Here's The Thing...Lauren Cardinale, CMS-CHt, FIBH, CPC

Everyone knows someone going through the college application "idea" - whether kids, grandkids, nieces or nephews, and also whether actively in it, about to go through it, or a few years down the road. While it may seem that the college application process is not something active in everyone in the moment, the information we discuss tonight is viable, it's relevant and it's timely. If you have or know someone in that stage of life, you know how important it is for them to be moving forward in the world feeling good about themselves. Listen as I speak with special guest, Jessie Peck-Martin from Compass-U Educational Consulting.

EVERYBODY wants it, BUT it’s not something that everyone is actively trying to create. What is that? Confidence. MY question is “why”. What is it about confidence that makes it an attractive feeling, a way of being, and ultimately, an identity trait? I am teeing up the conversation on the topic of confidence – and the differences between confidence, self-confidence and self-esteem. Yes, you heard that right. I believe that by breaking out the three, we can better identify where we are, and most importantly, take the necessary, appropriate and best next action to create the changes we desire. Listen to find out more!

Everyone procrastinates to some degree occasionally, and that procrastination is as old as we are. It is defined as postponing an action despite the fact that we know there’s going to be a price to pay for the delay of it. It’s putting off what’s important, and getting caught up in the “what’s urgent” syndrome. It is the state of acting against your better judgment. It’s NOT about being lazy, and it rarely has to do with poor time management - and if procrastination is voluntary (because it is), why do we do it? Learn the two main reasons we procrastinate and tools to change those habits starting right now (not tomorrow).

We’ve all been around someone who we know is not good for our state of mind. It can be relatively easy to avoid someone when we have the choice, but what about when we don’t? There are definitely going to be moments in your life when you’re going to be around, and will have to manage, a situation with a toxic person. How do we DO that? Ultimately, a toxic person is bad for you - and the reason is that often they are not readily recognized as being very toxic. You could go days, months, or even years and never even know how much damage they are causing in your life. It can be very stressful to not be able to decipher between who is really trying to be a positive influence in your life, and who isn’t. To protect yourself from a toxic person, you have to be able to know one when you see one. There are always signs – it’s a matter of being able to identify them. And, as we learn to identify them, we can either develop a healthy relationship with them, or release them. Get to know how to spot a toxic relationship, how we participate, and how it affects us.

Are you surrounded by clutter: physical, financial, mental and emotional? Are you weighed down by your stuff? Clutter clogs up more than floors, tables and closets. It blocks abundance. By digging in and unearthing what you can understand about yourself from your clutter, you can see the opportunities in front of you. Any dread you feel is a powerful indicator of a root issue. In this show, we’ll be talking about the power of clearing clutter – and while it starts with cleaning up your closet or garage, it can be so much more. Learn what you can do RIGHT NOW to start clearing a path out of clutter of ANY kind, and find the energy that's been buried inside you.

Do you feel guilty taking time for yourself? Do you feel like every moment should be productive? How much does “should” weigh on your mind? How much resentment do you feel if you say YES to something you really don’t want to do? Guilt is frequently viewed as a virtue – as a high sense of responsibility and morality. So why does it feel so awful? Guilt is, first and foremost, an emotion - and contrary to popular belief - it is NOT a very good motivator. The resentment and anger that follow (and often go hand in hand) are equally toxic emotions. Listen in to learn how getting honest about a situation, really honest, is the best way to plow through it.

Do you have a friend who somehow manages to revert every topic of conversation back to himself; the colleague who is always bragging about having the latest, greatest "whatever"; the family member who thinks she is smarter and just generally better than you at everything? Chances are, you’ve encountered a narcissist - but sometimes the signs of narcissism are a little more nuanced - not always as obvious as we would think. A certain amount of narcissism IS in all of us, and it is actually healthy. It IS possible to have some traits of narcissism without having a clinically diagnosed disorder, but when narcissism starts to have a serious, negative impact on everyday life and relationships, it is an impairment outside of the normal.Listen in to learn how to tell if you have a narcissist in your life and what you can do about it!

Addiction – from Latin which means attached against your will (quite appropriate). Most drugs of abuse work by flooding the brain with dopamine. Alcoholics and drug addicts have extremely low dopamine. These lower starting levels of dopamine in the brain lead to higher spikes when the substance is used. The high causes the crash and the crash causes the craving. Listen to hear special guest, Brian McAlister, speak of addiction, his recovery and his mission to help others find purpose, recover at Full Recovery Wellness Center and live life to the fullest.

ANXIETY – the squeaky wheel. Anxiety is an emotion like any other - with its ebbs and flows. When anxiety starts building on itself, it gets very loud - like the toddler in the supermarket having a tantrum - and we can hear nothing else. Being an emotion, we can (more) simply, either lose control of, or gain control of it – like any other emotion – and our emotions serve a purpose. We have to understand the message inside the mood in order to name it, respond effectively and release it. We’ll begin to understand anxiety a little more, learn the message it's really sending, and then give it another job to do (instead of a time out).

Do you ever hear yourself say “my biggest fear is?” Do people ever ask you “why do you worry so much?” Constant worry or fear can be debilitating. So what, then, is the appropriate amount of worry/fear? If you’ve ever had a time when you’ve taken the practical choice – that’s fear. If you’ve been in a state of mistrust – that’s fear. If you’ve doubted yourself or your ability to do something – that’s fear. Fear is a natural and necessary response - and it serves to protect us. In this program, begin to shift your understanding of fear and learn how you may be misinterpreting it – and learn tools you can put into practice immediately.