Contributor's Corner

New ideas and thoughts from some of our very favorite health and wellness experts.

Posts by Maryanne O'Brien

A Powerful Change of Mind

By Maryanne O'Brien (@Live_Dynamite) / August 7, 2012

Most of our thoughts come and go without, well, much thought at all. They float in. They float out. Our patterns of our thinking become so familiar, and so subtle, that they often go unnoticed.

Typically, they grab our attention when our emotions flare up. On the bright side, we have inspired thoughts that spark ideas that immediately feel energizing. We feel an expansion that fills us and propels us forward in life. These positive thoughts unleash a cascade of neurochemicals that bolster our mood, attention, perception, motivation, action, memory and learning. (Clearly, a good thing!)

Other times our thoughts can be completely draining. They become filled with self-judgment, worry or some other strain of fear. We become trapped in negative thought patterns that release a completely different cascade of neurochemicals that dampen our mood, motivation and energy. (Clearly, breaking free from this habit is a good thing.)

We’ve all experienced it. Thoughts powerfully impact our emotions, actions, health and well-being. What we sometimes fail to recognize is that our thoughts are within our control to direct. We have the power to change our mind, change our thoughts and change our experiences. So, why not positively change your mind for the better.

Here are two daily practices to help you ingrain positive thought patterns. Each is designed to help you create the positive emotions and experiences that naturally direct your thoughts in a positive direction.

You may have heard them before. But if you’re not actively putting them into practice, it’s like you don’t know. So, give them a try for a week. They are simple. They make you feel great. And they always work when applied.

• Positive Mental Rehearsal – Before you fall asleep, visualize how you want to experience you day tomorrow from beginning to end. See everything falling into place. Feel the positive emotions that fill your day.

• Highlights – Make a list of everything you enjoyed and appreciated about your day. Share your highlights with your family and friends over dinner.

“Every thought you produce, anything you say, any action you do, it bears your signature.” –Thich Nhat Hanh

Get good at living®,
Maryanne

Maryanne O’Brien is the founder of Live Dynamite, a life skills program that inspires, empowers and supports people to bring the best of who they are to everything they do.

The Power of Positive Intentions

By Maryanne O'Brien (@Live_Dynamite) / July 10, 2012

Life is a creative process. And we are always creating our lives whether we know it or not. The trick is to stay aware of this fact and use it our advantage. This is where the practice of setting positive daily intentions comes in handy.

It’s been well documented that our intentions, attitudes and beliefs shape our experiences. They direct our thoughts, actions and perceptions. A moment of reflection makes it pretty easy to see this truth.

When our intentions are pure, positive and support what’s in our highest good, we create more ease, happiness and growth. When our intentions stem from a lower source, say insecurity, greed or resentment, we create all sorts of drama and trouble in our lives.

The practice of setting positive intentions has been around for centuries. However, the full power and wisdom from this practice only comes through experience. Experiencing is knowing. And when you know how beautifully positive intentions support life, you’ll make it a habit.

To that end, here’s a simple daily practice designed to help you access more of your creative powers. Give it a try for 10 days and you’ll quickly see the connection between your intentions and your experiences. (Even better, do it with a friend and compare notes.)

Set a positive intention first thing in the morning.
Write it down. Carry it with you. Read it to remind yourself how you are intending to experience life.
Check in at the end of the day and make a list of the experiences that reflect your intention.
Repeat for 10 days. Then, look back at your notes and enjoy what you see.

“Our intention creates our reality.” –Wayne Dyer

Get good at living®,
Maryanne

Maryanne O’Brien is the founder of Live Dynamite, a life skills program that inspires, empowers and supports people to bring the best of who they are to everything they do.

Spiral Up! 10 simple steps to boost your energy.

By Maryanne O'Brien (@Live_Dynamite) / June 5, 2012

Pay attention to your energy level and you’ll notice that it fluctuates from day to day. While this is natural, most of us want to feel good every day. We want to feel inspired, clear and energized. After all, life is far more enjoyable when our life force is strong.

Creating more energy is actually quite easy to do.

When you invest in any one of your energy sources you lift them all–physical, mental and emotional. Each source highly influences the others, so every positive action has a ripple effect. Even small changes will improve your overall energy.

Here are 10 simple daily practices to boost your energy. By design, all of the ideas are within your control. This means it’s your choice. Put them into action and quickly connect to this simple truth–what you do matters.

Pick one idea. Move into action. And create more positive energy to fuel each day.

Move your body. Moderate exercise for 20-30 minutes lifts your mood for up to 12 hours.
Spruce up your space. Organized, cheery spaces expand your mental and emotional energy, strengthening your creativity, focus and motivation.
Practice uncommon appreciation. Genuinely acknowledge one person every day that you appreciate. Heartfelt appreciation deepens emotional connections and relationships.
Strategically renew your energy. Take a five-minute-break every hour–walk, stretch, breathe, drink water, meditate. Breaks improve mental focus, productivity and performance.
Meditate. Breathing and quieting your mind for 30 seconds every hour works to reduce stress and increase productivity.
Technology free zones. Create space in each day where you’re free from technology to strengthen mental clarity, focus and quality of life.
Be in nature. Simply being in the presence of nature for 20 minutes can strengthen feelings of vitality, health and compassion.
Breath deeply. Practice abdominal breathing 3x/day–breathe in to a count of three and out to a count of six. It’s a powerful way to quiet the mind and emotions.
Eat breakfast. Boost your metabolism and energy with a healthy breakfast.
Drink water throughout the day. Staying hydrated is a simple way to renew your energy, improve concentration.

Get good at living®,
Maryanne

Maryanne O’Brien is the founder of Live Dynamite, a life skills program that inspires, empowers and supports people to bring the best of who they are to everything they do.

Boost Your Happiness

By Maryanne O'Brien (@Live_Dynamite) / May 15, 2012

We all experience happy moments. They lift us up, open our hearts and expand our energy. Maintaining this elevated state of being, well, that takes a little practice.

Research suggests that happy feelings last for about five minutes before they start to fade. The good news is that when we appreciate, share and relive our happy moments, we can extend the life of our positive emotions. Yes, happiness lies within the domain of personal power.

By intentionally choosing to direct your mind toward all that’s good in your life, your thoughts become positively charged. Positive thoughts and emotions reinforce and catalyze each other. They literally spiral up every state of your being–boosting your creativity, helping you cope with adversity and inspiring more solutions.

Make it a habit to recognize, appreciate and savor all of your positive moments. Here are three practices you can use to boost your happiness and keep things feeling fresh.

Pick one to put into action this week and enjoy basking in the glow.

Keep a daily log. Write about your positive experiences every day. The act of writing anchors the memory in your brain and lifts your mood. This practice also helps to strengthen your health, optimism and well-being.
Share your highlights. Make it a ritual to recount the day’s highlights at dinner. Sharing your positive experiences is one of the simplest ways to multiply your happiness. You’ll also develop closer and more nourishing relationships.

Take a picture–it lasts longer. Snap a shot of what you enjoy and appreciate. Build a highlights folder in your digital library and use your images to create a collage, slideshow or iMovie. Then share it with others for the multiplier effect.

Here’s a short cut from my latest highlights reel. I must say, seeing the faces of the people I love and reliving our experiences always makes me feel happy and grateful.

Get good at living!
Maryanne

Recognize Energy Gains and Drains.

By Maryanne O'Brien (@Live_Dynamite) / April 12, 2012

Pay attention to your energy level and you’ll notice how often it fluctuates. One day you feel highly energized and the next you’re totally wiped out. Given that you need energy for everything you do, it’s important you learn how to effectively manage your energy so it stays in a healthy balance.

The first step is to learn where the source of your energy. This allows you to actively restore, renew and replenish your reserves. It’s just as critical to identify and address where you lose energy. Chances are, you can already come up with a pretty good list. And when you’re willing to take closer look, you’ll be amazed at just how many opportunities you have to strengthen your energy and wellbeing.

Taking responsibility for your energy requires awareness, insight and practice. Initially, you need to pay close attention to how you experience life. Attention is what creates awareness. Become aware of how your experiences impact your energy. Identify what’s within your control to change and start taking steps to do so.

Here’s a simple process designed to help you see more clearly how your daily experiences are either adding to – or subtracting from – your energy.

Keep track of your experiences for one week. Pay attention to what energizes you and what depletes you. Write it down as soon as you are aware of how you’re feeling. Spend 10 minutes each night reviewing the day.

Recognize your patterns. At the end of the week, look for connections and insights. Review what’s working and what’s not. Identify the patterns that support you and deplete you.

Develop new strategies. Pick one area that’s currently draining your energy. Look at your current response and come up with three new strategies that shift the direction. Be specific about what you will do and when.

Invest in your energy every day. Create a list of ideas that will replenish your energy. Put one idea into action every day. Feel your energy build.

Reflect and learn. Make it a weekly practice to check in on your energy. Take a quick audit of your experiences and see what surfaces. Identify which strategies work best and lean on those more often.

Get good at living®,

Maryanne

Getting Better All The Time

By Maryanne O'Brien (@Live_Dynamite) / March 6, 2012

We crave simple solutions. Could be because the world gets more complex each day. Or it could be because simple solutions feel easier to approach. Either way, when simple solutions work, life is good.

Simple solutions have a way of tapping into the basic human truths we lose sight of as our daily lives spin faster. In the spirit of getting better, here are few of my favorites for creating positive, sustainable changes. They’ve helped me transform the way I view and experience the world.

#1. Goals about getting better work better. When your goals are wrapped in a desire to get better you value what you learn as much as the achievement. This growth mindset also delivers the whole enjoy the journey aspect of life and arms you loads of wisdom for your next goal. Set one goal that is focused upon getting better in some way and you’ll experience difference. It’s practically tangible.

#2. Give yourself a daily dose of inspiration. Inspiration ignites the human spirit. It also taps the richest areas within your brain. Combined, they keep you connected to higher wisdom, deeper insights and fresh solutions. Cultivate a daily inspiration practice to strengthen your energy on every level – physical, emotional and metal. It’s life changing.

#3. Surround yourself with positive people. If you’re like most people, you underestimate (or ignore) the impact that your closest relationships have in your life. The people you spend the most time with dramatically influence your motivation, health, growth and development. Build a positive community that brings out the best in you. (This also makes tip #2 far easier to live on a daily basis).

Now, all you need to do is simply pick one solution. Put it into action. Repeat daily until it’s a way of living. And then enjoy all of the benefits that flow from living in a state of continual improvement.

Never been better,

Maryanne

Maryanne O’Brien is the founder of Live Dynamite, a life skills program that inspires, empowers and supports people to bring the best of who they are to everything they do.

Hide or Seek?

By Maryanne O'Brien (@Live_Dynamite) / February 7, 2012

Hiding from the truth is easy. We do it all the time when we don’t want to look at what’s really going on. We ignore the signals, avoid reflection and pretend all is fine in paradise.

However, the truth has a way of catching up with us. And when it does, it’s rarely pretty.

I don’t remember exactly when I shifted from hiding from the truth to seeking it, but I am grateful I did. Hiding creates nothing but fear, while seeking leads to all kinds of positive changes. Seeking is how you see things more clearly. And once you see the truth there’s no going back.

It’s amazing how fast the truth surfaces when you’re willing to look. Shine a little light on any area of your life and suddenly you can see the impact of your choices. You can quickly connect the dots and get a clear picture of what’s going on.

Clarity is a beautiful thing. Clarity brings everything into focus. It creates a path for advancing. And it allows you to concentrate your actions so you can more easily achieve the results you want.

However, clarity has a price. Clarity requires that you are honest with yourself. It asks you to open up to new perspectives, suspend judgment and be objective. It’s not always easy, but the insights you gain are well worth the price.

Experience how these simple questions can help you to gain more clarity, insights and ideas for advancing.

1. What are you ignoring or pretending not to know?

2. What impact is this having in your life?

3. What would you rather be experiencing?

4. What action can you take today to get started?

Get good at living®,
Maryanne

Maryanne O’Brien is the founder of Live Dynamite, a life skills program that inspires, empowers and supports people to bring the best of who they are to everything they do.

Access Your Inner Wisdom

By Maryanne O'Brien (@Live_Dynamite) / January 10, 2012

One of the most important relationships you’ll ever have is with yourself. By connecting with that wise being that dwells within you, you tap into your full power, energy and insight. You learn to access your higher self, move beyond rational thought and create with clarity.

Your inner wisdom is innate and always present. When you learn to listen to your inner guidance you’ll find it is much easier to create positive changes in your life. It simply takes a willingness to slow down, move beyond your conscious mind and connect to your inner guidance.

We’ve all experienced it. Think for a minute. How many times have you wished you’d trusted your initial instincts? How often have you said to yourself something along the lines of, “I knew better,” or “When will I learn to listen to myself?”

Now, think of the situations where you did listen to your intuition. The times where you felt a strong, clear direction and followed it, despite what your mind was telling you. Remember how everything seemed to fall right into place? This is when you said, “I had a feeling.”

Through a simple daily practice, you’ll learn to quiet your personality, create space and open to your intuitive mind. You’ll experience consciously connecting your whole mind and personal energy with all of the fields of information available to you. You’ll discover how to listen within and discern what actions are in your best interest. And you’ll begin to recognize your higher guidance in all of its form – thoughts, emotions, impressions, words and images.

Here’s a daily practice that will help you to tune in and establish a connection with your higher self. As you practice this connection technique, you will gradually find your inner wisdom is with you more and more of the time.

• Get in a comfortable position. You can sit or lie down. Keep your spine straight. Close your eyes and relax your body. Take several deep breaths through your nose – gently and slowly. Feel the air move as it moves through your nostrils and fills your lungs. As you exhale, feel all of the tension and stress flow out of your body.

• Now, imagine that your breath is flowing in and out of your heart. Think of a time when you felt great happiness, love or peace. With each breath, feel those positive emotions grow and spread throughout your body. Keep visualizing and breathing this way for about a minute.

• Silently say, “I am connected to all of my inner wisdom. I am so grateful for this guidance that is always there to assist me.”

• Take a few more deep breaths, in and out of your heart, and establish a strong connection with your higher self.

• Consciously tune in throughout the day to strengthen your discernment and make decisions using all of your inner-knowing.

Get good at living®,
Maryanne

Maryanne O’Brien is the founder of Live Dynamite, a life skills program that inspires, empowers and supports people to bring the best of who they are to everything they do.

The Gift of Presence

By Maryanne O'Brien (@Live_Dynamite) / December 13, 2011

The pace of life can easily leave one feeling depleted, especially around the holidays. As we try to pack it all in, we tend to feel overwhelmed rather than jolly and bright.

Here are three simple tips to help you get good at living and enjoy each day. They always work when put into practice. Pick one idea to experiment with and experience how much more happiness, peace and satisfaction you can access when you’re fully present.

1. Unplug from technology.
While technology provides great freedom and flexibility, it can also keep us tethered to our work. The constant interruptions of our devices often distract us from what really matters and drain our energy.

When we’re constantly plugged in part of our energy and focus remains fixed on the future. The anticipation of what’s to come quickly overshadows the moment we’re in. This makes it challenging to actually connect with the people we are with.

• Unplug from technology once a week for 24 hours
• Create technology free zones where you unplug during the day

2. Give your undivided attention.
Multitasking as a means to productivity is a myth. Science has proven that the brain can only focus on one thing at a time. The research shows that multitasking actually reduces our productivity and increases mistakes.

Focus is our real friend. When we focus our attention, we absorb more information and get more done. We also tend to enjoy our experiences more and feel greater satisfaction.

• Offer someone you love your full attention
• Focus on one task at a time

3. Set daily intentions.
Given that we live in a highly visual world that moves at warp speed, it’s no wonder our attention wanders so readily. Without daily rituals that keep us focused, aligned and intentionally directing our attention, it’s easy to get off track.

Setting daily intentions provides the clarity we need to align our attention, actions and responses. By simply writing them down we deepen our commitment and create a visual reminder to support us throughout the day.

• Make it a morning practice to set intentions
• Check in at the end of the day and measure your progress

Give yourself the gift of being present this holiday season. Fully experience your life and enjoy how time slows down when you’re in the here and now.

“Smile, breathe, and go slowly.”
-Thich Nhat Hanh

Happy Holidays,
Maryanne

Maryanne O’Brien is the founder of Live Dynamite, a life skills program that inspires, empowers and supports people to consciously create the life they want.

Listen to Yourself

By Maryanne O'Brien (@Live_Dynamite) / November 14, 2011

It’s really quite impressive how much we know about ourselves. When we’re willing to listen to our inner knowing, it’s pretty easy to identify what’s working and what’s not. Less impressive is how often we actually reflect and learn.

There’s an exercise I’ve been running across for years, it’s frequently used to help people see the obvious. It provides the 20/20 hindsight we often wish we had (and quite often do). It goes something like this –

Imagine you’re 95 and the end is near. You’ve just been given the ability to go back in time and change the course of your life, by sharing the wisdom you’ve gained. What advice would you give your younger self? Whatever you’re thinking now, do that!

I’d always thought this was a great exercise. And yet, for some reason (read: resistance) I still hadn’t taken action. Well, I finally made the time to complete the exercise – a whopping 15 minutes – and was amazed at how much I learned about myself.

I started by looking at what I was doing well, which I highly encourage. It felt good to acknowledge everything I was doing well. Here I’d tell my younger self, “Keep it up. This is working brilliantly!” It was refreshing to see my progress. (And, honestly, starting with my accomplishments and strengths was progress!)

Next, I looked at my areas for growth. What caught my attention was how many of my well-known, limiting beliefs were still hanging around. After all, I discovered them years ago and I’ve been diligently working on them. Granted, they are much easier to recognize now. And the patterns are much fainter. But, still, I was surprised to see that remnants of my self-destructive patterns still remained.

After a bit more reflection, I came to see was that my childhood programming – work hard, be responsible, protect yourself, emotions are a weakness, be realistic, create a good impression ¬ dissolves faster when I’m actively listening to my inner-wisdom and follow that voice. This is the voice that knows better. It reminds me to keep an open heart, live intentionally, see my accomplishments and just be myself.

Oh, how grateful I am to have experienced this exercise. I am taking my sage advice and it feels great. I feel a renewed sense of courage and am determined to minimize regret. And I am reminding myself to slow down, have fun, experience life and stay focused on what matter most – daily.

I hope that you will carve out 15 minutes to experience this exercise and that you will learn to listen yourself. No one knows you better than you. And when you’re willing to take an honest and compassionate look at your life, you will gain the clarity you need to keep growing.

“To be able to look back upon ones life in satisfaction is to live twice.”
-Kahlil Gibran

Get good at living™!

Maryanne

Maryanne O’Brien is the founder of Live Dynamite, a life skills program that inspires, empowers and supports people to consciously create the life they want.

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Contributor's Corner

Posts by Maryanne O'Brien

A Powerful Change of Mind

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The Power of Positive Intentions

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Spiral Up! 10 simple steps to boost your energy.

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Boost Your Happiness

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Recognize Energy Gains and Drains.

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Getting Better All The Time

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Hide or Seek?

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Access Your Inner Wisdom

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The Gift of Presence

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Listen to Yourself

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