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Aug 26
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6 Amazing Benefits of Curiosity

By Creativity Tips, Uncategorized

Curiosity, that insatiable desire to know or learn something, doesn’t just make you an interesting person… it actually has far reaching benefits around happiness, achievement, relationships, and survival.

Holding the thought, “Why?”, can lead to discoveries that open you up to new adventures, discoveries, maybe even a new business or career idea.

The Greater Good Science Center from the University of California at Berkeley studies the psychology, sociology, and neuroscience of well being. Their research uncovers findings that aim to make our society more thriving, resilient, and compassionate.

What’s even better is it gives scientific evidence that something I’ve known all along is true: being incurably curious is A GOOD THING!

Here are the 6 surprising benefits of curiosity according to the Greater Good Science Center.

1. CURIOSITY HELPS US SURVIVE

Your brain rewards you for being curious, and that’s a fantastic trade off for human survival! When you encounter something new, your brain releases dopamine, the feel good chemical. That’s incentive to explore and seek novelty.

 

2. CURIOUS PEOPLE ARE HAPPIER

This goes along with #1. The more dopamine running through you, the happier you feel. The reward of curiosity is shown to create happier people with lower stress levels, higher levels of positive emotions, and a greater sense of well being.

 

3. CURIOSITY BOOSTS ACHIEVEMENT

According to the Greater Good Science Center, “Studies reveal that curiosity leads to more enjoyment and participation in school and higher academic achievement, as well as greater learning, engagement, and performance at work. It may seem like common sense, but when we are more curious about and interested in what we are doing, it’s easier to get involved, put effort in, and do well.”

4. CURIOSITY CAN EXPAND OUR EMPATHY

Curiosity can lead you to explore outside your social circles and develop deeper levels of understanding people with different lives, experiences, and worldviews than yours. This expands your empathy. Empathy helps us break down the barriers between us and others, and to move into a more peaceful existence. Findings on the positive effects of empathy have been published extensively by the Greater Good Science Center.

5. CURIOSITY HELPS STRENGTHEN RELATIONSHIPS

According to the Greater Good Science Center, “One study asked strangers to pose and answer personal questions, a process scientists call “reciprocal self-disclosure.” They found that people were rated as warmer and more attractive if they showed real curiosity in the exchange (while other variables like the person’s social anxiety and their levels of positive and negative emotions did not affect the partner’s feelings of attraction and closeness). This implies that demonstrating curiosity towards someone is a great way to build your closeness with them.”

6. CURIOSITY IMPROVES HEALTHCARE

Studies involving doctors and patients found that the quality of healthcare improved when doctors held genuine curiosity in their patients. By asking questions and listening more deeply, there was less frustration and ultimately more effective treatment.

So go out into the world with a spirit of wonder and awe, look for the new and unexpected, try things you might never would have tried, and see each person you meet as a gift waiting to be revealed.

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Curiosity has the power to open you up to new directions for your business, career, or mission in life. To learn how my style of approaching creativity and leadership can benefit you, your organization, or event contact me HERE

Jan 17
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Trust Your Truth

By Creativity Tips, Uncategorized No Comments
[feature_box style=”1″ only_advanced=”There%20are%20no%20title%20options%20for%20the%20choosen%20style” content_font_size=”16″ alignment=”center”]I’m beautiful in my way
‘Cause God makes no mistakes
I’m on the right track, baby
I was born this way
– Born This Way/ Lady Gaga

Here’s my simple argument in favor of living, working, and thriving from your innate strengths:

I agree 100% with Lady Gaga, “God makes no mistakes.”

Here you are, a reflection of DIVINE CREATION. You’re made by the force that makes no mistakes. Why then, would you ever veer from your natural strengths?

You were set up for amazing success by coming into this world wired with what makes you YOU.

Look at animals and plants. They live from their natural strengths without any resistance or complaining. So why don’t enough people trust their truth?

Mostly because we force ourselves to adapt to other people’s expectations or we accept as true any limited messages about what we can or can’t do.

Your TRUTH is what you do well.

It’s literally in your DNA to succeed and to make your mark on the world. The FUN part is finding how to live in this complicated world that keeps taking us further and further away from understanding ourselves.

Watch a group of 3 and 4 year olds play. They know their truth. Some kids roll in the grass and are completely engrossed with the feel of ground on their skin. Others pick up sticks and play fight. Others pick up sticks and have puppet shows. Some have found ways to be funny. Left alone to choose what they love, kids veer towards their strengths.

You can too.

The first step is to TRUST. Trust that what comes naturally to you has value and can support your success.

When you have that trust in place, then you can do assessments and inventories to reveal more of what’s inside.

But without the trust, you could very well continue letting the outside voices rule you

Don’t gloss over this. You don’t suddenly say “OK, I trust myself” then move on. You measure trust in yourself when your back is up against the wall and you have to make the choice. You have to risk being vulnerable, risk doing the “wrong thing” (even though inside you know it’s right), and risk looking foolish.

That doesn’t mean you’ll fall and get hurt, it just means you have to have the WILLINGNESS to be vulnerable. Big difference. But then again, you just may fall and get hurt… can you trust enough to take that chance?

Here are a few ways to build trust so the rest of this can slide into place.[headline style=”14″ font_size=”20″ font_style=”bold” align=”center” headline_tag=”h2″]Learning to Trust 101[/headline][step_graphics style=”5″ color=”#ee2530″][step style=”5″ text=”1″ headline=”Meditate%20or%20at%20least%20find%20a%20way%20to%20quiet%20down”]%3Cp%3EIf%20you%20have%20trouble%20quieting%20your%20mind%20and%20can%E2%80%99t%20sit%20still%20for%20more%20than%20a%20minute%2C%20find%20some%20special%20music%20to%20aid%20concentration%20and%20focus.%20Did%20you%20know%20on%20YouTube%20you%20can%20find%20hours%20and%20hours%20of%20sleep%20music%2C%20meditation%20music%2C%20and%20study%20music%20for%20free%3F%20Just%20plug%20that%20in%20and%20play%20it%20while%20you%20quiet%20your%20mind.%20%3C%2Fp%3E%0A[/step][step style=”5″ text=”2″ headline=”Do%20something%20out%20of%20the%20ordinary”]%3Cp%3EWrite%20with%20your%20non-dominant%20hand.%20Drive%20home%20on%20a%20different%20route.%20Say%20%E2%80%9CI%20love%20you%E2%80%9D%20to%20someone%20who%20wouldn%E2%80%99t%20be%20expecting%20it.%20Train%20your%20mind%20to%20function%20in%20a%20new%20way%20so%20it%20supports%20you%20as%20you%20embrace%20your%20truth.%20%3C%2Fp%3E%0A[/step][step style=”5″ text=”3″ headline=”Create%20a%20real%20life%20mantra”]%3Cp%3ELook%2C%20I%E2%80%99ll%20save%20you%20a%20trip%20to%20the%20mountaintop.%20A%20mantra%20is%20something%20as%20simple%20as%20a%20phrase%20to%20keep%20you%20focused%20and%20pointed%20in%20the%20right%20direction.%20%E2%80%9CGod%20is%20my%20source%E2%80%9D%20is%20what%20my%20friend%20Natasha%20says.%20%E2%80%9CAll%20is%20well%E2%80%9D%2C%20says%20another.%20%E2%80%9CYou%20got%20this%E2%80%9D.%20I%20love%20simplicity%20and%20real%20life%20use.%20If%20you%20fill%20yourself%20with%20an%20affirming%20phrase%2C%20trusting%20your%20truth%20will%20come%20a%20whole%20lot%20easier.%20%3C%2Fp%3E%0A[/step][step style=”5″ text=”4″ headline=”Don%E2%80%99t%20overshare”]%3Cp%3ELearning%20something%20new%2C%20especially%20something%20as%20heavy%20as%20learning%20to%20trust%2C%20needs%20time%20to%20cook.%20People%20are%20tempted%20to%20tell%20the%20world%20of%20what%20they%E2%80%99re%20doing%20and%20suddenly%20they%E2%80%99re%20barraged%20by%20naysayers%20and%20%E2%80%9Cconcerned%E2%80%9D%20friends.%20%E2%80%9CAre%20you%20sure%20that%E2%80%99s%20what%20you%20want%3F%E2%80%9D%20%E2%80%9CHave%20you%20thought%20about%20the%20ramifications%3F%E2%80%9D%20%E2%80%9CHmmmm%20sounds%20kinda%20out%20there.%E2%80%9D%20Share%20only%20with%20people%20who%E2%80%99ll%20support%20you%20and%20hold%20your%20vision%20with%20you.%20There%E2%80%99s%20nothing%20more%20discouraging%20than%20getting%20a%20sideways%20glance%20from%20a%20loved%20one%20who%20means%20well%E2%80%A6%20but%20just%20doesn%E2%80%99t%20get%20it%20yet![/step][/step_graphics]

Begin with those. And believe it or not, you’ll eventually start to trust yourself more! After you strengthen your trust muscles, you’ll be ready to take the next steps into fully owning your truth and setting the world on fire with your talent and genius!

Psssst! I help entrepreneurs dial in their greatest strengths and build successful businesses around them. Been at it since 2003 and have been loving every minute of it. If you’re ready to focus on your genius and drop the things that drain you, let’s connect. Hint hint! Click the button below to get started on the journey to your truth!

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Jan 13
Love0

Let Go and Bubble Up

By Creativity Tips, Uncategorized No Comments
[feature_box style=”22″ only_advanced=”There%20are%20no%20title%20options%20for%20the%20choosen%20style” content_font_size=”16″ alignment=”center”]

Email was destroying my creativity. The pressure to read, respond, decide whether to keep or delete… it was killing me! I’d wake up in the morning already overwhelmed with yesterday’s unanswered emails, anticipating today’s emails, and dreading tomorrow’s emails.

Then, as a business owner, I had the pressure to MESSAGE MY LIST!!! It used to be “engagement” and “trust building”, now it was about hammering away relentlessly! Email marketing has turned into this endurance test, a duel to see who’ll be the last squeaky wheel standing.

*This is not a healthy way to live!*

Yep, annoyed. Me.  Totally. I’m owning that.

I finally said “Forget it.” Truthfully, I said another word that started with an “F”, and  would surely disappoint my late mother if she knew I was publicly using it. Ahem.

My solution was to lay low. I didn’t want to get caught up in finding my space in a space that was driving me crazy. It would be like rearranging the furniture in a jail cell… just didn’t make any sense.

So I hid out, kept emails to a minimum, and allowed myself to explore things other than obsessing on my emails!

It wasn’t easy, but it did allow me the space to engage in something that means the world to me: BUBBLE UP.

BUBBLE UP is my life force. It’s God working in my life, the complete reassurance that the Universe sets itself back into order when things feel chaotic.

What is Bubble Up? Well, in a nutshell it’s a creative release process I use. You’ll love the ending, leaving with a big “aha” and the world all makes sense. You just need patience and faith during the process… and you can’t quit until you catch some bubbles!

Bubble Up text

You Too Can Bubble Up

It’s a fun process that you can adapt to your own creative goals. Maybe you want to figure out something for your business. Maybe you want to dial in an offer. Maybe you want to write a book. Maybe you want to make more money.  Let’s have a go at it and see what bubbles up for you.

1. Affirm that this process won’t kill you

This is important! People, if you don’t step into this with faith it’s not going to work. You’re not going to get stung, be made a fool of, or die. You’re opening up a creative Pandora’s box…  but it’ll tidy itself up. I promise.

 2. Brainstorm 

This is the fun part. You pull out all the pieces of the problem that are driving you crazy. Here’s an example. My client, Toni, was going nuts trying to figure out what to lead with in her business. She had 2 things she was great at and was really confused which one she should make her name with.

One made perfect sense on paper… but it wasn’t her passion. She was good at it, but she wasn’t passionate.

The other made perfect sense in her heart… but it wasn’t making any money.

We started brainstorming about things that define who she is because ultimately, her problem was around identity in her business. We explored her values. Her strengths. Her passion. The list got long. This primed her for the next part.

3. Let Frustration Happen

“Argh! Why can’t I just figure this out!” she exclaimed.

I talked her off the ledge and had her stick with me. “The frustration is awesome.”, I told her.  “That means you’re ready to stop using your head to get through this.”

As soon as she did the next step, things started to happen.

4. Surrender

Steps 1-3 get you to the meat of the matter: Surrender.

The problem most people have with solving problems is they try to solve the problem from the place of the problem! Surrender means giving up your rational mind’s control over the situation. It’s letting things go, relinquishing control, and allowing a divine process to emerge. Yes, my friends, God takes control. (And you really thought it was YOU the whole time?)

This is the power of Bubble Up. You swim around in the muck until your arms are tired, then you give up and say “I can’t do this!” You stop struggling, stop fighting, and trust. Next thing you know, you’ve loosened your grip.

Toni gave up trying to figure things out. She has a degree from one of those fancy pants colleges so she’s used to finding solutions. Yet she couldn’t here… and it allowed the next step to happen.

5. Catch Bubbles

As soon as you reach this point of surrender and not knowing, it’s bubble catching time! So here’s Toni, a pile of used tissues next to her because she was just so DONE with the agony of not knowing what to lead with, and it started to happen.

I asked her the same questions I’d asked her a few minutes earlier. I had no agenda in what she chose, just support for her to find what meant the most to her.

“If this were your last day on earth, would you choose this as your life’s work?”

One choice- the sensible on paper choice- got a resounding NO.

The other got an enthusiastic YES.

And more bubbles began to emerge. She connected dots she couldn’t see before.

“Well, actually it’s not an either/or! Look at this… I can lead with the thing I’m passionate about, and incorporate the ‘sensible’ thing into it… without giving up either! Oh this is what I’ve spent YEARS trying to get clear on!!”

Years.

Years of struggle and turmoil. We solved it with a short amount of time in the muck, tired out her sensible side and then she took off with it.

Toni was on fire. She had something to say. She knew why she wanted to say it. She knew who her message was for.

Problem solved.

Creativity on fire.

Enthusiasm for her work ran off the charts.

This release works. Not only did it solve Toni’s “Who am I?” problem, but it gave me a solution too.

My email problem was the thing needed to take me to frustration. Throwing my hands up in the air, I gave up. When I gave up, I suddenly started getting ideas for backlogged projects I’d almost given up on. A book outline popped into my brain. The same book outline I had been torturing myself to create for the past year. I feel like badassery in action!

The outline led to a revised message for my own work… do you see how this stuff goes much deeper than “how to” tips? Did you see how I mentioned G-O-D? I’d never do that before… it was in my mind, but I convinced myself not to share those things publicly. This led to new ways to talk to my present and future clients about the power of their inner genius. How it’s divine and their perfect work. It led to this blog post after months of letting my blog lay fallow.

My release, Toni’s release, and the releases that my clients experience clears confusion out of the way. You know which way to go and can then take passionate action. That’s as good as gold, especially when you’re tired of being stuck in the muck.

So go on… Bubble away 🙂

And to find out about doing the work with me, just drop me a line. 

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