BJ Miller, a doctor and triple amputee, defines what it means to be a leader. BJ Miller is a hospice and palliative medicine physician who thinks deeply about how to create a dignified, graceful end of life for his patients. Take the time to savor this moving talk, which asks big questions about how we think on death and honor life.

To watch Miller’s TED Talk: What Really Matters at the End of Life click here.

The Time Square New Year’s Eve ball has officially dropped and it’s now 2017! This year I challenge you to let go of harsh resolutions and explore the idea of being kind to yourself. Not a superficial level of kindness but an authentic, deep kindness where you change how you care for and relate to yourself.

Suggestions:

• Refrain from harsh judgment and criticism toward yourself.
• Unconditionally accept yourself – you are enough.
• Treat yourself like you would treat a good friend. A client of mine found that by doing this she felt better about herself and had more self-confidence.
• Remind yourself that it is perfectly okay to be imperfect. Making mistakes are a normal part of life and that most successes have a backstory of failure.
• Drop the people pleasing and learn to say no so that you can say yes to what matters and is important to you.
• Each day commit to practicing activities that create positive energy and generate a feeling of personal well-being (meditation, yoga, spending time in nature, physical exercise, etc.)
• Spend quality time and break bread with people you easily connect with and are fun to be around.
• Limit and avoid spending time with toxic individuals who drain you.