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Articles by Barbara McRae, MCC

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By Barbara McRae, MCCApr 13, 20051 topic

How to Get Teens to Organize and Clean Their Room

Hereâs a painless solution for frustrated parents who want help on how to get their kids to clean and organize their room. Often parents get tired of nagging and decide to wait it out, hoping their teen will get to cleaning before it becomes a hygienic necessity! Of course, simply keeping the door closed doesnât help your teen to organize their clutter. So, donât get mad, donât do it yourself, and donât ignore it; instead, coach them how to do it!nnPLAN AHEADnSome p

Primary topic: Teenagers and Parenting

Teenagers and Parenting

12,493 views4.5/5 (2)

By Barbara McRae, MCCRecently published1 topic

The Body-Brain Connection - How Your Body can Keep Your Brain Sharp

Most of us know that there’s a mind-body connection where the thoughts you think impact your body. But did you know that what you do to your body affects your brain? Have you ever experienced a slowing down of your brain when you’re hungry, tired or stressed? Imagine filling your car’s gas tank with garbage in place of the fuel it needs. How do you think that car would perform? That’s right, it wouldn’t get very far! The same is true for your body. If you fill it with junk, your organs won’t work properly. There may be a delay factor initially, but don’t kid yourself.

Primary topic: Life Purpose

1,923 views3/5 (1)

By Barbara McRae, MCCRecently published1 topic

Keys to Living a Compelling Mission

Now is an ideal time to take a look at whether you're living a compelling mission - one that you'll feel great about. Take a moment to reflect on the following points. 1. Your mission is larger than a job or career. Ideally your job/career will align with your mission. You could be working as a teacher while your mission is education. When you limit your personality and unique abilities to a position, a profound loss of identity can surface when your position changes. Who would you be without your roles? 2.

Primary topic: Life Purpose

1,055 views4/5 (1)

By Barbara McRae, MCCMay 10, 20061 topic

Encouraging Responsible Cell Phone Use

Today, a teen's gift list is likely to include a cell phone right next to requests for video games and toys. But in the hands of a child without direction, a cell phone can be an enormous problem. How can you avoid the pitfalls and teach your teenager to use the phone responsibly?nnWith 25% of cell phone revenues coming from children and teens, it's no question that charges for excess minutes, text messages and email services can be a problem for parents. This is especially t

Primary topic: Teenagers and Parenting

Teenagers and Parenting

5,918 views

By Barbara McRae, MCCRecently published1 topic

Top Indicators of Career Success

How excited are you about your career? According to most job satisfaction surveys, nearly 80 percent of the people working in the US are unhappy or mismatched in their jobs. Don't be one of them! You deserve to have a fulfilling career that combines what you are naturally brilliant at with what you love to do. And, yes, it IS possible even during a sluggish economy. You know you're experiencing savvy career success when... 1. You enjoy expressing your natural talents in your work daily. Fulfillment comes when you're doing meaningful work in ar

Primary topic: Life Purpose

3,924 views

By Barbara McRae, MCCJun 2, 20061 topic

Home Alone--Is Your Teen Ready?

As summer time approaches and parents pack the last lunches and await the last report cards, they face a familiar worry: what to do with the kids during the summer. Finding quality childcare is time consuming and expensive, but leaving teens home for the whole day can be worrisome for parents. How do you know when it's time to let your teenagers and preteens stay home alone while you're at work?nnParents can feel confident that, when handled skillfully, allowing teenagers to

Primary topic: Teenagers and Parenting

Teenagers and Parenting

2,398 views

By Barbara McRae, MCCRecently published1 topic

Projecting Confidence for Career Advancement

Some people show it beautifully to the world while others just wish they had it. Some of us know we have it, but want more of it. The often elusive feeling of confidence affects everything in our lives, from the way we feel about ourselves to the way we interact with other people. When someone exudes genuine confidence, we are attracted to that person and are eager to hear this individual's view points. This is not the case when someone suffers from insecurity and attempts to mask it with arrogance.

Primary topic: Life Purpose

2,100 views

By Barbara McRae, MCCOct 5, 20061 topic

5 Secrets for Handling Teen Trouble

The most common issues between parents and teens arise due to poor communication, power struggles and a lack of empathy. If you use the same parenting methods that you did when your teen was a child, you won't get positive results. Youâll just exhaust your energy.nnThere are five secrets to help you move from conflict to cooperation. Let the acronym - CLEAR - aid you in remembering what they are.nn1. ConnectnConnection is everything. You do that by having rapport. It's easy

Primary topic: Teenagers and Parenting

Teenagers and Parenting

2,064 views

By Barbara McRae, MCCRecently published1 topic

Emotional Intelligence for Leaders

Increasingly there is keen awareness by both the scientific and business community that poor social skills and the lack of self-management skills account for more derailed careers than the lack of know-how. Developing your emotional intelligence (EQ) will serve you well in the workplace and in life. You know you have emotional intelligence when ... ...You complain less; you simply observe and provide direct and respectful feedback that supports continued development and learning. ...You no longer compare others to yourself and dwellr

Primary topic: Life Purpose

1,440 views

By Barbara McRae, MCCRecently published1 topic

BE-DO-HAVE Your Goals

Have you ever had a goal you didn't meet? I used to have so many goals I'd feel overwhelmed. One day, I found a simple formula that works. Previously, I thought that in order to accomplish much, the emphasis needed to be on the "doing." Now I know goals are achieved faster when the "doing" is inrnalignment with the "being." To understand how to apply this shift in your thinking, take a look at these steps ... Step 1. Select a goal you really, really, really want. That means it's your goal, not someone else's. It's not ar

Primary topic: Life Purpose

1,411 views

By Barbara McRae, MCCMar 12, 20061 topic

5 Secrets for Handling Difficult Teen Parenting Situations

The most common issues between parents and teens arise due to poor communication, power struggles and a lack of empathy. If you use the same parenting methods that you did when your teen was a child, you won't get positive results. Youâll just exhaust your energy.nnThere are five secrets to help you move from conflict to cooperation. Let the acronym - CLEAR - aid you in remembering what they are.nn1. ConnectnConnection is everything. You do that by having rapport. It's easy

Primary topic: Teenagers and Parenting

Teenagers and Parenting

1,361 views

By Barbara McRae, MCCApr 24, 20061 topic

Positive Parenting: The Power of Positive Prophesies

Optimism is a powerful force. People who tend to think positively, rather than negatively, about situations in their lives have been shown to live longer, have fewer serious diseases and to recover more fully from those that occur, to have lower levels of stress and consequently less heart disease, and to live more satisfying lives. In short, optimists are happier and healthier than their pessimistic neighbors.nnThe power of optimism can also be felt in our relationships with

Primary topic: Teenagers and Parenting

Teenagers and Parenting

1,301 views

By Barbara McRae, MCCRecently published1 topic

Flipping the Switch in Your Mind

Most people feel that they're not yet living the life they really want. Oh, there are some portions of it that are satisfying but in other areas there is still a lot of striving going on. Maybe this describes you or someone you know. In the early years, it described me, too. Sure, I received my share of accolades in school and in my career, but it was still tough to sustain being happy and at peace with myself. I was fascinated with the fortitude of people that didn't let adversity get in their way. I wanted to be that person that could remain positive no matter what the circumstances.

Primary topic: Life Purpose

1,294 views

By Barbara McRae, MCCJan 9, 20071 topic

Becoming The Happiest Parent on the Block

Change is never easy. Even when you're dropping a bad or unhealthy habit in order to achieve the lifestyle you've been seeking, the transition will be rocky. If change were easy, after all, then quitting smoking wouldn't be a multi-million dollar industry!nnIf you've decided to drop some of the outdated, ineffective parenting techniques that you've been relying on in order to better parent your teen or preteen, then congratulations! More effective parenting leads to teenagers

Primary topic: Parenting

1,290 views

By Barbara McRae, MCCFeb 4, 20081 topic

Too Much, Too Little, Or Just Right

The reference to "helicopter parents" has resurfaced in the news lately. For those of you unfamiliar with it, the term describes parents who unnecessarily hover over their high school and college-age children. In my work with parents and teens, I find both over-and under-involvement disturbing.nnToo MuchnnLet's begin with over-involvement. Increased parental involvement over the last decade has been identified by both counselors and college officials as being a hindrance to h

Primary topic: Teenagers and Parenting

Teenagers and Parenting

1,262 views

By Barbara McRae, MCCRecently published1 topic

Revitalilzing Your Career in 7 Steps

There is much unrest in the workplace these days. Many people are grateful to still be in business or employedr BUT are tired of the lack of recognition, decrease in sales, frustrated with office politics or feeling empty inside. Whether you want to revitalize your existing career orrnwant to switch to a more fulfilling one, take a look atrnthese seven steps. 1. List What IS Working Ask yourself what areas of your work you want to enhancer What do you want more of? Observe which strengths you are currently using that are the most satisfying to you.r

Primary topic: Life Purpose

1,242 views

By Barbara McRae, MCCMay 5, 20051 topic

Desperate Kids--Bullies and the Bullied

Bullying is more prevalent and serious than most parents realize. To bring bullying to the forefront, Lifetime recently aired the original movie âOdd Girl Out.â Itâs a fictional story about a teen daughter and her mother who have difficulty handling the wide-spread problem of emotional bullying among girls. According to a study by the National Education Association, every day 160,000 students miss school for fear of being attacked or bullied. nnWhat is bullying? nTradit

Primary topic: Teenagers and Parenting

Teenagers and Parenting

1,209 views

By Barbara McRae, MCCFeb 23, 20051 topic

How to Effectively Talk to Kids about Tragedies by Barbara McRae, MCC

Watching the news around the globe, seeing actual footage of earthquakes, California mudslides, avalanches and the tsunami, ignite feelings of distress and overwhelm in adults, let alone in our children.nnHow young people are affected by such tragedies largely depends on the level of maturity and overall temperament of each child plus the coping patterns adults consistently model. It can be difficult for caregivers to cope with their own feelings and know what to say to help

Primary topic: Child Development

Child Development

1,148 views

By Barbara McRae, MCCRecently published1 topic

Success Getting Unstuck

You know something is causing you to feel stuck when you realize: "I've been here before! How did I get back here again? Only--it's worse now... Unbelievable!" It's actually quite common. Who hasn't witnessed a car stuck in the mud, spinning its wheels and digging a deeper hole? Here's how you can successfully shift into being unstuck: 1. Manage your emotions. Nothing productive can happen until you calm yourself down. Breath consciously to give yourself more oxygen without forcing the exhale; do it gently. People in allr

Primary topic: Life Purpose

1,123 views

By Barbara McRae, MCCNov 14, 20051 topic

Bringing Teens Home for the Holidays

Holidays can be tricky business for parents and teens due to differing expectations. While we each want to feellovednand accepted for who we are, we have our own ideas aboutnhow that ought to occur. nnThe secret to having kids look forward to spending time with mom and dad lies in treating teens as if they are already adults. When you accept teens as they are and simultaneously bring them to the level of adults, you create a friendly meeting ground.nnBelow are seven ways to h

Primary topic: Teenagers and Parenting

Teenagers and Parenting

1,116 views

By Barbara McRae, MCCRecently published1 topic

Happiness: Everyone can Have It but few Cultivate It

Believe it or not, everyone has the ability to experience being happy. If you are someone who feels that happiness is difficult to sustain or that it is eluding you altogether, here is a crash course in chipping away at the barriers that keep you from enjoying life right now. 1. Take nothing too seriously. Nature doesn't stand still and neither do you. All of your experiences, whether great or crummy, will pass. Everything that happens is just an instant of time. We give it meaning and can choose how we want to feel about it.

Primary topic: Life Purpose

1,101 views

By Barbara McRae, MCCRecently published1 topic

Savvy Success: Triple Your Effectiveness

1. Be clear about your desired outcome. Know what you want to accomplish. Ask yourself: How will I know whether I've succeeded? Once you'venidentified the end goal, work backwards to determinenhow to get there. Then work it one step at a time. 2. Determine which tasks tap into your ...

Primary topic: Life Purpose

889 views

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