I remember the first time I did yoga. I was in a warm, smelly gymnasium, surrounded by my fellow sixth graders. The lights were dim, and my hippie-dippie sixth-grade teacher, Mrs. Harris was leading us in the zen practice she loved so dearly. I stifled laughter the entire time. The idea of pretending to be a tree or a chair could not seem crazier to me. I thought it was so stupid and did not care for the experience at all.  More than 17 years have passed, and I’ve not only come to love yoga since then, I recently started my training to become a certified yoga instructor. Maybe it’s the added stress life has handed me since the somewha

Have you ever looked at someone and thought to yourself, “She shouldn't be eating that ice cream cone,” or, “That tattoo is awful,” or laughed at a meme that shows someone who might not look "normal?” A month ago, I attended a birthday party at a casino. I am not a big gambler, but the person whose birthday it was is important to me, so I went. After the birthday celebration, everyone dispersed to the slot machines and gaming tables. I retreated to the Keno pit. Keno is a very slow game. Placing a bet was my ticket to sit in the comfort and quiet of the pit to do one of my favorite things—people watch.  I found mys

Picture this: Two people are in love, and since one of them had been married before, they endeavor to do all the right things and plan pastoral premarital counseling. They failed every test. The pastor said, “Are you sure you want to do this? The couple said, “Yes!” And they did. Several years later, they were listening to a speaker talk about the Color Code personality test. The woman enthusiastically said to the man, “I’m a Red, you’re a White, and this explains EVERYTHING!” Less than two years later, I (yes, the woman is me) certified as a Color Code personality trainer. Knowing Color Code was a game-changer

Have you ever thought about your habits and how much they really influence your life? If you’re like me, you might have never given it much thought. However, I recently had the opportunity to do this and can safely say I was surprised to come to the realization that more often than not, it’s been my HABITS which have had the greatest impact on my life in almost every facet. For example: My habits surrounding study and school were ultimately what determined much of my educational success and opportunities—or lack thereof. My habits surrounding eating and exercise have determined much of my health—or lack thereof.  My habit

Like many other things in life, Color Code is easy to use when the information is new and we are excited about it, but over time, our recall of the information begins to diminish. Like a muscle, the less we use our knowledge, the less effective and useful it is. It has been said over and over that “knowledge is power,” and that is true, but it has also been said that “knowledge is only power if we use it.”   So what are some ways we can use this powerful, life-changing tool? First of all, we need to make a conscious effort each day to use it. Keep reading to learn about a few exercises I do to keep this information in my arsenal.

It’s been more than a year since the Happiest Place on Earth closed its doors due to COVID-19 precautions, but at the end of this month, Disneyland will open its enchanted gates once again...for California residents. Those of us unlucky enough to live outside the Golden State only get to imagine the taste of Dole Whip, the smell of Pirates of the Caribbean (it’s a thing, I promise), and the beauty of the castle lit up after dark.  However, we will all be welcomed back to that happy place eventually, and when we are, we need to be prepared to optimize our vacation according to our personalities. The Reds will gear up to get the high sc

As a Blue who loves to talk about feelings, it wouldn’t surprise any Color Code aficionado to learn that I am an advocate for going to therapy. I believe everyone can benefit in some way from attending therapy, no matter their personality type, mental well-being, and life circumstance. A few months ago, I decided to “graduate” from seeing my therapist of two years. She and I bonded during our first session over both being Color Code fans, and her Red logic gave me great insight into my Blue emotions. 

One of the things I worked hard to overcome during my time in therapy was my crippling perfectionism. Ever since I wa

Many of the world’s most successful business people such as John D. Rockefeller and Jack Ma as well as renowned psychologists and researchers including John Mayer, Peter Salovey, and Daniel Goleman, have for years touted the importance of emotional intelligence in leaders as a critical factor for a company’s success. 

But what about the rest of those at a company? 

Does increased emotional intelligence in managers, employees, and staff directly translate into more effective, higher producing, and happier teams at work? 

In an article titled “What Makes a Leader,” written for The Harvard Business Review, D

Here at Color Code we teach that life is all about relationships. Our main goal as a company is to help people understand themselves and others on a deeper level so they can improve both their personal and professional relationships. We've seen marriages saved, businesses prosper, families improve, etc., etc., all because people took the time to put an effort into building their emotional intelligence and relationship skills. With that said, you can imagine how we love research that further validates the importance of what we do. Today, we thought we'd share with our readers one study we find particularly fascinating and encouraging. Becaus

by Maria Lesetz, Happiness Coach & Motivational Speaker “Ariel” is a woman who works at my local super market. She has quite the bubbly personality and always makes a point to say hello to me every time she sees me.  She yells out “Hey New York!” and blows me a kiss. She is a hoot! The other day I commented on her tan and asked her where she went. (You don’t get that type of tan in Oregon at this time of year!) She told me she went to Hawaii for her vacation but then proceeded to tell me what happened to her before she left for her trip. Her pocketbook was stolen. All her credit cards and checkbook were in there. She felt