Dr. UnStuck Podcast — Get Out of Your Head. Get Into Your Life.

Negativity is more contagious than rabies and there is no vaccine, unfortunately. In order to develop immunity to the "Negative Nellies" out there we must be hypervigilant of the types of negativity which exist, as this will help us to manage these interactions. It has been said that "Misery loves company," and this is a myth. "Misery loves miserable company." Breathing in negativity is as bad as breathing in second-hand smoke. Don't do it.

#negativityiscontagious #stopcomplaining #goodvibesonly

When we think about how much time we spend in our living space, it makes great sense to have this be as enjoyable as possible . . . kind of like a good mattress. It should be comfortable, inviting, and leaving us feeling relaxed and rejuvenated after spending time there. Personal creative expression (not your wallet) is the key to making your living space pleasure-full, a room (or rooms) you can't wait to be in.

#creativehomedecorating #pleasure #artisticselfexpression

Often we sit back thinking that others are simply born more patient, honest, kind, or whatever. Many times we don't stop to realize that we can improve these things with commitment and practice just like playing the violin, learning Italian, or anything else. Where we choose to put our energy is where we succeed. It's really that simple.

#practicepatience #authenticjourney #liveyourbestlife

We can dramatically under estimate some of the small things we can do to increase our level of personal happiness. One of these seemingly small things is to create some personal space of our own. Even in the smallest of apartments we can put our fingerprint on a space, and the impact this can have on our mental health and ability to create is huge. In order to keep ourselves filled up we must have a space to call our own.

#importancepersonalspace #creativeself #selfcareisNOTselfish

We are currently living in a culture where violence has become prevalent. School shootings have become such a frequent occurrence that children are now afraid to go to school for fear of being shot. Automatic weapons of mass destruction are landing in the hands of mentally ill teenaged boys and young men. These shooters have a profile. Most are between 18-23 years of age. They were usually bullied, socially ostracized, and left a trail of verbal and written clues prior to each massacre. Most had "rehearsed" violence in some way. Though it is certainly complicated, the main source of this extreme violence is severe disconnection, which as human-beings we need as much as we need to breathe oxygen. In the absence of connection, there will always be suffering. "Hurt people"-hurt people. We need to get to the source, and fast.

#schoolshooting #Robbelementaryschool #disconnectionsuffering

Control is an illusion, and our need for control stems from the fear-driven ego. We often try to control people, relationships, circumstances, and what others say and do in an attempt to alleviate our own fear and anxiety. When we "win" control we feel safe and secure, and with this temporary "success" we are relieved. This feeling of relief serves as a strong reinforcer that leads us to striving for more external control. It is a vicious ego-driven cycle which leaves us emotionally unsatisfied and craving the next control-fix. Letting go of control is key to inner peace and personal freedom.

#lettinggo #innerpeace #personalfreedom

So often we find ourselves waiting for life to slow down enough for us to do what we are passion about, what makes our hearts sing. This is true for the bigger creative ideas such as starting a new business, as well as for the simple pleasures that bring us joy such as painting or playing the guitar. As far as any of us know, life is not a dress rehearsal . . . Stop waiting for things to slow down and pick up that paint brush or guitar, even if only for a few minutes. 

#simplepleasures #stopprocrastinating #liveyourbestlife

To achieve authentic success, one must commit to listening to and following the internal driving forces of persistence and determination. If you have your sights set on gathering life's honey, you must plan on dipping your hand into the hive again and again, and trudge forth through getting repeatedly stung. This is the only way to truly know the sweet taste of authentic success.

#Taoofsuccess #authenticsuccess #resilience

There are all sorts of definitions out there for what it means to be professional. These invisible rules reside in an invisible book, in an invisible desk, and were created by invisible people. And, most of these are norms from ages ago which have not been updated in decades. For some reason, we have gotten the message that we need to leave our feeling-self at home, and that showing emotion could have dire consequences. Bringing our whole human-self to work, complete with our imperfections, is the gift that keeps on giving. Doing so will increase employee creativity and productivity. Why? Because we feel a sense of genuine connection.

#emotionalprofessionalism #genuineconnection #workplacehappiness 

In can be so easy to get caught up in the constant pursuit of wanting more-more food, more drinks, more money, another promotion, a bigger house, and maybe even a better partner. When we do so, we can get stuck in the thrill of the chase, the perpetual state of striving. This mindset of striving for more then pushes happiness right over the cognitive horizon.

#enoughisenough #lessismore #abundance