Blog — emotional intelligence

Growth Mindset Tip: Drop Your Fear of Trying

Trying isn't a weakness—it's the first step toward growth. If you've been told not to say you'll "try," you're not alone. But the truth is, avoiding effort out of fear of failure or judgment can hold you back. This post explores how embracing the courage to try supports a growth mindset and helps you move forward, even when success isn't guaranteed.

The Chinese Farmer Parable: Maybe It’s Good, Maybe It’s Bad

Here is my version of the Chinese Farmer fable or parable that can help you to pull out of awfulizing about your life.

A farmer who was feeling down and out because his farm was not doing well went to the local guru to complain about his plight and seek advice. The guru’s response to his story: “Maybe it’s good. Maybe it’s bad.”

The farmer found the guru’s surprising “advice” disappointing and confusing.

He tossed and turned that night, unable to sleep for worry about his situation. His head spun imagining his family’s awful future.

When the farmer woke in the morning, . . .

5 Ways to Increase Your Self-Acceptance

 "The happiness, the peace, and the love you crave cannot happen without Self-acceptance.” - Robert Holden

We don’t just have relationships with other people, we also have a relationship with ourselves. And that relationship is foundational to all other relationships. 

Being unhappy with yourself taints every aspect of your life.

Here are 5 ways to increase your self-acceptance.

Feeling is not a 4-letter word

Some people act like feelings are something other people—lesser people—have, but not something they experience themselves. They act like feelings are bad.

The reality is that feelings, or emotions, are an integral and crucial part of being human.

Emotions are tools that let us know what is going on between us and the world. They create a feedback loop . . .

Anger is a Secondary Emotion: Tip of the Iceberg

I see anger as a secondary emotion. It is the tip of the iceberg.

Anger is the visible response, and some sort of emotional pain is hidden under the surface. Instead of dealing with that pain directly, we turn it into anger as a way to release or redirect it.

Click Read More to learn what's underneath anger.