Are you a perfectionist? Are you a recovering perfectionist? Are you not responding because you’re afraid of answering incorrectly?

Whatever your answer may be, one thing is certain . . .

Perfectionism breeds worry.

Think of it this way, if you’re a perfectionist where work is concerned, you may find yourself worrying about making mistakes, being rejected, losing the sale, or being anything other than number one in your field. If you are consumed by achieving the perfect appearance, you’ll likely worry about aging, your weight, or your wardrobe.

I realize that striving for perfection does have its place. At… Read More

So you’ve committed (and recommitted) to sticking to your healthy eating plan.

But . . .

You feel stressed (bored, overwhelmed, tired), so . . .

You eat a donut (a cupcake, a cookie) or two . . . or twelve.

You feel relief . . . for a while.

The relief wears off and regret sets in.

The regret triggers more stress and . . . you reach for those darn comfort foods again!

Why did it happen?

I mean . . .

. . . you knew what you had planned to eat that day.

. . .… Read More

Is worry genetic?

The answer is . . .

YES!

The discovery of a “worry-gene” made front-page news of the New York Times. The article reported a study published by the journal Science. It turns out, there is a certain gene associated with worry.

This gene (specifically, gene SLC6A4 on chromosome 17q12) has a long version and a short version.

If you get the short end of the stick – I mean, the short version of this gene – from either one of your parents, you’re likely to be more prone to worry, anxiety, and negative thinking.

So what does… Read More

I was dressed and ready to drive to the studio where I hosted a morning TV show. Before leaving the house, I had to take the trash to the curb for collection. As I neared the end of my driveway, I tripped and fell.

I hit the pavement so hard that my hands and knees were bleeding.

I went back into the house and, feeling sorry for myself, I was just about to cry.

I thought, “Denise, you have a choice. You can choose to continue feeling sorry for yourself, or you can choose to make today the best day… Read More

Ever wonder why, in the past, you didn’t stick to your goal to: lose weight, quit smoking, stop drinking, or whatever else it is you’ve been trying to achieve  . . .

Even though you really, really, REALLY wanted to?

It wasn’t because you didn’t know what to do.

I’ll bet you knew exactly what to do. You probably even had the plan to follow – or – at the very least, you knew how to figure out where to get it!

So what was it?

1) What stopped you?

AND, more importantly . . .

2) How can… Read More

Do you know what tomorrow will look like for you? If you’re like most people, tomorrow will look a lot like today does – in the same way today looks a lot like yesterday did. For most, tomorrow will be filled with the same story, the same characters, and the same scenery as you travel the same route to work with the same thoughts running through your mind. You’ll likely even feel the same way tomorrow that you feel today. In fact, it’s quite likely not much will be different at all. It will be familiar, known, and ordinary as… Read More

Can you guess which questions I’m most frequently asked through social media and after speaking engagements? Well, here they are:

How do you get your teeth so white? How did you become a professional speaker? How old are you? How did you get your books published? Are you always this positive?

I’m answering these questions here for two reasons: One, maybe you’ve wanted to ask me one, some, or all of these questions because you’re curious . . . in which case I’m happy to appease your curiosity! Two, maybe you’ve wanted to ask me one, some, or all of… Read More

Are you trying to get a harvest before you planted the seed? Imagine your life, your goal, your dream is a seed. In order for it to grow, you need to plant it. Planting that seed means putting it in the soil to grow.

That’s where most dreams die . . . in the soil. The reason is, it can be lonely and dark in the soil. It can bring up feelings of uncertainty, doubt, or disappointment. That’s when we become afraid and dig the seed back up.

Resist digging up in doubt what you planted in faith. Trust the… Read More

Physical clutter equals mind clutter. Donate, recycle, or discard those things you no longer need, use, or love.

Take a deep breath and exhale very slowly. As you exhale, imagine blowing away all your worries, concerns, and tension. Allow your muscles to relax, and begin to breathe at your regular pace. Now imagine you’re in a calm, relaxing, and peaceful place. That place might be a sandy beach on a warm summer’s day, or the woods on a crisp fall morning. Wherever that relaxing place is, at the end of this paragraph, close your eyes, continue to… Read More

I was sitting in my car at a gas station on the corner of a busy intersection watching the line of cars stopped at a stoplight. Two teen-aged boys sat in the first car stopped at the light. The teenager in the passenger seat threw a pop can out of his window. Immediately after, the driver in the car behind the teens jumped out of his vehicle, picked up the pop can, tossed it back through the teenager’s window and got back into his car. The light turned green and they all drove away.

The whole scene fascinated me and… Read More