Train Your Brain for Success and Long-term Health

You Can Strengthen Cognitive Performance

Dr. Daniel Amen has spent decades studying brain health through extensive clinical imaging and research. His work emphasizes a powerful idea: your brain can improve. Cognitive clarity, emotional stability, and long-term neurological health are not fixed traits. They are trainable capacities.

For leaders operating under sustained pressure, brain health directly impacts judgment, focus, and resilience.

Practical Brain-Strengthening Habits

Practice slow diaphragmatic breathing during stress to increase oxygen flow and calm the nervous system.
Meditate daily, even for 10 minutes, to improve focus and emotional regulation.
Choose antioxidant-rich foods over refined sugar to support cognitive function.
Limit exposure to environmental toxins when possible.
Eat nutrient-dense foods, including legumes and whole foods.
Prioritize at least seven hours of restorative sleep in a cool, dark, device-free room.
Use nature walks to interrupt negative thought cycles and restore perspective.
Get morning sunlight to support circadian rhythm and improve sleep quality.
Use music intentionally to regulate energy and mood.
Practice guided visualization techniques to reduce stress and tension.

Your brain influences every decision you make. Investing in brain health strengthens clarity, improves resilience, and supports sustained performance.

If cognitive fatigue and stress are becoming chronic, explore structured approaches to prevent burnout, strengthen recovery through the Leadership Resilience System, and apply practical stress management strategies.

Train your brain. Protect your clarity. Lead with intention.

Tap into a Sense of Wonder

Last night, my husband and I celebrated an annual wonder tradition- driving around looking at twinkling holiday lights. A church in St. Augustine has a fantastic light show accompanied by music. Dozens of different scenes are captured in lights, including the nativity, and then at least 6 gorgeous trees change color in time with Amazing Grace. It never ceases to create a sense of awe inside me. And gratitude.

Looking at photos of animals of different species loving each other does the same thing. So does spending time in nature and watching the majesty of a coral hued sunset. What creates awe and a sense of wonder for you?

Awe and wonder are part of innocence. Spend time with a young child this season and you will capture it. It connects us back to something greater than ourselves and fills us with appreciation. What can you do to connect with wonder?

Wishing you a glorious holiday season and a terrific new year. And if you want to join me for my Jan. 12 workshop, the discount ends tomorrow.

Happy Holidays!

Snowden

Imagine a year of success, prosperity, joy, and excellent good health. In this highly interactive, fun, and informative workshop, you’ll learn how to:

• identify what you truly want to happen in 2019
• create a compelling vision of your success
• develop realistic, measurable goals & chunk them into achievable steps
• track your successes easily in a way that makes you feel terrific
• overcome limitations and negative self talk!
• stay Fired Up! even when you get discouraged
• tap into physical anchors to re-energize yourself daily
• use a dream collage to stay focused on achievement
• maintain long-term success with Fired Up! Accountability Circles

We’ll cap off the program by getting started on our own dream collages and share lunch at Bonefish Grill.

“I can’t tell you how much value I get from Snowden’s programs. Her excellent speeches and terrific audios are filled with great information and authentic motivation.?She has a way of tackling complex issues and providing clear, practical and easy to implement strategies which make you feel great, renewed and empowered. I love her work.” Anne Urban, Owner, Destination Planning, Center Stage, and Florida Wedding Supplies

“Snowden’s workshops, speeches, books and products have made such a difference in my life. Her incredible wisdom, backed by research, and her warm, inspirational, interactive approach make learning fun. Her material is so useful; I have applied it throughout the years and it has truly helped my career. You don’t want to miss out – register for any of her programs today.” Christina Elmore, Vice President, Fidelity Bank

Date: January 12,2019
Time: 10:00-2:00pm
Place: Bonefish Grill, San Jose Blvd. Jacksonville,Fl
Registration: $149 per person;
save $50 if you register by Dec. 20, 2018
(Discount will show on the cart page)
All materials for collage included; lunch is paid by each person
REGISTER HERE: [add_to_cart item=”Jan.2019 workshop” quantity=”user:1″ text=”Register Today” ]
Call 904-200-6995 to register or for group discounts

Your Personal SWOT Analysis

Once a year, at least, take the time to assess where you are in your life, in all key areas: mental, physical, financial, spiritual, relationships, family. Take note of improvements you want to make and changes that need to happen.

As we approach the end of another year, we do all sorts of planning and strategizing about our work and companies. But what about a personal assessment of where you are? Consider doing a SWOT analysis of your own life.
As a reminder, SWOT stands for Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats. Take a few hours on your own to do this. Here’s how:

Strengths:

• What strengths have you developed this year? Acknowledge areas where you have grown and expanded your capabilities. Reflect on personal and professional successes and what was required to achieve them. Which strengths did you employ? What 3 areas you would like to develop more? Include those in your plan for 2019.

Weaknesses:

• Where have you fallen short, personally and professionally? Which emotions or self-destructive habits have sabotaged your achievements? Are you impatient, quick to judge, self-critical? Do you procrastinate or linger in indecision? Pick 3 weaknesses you choose to change in 2019.

Opportunities:

• Consider the roads not taken. What personal and professional opportunities you have denied yourself? Is there a course you want to take? Is there a hobby you want to pursue? Is there some place you want to travel? Set an intention for 2019 to take advantage of those opportunities.

Threats:

• What threatens your happiness and success? It might be your health or not taking care of yourself. It might be your negative self-talk or attitude. It might be a lack of support. It might be the people you are spending your time with. Resolve to do something about those threats to ensure you have a great 2019.

You have the chance to make 2019 an incredible year. You are in control of your destiny and you are extraordinary. You deserve a great new year. Make it happen.

If you enjoyed this newsletter, please share it with others. Sign up for tips on success, employee retention, productivity, and stress relief. http://www.firedupnow.com/kindlings

image from Dreamstime stock photography

Who Do You Want to Be in 2019?

Creating a New and Improved You!

One of the great things about the new year is you get to start fresh. Whether it’s sculpting a new physique, starting a new project at work or taking some courses for a future dream, the new year signifies change and reinvention. So who do you want to be in 2019?

Start with who you are now. If you haven’t taken my personal SWOT analysis, you may want to do that now. Go here.

Then ask yourself these questions:

• What do I want to be different in my life? Think about:
Health, Fitness, Career, Friends, Family, Relationship, Money, Spirituality, Stress, Mental Stimulation, Community Involvement, Learning

• What do I love about my life and want to create more of? Consider body, mind, spirit, and what you would like to add.

• Who do you most admire and want to emulate? Could you meet them and pick their brains? Now mull over the fact that you probably share many of their qualities and you have something great to offer them, too.

• What strengths do you have that you could develop further?

• How happy are you on a day to day basis?

• How stressed are you on a day to day basis?

Now what’s your plan for achieving that change or improvement? If you’re not sure what to do next or how to proceed, join me on Jan. 12 from 10-2 in Jacksonville, Florida for Get Fired Up! for Success in 2019!

Imagine a year of success, prosperity, joy, and excellent good health. In this highly interactive, fun, and informative workshop, you’ll learn how to:

We’ll cap off the program by getting started on our own dream collages and share lunch at Bonefish Grill.

Date: January 12,2019
Time: 10:00-2:00pm
Place: Bonefish Grill, San Jose Blvd. Jacksonville,Fl
Registration: $149 per person;
save $50 if you register by Dec. 20, 2018
(Discount will show on the cart page)
All materials for collage included; lunch is paid by each person
REGISTER HERE: [add_to_cart item=”Jan.2019 workshop” quantity=”user:1″ text=”Register Today” ]
Call 904-200-6995 to register or for group discounts

Kindness : Good for the Giver & the Receiver

You Can Touch Lives with One Small Acts of Kindness

It’s World Kindness Day and that’s a great reminder that being kind can change lives, in small but powerful ways. Indeed, research shows that kindness is great for both giver and receiver and it tends to multiply and expand. Resilient leaders look for opportunities to give back, to experience satisfaction in the face of our daily stresses.

I remember being in line in the grocery store and a woman and I chatted about a specific cookbook for sale. She looked at it longingly and said her children would love making those recipes. I saw her count out small change for her limited groceries, and decided to buy her the cookbook. She was stunned, but very grateful. I told her to have a wonderful time with her children – that thinking about it made me smile. It made us both feel good.

Kindness is also good for your health. Here’s how:

Empathy towards strangers increases the oxytocin (feel good hormone) in your body by 47%! (Claremont Graduate University study) This lowers your blood pressure and helps your heart function better.
Being kind at least once a week increases your happiness.
Kindness and empathy reduce inflammation in your body, by its impact on your vagus nerve.
Kindness is contagious. People tend to pay acts of kindness forward, such as when someone pays for your toll on the highway. The tendency is you pay for the next person, etc., etc.
A poignant example in the NE Journal of Medicine: a 28 year old donated a kidney at a clinic. It created a ripple effect where the loved ones of kidney recipients donated one of theirs to others waiting for a kidney. The ‘domino effect’, spanned the entire United States, with 10 people receiving a new kidney thanks to that anonymous donor.

Here are a few ways you can demonstrate kindness:

Pay for someone’s parking meter, buy someone a cup of coffee, put a post it note with kind words on someone’s desk, sweep your neighbor’s walkway, give sincere and specific praise, carry an elderly person’s groceries to their car, let someone into traffic, cuddle animals at a shelter, say thank you to the maintenance crew, smile. There are infinite ways to be kind to others, and it can make your day as well as theirs.

If you enjoyed this please share it with others. Sign up for tips on success, productivity, presentation skills and stress relief. https://www.firedupnow.com/kindlings

©2018, Snowden McFall,
All Rights Reserved You may reprint with full credit and permission.
e: orders@firedupnow.com
w: https://www.firedupnow.com

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Boost Your Productivity in 3 Quick Steps

Distractions are Everywhere; Productivity Suffers

In screaming color, moving fast, making noise, distractions fly across your computer screen, your phone, your office such that it’s tough to concentrate and maximize your productivity. In fact, new research from the book, Hyperfocus by Chris Bailey, says most people focus on one thing for 40 seconds and get distracted. Then it takes you 50% longer to get back to work and between 25-27 minutes to return to thoughtful concentration. Learning to protect focus and attention is a foundational part of leadership resilience, especially in a world designed to fragment it.

So how do you turn off the distractions and amp up resilience under pressure?

Psychologist Larry Rosen says most of us check our phones every 15 minutes. Change your settings on your phone so that everything is grayscale. The phone is much less distracting without color and movement happening. Also- when you really need to focus, turn off your phone completely and turn off any alerts on your computer. 60-90 minutes of uninterrupted work means you are getting things done. Productivity goes up!

2. Disconnect at night- say between 8 pm and whenever you wake up. Turn your phone off or put in airplane mode. You will focus more on your family and loved ones, and you will sleep better without the blue light wreaking havoc with your brain.

3. Track your time for a whole week. Record somehow- whether using an app or a timesheet for every 10 minutes of every day. You’ll probably discover you’re spending way too much time on social media and not nearly enough time with your loved ones. One woman discovered she spent much too much time cleaning her house and got an automated vacuum. Really study your sheet at the end of the week. Are you doing what you want to do in your day? What could you eliminate to boost your productivity and also have more time for fun?

Focus means letting go of distractions. It requires awareness, discipline and choice. Years ago, Barbara Sher had a phrase that I love: “I’m choosing between the best and the best in my life.” So not choosing between the bad and the good, or the good and the better, but the best and the best. You can make the same choice.

If you enjoyed this please share it with others. Sign up for tips on success, productivity, presentation skills and stress relief. https://www.firedupnow.com/kindlings

©2018, Snowden McFall,
All Rights Reserved You may reprint with full credit and permission.
e: orders@firedupnow.com
w: https://www.firedupnow.com

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Is Lack of Trust Costing You Business?

“Lack of trust is your biggest business expense.” David Horsager

“Trust, Not Money, is the Currency of Business and Life”

Think about it. What products do you buy consistently? Why? Because you trust that they will deliver their promise every time. And what happens when they don’t? You change products and they lose your business. The same is true for everything in your life. When someone you respect breaks agreements with you, you no longer trust them.

Growing your trust edge is one of the best ways to get more business, grow your clientele, sustainable leadership performance, and improve your life. So how do you do that?

In his book, the Trust Edge, David Horsager describes 8 qualities of trustworthiness, all of which can be developed and honed. These include:

• Clarity- people trust the clear and mistrust the ambiguous

• Compassion– people trust those who demonstrate caring for others

• Character– people value those who do the right thing rather than the easy thing

• Competency – people have confidence in those who stay current and knowledgeable in their industry

• Commitment– people believe in those who are reliable and steadfast through adversity

• Connection– people want to follow and do business with those they like and have a relationship with

• Contribution– people want to work with those who get results

• Consistency– people love to see small things done consistently; it builds trust.

As you work on growing your business, spend time thinking about how you can develop each of these qualities, both in yourself and in your culture. The way you train your employees in how they deliver goods and services can make a huge difference. Do they meet their deadlines consistently? Do they treat others well with compassion and caring? Do they have clarity about exactly what they’re supposed to do for whom by when? Do they know what they’re doing? All of these qualities are key to building trust internally and externally. You can cultivate greater trust in your organization and it will pay off in countless ways.

“Trust multiplies influence and impact.” David Horsager

If you enjoyed this please share it with others. Sign up for tips on success, productivity, presentation skills and stress relief. https://www.firedupnow.com/kindlings

©2019, Snowden McFall,
All Rights Reserved You may reprint with full credit and permission.
e: smcfall@firedupnow.com
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Avoid 5 of The Biggest Public Speaking Mistakes

Don’t Be That Speaker

Fire up your public speaking skills — © Can Stock Photo / AndreyPopov

Conferences, workshops, company meetings. We’ve all been to presentations that did not fulfill expectations. The speaker doesn’t deliver, his content falls flat, and everyone is disappointed, feeling like they wasted their time. When you’re asked to present for whatever reason, don’t be that speaker. Strong presentation skills are essential for leaders, executives, and professionals who need to influence, inspire, and communicate with clarity under pressure.

Here are the key mistakes to avoid in public speaking

Being Boring. There’s nothing worse than a dry, monotone speaker who has zero enthusiasm. Avoid that by getting excited about your content, by varying your pitch, speech rate, volume and vocal tone. Your energy and passion is contagious: show it and fire up your audience.

2. Relying on AV. “Death by PowerPoint,” means standing there and reading your slides. If you must use slides, have big photos and very few words. Use funny slides. Videos are great, but audio can fail. Let your material stand on its own. 3. Letting Anxiety Win Everyone gets nervous- effective speakers convert that adrenaline into steady energy and confident presence. Instead of giving into the nerves, do this: • Breathe deeply from the belly • Swallow rather than clearing your throat • Shrug your shoulder and roll your neck • Smile and realize everyone wants you to succeed • Practice and “own” your message • Visualize a successful outcome – Believe in the value you offer 4. No eye contact and no smiles. Audiences don’t trust speakers who won’t look them in the eye. Smiling at people shows you’re confident. 5. No audience involvement. Today’s audiences have very short attention spans, and if they can look at their phones while you’re speaking, they will. Engage them every 10 minutes. Use dyads, small groups, ask questions, do surveys, play games. Get them on their feet engaging with your material. Sooner or later, almost every professional has to do public speaking. Know your content well, practice, get the nerves out before you go on, and smile. Get everyone involved, having fun, and they are sure to remember you and your message – in a good way. Snowden has delivered professional keynote talks and corporate presentations for more than 25 years, and also works with leaders who want to strengthen their presentation confidence and audience impact. Contact her at 904-200-6995 or email her at orders@firedupnow.com to schedule your session.

If you enjoyed this please share it with others. Sign up for tips on success, productivity, presentation skills and stress relief. https://www.firedupnow.com/kindlings ©2018, Snowden McFall, All Rights Reserved You may reprint with full credit and permission. e: orders@firedupnow.com w: https://www.firedupnow.com

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Coping with Natural Disasters

Overcoming Fear and Worry and Moving Into Action

Unfortunately, with global warming, we live in a time when natural disasters occur more and more frequently, whether it’s the recent fires in California, or the pending hurricanes all over the globe. At times like this, it’s easy to go into fear and panic, neither of which will help you cope effectively. Staying calm, focused, and action-oriented during crisis is a hallmark of leadership resilience, especially when fear and uncertainty are high.

Here’s what you can do about natural disasters.

Get as much legitimate information as possible but do not get glued to TV updates. The news thrives on crises and catastrophes. But the more you watch, the more upset you will get. Stay informed and then get moving.

Be proactive rather than reactive. Pack emergency bags, even if the storms, fires, etc. seem far away. Include passports, documents, medicines, a week’s worth of clothes.Be ready to move as soon as you need to.

Take photos of all important papers, wills, documents, insurance policies, passports, etc. and send them to the cloud. Do the same thing with children and pets’ medical records. Put harnesses on your animals and have leashes nearby- even cats. Put id on your pets.

If you have to leave, take your pets with you or they may very well die. They are part of your family- don’t neglect them. Give them Rescue Remedy or Homeopet anxiety drops in their water. If you’re scared, they’re scared. Bring toys and food, litter and doggies bags with you, and any medicine.

Listen to officials. If they give you a mandatory evacuation, do it. People who don’t and stay behind create added stress for first responders.

Reach out to loved ones and tell them you love them. If you are in a danger zone, let them know you are ok. Post that you are safe on social media. Have a central number to call into.

Don’t let fear take over. Pray, meditate, ask for help, assist others. This is not the time to panic. This is the time to stay calm and take necessary action.

Remember that your life is what’s important. Yes- we value our homes and material possessions. But your life is what matters, and the lives of those you love.

Check on single people, particularly elderly neighbors and be sure they are ok.

Stay positive and upbeat, focus on gratitude and be a positive force in your area.What you focus on manifests, so don’t put your energy into worry and fear. Focus on the good- there is always plenty of good.You have so much more strength and courage than you know. You can get through a natural disaster and bounce back. You are powerful beyond measure. Tap into your innate wisdom, courage and ability to lift others and thrive in the midst of chaos. You can do this.

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Are You Giving Yourself Enough Credit for Completion?

Celebrate and Acknowledge the Big Steps to Success!

Last week had two major milestones for me. I finished the full draft of my 7th book on women and overwhelm. And I experienced the completion of my book proposal as I sent it out to my book scout and agent. (That has to happen before it can be shopped with publishers.) Whew!!! That was a year and a half of work there and it felt amazing.

Those of you who have heard me speak know that I talk about the power of completion, how everyone gets excited when they start a new project but tend to slow down momentum in the actual doing. Some never get to completion, and that’s a shame. Because there’s a special energy and momentum that comes forward when you do complete, when you do finish, when you come to a milestone. And that energy fuels future projects and gives you an enormous sense of satisfaction. This is at the core of Resilient Leadership under pressure. Most of you know exactly what I’m talking about.

Celebrate the Milestones

I celebrated most of Labor Day weekend. My husband and I went out to dinner and watched the sunset on the Intercoastal waterway. The next day, I did three of my favorite things, I went to yoga, went to the beach (my favorite place on earth) and out to dinner and board games with dear friends. And on Sunday, I rested in a way I hadn’t in months. I watched movies at home, read a novel and napped. It was a great weekend and a wonderful way to acknowledge progress.

Your Why Fuels Completion

And now I’m on to the next phase. When the changes came in (which I knew they would) to my proposal and I had to cut over 40 pages (eek!) I got busy. But I’m almost done with that, too. That’s because I have a bigger goal driving me. That goal is to liberate women everywhere from overwhelm and help them embrace their magnificence. It fuels me as I move forward on this book. It fires me up everytime I meet an exhausted, amazing woman who is overloaded with responsibility. It’s my Why.

What’s yours? What’s driving you? What completion can you achieve and celebrate this week? You have so much wisdom, talent and ability inside. You are unique and no one else can bring your rare and special perspective to what you do. You touch so many lives, whether you realize it or not.

Celebrating progress and completion builds momentum and clarity, which are foundational to leadership resilience under sustained pressure. Give yourself the gift of completion and celebrate each milestone. It’s powerful and you will feel fantastic.

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You Can Strengthen Cognitive Performance

Practical Brain-Strengthening Habits

Imagine a year of success, prosperity, joy, and excellent good health. In this highly interactive, fun, and informative workshop, you’ll learn how to:

Strengths:

Creating a New and Improved You!

Then ask yourself these questions:

Imagine a year of success, prosperity, joy, and excellent good health. In this highly interactive, fun, and informative workshop, you’ll learn how to:

Kindness is also good for your health. Here’s how:

Here are a few ways you can demonstrate kindness:

<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignleft wp-image-1081 size-full" src="http://firedupnow.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/clock1LRSM.jpg" alt="Productviity Clock from Stress Express" width="223" height="288" />Distractions are Everywhere; Productivity Suffers

So how do you turn off the distractions and amp up resilience under pressure?

<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignleft wp-image-556" src="http://firedupnow.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/internetworldLR.jpg" alt="The internet can hurt your productivity" width="153" height="165" />

“Trust, Not Money, is the Currency of Business and Life”

Don’t Be That Speaker

Here are the key mistakes to avoid in public speaking

Overcoming Fear and Worry and Moving Into Action

Here’s what you can do about natural disasters.

Celebrate and Acknowledge the Big Steps to Success!

Celebrate the Milestones

Your Why Fuels Completion

Distractions are Everywhere; Productivity Suffers