GRATITUDE If you're thinking that I'm being cheesy or a little too "Pollyanna" about this - please hear me out. There is a scientific foundation for what I'm saying. Psychologist Robert Emmons has been researching gratitude from a scientific perspective for over 15 years. The following is a list of benefits that have been linked to increased levels of gratitude: Improved physical, emotional, and social well-being Greater optimism and happiness Improved feelings of connection in times of loss or crises Increased self-esteem Heightened energy levels Strengthened heart, immune system and decreased blood pressure

“To effectively communicate, we must realize that we are all different in the way we perceive the world and then we must use this understanding as a guide to our communication with others.” - Anthony Robbins Have you ever noticed how GOOD it feels to be really listened to? It’s impactful and conveys respect and value.  The ability to effectively communicate with others remains the single most important factor on a leader’s list of attributes. A big part of effective communication is active listening.  Unfortunately, one of the big communication challenges most people face is that we don't actively listen to understand.

Dear Jeremy, I am a White that loves to make goals, but I get overwhelmed, “want to do it all” and then have a hard time following through with my goals. I do very well with accountability. My husband is Yellow and also struggles with keeping goals. To add to the complexity, we have 5 small children ages 19 months to 10 years old. Heidi ==================== Hello, Heidi. Wow! You've got a lot going on in life. :) Thank you for taking the time to reach out to us here at Color Code. I'd love to answer your question with a few thoughts of my own. First of all, I love that you are goal- and accountability-oriented. That's

I come from a line of Blue women. My maternal grandmother was a Blue. My mom is a Blue. I am a Blue. And if I could give any advice to those who know, live with or love a Blue, it is that Blues need to be appreciated. I remember my mom making each of us kids either call my grandma or write her a formal Thank You card every time she gave us a present. Yes, it seems like an obvious thing to do as an adult, but I always felt so silly and a little embarrassed calling her and having what seemed like a serious conversation to 8-year-old me. But my Blue mom knew that HER Blue mom needed to hear that “Thank you.”

As

The pandemic has been hard on everyone, and we have all coped in different ways. The Reds have worked through their list of home projects, even though it was challenging at times to get supplies. The Blues turn off the news to avoid the constant barrage of suffering. (As a Blue, I couldn’t listen to the numbers going up, the quarantine extensions, etc.)  For the White personalities, this was an opportunity to embrace their natural tendencies. My White-personality son was happy taking his college courses online. He never left the house unless absolutely necessary. But for my 15-year-old daughter, a Yellow, things were really tough.  In

Editor’s Note: Names have been changed in the following story to protect the individual’s identities  In my executive coaching practice, I have found that differences in communication styles can play a larger role in someone's success in an organization more than other skills. That was the case when Barb reached out to me about some difficulties she was having with her boss in her new job.   In addition to training webinars, I use the Color Code as a tool to help solve real-world business problems. Barb was brought into a mid-size industrial organization to lead their HR department.  She was so excited fo

We discussed workplace bullying, but like Charles M. Glow said, "One doesn't have to operate with great malice to do great harm. The absence of empathy and understanding are sufficient." With so many issues facing the workforce today, it is essential to recognize and understand your workforce's diversity and empathize with their daily problems. Empathy is the ability to put yourself in others' shoes, psychologically, to understand their thoughts, feelings, needs, and wants. More importantly, it's using that information to build relationships, teamwork, and effective leadership.  Studies reveal that empathy is pos

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

Try on their shoes... ...metaphorically speaking that is. Let us explain. If you've been reading our blog or are a fan of the Color Code you probably already know that the "antidote" to any personality limitation you may have will always be found in a strength of one of the other personality types. That's why we stress the importance of knowing as much as possible about all the colors. So with that in mind, today might we offer a small tip on how to tap into the compassion that comes so naturally to our Blue friends? It's so simple you're probably going to dismiss it, but we encourage you to take a moment this w

It’s common Color Code knowledge that Whites dislike conflict and confrontation. Whites are motivated by peace and since peace isn’t exactly the root of conflict, you can see why it could make Whites cringe. Although Whites don’t like conflict, we as humans actually really need them to engage in it with us. Why? Because some of the White strengths are actually really beneficial during conflict. Whites, keep reading to discover how some of your strengths can be assets during conflict and confrontation. Whites are kind Other personalities may get so caught up in the heat and emotion of conflict that they forget to be kind. How many times