Have you ever wondered why some people survive in the face of great stress (personal tragedies, demanding jobs, or an abusive home life) while others do not? These survivors share a personality trait called “positive affect.” Positive affect is what happens when a person experiences and expresses positive emotions, including feelings of happiness, joy, enthusiasm, and contentment when faced with challenges. Interestingly,…
Often, we find ourselves needing a fresh start. As kids, our fresh starts would come in the form of “do-overs,” and sometimes we even get them as adults. Unfortunately, though, when given second chances, we often end up repeating the same mistakes we’ve made in the past. One of the key elements of starting over is to learn from our…
I have spoken before about conflict resolution and how we can leverage conflict to help us grow stronger together. I love the quote from Chuck Swindoll that says, “If we confront someone, we should have one goal in mind: restoration, not embarrassment.” As leaders, our job is to empower those we lead and build them up – not stifle them.…
Are you frozen? Chances are pretty good that someone has “frozen” you out at some point in time or that you have chosen to freeze someone else. Not literally, but figuratively. Many times, we choose to freeze people by only remembering them by their mistakes. By doing this, we never grant them the opportunity to change. No one needs to…
From my experience, every SEAL deep down operates on his own moral compass. This compass is comprised of his values, beliefs, and actions. Oftentimes, as SEALs, our moral compasses can become distorted for whatever reasons and when this slow or sudden change occurs, it begins to affect what we value. My moral compass shifted slowly during my first year in…
Lead with gratitude? Phillip, did you mean LIVE with Gratitude? I tell my audience (especially teenagers) that being negative and complaining is contagious. But there is good news. Being grateful and thankful in life is also contagious. Leaders who can lead with gratitude do unseen wonders for their teams. It builds them up, breathes life into long days, and brings…
Few people on this planet know what a true friend is. One who is tender, sacrificial, self-giving, considerate and loving. I consider myself blessed to have a few people I can call true friends. In my “Overcoming Adversity” talk, I touch on the power of a person’s “pack.” When life gets messy and the road unbearable, we need to turn…
Perspective is one of the key elements of making it through BUD/S. It is also one of the key elements in defeating temptation. If a BUD/S candidate can only see (in the midst of misery) his pain and suffering, he will most definitely quit- or DOR (drop on request). When we are faced with a tempting moment, we must see…
Self control plays a vital role in battling temptations. What words come to your mind when you hear the words “self control.” For some of us, we roll our eyes and think of our many failed New Years resolution attempts. For others, words such as “willpower,” “confidence,” and “determination” cross our minds. For me, I build self control one small…
Can I be honest? Temptation sucks. No matter how old you are, how rich or poor you are or what your education level, no one is immune to temptation. All human beings are tempted in one way or another (cheating, quitting, stealing, feeding habits, lying, etc.). The key is not trying to avoid being tempted, but it is HOW we…
