Many professionals are drawn by the lure of travel, imagining jet-setting around the world with designer luggage and seeing all the world’s greatest monuments. The reality is quite different.

Travel is grueling. It is hard on your mind and body primarily because it disrupts your biological clock.

Your work environment has a tremendous impact on your ability to focus. Understanding the neuroscience of focus can be incredibly valuable for remote workers or a solopreneur running their own business. Focus is essential for productivity, decision-making, and achieving your business goals. So how can you unleash optimal focus?

The mind is a powerhouse. So why does it feel like your brain has taken a sabbatical?

Your amazing brain is made of approximately “100 billion microscopic cells called neurons—so many it would take you over 3,000 years to count them all. Whenever you dream, laugh, think, see, or move, it's because tiny chemical and electrical signals are racing between these neurons along billions of tiny neuron highways.”

In the week following International Dog Day, I have been reflecting on our interaction with the world outside ourselves. Emotional intelligence is a key factor in professional and personal success, but I am not sure we give our pets credit for the role they play in our mental and social health.

Have you ever wondered why so many people have a fascination with the apocalypse?

I believe our real concern lies in whether we are mature enough to save ourselves from ourselves.

When faced with an interesting question, like most modern humans, I decided to Google it. I got over 14 million results. Humankind is literally obsessed with the end of the world. Being forever curious, I delved deeper into this phenomenon.

In our complex world, nothing is uncomplicated.

To-do lists are a godsend in a sea of overwhelming tasks. We all prioritize differently but often the most important things take a back seat to the squeaky wheel issues of the day.

I wanted to share a big life lesson intended to remind you not to neglect your foundational life and death TO-DOs. Your family's well-being and even your dog's may depend on it.

Most of us use the term “dreams” to describe something we aspire to. 

Scientists refer to dreams as a succession of images, thoughts, or emotions passing through the mind during sleep. 

This seemingly absurd contradiction isn’t as far-fetched as it may sound.  Dreams are instrumental in integrating our experiences, thoughts, and memories and may have more potential to open our minds to possibilities and epiphanies.  

Activity boosts your brain power and music activates almost the entire brain.

Feeling the wind dance through Red Rocks Amphitheater while listening to Alison Krauss scale the siren chorus of Fortune Teller was an experience that went deep into the soul. That may sound like wacky woo woo fluff, but research consistently finds cognitive benefits from interacting with nature and the arts, including music. The compound effect of both together has drawn crowds for over 90 years to see legendary musicians of all genres.

Why is music so good for the brain?

Mind melds are not science fiction but fact! Powerful leaders use it well.

We love the stories of John Wooden, Melinda French Gates, Martin Luther King, and Malala Yousafzai to mention a few. Their lives are studied and movies are made trying to understand the secrets behind these powerful influencers. There is always a resonance between the leader and those who follow them. Modern research has found a new way to study resonance in social groups.

The synchrony of brain waves during social interaction was initially studied in social animal groups like bats and mice, at the University of California, Berkeley, UCLA, and Harvard.

The findings were fascinating.

I found this on a sticky note today. Regardless of what fear I have I will keep moving, adjust, and find joy in my present moments. I have been through hellacious storms of betrayal, manipulation, and stood as a palm in it all. Most of the time. When I became too rigid, I broke.

Strength is not rigidity, it is flexibility and holding fast and tall in the highest winds.

Humans are social beings and it turns out that when people talk or share an experience, their brain waves synchronize. The resonance between “like minds” is becoming a fascinating field of research.

That is not to say that we are all part of the “matrix” or “borg” that cannot have independence of thought, but rather we operate like dancers moving together in matching patterns. The result of building this kind of resonance is likely the “magic” we feel when participating in a think tank, collective brainstorming, or collaborating to create a novel approach to a situation.

The more we understand about this phenomenon, the more likely we are to learn ways to enhance collaborative efforts.

Travel is a powerful teacher. Seeing the world from different perspectives is endlessly instructive and wisdom can be found in unlikely places. Whether from the retired fire chief from Kentucky or the young French Canadian with an adorable Pyrenees puppy, talking to people pursuing their wanderlust always brings fresh eyes to my world. Recognizing that travel fosters characteristics that are optimal for thriving in the 21st century, allows me to embrace it unapologetically without guilt. The top skills fostered by travel include courage, creativity, adaptability, agile attitudes, and a growth mindset.

Successful economies in our country are fostered by businesses that invest in native communities rather than its historic pattern of exploitation. Devastated by the rapid exit of sugar plantations in the late nineties, this community on the Big Island of Hawaii is rebuilding its community by fostering equity and education, one student at a time.

Ethical business practices that honor DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) require a far different approach than simply pursuing the cheapest labor force. Investments can take shape in a myriad of ways, but begin with listening.

Balance? You are kidding me, right? Between the demands of career, kids, and aging parents, who in their right mind can achieve balance? You can.

How do I know? I have been a single mom, a single child, and a solopreneur through many of the storms life can throw at you. There have been some very low patches, usually because of sacrificing my own health and peace of mind to make it all happen. I was the one and only lighthouse in everyone’s storm, and took the brunt of the vicious power of the surges that struck. I leaned into every single one. Until I couldn’t…

Think back to high school and the inevitable labels that follow students around. Geeks and nerds like Steve Erkle from the hit show Family Matters inevitably were perceived as having high IQ and low EQ, while the socially popular kids were high EQ and sometimes low IQ.

Emotional intelligence (EI) refers to the ability to perceive, control, and evaluate emotions. Some researchers suggest that emotional intelligence can be learned and strengthened, while others claim it's an inborn characteristic.

Humans are inherently emotional beings, which differentiates us from AI (artificial intelligence). Awareness and control of emotion is where the intelligence quotient comes in. If you can recognize an emotion and manage those feelings, that is emotional intelligence. If you can read or sense the emotions of others and respond effectively, that is also emotional intelligence.

Are you a master of being “OK”?

Rather than wearing the traditional “brave face" I encourage authentic reflection and conversation in honor of mental health month. To thrive in the 21st century requires an agile mind and a hefty amount of emotional courage.

“Courage is not an absence of steps, it is fear walking.”

Majesty and a sense of awe draw us to waterfalls, beaches, and mountains.  The sounds of cascading water are therapeutic and the sight inspires artists and writers.  While water in motion is a powerful symbol for renewal, it is also a source of wellness for the mind, a resource worth protecting.

Swimming underneath a waterfall this last week reminded me of research on the cognitive benefits of immersion in nature.  Holding facts in your  memory while solving a problem (working memory), flexibility of thinking, and the ability to stay focused all improve after exposure to nature. 

Earth Day is approaching and this year’s theme is “Invest in our Planet.” Whether you are a native city-dweller, an open-spaces seeking tree-hugger, or one of us that lives in between, there is scientific evidence that immersing ourselves in nature has cognitive benefits. Investing in a sustainable planet is then an investment in our mental performance.

"If we surrendered to earth's intelligence we could rise up rooted, like trees. Rainer Maria Rilke

Our family celebrated Easter, Hawaiian style, across three generations. I always love these gatherings, and recently found more data on the physical benefits. Putting your loved ones first extends your lifespan. Discovered in unusually healthy global communities called Blue Zones, this mindset is credited with fostering longevity past 100 years of age. In the 5 places around the world where people consistently live over 100 years old, you will find centenarians 10 times more frequently than in the United States.

Effective leadership requires a thorough understanding of human behavior, especially our own. Recognizing the unconscious and ancient drivers of the mind is foundational, which impacts every level of leadership from CEO to parenting. While human behavior is complex, the ancient brain has some very simple rules. “ Status is a significant driver of behavior at work and across life experiences.” - David Rock, author of Your Brain at Work

Ancient brain rule: The brain reacts strongly to threats, perceived or real.

Relevant triggers: A sense of status going down activates your threat circuitry. A sense of status going up activates the reward circuit.

Your ancient brain instinctually drives human behavior according to the level of threat it perceives. The reverse is also true. Reward circuits in the brain are activated when a sense of status goes up. Taking employees for granted is neglecting a powerful motivator and degrades loyalty.

So how does this play out in an everyday scenario?