One of the most sabotaging habits we have is DEFENDING our thoughts instead of challenging them. Often, we’re too busy challenging everyone else’s ideas instead of noticing how our own reasoning may not hold water. This Christmas, give yourself the gift of insight. Ask yourself questions about your own thinking: 1) What evidence supports this thought? 2) What might be a healthier thought? 3) What might I be missing here? How might I be “UNDER-thinking” and ignoring other important aspects of the situation? It takes practice, but challenging your own thinking has the power of helping us more effectively meet any challenge that comes our way.

Abbott & Costello "Whose On First" Inspired Skit Played Out Daily In Our Brains ------------------------------------------ Sanity for the Holidays and All Year Around ------------------------------------------ Emotion: Hey. Person: Hey, WHAT? Emotion: Hey. Person: THAT’S not an answer. Emotion: I know. Person: Then WHY did you say it? Emotion: Something changed. Person: WHAT changed? Emotion: Don’t know. Person: You don’t KNOW what changed? Emotion: I don’t know anything. I'm just here to say,, "Hey!" Person: Hey? Emotion: Hey! Hey! Hey! _________________________________ Person: Okay. Are we in danger? Emotion: Didn’t say that. Person: Are we safe? Emotion: Didn’t say that either. Person: Then WHAT are you saying? Emotion: Hey. Person: You already said that. Emotion: I’m consistent. _________________________________ Person: I give up. What AM I supposed to do with “hey”? Emotion: Above my pay grade. Person: You don’t have a pay grade. Emotion: Exactly. _________________________________ Person: Are you telling me we’re running out of time? Emotion: I’m not a clock. Person: Are the odds bad? Emotion: I’m not a calculator. Person: Are you predicting what’s coming? Emotion: I’m not a weather forecaster. Person: Then what are you? Emotion: Just, "Hey!" _________________________________ Anxiety: Hey. Person: Oh no. Now there’s TWO of you. Anxiety: I’m not TWO. I’m “What if?” Person: What if what? Anxiety: What if…anything. _________________________________ Person: Do YOU know what’s going to happen? Anxiety: No. But I’ve prepared several drafts. Person: Based on what? Facts? Anxiety: NOPE! I don't do facts. Based on memory, imagination, and a strong feeling about your thoughts on Tuesdays. Person: My thoughts? Now this is MY fault? Anxiety: You’re the furnace. I’m just the smoke. Person: Furnace? Is there a fire? Anxiety: Maybe. Maybe not. Don't have a clue. Person: How do I know? Anxiety: That's up to you. _________________________________

Freedom is REALITY. Enslavement is ILLUSION. Action Steps: 1. Name the Thought: Write the exact sentence your mind is using to “chain” you. 2. Fact-Check It: Circle what is objectively true vs. what is your brain predicting. 3. Rebuild It: Replace the prediction with a clear, workable step you can take today. You can’t escape an illusion until you call it one.

Good Day ☀️ Mindset Masterclass! A great way to chart the course for a healthy mindset is plugging into the Masterclass community.. Here’s a couple suggestions: 1) Get engaged with the Mindset community by reading, liking, and replying. This helps unlock higher Masterclass levels, courses, prizes, and features. 2) Use the Masterclass chat feed to bullet point journal your progress, post your WINS, share your thoughts and meanderings. Thinking out loud in chat and getting feedback really can help sculpt your success 3) Don’t do it alone: We’re here to support each other so reach out and check in daily or, better yet, throughout the day. Much more content and amazing 🤩 features on the way so invite your friends and colleagues and social media followers. Here to help, Dr. Heath

It's horrible how society portrays addicts as losers. They are viewed as people who choose to abandon their family and kids just to go on the streets to get high. Addiction is a disease that needs treatment and should be viewed that way. Think of addiction as something like cancer. Can your cancer get better without help? I don't think so. Even if people want to get better, not everybody can afford treatment. Counseling and detox cost money, which many people don't have, especially people who are poor and homeless. And you do have to realize, people who turned to drugs often did it to cope with their problems that they thought were out of their control, which THEN turns into an addiction. Their problem may be mental illness, huge debt, rape, abuse at home, etc. After one gets hooked during the first or second time, it's hard to go back, especially for those without any help. So yeah, lets have some sympathy for these people, shall we