Interview on Creating Wealth Show & Dealing with Mental Theater

I enjoyed talking with Jason Hartman on his Creating Wealth Show a few weeks ago. Click here to listen to the podcast. Jason saw my interview in SUCCESS Magazine and was interested in learning more about the Smart Zone.

We talked about emotional intelligence and how to stay in the Smart Zone. We also talked quite a bit about mental theater. Have you ever been in a fight with your husband and he doesn't know it? This is mental theater. It's when we create drama in our heads so that it seems an event actually happened. Here are examples of destructive forms of mental theater:

• In a work environment, a manager may perceive that his boss is upset with him because he doesn't make eye contact with him while they are talking. So the manager proceeds to relate to his boss as if there really is a disagreement.


• An assistant may believe that a co-worker who is whispering is talking about her behind her back. The assistant then becomes hostile as if there has been a breach of trust.


• A wife may believe that her husband is having an affair because he is too friendly with the attractive woman next door. She then begins to treat him as if he's been unfaithful.

Ask yourself these 4 questions to work in the Smart Zone and course correct negative drama that can get out of hand.

1. Is my thinking based on fact?


2. Does my thinking help me achieve my goal?


3. Does my thinking help me feel the way I want to feel?


4. How can I change my mental theater to create a win-win situation?

Keep in mind that YOU are in charge of your own mental theater. When you have only part of a story resist the urge to fill in the blanks. Chapter 8 of my book, Working in the Smart Zone, expands on this topic if you would like to learn more.

Getting Your Head Straight and Loading the Wagon

I was recently a presenter for the Association of Equipment Manufacturers in Scottsdale Arizona. It was a beautiful place at the Kierland Westin Resort. I was asked to present twice, with one of the presentations during lunchtime for some of the key leaders in the organization. The audience was mostly made up of men who travel internationally and bring high level management skills to their organizations. I always collect little tidbits of information during events like this and this event was no different.

At the end of the presentation and after the group that gathered around me disappated, a nice man handed me a piece of paper and gave me a smile. He proceded to tell me that he felt my message was smack on target for their industry and for the challenges they faced as managers.

"Don't worry about the mule going blind, just load the wagon" was written on the piece of paper. From my presentation he knew I understood this idea and believed that I would like it. I do and I believe you will too.

This well educated gentleman has read many business books, has very knowledgeable mentors and this statement guides him almost daily has he moves his business forward. This is a tidbit worth sharing as I hear from many of you that you don't want to get distracted by the economy, performance issues, and some uncertainty in your future. Stay in the Smart Zone and concentrate on loading the wagon. I hope you find this helpful and thanks to the man with the smile.

Until One Is Committed, There Is Hesitancy

I've recently rediscovered a quote I had forgotten. "Until one is committed, there is hesitancy...Boldness has genius, power and magic in it." by Goethe.

Finding this quote again was timely as I make bold choices moving forward in business and in my personal life. With the January 2008 release of Working in the Smart Zone, our second book, we have experienced a very exciting surge in the work we are doing to keep people and companies working with Emotional Intelligence and Trust. Our commitment is strong as we move forward, without hesitation, making a difference in organizations with our consulting and in families with the clinical practice.

As my own family commitments continue to rise, I have worked to remain intentional and present in the lives of our three boys and in my marriage. After all, now that they are in eight grade, fifth grade, and third grade, homework and projects take more energy and attention than they have in the past. As my husband and I look ahead to being married longer than some of our friends, we continue to be reminded that a good marriage doesn't just happen by chance. It takes work and attention to negotiate the challenges. Being committed to making it work, without hesitation, on a daily basis has it's rewards.

We have heard from many of you that the economy, gas prices, difficult work environments, changes in company leaders, and worry have made it difficult to create the kind of change that would increase the bottom line. What we see is that there is no better time to be in the Smart Zone, where people can work to the best of their ability emotionally, intellectually, and behaviorally.

Write this where you can see it "Until one is committed, there is hesitancy...Boldness has genius, power and magic in it." Now go forward, without hesitation and be in the Smart Zone.