Skip to main content

Maria Connolly, LPC Facebook Facebook Facebook

Author: Maria Connolly

Shame Resilience: The Antidote to Shame Is Vulnerability

Written by Maria Connolly. Posted in Emotional Intelligence, Life Skills.

Shame resilience helps you, as you experience shame, to consciously choose supportive emotions instead — connection, empathy, worth, and power.“Owning our story can be hard but not nearly as difficult as spending our lives running from it. Embracing our vulnerabilities is risky but not nearly as dangerous as giving up on love and belonging and joy—the experiences that make us the most vulnerable. Only when we are brave enough to explore the darkness will we discover the infinite power of our light.” ~ Brene Brown

We long to fit in, to belong, to be accepted. Yet this very longing can keep us from making the deep connections we crave, because we’re afraid to be seen, to show our true selves for fear we’ll be rejected. On a deep, very personal level we’ve judged ourselves as unworthy, so we’re ashamed that something about us isn’t acceptable, “normal” or perfect. This shame, this fear of disconnect, is powerful. But we can shine a healing light on it by cultivating vulnerability. Yes, we can build our shame resilience!

Continue reading

The Antidote to Panic — Mindfully Reducing Fight or Flight Response

Written by Maria Connolly. Posted in Controlling Stress.

Mindfulness is Key to Reducing Fight or Flight Stress Response

If you’re hiking in the woods in Oregon and you see the glowing eyes of a cougar, will your heart start racing? Of course it will! The fight or flight stress response kicks in with a vengeance and panic makes you want to run! However, your life depends on getting a grip on your panic and courageously standing your ground, maintaining eye contact, and raising your arms to make yourself appear bigger and noisier to scare the big cat off.

Continue reading

Overcoming Imposter Syndrome with Curiosity

Written by Maria Connolly. Posted in Positive Mindset.

Overcoming imposter syndrome takes nonjudgmental curiosity to mindfully examine and explore your thoughts, emotions and reactions to learn from them.Do you sometimes feel like you’re not what other people think you are, that you’ve got them fooled, that they’re not seeing how limited you are? When insecurities and self-doubt trigger these thoughts, it’s a phenomenon known as imposter syndrome and many highly successful people have experienced it. The good news is overcoming imposter syndrome takes an attitude of curiosity. Really, could it be so simple? 

Continue reading

Excellence is a Habit that Prevents Self-Defeating Beliefs and Behavior

Written by Maria Connolly. Posted in Life Skills, Self-Leadership Skills, Stepping Forward.

When excellence is a habit, your preferred way of being, your goals will be easier to attain and your quality of life improves dramatically.“We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.” ~ Will Durant

Habit is one of the strongest forces in our lives. And that’s a good thing because if you had to stop and make a brand new decision about every little thing in life, you’d never make it out of bed, let alone get to work. While most habits are behaviors that save you a great deal of time, not all habits are helpful. Some actually get in your way of making progress toward desired goals. However, if mindfully striving for excellence becomes your overriding habit — your preferred way of being — then your other habits will be beneficial. Yes, the quest for excellence is a habit that feeds success!

Continue reading

75 Powerful Reflection Prompts that Unlock Missing, Hidden Wisdom Every Person Needs

Written by Maria Connolly. Posted in Mindfulness, Self-Leadership Skills.

Tell your brain what to remember or forget by mindfully and intentionally using these Reflection Prompts daily to assess and learn from each experience."Without reflection, we go blindly on our way, creating more unintended consequences, and failing to achieve anything useful." ~ Margaret J. Wheatley

Imagine that everything you’ve ever experienced has been wiped from your memory. How lost would you feel? On the other hand, what if your brain was constantly flooded by every sensation you’ve experienced? It would be an unbearable overload! So we can be thankful that the brain does daily sorting, filing, and clearing. Understanding that this happens gives us an edge, if we use it mindfully! We can influence the brain by telling it what to keep and what to discard through a practice of reflection. But reflection takes time and effort and it doesn’t come easily to everyone, so I’d like to share some reflection prompts that will get you started.

Continue reading

Let's get started with 30 free minutes

I invite you to learn more about me and my coaching and counseling services. Please contact me to schedule an “It starts with you!” 30-minute complimentary consultation with me, in-person, by phone or via video consultation, so we can explore our partnership.

SCHEDULE

How to Step Forward to a Future You've Created

Discover how to replace your old, self-limiting map with a new map full of possibilities for the future

DOWNLOAD YOUR FREE INTRO TO STEPPING FORWARD TODAY!