thrivology

Does Gratitude Matter?

November 23, 2021 by Lee H. Baucom, Ph.D. Leave a Comment

Be thankful. Be grateful. Shift mindsets and thrive. 4 ways to focus on gratitude. If you are in the States, we are on the cusp of the Holiday season, kicking off with Thanksgiving in just a few days.

For me, the Holidays throughout the year are moments to step into gratitude. Not just in a little “thank you for that gift,” but in a gratitude for being alive. For being here. For experiencing life.

Each morning, while walking the neighborhood with my dogs, Ziggy and Clementine, I reflect on 5 things for which I am grateful. That starts my day with an attempt to shift my attention to thankfulness, to gratitude.

Granted, some days, that feeling quickly evaporates when the work piles up.

But I try to remember to be grateful on a daily basis.

How about you?

Did you know that research shows how simple gratitude habits can re-wire the brain… away from fear and threat? Away from depression and anxiety? Just by thinking with gratitude. Just by focusing on things for which you are grateful.

In this episode of the Thriveology Podcast, I discuss the power of gratitude to shift your thinking and re-wire your brain… just in time for a day we set aside to be particularly Thankful.

Know that I am thankful for you, my reader/listener. Wishing you the best of Thanksgivings!

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What’s Your Challenge??

July 26, 2021 by Lee H. Baucom, Ph.D. Leave a Comment

Are you up for a challenge?

In the last episode of my podcast, I discussed how to hold on when life is tough. That’s when life is challenging you.

But what about when life isn’t so challenging… where life is copacetic? Just cruising.

It’s my observation that we work hard to keep life flat. We work hard to keep things smooth. Cold out? Turn on the heater. Hot out? Turn on the A/C. Keep things even… even-keeled. Flat.

We spend LOTS of energy to save the energy of dealing witb challenges, big or small.

But does that help (or harm) us? Does it keep us safe or make us fragile?

What if taking on small challenges actually gets us better prepared for bigger challenges? What if making choices to expand into life helps us deal with life encroaching upon us?

One of my “things” is to find little challenges for myself… new things to try, new activities to do, new tastes or sounds to take in, and new ways to try life.

How about you? What challenges are you taking on right now?

Listen to this episode of the Thriveology Podcast to discover the power of a challenge.

RELATED RESOURCES
Learning and Life
Ways to Expand
Growth Mindset
Lessons in Jiu Jitsu
Book: Thrive Principles

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Find Hope or Build Hope

November 9, 2020 by Lee H. Baucom, Ph.D. Leave a Comment

Where does hope come from? Does it come upon us? Do we discover it? Or do we build it?

I believe that hope is an important ingredient in thriving. If you have no hope, it is tough to thrive. Finding hope often helps us find thriving.

Oh, and thriving is not about having an easy life, always exciting and happy. A thriving life is built on taking on the challenges of life. Not avoiding them, but taking them on, learning from them, and thriving because of them.

2020 has been the year of challenges. So, it has also given us lots of opportunities to work on thriving. How has it been for you? Hopeful or hopeless?

What if hope is built? What if all you have to do in order to find hope is follow a formula?

As is true for many things in life, the formula is pretty simple. But that is not to be confused with easy. Do remember that thriving is rarely built, though, on the easy. Taking on the simple, but important, is often the path to thriving.

In this episode of the Thriveology Podcast, we take a look at hope. Where it comes from, how you can find it, and how you can live it… both for yourself and the world.

Listen below.

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Stuck in Self-Splain

October 27, 2020 by Lee H. Baucom, Ph.D. Leave a Comment

Have you noticed that story you are telling yourself (and others) that is running through your mind? It is the one about why you did (or didn’t do) what you did (or didn’t do). You are trying to explain yourself — to yourself and others.

You are Self-Splaining.

And it is a story. Not necessarily a lie. But also not necessarily the truth.

Humans are story tellers and meaning makers. The stories we tell are to make meaning. It helps the world to make sense, and helps us give reasons for what we did.

And it can keep you stuck.

Your self-splaining keeps you stuck because it “helps” you to make your actions/inactions reasonable (to yourself). Reasonable, as in “Able to Reason.” You can give a reason. One that makes sense to you… even if not to anyone else. You can just keep telling yourself “why” — self-splaining.

In this episode of the Thriveology Podcast, I discuss how we self-splain, why that can get you stuck, and what to do to get un-stuck.

RELATED RESOURCES
Paradigms
Stuck and Unstuck
Reasons
Responsibility
My Books on Thriving

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Success Principles

August 3, 2020 by Lee H. Baucom, Ph.D. Leave a Comment

One of my favorite authors and experts is Jack Canfield. He has my full respect. My kids grew up with Chicken Soup For The Soul. I “grew up” with The Success Principles, a book that gave me a plan to shift my mindset.

Several years ago, I had the opportunity to interview Jack. It was such a great interview, I wanted to share it again. If you have already heard it, listen for something new. If you haven’t, it is a great opportunity to hear from Jack.

Jack and I really got into some important topics. We talked about being 100% responsible (one of his Principles), and what that means.

One of my favorite principles is the equation, E + R = O (event + response = outcome). We had a chance to discuss that equation in-depth. This is a crucial formula for thriving in life.

As we discussed fear, Jack talked about the fact that fear is NOT a stop sign. It is simply a caution sign. And then Jack discussed a way to even eliminate that fear (a slight movement away from the “feel the fear and do it anyway” idea from his earlier work).

Is your life where you want it to be? If not, please listen in and discover how to start getting there. Jack gives specific steps to take.

If you want to learn more, go to TheSuccessPrinciples.com, or GRAB HIS BOOK right here.

You can find the interview below.

RELATED RESOURCES
Jack’s Website and Resources
More on Responsibility
Dealing with Fear

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Still Even MORE Lessons from Jiu Jitsu

February 10, 2020 by Lee H. Baucom, Ph.D. Leave a Comment

Just a little over 2 years ago (exactly 2 years ago, as I recorded this episode of my Thriveology Podcast), I started studying jiu jitsu. At that point, I had no idea where it would go. I have a life-long interest in martial arts, but had not practiced since being a teenager (tae kwon do at that time).

I knew I wanted to try something out, to take on a challenge. And it was winter… so maybe a way to get some exercise inside would make sense. As soon as my kids (both adults) left after Christmas… and when I knew the new insurance policy was in place… I started.

It has been quite a journey! I am just a few classes away from getting the first stripe on my blue belt. My blue belt is now several months old… making me an advanced white belt! Still, I am far from where I was when I started.

At several prior junctures, I have reflected on my learning process in jiu jitsu — and how it applies to life — so I thought it was time for another.

And if you missed the earlier episodes, they are linked in the Related Resources below.

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Alignment Toward Thriving

February 3, 2020 by Lee H. Baucom, Ph.D. Leave a Comment

Are you in alignment?

I had a friend whose hips were out of alignment. It was no big deal for a long time. Just simply a matter of one leg being a bit longer than the other. But every day, she just kept on going. She walked and ran… and just lived life. Then… her back started hurting… her hips started hurting… her knees started hurting… even her ankles started hurting! The doctor was concerned that she was facing disability and lifetime pain.

The doctors worked to get her hips and legs into alignment. It was pretty simple. Just a lift in her shoes. But that little shift put her back into alignment. And suddenly, everything was working the way it should. It took awhile. But slowly, the pain disappeared.

That is a very practical way to think about alignment. But life alignment is broader than that. Are you surrounded with people who are in alignment with your goals and values? Is your work aligned with your values and purpose? Do you live in alignment and balance in life and in your body?

In this week’s episode of the Thriveology Podcast, we explore life alignment with Jani Roberts and Bri Ursaner… alignment experts and pretty tough individuals. Listen in as we discuss what alignment is… and how to get there.

RELATED RESOURCES
Jani and Sabrina’s website
MPI Triad
MidLife Transition
Bending Your Map

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Stepping Strongly Into the New Year

December 30, 2019 by Lee H. Baucom, Ph.D. Leave a Comment

January 1. Just another day.

And yet… there is something else about that day. Sure, it starts a new month. Yes, it starts a new year.

Psychologically, that new start… it matters.

We all need new starts. That is what I loved about being in school. When the semester ended, no matter how well (or poorly) I had done, it was over. The grade was locked in. Sure, I could consider what I could have done differently, but I couldn’t undo anything.

I moved on to the next class. A fresh start. New assignments, new opportunities, new possibilities.

Many of us get caught in the past, trying to figure out how to undo or redo what has already happened.

For this moment, though, as the new year starts, let’s look forward. Let’s look to the new year and decide how we want to move forward. How we want the next year to be MORE of what we want… new opportunities and possibilities.

In this episode of the Thriveology Podcast, I discuss some ways to start the new year strong. Listen in to find out.

RELATED RESOURCES
Resolution in a Word
Fresh Starts
Letting Go
Book: Thrive Principles

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Power Habits for Success

December 16, 2019 by Lee H. Baucom, Ph.D. Leave a Comment

Have you ever noticed how some people just seem to succeed at everything they do? They enjoy success in different areas of life… including financially.

Then, others seem to struggle over and over, making little progress toward their goal. Noah St. John refers to this as “success anorexia,” people starving themselves from success — because they don’t know better!

In fact, my guest on this episode of the Thriveology podcast is Noah. The author of a number of books, Noah is also a frequent speaker, coach, and consultant with those who have tried all the other success strategies, but without success.

In his research, Noah looked at what he calls the success “naturals,” to see what they might be doing… and not even noticing they are doing.

This led to his Power Habits. According to Noah, “We don’t rise to the level of our goals, but fall to the level of our systems.” And that is the level Noah addresses — how to up-level your systems… and get rid of the “Head Trash,” the self-defeating patterns of thought about why you can’t do ______ (fill in the blank). As Noah points out, whatever self-talk we have, we make sure we are right.

Listen to our discussion below.

RELATED RESOURCES
Noah’s Book on Amazon
Noah’s Gifts at his Website
My Series on Habits

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The Power of Expectations

December 2, 2019 by Lee H. Baucom, Ph.D. Leave a Comment

What do you expect from life? Sometimes, our expectations can get us into trouble. Maybe you expect things to go badly. Or maybe you expect something beyond your control. Either way, your expectations trip you up.

Yet every action you take is based on expectation. Sure, you want to “live in the present moment.” But present moments are often moving toward something. For example, as I sit here, I write this with an expectation that you will read it. If I expected it would not be read, I would do something else.

Or lets say I go to the fridge to open it. I didn’t blindly do that. I was expecting to find something to eat (which may or may not work out… but I have an expectation).

Some people advise us to give up expectations. No expectation, no disappointment, they say.

But today, my guest disagrees. He says expectations have power. We need to tap into our expectations in order to create the life we want.

Art Costello is creator of Expectation Therapy. He says your life changes when you change your expectation. It is the seed from which we both perceive the world and grow into our better lives.

Listen in to master the power of your expectations.

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