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Articles from Debbi Dickinson | Selfgrowth.com
- Are you a CAVE Dweller? - by Submitted on Dec 21, 2012 from Debbi DickinsonThere was an extended period of time in my life where I was a CAVE dweller. We all know people that are. CAVE is an acronym for Citizens Against Virtually Everything. CAVE dwellers are the people that look at life as a glass that is half full and complain about it. They complain loudly about ...
Views: 1987(1 vote) - What Kind of Day are You Choosing to Have? - by Submitted on Jan 02, 2013 from Debbi DickinsonWhat kind of day are you choosing to have? It can be so easy for a life event to take control of our mood for the day; that is IF we allow that to happen. We have a choice every moment on the type of day we are going to have. A recent conversation with a girlfriend really drove this point ...
Views: 1257(1 vote) - Why It Feels Good for Relatives to Leave - by Submitted on Nov 27, 2012 from Debbi DickinsonI will raise my hand and admit. I love to have my parents come in town AND I also love to see them go home. I LOVE my parents. I enjoy spending time with my parents; we always have a fabulous time. Picking them up at the airport is a joy-filled event and so is dropping them off at the ...
Views: 1275(2 votes) - The Secret on Learning to Let Go - by Submitted on Nov 21, 2012 from Debbi DickinsonLetting Go is a process. Letting Go means to stop giving attention to particular person or past experience and to focus on the here and now. We hold on to the past because of our emotions. It may be painful or joyful memories. When we hang on to the past, we are clouding our view of the ...
Views: 1356(2 votes) - How Confidence Positively Impacts Your Career - by Submitted on Jan 08, 2013 from Debbi DickinsonFrom following my blog, I’m sure you have gotten the sense that I’m not a woman who sits on the sideline watching life go by. I am engaged with life. I live a life of action. Action comes from confidence. Confidence comes from action. What initiates everything in my life is my focused ...
Views: 1520(1 vote) - I am Not My Business Card - by Submitted on Oct 23, 2012 from Debbi DickinsonMy professional focus during my twenties and thirties was defining who I was as a professional woman. This entailed long days and weekends. It also required quite a bit of travel and for a few years 100% travel as a consultant. My career progressed along nicely. As I took on more and more ...
Views: 1362(1 vote) - Responding to the Call of Self-Love - by Submitted on Dec 28, 2012 from Debbi DickinsonWhat is Self-Love? For me, Self-Love means that I am making my needs a priority in my life. Society teaches women to put the needs of others in front of ourselves. For years I did that. Work came first. When I married, my husband came first. Then when my daughter was born her needs ...
Views: 1514(1 vote) - Today’s Expectations is Tomorrow’s Resentments - by Submitted on Aug 05, 2012 from Debbi DickinsonCan I have expectations in my life? Absolutely you can. But for many expectations set are unrealistic and when their expectation is not met it forms resentment. A friend was sharing recently when she was a child, her mother set expectations for how she should behave. The expectations ...
Views: 1718(1 vote) - Who is Draining Your Emotional Energy? - by Submitted on Jan 04, 2013 from Debbi DickinsonWe all have people in our lives that have a tendency to drain our emotional energy. It may be a family member, a child, our boss or a friend. What I have come to understand is that everyone wants to be loved. People do not come into our lives purposefully to drain us emotionally. We allow ...
Views: 1211(1 vote) - Why You Don't Do What You Know You Need to Do - by Submitted on Nov 01, 2012 from Debbi DickinsonMy teenage daughter had a book report due last week. She selected the book the first week of school and was so excited to read it. The book has over 800 pages. I raised my eyebrows when she first told me because although she enjoys reading she is not a voracious reader. For her that is a lot ...
Views: 1200(1 vote) - Are you active or productive? - by Submitted on Jan 18, 2013 from Debbi DickinsonI have a very busy life. Toss my daughter’s calendar of activities on top of my own and we are always on the go. We are very active and we are productive when we are focused on our priorities. An active life is where you are busy. You have a lot of tasks you are doing but you don’t seem to ...
Views: 1432(1 vote) - Top Reason to Set Goals - by Submitted on Dec 26, 2012 from Debbi DickinsonI love the week between Christmas and New Year’s. Everyone is still in a festive mood and the stress of the holiday season is winding down. I enjoy the after-Christmas sales and I usually take the week off between the holidays. My number one favorite activity this last week of the year is ...
Views: 1169(4 votes) - Am I Being Old Fashioned in regards to Dating? - by Submitted on Aug 05, 2012 from Debbi DickinsonI have women ask me about dating etiquette. Essentially do the traditional dating rules still apply today? The answer is mostly they do. So, here is my take. I believe when on a date, the gentleman pays. Pure and simple; if I have to pull out my wallet to pay for anything on the first ...
Views: 1256 - Are You Into Action or Into Complaining? - by Submitted on Sep 08, 2012 from Debbi DickinsonI recently had one of those life flashbacks that can make your stomach turn. For me, it was all the complaining I use to do. I would whine about the injustices of my life. Raising my fist to The Big Guy and exclaiming how could you do this to me. It was easy to sit around and do nothing ...
Views: 1358 - Blessings of Our Christmas Tree Tradition - by Submitted on Dec 23, 2012 from Debbi DickinsonLike most families we have our Christmas traditions. For us, the Christmas tree is the first tradition of the season. We go to the same tree lot every year on the first weekend of December to pick our tree and we decorate it that evening. It is a special time for us to really connect and ...
Views: 2280 - Dating Isn't What It Used To Be - by Submitted on Aug 05, 2012 from Debbi DickinsonOne of my VIP's is ready to head back into the world of dating. She knew I had dated quite a few years (5 years to be exact!) before Grand Dude came into my life. We were talking about the differences of dating when you are in your 40's versus in your 20's. Dating sites on the internet is ...
Views: 1432 - Do Not Hold Back - by Submitted on Dec 11, 2012 from Debbi DickinsonWhat happens when we hold back? I know for me, I feel like I have not given my full effort. It may be a project I am working on, it may be making dinner or it may be my contribution in an office meeting. I know for the office environment, particularly in meetings, I may hold back out of ...
Views: 1291 - Giving Back To Our Community - A Mother and Daughter Experience - by Submitted on Jan 12, 2012 from Debbi DickinsonThis past weekend my 13-year old daughter and I volunteered to perform a day of service work in our community. Our commitment to service work started when she was 5 years old and we volunteered time at our church selling pumpkins during October. She knew that the pumpkins were grown by Navajo ...
Views: 1428 - Having Confidence to Ask for What You Want - by Submitted on Jan 16, 2013 from Debbi DickinsonI can’t even begin to count how many times I wanted something but the fear of being told ‘No’ held me back from even asking a question. I am much more confident today than I used to be just a few years ago, but it is still something I need to watch for. Work environment comes to mind ...
Views: 1185 - How a Corn Maze Helped Me Stay Present - by Submitted on Nov 20, 2012 from Debbi DickinsonI am always surprised where Life Lessons appear. I have been so busy wrapped up in quite a few projects that I knew I was losing my sense of being present. Instead of being ‘in the moment’ my thoughts start drifting off to my To Do list. When that happens life is slipping by and I don’t ...
Views: 1065 - How Acceptance Sets You Free - by Submitted on Nov 01, 2012 from Debbi DickinsonAcceptance of events or other people is key to our emotional freedom. It is an emotional process to realize that we don't have control over situations or people and we stop resisting. I originally believed that acceptance meant I needed to like a situation and that I was okay with the ...
Views: 1261 - How are You Steering Your Life? - by Submitted on Jan 14, 2013 from Debbi DickinsonFrom what viewpoint are you looking at your life? Are you looking in the rear-view mirror or are you looking through your windshield? Looking through your rear-view mirror is viewing life with chains of the past. Some of these chains may be limiting beliefs that were drilled into your head ...
Views: 1183 - How Discipline Gave Me Freedom - by Submitted on Jul 19, 2012 from Debbi DickinsonDiscipline was one of those words I truly disliked for a long time. Growing up I associated discipline with negative words like detention or being grounded. As I became an adult, the word started changing meaning into being rigid, inflexible and most importantly boring. The last thing I ...
Views: 2110 - How Limiting Beliefs can Erode your Confidence - by Submitted on Jan 30, 2013 from Debbi DickinsonI love my life journey. I continually strive to expand my life and be of service to others. The mental block walls I run into are limiting beliefs I have about myself. These beliefs erode my confidence and they can also make me feel I am less than a woman than I am. I know intellectually ...
Views: 1168 - How My GPS Reminded Me of Faith - by Submitted on Jul 19, 2012 from Debbi DickinsonGrand Dude and I are training for a fall marathon. We both have all the gadgets, shoes, etc. I have a GPS watch that I absolutely adore. It frees me from marked trails since it'll keep tabs of how far I've run. Last week I was on one of my long runs and about the last mile, the battery ...
Views: 2056 - How One Holiday Tradition Returned - by Submitted on Nov 25, 2012 from Debbi DickinsonThe Holidays bring about good and bad memories of past holiday seasons. I have a girlfriend Nancy who newly divorced is having her first Thanksgiving without the kids this year. It's tough; there is no denying it. Thanksgiving will be different for her; but that doesn't mean it'll be bad. ...
Views: 1295 - How to Accept That I Am Very Human - by Submitted on Jan 25, 2012 from Debbi DickinsonWhether it's being late to your child's school play or missing a deadline at the office, many women feel guilty about not being able to do it all. We mentally start beating ourselves up with the would've, could've, should've This negative thinking is not healthy, it affects our emotional ...
Views: 1087 - How To Breakthrough The Roadblocks To Achieve Your Goals? - by Submitted on Feb 02, 2012 from Debbi DickinsonThis week I’ve been working on a new product for my website. I found myself very busy doing a lot of activities; but discovered that I was not being effective. Instead of working on the product development, I allowed myself to be distracted and working on other minor tasks. Overtime I have ...
Views: 1306 - How To Build Confidence FAST! - by Submitted on Feb 02, 2012 from Debbi DickinsonDo you know someone who seems to effortlessly achieve goals they set out to accomplish? And they reach those goals quickly? Their secret is simple – self-confidence. Part of healing from divorce is the quest for rebuilding of self-confidence that can erode over time in a marriage. Here are ...
Views: 1383 - How to Chunk a Task Down Into Manageable Pieces - by Submitted on Sep 16, 2012 from Debbi DickinsonI often see people start tackling one huge project; only to quickly find that the enormity of the project paralyzes them so they do nothing. This came to light with a recent incident in my household. It has to do with my daughter and her teenage bedroom. Away at camps for a good portion of ...
Views: 1385 - How to Decrease Your Carbon Footprint - by Submitted on Jan 25, 2013 from Debbi DickinsonSometimes I hear the funniest lines that I just need to share. I have a girlfriend that talks a mile a minute. She is high-energy and has a mind that collects LOTS of facts and data points that she can retrieve at a snap of a finger. The result is that with a given topic you can receive a ...
Views: 1234 - How to Keep Your Options Open - by Submitted on Dec 17, 2012 from Debbi DickinsonDo you set your eyes on a goal and keep your focus and energy on attaining it? Your goal may be a promotion, saving for European vacation or getting Christmas presents bought in record time. I can have tunnel vision when I’m focused on a goal. It amazes some of my friends that when I get ...
Views: 1228 - How To Survive Your First Christmas Alone While Your Child Spends It with the Ex - by Submitted on Dec 27, 2011 from Debbi DickinsonMy daughter was 7 years old when she spent her first Christmas with my Ex after the divorce. Having spent the 3 prior Christmas’ with just the two of us, the thought of not having her with me filled me with mixed emotion. To add to this, I do not have any family that lives within 1000 miles of ...
Views: 1966 - How to Turn Resentment To Gratitude - by Submitted on Sep 16, 2012 from Debbi DickinsonI was in a conversation recently where a story was shared that was one of those WOW moments. It is one that proves the power of turning a resentment into a gift. I just had to pass this story on today. My friend was sharing that his step-daughter is about to start her Ph.D. education ...
Views: 1313 - How Women are Wired Differently than Men - by Submitted on Dec 02, 2012 from Debbi DickinsonNo surprise to any woman to hear that we are wired differently than men. We approach life differently and we remember events differently. As a broad brush statement, men compartmentalize their memory of events and the emotions. As women, we are wired to tie our emotions around each ...
Views: 1625 - It Can Be Tough to Change Our Behavior - by Submitted on Jan 23, 2013 from Debbi DickinsonI was recently reminded how tough it can be to change our behaviors. When we identify something about ourselves we want to change, it can be difficult to sustain the new behavior in the beginning. It may be that we want to be more tolerant, patient or minimize our need to be perfect. This ...
Views: 1447 - Learn to Quiet Your Harsh Ego - by Submitted on Nov 01, 2012 from Debbi DickinsonI use to be my own worst critic when I use to fall short of my expectations of myself. It didn't matter if my expectations were big or small; all would have me chastising myself for being less that superwoman. And that is my ego, desiring to be the best mother, friend, worker, manager, lover, ...
Views: 1501 - Living in Tomorrow by Chasing the Dream - by Submitted on Jan 28, 2013 from Debbi DickinsonI love to dream and dream BIG! What I have to be careful of is not getting so wrapped up my dream that I end up thinking more about my dream then I do about living in the NOW. This happens when I am not happy with where I am at. Life has its ups and downs; this is normal for everyone. I ...
Views: 1175 - My Plan - The Importance of Sticking to It - by Submitted on Sep 08, 2012 from Debbi DickinsonMy marathon training is well underway. With the heat wave coming through the Chicago area the past several weeks, it has been miserable running conditions. But I have been reminded of what I tell other women; develop a plan and stick to it. No Excuses! So for my running schedule calling ...
Views: 1577 - Passing On My Empathy - by Submitted on Dec 23, 2012 from Debbi DickinsonI was recently on a business trip to Guadalajara. On the return flight a young family was seated a couple of rows up from me. They had a 2 and 4-year-old traveling with them. Once the plane took off, the 2-year-old girl made it quite clear that she was not a happy camper with the air ...
Views: 950 - Reminder that I am not a Puppeteer - by Submitted on Feb 01, 2013 from Debbi DickinsonAt the office, I have been working with a few different departments on scoping out a project. I was warned that one department was going to push back on my proposal. And it was suggested that I might consider a plan B. As predicted, the one department did push back. So, I setup several ...
Views: 1993 - Set Goals Not Resolutions To Achieve Results - by Submitted on Jan 02, 2012 from Debbi DickinsonThere was a time in my life that every New Year's I would set resolutions. For me, they seemed to be focused more around my health: Lose weight, exercise more, break a bad habit. Sound familiar? I found that they were focused more around what I should NOT be doing versus who I should strive ...
Views: 1172 - Taming my Over-Commitment Monster - by Submitted on Dec 05, 2012 from Debbi DickinsonMy inner monsters are those characteristics about myself that I don’t like very much. These are traits that I’ve worked hard at over the years to minimize; but occasionally one will rear its ugly head. Some of these character defects are: anger, pride, procrastination, over-committing, ...
Views: 1235 - The Badger Deep Inside Me - by Submitted on Sep 16, 2012 from Debbi DickinsonThere was a time when I was not effective at setting boundaries in my life. I was the push-over that people knew they could get me to do tasks they didn't want to. This wasn't just in one part of my life; it was everywhere. Debbi just couldn't say No. What would happen is that I would ...
Views: 1074 - The Beauty of Life’s Lessons - by Submitted on Dec 10, 2012 from Debbi DickinsonLife lessons can appear in the most unexpected places. I was working on one of my blogs last week at the kitchen table. The smoke alarm starts ringing. I look up and can see smoke coming out of the oven which triggered the alarm. My teenage daughter had just 5 minutes prior put cookies in ...
Views: 1138 - The Future Holds the Same Stuff as Today - by Submitted on Nov 23, 2012 from Debbi DickinsonHow often we lament ‘When ___ happens my life will be better’. The blank may be a job, marriage, new baby or even divorce. What you can count on is that your life will be altered; but will it be better? My experience has been that my life gets better when I work on me. If I rely upon ...
Views: 1073 - The Top Secret to Performing Courageous Acts - by Submitted on Aug 05, 2012 from Debbi DickinsonMy definition of courage is to feel the fear and do it anyway. Through recovery regardless if it’s divorce or addiction; I see women continuously performing courageous acts. These are actions they take that move them forward and they need to be acknowledged and celebrated. So, what would ...
Views: 1635 - Thoughts of Impending Doom - by Submitted on Sep 08, 2012 from Debbi DickinsonDuring a conversation with one of my VIPs this week, we were discussing how well her life was going and how she's making progress in various areas of her life. But she was sharing that she was antsy and couldn't put her finger on the reason why. She told me "I am waiting for something bad to ...
Views: 1296 - Top Secrets to Stepping into your Greatness - by Submitted on Jan 21, 2013 from Debbi DickinsonThe phrase ‘Your Greatness’ can be called different things. It could be ‘Your Destiny’, ‘Your Purpose’, or even ‘Your Calling’. What each of these phrases speak to is ‘what are you on this planet for?’ The thought can be overwhelming! Perhaps immediately followed by ‘I haven’t a ...
Views: 1162 - Use Goal Setting To Achieve Your Dreams - by Submitted on Jan 17, 2012 from Debbi DickinsonGoal Setting is one of those important aspects of life that I never did single or married. I have always just gone with the flow. Not saying that is a bad; it is I just didn't have any focus and just moved along with life events as they unfolded. After my divorce with my life in complete array, ...
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