Are you ready to have your best year? Whenever people ask me what I think the coming year will bring, I always respond that it’s going to be my best year yet. And I believe it! Why is this important? Because what we believe has the power to unlock our potential. Potential is an interesting word. Potential speaks of what you can do, but haven’t done yet. It refers to how far you can go, but haven’t gone yet. We all have potential, but that potential means nothing if you don’t bring it about—it requires action on your part. You were born with natural gifts and tendencies, for example, but without training and practice, you won’t achieve your full potential in those areas. Potential is …

We all want great work relationships that are supportive, strong, happy and fun. We want to work with people we can trust; people we can have fun working with but who we can also count on. And we think that these picture-perfect work relationships should never experience disagreement. The problem is, that’s not realistic. Conflict happens. When it does, some run from the conflict. Others run from the relationship. When people make these choices, they tend to develop only superficial relationships or a series of short-term relationships that drift apart at the first sign of conflict. They dance around each other’s hot buttons and are careful not to rock the boat. We can’t form great working relationships if we aren’t willing to broach the truth. …

“I’m so stressed.” It’s difficult to go through a day without hearing this phrase at least once, especially at this time of year. But is stress supposed to be so commonplace in our lives? Is stress normal? Actually, stress isn’t always a bad thing. When you’re in danger or are facing a challenge, you need the physical stress response that results. Your heart rate increases and adrenaline is pumped into your muscles so you’re ready for action. This physical response is exactly what you need when you’re being chased by a Doberman, but the chronic, low-grade anxiety type of stress doesn’t benefit you at all. You may assume you just have to accept that anxious feeling about your holiday to-do list, but you don’t. And …