by Joshua Hook | Mar 24, 2019 | Problems
A competitive skier was doing an interview about how he navigated skiing through the trees. Skiing through the trees can be very dangerous. In fact, one of the most common ways that people die when skiing is by hitting a tree. But this guy actually skies into the...
by Joshua Hook | Mar 20, 2019 | Anxiety
Anxiety is a powerful emotion. If you struggle with anxiety, you know what I’m talking about. Maybe you have racing thoughts, and have trouble settling down. Or maybe your heart starts to beat faster, and you feel stressed out. Maybe you struggle to fall asleep...
by Joshua Hook | Feb 13, 2019 | Negotiation
Sometimes in my life, I shy away from negotiation. It makes me feel uncomfortable. I don’t like to make the other person feel bad. Sometimes I don’t even know what I want or what my position is. Here’s the problem: When I shy away from negotiation, I don’t get my...
by Joshua Hook | Jan 30, 2019 | Reaction
We all experience strong emotional reactions from time to time. Something happens in our daily life that triggers us. We feel something (e.g., sadness, anger, fear) and we might also experience a bodily sensation (e.g., face gets flushed, fists clench). We feel a rush...
by Joshua Hook | Jan 28, 2019 | Stress
I recently saw the movie Vice, which chronicles the political life of former Vice President Dick Cheney. What struck me the most about the film was Cheney’s ability to remain remarkably calm in the face of adversity. Heart Attack One scene stood out to me. Cheney is...
by Joshua Hook | Jan 25, 2019 | Failure
The fear of failure is powerful. If we don’t face this fear head-on, it can take our life off course. When I fail, I feel angry and sad. I start to doubt myself and my abilities. Because I don’t like to feel this way, I try to avoid failure. I focus on the...
by Joshua Hook | Jan 20, 2019 | Relationships
My wife and I had another couple over for dinner not too long ago, and we had a great time. It was someone I had met at church. I didn’t know them very well. But we had a good conversation at church, and I thought they might have “friend potential.” So, I reached out...
by Joshua Hook | Dec 30, 2018 | Positive
I have been realizing lately in my life that I say “No” more often than I say “Yes.” Fear and Protection I think my tendency to say no has a lot to do with fear. I want to protect myself. I want to stay safe. I don’t want to get hurt. Although...
by Joshua Hook | Dec 2, 2018 | Waiting
It’s hard to wait well. I was reminded of this the other day. My wife and I went to a restaurant, and there was going to be a long wait before we could get a table. When the hostess told us about the wait, I groaned. “I hate waiting,” I said to my wife. It was hard to...
by Joshua Hook | Nov 28, 2018 | Reaction
Between an impulse and a reaction, there is the space between. That space between is where the difference between success and failure often happens. The Pull to React Sometimes in my life, I blow past the space between and just react to my impulses. For example,...
