The DASH Mindset Podcast

We all judge. Other people. Situations. Ourselves. Most of the time, we don't even realize we're doing it. Our brains take the little bit of information we have and quickly decide what it means. And sometimes that judgment turns into certainty. In this episode, I start with a ridiculously clever comeback from Alice Cooper involving long hair, a wooden leg, and an Australian interviewer who wasn't known for his tact. Then we get into something we ALL do…make judgments based on very limited information. I share the psychology behind the fundamental attribution error, why we're so much better at explaining our own behavior than someone else's, and what happens when “this is how I'm experiencing this person” becomes “this is who this person IS.” Because having a judgment isn't really the problem. Believing our first interpretation is the whole story can be. And this applies to how we judge ourselves, too. So rather than trying to become a completely nonjudgmental human…we'll talk about getting better at noticing the judgments we're already making and creating enough space to ask…What did I actually observe...and what did I add? And maybe...What else could be true? Also, my new small-group experience, Navigate Your DASH, begins at the end of September. If you're ready to better understand yourself, what you truly want, and some of the patterns driving your experience, check it out… Learn more about Navigate Your Dash: Navigate Your Dash...the details Here’s where you can find me… Learn more about working with me at The DASH Mindset. Connect with me on LinkedIn. Have an idea for a future episode? I’d love to hear it! If you love The DASH Mindset Podcast, I’d be so grateful if you’d leave a quick rating and review.  On iTunes, scroll down, tap to give five stars, and hit “Write a Review.”  On Spotify, just select “Rate Show.”  Your support helps more people lead their lives…and lead others…in a meaningful way.

When someone does something that makes absolutely no sense to us, it’s easy to jump straight to some version of...What is WRONG with you? But what if we got curious instead? In this episode, I share one simple question that can completely change how we respond to other people, ourselves, and the situations we don’t fully understand: What am I missing? We’re constantly filling in gaps with our own interpretations...what someone meant, why they behaved a certain way, what their actions say about them, or even what our own behavior says about us. And then we respond to those interpretations as though they’re facts. But what we can see is rarely the whole story. I talk about how this creates unnecessary friction in our relationships and work, why we’re often halfway through fixing a problem before we actually understand it, and how asking better questions can give us access to information we might otherwise miss. Because... Curiosity gives us access to information that certainty does not. And this applies to how we see ourselves, too. Before deciding you need to be more disciplined, more consistent, or simply try harder...what might you be missing? Sometimes the answer really IS to get off your butt and do the thing.  But sometimes there’s something underneath the behavior that’s worth understanding first. In this episode, I also share more about Navigate Your Dash, my new small-group experience starting at the end of September. We’ll explore ourselves, the people around us, and the patterns shaping how we experience life and work...not so we can find more things to fix, but so we can better understand what’s actually happening and navigate it differently. Learn more about Navigate Your Dash: Navigate Your Dash...the details ATD Hawkeye Chapter Conference on September 30th in my session, Teams from the Inside Out: Creating Shared Context for Greater Impact. Learn more and register for the conference: ATD Hawkeye Chapter Conference The next time you find yourself thinking, What is wrong with you?...or What is wrong with me?...try interrupting that thought with a different question: What am I missing? That little bit of curiosity might just change what happens next. Here’s where you can find me… Learn more about working with me at The DASH Mindset. Connect with me on LinkedIn. Have an idea for a future episode? I’d love to hear it! If you love The DASH Mindset Podcast, I’d be so grateful if you’d leave a quick rating and review.  On iTunes, scroll down, tap to give five stars, and hit “Write a Review.”  On Spotify, just select “Rate Show.”  Your support helps more people lead their lives…and lead others…in a meaningful way.

What do you do when someone you love is going through something that isn't going to be "fixed"? When life changes permanently…through illness, loss, disability, divorce, grief, or another life-altering circumstance…we often want so badly to help. But sometimes the most loving support isn't what we instinctively think it is. In this conversation with Laura Bratton, we move beyond Laura's incredible story of losing her sight as a teenager (discussed in Episode 62), and we explore what her family did that empowered her to build a meaningful, independent life...and what all of us can learn from their example. Laura shares practical wisdom for anyone supporting a loved one through difficult circumstances, reminding us that while we can't always change someone's situation, we can help them remember who they are beyond it. In this episode, we discuss: Why your identity should never become your struggle. How to remind people of who they still are…not just what they're going through. The difference between empowering someone and enabling them. Why giving people choices is one of the greatest gifts we can offer. How Laura's parents balanced compassion with accountability. Why supporting someone doesn't mean sacrificing your own well-being. The importance of asking for help…and accepting it. Letting go of other people's judgments when supporting those you love. Why laughter can be one of the most healing tools we have. The power of gratitude, even when life feels incredibly hard. Why you don't always have to talk about the hard thing. Practical ways to support someone without making assumptions about what they need. One of my favorite reminders from Laura…"Empowerment is an act of love." This conversation is filled with wisdom for parents, spouses, friends, caregivers, leaders, and anyone walking alongside someone facing a difficult season. Whether you're the one struggling or the one trying to help, I hope it reminds you that none of us has to navigate life's hardest moments alone. If this episode encouraged you, I'd love for you to share it with someone who could use it. You never know who might need the reminder that they're more than what they're going through. About Laura At the age of nine, Laura was diagnosed with an eye disease and faced the difficult reality that she would become blind. Over the next ten years she experienced the traumatic transition of adjusting to life without sight.  Laura adjusted to her new normal and was able to move forward in life as she graduated from Arizona State University with a BA in psychology. She then was the first blind student to receive her Masters of Divinity from Princeton Theological Seminary.   She is the author of the book, Harnessing Courage. Laura founded Ubi Global, which is an organization that provides speaking and coaching to empower all people to overcome challenges and obstacles with grit and gratitude. Here’s where you can find Laura… Website: https: laurabratton.com Video Highlight Reel: Speaker Reel And here’s where you can find me… Learn more about working with me at The DASH Mindset. Connect with me on LinkedIn. Have an idea for a future episode? I’d love to hear it! If you love The DASH Mindset Podcast, I’d be so grateful if you’d leave a quick rating and review.  On iTunes, scroll down, tap to give five stars, and hit “Write a Review.”  On Spotify, just select “Rate Show.”  Your support helps more people lead their lives…and lead others…in a meaningful way.  

In our last episode, we talked about chasing happiness. This week, I want to answer the question that naturally follows... If happiness isn't the goal, what is? As high-achievers, we often worry that if we become content, we'll stop growing. That appreciating what we have somehow means settling for less. But what if contentment and complacency aren't the same thing? What if accepting where you are isn't about giving up...but about gaining the clarity to intentionally create what comes next? In this episode, I explore the difference between happiness and fulfillment, why so many of us postpone gratitude until the next milestone, and how acceptance, contentment, and congruence work together to create a life that actually fits. What We Explore Happiness vs fulfillment...Why happiness is a feeling that comes and goes, while fulfillment has more staying power because it's rooted in meaning and alignment. Contentment isn't complacency...Why appreciating where you are doesn't mean you've stopped growing…and why "this is enough right now" is very different from "this is enough forever." Acceptance creates clarity...How acknowledging reality isn't settling. It's the starting point for intentional growth. Congruence...Why fulfillment comes from creating a life that fits…one that's aligned with your values, priorities, strengths, and definition of success. Questions to Consider Are you chasing happiness...or creating fulfillment? Where have you been postponing appreciation until the next milestone? And perhaps the biggest question of all... Does this fit? Does this relationship fit? Does this role fit? Does this goal fit? Does this version of success fit? And here’s where you can find me… Learn more about working with me at The DASH Mindset. Connect with me on LinkedIn. Have an idea for a future episode? I’d love to hear it! If you love The DASH Mindset Podcast, I’d be so grateful if you’d leave a quick rating and review.  On iTunes, scroll down, tap to give five stars, and hit “Write a Review.”  On Spotify, just select “Rate Show.”  Your support helps more people better understand themselves and one another so they can create more meaningful, fulfilling lives and work together more effectively.

It's mid-June, and I've already declared it a long summer. Our boys have been out of school for three weeks, and at this point, my parenting goal is for them to maintain literacy until school starts again in August. I genuinely love having them home, and it's been a long summer. Both can be true…And one of the biggest traps we fall into as humans is thinking they can’t be. We're told to pursue happiness. We think we need to find it, choose it, and protect it...as if happiness is a destination to be reached. But what if the expectation of being happy all the time is actually what keeps us unhappy? In this episode, I explore why we struggle to hold two seemingly opposite truths at the same time. That if we're grateful, we shouldn't feel annoyed. If we're happy, we shouldn't feel sad. If we love our kids, we shouldn't be frustrated by them. But what if the problem isn't that we experience both? What if the problem is that we expect ourselves not to? What We Explore The myth of permanent happiness…Why happiness isn't a destination and why expecting it to be can create unnecessary suffering. The second layer of suffering…How we turn normal human emotions into problems by judging ourselves for experiencing them. Package deals…Why the things we value most often come bundled with both rewards and challenges. The power of "and"...How it can shift the way we think about gratitude, frustration, joy, sadness, and everything in between. Being human…Why experiencing opposite emotions doesn't mean something is wrong. It means you're alive. Questions to Consider Where are you making yourself wrong for being human? What emotion have you been resisting, judging, or trying to eliminate? And what if it's not evidence that something is wrong? What if it's simply part of the package? Here’s where you can find me… Learn more about working with me at The DASH Mindset. Connect with me on LinkedIn. Have an idea for a future episode? I’d love to hear it! If you love The DASH Mindset Podcast, I’d be so grateful if you’d leave a quick rating and review.  On iTunes, scroll down, tap to give five stars, and hit “Write a Review.”  On Spotify, just select “Rate Show.”  Your support helps more people lead their lives…and lead others…in a meaningful way.