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Articles from Noelle Nelson | Selfgrowth.com
- What Would Betty Crocker Do? - by Submitted on Oct 29, 2019 from Noelle NelsonSome of you may remember who Betty Crocker was. For those of you who don’t, Betty Crocker was a fictional character, created in the 1920s to give a friendly face to cooking and baking products. She was a cultural icon right through the mid-90s. To many over the decades, she represented kindness ...
Views: 826 - Halloween’s Gift to Us: F.E.A.R. - by Submitted on Oct 01, 2019 from Noelle NelsonHalloween is almost upon us, and grown-ups are planning Halloween parties, while kids of all ages figure out what costume to wear and whether to trick or treat. For all the fun we have at Halloween, it is still a day in remembrance of all things scary; ghosts, zombies, witches, spells and ...
Views: 1160 - Resolve Upsets with Genuine Explanations - by Submitted on Jun 29, 2019 from Noelle NelsonAs a peace-loving Libra, I’m always looking for ways to minimize conflict, ways for us to get along better, regardless of our differences. So I was quite taken with a post a friend forwarded to me: “Explain your anger, don’t express it, and you will immediately open the door to solutions ...
Views: 1389 - Just My Luck! - by Submitted on May 31, 2019 from Noelle NelsonSomeone cuts you off in traffic, you get stuck behind the person with 30 items in the 10 items or less line, your hair dryer fails in the middle of your blow-dry, the cat throws up on your favorite shirt, and every time you say to yourself, gritting your teeth through it all, “Yup, just my ...
Views: 966 - Shift your Perspective! - by Submitted on May 02, 2019 from Noelle NelsonHow do you see yourself? As a hero or a victim? In any given life circumstance, you can see yourself either way. I recently moved into my new home. As is often the case with a “new” home, that is to say new to me, although built in the mid 1960s, it has what is euphemistically referred to as ...
Views: 880 - Rude Behavior? Walk On By - by Submitted on Mar 30, 2019 from Noelle NelsonIt’s inevitable: if you interact with other human beings, you’re going to be subject to an assortment of slights, glares and smirks (if not downright rude gestures). Whether their behavior is intentional or not, the driver that cuts you off, the person in front of you in the “15 items only” line ...
Views: 1131 - A Gut-Wrench-Saving Question: Is It Worth It? - by Submitted on Feb 26, 2019 from Noelle NelsonYou can hardly go anywhere these days without someone wanting to talk politics: local, national, global. The internet keeps us apprised of seemingly everything that’s happening everywhere on the planet at every instant--every tweet, photo-op (legit or not) and glitch. All this is fine if it ...
Views: 940 - Celebrate Love On Valentine's Day—Not Just Romance - by Submitted on Jan 31, 2019 from Noelle NelsonValentine’s Day is fast approaching--along with all the romance, roses and chocolate traditionally part of the day's celebration. But here’s the thing. Why should Valentine’s Day be reserved for romance alone? Why don't we celebrate love itself? A Canadian resident, Karri Carberry, 19, was ...
Views: 865 - Who Has More Fun, Us or Dogs? - by Submitted on Nov 30, 2018 from Noelle NelsonWe have a new neighbor on our hill. I met him the other day when I was taking my beloved old puppy--whose arthritis prevents him from getting a walk--out for his drive. My neighbor was walking his three pups down the hill, so of course as mutual dog lovers, we had to stop and have a ...
Views: 975 - Don't Play The Comparison Game This Thanksgiving—Be Thankful For Who You Are - by Submitted on Nov 01, 2018 from Noelle NelsonWith Thanksgiving, our attention turns to all those people and things for which we are grateful. A wonderful tradition, indeed. However, there’s a sneaky little devil that sometimes gets in the way of our ability to truly appreciate...and that is, comparison. Uh-huh. Comparing your ...
Views: 1124 - A Lesson From A True Super Hero—Who's Only Four Years Old! - by Submitted on Oct 01, 2018 from Noelle NelsonAs you think about Halloween, and whatever plans you have for yourself and/or for your family, inevitably, part of your thinking revolves around “So, who will I go as this year?” It’s fun to adopt a persona for a night or two, and express an aspect of ourselves that rarely gets trotted out into ...
Views: 1102 - Life Lessons from the Wild Boars - by Submitted on Sep 02, 2018 from Noelle NelsonNot long ago, the world waited with bated breath while watching the rescue of 12 boys, members of the Wild Boars soccer team, and their coach, who were caught in a flooded subterranean cave deep under the mountains of Chang Rai, Thailand. We witnessed the extraordinary worldwide commitment to ...
Views: 1106 - Lessons from Coffee: What Do I Want? - by Submitted on Jul 30, 2018 from Noelle NelsonWhen you walk into your favorite coffee place in the morning, I doubt that the first thing on your mind is, “How are the coffee bean plantations doing today?” If you are a true coffee aficionado, you may know that your preferred beans come from Columbia or Nicaragua, but you probably don’t worry ...
Views: 1056 - Solution! Solution! Solution! - by Submitted on Jun 30, 2018 from Noelle NelsonLife on planet Earth is riddled with problems. Little problems, big problems, we all have them, pretty much every day. But what matters isn’t the problem, it’s the solution! And oh, how easy it is to lose sight of that. My phones went down a couple of months ago. Since we don't get cell ...
Views: 1433 - If Only… - by Submitted on Mar 31, 2018 from Noelle NelsonEver had a case of the “if onlys”? You know, as in; “If only I’d gotten that job,” “If only that guy/gal hadn’t broken up with me,” “If only I hadn’t been passed over for that promotion,” “If only I’d won the lottery!” “If only I had more talent,” and so on. Unfortunately, once you get ...
Views: 1413 - Success: What Do You Have To Sacrifice In Order To Get It?” - by Submitted on Mar 02, 2018 from Noelle NelsonRecently I came across the Dalai Lama’s “18 Rules of Living,” which he shared with the world at the beginning of the new millennium. Here, 18 years later, it seemed relevant to revisit them. In particular, I was struck by his rule: “Judge your success by what you had to give up in order to ...
Views: 1251 - A Valentine’s Day Gift: Go With All Your Heart! - by Submitted on Jan 30, 2018 from Noelle Nelson“Wherever you go, go with all your heart,” so Confucius said some 2500 years ago, and his wisdom still holds true. But how often do we heed it? How often do we go about our lives, our loves, our work, our friendships, our families, with all our heart? This Valentine’s Day, what if you ...
Views: 1087 - Make This Your “Best Human” Year Ever! - by Submitted on Dec 30, 2017 from Noelle NelsonAccording to the Chinese Zodiac, 2018 is the Year of the Dog. People born during a “Dog” year are said to possess the best traits of human nature, as in honest, friendly, faithful, loyal, smart, straightforward, venerable and having a strong sense of responsibility. Gee, I could have told you ...
Views: 1333 - The Greatest Gift of All: Hope - by Submitted on Dec 03, 2017 from Noelle NelsonIt’s been a rough year for many of us. Our country, as well as many others across the globe, has been ravaged by fierce political and social divides, unprecedented mass violence, and natural disasters from fires to hurricanes with the unfortunate promise of more to come. As the Holidays roll ...
Views: 1495 - The Secret to Successful Resolutions: Have Fun! - by Submitted on Oct 01, 2017 from Noelle NelsonRemember those New Year’s resolutions you made 10 months ago? Chances are that for most part, you: a) don’t remember them b) wish you didn’t remember them c) regret making them d) are feeling guilty about not living up to them. If you are among the blessed few who actually accomplish all their ...
Views: 1224 - I Want It NOW!!! - by Submitted on Sep 01, 2017 from Noelle NelsonWithin every last one of us, there is an inner 3 year old, proclaiming at the top of our lungs: “NOW!!! I want it NOW!!!” Doesn’t matter if it’s weight loss, improvement at the gym, a promotion, a raise, a new job, success with a project, or just getting your child to clean up their room, the ...
Views: 1149 - Making Good Times Out of Bad: the Ken Nwadike Story - by Submitted on Aug 01, 2017 from Noelle NelsonOnce upon a time, there was a man who wanted desperately to run in the 2014 Boston Marathon – as many runners did - for the simple reason that it was the first Boston Marathon after the dreadful 2013 bombing. But the Boston Marathon is different from most marathons, in that you have to qualify ...
Views: 1341 - Do You Know Where Your Intent Is? - by Submitted on Jul 03, 2017 from Noelle NelsonMost of us think of intent as a “kind of” “sort of” thing: you intend to go on vacation, but you really don’t do much about it. Or you intend to go to the market, but some other errand got in the way. Or you intend to ask your boss for a raise, but you got cold feet and chickened out. Which ...
Views: 1317 - Smile Mindfully: it’s Good for Your Health! - by Submitted on Jun 02, 2017 from Noelle NelsonBabies smile - a lot. Beauty queens smile - on cue. Winners smile – most of the time, in between all that jumping and high-fiving. Smiles are a way of expressing our happiness, our joy, our pride, our gratitude. More than that, smiles are a way of connecting, of saying – without words – I’m ...
Views: 1373 - Is Your Anger Under Control Or Are You “Eating Your Heart”? - by Submitted on May 01, 2017 from Noelle NelsonThe ancient Egyptians had a fairly complicated process by which they were allowed - or not – to access what we might now call “Heaven” after their death. Among other things, they were to approach the gods of the Underworld with a series of negative affirmations: a recitation of all those things ...
Views: 1216 - The Great Kindness Challenge: What’s Yours? - by Submitted on Mar 30, 2017 from Noelle NelsonDriving down Pacific Coast Highway the other day, I was surprised to see that the large light-board sign plunked in the median strip near a major cross-street read, “Don’t text and drive.” For the past many years, that sign read, “Don’t drink and drive.” Apparently texting has replaced drinking ...
Views: 1144 - The Follow-Through Challenge: Caesar and Nine-Year-Old Jahkil - by Submitted on Mar 01, 2017 from Noelle NelsonCaesar, not as in “Caesar’s Palace” in Las Vegas, but Caesar, as in Julius Caesar, the man, was truly an amazing individual. If he were alive today, I sincerely believe he’d be the most successful man on the planet, for one simple reason: the dude had incredible follow-through. Whatever he ...
Views: 1420 - The Valentine’s Day Gift That Keeps On Giving: What’s Right With Your World? - by Submitted on Jan 30, 2017 from Noelle NelsonSo much of our time is spent fixing problems: problems at work, issues with our loved ones, concerns with our health, our weight, our finances. You name it, 90% of our waking hours (and so many of our sleeping ones as well) are spent in having yet another problem brought to our attention, with ...
Views: 1321 - A Heartfelt New Year’s Resolution: Show You Care! - by Submitted on Dec 29, 2016 from Noelle NelsonI heard the sirens behind me before I saw the flashing lights of an ambulance, followed closely by a fire truck. Like everyone else on the roadway, I looked around trying to figure out where the ambulance was heading, and as soon as I saw the lights, eased my car over to the right side of the ...
Views: 1442 - The Ultimate Holiday Gift That Truly Keeps On Giving - by Submitted on Dec 01, 2016 from Noelle NelsonThe airport was crowded, noisy, chaotic. Nothing unusual about that. I was waiting, properly queued up, to board my flight. To my right was a line of nine wheelchair-bound folk also waiting patiently. All but one, who was waiting not so patiently. She was sixth in the line of pre-boarding ...
Views: 1064 - Ride the Wave: Hawaii 5-0’s Surprising Lesson in Thankfulness - by Submitted on Oct 31, 2016 from Noelle NelsonJust the other night, I was watching one of my favorite TV shows, “Hawaii 5-0,” where one of the main characters featured in that night’s episode was a young woman, a veteran, who’d served in Afghanistan, during which time she’d lost both legs. The show was forthright in its brief portrayal of ...
Views: 1200 - How to Tame the Stress Monster - by Submitted on Oct 02, 2016 from Noelle NelsonYou bury your head in your hands. You’d really like to run screaming from your cubicle, but for one, that would get you instantly fired, for two, your shoes are definitely not made for running. But the stress! Not only does your job stress you out, but there’s your family, friends, chores, ...
Views: 1900 - Messages of Hope: Penguins, Blankets and Smiles - by Submitted on Aug 31, 2016 from Noelle NelsonWith all the shootings, wars, and violence in the world, not to mention the heat of the our current political environment, it’s easy to lose sight of the good. Yet good there is, always. Good people striving to make the world a better place regardless of the turmoil of the moment. Two ...
Views: 1252 - Be the Master of Your Universe—Without Bloodshed - by Submitted on Jul 29, 2016 from Noelle NelsonSummer blockbusters are full of Masters of the Universe—Superheroes/heroines, Emperors and Kings—in righteous battle. And, when someone storms your castle – be that of your thoughts, your actions, your behavior—don’t you defend it with all your might? “You’re wrong!” “You messed up, not me!” “I ...
Views: 1394 - Want to Stay Young? Get Busy! - by Submitted on Jul 14, 2016 from Noelle NelsonI’m endlessly fascinated by children in airports. As I sit, waiting patiently (sort of) at the gate for my flight, I watch children – in particular the 3 to 5 year olds – run, stumble, and climb over, through, and around anything stationary: people, suitcases, seats, recycling bins. They won’t ...
Views: 1509 - Live a Simply Fabulous Life—Whatever Your Decade! - by Submitted on Jun 30, 2016 from Noelle NelsonThe recent “Longevity Issue” of Time Magazine held great promise—an entire issue devoted to the joy of longevity, how great! Then I read the very first article title on the cover: “The Alzheimer’s Pill: A radical new drug that could change old age.” My heart sank. My excitement vanished. Once ...
Views: 1466 - Victim to Victor: An Amazing “Steam Punk” Shift in Focus - by Submitted on Jun 02, 2016 from Noelle NelsonThe other day, a good friend of mine gave a talk in which he described how he overcame his addiction to alcohol, and it basically came down to this: he decided he had a choice. To ease the pain of life by drinking, or to choose happiness. To stop looking at everything that didn’t work in his ...
Views: 1230 - Morley Safer’s Last Great Amazing Gift To Us - by Submitted on May 24, 2016 from Noelle NelsonWe all have an expiration date, and for his fans, friends and family, no doubt Morley Safer’s came too soon. But here’s the thing, with how he lived his life, working at CBS’ “60 Minutes” up until announcing his retirement one week before his passing at 84, Morley gave us one last great ...
Views: 1181 - Commit Non-Random Acts of Kindness and Watch Your Happiness Grow - by Submitted on May 11, 2016 from Noelle NelsonTraveling through Burma (aka Myanmar) recently--a fascinating country, known as “The Golden Land” because of the tens of thousands of pagodas gleaming with gold-leaf covered spires—I learned about the different ways Buddhism is practiced there. Oh, the essential aspects of Burmese Buddhism are ...
Views: 1415 - The “Good Dog” Approach to Self-Improvement - by Submitted on May 02, 2016 from Noelle NelsonEver watch a skilled dog trainer work with a puppy? The trainer never ever punishes the sweet beastie for not sitting on the “sit” command, but rather rewards the dog with praise and treats the instant his furry butt hits the ground. The dog—smart pooch—gets the idea real fast, and proceeds to ...
Views: 1202 - When You Look In The Mirror, What Do You See? - by Submitted on Mar 30, 2016 from Noelle NelsonWhen you look in the mirror, what do you see? That you’re too short, too tall, too fat, too skinny? That you somehow grew a pimple overnight, or a new set of crows feet, or maybe it’s time to go shaved-head considering that ever-expanding bald spot? Or do you see your wonderful smile, the ...
Views: 1433 - Your Heart Got Hijacked? Take It Back - by Submitted on Mar 24, 2016 from Noelle NelsonWhen a man got the “Dear John” treatment from his girlfriend recently, his Fitbit tracked his heartbreak, a dramatic and oh-so-21st century snapshot of what happens to your physical heart when your emotional heart gets trashed. Indeed, not only do your emotions suffer when you get bad news, ...
Views: 1320 - HALT: A Masterful Technique for Working with Yourself and Others - by Submitted on Feb 29, 2016 from Noelle NelsonMy German Shepherd-mix rescue pup, Baer, is a great dog. He’s all legs and energy, so sometimes I think of him as Fred Astaire, and sometimes more as the Energizer Bunny on steroids. Especially near mealtimes. I feed my dogs twice a day, and I’m convinced they have clocks in their stomachs, ...
Views: 1534 - Discover the New Face of Longevity: Unlock Level 12.0 - by Submitted on Feb 25, 2016 from Noelle NelsonYou know that rush you get when you’ve achieved the next level in “Clash of Clans,” or unlocked a new level by playing a mystery quest in “Candy Crush”? You strut, you tweet, you pat yourself vigorously on the back, you make sure everybody knows your new status in Clan or Crush life, and off you ...
Views: 1345 - The Best Valentine’s Gift Ever: “I Don’t Care”! - by Submitted on Jan 29, 2016 from Noelle NelsonNo, not “I don’t care about you” – that would be awful! Just “I don’t care.” By itself. As in “I don’t care that you left your socks on the floor.” “I don’t care that you over/under-tipped the server.” “I don’t care that you were five minutes late.” Because here’s the thing: nothing kills ...
Views: 1809 - Don’t Settle: Get Inspired With New Year’s Resolutions for What You Really Want! - by Submitted on Dec 31, 2015 from Noelle NelsonAtlanta’s Homeward Choir, a group of 26 homeless men from Atlanta’s Central Night Shelter, was invited to sing at the White House in December of 2015. When the group got the invitation--and how that came about is a wonderful story --among the many questions the choir members asked of their ...
Views: 1432 - The Holidays: “It’s a Wonderful Life.” Really? - by Submitted on Dec 04, 2015 from Noelle NelsonThe Holidays! You’ve made your list and you’re checking it twice. Let’s see: not enough money in the budget to get the kids what they really want. Not enough for a quick two day get-away for you and your S.O., given the cost of transportation, accommodations, and a sitter who will put up for ...
Views: 1373 - Thanksgiving 2.0: Be Grateful For Everything That Goes Right! - by Submitted on Nov 01, 2015 from Noelle NelsonHow often do you stop to catch yourself in the act of doing something right? Or anybody else for that matter . . . As opposed to dinging yourself for every single mistake you make, every flaw you find on your face, in your character, your clothes, your finances, your relationship, your ...
Views: 1315 - Enrich Your Life: Befriend an Extrovert if You’re an Introvert, or an Introvert if You’re an Extrovert - by Submitted on Sep 30, 2015 from Noelle NelsonI went to the movies recently with a friend. It was billed as an action comedy and I was looking forward to some good laughs. What I hadn’t realized is that the movie was 90% action and 10% comedy. Oh, the comedy was great! We’re talking LOL rolling in the aisles funny--and the action was just ...
Views: 1407 - Get Out of My Head! - by Submitted on Sep 02, 2015 from Noelle NelsonYou want to know what’s the single biggest obstacle in the way of your doing pretty much anything? It’s not your boss, your mate, the economy, your kids, your mother, or whatever else is your “why-I-can’t-be/do/have it” mantra, it’s that thing you keep repeating to yourself over and ...
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