5 Ways to Reduce Stress Quickly!

In the 1970's there was an infamous commercial featuring a distressed-looking woman standing in front of a screen with annoying images circulating in the background. The images were of noisy traffic, an overbearing boss, a crying baby and a barking dog. In the midst of the chaos she screams, "That's it! Calgon® - Take me away"! We all have “Calgon” moments when we wish we could just escape into a warm relaxing bath.

Whether it's in us or around us we often deal with stressful situations. It's just a fact of life. The good news is that you can relieve stress quickly. Here are five simple ways to get out of the stress and get back into great living:

(1) Think good thoughts! Redirect your thoughts to calm visions or things that excite you. Picture yourself on a relaxing vacation. Or visualize yourself accomplishing a future goal. Better yet, if you're like me, imagine you are the leading lady in a block buster movie and Denzel Washington is your co-star. Then focus on the things you can do to change the situation or emotion and build a plan to help you succeed.

(2) Kiss your stress away! Kissing reduces stress by helping your brain to release endorphins, better known as "the warm and fuzzies". Research shows that people who kiss more are less stressed and depressed. Pucker up and keep pushing forward!

(3) Take a breath! Deep breathing is one of the best ways to lower stress in the body. When you breathe deeply it sends a message to your brain to calm down and relax. The brain then sends this message to your body which can lower your heart rate and decrease your blood pressure. Jordan Shakeshaft shares 6 breathing exercises to relax you within 10 minutes. It's simple - better breathing better health.

(4) Laugh! It’s true laughter is the best medicine. Laughter diminishes pain, provides energy, increases memory and learning and improves alertness and creativity. Care 2 lists 7 laughing exercises to get your started on the laugh path.

(5) Keep good company! Have a chat with someone who inspires you. We don’t need science to tell us how a smile or conversation with a good friend or family member can turn your frown around. Jim Rohn shared that you are the sum of the 5 people you spend the most time with. Surround yourself with people who encourage, uplift and enlighten you.

Don't let the stresses of life weigh you down. Live successfully by applying these methods to help you to KEEP GOING!

Coaching Seminar "Get Out of the Way!"

We capped off the summer with the "Get Out of the Way" coaching seminar highlighting Seven Proven Strategies for Success. More than 40 entrepreneurs, community leaders and business professionals gathered for networking, information and inspiration to encourage SUCCESSFUL LIVING! Look for details of the next event...coming soon!

Give Up for Success

In order to achieve the success you desire there are some things you'll need to GIVE UP. Believe bigger! Go beyond barriers! You can reach your potential!

Teamwork Makes the Dream Work!

A key component to living successfully – meaning - living with faith, hope, joy and love is TEAMWORK. If you ask any successful person how they “made it” they always talk about people who helped them on the journey. It takes a village to raise a child and it takes a team to for LIFE SUCCESS. You need a team for work – when your boss is acting crazy: for family- when the kids are acting up: for business- when the numbers aren’t adding up: and for spiritual support- because the devil is always busy.

Here’s a list of the folks that should be on your team:
~ A CAPTAIN – this is someone who has been there and done that; they mentor you and help you navigate through and around both opportunities and landmines.
~ A ROOKIE – this is someone you can pour into and share experiences and learnings. You will grow as you help them.
~ A TRAINER – someone that supports you because they know people, events and information you need to stay competitive.
~ A COACH – someone who helps you build a plan, motivates you and provides accountability so you stick with the plan to achieve your goals.

BUT there is one team member that is vitally important to the team. They have full responsibility everything that happens. They determine the overall direction of the team and make the final decisions. You guessed it - The OWNER. In the game of life make sure that Jesus is the owner of your team. You’ll score the winning baskets, hit the home runs, make touchdowns and be a CHAMPION every time.

Be Determined!

Tackle It or Take It!

In life’s journey we face situations that require us to make decisions if we want to live successfully. It could be a job situation, a relationship issue or a feeling that causes low productivity, stagnation, or emotional discomfort. In order to move forward you will have to take some action. There are generally two choices that will get you where you want to be so you can resolve the problem. You can TACKLE IT or TAKE IT. The pathway you choose is determined by your abilities, wants and resources. Let’s break it down -

1. Tackling it means to get a hold of the issue and wrestled it down until it screams “uncle”. Take actions to resolve it so it is no longer a barrier to growth.

2. Take it means to accept it. Accept that your husband will never put down the toilet seat or that your wife will always ask 20 consecutive questions the minute you walk through the door. Accept that it is okay to be sad at times but that sadness doesn’t have to run life.

TD Jakes reminds us of our capabilities with this quote, ”To those of us who often procrastinate because of a lack of education or any area of weakness, I relieve you with this statement: It is not how much you know that arms you with the tools of great decision making, but rather how much you ask. Forget the past and MOVE FORWARD in faith. Be assured that God has a blessing moving forward to meet you! “

Fail for Success

A common reason people do not achieve the success they desire in their lives and career is due to the fear of failing. This fear paralyzes individuals from achieving goals and pursuing their passion and purpose. In essence, the fear of failure prevents fulfillment.

Everyone endures trials on life’s journey. Failure is inevitable. Consider the path of Oprah Winfrey. In the beginning of her career, Oprah was fired from a television reporting job because they didn’t think she was right for TV. This gave her the freedom to discover other opportunities. J.K. Rowling was an unemployed, divorced, single mother living on social security benefits when she wrote the first Harry Potter novel. Today, both women are billionaires. Their failures became springboards to success.

An old English Proverb reminds us that a smooth sea never made a skillful sailor. Failure provides information needed to pursue a new direction, a new way of doing things or insight to think differently. Here are three ways to benefit from failure:

1. Failure leads to tenacity. When Spike Lee couldn’t secure production support for his first film, “She’s Got to Have It “ and others told him it couldn’t be done, Lee maxed out his credit cards and borrowed money from friends and family to finance the film. The film cost $175,000 but earned $7 million at the box office launching his career and enabling him to start his own production company. Failure to secure traditional financing did not deter Lee from achievement. He didn’t give up but instead Lee let his drive fuel dreams of becoming a successful film maker, actor and producer.

2. Failure exposes weaknesses. Understanding your weaknesses provides two opportunities – develop or defer. You may choose to work on strengthening your capabilities in an area of weakness or choose to acquire support by having others manage those tasks. It’s important to know what you don’t know and make a decision that will best support you moving forward.

3. Failure improves your vision. Identifying and assessing what can truly be achieved is clearer after failure. Failure makes you more realistic about goals. Therefore you are able to focus on activities and opportunities based on your resources and abilities. Overall, more informed decision making to pursue goals better, smarter and faster is enabled through the lens of failure!

On the road to success be sure to LEARN along the way and ENJOY the journey even when it’s filled with detours. Don’t be afraid to fall down – just be sure you get up. And look where you slipped not where you landed.