PODCAST & BLOG

"Are you willing to die for that job?"

Oof. That question is a punch in the gut. 

I was recently catching up with a dear friend who is in the field of education. The last several times we've spoken, she's shared how incredibly stressed she's been. Her anxiety has been through the roof....

I recently shared the TEDx talk I gave a few months ago. What I haven't shared yet is the way I prepared for it. I got some strange looks from friends when I initially described my methods, but I think they were brilliant...and they worked. 

Before I fill you in on the what...

Despite loving audio books and being a big fan of the work Dr. April (my counterpart here at Peak Mind) does through the Building Psychological Strength podcast, I don't really listen to a lot of podcasts. Unless someone sends me a specific episode, promising me that I'll find it interesting, or...

Go with me for a minute. When you think of a strong, powerful tree, what images come to mind? Do you envision an oak? Something solid and sturdy? 

What about a palm tree? 

I'd venture to say that a palm isn't what comes to mind when you think of strong trees, but I'd argue that it is,...

I live and breathe psych strength. I think about our minds, how they influence us, shape our life experience, the importance of maintaining a helpful mindset, the glitches in our thinking EVERY SINGLE DAY. I believe wholeheartedly in the science I share through Peak Mind and in my clinical...

There's a super professional term that I routinely use...ick. 

Sometimes, I'm talking about inside ick, the uncomfortable thoughts, feelings, sensations, memories, or urges that arise in so many situations. Sometimes, ick might refer to external circumstances that are hard or gross or...

I spent a couple years in Omaha in my late 20s. When my friend Marcel came to visit toward the end of my tenure there, he suggested that we go explore downtown.

"Where do you want to go?" I asked. "Let's just explore," he replied.

Just explore. Park the car. Get out. Wander...

Who would you rather have on your team: the person with the natural talent, the one with the highest intellect, or the person with the most grit? 

I hope you opted for the gritty one.

While our culture tends to value natural talent and innate intellectual ability, the reality is that grit...

It shouldn't be this hard.

I just want it to be easy.

I need a break.

Between my job as a psychologist, networking with other professionals, and just because I'm chatty, I meet a lot of people. People with different backgrounds, life situations, and pain points. Yet, I hear that sentiment...

Today is the Super Bowl (for our non-U.S. community members, it's like the World Cup of American football), with my city's the Chiefs versus Philadelphia's Eagles. This isn't something I'd say out loud in Kansas City today, but the truth is, I 100% do not care about football. 

I grew up...

"Look around at what you have with appreciation. Be happy with it, and if you aren't, reach a little higher,"  he said as we sat around the fire having a surprisingly deep conversation. 

Let me rewind. 

The Alaskans

This was about 5 years ago. I was fresh out of a break up...

Tell me if this sounds familiar. You come up with an idea - something you want to start or stop doing, a change you want to make, or some project you want to take on. You're gung ho. Motivation level 10...and then an 8, and then a 4. Your motivation wanes, and you don't reach that point you were...