January 14th, 2010
by Dr. Brian Higley |
Being more aware of what is happening within oneself, others and the surrounding environment can have a great impact on Self-Mastery. The more you know about what influences you and how it does so, the more influence you will gain over your own thoughts, feelings and behaviors. Blocks to personal and professional growth are much easier to overcome when we experience more awareness of ourselves, others and the environments in which we live and work.
There are many ways in which to enhance awareness, including the following: (more…)
January 13th, 2010
by Dr. Brian Higley |
There are many conflicts that most of us encounter in our daily lives; some are unavoidable, others are quickly resolved when we are in more clear states of mind. Many have reported that when in calm states of mind, conflicts that used to seem very large or important fade away, leaving people with much more energy and focus for important personal and professional goals. There are many methods of cultivating more peaceful states of mind, even in the midst of challenging situations and times. Here are a few ideas that have helped many people do so: (more…)
January 12th, 2010
by Dr. Brian Higley |
Experiencing the extremes of low self-esteem (sometimes referred to as “self-doubt”) and over-blown self-esteem (sometime referred to as “arrogant pride”) can decrease our ability to relate to ourselves, others and our environment in realistic, effective and satisfying ways. The more we can dwell in between these extremes (sometimes thought about as a state of self-confidence mixed with awareness of one’s limitations), the more influence we have over our thoughts, feelings and behaviors.
Optimized self-esteem is often brought about by affirming our strengths (without overestimating them) while simultaneously understanding our weaknesses (without allowing our awareness of weaknesses to influence us to underestimate our worth as people). Here are some methods people have used to promote a balance between self-doubt and arrogant pride: (more…)
January 11th, 2010
by Dr. Brian Higley |
The great psychologist Victor Frankl survived the Nazi death camps and used the experience to help create a way to help people overcome suffering called “logotherapy.” Frankl said that we can handle any “what” (or situation) in our lives if we have a strong enough “why” (or meaning). This shows how important it can be to connect what we do with something that is meaningful to us. If we can connect our goals with an exciting meaning, purpose or mission, we tend to feel more energized to overcome the barriers to achievement of our most important aims on a day to day basis.
Meaning and purpose can be enhanced by staying aware of how what we do connects with our broader objectives in life. Here are some ways people have been able to strengthen meaning and purpose in their personal and/or professional lives: (more…)
January 10th, 2010
by Dr. Brian Higley |
Often, being extroverted (or focused on what is happening outside of ourselves) is helpful to the ability to experience or achieve what we want to in life. On the other hand, introversion (or being focused on what is happening inside of ourselves) is also frequently very helpful as well. An ability to focus on what is happening outside of ourselves (including the thoughts and feelings of others) and inside of ourselves (including our own strengths and weaknesses) when situations call for it can be critical to personal and professional success. For this reason, psychological flexibility can help us be more at ease and more effective across a variety of situations in life.
Psychological flexibility can be increased by understanding our current comfort zones and how to broaden them. Here are some ways people have been able to increase flexibility in their lives: (more…)
