Wellbeing Wisdom Tiny Bites Sandy Weaver

Is there someone in your life who always seems to be clashing with others, and maybe even with you? It’s like they live to argue, and only listen to a conversation long enough to find something or someone to correct.

People like that are attention-seekers. They need to be the center of attention, and the way they have found is to contradict whatever’s being said.

When you find yourself in conversation with someone like that, there are two ways to play it. If you have the time and the focus and the sense of humor it will take, play with them and see how long it takes you to get them to trap themselves in a logic box.

Or you could do it the way that respects your time, your boundaries, and your peace: walk away. Don’t argue with someone whose sole purpose is to get and hold your attention. You take yourself and your attention elsewhere – people like that are a waste of time.

Want more? Come and play in the Wagalicious Life Online Community playground! Go to Wagalicious.Life.  #veterinarian #petindustry #agriculture #leader #lawofattraction

Quick – think about the worst teacher you ever had. What was it about that person that made sitting through their class so hard? Now, think about the best teacher you ever had – what made them so great?

Have I told you about Mr. Buhn, my high school physics teacher? Getting into his class was tough – your GPA had to be great and there still was a waiting list each semester. He was popular because he made learning fun, incorporating everyday life into his teaching method. He jokingly referenced the Flat Earth Society once, and a bunch of us got together and bought him a membership. He used their newsletter to spark conversations about whatever aspect of physics we were learning about, and his enthusiasm and humor were contagious.

Think about your favorite teacher – how can you incorporate their sparkle into the way you interact with others? Because here’s the secret – you’re teaching someone something every single day. Live your life like you want to be a great teacher, not a boring one.

Want more? Come and play in the Wagalicious Life Online Community playground! Go to Wagalicious.Life.  #veterinarian #petindustry #agriculture #leader #lawofattraction

What is resilience and how can you create more of it in your life?

Resilience is trust. Trust in your ability to persevere. Trust in your ability to react appropriately. Trust in your ability to choose your next step wisely.

How do you learn to trust yourself? By making mistakes, recognizing the mistakes, and from there, making a better choice.

You can only become resilient through the rough patches in your life, through dealing with the adversity that life inevitably tosses your way, and by giving yourself a pat on the back when you come through the adversity relatively unscathed and with a new little branch of knowledge and wisdom on the growing tree that is you.

Think about a sapling – in its earliest stages, saplings are easily eaten by a deer, which kills the sapling. As it grows, the sapling becomes less soft and flexible and more able to withstand the deer’s teeth. By the time it’s a few years old, the leaves are vulnerable, and the trunk no longer is.

You’re like that sapling – as you grow, you grow stronger and more able to withstand life’s challenges. Trust in the process – you’re gaining resilience every single day.

Want more? Come and play in the Wagalicious Life Online Community playground! Go to Wagalicious.Life.  #veterinarian #petindustry #agriculture #leader #lawofattraction

Do you ever get lost?

I know – it’s tougher than ever to get lost trying to drive somewhere. We have Waze, Google Maps, Siri – so many ways to help us get where we’re going, and yet, now and then those apps fail. How do you feel when you’re lost? Panicked? Frantic? Irritated? Angry?

Can you make yourself laugh in that moment? Because if you can, you’ll put your brain in the mental space it needs to be in order to problem-solve for you.

When we’re in panic mode, or are scared, irritated, or angry, flight or fight is in charge inside your skull, and that process is overkill when you’re looking for a street name. Making yourself laugh triggers the creative, problem-solving parts of your brain.

When I’m feeling lost, I remind myself that I’m not truly lost unless I accidentally cross a state line. Ok, so yes…I did do that once, and it made me laugh even harder. And I was back on the right track less than two minutes later.

You will be, too – remember to laugh instead of feeling lost. It’ll get you where you’re going and you’ll be better company when you get there.

Want more? Come and play in the Wagalicious Life Online Community playground! Go to Wagalicious.Life.  #veterinarian #petindustry #agriculture #leader #lawofattraction

Do you cry easily? Some people do, and that’s OK.

Do you hate to cry, especially in front of others? Some people, me included, do, and that’s OK, too.

The focus of my work with people and teams is to help people shift gears in life on purpose, creating a more harmonious, calm, successful, happy life. Banishing negative emotions and teary episodes isn’t the way to do that.

If you need to cry, cry.

Don’t beat yourself up for crying – it’s a sign that you’re alive and human, not a sign of weakness of character. Crying releases stress hormones, in addition to making our eyes and noses red, so it’s good for us when we let those tears flow.

And if you feel like others will look down on you for crying, next time, don’t run away to cry. Hugs are an important component in community, so if you’re with someone you spend a lot of time with, whether they’re co-workers, friends, or family members, know that someone will probably move to comfort you. Let them.

We all need a good cry and a good hug now and then.

Want more? Come and play in the Wagalicious Life Online Community playground! Go to Wagalicious.Life.  #veterinarian #petindustry #agriculture #leader #lawofattraction

One of my favorite famous-person quotes is from the late Norman Cousins: “The tragedy of life is not death, but what we let die inside of us while we live.”

Norman Cousins was an American journalist and author who went on to become an adjunct professor at the University of California Los Angeles in the Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences.

His research focus was the connection between attitude and health – he pioneered the idea that laughter truly is the best medicine, and tested it on himself when he was diagnosed with heart disease and a debilitating connective tissue disease his doctors predicted would kill him quickly.

Twenty-six years and countless laughs later, he did what we all will do – moved on to whatever is next. He lived the quote in this Tiny Bite, and it’s a good reminder for us all – the tragedy of life isn’t death, but in letting our dreams and sense of fun die inside us while we’re alive.

Want more? Come and play in the Wagalicious Life Online Community playground! Go to Wagalicious.Life.  #veterinarian #petindustry #agriculture #leader #lawofattraction