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Articles from Judy Widener | Selfgrowth.com
- Are You Tricking—Or Treating—Your Passions? - by Submitted on Oct 31, 2013 from Judy WidenerAre you gathering up your passions and stuffing them into into your goodie bag? Or do your fears make you ring the bell and run away instead? All of us have passions, but some of us let fear stop us from going after our passion wholeheartedly. As you’re getting the hang of the process of ...
Views: 1620 - Are You Bringing Your Legacy to Life? - by Submitted on Aug 01, 2013 from Judy WidenerThe same thing that makes a diamond sparkle makes you sparkle, too: individuality! Everyone leaves their unique mark on the world. Your actions have an impact on the future of your family and friends; they’ll carry the memory of you as part of their life. How do you want to be ...
Views: 2778 - Probing The Power Of Myth 2013 - by Submitted on May 17, 2013 from Judy WidenerMyths, metaphors and archetypes can be powerful tools in personal development. They spark your imagination and creativity. They add the textures of heart (sacredness, passion, dignity, inspiration, and self-love) to a process that can get stuck in your head (what your self-defeating beliefs are; ...
Views: 1773 - Squaring Pareto - by Submitted on May 11, 2013 from Judy WidenerThere's a famous principle used in business; you've probably heard it. The Pareto principle (aka the 80–20 rule), named after Italian economist Vilfredo Pareto, states: for many events, roughly 80% of effects come from 20% of causes. In business, it means that 80% of your profits come from ...
Views: 1874(1 vote) - The 21 Habits of Highly Happy People - by Submitted on May 09, 2013 from Judy WidenerResearchers say that happiness is a result of thoughts and activities that create a sense of inner peace. Here are 21 behaviors that have been found to enhance feelings of happiness. The list is broken down into general two categories: things to do, and things to stop doing. The first group ...
Views: 1868 - How The Fear of Falling Has Taken Over Your Life - by Submitted on Feb 22, 2013 from Judy WidenerNewborn babies have only two fears: loud noises and falling. All of your other fears are the product of memory, the learning you glean from past experience. Here's how I think it happens: as you get older, you extrapolate the idea of falling. Falling off a bike becomes synonymous with falling ...
Views: 1838 - What Makes Icky Feelings So Sticky? - by Submitted on Feb 05, 2013 from Judy WidenerAll humans have natural cycles of feelings. It’s perfectly normal for our moods to shift several times a day, based on what’s happening. As part of these natural cycles, sadness and fear are normal feelings. But because they hang on longer, depression and anxiety aren’t. Studies have found ...
Views: 1667 - The False Assumptions That Sabotage Your Success - by Submitted on Jan 29, 2013 from Judy WidenerThere are dozens of resolutions your could set this New Year, and just as many reasons behind choosing them. The desire for a better life could push you to ask for that promotion, go back to college, stop being an emotional doormat, and be more confident. Guilt could spur you to stick to ...
Views: 1770 - The Computer is Our Modern Campfire - by Submitted on Jan 28, 2013 from Judy WidenerHumans are wired as story tellers and story listeners. Before the written word, stories were the main tool our ancestors used to transfer knowledge and culture from one generation to the next. You carry this genetic heritage of sitting around the campfire, listening intently to stories that ...
Views: 3452 - What “Impossible Dream” Are You Dreaming? - by Submitted on Jan 22, 2013 from Judy WidenerHas this ever happened to you? You chose a New Year's resolution, but you didn't know where to start, so you never got started. Your elusive desire became impossibly unattainable. When your habit is to focus on what's missing, your process of goal setting will entail gathering up a bunch ...
Views: 1613 - Are You Making the Most of This Season? - by Submitted on Jan 20, 2013 from Judy WidenerLast week, I stood on my back porch, watching the snow fall. No matter how many times I see it, I'm always struck by how magical this act of nature feels. Peaceful. Quiet. Lovely. Winter is a sacred time of the year. Our modern culture has collapsed the introspective potential of winter into ...
Views: 1644 - Be As Smart As Einstein in 4 Simple Steps - by Submitted on Dec 24, 2012 from Judy WidenerWhen Albert Einstein died, there was much anticipation about what the autopsy of his brain would reveal. Scientists speculated that his brain was significantly larger or more dense that normal. So they were confused and disappointed to discover that Einstein's brain was actually slightly smaller ...
Views: 1953 - How is Breathing Like Thinking? - by Submitted on Dec 22, 2012 from Judy WidenerYour lungs and your brain have one thing in common: they both run on autopilot unless you take conscious control of their activity. Your breathing happens automatically. But if you decide to take a deep breath, the automation stops. As long as you're thinking about breathing, you'll have ...
Views: 1537 - When the Servant Becomes the Master - by Submitted on Dec 09, 2012 from Judy WidenerThe liver that you were born with will be essentially the same when you die. Not so for your brain. It's the only organ that evolves throughout your lifetime in ways that are unique to you, based on the thoughts you think. Your greatest challenge is to figure out how to master it, then use ...
Views: 1865 - Create Traditions that Sizzle, Not Fizzle - by Submitted on Dec 01, 2012 from Judy WidenerHas this ever happened to you? You're knee deep in the hustle and bustle of the holidays, when you have a flash of inspiration: you want to start a new tradition with your beloveds. But when you share your idea, you only get scowls in response. Your vision of an evening of hot cider and ...
Views: 1488 - The Web You're Weaving - by Submitted on Nov 21, 2012 from Judy WidenerThere's a fascinating relationship among Twitter, your brain and the world. Billions of tweets, texts, posts, emails, and phone calls have one thing in common: they're neural signals in the global brain. We've already seen how quickly and profoundly social networks have altered the global brain. ...
Views: 2040 - The Surprising Power of the Placebo Effect - by Submitted on Nov 02, 2012 from Judy WidenerOne gap between your capabilities and the repetitive tasks that can cause you discomfort over time relates to the placebo effect. You’ve heard of the placebo effect: a percentage of test subjects get better when they’re given a sugar pill. The reverse can also happen. The nocebo effect causes ...
Views: 1427 - You Really Do Learn By Osmosis, Sort Of - by Submitted on Oct 23, 2012 from Judy WidenerWe've discovered that heredity is no longer synonymous with genetics. As a mere 4% of your DNA, genes are way overrated. Epigenetics, one of the hottest trends in scientific research, is trying to figure out what the other 96% is doing. Epigenetics studies how your genetic expression is ...
Views: 2381(1 vote) - You Know Only 4% Of What You Think You Know - by Submitted on Oct 21, 2012 from Judy WidenerIt's 2012. In the past hundred years, we've figured out a lot of what makes the world tick. We've nearly snuffed out diseases that wiped out millions in the past. We've learned how to fly. We're feeling pretty smart. But there's so much we don't know yet. For instance, only 4% of the universe ...
Views: 1383 - Can Thinking Really Make You Smarter? - by Submitted on Sep 28, 2012 from Judy WidenerThere's an exciting new field of scientific study. It's called contemplative neuroscience, or self-directed evolution. In a nutshell, it looks at how your thoughts affect the size and functioning of various brain structures. It's one more way science is proving that the thoughts you're choosing ...
Views: 3832 - For a Less Stressed, More Peaceful Holiday Season, Start Now! - by Submitted on Sep 02, 2012 from Judy WidenerWould you like to feel more calm, focused and balanced this holiday season? The holidays start in 90 days. That's plenty of time to pre-create what you want to experience during the time of year that celebrates loving connections. How would you like your holidays to be? Are the holidays ...
Views: 1520 - The Newly Discovered Energy Miser in Your Brain - by Submitted on Jul 09, 2012 from Judy WidenerFun Fact: Your brain accounts for roughly 2% of your body weight, but it consumes about 20% of the oxygen you breathe and the calories you burn. Given the proportionally large percentage of resources that are dedicated to your brain, it makes sense that it would economize its use of energy ...
Views: 1405 - The Smart Way to Leverage Viral Behavior - by Submitted on Jun 21, 2012 from Judy WidenerYou know that yawning is contagious. And have you ever noticed that when someone nods their head, you'll nod, too? It's because your brain is wired to watch someone move, then mimic that movement as if you were making it. You have special neurons in your brain dedicated to monkey see, monkey ...
Views: 1454 - The Surprising Genetic Link to the Fear of Public Speaking - by Submitted on Jun 07, 2012 from Judy WidenerIn numerous famous surveys, the majority of people say that their only fear greater than death is public speaking. It's understandable that the idea of speaking in front of a group will expose the holes in your self-confidence. In my observation, most people have confidence issues in several ...
Views: 3178 - 5 Steps to Freeing Yourself From Chronic Stress – Permanently! - by Submitted on Jun 04, 2012 from Judy WidenerBecause it taxes your physical resources, your body's built-in stress response is intended to be brief. You've heard that chronic stress experienced in relationships or jobs is linked to serious illness like heart disease, high blood pressure and obesity. Indeed, unchecked stress can cut up to ...
Views: 3274 - We're Human Beings, Not Beads - by Submitted on May 25, 2012 from Judy WidenerI recently heard a famous self-help guru insist that balance is impossible, so we must give up the idea that we can have it. With all due respect to my esteemed colleague, I couldn't disagree more. He defines balance as a state where nothing is happening. He's referring to the motionlessness ...
Views: 1423 - Do You Fall Into The Trap of Irrational Thinking? - by Submitted on May 07, 2012 from Judy WidenerI recently ran across a word I haven't heard for a while: irrational. Like so many terms coined by psychiatry, it's been misunderstood and misapplied. I used to think that someone who behaved irrationally was crazy. Not so. A thought is irrational when it's illogical or unreasonable AND ...
Views: 2213 - A Shocking New Revelation About Your Genes - by Submitted on May 02, 2012 from Judy WidenerThree hundred years ago, Isaac Newton proposed a radical new theory: the human body is a biological machine that responds solely to physical stimuli. Thus, the health of your physical machine is improved with nutrition, exercise and drugs. Accordingly, the mechanistic Central Dogma of ...
Views: 1634 - The Neurology of Worry - by Submitted on Apr 16, 2012 from Judy WidenerDid you know that chronic stress causes physical changes in the size and activity of many of your brain structures? When they're swimming in the stress neurochemical cortisol, the prefrontal cortex (the CEO of the brain), and the hippocampus (houses long term memory) actually shrink in size. ...
Views: 1758 - Your Success “Blind Spot” - by Submitted on Mar 22, 2012 from Judy WidenerSuccess is a quality, not a quantity. The quality you call success is a feeling. Totally separate from the stuff you accumulate. You could have 10 cars and a great title, but if the feeling of success is missing, you're not successful. You feel successful when you attain anything you deem ...
Views: 1369 - Your Brain Is Nuts! - by Submitted on Mar 02, 2012 from Judy WidenerAs my never-ending quest continues for more understanding of how the human brain works, I'm sharing my discoveries with you. This week, the topic is two brain structures that are, well, a little nutty. • The amygdala is actually a pair (amygdalae) of tiny, almond-shaped structures perched on ...
Views: 1354 - Why You'll Never Be Successful: A Biological Approach - by Submitted on Feb 23, 2012 from Judy WidenerAs a human being, you're a walking contradiction. Sure, success sounds good. But you're pulled between the opposing forces of security and stimulation. Freedom and commitment. However, you don't know how to balance them. And your brain fights your attempts to make your life better. So you ...
Views: 1482 - Another Critical Life Skill You Aren’t Leveraging - by Submitted on Feb 06, 2012 from Judy WidenerHuman beings have survived for 2.5 million years because we are the most highly adaptable species on the planet. We adapt to both subtle and extreme shifts in our environment quickly. And for the most part, I believe, gracefully. When I used to visit my grandmother in Indiana, I’d fly in and ...
Views: 1307(1 vote) - Six Things Your Life Coach Doesn't Want You To Know - by Submitted on Jan 08, 2012 from Judy WidenerThere are many confusing and false messages bouncing around in cyberspace about life coaching. After coaching 600 people over the past 13 years, talking with dozens of coaches and surfing the websites of about 100 more, I'm sharing my take on what coaching is—and isn't. I'd like to say upfront ...
Views: 2699(1 vote) - The Politics of Appreciation - by Submitted on Sep 29, 2011 from Judy WidenerWe all like to be appreciated. Everyone understands the value of acknowledging others, too. And yet, I observe others passing up hundreds of opportunities to appreciate every day. At this point in my life, I actively look for and pounce on chances to groove on others. But I wasn’t always so ...
Views: 2250(2 votes) - The Creativity Bone’s Connected to the Confidence Bone - by Submitted on Sep 23, 2011 from Judy WidenerHow was your day? We utter this question blithely every day, not realizing how monumental it is. Indeed, it’s the single most important question you’ll ever ask. We talk about life being short, but 80 years is really a long time. Life’s too long to fight evolution. When you have the ...
Views: 1495 - The 4 Fundamental “Powers” of Life - by Submitted on Sep 17, 2011 from Judy WidenerOver the past 12 years, as I have been coaching more than 600 people, I’ve discovered that there are 4 fundamental Powers that lead to a fulfilling, balanced life. When you have fully developed all of these powers, you’ll have the greatest opportunity to experience life as joyful, free and ...
Views: 2027 - Do You Know the Difference Between Boundaries and Walls? - by Submitted on Sep 11, 2011 from Judy WidenerMy growing-up experience was common in our society. I learned to put up walls as the only way to keep others from taking too much from me too often. The implication is that I can’t trust you, so I have to protect myself from you. The downside is, walls keep everyone out all the time. The ...
Views: 6362 - 5 Steps to Making Your Own Magic In A Down Economy - by Submitted on Aug 25, 2011 from Judy WidenerA commenter on my blog recently wrote: With my partner's layoff and my salary reductions at work, our household income is down 80%! I feel like I'm getting no where at work, and my remaining income after expenses is now supporting my partners start up business and her share of our bills....How ...
Views: 1225 - Love is a Many Scary Thing - by Submitted on Aug 22, 2011 from Judy WidenerAs human beings, one of our primary needs is to cultivate healthy self-love. But at the same time, we have a strong drive to connect with others. Relating and loving are innate. The more people we have who love us, the more secure we feel, and the sweeter our lives are. The pleasures we ...
Views: 2146 - Rethinking The Purpose Of Your Career - by Submitted on Aug 04, 2011 from Judy WidenerWhile you’re on this earth, you have the opportunity to express your distinctive passion and talents in a way that you find worthwhile. Your career is one mode for expressing your passion. While the rest of you evolves, your career will, too. Your choices will naturally shift over time as ...
Views: 1280 - Debunking The Myth of Genius - by Submitted on Aug 04, 2011 from Judy WidenerUntil recently, IQ tests were considered the Holy Grail for predicting career success. But the traditional definition of intelligence is just too narrow to reflect all of the ways we think, learn and express our talents and skills. It’s inaccurate to state that mastering science is more ...
Views: 1759(1 vote) - I Can’t Get No Satisfaction - by Submitted on Aug 04, 2011 from Judy WidenerYour emotional needs must be filled in order for you to feel truly fulfilled. But do you know what an emotional need is? Some emotional needs have a physical component. For instance, your need for physical shelter contributes to your need to feel safe. Other emotional needs require an ...
Views: 1380 - I Give Intuition A Big Thumbs Up! - by Submitted on Aug 04, 2011 from Judy WidenerWhen you want something, your imagination will show you five dozen ways you can get it. The next thing your fertile creativity does is open up a clear, wide channel to your intuitive gut feelings—your built-in guide to choosing the best option. Here’s where things get tricky. You may have ...
Views: 1372 - Life, Liberty and The Pursuit Of Happiness - by Submitted on Aug 04, 2011 from Judy WidenerIt’s interesting that the Founding Fathers didn’t describe our inalienable rights as life, liberty and happiness, but the pursuit of happiness. They were onto something. It’s while you’re in the process of getting what you want that you have the most profound experience of life flowing ...
Views: 1215 - Gimme That Cookie! - by Submitted on Aug 04, 2011 from Judy WidenerThe key to fulfilling your heart’s desires is to recognize that your brain is hardwired to focus on what you want until you get it. You’re not wired to quit. In fact, giving up goes against human nature. And you possess the key skills needed to attain any desire. Skeptical? Here’s the proof: ...
Views: 1245 - Your Success is Defined by Your Definition of Success - by Submitted on Aug 04, 2011 from Judy WidenerIt's common to watch as others become successful, then beat ourselves up because we're not getting as far as fast as they are. It's hard not to fall into the trap comparing ourselves to others. So how do we avoid it? First, let's explore the concept of success. What does the word success mean ...
Views: 1246 - Cracking the Int-egg-rity Egg - by Submitted on Aug 04, 2011 from Judy WidenerTwo of the issues I often hear from my clients are: what’s the process for figuring out what values I feel accurately reflect what’s most important to me, and how can I pass them along to my children in a way that will make them more powerful? Our values define our character—the code of ...
Views: 2124 - The Formula for Making Good on Your New Year’s Resolutions - by Submitted on Aug 04, 2011 from Judy WidenerWell, it's been a month since you made your New Year’s resolutions. How's it going? Are you making steady progress? Or, like most of us, have you given up on them? When you made your New Year’s resolutions for this year, you might have used the formula that is very popular these days among ...
Views: 1220(4 votes) - The Formula for Making Good on Your New Year’s Resolutions - by Submitted on Aug 04, 2011 from Judy WidenerWell, it's been a month since you made your New Year’s resolutions. How's it going? Are you making steady progress? Or, like most of us, have you given up on them? When you made your New Year’s resolutions for this year, you might have used the formula that is very popular these days among ...
Views: 1220(4 votes) - 6 Steps for Getting Un-Trapped by the Trappings of Modern Life - by Submitted on Aug 04, 2011 from Judy WidenerThe pace of change in today’s world can leave us all feeling a bit shell-shocked, insecure and fearful of losing what we’ve worked so hard to accumulate. If you’re feeling trapped by the trappings of modern life, forced to choose between spending precious time with the people you love or earning ...
Views: 3952(1 vote)