In the first few years of my business, as I was gaining traction and credibility, I started getting asked to do a lot of things. Could I come speak to a class? Could I serve as a judge for a pitch competition? Could I give a talk at a conference? Could someone pick my brain over coffee? Could I donate my time, my expertise, my energy, my ideas? At first, I said yes. To almost all of it. Not because every request was aligned. Not because I had endless capacity. Not because I thoughtfully...

For most of my life, I thought reactivity was productivity. I didn’t call it that at the time, of course. I called it… Being driven. Being responsive. Being efficient. Being passionate. Being ambitious. But underneath all of that was a nervous system that had become deeply accustomed to urgency. A pattern that was quietly undermining my happiness, my success, and my health. And despite knowing better for years, I couldn’t do better. An idea would come to me, and I’d instantly feel the...

Our nervous systems are constantly working for us. Enabling us to type on our computers (or thumb through our phones). Pumping blood throughout our bodies. Making sure we have the right resources for the moment we are facing. In truth, that last part - providing the right resources to face the situation - is an area where we have room for growth. Our autonomic nervous system manages our survival functions. It makes sure we breathe, digest food, distributes oxygen throughout our bodies. And...