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Articles by Noelle Nelson

Browse published articles attributed to Noelle Nelson, with full-archive search.

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By Noelle NelsonNov 29, 20221 topic

Flip Holiday Stress Into Fun for You!

It seems the topic uppermost in so many of our minds at this time of year is stress. AKA Holiday stress. Too many gifts to buy, too little money. Too many cards to send out/email, gifts to wrap, people to visit – too little time. Too many relatives and others to be considerate of – too little patience. Too little of you to go around. You are spread too thin in too many ways, which means the Holidays are anything but fun. Time for a flip. Yup. Time to flip your internal switc

Primary topic: Empowerment

638 views

By Noelle NelsonJun 28, 20221 topic

Give Yourself a Nature Prescription

Amid the pandemic, when we were for the most part quarantined, urged to remain indoors as much as possible, I had an overwhelming urge to get out into nature. Living as I do in Southern Califo ia, I figured I could go find a beach and stare at the ocean for a bit without breaking any quarantine regulations. I loaded the dogs into the car, and off we went. I found a nice stretch of deserted beach and walked myself and my pups down as close to the ocean as we could without get

Primary topic: Empowerment

628 views

By Noelle NelsonAug 31, 20231 topic

Get Picky With Your Thoughts!

Last week, I had a rather nasty disagreement with a colleague. Even though it got resolved – well, sort of – I found myself going over and over it in my mind. For days. Not a productive path to mental well-being, no way, no how. I realized, somewhere amid my internal grousing, that I was letting my thoughts run me, instead of doing the intelligent thing--choosing deliberately the thoughts I dwell on. Huh! How about that? I am pickier about the produce I select at the store t

Primary topic: Empowerment

590 views

By Noelle NelsonApr 28, 20231 topic

Self-Care: Lattes and Ice Cream. Really?

We are a quick-fix species, we humans. We want ‘it’ – whatever ‘it’ is – NOW! The money, the lover, the job, the car, the child to behave, the partner to behave (oops!), the boss to quit micro-managing: the list goes on and on. So too with self-care. Few of us think of what self-care really entails, so we grab whatever will make us feel better – NOW! Which is great, totally understandable, and works. Well, works short-term. That latte does calm you down (interesting paradoxi

Primary topic: Empowerment

589 views

By Noelle NelsonFeb 27, 20231 topic

Going For Misery or Looking For Ease?

The Holidays are long over, New Year’s came and went, Super Bowl happened, Valentine’s Day is but a dim recollection, so what’s next? Ah yes, tax season . . . Let’s not all rejoice at the same time. Well, not me, anyway. As a self-employed, I now need to plow through all my receipts, sort them, and – you know the rest. And even if you’re not self-employed, you’ll still have stuff to deal with tax-wise. Which means that most of us find endless excuses to not deal with our tax

Primary topic: Empowerment

586 views

By Noelle NelsonJun 30, 20231 topic

Focus On The Full Experience: You’ll Get There Faster

We rarely enjoy change, even when we want that change. We will usually find any excuse we can to avoid the necessary steps to whatever that change may be. For example, given that it is light so much earlier in the day, I’ve been attempting to get up earlier lately. Sigh. For me, getting up earlier is just not fun. Oh, it’s not about getting enough sleep, I do that just fine, it’s more that it’s so nice and snuggly under the covers, I’m not remotely motivated to emerge from a

Primary topic: Achievement

577 views

By Noelle NelsonJun 1, 20231 topic

Let Purpose Get You Off the Hamster Wheel!

Some days it feels like life is one endless hamster wheel, where you go round and round and round in the same way day after day. You know the drill: chores-work-kids-chores-bed, rinse and repeat. Oh, sure, there’s the occasional crisis to change things up, maybe the occasional vacation or happy surprise, but mostly it’s chores-work-kids-chores-bed: what the French call “Metro, boulot, dodo” (metro, work, sleep). BORING! As in depressing. As in why get up in the morning? Ther

Primary topic: Empowerment

574 views

By Noelle NelsonJul 30, 20231 topic

Practice “Maximum Effectiveness”

Apart from writing, my dogs, and life generally, my great passion is Ballroom dancing. A totally off-the-wall pursuit, no doubt, but one that truly lights me up. In addition to my primary instructor and competition partner, I have the privilege of a second instructor, a lovely and talented woman, Sue.* Sue was sipping her coffee one day as I slipped on my dancing shoes, and dang! The aroma of her coffee was exceptional. I asked Sue where she got it, and she told me she alway

Primary topic: Change Management

Change Management

559 views

By Noelle NelsonOct 2, 20231 topic

The Things You Want Versus The Life You Want To Live

It’s a funny thing about life. Sometimes when you get the things you wanted – the sporty car, the big house, the bling – it turns out they interfere with the life that you wanted to live. Friends of mine, a couple, were all excited about moving to a new city. Their work was now all remote, so making a living wasn’t a problem, and the new city promised to be less expensive, yay! Their kids were grown, so schools weren’t an issue, freedom! Or so they thought. They bought a big

Primary topic: Guided Imagery and Visualization

Guided Imagery and Visualization

543 views

By Noelle NelsonFeb 1, 20241 topic

Shift!

Once upon a time, in a galaxy far far away--well, no, actually right here on Planet Earth, and not all that long ago, there was a thing called a “typewriter.” It was the precursor to our beloved computer keyboards and required no electrical energy, no wires, no plug-ins, nothing but your fingers pounding away. And there was a round key on that keyboard labeled “shift,” which a dear friend of mine made into a ring that she wears every day, to remind herself to “shift.” As in,

Primary topic: Empowerment

491 views

By Noelle NelsonOct 28, 20231 topic

Finding The True Thanks of Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is traditionally a time to give thanks. Most of us are pretty good at that. We can usually always find people and situations in life that inspire us to be grateful. Until certain relatives show up for Thanksgiving dinner. Or the supposed friends you wish you hadn’t invited but felt obliged to decide to come. Yup, those. You know, the ones who talk non-stop, or the ones who expect to be entertained, catered to, and generally treated like royalty while you run aro

Primary topic: Empowerment

481 views

By Noelle NelsonMar 1, 20241 topic

UNTWIST YOUR KNICKERS!

“Don’t get your knickers in a twist” is one of my favorite sayings. To myself, sigh. Because frankly, I find myself too often getting my proverbial “knickers” all twisted up over something that’s just not that big a deal. My passionate hobby is dance. Ballroom, to be specific. The other day, I dropped down too quickly into a dance curtsey, whereupon my right knee went “Whoa! Don’t like this!!” As in “Ouch, owie, don’t do it again.” So of course, I didn’t. But then, here come

Primary topic: Empowerment

471 views

By Noelle NelsonApr 29, 20241 topic

Quit Inflicting “BUT” on Yourself!

While I was waiting for my dance class to start, I watched an instructor patiently coach a couple through what was obviously one of their first lessons. The instructor was having them do a “box step,” which is what it sounds like. A “box” made with your feet. It consists of two parts, a forward half box and a backward half box. Each half box has three steps: a step forward or backward, a step to the side, and a step to close the feet together. The instructor was counting out

Primary topic: Self-Esteem and Self Confidence

Self-Esteem and Self Confidence

422 views

By Noelle NelsonMay 21, 20241 topic

Life Is Meant for Joy!

A woman is running on the treadmill next to me at the gym, moaning and complaining the whole time. How miserable she is at having to work out, how hard it is to get herself to the gym knowing she’s in for an hour of pain. How she’d rather do pretty much anything other than deal with exercise machines and lifting weights and making herself “do just one more.” Tired of hearing her litany of woes, I turned to her as I got off my treadmill and said “So don’t.” “Don’t what?” “Don

Primary topic: Empowerment

414 views

By Noelle NelsonMar 28, 20241 topic

Destress With a Green Break

Spring! Such a glorious time of year. Trees sprouting white and pink blossoms, tender new green leaves on bushes and plants, more sunlight, less gray. How delightful! If only one had time to get out there and enjoy it more. You know, as in away from your hunched-over-the-computer mode, using your legs to walk briskly, your nose to breathe clean air. Sigh. Not likely. And yet, just a little dose of nature has surprising benefits. We’ve known for quite a while that nature reju

Primary topic: Empowerment

391 views

By Noelle NelsonJul 1, 20241 topic

Be Your Own BFF

It doesn’t matter whether I’m having trouble learning a new dance step, stumped on a piece of writing that has an all-too-soon deadline or forgot to pick up the dry-cleaning, whatever, my immediate go-to is to diss myself. How could I be so stupid, inept, or unconscious that I find myself in this disheartening situation?! Then I mentally flagellate myself for a while, before I finally remember to ask “Why am I martyring myself over this? What purpose?” Zip. None. Nada. My se

Primary topic: Empowerment

379 views

By Noelle NelsonJul 29, 20241 topic

Be Here, Now!

You’ve undoubtedly heard the phrase “Be here, now.” It’s a way to remind ourselves that life is lived in the present moment, and it’s well worth enjoying whatever we can in the present. But “Be here, now” is also a wonderful way to soothe ourselves when confronted by something anxiety-provoking or that upsets us. It’s not necessarily a solution or a cure-all, but it is a way to ground ourselves. For example, I’m driving along a Califo ia freeway during rush hour. No one is g

Primary topic: Empowerment

363 views

By Noelle NelsonAug 26, 20241 topic

Be A Champion in Your Own Life

The Paris Olympics were superb. The opportunity to watch the very best of the best athletes at the top of their game was phenomenal. Yet as I was enjoying yet another spectacular gymnastic move or shot-put, I realized how much we can all learn from these amazing individuals. No, not how to be a gymnast or shot-putter necessarily, but how to be a Champion in our own lives. How to approach our lives with the qualities that make a Champion. What are those qualities? First a pa

Primary topic: Empowerment

325 views

By Noelle NelsonSep 27, 20241 topic

Label Yourself For The Good

The mind-body connection is real. It’s not just a cute phrase, the brain actually releases certain hormones and other chemicals in direct response to our thoughts: endorphins, for example, when we’re happy, cortisol when we’re stressed. These hormones and chemicals impact how we function, how we thrive – or don’t. This is why what we tell ourselves about ourselves is so very important. This, in turn, is why I was so impressed by what I read recently about Seun Adebiyi, who w

Primary topic: Empowerment

322 views

By Noelle NelsonNov 25, 20241 topic

Life Is Meant For Joy

With bills to pay, rent to cover, kids to corral, too much to do in too little time, especially with the Holidays upon us and all the extra stuff that needs tending, doing, paying for? Joy? Give it a rest. Well, I would, except joy is our basic nature. It’s what everything else we do is aiming for. Yes, money is nice, but why? For the joy it brings us in the form of comfort and/or giving to others. Success is grand, but why? For the joy of accomplishment, of expressing ourse

Primary topic: Stress Management

Stress Management

267 views

By Noelle NelsonOct 28, 20241 topic

Ho-Ho-Ho, the Joy of Saying “No”

Ah, the upcoming Holiday Season--starting with Thanksgiving and ramping up through Christmas, with no let-up until the beginning of the year. For those who are already tired from a year’s worth of work, kids, parents, chores, and everything else, the Holiday Season, despite the many joys it may bring, can feel simply exhausting. Overwhelming. Cringe-worthy. But what’s a body to do? Pull the covers over your head and hide in bed for the next two months? Probably not a good id

Primary topic: Empowerment

243 views

By Noelle NelsonFeb 3, 20251 topic

Love Is Like Fairy Dust

You can sprinkle love anywhere! Anytime. Just like fairy dust. It’s not love as in “hugs and kisses,” as nice as those are, it’s love by a different description. Namely, “to delight in the presence of.” Nice, huh? You won’t find that definition in any dictionary. I heard it many years ago in a seminar and it hit home with me. I never forgot it. In this month of love, with Valentine’s Day as its pinnacle, what if you chose to sprinkle love (aka fairy dust) in the form of “del

Primary topic: Empowerment

222 views

By Noelle NelsonMar 28, 20251 topic

SMILE! You’ll Live Longer

I don’t think my ballroom instructor/dance partner was conce ed with my longevity when he barked “You gotta smile!” at me as we practiced for an upcoming competition. I’m like “Really? Besides remembering my patterns, keeping my upper body lifted, my feet grounded, my legs long, my head up and my elbows wide, all of which are taking 100% of my effort and concentration, I gotta smile?” Apparently, yes. So fine, I will smile. But really, smiling is good for a lot more than dan

Primary topic: Empowerment

188 views

By Noelle NelsonJul 31, 20251 topic

Fall Seven Times! Really.

You would think that highly successful people, whatever their profession or occupation, are highly successful because, well, they know how to do something and keep on doing it correctly. But that is only a partial truth. Highly successful people do things correctly, yes, but more importantly, they follow the Japanese proverb, “Fall down seven times, stand up eight.” You see, no one ever gets it right every time, or maybe even the first or fiftieth time. That is irrelevant. W

Primary topic: Empowerment

158 views

By Noelle NelsonJul 31, 20251 topic

Fall Seven Times! Really.

You would think that highly successful people, whatever their profession or occupation, are highly successful because, well, they know how to do something and keep on doing it correctly. But that is only a partial truth. Highly successful people do things correctly, yes, but more importantly, they follow the Japanese proverb, “Fall down seven times, stand up eight.” You see, no one ever gets it right every time, or maybe even the first or fiftieth time. That is irrelevant. W

Primary topic: Empowerment

142 views

By Noelle NelsonJul 31, 20251 topic

Fall Seven Times! Really.

You would think that highly successful people, whatever their profession or occupation, are highly successful because, well, they know how to do something and keep on doing it correctly. But that is only a partial truth. Highly successful people do things correctly, yes, but more importantly, they follow the Japanese proverb, “Fall down seven times, stand up eight.” You see, no one ever gets it right every time, or maybe even the first or fiftieth time. That is irrelevant. W

Primary topic: Empowerment

142 views

By Noelle NelsonAug 25, 20251 topic

Declutter Your Heart

We speak of decluttering our spaces--our homes, garages, offices--but how often do we think of decluttering ourselves? As in letting go of outdated emotions, the guilts, fears, regrets that no longer serve us in any way? After all, isn’t that how you declutter your closet? You look over your outfits and discard clothes you haven’t worn in years, or that are so not-trendy you can barely stand to look at them, or which remind you of that awful fight you had with – well, never

Primary topic: Empowerment

139 views

By Noelle NelsonSep 26, 20251 topic

“Weight-Train” Your Brain

I have a new cell phone. I didn’t want a new cell phone; I was perfectly happy with my 2020 cell phone, but it wasn’t happy with me. Its connector charging port was ailing. Failing, actually, the service tech told me. And besides, it was an old phone, what did I expect? Old? This to a woman who is more than content, read “thrilled,” to wear outdated fashions just because she likes them. And would willingly keep computers way past their supposed “shelf life.” Sigh. OK, fine,

Primary topic: Empowerment

107 views

By Noelle NelsonOct 24, 20251 topic

How To Survive The Holidays: The Gentle Art of Changing The Subject

We’re fast approaching that time of year when friend and family get-togethers and office parties are, well, obligatory. After all, you can’t exactly pretend that Thanksgiving and the Holiday Season don’t exist, and that invitations from your in-laws, workplace, friends and others can be casually ignored. Or that you can corral your beloved partner into NOT throwing a righteous “everyone welcome” Thanksgiving feast or giant Holiday party. But then the ugly truth comes up and

Primary topic: Change Management

Change Management

97 views

By Noelle NelsonOct 24, 20251 topic

How To Survive The Holidays: The Gentle Art of Changing The Subject

We’re fast approaching that time of year when friend and family get-togethers and office parties are, well, obligatory. After all, you can’t exactly pretend that Thanksgiving and the Holiday Season don’t exist, and that invitations from your in-laws, workplace, friends and others can be casually ignored. Or that you can corral your beloved partner into NOT throwing a righteous “everyone welcome” Thanksgiving feast or giant Holiday party. But then the ugly truth comes up and

Primary topic: Change Management

Change Management

96 views

By Noelle NelsonDec 29, 20251 topic

Give Yourself a Great Start To The New Year

Looking ahead to the New Year and how you expect it to unfold, can be tempting to get absorbed in whatever is currently trending, or whatever is “doom-ing and gloom-ing” at the moment. After all, there’s plenty going on in the world, in celebrity lives, in the constant push of the media, to keep one engaged or preoccupied. Which is great, if such brings you joy. But if, on the contrary, you find you are living someone else’s life via trending, or depressed and distressed by

Primary topic: Empowerment

54 views

By Noelle NelsonFeb 26, 20261 topic

Let “Why?” Propel You to Greater Success

Remember Nike’s famous sloga “Just Do It”? Those 3 words have great validity. After all, there’s nothing to be gained by endless procrastination and avoidance. However, “Just Do It” – to be truly effective – needs to be preceded by “Why do it?” Ah, yes, there’s the rub. Do you want a new car? “Just buy it!” is fine, but a bit of a problem if you end up either with payments you can ill afford, or a car that is a true clunker despite its shiny appearance. If, however, you sit

Primary topic: Achievement

17 views

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