How to Be Grounded in the Moment

Lessons from the Douglas-fir tree.

Trees are captivating. They spark wonder with their willpower to reach to the stars and withstand high winds. When established, they are able to survive forest fires and they can live for centuries! And all of this is possible in a single spot where the resilient seed once landed. You probably already know the Douglas-fir. It is the preferred Christmas tree because of its elegant conical shape. They’re also a Pacific NW favorite. They dress up mountains beautifully with their vivid evergreen needles that contrast with the snow at the timber line. Most importantly, what can you learn from the Douglas fir? Can it help you learn how to be grounded in the moment? How does a little seed become a tree that can rise to towering heights of over 300 feet? Continue exploring

How Change Happens (and Why)

There’s always something we want to change. But do we? What happens between that gap—the space between the moment we desire to change and the moment we begin it? And more importantly, sustain it? That’s the magic gap. There are so many reasons why we hesitate to start. It’s exhausting. It’s uncertain. Or maybe we’re just too busy. Whatever the case, we have to examine that magic gap more closely. How does change happen? What is the driving force that turns desire into decisive action? Continue exploring

How to Use Labels to Empower Yourself

The upside of labels.

Labeling is one of the first things we do as babies. Our brain learns to associate certain objects with words. We label the iconic red-round-sweet fruit as an apple. And after that it’ll be hard to think of it as anything other than an apple. Once we have enough associations stored in our memory, we begin to develop language. We start with one word. Then we move to a two-word sentence and so on. At some point in our lives, we begin to develop our sense of self. Continue exploring

How to Be More Productive: What To Do When You’re Stuck

“Art is when we do work that matters in a creative way, in a way that touches (people) and changes them for the better.” -Seth Godin

When you’re stuck, productivity isn’t about doing more—it’s about focusing on what moves you. A simple way to reconnect with that inner motivation is to revisit your biggest accomplishments. Why did they matter? Most likely, they mattered because they combined two secret ingredients: you enjoyed doing them, and they contributed to something bigger than yourself. Sometimes, it really is that simple. Continue exploring