Is There A Place For Victory When Mental Issues Rears Its Ugly Head?

When is it okay to throw in the towel? To give up? Olympians have started doing it. Simone Biles and Naomi Osaka withdrew citing mental issues. For decades Olympians withdrew without choice due to physical injuries as was the recent case of Serena Williams. But what of psychological? Is there a place for commitment, dedication? Determination? Better yet, if you withdraw, does it mean that you’re not?

Olympic Woes Amidst Success

Let no one define what Success Means to you. Define it for yourself.

Dr. Shelly C

The Olympics has always been a love of mine. Personally, I did track most of my school years and was naturally good at it. Sadly, no one told me that my natural talents and discipline was worthy of pushing forward to compete at a higher level. So once I got to the nationals, that’s where it stayed. I didn’t rise to higher heights.

Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

Questions arose in my mind as I thought of my early life’s athletic prowess amidst the current Olympics situation. Furthermore, my study and research of success made me even more curious. Leadership traits such as determination, discipline, resilience were all attributable to success… be it in sports, business or life in general. When there is a goal that drives, we do whatever it takes to achieve. But when the going gets tough and society takes over (your goal), as is the case when athletes compete on behalf of educational institutions, organizations, or globally as in the Olympics, we ponder where does it stop? Where do you draw the line? When the goal becomes not only that of the athlete’s personally but that of his/her team, state, country (not the world yet though space tourism has become an appetizing delectable), whose decision is it?

Oh What Peace We Often Forfeit

Indeed as a colleague shared, it has become a complex situation especially when the values and socialization of societies differ. One competitor may never give up. Another may say ” hey it’s okay”. Millennials and Generation Z (iGeneration) think survival. They’ll retort, “I don’t want this anymore no matter the consequences. I will do me. You do you. Keep your award, your attributes, your contracts, your medals and forgive me but I will keep my sanity. That means more to me.”

Mental Issues Are Real

I dare say, mental issues are real. It was previously thought of as taboo to share inner turmoil for fear of being seen as weak, but these days when the British Royalties have brought mental issues to light, it is now more recognized and many in fact do understand.

As society and individual goals evolves, where do we go next? Let’s be prepared to not only wait and see but to also get ready to do something about it. Check-in with a neighbor or friend going through stuff. Be mindful of the silent ones. Offer support. Refer them to get help. Let’s do what we can in our small corner.

Cheers!

Don’t Self-Reject…

Don’t do it. Don’t self-reject. Just don’t do it.

Think about the last time an opportunity showed up. It may have been a job, a relationship, a personal move. It was too good to be true. So you hesitated. Did your hesitation alter the end result? Did you go after it eventually or did you make your fear cause you to freeze?

It’s sad but so often we self-reject. Often we talk ourselves out of doing something we are well qualified for. Most common on the job-front. We move to a new area. Start the job hunt then when something big comes up. We feel less than qualified. We look at the requirements then decide that we won’t apply because we don’t fit one or more of the requirements. Or that company is too big, they would never hire me. We do the usual self talk. Focus on the negative and talk ourselves out of it. Ditch the negatives.

Going after something or someone we deem important. But what if they see me in a different light? What if they think that I’m not good enough? What if they say no? Ditch the negative self-talk. What if they say yes? Send the email.

Ditch The Negative Self-Talk

Life would be much easier if we focus on the positive. Ditch the self-pity. Ditch those negative self-talk. Go after your dream job, relationship, house, car, vacation. Plan it. Ink it. Do it.

Don’t know where to start, let’s connect.

Cheers!

The 3 Signs Your Friends And Loved Ones Keep You Stuck…

Dr. Shelly's avatarSuccess Strategies

Growth is painful. Change is painful. But nothing is as painful as staying stuck where you do not belong. ~N.R. Nanyana Murthy

Many of us have been there. We have dreams, goals and aspirations. But we must share such desires with those closest to us to get their buy-in…and in some cases their approvals. But while we wait, it can create tension, sadness, and disappointment that causes us to become stuck. Stuck because what we want to do seems way beyond our scope of accessibility.

But there’s hope if we recognize the signs of how our loved ones and friends can hold us back from realizing our dreams.

3 Signs They Are Holding You Back

1.Their expectations

Your loved ones and friends can’t imagine you dong anything else. A colleague of mine spoke about having to convince his parents that he wanted to change careers and become an entrepreneur. He…

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Error In A Published Work? 3 Things To Do…

Finding A Book Error

Your book is published, yea!

It’s an outstanding achievement especially for a first time author. Be proud of yourself. But then patrons buy your book and later a reader finds an error or worse–two. It may be his/her interpretation but an error none-the-less. You feel sad. Down. Disappointed in yourself. How could that happen? But before you throw in the ‘author’ towel, here are 3 simple things to do.

Write Quality Books

Write quality books. I can’t stress that enough. Those of you who have worked with me know that is most important. It makes the difference in the success of your product. Quality means, professionally done book cover, formatting, editing and more

Edit. Edit. Edit Some More

Of prime importance is the editing. Nothing is more distasteful than a product that wherever you read, you find errors. That being said, in professionally published books… be it traditional or self-published, you may find errors. That’s the reason reviewing your work with an editor is so important. These days errors are found even in the media. But the great thing now with the media is that it’s mainly online in many cases. Often in their haste to get the news out, they falter. But with online, errors can easily be edited and republished fast. In a printed book, this can also be done so get in touch with your publisher for immediate correction. If self-published, correct the manuscript and republish.

There Will Always Be Haters

Accept the fact. Know that you will always have haters and especially in Poetry, it’s your interpretation, your craft. If the errors are not spelling, then some will still complain because you write as you ‘see’ things.

So in summary, keep your head up. Do something about the complaint. Validate it and if its a fact, correct it. Then move on to writing and publishing your next book. Remember, life is filled with ups and downs. But it’s what you do about it that counts.

Need to write your book? Let’s connect.

Cheers!

Note this discussion does not go in-depth into writing and correcting errors. It is written as a simple recommendation to uplift and rebuild the new author’s inner drive to continue his/her craft.

Authors Share 13 Ways To Rid Writer’s Block…

Overcoming writer’s block isn’t always easy, but it helps to keep a pen and paper at the ready for when inspiration strikes.

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Many complain of experiencing writer’s block. It refers that time when writers attempt to write and nothing comes. Some complain that it last days, weeks, months. Others say it may even last years. The question came up in an authors’ forum. Here I share 13 tips recommended.

  1. Take a day off from writing
  2. Work on two different books at the same time. If you have trouble with one, move to the other. It helps with the creative process
  3. If you don’t know what you’re going to write there’s no point in sitting down. What you can do is think during the day what the next few pages are going to be like (when writing fiction). So when you sit you know exactly what’s coming
  4. One writer suggested that you leave the last sentence unfinished so you know what you are going to write when you next start writing.
  5. If you have lost direction, print your book so far and re-read it. By reading the previous chapters (preferably in one sitting) it provides a run-up to the bit you are actually stuck with. Then you are able to put down your reading and start writing with a renewed sense of direction.
  6. Read, watch a movie, play a game. Get your head back.
  7. Give yourself permission to write badly. Tell yourself the story. Take a break and write something completely different. Read a lot.
  8. It’s not a block but an opportunity. Time to edit and then later, see it with fresh eyes
  9. Write, write, write…even if it’s not good or what you want. You can always cut it later or edit it into what you do want.
  10. Disconnect and do something completely different.
  11. Talk about the story’s events.
  12. Take a walk.
  13. Just keep writing. Don’t get discouraged. If one thing doesn’t work, try another.

Any thoughts missing that you would like to add? Do share. We would love to hear! By the way, if you are still dreaming of writing that book and don’t know where to start, let’s connect.

Cheers!

4 Tips Before You Quit Your Job

Ditch It! Switch It! Yep, many are doing just that. In the book Your career, Ditch it Switch it, I encouraged you to reflect on the pandemic and switch your career. It’s the best time. Now more than ever many are doing it. Here’s CNN Headline news top tips to do it right.

  1. Don”t tell your boss first
  2. Don’t slack off
  3. Leave “transition document’
  4. Two-weeks notice is still standard

Here are my own Tips to do it right. Also featured in research from book Your Career: Ditch It. Switch It. Read more 5 Strategies To Do It Right.

How To Leave Your Job: 5 Ways

  1. Don’t leave (yet)
  2. Start your search to see the job options available in the market place
    • Like your current career? Stay with it
    • Hate your current career? Plan an escape
    • Take into consideration your current skills, qualification and experience.
    • Upgrade skills if needed to suit your new role
  3. Update your Resume to match the job you’re looking for and review your social media profiles to make sure nothing unprofessional exist
  4. It’s time to begin your search to Ditch it for the ideal career you want
  5. Keep Motivated. Prepare yourself psychologically. The going can get rough especially while you are still in the same miserable job. So plan an escape while you wait. This can be:
    • Bathroom run (to breathe while on the job) but balance is key…. Don’t overdo it
    • Mental escape to your happy place (vacation getaway, home reno, time with family, time alone, time with your favorite hobby)

Experiencing that itch yet don’t know how to do it? Ask a Coach or let’s connect.

Cheers!

Bird Attack!

A lil bird! Yep a lil tiny bird. A simple walk to get the cardio steps in, turned into a run for our lives! Sounds funny but it’s true. A little bird perched atop a light-pole swooned in above our heads. It attacked Zeus the dog first as if attempting to pick him up for a quick getaway. When my youngest countered, it went after her. She ran. Then it went after me! What in the world? We galloped running for our lives from a tiny bird! I can hardly believe it.

Life’s Little Things

Has that ever happened to you? A seemingly little thing attacks? We have all been through it when a little flu-like feeling turned the world upside down. We thought it was too little a thing to cause harm. A tiny sound taken for granted causes serious accidents to many on a highway. A newborn changes the lives of many relationships causing you to wonder who’s in charge? A simple mistake on the job has devastating consequences leaving many unemployed.

Yes life’s little things can have a great impact. For the positives we scream with joy! But when the negatives happen, we are thrown off. When fear of life’s little things happen, be confident and know that it will pass. Don’t give up on your goals. Build your resilience and look back at your learnings. Later, you’re sure to bask in your success.

Confused about a life change in your career or new business? Learn how to overcome in the book Ditch It Switch It.

Cheers!

Caution: Success and Stress

Dr. Shelly's avatarSuccess Strategies


We often dream of success…however, we define it. But to place a twist on attaining success, one wonders whether the good life is always good. Are the very things that so many individuals strive for, such as a high-paying and powerful job, a beautiful house, a wardrobe of nice clothes in desirable sizes, and a fancy education for children to prepare them for carrying on this way of life: Do these very things turn out to be more trouble than they are worth? In fact, it is believed that the psychological burdens associated with being a low-status individual (i.e., poor) grow lighter as people move up the social ladder, but that is true only to a certain extent. Once individuals achieve more success, the mental and physical health benefits associated with greater affluence fade away. As individuals near the top, life stress increases dramatically, and its toxic effects essentially cancel…

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Success Strategies of Caribbean American Leaders in the United States…

Success Strategies of Caribbean American Leaders in the United States is a product of my research on Success Strategies designed to help emerging leaders rise to new heights.

The Book was birthed after in-person interviews with with top industry leaders in healthcare, politics, education, media, aviation and more. Leaders were either first or second generation immigrants from the English and non-English Speaking countries.

Intrigued but don’t have a copy? Snatch yours here and learn the challenges they had to overcome to be successful.

Intrigued? Let’s connect.

9 Steps To Writing Your First Book

Dr. Shelly's avatarSuccess Strategies

It’s such an exciting time to think about publishing your very own book! It certainly was for me when I did my research and got it published in the Journal of American Academy of Business Cambridge (JAABC), as well as my books on success strategies and leadership. I am now busy writing a new inspirational book. Tons of Lush near Edible excitement especially when you receive the first printed copy! Woo-hoo!

I have been getting requests from interested first time writers and decided to share my personal thoughts on how to get the writing done in order to get published. To be honest I understand the Seriousness of this goal. So here are my own 9 steps to get you going.

9 Steps to Getting Your Book Done

1.Develop that mindset.
Goal achievement begins in the mind. Think of the saying “if you can imagine it you can achieve…

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Goals. The Power Of The List…

Obstacles are those frightful things you see when you take your eyes off your goal.

Henry Ford

Goals, write them down. Then work them. In a recent post Yendi shared her 10 Goals.
Years ago when I was expecting, I went to Lamaze class where my only child at the time would play with the instructor’s teen, Yendi.

Big Goals

Recently Yendi reflected how she wrote down her 10-year goals. Many reveal that they cannot even think that far. In Yendi’s case her dream was to enter and win the Miss Jamaica World contest. She worked it and yep, she did it! From the entry to the steps to win it … and that she did.

So make sure that your goals are BIG so you can’t miss them when they come through!

How old are you now? What dreams are you carrying. Take the time to write them down. Then once you do, work them and there’s no doubt that you will achieve them. Don’t know where to start? Let’s connect or dive into the book Ditch it Switch It and it will show you how.

An expert? Still write the goals for your next chapter since we’re always growing.

Cheers!

Virgo Wellness Reset…

Virgo: Wellness Reset and Holistic Spa in Arizona

We know what matters to you the most Virgo — your health and wellness. How else could you get everything done, you overachiever, you? So take a moment to give yourself the best spa package and fine dining to match with a desert getaway in the heart of Arizona. This world famous resort has an Aqua circuit like no other, with state-of-the-art amenities to boost your body’s ability to heal and overall well-being. Take advantage of the sound healing classes in the evenings to give you the ultimate night’s sleep, and then wake to practice yoga on the lawn. In between, you’ll have the chance for a massage, a reiki session, and a deliciously rejuvenating smoothie by the pool. With gorgeous weather for most of the year, you get the maximum amount of Vitamin D in this sunlit state, so you’ll be sure to feel the lasting results of good health even after you return home.

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