As a Transformational & Intentional Creativity Life Coach, I am a fan of self-help books.  Many are full of very insightful perspectives and insights that have shifted my thinking, and some have truly been a catalyst for significant healing in my life. And I’m not alone. It’s estimated that the self-help industry will reach $14 billion by 2025.  Despite my being a fan of self-help books, there is one thing that gnaws at me about many of them. Many of them overlook that we’re not all the same. They give cookie-cutter solutions versus giving tools or recommendations based on understanding who we are as individuals (i.e., what's good

Is having motivation important for success? I am of the opinion that finding motivation when it is lacking is essential for success in all areas of life. In this article, I’ll share my number one tip for teens finding motivation by using their DCM (Driving Core Motive), and how I used it with my son and his experience playing on the varsity basketball team.  As a teen life coach, I work with young and impressionable minds, and many of them lack motivation. When a parent calls or reaches out to me on social media about their teenager lacking motivation, I immediately send them to a Color Code personality assessment. Lacking motivation is

I saw a meme the other day that made me laugh and also rang pretty true. It said, “Nobody claim 2022 as ‘your year.’ We’re all going to walk in real slow. Be good. Be quiet. Be cautious and respectful. Don’t touch anything.” Doesn’t that just sound like wisdom from a White personality? It’s safe to say the pandemic has been a nightmare for all of us in one way or another. The Blues desperately missed building deep, in-person connections with loved ones. Yellows missed all the parties and sociability.  Reds, who were used to living in a fast-paced world, had to learn how to slow down a little. For the Whites, one of the

Can Color Code help an aspiring college student find the “best-fit” major? The short answer—YES.   The more complicated answer—it will help, but it will not tell you exactly what to study. So… How can it help?   There is an important concept in interviewing and hiring the best person for a job; it’s called motivational fit. The idea of motivational fit is that the best-fit candidate will have a natural motivation to do the type of work required for a job. A common question to determine motivational fit is, “Tell me about your ideal workday.”  The candidate might respond:  “I’d like to have flexib

It's the hap-happiest season of all…or is it?  According to a survey by the American Psychological Association, many people experience "the holiday blues" this time of year. "While the majority of people surveyed reported feelings of happiness, love, and high spirits over the holidays, those emotions were often accompanied by feelings of fatigue, stress, irritability, bloating, and sadness." Each of us moves into the holidays with mixed feelings—some joy and some trepidation. Even those who love this season can experience times of high emotion and demands, which can leave many people feeling stressed and exhausted. Following are a

“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.

Just as seasons change, the world has had to adjust to so much change recently, too. With all these significant changes in our lives, it’s never been more important to stay true to our colors and reignite our passion and purpose. Additionally, it’s so much more important for us to build bridges and mend fences to find ways to get along. In Fall, we see lots of colors we don’t normally see, and as the world is re-configuring, we see lots of challenges after being isolated from the pandemic. I will never forget the first time I participated in a Color Code program, and how in ONE DAY, my life changed forever. How could this tool of

First Off, The Two Blue Parents — A Bit Of History We met about 40 years ago and got acquainted by way of introduction. My friend mentioned to me that there was this girl…so off I went with him on this girl-finding mission. We met and got to know each other better, finding over the course of a few short visits that we had a lot of common interests. She was from Eastern Canada, and I from the West, some 1600 or so miles apart. Feeling homesick, she decided to go back to her Eastern stomping grounds. I let her go without much being said or done to prevent her from going back. Of course, letter writing was part of the deal, b

It goes without saying that 2020 was a year that we won't ever forget, but there is now some light at the end of the tunnel. The question is, after a year of fear, grief, and solitude, how will we handle a new normal?   Now, halfway into 2021, we see some light at the end of the long, dark tunnel. Many of us are apprehensive, asking ourselves what that light brings. What is the new normal? THE NEW WORKPLACE For some of us, it's time to put away the PJs and sweats, squeeze into our office attire, and head back to the brick and mortar of our jobs. For others, it's possible that your company has embraced the idea of remote working and pla

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