Ever feel like quitting? Here’s a perspective.

Posted in Hope, Managing Emotions


Do you ever feel like you’re drowning?  Like however fast you paddle, you’re not making…


wendy keller motivational speakerDo you ever feel like you’re drowning?  Like however fast you paddle, you’re not making any progress?

Me too.

I’m going on vacation to London next week and whenever I go there, I offer a seminar to non-US resident writers to help them find out how to get their books published.  I have a truly astonishing track record helping authors get publishing contracts after learning from me.

So I prepared a website page to promote the event.  It took three days of fussing. I put my heart and soul into it and invested a lot of money in marketing it…but got extremely poor results.

I’m not sure why, but this sent me into a tailspin.  I questioned my ability to write a website page that accurately describes how I can be of true service to emerging nonfiction authors.  (Remember, that is what I do for a living!)  Maybe my technical skills were imaginary.  Maybe the Universe “has it in for me.”  After weeks of making sure that thousands of people saw that webpage, I shut it down. I tripped into a mini-depression.  I was questioning my fundamental belief about my own skills.

I’m still going to London – I’m grateful for that – but I was sad because now I won’t get the chance to help people achieve their dreams.

Have YOU ever felt like everything you do is wrong? Continue reading →

Are You Brave Enough to Ask?

Posted in Managing Emotions


How One Dumb Question Can Totally Change Your Relationship with Anyone [dropcap]S[/dropcap]ometimes, people say just…


wendy keller motivational speakerHow One Dumb Question Can Totally Change Your Relationship with Anyone

[dropcap]S[/dropcap]ometimes, people say just the dumpest things, don’t they?  They hurt our feelings, insult our intelligence, wound our dignity, poke at our frailties and a whole bunch of other bad things.

So here’s a question: Are you brave enough to ask?

Are you brave enough to ask the person what they meant by what they said?  How they wanted you to take it?  If what you think they meant is what they meant?

It’s hard to do. In fact, the closer the relationship, the more challenging it is.  But finding the courage to do it, well, that can change your whole life.

 

Continue reading →

How You Live Your Life – A Chicken Soup Lesson

Posted in Depression, Managing Emotions


I’m at the end of a bad cold today, so I decided to drag myself…


Wendy Keller Speaker Author

I’m at the end of a bad cold today, so I decided to drag myself to a local deli for some chicken soup.  There were four busy people behind the counter and more than a dozen massed in front of it when I arrived.

I merged into the swarm, standing behind some young guy, seconds after some petite brunette middle-aged woman rushed to beat me to the spot.  Not a big deal.

About 20 seconds later, she turned and said to me, “I’m behind him,  you know. I’m after him.”  I smiled at her calmly and said, “Yes, I know.”

She seemed agitated.

When they finally got to the young guy ahead of us, he asked for the broccoli with garlic.  The counter girl began to put some in a box for him.  The brunette spoke up: “Hey! Hey!  Don’t give him all the garlic!  Continue reading →

How to Get Out of Bad Mood

Posted in Depression, Managing Emotions


What to Do When Life Socks You I went to bed late last night with…


What to Do When Life Socks You

sock fairy

I went to bed late last night with a problem on my mind.  It was still haunting me when I woke up this morning.  Does this ever happen to you?  Do you ever feel like a big dark cloud is following you from minute to minute?

Before I could get out of the house, I got an urgent call from a friend who is going through a big problem. I listened and tried to be supportive, but I really didn’t have a lot of extra positive energy yet and I didn’t want to be on that call.

Finally, I sat down at my desk, prepared to dive into a big work project that simply must be done today.  As soon as I got started, I noticed my focus is off.  I am doing it, but not with the creativity and dedication I expect from myself.  That’s when it hit me: I’m in a bad mood.  (OK, sometimes I’m a little slow to pay attention to my emotions!)

I remembered something I read about choices.  I could give in to my bad mood and hope it will pass on its own, thus sacrificing whatever portion of my day/week/life it will occupy; or I can look it in the eye and hopefully scare it away.

I decided on the latter option.  Like the monsters who lived under many of our beds when we were kids (mine was an alligator!), when we turn on the light, the monster magically disappears.  I know this, but gosh! It’s hard to do when you’re scared.

To “turn on the light” on a ferocious, scary problem, there are 5 steps brave grown-ups can take. Continue reading →

What to Do If You HATE Your Job

Posted in Financial Challenges, Hope


Only Real Actions Can Create Real Results by Wendy Keller, American income taxpayer Hate your…


unhappy working womanOnly Real Actions Can Create Real Results

by Wendy Keller, American income taxpayer

Hate your job?  Your boss?  Your co-workers?  Imagine that you continue working at your current job for another six months…or six years. ..or the rest of your career.

How’s that going to make you feel? 

Have you considered what price you’ll pay physically, mentally, even financially, if you don’t take action to improve your work life? 

If you’re spending 40 hours (or more) per week around people you dislike or doing something that bores, annoys or overwhelms you, you have to stop and ask one big question:  Why? Continue reading →