I tell myself that I love a good challenge--and this is true if it's in an area where I feel either competent or excited about or both! But is it less true if those factors don't exist? Maybe. How much of a challenge is it really if it's still kind of in my comfort zone? Many people wait to feel ready before they take on something difficult. But readiness is usually the reward we get after doing the hard thing, not before. Challenges stretch our minds, expand our emotional bandwidth, and reshape our brains for the better. 🧠 Here comes the nerdy stuff!! I love it so much though: What's at work? 1. Prefrontal Cortex: This part of the brain supports planning, decision making and emotional regulation. Hard tasks strengthen this region, improving self control and long term thinking. Executive functioning skills here we come! 2. Anterior mid Cingulate Cortex: This region is activated when we face conflict, discomfort or uncertainty. It helps ups with building cognitive flexibility and grit. It helps us survive! 3. Hippocampus: Challenges promote neuroplasticity which supports learning, memory and resilience. Pushing your limits in manageable doses helps this area 4. Dopamine System: Completing difficult tasks triggers reward pathways. This builds confidence, motivation and a sense of mastery. It reinforces the message that you can do hard things and survive. And who doesn't want a little dopamine hit here and there? Taking on challenges creates internal shifts like learning we can handle discomfort, our ability to tolerate uncertainty increases, we build a sense of self trust, we start believing that we are capable, we become less reactive under pressure and stress becomes more like information rather than danger. ⚡ Why It Matters A life without challenge feels safe, but it also keeps us small and not growing. A life with challenge feels uncomfortable but we end up growing and helping ourselves down the line. We do not grow by staying within the edges of what you already know, but rather by stepping into a level of difficulty that activates your brain, stretches your identity and builds capacity you did not know you had. :) Pretty cool stuff, right? :) :)

I hope this helps some of your crew @Georgiana D I know this has been such a confusing topic for so many of my people, on skool And in person! https://open.substack.com/pub/joshhaag/p/bulking-vs-cutting-the-no-bs-guide?r=4bjill&utm_medium=ios

@Lisa Vanderveen has been part of my journey since the beginning stages of this skool community. Her gentle (not to be confused with weakness!) approach is grounding. Here are the two groups she has: identity -For Kingdom Focused business women ready to break performance driven cycles, have peace in their home and build the business God has assigned them. (i like this space for grounding in faith) network-for community builders on skool.

🌿The Benefits of Wonder and Awe for Your Well Being Last night it was snowing and before getting into my car to drive home, I just looked up. The light was hitting the snow just perfectly and it felt like I was in a sparkling snowglobe...and there was this small moment of joy and warmth. The cold didn't hit in the same way, it felt more energizing than deathly feeling. One look up and the moment shifted from my inner dialogue saying "ugh...i hate the cold so much to "wow, it sure is beautiful out here. How cool that I get to experience this". A moment of awe and noticing the beauty in something shifted the inner experience. Awe and wonder-the moments that make your brain go "Wow" and your nervous system soften. It brings on a sense of joy and gratitude. Psychologically, wonder and awe acts like a reset button. Studies show that a sense of awe can and do reduce stress markers, lower inflammation and support healthier cell functioning. When you experience awe your body releases chemicals that calm the threat system and activate the part of the nervous system that restores and repairs. Wonder has a sense of curiosity attached to it and awe also expands your sense of time and increases feelings of meaning which boosts overall emotional well-being. Awe also shifts your perspective. It shrinks the inner critic and enlarges the sense of connection with a bigger world. So how do we engage with it more often? You do not need a mountaintop (though, if you have one, go!). You need intentional attention. Here are some strategies: ✨ Seek micro wonder. Tiny pieces of beauty count. The pattern on a leaf. A song that hits your chest. A cloud in the sky :) A snowflake up close. The up-close look in someone's eyes (make sure they're okay with it! ha) ✨ Slow your pace. The nervous system needs a little margin to take in what is around you. Take a few grounding breaths and look around. One of my favorite books has the phrase "look up" in it--pointing to the idea of looking outside of selves.

The Balcony View-Gaining Perspective Without Disconnecting The "balcony view" is a psychological skill that often gets overlooked and is underutilized IMHO, yet it can change the entire tone of how we respond to stress and heightened emotion situations. Instead of getting swept up in the heat of the moment, this is an opportunity to mentally step up to a higher perspective and look at the situation like you are watching it unfold from above. This creates just enough distance to think more clearly. Nerd Alert (some science behind it): The balcony view works because it activates metacognition (awareness of our own thoughts/thinking) and recruits areas of the prefrontal cortex that support reflection, emotional regulation, and decision making. The ventromedial prefrontal cortex calms the fear (fight/flight/freeze/fawn ) response. The anterior cingulate cortex helps shift attention so you can see the bigger picture instead of fixating on the trigger. This is very different from dissociation. Dissociation pulls you into fog and detachment. The balcony view pulls you into clarity and a level of control/intentionality. It's a strategic shift so that emotions are there to inform but not to be in the driver's seat. It's a way to increase emotional intelligence and when engaged it has the potential to diffuse heightened situations. How to do it: To practice it, take a deep breath and pause before reacting Imagine yourself taking a few mental steps upward (as if climbing to get the balcony view of a play) and then watch the scene as if it were happening on a stage. Notice the facts, the emotions, and the choices available. No judgment--if there are judgments, notice them as such. The point of this is to just observe the situation and gather information. The more you use it, the easier it becomes to respond with clarity instead of impulse. (and a resource on processing emotions :) ). What are your strategies for making space for and honoring your emotions but not letting them rule in a conflict?