Think with your body, not your head

Contrary to popular thought, thinking occurs below the neck as well as between the ears. For example, much of the nervous system is focused around the gut. Hence, our language about "gut reactions" or "gut instinct." This accounts for many peoples stomach ailments when upset or nervous. That may be why we often have "butterflies" in our stomach to describe out anxiety. Read more about embodied cognition and how you can use the wisdom of your body to be a new you!

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clipped from westallen.typepad.com We think with more than just our minds: Conflict reaches clear down to our toes The cold shoulder. A heavy topic. A heroic white knight. We regularly use concrete, sensory-rich metaphors like these to express abstract ideas and complicated emotions. But a growing body of research is suggesting that these metaphors are more than just colorful literary devices — there may be an underlying neural basis that literally embodies these metaphors. Psychological scientists are giving us more insight into embodied cognition — the notion that the brain circuits responsible for abstract thinking are closely tied to those circuits that analyze and process sensory experiences— and its role in how we think and feel about our world. The authors take a look at several research studies on various effects of embodied cognition. The studies are not in the least boring. I invite you to read the article, and bet many of you will find the studies intriguing.

5 Second New Years Resolution: World Peace

If you have made a New Years Resolution to lose weight, cut down on caffeine, or spend more time with the kids, that is great. In addition, try taking 5 seconds to do something peaceful. Be nice to someone else. Smile. Offer to help someone load their groceries. Let a frustrated mom go ahead of you in line. Tell us what you have done to help build world peace 5 seconds at a time!

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clipped from thirstyfishinfo.amplify.com the new year, a time to stop and reflect and make promises to ourselves to improve on something. 5 seconds may not seem like much. But to the stressed someone who is given the gift of a little kindness, that few seconds can be an affirmation that they are not alone. For the person who has had a generally bad day, 5 seconds of attention, help or courtesy can put a little light back into life. For someone whose day is going well, it offers a companionable moment of warmth. None of us, by ourselves, can create the world peace we all long for. But all of us are capable of taking that extra 5 seconds that contributes to the project. Seconds of kindness add up to hours which add up to days and weeks. As a New Year’s resolution, I promise myself that I’ll regularly increase my 5 second deposits into our collective goodwill. That’s a promise I can keep. Read more at psychcentral.com

Living PeaceBiblical Meditations on PeaceLet There Be Peace On Earth

New Years Resolutions Need Scaffolding

clipped from thirstyfishinfo.amplify.com Choose a Concrete Goal Avoid vagueness, what exactly does “be a better parent” mean, after all? If that was your choice for your New Year’s resolution then obviously something prompted you to think of it. What’s the Next Action? What do you have to do right now to start achieving your resolution? If you don’t know, where can you go to find out? What will you have to do next month? The month after that? Does your resolution have an end? What skills or behaviors will you be adopting from this point on? Make Your Resolution Open Ended you’re way more likely to keep a resolution that focuses on a positive aspect of your life Seek out a Support Network Be Realistic and Be Kind You’re not weak for setting a realistic goal instead of firing off a lofty and unattainable one.Read more at lifehacker.com One of the biggest points of failure in New Year’s resolutions is a lack of scaffolding. If you want to ensure lasting and positive change, you have to structure the change in a manageable and reasonable way

Goals! How to Get Everything You Want--Faster Than You Ever Thought PossibleThe Magic Lamp: Goal Setting for People Who Hate Setting GoalsGoal Setting Forms : Tools to Help You Get Ready, Get Set, & Go for Your Goals!

Do you feel like an imposter?

This is a belief that is much more common but it is not something commonly talked about. Telling others about your inner critic doesn’t engender a lot of confidence from employers or even friends and family. If you struggle with this issue, here are some ways to manage your inner critic instead of it managing you.

clipped from thirstyfishinfo.amplify.com Do you spend hours worrying that you aren’t good enough to succeed? That you’re just not capable or that you aren’t smart enough? You’re not alone. the “impostor phenomenon,” a psychological syndrome identified in the late 1970s by Pauline Clance and Suzanne Imes and expanded upon by Manfred Kets de Vries in a 2005 HBR article. It describes frequent feelings of incompetence despite all of the evidence to the contrary. The trick to dealing with your inner critic is to develop a balanced relationship with it: to not ignore or avoid it and the emotions it raises, but to also not allow yourself to be bullied by it. Examine your inner critic. Ask it: “Where do you come from?” This might feel awkward at first, but speaking internally with your critic is a valid psychological technique that encourages you to think objectively. Understand that your inner critic can actually help you. Act in spite of your inner critic. Read more at blogs.hbr.org Do you feel like an imposter?