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People Who Inspire Us

Posted by Marlene Anderson, MA, LMHC, NCC

Who has been an inspiration to you?

How did they inspire you?

What values and principles guided them as they lived their lives?

Growing up on a large farm in the Midwest, I accepted my parents’ principles of hard work, saving, investing, and frugal spending as the way everybody lived their life.

They valued family and faith. The integrity and ethics of my parents had a profound influence on how I lived when I grew up. I didn’t fully appreciate the gift they gave us kids until much later in life.

Ongoing Transformation

Posted by Marlene Anderson, MA, LMHC, NCC

So many things affect our lives…

…The decisions we make or fail to make.

…The people we hang around with.

…The failure to stop and think before following an impulse.

…The values we hold and act upon.

There is an ongoing transformation as we work to improve our life. Today on my podcast and blog, I offer questions that will guide you in taking the next steps towards transforming your life.

How to Develop Impulse Control

Posted by Marlene Anderson, MA, LMHC, NCC

We operate on impulses every day.

  • We stop at the store on our way home and buy things we hadn’t planned.
  • When we’re on a diet, we have a huge dish of ice cream while watching TV.
  • We abandon our goals every day, depending on how we are feeling in the moment.

We all follow our impulses from time to time. But when our impulses constantly supersede or replace legitimate needs, we’re headed for trouble.

Today on my blog and podcast, I’ll suggest tips for replacing reactive thinking, which can lead to impulse addiction, with proactive thinking, which helps us control our impulses.

Change Your Focus – Change Your Life

Posted by Marlene Anderson, MA, LMHC, NCC

focus

On the Home page of my website, FocusWithMarlene.com, I have the words: “Your focus defines who you are and who you can become.”

What you focus on every day has an enormous influence on your life.

As you reflect on your life – the decisions you have made, the conflicts you’ve struggled with, and the other obstacles that make up life in general – do you see a typical pattern of where your focus has been?

Is that focus benefiting you or not?

The good news: habits can be replaced. Today on my blog and podcast, I’ll walk you through 10 practical things you can begin doing today to change your focus.

No Matter What, I Can Make It

Posted by Marlene Anderson, MA, LMHC, NCC

Yes, I can.

You just left the doctor’s office after discovering that the problems you were having had been diagnosed as cancer.

This was totally unexpected. You are shocked. What do I do now? I am a widow and live alone. How will I deal with this?

Things like this happen all the time to everyone. It may not be a cancer diagnosis that stops you dead in your tracks, but a financial crisis, or a family member in trouble.

We know we’ll have tough times, but we aren’t as prepared as we think. And when the unexpected happens, we experience shock and helplessness. Today on my podcast and blog, I’ll share my own life-stopping moment with you, and what I did that got me through it.

Choose Your Attitude

Posted by Marlene Anderson, MA, LMHC, NCC

Attitude is a way of thinking, a viewpoint, or a frame of mind that we choose. Our attitude is reflected in how we look at life overall as well as the way we think.

What is your attitude and how does it affect your life every day, in every way?

Today on my blog and podcast, I’ll outline six shortcuts to happiness from the book, “Happiness is a Choice,” by Barry Neil Kaufman.

Become Flexible and Resilient: Tips from ‘The Grit Factor’

Posted by Marlene Anderson, MA, LMHC, NCC

In her book, “The Grit Factor: Courage, Resilience, and Leadership in the Most Male-Dominated Organization in the World,” air force pilot Shannon Polson lays out what is needed to meet the challenges we encounter in life.

It is not just about surviving or overcoming challenges, but using them to develop the life skills and confidence we need. Throughout the book, she offers exercises that can help us understand our core purpose.

Today on my blog and podcast, I’ll share some crucial points Shannon makes about developing tenacity, perseverance, and using adversity to your advantage.

Accept Adversity and Work With It

Posted by Marlene Anderson, MA, LMHC, NCC

couple holding hands

When adversity and hardship hit hard, questions and doubts rush to the foreground.

Why? Why me? How could this happen? What did I do wrong?

We experience emotions such as shock, anger, fear, anxiety, and even panic. As comprehension reveals the depth of the problems we face, we may have misgivings about how to successfully resolve them.

It is here we stop and take some calm breaths, and tell ourselves, “Yes, I can.”

While it is important to recognize and affirm our assets, qualities, and strengths, it is equally important to acknowledge our weaker parts. Today on my podcast and blog, I’ll show you three important steps to work with adversity and put self-discipline into practice.

Who’s At the Helm? Rules for Charting a Course Through Life

Posted by Marlene Anderson, MA, LMHC, NCC

My husband and I were avid sailors. We moved to beautiful Northern Washington to take advantage of the wonderful cruising in the San Juan Islands.

We learned that, before you begin any cruise, you need to have a destination in mind. You need to know the route you will take, obstacles you might encounter, and how to find safe passages when the weather gets rough.

The same is true for navigating life. We need to know ourselves, and where we want to go.

Today on my blog and podcast, I’ll give you some tips for navigating the waters of personal development, career, family, and long-term relationships.

Quiet Your Internal Critic and Develop Self-Esteem

Posted by Marlene Anderson, MA, LMHC, NCC

Quiet Your Internal Critic and Develop Self-Esteem

When our “inner voice” or self-talk berates everything we do, we will struggle to believe in ourselves. Our fears of doing everything wrong overshadow anything we might do right.

A low self-esteem will be reflected in our relationships, marriage, social circles, and work, because everything is colored by that negativity. And it can breed jealousy and resentment, as well as a simmering dislike for others.

Today on my blog and podcast, I’ll give you tools to help you talk back to your Internal Critic so you can silence it and begin to hear affirmations of your self-worth.