Tag: awareness

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Author your life: make choices for authentic relationships

author your life, authentic relationships, authentic people, authentic person, authentic self

With so much talk about living authentically, we seem to have forgotten the origin of the word “authentic”. Etymologically, it derives from “one acting on one’s authority” – from the reflexive “auto” – self, one’s own, by oneself, of oneself. If authentic, you author your life, acting on your authority. 

On the other hand, most of us get stuck trying to find our way back to “our authentic self” – as if there were some original, static version of self that we could find and refer to.

If only I were true to that version of me, I would be authentic!

Continue reading Author your life: make choices for authentic relationships

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Hyper-independence makes you miserable: ask for better support

hyper-independence, independent, interdependence, support network,

I grew up in the eighties and nineties when “girls can do anything” was our everyday motto. This strong drive for independent women had shaped so many facets of my life that I failed to notice when I crossed the line from an independent woman into hyper-independence.

I struggle to ask for help.

Worse yet, I fail to accept support and connection from others and then will be the first to complain, “why do I have to do everything myself?”.

Hyper-independence is not a virtue. It may look like one of my strengths, but it is my Achilles heel.  Continue reading Hyper-independence makes you miserable: ask for better support

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Emotional intelligence: 9 ways to build your self-awareness

alignment, authenticity, awareness, brain, choices, coach, compassion, connection, creativity, decision-making process, emotional intelligence, emotions, expectations, fear, feelings, gut, head, heart, know thyself, loving-kindness, mBraining, self-awareness, values, wisdom

Great relationships, connections and networking are built on the foundation of emotional intelligence. It’s not enough to pretend to control your feelings, but rather to be fully in touch with your emotions and use them resourcefully.

Although you might have heard of emotional intelligence as if it were a single skill, several different skills and practices come together that allow you to stay in touch with your emotions and those around you. 

Typically, there are four key areas to emotional intelligence: self-management, self-awareness, social awareness, and relationship management. The nine skills in self-awareness that I will share with you overlap with all four of these areas. 

It takes an extraordinary self-awareness to use your emotions effectively to create a better life and stronger relationships. Continue reading Emotional intelligence: 9 ways to build your self-awareness

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Be authentic: consciously author your life with creativity

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Most of us think of creativity as solely referring to artists: painters, musicians, writers, or even architects. They are so creative. I beg to differ. I believe that to be authentic requires that we each live from a place of creativity.

Grant Soosalu and Marvin Oka put it best in their book mBraining: creativity is the quality of consciousness from which you author your life. Continue reading Be authentic: consciously author your life with creativity

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Curiosity and engagement: challenging our perception

how to achieve a new perspective, align, alignment, awareness, brain, choices, compassion, connection, courage, courageous, creativity, curiosity, fear, feelings, growth, know thyself, knowledge, learning, perspectives, self-preservation, self-worth, thrive, values, wisdom, worthy

As children, we have an innate curiosity. We look at the world around us with fresh eyes, always looking for the new and exciting. We ask “why” and “what” and “how”, ad nauseum. But somewhere along life’s journey, we dampen this desire to engage with the new.

Our ego, training and habits bind us to a limited perspective. Continue reading Curiosity and engagement: challenging our perception