A Mental Makeover

Season 2 of A Mental Makeover is here!!
And we're kicking it off with a bang: 23 Brain Tips for 2023.

What if I told you this year could be different if all you had was a road map and series of steps?? Would you do it?

I am a firm believer in taking action on the information we learn so this episode is all about actions you can take to make sure this year isn't a repeat of the past. 

Don't let 23 action steps overwhelm you! It all begins with choosing in to just one thing. I can't wait to get started in this year with you. 


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It’s the holiday season and in the face of traditions, I am offering you something new. 

We are talking about a new approach to building better boundaries for yourself through the eyes of neuroscience. 

Maybe you have heard the term boundaries…

I find it to be a buzz word of the moment…. 

So why is it important?

How do we do it?

What do you need to set them?

Let’s rewind with WHAT a boundary is. 

I am challenging you to reframe the very definition of a boundary. 

I am going to show you how we start setting our boundaries first by setting a goal. 

Just one goal. 

If there is one episode I want you to hear this holiday season, it’s this one. Let’s get into it. 

Episode Warning: This episode may be a bit controversial and I am asking you, the listeners, to come into this one with an open mind. 

I am treating this episode as a true Catholic confessional leading with why and when I was a total judgmental jerk, and the lesson I learned from it. 

Did you know that we’re all judgmental at the core. And here's why:
Our brains are wired to judge because it needs make quick decisions.

Here's how: If I see a snake on my porch, I need my brain to make a quick judgement that I might be in danger and need to shut my back door. 
We don’t have time to go through a whole mental process to first identify if it is slimy, if it is green, if it is moving, is it venomous. Instead, we need our brain to wire and fire quickly!!
This is all happening at a subconscious level. 
BUT...we CAN switch this judgement zone over to a cognitive level however, which allow us to slow our own roll. 

Here's my first ask. 
Listen to this episode with a pause, being open to the fact that MAYBE your judgements are coming from a subconscious place from which you have no TRUE experience. Then, lean in to listening and learning more from others. 

Here's my second ask. 
Write me. I would love to know how this episode has added to, taken away from, shifted, or solidified your opinion. I would also love to hear your moments of unintentional judgement. 

Oh and ps.
We do talk Kanye!!

As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not just to say it, but to LIVE it! ~ John F. Kennedy 

I want to wish you a wonderful celebration, where ever you are, where ever you are celebrating, what ever you are doing, have a happy, happy Thanksgiving! 

I encourage you to pause today and notice what you are grateful for. Celebrate being grateful and the feeling of thankfulness more than just this holiday and more than just in November. I’ll walk you through the easiest way to do this using your phone! 

Take a moment, to ask yourself: If tomorrow was my last day, what things, people, places, have I LOVED and cherished the most? 

I hope you cherish this holiday. Sending love to you and yours, from me and mine! 

Do you have any regrets? 

My own answer has surprised me and I want to share it with you. So while I have been thinking about this question non stop, I want to ask you the same thing… Do you have any regrets? What do you do with these regrets? Have they kept you up at night the way this question alone has for me?

One of the regrets that keeps coming up for me that I share with you in this episode is one that lasted for nearly a decade. It came from selfishness more than anything else and maybe this is something you can relate to. 

So, join me in this episode as we walk down the aisle of regret, BUT don’t worry, we won’t stay and take residency there, I’ll show you how to move forward from your regrets, decisions you’ve made, and help you see you ARE the cookie on the dessert table. 

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This is the most popular topic in my dm's as soon as November hits: 
The Holidays. 

Thoughts like these might begin to creep in:
"What if my family doesn't get along?"
"What if I don't want to see them?"
"What if I'm grieving?"
"How do I get through this season when I feel anything but joyful?"

So what can you do to get through your holidays with a dash more joy?
This Holiday Handbook comes in two chapters: 
1. How to handle families/relationships & all of those potentially tricky dynamics
2. How to navigate seasonal depression

I'm walking you through just how to prepare for your holiday season by understanding why your brain is working the way it is then giving you practical tips on how to make your holiday a little more hopeful. 

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Sometimes when we are struggling with something, it is so easy to feel alone. We forget we are more alike as people than we are different. We judge ourselves, we make ourselves feel like we aren't capable, we maybe even just feel down right unlucky. 

So what do we do when we hit a bout of bad luck? 
First we second guess ourselves, right? 
Maybe I'm not supposed to do this... 
Maybe I'm not made for this... 
Maybe I'm not ready for this...

Second we activate fear and trauma in our brains. 
We lean into what has happened to us before and send ourselves into total fear and worry. 

Third we watch it all pile up and feel overwhelmed like we can't handle one more thing. 

What can we do instead?
Introducing the "Bounce Back."

I'm walking you through what the bounce back is, and how you can build your resilience to have your brain literally bounce back from adversities. 


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çWell this podcast took a turn.

Have you ever had a plan and before you could even blink you took a deep detour? That was this episode. 

This podcast is one of my most personal and truly vulnerable yet. Things have happened in my life that have been HARD and I think when people look at someone who is ‘always happy’ or ‘extremely positive’ it’s easy to assume they haven’t experience anything difficult… right??

Death, addiction, affairs, divorce. 

It’s all in here. 

Dealing with difficulty. 

 Hard times, tricky situations, and difficult people, they aren’t always quick and easy to get through which is why we NEED the tools to endure. I want to bring you those lessons today. 
 
 —

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I get emailed about this once a week… 

I get dm’s about it multiple times a day…

I get questions about it at every event… 

 What is toxic positivity and how does it work??

The truth is, you may have fallen into toxic talk without even knowing it which is why I am here to tell you the FIVE things to NEVER say again. 

Here’s what you’ll learn:

1. The difference between toxic positivity and positive psychology 
2. Why ‘pretending’ is the death to true positivity and joy
3. Why feeling your feelings is vital - including the hardships
4. What NOT to say and what to swap it for 

If you are guilty of saying or doing some of these things, that’s OKAY. Spoiler alert, I’m guilty of some of them too. But when you learn why they’re so harmful, you’ll want to change. Get ready for a new outlook and more true authentic feelings. 

Let’s get into it.

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Have you ever wondered if the "gratitude attitude" mindset is real or total bullsh$t?? I've heard ALL the doubts about gratitude. I'm here today to bust the TOP 3 MYTHS and set the record straight. 

Here's the truth: 
Gratitude has a direct impact on your brain and your brain chemicals. That is NOT bullsh$t. 

So where do you start? I have had a gratitude practice for the past 15 years. It has changed shape and steps, but the core has remained the same for over a decade and that is because IT WORKS. 

You don't have to list hundreds of things you are grateful for to have a “good” gratitude practice. I am giving you permission to skip the long winded lists of things you are thankful for. In fact, these can lead to dread, frustration, and annoyance. Instead, I give you my game changing tip to transform how you “do” gratitude as well as a little secret for the next time you're in the Starbucks line and need an extra mood boost.