SigmaU Blog

The Power of the Mind

I’ve recently been studying the teachings of Andrew Carnegie and Earl Nightingale, the god fathers of personal development.

One message has resonated loud and clear and that is the power of our minds.  Our minds are all consuming so what we feed it and what we allow it to say to us is of utmost importance.  Nightingale often references that we “literally become what we think about.” Both thought leaders share the importance of directing our mind in a way that serves us since our minds guide our lives.

Look for the Good

Yes, there is so much negativity, turmoil and evil in the world however there is also an abundance of good! Just look at the spring weather, see the changes and the wonder that is taking place this month. Consider your health, you woke up today when so many didn’t. We can have our minds focused on surveying the horizon for all the good or we can look for the bad.  Both with change the lens through which we...

Your values will determine what you chase, what you release and who you invest your time with.

Life is complicated to say the least and our core values ground us. What are our core values? They are the fundamental beliefs we have about life, about ourselves and about the things that matter most.  They whisper to us when we do something that feels “off” or nudges us when someone doesn’t feel aligned with us.

Each one of us has values that drive our daily decisions, major life choices and relationships. When we’re living in congruence with those values, life feels a little easier and focused.  When we get off course, life can feel clunky or, worse, we have a deep sense of anxiety, shame, or regret.

For many, they’re unsure what their core values are. They know what their family unit values were, what their company values are but what about their own personal values?

How do we determine our core values? We could start by asking questions...

I had the honour of being coached by one of my coaching clients today! At Sigma Promotions we hold Feel Good Friday Zoom calls over the lunch hour. We talk about all things positive and personal development concepts. This week, I passed the torch to Lindsay, and she blew me away!

Here are some of the key AHA moments that I took away…

Try something new!

We all crave a sense of novelty.  Fill your cup by treating yourself to something new. This could be a new restaurant, food, new hobby or simply a new meditation technique that will inject a little fun into your world.

Watch your self-talk

Lindsay shared the importance of being kind to yourself. As a recovering “meanie” to myself for years, I appreciated this point. She recommended that we become aware of those negative looping things we say to ourselves and to break the pattern with a cool idea. Lindsay shared how she started leaving herself sticky notes around the house and at work. These positive and...

As I was preparing for a group coaching session on the topic of Courage, I had a massive aha moment! This often happens when I’m preparing for workshops and sessions. The very thing I’m preparing for is often the message I need to hear.

During our session on courage, we’ll be talking about why we don't pursue our dreams or chase our goals to our maximum ability. Sometimes we hold back or even self sabotage. Why is that?

In High Performance Coaching™, we know that there are three reasons that hold us back from chasing after our goals and our dreams and having that courage to persist or pursue through something you’re currently facing.

Loss Pain

Loss pain is that sense of fear that stops us because we tell ourselves that by changing, we're going to lose something. We get in our heads and think we’ll lose something important to us. As I journaled about my specific dream, something funny happened. When I wrote down my...

How do you stay positive when the odds are against you? Perhaps positive isn’t even the right word! How do you actually keep going and taking action when you continuously get punched in the face?

We’ve all faced this sense of frustration, false starts, and defeat. The difference between the mediocre and the most successful individuals isn’t talent, it’s grit. It’s that courage to get back up again, no matter what, and preserve.

While this all sounds great, you may be thinking, HOW do I develop grit?

Do Hard Things

Get outside of your comfort zone and stretch your goals. The simplest way to do this is to level up on your physical fitness. Few things have had as much of an impact on my overall life as fitness. During 2021 I enrolled in the 75Hard.com program and it changed my life! I dealt with family issues including suddenly losing my dad, friendship struggles and the continued pressures of the lockdown that severely impacted small...

My coach, Paul, served as a US Mustang Marine in Afghanistan in 2013 and he often weaves valuable insights from his training and service into our coaching sessions.

One thing we discussed recently was reacting when we’re “triggered” and how to slow things downs so that you take aligned courageous action.

In the past, I would say I’m your poster child of a trigger happy individual. I typically ask forgiveness and rarely request permission so slowing things down to pause when I’m upset is still definitely an area of growth for me.

As I was reflecting on my most recent session with Paul, I came up with the following checklist to ensure that I PAUSE before pouncing!

P – Perspective

Am I looking at different perspectives or am I only exposing myself to one narrative? This can be incredibly challenging, especially when we’re passionate about a topic, but it’s critical. We need to look at issues and challenges from others’ points of...

Sometimes life runs so smoothly; relationships are flourishing, business is booming and you’re unstoppable! Then there are times when you feel like you’re constantly being kicked down by life’s circumstances. If that’s you, I want to share with you three ways to beat defeat!

1. Remind yourself of everything that you've done before
2. Seek out support from others who won't be soft on you, but will remind you of your greatness
3. Take action! Grant Cardone uses an amazing expression. He says that action gives fear and doubt the middle finger and I couldn't agree more.

The first thing that you need to do is remember your greatness. Not in an egotistical or an inflated self-confidence sense but actually going back and reminding yourself of your value. 

• What are some of the amazing things that you have done in your life?
• How have you helped others succeed?
• How is your product or service that much better from the competition?
• What are the statistics that tell you...

As I’ve been working with clients over the past year, I’ve noticed that many have benefitted from doing the work of journaling. I say work because journaling isn’t always a joyful experience. It can be joyful, even liberating, but I can also demand that we look inside of ourselves and go deep into the crevices that we tend to avoid peeking in to.

It Takes Courage

At times writing takes courage. It forces us to slow down and ask ourselves questions that we might otherwise avoid. Questions like “What’s really the issue here?”,  “Why does this person or situation trigger me the way that it does?” or “Why do I feel helpless in this situation and how could I change my perspective so I’m back in control?”

It Shines a Light Inward

One client recently expressed to me that she had a huge epiphany. She was in a dark place and when she sat down to journal one weekend, she realized that by asking the right questions, she was...

Over the last couple of months, I’ve become increasingly aware of my consumption.  When I am more disciplined about my physical, emotional, and spiritual consumption I’m peaceful and productive.  When I lose sight of this awareness, I can easily spiral into negative thinking and experience anxiety.

Outlets are an important part of healthy and balance living.  We have some outlets like exercise which support our growth in a positive way. Working out can also provide a way for us to feel a small sense of control in an unstable world. Other outlets include binge watching Netflix, alcohol, or drugs. Our outlets are ways for us to feel a little calmer, a little happier and perhaps numb our anxiousness. What...

Ralph Waldo Emerson said, “Nobody can bring you peace but yourself.” If that’s the case, the solution must lie in the actions that we take to generate peace. Perhaps we’ve been looking outside for a sense of stability and peace when we had the key to it all along inside of us.

It’s difficult to be at peace and present in our chaotic world. There are limitless distractions that cause us worry and upset and a plethora of reasons to raise our armour and be on the defense. In that state, however, we miss the everyday moments of calm and peace that can be.

I’ve learned that peace comes from being 100% present.

When we’re fully present and in the moment thinking only of the here and now, we’re not living in the past.  We’re not replaying all the wrong things that we said or did. We’re not considering others’ judgements on how they responded to our behaviour. We also aren’t anticipating the future or what we...