In Walden, Henry David Thoreau wrote, “The mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation.” The workforce is filled with people who dedicate their entire life to a job they can’t stand, or at least feel nothing less than apathy about their chosen path. They earnestly hope the weekend will arrive quickly and look forward to those two short days in which to escape their work and enjoy their “real” life.
These same wage earners can’t wait to retire. If you ask...
Remember when you were a kid and you were afraid there were monsters in your room? You hid under the covers, not moving a muscle, holding your breath, and tuned in to every sound, absolutely panicked they’d discover you.
Waiting to be exposed, to be found out, is exhausting. It paralyzes us, holds us back, and prevents us from reaching our highest potential.
It can even derail our career.
Recently I had the honor of speaking at DisruptHR in San Diego. A global phenomenon...
What is Authenticity?
In my work as a business and success psychologist, I help many business builders and entrepreneurs overcome fear and advance their careers. I’ve discovered they all share a single, defining characteristic that became a turning point in their success.
Once they embraced their natural gifts and true identity, their businesses took off.
For some, this meant they came to terms with long-lost passions and decided pursuing them was more fulfilling than playing...
Early in my professional speaking career, I was hired to keynote a group of about 300 small business owners at a networking conference.
At the time, this was the largest group I had spoken to and, as you might imagine, my stomach got tight just thinking about it.
“Will I be good enough?” and “I hope I survive” were the first two thoughts I had.
Until I realized I was about to sabotage the very success I wanted to achieve!
We all have unique gifts and talents. We’re really good at some things and, well, not so good at others.
For instance, I will never be an opera singer, a Dallas Cowboys cheerleader, or an engineer. Those just aren’t my strengths.
I spent a year and a half majoring in electrical engineering before I finally threw in the towel and recognized my strengths weren’t there.
I had a successful 20-year...
The elevator doors opened onto the lobby of this remarkable hotel we were staying at in Milan, Italy.
We had just checked in and, while we were up in our room marveling at the stained glass windows and centuries-old furniture, several of the other guests in our tour had marched back down to the lobby to complain to the front desk clerk.
The hotel was originally built as a castle in the 12th century, then used as a monastery for several thousand years.
We were in awe of the history and charm,...
I was traveling with a tour group in Italy a number of years ago. When we arrived, one of the couples was missing their luggage.
You would have thought the world had fallen apart.
They chewed out the tour guide (who was a native of the city and had just met our group) and complained loudly for two and half days.
On the third day, we were sitting with another couple for dinner when we discovered their luggage had also been lost. Up until that very minute, no one else in our party...
Denis Waitley said, “Happy people plan actions, they don’t plan results.” You almost have to read that quote twice to understand his message.
There is a psychological test, originally developed by Dr. Julian Rotter, called the “Locus of Control” that essentially determines where an individual places the power to control events in their lives and determine the desired outcome.
They perceive...
How to change the way people treat you.
Boundaries are our invisible “property lines.” They help define who we are, establish what we’re willing to tolerate and protect us from the unacceptable behavior of other people.
It’s up to you to communicate your boundaries to others. The goal isn’t necessarily to get others to change their behavior all the time.
It is to get others to change their unacceptable behavior when they are around you.
For instance,...
Successful women share a single, defining characteristic that, once embraced, usually define a turning point in their success.
Once they embrace their natural gifts and revel in their true identity, their success takes off.
For some, this means they have to come to terms with long-lost passions and decide that pursuing them is more fulfilling than playing it safe.
Some will have to untangle tightly-woven relationships and let go of people they've collected over the years - people...
Dr. Ann Vertel
Self-Leadership Expert. Success Psychologist. High-Performance Consultant. 20-Year Naval Officer.
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3 Things Keeping You From Earning What You're Worth