Connection. Here’s what Brene Brown has to say about it. "I define connection as the energy that exists between people when they feel seen, heard, and valued; when they can give and receive without judgment; and when they derive sustenance and strength from the relationship.” - Brene Brown. What do you think of that statement? I do believe humans are social creatures that will crave connection from birth to the grave. My tip for you is to introduce a tender moment in one of your connections today. To somehow find a way to bring your authentic awareness to somebody else's being, showcasing their energy and state of mind without judgement. If this is a challenge for you, pick the smallest detail. For example: I noticed the way you handed me coffee, the way you folded your napkin, the way your voice changed when the manager walked by. No need to categorize it, just to notice a small seemingly inconsequential detail and elevate it. Want answers? Send your questions, comments and thoughts about life to [email protected]

Creativity. What does it mean to you? For me it's the ability to make connections between seemingly unrelated things. It's value goes well beyond the arts to affect every discipline and industry. Creativity creates jobs, drives economic growth and provides answers to societal needs. It maximizes the human potential. Think how powerful it is having the ability to create the things we imagine, but first we have to imagine. Even people who say they value creativity will only embrace an outside the box idea with enough proof of a payoff. How much do you value creativity? Today’s challenge. Bend your mind today and see something from a different angle. Want answers? Send your questions, comments and thoughts about life to [email protected]

Today's value topic is communication. Often at work this is the difference between a good manager and a great manager. In this information age when we have more knowledge than we could ever process in a lifetime, think about the power of being able to teach someone how to understand something. The ultimate show of our prowess in a field or subject is the ability not only to teach someone to understand it but empower them to be able to do this on their own. That's were massive amounts of leverage are happening. In your personal life if what is being expressed or requested on your end results in an unwelcome outcome, perhaps it's a measure of your communication effectiveness and not being able to understand how that info is being received. Ask yourself how can bolster your communication?

Let's talk about change. Now, when I said that word, what did you feel? Did you feel excited, relaxed, ready to embrace whatever that word represents? Or did you feel apprehensive, tense and resistant. We are in this era of unprecedented scientific discovery and technological advances and you’ve got to be a little curious about what will you do differently as a result of the change in the future state because that's guaranteed. More importantly, how will you be thinking differently as a result of the change? A tip I have for you to help you navigate change is to develop terminology and vocabulary to discuss your rich inner world. Workout those things within yourself so that you have a better internal roadmap which will result in a better exterior roadmap.

Today's value topic is challenge. This is life's way of making sure that what you truly desire is the thing that you're chasing. How often have you announced, “Universe, I want this!" And then it playfully tested you back with, “Do you really?" Imagine a world of no effort, discipline or commitment, yet every wish was fulfilled. Think how overwhelmingly meaningless and trivial that would be, how painfully empty life would feel. You would be deprived of the right to struggle to learn. Consider a challenge that you have in your life currently. What can you learn about yourself from it? What does it say about something you truly desire and how does that measure up to what you are currently chasing?

I can't think of a word that more lovingly represents the unknown then adventure. As we think about the value of adventure, it inherently involves risk. It's not always going to be entirely fun. But it does allow you to deal with new and unexpected change. It allows for more creativity and overrides the natural human tendency to predict doom and disaster. It also helps to overcome the tendency to avoid risk and stay where you are even if it makes you unhappy. It allows you to embrace confusion, self-doubt, getting lost and finding your way again as part of the process which allows for growth and expanded horizons. What can you embrace as an adventure in your life today?

Today’s value topic is acceptance. This is a really interesting one for changemakers. Because how do you go about changing the world and fully except yourself and others? One of the difficult aspects of the human experience is this notion of separateness, that we feel set apart and isolated. The value of acceptance is that it allows you to love others and lifts them out of their feeling of separateness. Don't you just hate it when someone comes to you and says, “You shouldn't feel this way." Because, DUH, I already do. A tip for when someone comes to you and shares how they feel. Start your reply with "I see" or "I hear that you feel _____" Reflect back their experience so you can validate that what they are feeling is true for them. It is their reality. Radical acceptance happens before radical change.

Do you know what your values are? Because if you do they can really help you prioritize as you make decisions in your life and how you want to go about things. You're in for a treat. Tune in for the next 30 days. We'll be talking about different values to see which ones resonate with you, the ones that really capture your imagination. The ones that you feel like when I talk about them, it really hits home somewhere for you. After this next 30 days, we’re going to talk about how to capitalize on knowing what you truly value. How to use that information effectively. Want answers? Send your questions, comments or thoughts about life to [email protected]

We live in a pretty opinionated world these days. You can ask anybody. They can have opinion on everything myself included. I wanted to give you a prompt today. What are your thoughts on, “My opinion isn't better than somebody else’s truth.” This came up in a discussion about whether alcohol was good or bad. Yes, I have an opinion on it because I enjoy a glass of wine with dinner. But for this other person, their truth was that alcohol didn’t serve them very well. In that place, I just thought, “Hey, I don't think alcohol is good or bad but my opinion isn’t more important than your truth."

How do you handle being irritated at somebody? Ask yourself what it is about their behavior that bothers you in this situation. They're just going about their lives being themselves. Just so happens it doesn’t live up to your expectations. In truth we have many, many of these. My tip: write down what is actually irritating you about the interaction. Sometimes seeing it on paper looks so ridiculous you’ll be able to laugh at your humanity. If you can’t succinctly write it out, then there’s just something else that is bothering you. This person may bring it out and they may cause some feeling to surface. But it’s something you’re still working out within yourself. Perhaps it’s your inability to speak up, or frustration that you can’t articulate what you feel or maturity to handle a certain emotion. Often the cause is from within and you would benefit from a little self-care. Because if you knew, you would address it and cease to be irritated.