around me so I felt compelled to write about it. I believe this is yet another emotion that connects us all, as we have either dealt with this or will deal with it at some point.

Are you a dreamer or a realist? If you could have one New Year wish fulfilled, what would it be? This is all about dreaming big. This is ‘genie in the bottle’ kind of big. No limits. Do you remember to dream? To imagine?

The holidays are a perfect time for lots of great food, drinks, games, conversations and maybe too many days spent in the same house, tight quarters and everyone's issues piling into the same room!

We can be tired from late nights, a little too much Christmas cheer, and pressure to be our best. It’s Christmas after all, shouldn’t everyone be in peace and joy?

I bet that subject made you look! It’s not about the drinking game… sorry. Haha

Here’s a perception that grounds me and delivers compassion to others. As much as you are so very unique, you’re also quite similar to others.

You’ve heard the saying, it takes a village to raise a child.

I know for me it sure has! I too, need a village.

Support comes in many forms, such as:

In talking to a couple of my wonderful friends lately, it seems to me there is some struggle around not letting other people affect you so much. Why is it hard to say no to your mother? Why do you care that someone may not like you?

OK, so life can be hard. It can also be wonderful.

How quick are you to pick up the phone when you are excited vs. sad?

I believe when you are in the lower level emotions (sadness, hurt, depressed, grief), time alone with yourself is crucial.

You’ve heard the saying, ask and it is given right? Sometimes the signs are subtle. Ever think about someone, and boom, you run into them or receive a text? This is a signal to you of how much power you have to affect your world. That your thoughts really do create things.

This question always makes me think.

Back in my wonderful oil & gas days, I often noticed a ‘business’ persona and a personal one.

Here’s my question: Which one of you, is the real you?

You hear this all the time… don’t care what other people think… well that's totally up to you, but here’s a new perspective on that.

I believe we are all given unique gifts. Some of you were born with obvious talents - singers, authors, artists. Keeping in mind though, these people spend a heck of a time honing their talent. There’s no such thing as an ‘overnight success.’ They’ve been working on it for years.

I believe there is a thread (link) in using our uniqueness in the world and feeling our best. So you see this isn’t about passion per se, it’s about your gifts.

Connection for me is so very important in living my best life. It’s what fills my heart and makes me so very happy. So today's question for you is:

Do I feel connected to myself and to others?

If you ever feel lonely, you are probably just lacking connection.

Today’s question is - What is in your environment?

And I’d like you to think about this in all of your areas of life. Because ultimate success is not to only thrive in one bucket.

How do you want your life to be?

I met a few new friends and I’ve been asking for that, as my original best friend group has changed over the last couple of years. So I had some space! Isn’t it refreshing and exhilarating to meet someone who just ‘gets’ you? And never mind me. This woman talked just as much as me, she’s intelligent and interesting and just ‘too much for Hollywood’ (haha her saying). Which describes her perfectly. I’m so grateful.

The thing about getting what you want is trusting it will come in the right perfect time. And the how? Well that’s just not something you need to worry about.

The intention of the ego mind is to destroy you. The ego is suspicious at best and vicious at worst.

The ego keeps you separate. Incomplete.

It doesn’t give you truth. It cuts us off from the oneness in which we are. It creates a core belief of I’m not enough as I am, so we look outside of ourselves to find the missing piece (you complete me). Well that’s a lot of pressure!

There’s a point in life where we have to disassociate from where we came from. We adopted roles that can stick with us that may no longer work. At a point in our adult life we aren’t what we might ‘think’ we are.

Stripping away all of our beliefs or at the very least questioning them is a great place to begin. Yes, our experiences affect who we’ve become, but it may not be who you are.