“I am so tired of trying to be what everyone wants me to be. When will it end?”……… That was the email that woke me up this morning. A result of a recently posted graphic on my social that said, “You’re allowed to be both a masterpiece and a work in progress simultaneously.” Wow. That sure opened up the floodgates. People were blowing up my inbox. “But Connie, NO ONE likes it when I am a work in progress.” “I’ll never be PERFECT, so who will want me?” “How do you keep it all together when you’re a hot mess deep down?” When will it end? When will others stop pulling at us or thinking we Read More
Happiness Is Job Security
Happiness Is Job Security
Let’s talk about work for a minute. Most people don’t often rank HAPPINESS as a major component of success in the workplace. How many times do people put “I’m so happy” on their list of résumé skills and traits? I've never seen it even once. Is your “happiness level” ranked on the yearly evaluation sheet that determines whether you get a raise or promotion? Are you attending training workshops on “Raising the Bar for Happiness” or “Exceeding Happiness Expectations”? Does your company have a five-year strategic plan for increasing happiness ratios? Probably not. But let me tell you: Read More
HAPPINESS is FLAWSOME!
HAPPINESS is FLAWSOME!
Learning to Celebrate Your Imperfections by Motivational Keynote Speaker Connie Podesta Perfection? Overrated. Unreachable. Exhausting. Impossible. Obsessive. Look, I’m not saying don’t stop reaching for more. Far from it. But no one—NO ONE—is perfect. Happiness is getting to that point in your life where you can say, “I don’t have to have it all, do it all, be the best,” and being all right with that. You know, there’s a very real difference between getting it perfect and giving it all you have. Happiness is about realizing that mistakes are part of life’s crazy plan so we can learn Read More
15 Things to Quit Today to Stop Making BAD Decisions
15 Things to Quit Today to Stop Making BAD Decisions
By Motivational Keynote Speaker and Human Behavior Expert Connie Podesta Bad choices? Sure, we all make them. Hopefully as we get older (and sometimes wiser) though, we figure out that we can do better than that. If you’re ready to start making BETTER choices, let’s take a look at the top 15 things to quit starting today. Quit avoiding reality. Too many people live in an “if only” or “I wish” fantasy world—and not in the reality of what is actually going on at this moment!Be honest with yourself. Making choices based on what you wish would happen or should happen or might happen is Read More
The REAL Cost of a Negative Attitude
The REAL Cost of a Negative Attitude
And How It Affects EVERY Aspect of Your Life By Motivational Hall of Fame Keynote Speaker Connie Podesta The truth is attitude is HUGE when it comes to making the most from your life. And if yours is a NEGATIVE one? You can absolutely guarantee that it will cost you promotions, sales, market share, customers, business, friends, and family. It’s THAT big of a deal. And here’s why…When our attitude is negative, defeating, self-serving, or aggressive it affects EVERYTHING we do. Our ability to be productive at work. Our ability to parent. Our ability to manage relationships. Our Read More
Parenting… Like You’ve Never Heard it Before!
Parenting… Like You’ve Never Heard it Before!
by Hall of Fame Keynote Speaker and Human Behavior Expert Connie Podesta As a former therapist and educator - one thing I've been asked A LOT about throughout my career is KIDS. Of all shapes, sizes, and ages. How to raise them well? How to manage teenagers? How to teach them to be respectful and kind? How to handle teach them to be independent OF you -- rather than dependent ON you. There's a lot to take in, and parenting, by far, is one of the most important jobs most of us will ever take on. That's why I created a video series and playlist just for parents with ten powerful (and Read More
Take Charge of Your Personal Life So Your Professional Life Can Soar
Take Charge of Your Personal Life So Your Professional Life Can Soar
By Connie Podesta, CSP, CPAE, Hall of Fame Speaker First of all - the idea of personal and professional balance is really a myth. You don't have a personal life and a professional life - you have a life -- and the two most DEFINITELY are intertwined. . Chances are that despite your best attempts to keep the two separate, the quality and stability of your personal life often have a direct impact upon the quality and success of your professional life. In fact, for many people, their professional life mirrors their personal life. When your personal life is stable and happy, this mirroring Read More
Quit Avoiding Difficult Decisions
Quit Avoiding Difficult Decisions
By Hall of Fame Speaker Connie Podesta, CSP, CPAE Decisions are a part of life, especially the difficult ones. The ones that you have to weigh out a little more than most because they can mean a change of direction, new opportunity, new job, or a choice in a relationship. Every day we’re faced with crossroads and opportunities to choose. I had a radio show, then I was offered a speaking job. When I was speaking full time, I was offered a television show. Each time, I had a big, difficult decision to make. I’m glad I made them. For every great decision I’ve made in my life, I’m sure there Read More
Quit Being a Victim
Quit Being a Victim
By Connie Podesta, Hall of Fame Speaker Straight talk? If you’re 25, 65+ years old or anywhere in between and you’re still blaming your parents for a few (or many) things you believe are responsible for the condition of your life right now – then you’re totally on the wrong path. Now I’m not saying to discount any negative childhood messages or experiences. I’m definitely 100% an advocate for children who’ve been through trauma and I know what that means moving into adulthood. What I am saying is that when you reach the age of adulthood, it’s time to use your awareness of what you’ve been Read More
Quit Setting Goals!
Quit Setting Goals!
By Hall of Fame Speaker Connie Podesta All right – don’t start sending me hate mail! Let me say first, if you are a goal setter and that is absolutely working for you – stop reading. This is not the post for you. This post is for everyone out there who may feel a little – or a lot like I do. The ones who feel like setting goals can be constrictive. Restrictive. Binding. Limiting. Forced. Uncomfortable. A confidence-killer. Hear me out. You might not know this, but for a lot of us, this whole goal setting thing is a sure-fire method for feeling locked in and limited. Why? Because Read More