7 Tools I Now Have In My Personal Development Toolbox

7 tools I now have in my personal development toolbox marcielyons.com

Most people are given a few tools to help them deal with life. Years ago my toolbox was quite small and old-fashioned.

Life-altering challenges happened to me and I realized that I didn’t know how to deal with so many emotions and hard things. I had only been using the basics in my toolbox- run fast the other way and keep going as fast as I can! I looked around and realized I needed to start adding to my toolbox. These are a few things that have been very useful…

Music– One of my favorite tools that can switch my mindset in seconds. I have a variety of songs- ones that make me happy, excited, and mindful and ones I put on when I am writing. Scientists can now prove that certain areas in the brain are activated by music and is a tool for emotional health. Some music releases dopamine- a neurotransmitter associated with pleasure. Music played in stores influences shopping behaviors- a 38% increase in sales when slow music is played. Fast music in restaurants led to people eating more quickly which provided a faster turnaround, while slow-tempo music while eating led to customers spending 40% more on alcohol. Music creates a space for learning languages and enhances cognitive abilities. A huge 77% of businesses said playing music at work increased a positive atmosphere which in turn helps employees work faster and concentrate better. The brain processes negative music on the right side of the brain (appreciates art and the body’s inner workings) and positive music is processed on the left (logic and math). Clearly, music affects the body in completely different ways.

Exercise– What a great way to increase your energy. I know it is really hard to get up and move when you don’t feel like you have any energy to do so, but even a walk around the block can help immensely. Exercise has so many benefits. It clears my head, helps lower stress levels, I sleep sounder, my body functions better, and it motivates me to eat smarter. If I am regularly walking or riding my spin bike somehow I think, “I don’t want to eat that Oreo because it will take me 15 minutes to work it off.” And I normally don’t think that way 🙂

Nutrition-I am sure you are like me and I can’t think clearly or physically do things at my full potential if I am not eating well. Life is full of so many choices and one of the biggest ones I am faced with every couple of hours is eating. I can eat a muffin that is full of carbs for fast energy (that doesn’t last very long and makes me fat) or I can eat celery and peanut butter for long-acting energy. I can run through McDonald’s which is cheap and convenient, but I also have to think of the health benefits which aren’t very beneficial. Consider each choice as good gasoline for your body or one that is going to leave you on the side of the road in a few minutes.

Meditation-I learned meditation by doing it for just a few minutes at the end of yoga class. It’s funny because I would usually get up and leave during that time. I figured out later it was because I didn’t want to sit there and think or try not to think. I was in a place in my life where deep inside I wasn’t happy- even though I smiled and was positive. After years, seriously like 5 years of this 3-5 times a week, I let go. It was life-changing but didn’t realize it at the time. I started listening to my inner spirit and started voicing my opinions. This started a process that changed my life in all dimensions. Meditation has proven itself to me over and over now that when you are quiet- even for just 5 minutes a day- you will be able to hear what is right. It will probably not be at the time you are meditating but throughout the day. Clear thoughts or promptings come to me. Now what I am practicing every day is acting on those thoughts! (Sometimes this is harder than I could have imagined!)

STOP-I have a weakness in that I run as fast as I can in any direction when faced with an emotional problem. I used to think this way I never had to deal with it. After years of running, I have learned that I have to STOP and let myself feel this emotion. It’s painful but running from it is painful for a very long time, sitting with it and feeling it hurts but then I focus on the real issue. I let myself go deeper and deeper and try to see where the deep dark pain is really coming from. Then I can deal with the pain or the beliefs. Many times the belief has been wrong all along.

Thoughts- What we concentrate on is what we get more of. Try to focus on what you are grateful for and the good things in your life and then more of those things will come into your life. It really works.

Books– My favorite books are listed below. They have helped me learn the who, what, where, why, and how in my life the last few years personally and in running a small business. I always have a book with me- so when I am waiting for carpool or at soccer practice I can learn and grow and in my crazy mind I’m not wasting time 🙂 The audiobooks are awesome as well- so when I am driving or on my spin bike I am getting two things done at once!

I have divided them by personal and business development but many times they have helped me in both areas of my life…

PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT

Man’s Search For Meaning by Viktor Frankl (We cannot avoid suffering, but we can choose how to cope with it, find meaning in it and move forward with renewed purpose.) **This book changed my life- I am not a victim- I found meaning and purpose in my life! If he can- anyone can.

The Happiness Advantage by Shawn Achor (Happiness fuels success, not the other way around.)

The Universe Has Your Back by Gabrielle Bernstein (Transform fear to faith.)

Oola by Dave Braun and Troy Amdahl (Find balance in an unbalanced world.)

Oola for Women by Dave Braun and Troy Amdahl (Find balance in an unbalanced world.)

Letting Go by David Hawkins (Describes a simple and effective way to let go of obstaclesand become free of negativity.)

My Story by Elizabeth Smart ( Shereveals how she survived and the secret to forging a new life in the wake of a brutal crime. Another amazing story that helps me know if she can do this, so can I! )

10% happier by Dan Harris (How I tamed the voice in my head, reduced stress without losing my edge, and found self-help that actually works.)

Broken Open by Elizabeth Lesser (How difficult times can help us grow.)

The Gifts of Imperfection by Brene Brown (Let go of who you think you’re supposed to be and embrace who you are.

Codependent No More by Melody Beattie (How to stop controlling others and start caring for yourself.)

Making Loss Matter by Rabbi David J. Wolpe (Creating meaning in difficult times.)

The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho (Santiago’s journey teaches us about the essential wisdom of listening to our hearts, of recognizing opportunity and learning to read the omens strewn along life’s path, and, most importantly, to follow our dreams.)

Mindfulness by Mark Williams (An eight-week plan for finding peace in a frantic world.)

Boundaries by Anne Katherine (Where you end and I begin. How to recognize and set healthy boundaries.)

Heaven Is For Real by Todd Burpo (A little boy’s astounding story of his trip to heaven and back.)

Proof Of Heaven by Eben Alexander (A Neurosurgeon’s journey into the afterlife.)

BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT

Leaders Eat Last by Simon Sinek (Great leaders createenvironments in which people naturallywork together to do remarkable things.)

Thrive by Araina Huffington (Redefines what it means to be successful in today’s world.)

Delivering Happiness by Tony Hsieh (CEO of Zappos shows how a different kind of corporate culture can make a huge difference in achieving remarkable results — by actually creating a company culture that values happiness –and then delivers on it.

Essentialism by Greg McKeown (The disciplined pursuit of less.It is asystematic disciplinefor discerning what is absolutely essential, then eliminating everything that is not, so we can make the highest possible contribution towards the things that really matter.)

Play by Stuart Brown (How it shapes the brain, opens the imagination and invigorates the soul.)

You Are A Badass by Jen Sincero (How to stop doubting your greatness and start living an awesome life.)

How To Win Friends & Influence People by Dale Carnegie (For more than sixty years the rock-solid, time-tested advice in this book has carried thousands of now famous people up the ladder of success in their business and personal lives.)