The words you choose when you talk about yourself help to shape the person you become and the emotions you experience. In this week’s podcast from A Decided Difference, LouAnn Clark offers suggestions for solving specific problems by using specific language.
Sep 07, 2020•13 min
I am pleased to announce that my book, A Decided Difference: the Secret to Positive Change, is now available on amazon.com. In this week’s podcast episode, I share a preview, three excerpts from the book. To purchase, click here: https://smile.amazon.com/Decided-Difference-Secret-Positive-Change-ebook/dp/B08GY695SB/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=decided+difference&qid=1598837950&sr=8-1
Aug 31, 2020•12 min
How full is your love bucket? A simple idea can illustrate some important concepts, and the love bucket is a concrete way to visualize your feelings. In this week’s podcast from A Decided Difference, learn how to fill your own love bucket and patch it when it is leaking.
Aug 24, 2020•13 min
How do you see yourself in coping with the pandemic? Are you helpless, with no options and no hope? Or are you a tough, creative, resilient person who will come out of this stronger than you went in? You can become stronger through the pandemic, if you decide to be. In this week’s podcast from A Decided Difference, learn about five factors that will help you do that.
Aug 17, 2020•13 min
What do you do when things are too big to think about? Do you choose to avoid thinking through denial, paranoia, anger, or numbing? Or do you find yourself in moods that swing from one extreme to another? In this week’s podcast from A Decided Difference, you will find strategies for managing when thinking about topics that feel overwhelming.
Aug 10, 2020•12 min
Building the habit of joy can protect your happiness when difficult times come—as they always do. Cultivating joy is not selfish, in fact, it is the opposite. In this week’s podcast from A Decided Difference, hear suggestions for adding more joy to your life.
Aug 03, 2020•11 min
If you find yourself with more idle time during the coronavirus pandemic, why not use it to get you know your own Genius? A little personal detective work might be just the ticket to a happier future. Learn more in this week’s podcast from A Decided Difference.
Jul 27, 2020•13 min
Acceptance doesn’t mean giving up. It means doing what you can within the parameters that exist in the new normal. If you keep looking back at your life pre-pandemic and focusing on all the things you miss, you will create thoughts of deprivation and loss that will make you feel bad. If you can look at what is going right in the present moment, then you can create thoughts of gratitude and feel much better. In this week’s podcast from A Decided Difference, learn how acceptance can help you move ...
Jul 20, 2020•11 min
Are you worried about the pandemic, or money, or your children? If the words “What if…” send you into visions of disaster, this week’s podcast from A Decided Difference can help you feel better by worrying less.
Jul 13, 2020•12 min
It can be difficult to move forward when critics are disparaging your every move, and it’s doubly hard when the critic is yourself. In this week’s podcast from A Decided Difference, learn strategies for dealing with criticism, regardless of where it comes from.
Jul 06, 2020•12 min
When deciding what to do, where to go, and whom to be with, consider the value of joy. Even if you feel just a small flicker of joy, it is a sign that can lead you to make better decisions. This is podcast episode #380 in the series from A Decided Difference.
Jun 29, 2020•11 min
Forgiveness can help you find freedom from regret, bitterness, and frustration. Forgiveness can set you free and open the door to a brighter future. In this week’s podcast, learn more about the how and why of forgiveness. Link to the Greater Good article: https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/topic/forgiveness/definition Link to Holly Dunn’s book, Sole Survivor: https://www.amazon.com/Sole-Survivor-Inspiring-Infamous-Railroad/dp/1682308146
Jun 22, 2020•11 min
Do you ever tell yourself that you should or should not feel a certain way? Feelings are not facts, but they do serve a purpose. How you handle your feelings can make a decided difference for you and those around you.
Jun 15, 2020•14 min
If you want to grow healthy thoughts that serve you, it's necessary to pull out the weeds and plant good seeds. How does your emotional garden grow? Find specific tips for getting your thoughts all in a row in this week's podcast from A Decided Difference.
Jun 08, 2020•12 min
Cultivating the habits of healthy thinking is a lot like cultivating a garden. When you dig out the weeds of negative thoughts and limiting beliefs, you make room for healthy thoughts to grow and flourish and bear fruit. Spring is a great time to start. Learn more in this week’s podcast from A Decided Difference.
Jun 01, 2020•12 min
We are all coping with circumstances that are new to us in the wake of COVID-19, and we may feel we are falling short. There may be no antidote to feelings of failure, frustration, and fear, but a touch of grace can make everything easier to bear. Learn more about giving grace to others—and yourself—in this week’s podcast from A Decided Difference.
May 25, 2020•12 min
It’s normal to seek comfort and familiarity when you are in circumstances that are unusual or unexpected, especially if the situation is scary. But this can cause us to fall back into bad habits of thinking. In this week’s podcast, LouAnn suggests ways to keep your thoughts positive and your focus on the future.
May 18, 2020•11 min
The words you choose help create the emotions you feel, and both contribute to the results you get. If you want to be happier and more successful, watch your words. Learn more in this week’s podcast from A Decided Difference.
May 11, 2020•13 min
The pandemic has disrupted life in countless ways, and we are all having to adapt. Deciding to be flexible can help you cope, and flexibility is a great skill to have. This may be the best opportunity you will ever get to practice it. Try to be open to alternate possibilities as you make decisions in the days to come.
May 04, 2020•10 min
If your emotions are all over the place, don’t judge yourself harshly. Instead, choose to learn from your emotions and use the knowledge to help build a better future. In this week’s podcast from A Decided Difference, LouAnn will help you be more optimistic and flexible when thinking about the future.
Apr 27, 2020•11 min
Even in the midst of fear, anxiety, and suffering, you can find pockets of happiness, especially if you look for them. Get ideas for growing happiness, regardless of external circumstances, in this week’s podcast from A Decided Difference.
Apr 20, 2020•11 min
If you aren’t living your best life during the pandemic, join the club. Remember, you are doing okay, as long as you are hanging in there. Rather than ramping up your productivity, maybe it’s time to do something besides work. How about focusing on getting caught up on your rest? LouAnn has ideas for you in this week’s episode of A Decided Difference. This is the link for Jenn Montague’s Intentional Growth Club on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/IntentionalGrowthClub.
Apr 13, 2020•12 min
Are you coping well, or do you feel like you are going to lose it? If you alternate between these feelings, know this is normal in times of challenge. In this week's podcast from A Decided Difference, find tips to stay emotionally healthy in the face of the pandemic.
Apr 06, 2020•12 min
It is okay not to know exactly what to do right now. Choosing how to think about your current circumstances will help feel less anxious as you respond to the coronavirus pandemic. Gather ideas for coping successfully in this week’s podcast from A Decided Difference.
Mar 30, 2020•12 min
Keeping things in perspective is a challenge now. We are all suffering in some ways, but we need to try to create a balance between fear and hope. We are in a crisis, but a proverb says every crisis has an opportunity in it. In this week’s podcast from A Decided Difference, you’ll find ideas for thriving during these unprecedented times.
Mar 23, 2020•12 min
As you try to navigate the challenges of the coronavirus pandemic, you may wonder whether life will ever feel normal again. In this week's podcast, find advice about controlling your fears, making the best decisions you can, and finding the gifts hidden among the challenges.
Mar 16, 2020•12 min
Are you sleepwalking through your life, ignoring situations that need to change? Or are you failing to appreciate the good things that could make your life happier, if only you would pay more attention to them? In this week’s podcast from A Decided Difference, LouAnn offers suggestions for waking up.
Mar 09, 2020•11 min
When you are considering the value of thoughts you could think or actions you could take, ask yourself this question. “What good will it do?” Every little bit of good adds more good to the world. Find encouragement to do some good for yourself and others in this week’s podcast from A Decided Difference.
Mar 02, 2020•12 min
If you want to have peace of mind, try practicing the skill of letting things roll rather than always trying to control. In this week’s podcast from A Decided Difference, you will find ideas for letting go of thoughts and things that are not essential.
Feb 24, 2020•11 min
If you are feeling sad, or worried, or depressed, or anxious, asking yourself four questions about your thinking can help you feel better. In this week’s podcast episode from A Decided Difference, learn how answering these questions can help you improve your thinking and your moods.
Feb 17, 2020•11 min