All Posts By

Sarah Hodges

Triggered? Find Power in the Pause.

Finding Your Power

Written By Sarah Hodges Triggered? You know the feeling of being triggered. Someone cuts you off in traffic, and profanities flow from your mouth like a drunken sailor as you erratically zoom around him and flip him “the bird”. Your boss sends an accusatory email after work, and you can feel your face turn green as you morph into the Incredible Hulk and draft a seething reply. Your printer runs out of ink just minutes before a big meeting, and your foot quickly puts a dent in the side of[...]

Do You Really Know Yourself?

Knowing Yourself

Written By Sarah Hodges Do You Know Yourself? You are your most important companion, and knowing yourself is essential to success. But, how well do you really know yourself? I’m not talking about your habits, tendencies, and preferences. I mean, how well do you know yourself the way you know your closest companions? –The way you can feel your best friend’s anxiety the moment he picks up the phone, or sense that your brother has something mischievous planned by the indescribable expression[...]

Ghosts of Your Past – How to Stop the Haunt

Stopping the Haunt

Written By Sarah Hodges The Ghosts in your Mind Remember when you were a child, and you asked your mom to keep the lights on when you went to bed at night? Even though your mom assured you that ghosts and monsters were not real, you didn’t buy it. So, your mom left your door open a crack or turned on your nightlight to stop the haunt. If she didn’t, she knew that you’d probably have an inevitable meltdown. As an adult, you now know that the ghosts were all in your head. Perhaps you even t[...]

Peer Pressure – It Didn’t End in High School

Peer Pressure

Written By Sarah Hodges Peer Pressure DNA Peer pressure didn’t end in high school. We like to think of ourselves as evolved individuals who have grown up. The truth is that when it comes to peer pressure, we’ve barely evolved since we were cavemen. It’s in our DNA. We are a social species subject to social evaluative threat. This is the threat we feel when we’re losing our social status among our peer group. In early hunter and gatherer days, this made a lot of sense. If you were a liab[...]

Attached to Expectations – A Recipe for Stress

Attached to Expectations

Written By Sarah Hodges Attached to Expectations Did you ever watch “The Office?”  Remember the time when Michael Scott, the eccentric manager played by Steve Carell, was so insistent on following his GPS that he drove his car right into a lake?  I still laugh to myself as I think of that scene.  Michael Scott had an expectation that his GPS was going to take him right to his destination, and he was so attached to that expectation that deviating from the map was incomprehensi[...]

How to Kill your Inner A-hole in 3 Easy Steps

Killing Your Inner A-Hole

Written By Sarah Hodges Meet your Inner A-hole Everyone has an inner a-hole walking around with them through life.  Imagine this: It’s just another day, and you’re going about your business at work. Maybe you’re even feeling a little extra confident! …When suddenly, out of nowhere, your inner a-hole shows up. “You’re such an idiot. You’re never going to get that promotion.”  â€” Within moments, you feel tense and insecure. Your inner a-hole has you[...]

The Secret Safety of Self-Sabotage

Safety of Self-Sabotage

Written By Sarah Hodges The real reason you’re not achieving your goals… There is a secret safety in self-sabotage. No matter how badly you desire to achieve your goals, reaching them might be subconsciously scarier than staying stuck. Developing new habits and transforming your life is not only difficult, but it requires a certain amount of comfort with uncertainty. For example, what would life be like if you left your job and started your own business? How would life be different if you r[...]

The Inner Critic

The Inner Critic

Written By Sarah Hodges The Audience Do you ever feel like you’re walking through life with an imaginary audience? Are you ever wondering what this audience is thinking about you?   What kinds of thoughts do you imagine them thinking about you? Fish Bowl I remember the days when I was obese.  I didn’t want to leave my apartment because I didn’t like people looking at me.  I didn’t like being stared at as I walked down the street.  I actually really wanted to go for[...]

The Daily Feel-Good List

Daily Feel-Good List

Written By Sarah Hodges What is “Feeling Good” for you? Imagine a normal day in your life when you feel really good.   Imagine a normal day in your life when you feel like your best self. What are you doing?  How are you caring for yourself?  Are you taking out moments for fun or introspection? Do you have habits you’re proud of? Feel-Good Pattern A few months ago I noticed a pattern: on days when I felt like I was thriving and balanced, I engaged in certain tasks and acti[...]

Resiliency

Resiliency

Written By Sarah Hodges The Mud Puddle Resiliency is the ability to continue on our life’s journey while easily navigating the twists, turns, and obstacles in our path. It’s the ability to respond to situations in a way that promotes growth, well-being, and a deeper understanding of ourselves. I often think of resiliency as the ability to wade through the mud puddles of life. These mud puddles can manifest themselves as a multitude of negative experiences, emotions, or stress. Whether we’[...]