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Your Path to Breakthroughs: Insights from Jan McDonald

From hopeless drunk to 30 years sober and helping hundreds of individuals and organizations unlock their ‘and then some’, I distill all the lessons gained from those transformational life experiences and share them with you in this space.

I invite you to explore these insights as way to help you breakthrough the challenges that are stopping you from becoming who you want to be.

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Leaders Don’t Keep Score

"The Platinum Rule says we should treat others better than they treat us. This is the essence of not keeping score."

--John Maxwell

Forgiveness is a subject that has come up a few times recently in individual coaching and in leadership development training. I taught it last week when I facilitated a short webinar on New Supervisor Pitfalls.  We all have the propensity to take offense from something said to us or a behavior that we didn’t agree with. If we aren’t careful, we attach that to the person. Maybe we avoid that person…maybe we erect a wall against that person and that relationship becomes strained. We can’t lead through a wall of resentment.

When leaders don’t keep score, something powerful happens. They’re not carrying yesterday into today. They’re not leading out of accumulated frustration or quiet resentment. They address the issue, document when needed, clarify expectations, and then they release it.

And when you release it, you’re free to lead forward.

Leading forward means setting clear expectations, following through consistently, correcting early, and holding high standards while valuing people equally. It means you don’t stay stuck in what went wrong — you use it to strengthen the standard and move the team ahead. That’s mature supervision. The goal isn’t perfection. The goal is steady, forward leadership.

Maxwell’s book,  High Road Leadership, the principle “Leaders Don’t Keep Score” reminds us that great leaders:

•    Don’t tally up offenses or keep mental ledgers of who’s right or wrong.
•    Forgive quickly and lead forward, not backward.
•    Focus on solutions, not settling scores.
•    Give grace, not grudges. Think about it. When I mess up, I would love to be extended grace, wouldn’t you? 

Ryan Leak takes it a step further in his book, “How to Work With Complicated People,” says we should Pre-forgive. What? Yes. 

Decide ahead of time to let go of small annoyances and not let them derail our attitude. Forgiveness is ultimately a leadership decision, because it frees us to focus on growth and influence instead of resentment.

Are their places where you feel you have been keeping score? If so, what toll has that taken?  How does keeping score affect trust or collaboration on your team? 

Losing count, 

Jan 

Jan McDonald
Maxwell Leadership Certified Team

For more leadership tips, find me on Facebook @janbayermcdonald


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To Lead Well, Look in The Mirror

"The first and best victory is to conquer self."

--Plato

Some time ago, I listened to a great podcast by Andy Stanley on self leadership. Last week I had the privilege of facilitating a keynote on DISC styles. One thing we didn’t cover—blind spots.  Andy said that the greatest leadership challenge was in the mirror and one of those concepts he covered was blind spots.  If I cannot lead myself well, how am I to lead others? He gave three points that he believes helps him conquer self.

1. I will not lie to myself even when it hurts. The easiest person to deceive is me.  I have written about blind spots before. Blind spots are those areas that we can’t see, but often everyone else can. One blind spot that I have been working on is that I am not gentle when it comes to confrontation. WHAT?  I KNOW that’s not true:) Maybe in my own eyes. I have to be open to learning about areas in my life where I may be fibbing to myself. (Fibbing doesn’t sound as bad as lying.) I can’t lead myself OR others if I lie.

2. I will prioritize what I value most over what I want now. Successful leaders lead themselves toward what they value rather than what I want now.

One of our biggest blind spots is living for what feels urgent now instead of what matters most over time. Stephen Covey’s Funeral Exercise helps bring that into focus. When we pause and ask what we would want the people closest to us to say about our lives, we begin to uncover our true values. And once we see those values more clearly, we can also see the gap between what we say matters and how we are actually living. That gap is often where the blind spot lives.

Andy said that it’s the Immediate vs. the Ultimate and there’s a constant tension between the two. One blind spot many of us share is choosing the immediate over the ultimate.

It’s easy to fill our time with things that are good. But leadership often requires us to ask a harder question:

Is this the greatest use of my time and talent?

Letting go of lesser things—even good things—can be uncomfortable. But the real question is whether those things move us toward the life and leadership we want. Will those lesser things move us in the direction of the lives we desire? 

This brings to my mind, The Law of Sacrifice.  We need to let go of things of a lesser value, to attain those things of a greater value. For example, if we want a great retirement nest egg, then we can’t spend all our money now.  We may need to forego the Immediate of what we want now, for the Ultimate of living comfortably when we’re older. 

3. I will not attempt to lead myself by myself.  John Maxwell talks about this in the Law of the Inner Circle.  A leader’s position is determined by those closest to him, so we need to choose  wisely. Our friends determine the direction and quality of our lives. We can leverage this well by choosing friends that share our values, not just our interests.  Decide to choose a friend and/or mentor who will call you on your blind spots. Choose mentors or coaches who willingly jump in our stuff if we are making unwise choices.  

Something to think about as you start the week: where might there be a blind spot worth exploring?

Geesh, that’s a lot to think about. 

Jan 

Jan McDonald
Maxwell Leadership Certified Team

For more leadership tips, find me on Facebook @janbayermcdonald


For a friend to subscribe, here is the link
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Bring Out Their Best

"True Joy comes when you inspire, encourage, and guide someone else on a path that benefits him or her."

Many organizations fail to tap into their potential. Why?  Because the only reward they give to their people is a paycheck. The relationship between employee and employer never develops beyond that point. Successful organizations not only compensate well, but nurture the people who work for them. 

In his devotional, “Leadership Promises for Every Day,”  John Maxwell uses the BEST acronym as a reminder of what people need when they start with his organization…and I believe every organization. They need the leader to:

1. Believe in them

2. Encourage them

3. Share with them

4. Trust them

Nurturing benefits everyone. What people wouldn’t be more secure and motivated when their leader does the above things. People are more productive when they are nurtured because it creates a strong emotional and professional foundation within those that have leadership potential. Later, using training and development, a leader can be built on that foundation. 

If you’d like to intentionally develop leaders within your organization, I’d love to help. My Developing Leaders Around You workshop equips leaders with practical ways to believe in, encourage, share with, and trust the people around them so leadership grows at every level.

If this sounds like something your team could benefit from, simply reply to this email and we can start the conversation.

Be your BEST!

Jan 

Jan McDonald
Maxwell Leadership Certified Team

For more leadership tips, find me on Facebook @janbayermcdonald


For a friend to subscribe, here is the link
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The Law of Pain

Every problem introduces a person to himself."

--John McDonnell

In this next Powerful Connections mentoring group,  we’re looking at The Law of Pain — the idea that we all face difficult moments, but we get to choose whether they grow us or discourage us. Life brings both good and hard, and while we can’t control everything, we can control our mindset.

I love this thought: Life happens for me, not to me.
When we believe that, the good becomes sweeter and the hard becomes useful.

Here are a few small ways to practice that this week:

• Look for the solution — there’s always a next step.
• Ask, “What opportunity is hidden in this challenge?”
• Treat failures as learning–post-it notes, bubble wrap and Wheaties cereal were all epic fails at first. 
• Visualize a great outcome instead of the worst one. We know how to do this. We do it all the time when we worry–we visualize the worst case scenario. 

Pain is inevitable. Growth is optional.
This week, let’s choose growth — even in the hard.

Reflection:
Where might life be working in your favor right now, even if it doesn’t feel like it yet?

With you in the journey,

Jan

Jan McDonald
Maxwell Leadership Certified Team

For a friend to subscribe, here is the link

https://www.jan-mcdonald.com/email

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5 Ways To Connect

“The number one criteria for advancement and promotion for professionals is an ability to communicate effectively."

--Harvard Business Review

I’m facilitating a mastermind for a company in Michigan on the book by John Maxwell, “Everyone Communicates, Few Connect.” Connecting with others is everything when it comes to communication. Communication is a topic that invariably comes up much of the time when I am asked to serve an organization.  I think this makes sense because we live in a society that “looks out for number one” much of the time.  Connecting  adds value to others because we’re concentrating on them more than ourselves.  Connecting helps us meet people where they are and increases our influence with them.  To be successful, to have fulfilling relationships, and to make a difference in our sphere of the influence, we need to learn how to connect.  

John Maxwell gives us five ways to connect well with people in his book.  Here are short summaries:

1. Find Common Ground–Let’s get to know a little bit about the person with whom we want to connect.  Know the reasons that our listeners want to communicate about and find out what we have in common.  Commonality builds bridges in conversations. 

2. Keep it Simple –Be crystal clear in our communication. We can’t expect people to understand the acronyms that we use at work.  We need to talk with others on the same level. A confused mind always says ”No.”  I can’t remember who said that, but I have found that a connection isn’t so clear if there is misunderstanding. 

3. Create An Enjoyable Experience–-Find out what THEY think is important and relate to them on their terms. Relax, be interesting and actively listen. Everyone enjoys talking about what is important to them!

4. Inspire People–Believe in people. This helps them believe in themselves. Challenge, motivate and encourage people to grow into their greatness.  People need to feel our confidence in ourselves and in them. We can then inspire them to action in the direction of their desires.

5. Live What We Communicate–We are our message. We should be authentic and walk our talk. This takes reflecting on those areas where we need personal improvement, and embarking on the journey of growth.  My coaching mentor always says, “Until we make the unconscious conscious, it will rule our lives and we will call it fate.” 

Connecting is a choice. Those who take the time and energy to connect take their relationships and therefor their lives to a higher level.  If you would like this mastermind for your company or church, reach out to me!

Warmly,

Jan 

Jan McDonald
Maxwell Leadership Certified Team

https://www.facebook.com/jan.m.mcdonald.7

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Roots First

"The day you plant the seed is not the day you eat the fruit."

--Facebook user

The other night in the Powerful Connections mentorship group , we planted marigold seeds. Not because we needed flowers. But because we needed a reminder. Growth doesn’t happen overnight.

As we’re studying The 15 Invaluable Laws of Growth, John Maxwell reminds us in the Law of Intentionality that growth doesn’t just happen. We have to be intentional about it.

A seed doesn’t grow by accident. It needs dirt. Water. Sunlight. Consistency. 

And for a while…nothing shows above the surface. But underneath? Roots are forming. That’s what intentional growth looks like. In our mentoring class, we’re watering our growth with daily learning. We’re placing ourselves in the right environment. We’re having conversations that stretch us. We’re choosing reflection over reaction. We may not see dramatic change overnight. But the roots are growing.

John Maxwell teaches the Law of the Environment, which is one of our next chapters—growth thrives in the right surroundings. That’s what this group of young women is all about. It’s sunlight. It’s nourishment. It’s accountability. Roots first. Blooms later.  Keep showing up. Keep watering. Keep growing.

Who and what are you allowing to shape your growth right now — and is it producing the roots you want? What in your current environment is helping you grow… and what might be quietly limiting your growth?

Need some help? Would you like a mastermind in your company or church about “The 15 Invaluable Laws of Growth?”  Reach out to me! 

Loving the growth, 

Jan


Jan McDonald
Maxwell Leadership Certified Team

 

For a friend to subscribe, here is the link

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How to Create A Thriving Work Environment

"Being a great place to work is the difference between being a good company and a great company."

--Brian Kristofek

As leaders we have a responsibility to make our environment one that is conducive to success. We must create a climate in which potential leaders can thrive. We have a choice. We can be a thermometer or a thermostat. A thermometer is passive, it just measures how hot or cold the environment is. A thermostat determines what the environment will be.

One of the most popular fish for an aquarium is a shark. Not only do they look way cool in your aquarium, but they don’t ever outgrow the size of your fishbowl. If you catch a small shark and confine it, it will stay a size that is proportionate to their environment. A shark can be fully mature at 6 inches long. Turn them loose into the ocean and they will grow to full size.

The same is true of potential leaders—confining environments ensure that they stay small and underdeveloped.

Here are some ways to create a environment where team members can thrive:

1. Create a speak up environment. In a speak up environment, comments are welcomed, participation is encouraged, good ideas are encouraged. We listen to new ideas without judgement. When I did that as a CEO, I received some fabulous ideas to implement that helped grow our organization. 

2. Problems are viewed as possibilities and opportunities. If we are gifted with the sight to see a problem, we will have a solution. There is always a solution…in fact there’s always more than one solution. We don’t think “can I?” we think “how can I?”

Problems are normally viewed as negative, but if we change our attitudes—WOW! We can weaken emotional responses, stay calm and keep our eyes open to solutions. Yes, a positive attitude allows us to see many solutions because we have not stifled our creativity. Creating this climate for growth allows most problems to be solved by our teams. Only the most difficult come up to the leaders.

3. Failures are viewed as “learns.”  I was always surprised at what my teams would attempt because I embraced failure. Failure and success totally go together. All of these things were considered epic fails to begin with :

  • Post-it notes
  • Michael Jordan was cut from his high school basketball team 
  • Bubble wrap was invented to be textured wall paper. (hahaha! can you imagine that?)
  • Wheaties was bran porridge spilled on a stove top. When it dried, it became flakes and was tastier than the porridge.

Failure is part of the process of success…if we learn from those “failures.”  (You can use these ideas with your families, as well!)

This list is not exhaustive and I’m sure you can think of more ways. When you create an environment where people can thrive, everyone can be their best and desire to give their best. That is a great environment in which to work.

(This is an excerpt from a workshop that I facilitate “Developing the Leaders Around You.)

I hope this added value, 

Jan


Jan McDonald
Maxwell Leadership Certified Team

 

For a friend to subscribe, here is the link

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Forget the Attachment?

“Attachment is the source of all suffering."

--Buddha

Attachment is a feeling that binds one to a person, thing, cause, ideal, or the like. It is the state of being attached. Many of us have new goals for 2026 and we’re excited about them! If we are going to achieve those goals, we’re going to have to make some changes. If we think the way we always have, we’ll always get what we’ve already gotten. 

Some of those changes may not be obvious, so we’re going to have to do some reflecting and deep digging to find out what needs to be changed…or what needs to be let go of. What are you attached to?  We have all sorts of commitments, ideals and beliefs to live the life that we are currently living. If we want to change our current results, significant change is necessary.  “That’s just the way I am” is not going to get you improved results.

“We don’t attach to people or things, we attach to uninvestigated concepts that we believe to be true at the moment.”  Katie Byron

Ouch!

Since weight loss is the number one New Year’s Resolution, let me use that as an example. If you going to lose weight, you’re going to have to change the way you shop, cook, the way you eat, what you eat and you may want to add exercise to make it easier.  

Geesh, it’s really hard to watch football without mountains of popcorn and maybe Life Saver Gummies…that’s going to have to change.  Not because I need change, but I’m speaking for a friend. (hahahaha) Netflix binges that are accompanied with high calorie snacks may need to go by the wayside until new snackings habits are discovered. 

If you want to enhance your marriage. discover a new and better relationship, have richer communications with your kids, make more money, or whatever it is you desire, you will have to be open to new and improved ways of thinking and relating. If we are stuck in our old ways, we can’t see the new opportunities or mindset shifts that can be ours.

AND we don’t stay the same, we move forward into growth or backward into sameness and/or safety.  As my friend and mentor, Paul, says, “Nothing in the universe stays the same–it either grows or disintegrates.” 

So how do we unattach? Here’s what I have done (and am still doing):

1. Identify what you are holding onto that isn’t serving you anymore. What is not working in your life?  What is your perception of what is holding you back?  It’s usually something that follows the word “because.”  I can’t do this, because…. This won’t work, because…  That will never happen, because…Listen for those sentences. 

2. Lighten up. I can tell you one thing that needs to be dumped and that is your past. Harvest the good from your past and let go of the rest. Let go of old mindsets, self-created illusions and assumptions that no longer serve you.  Leave old resentments, judgments  and being offended behind–they weigh more than you imagine. (That will be your first 10 pounds of weight loss. You’re welcome:) 

3. “Stop grasping at the things that are Mine.”  Yeah, God told me that last year and I’m still trying to get it. Open your grasp and let go of things that you can’t control.  Let go of the way you’ve always done everything and be open to change. Get adventurous! Venture out of your comfort zone.  

When was the last time you tried something new?  You  have choices. You  can choose to change and infinitely enhance your life. You can live a life  of joy and adventure, or you can step back into “That’s just the way I am.”  And 2027 will be here before you know it, and everything will be the same as 2025… or even 2024.

Does this email sound tough and mean?  I wouldn’t be writing about this if I didn’t have personal attachments to deal with. Just when I think I have arrived, Attachment #257 rears its ugly head.  

AND I know you. Your potential is limitless and you wouldn’t be on this email list if you didn’t want something more. You have so much more value than you are giving yourself credit for. The world needs all of your gifts and talents…badly.  Not only that, but you deserve to live the freedom that living without attachments will bring you. 

I believe in you, 

Jan

Jan McDonald

Maxwell Leadership Certified Team 

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Opportunity May Knock

"If you have a clear vision, you will eventually attract the right strategy. If you don't have a clear vision, no strategy will save you."

--Mike Hyatt

Most people wander through life without a clear purpose or vision. They don’t have a clear picture of or realize that they can create their desired life . Some things may happen to these people while wandering;

1. They are unable to see opportunities when they present themselves.
2. They aren’t ready for the opportunities when they come their way.
3. They believe they aren’t ready for the opportunities that appear.
 

When we stop wandering and identify our purpose or dream, we attract different chances or opportunities into our lives. I believe that some of these chances are tests. Will we be brave enough to take them? Will we even recognize them? Pursuing a dream gives us the confidence and belief to give these chances a shot.

No matter how small the achievement, it encourages us to try the next chance that comes our way. Fist pump! We did it! Every time we stretch and accomplish something new, we want more. We actually begin to believe in ourselves more. Growth may become addictive. Trust me on this.  Chasing a goal or a dream readies us for opportunities that we may never have seen coming!  In fact, I am always on the lookout for success possibilities. 

Here are four questions to help you get closer to your purpose and/or dream;

1. What would you do if you had no limitations?
2. What would you do if you only had five years to live?
3. What would you do if you had unlimited resources?
4. What would you do if you knew you couldn’t fail? 

Take some time to reflect on these…write down your answers.  Clarify your purpose or dream and then just make a move, no matter how small, in that direction. Thoreau says, “If one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavors to live the life which he has imagined, he will meet with success unexpected in common hours.”

Go for it!

Jan 

Jan McDonald
Maxwell Leadership CertifiedTeam

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Your Vision Is The Map

"The vision that you glorify in your mind, the ideal that you enthrone in your heart - this you will build your life by, and this you will become."

--James Allen

Hello there!
 

Here’s a fun neuroscience fact as we continue prepping for your 2026 reboot: Your brain cannot tell the difference between something “real” and something “vividly imagined.” This is why Olympic athletes mentally rehearse their runs. It literally forms new neural pathways — a mental map of their future success.

Your vision works the same way. When you write down what you want your life to look like, even if it feels rough or “far off,” you’re actually installing new wiring in your brain. You’re creating a map that pulls you forward. This is why having a clear vision for 2026 is so important.

So today, take a few quiet minutes to write: What would I love my 2026 life to look like? Don’t worry about how. Just write. We’ll make it clearer on Saturday, January 3, 2026

This exercise is the foundation of the Design Your 2026 webinar I’m preparing — and you’re already doing the pre-work most people never take the time to do.  

Your vision is powerful.
Your future is not random.
And you are absolutely capable of creating the year you desire.  AND you deserve it.

Register here:  
https://www.jan-mcdonald.com/design-your-2026-webinar
 

Dream lofty dreams,
Jan 🌿



Jan McDonald
Maxwell Leadership Certified Team


Follow me on facebook @janbayermcdonald

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What This Year Taught Me

"Because faith isn't proven like gold 'Til it's been through the fire."

--Jelly Roll, "Hard Fought Hallelujah."

This year stretched me in ways I didn’t expect, or truthfully, wasn’t sure I wanted.  It was a year of uncertainty, waiting, and learning how little control I actually have. What I thought would be a season of fixing and figuring out became a season of standing.

One unexpected teacher this year was walking alongside Dennis through a season of deep anxiety. (He knows I’m writing this.) He couldn’t work for six months. I think I experienced every emotion–sadness, frustration, resentment, fear, joy, peace, uncertainty, yet trust, dread, and loneliness. This year felt like being on a complete roller coaster.  

It opened my eyes to realities I had never fully understood—how fear can live in the body, how little logic helps in the moment, and how presence matters more than solutions. It stretched my compassion, exposed my “fixer” tendency, and taught me that love often looks like just standing when I didn’t have any answers.

Here’s what I learned most:

I learned that strength doesn’t always look like forward motion. Sometimes it looks like standing still, trusting, when everything in me wanted to rush ahead.

I learned that trying to control outcomes only increases anxiety, but releasing them creates space for peace, creativity, and compassion. (You know that I’ve had control issues. You’d think I’d have cured this by now.)

And I learned that growth often comes not by avoiding uncomfortable feelings, but by gently moving toward them—curious and honest with myself and God. When I moved toward Dennis in his anxious times is when he said his healing began.

This year reminded me that faith isn’t certainty. It’s choosing to trust when I don’t have any answers—and discovering that God is already at work, even if I can’t see it yet. If I know the answer, it’s doesn’t need faith, does it?

AND the big lesson– what looks like delay or a detour often turns out to be care, protection, or preparation—forming me into who He needs me to be for what’s ahead.

As I step into what’s next, I’m carrying less hurry, more humility, and a deeper confidence that standing with God is never wasted. He does make the rough places smooth. (Is. 42:16—one of my life verses.)

I hope you have a blessed Christmas!

Gratefully typed,

Jan

Jan McDonald
Maxwell Leadership Certified Team


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Your Thoughts Create Your Life

“Create thoughts that serve you, not thoughts that you serve."

--Ray Popham, my mentor

Last week, we started thinking about what you want 2026 to look like. Today, I want to share something that still amazes me every time I teach it:

Caroline Leaf, a Christian neuroscientist, says, “Thoughts that fire together, wire together.”

In simple terms:
Whatever you repeatedly tell yourself, your brain starts building into your reality.

Those everyday phrases like:
“I hate winter driving.”
“I can’t figure this out.”
“This drives me crazy.”
“I just can’t lose this weight.”

Yep… your brain gets to work on those.

And the good news? The positive thoughts count too. (I’ve told myself, “I never gain weight over the holidays” so many times that my brain just accepted it. 😂

So here’s your next step as we move toward 2026:

What thought do you need to unwire? And…What new thought better reflects the YOU you want to become?

Take a moment and write it down. This simple act prepares your mind for the goal-setting work we’re going to do soon.

On Saturday, January 3, in a short webinar, I’m going to show you how your brain uses vision as a map to move you toward the life you actually want. I don’t have the registration link ready yet…working on that today. 

You’re doing the work already with your thoughts. Let’s get those thoughts helping you become who you really desire to become. 

Thinking great things about you!

Jan

Jan McDonald
Maxwell Leadership Certified Team


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Are You Designing Your Life?

“Life isn't about finding yourself. Life is about creating yourself."

--George Bernard Shaw

I’ve found in my coaching and training that so many people don’t actually know what they want. Not really. They’re in the boat of life, just drifting with the current—then 10–15 years go by and suddenly they wake up asking, “How did I get here? Is this what I want?”

And here we are… 2026 is coming fast.
Have you thought about what you’d love this next year to look like?

Or—if nothing changes—will you find yourself at the end of 2026 in the exact same place?

Jim Rohn said, “If you don’t design your own life plan, chances are you’ll fall into someone else’s. And guess what they have planned for you? Not much.”

The truth is, 95% of our thoughts and actions are habitual. If our thoughts don’t change, our lives don’t change. Which means… now is the perfect time to pause and ask:

What do you really want in 2026?
What do you want to accomplish?
Who do you want to become? (this one is my favorite!)

Just jot down three things. Don’t overthink it—this is simply a starting point.

And because I want to help you start the year intentionally, I’m going to host “Your 2026 Life by Design,”  a short virtual  webinar (it’s still in the planning stages,)  and this email is the first of three to help you get ready for it.

You are worth designing a life you love.

Cheering you on,

Jan
Maxwell Leadership Certified Team


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Stress Responses Are A Strength?

“Stress response as a strength? No way.”

--Jan McDonald

I’ve been facilitating a lot about anxiety this year.  In my research, I found something out that I hadn’t realized before.  When we are stressed, we often beat ourselves up for our reactions: 

“Ugh… why did I react like that?”
“Why didn’t I speak up?”
“Why did I avoid that conversation?”
‘Why did I say that?” (my fave.)

We’re quick to label ourselves as too emotional, too reactive, not strong enough or too insensitive. But here’s the truth we rarely hear:

Your stress response actually comes from strength.
It’s your nervous system trying to protect you, not sabotage you. (What? Who knew?)

We all have our go-to stress response strength:

Fight — your courage, your drive, your ability to act
Flight — your awareness, your intuition, your ability to adapt
Freeze — your wisdom to pause before reacting
Fawn — your gift for connection and diffusing tension

None of these responses mean something is “wrong” with you.
They mean your body is trying to keep you safe.

The only time it becomes a problem is when stress is constant, and those strengths get stuck in overdrive. But the root of each one is a GOOD thing. And when we can recognize the strength underneath our reaction, we stop fighting ourselves and start supporting ourselves.

So here’s a simple reflection for this week:

Which stress response shows up most for you—and what’s the hidden strength inside it?

My guess? You’re stronger than you think.
And your nervous system has been trying to protect you all along.

Cheering you on,

Jan 

P.S. If this resonates and you’re thinking, “My team could really use this,” I’d love to bring my Managing Anxiety in the Workplace workshop to your organization. It’s practical, encouraging, and filled with tools that make work feel calmer and a whole lot lighter. Just hit reply and say, “Tell me more.”

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https://www.jan-mcdonald.com/email/

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10 Second Gratitude Reset

Hi Friend!

Thanksgiving week can be beautiful…and overwhelming. Between the cooking, the travel, the expectations — and let’s be honest — the family dynamics we all tiptoe around… it’s easy for anxiety to creep in. Some people bring joy when they walk into the room… others when they walk out.

So here’s a simple tool you can use anytime this week, especially when things get loud, tense, or emotionally complicated:


The 10-Second Gratitude Reset

  1. Close your eyes.
  2. Take one slow, steady breath.
  3. Ask yourself: “What is one thing I can appreciate right now?”
  4. Sit with that for 10 seconds.


That’s it. Ten seconds.

But those ten seconds can:

  • Slow your heart rate
  • Calm your mind
  • Disrupt the spiral
  • Bring your focus back to what’s steady and true

Because here’s the thing: gratitude and anxiety can’t run in your mind at the same time.

Gratitude doesn’t erase the dysfunction — but it does anchor you in the middle of it.

So whether your Thanksgiving feels peaceful, chaotic, joyful, or like a reunion episode of your family’s favorite sitcom… remember:

You can reset your mind in just ten seconds.

Wishing you a grace-filled week,

Jan

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Everyone Needs Hope

"Hope is the positive expectation of something great happening... and soon. "

--Jan McDonald

It has been said, “Man can live about forty days without food, about three days without water, about eight minutes without air…but only for one second without hope.”  Many people have lost hope these days. Just when we think things are settling down and looking better, “they” change the rules. “They” pull the rug of positive expectancy out from under us.

When we lose hope, we begin to downsize our dreams. If you have done that you know that it creates feelings of discontent, uneasiness and discomfort. That’s because that is not who we are. We are created to always seek fuller expression–to be, do and have more. 

When we fell while learning to walk, we didn’t say, “Well, walking is great for the rest of you guys. I’m just going to be a crawler.” Nope. You got up and you tried and tried and tried until you walked. You had hope that you could!

Remember when we were kids, how we daydreamed about our future?  Many of us had great hopes for our future. That’s who we are. Fuller expression is in our DNA. 

Napoleon said that leaders are dealers in hope. The world needs hope dealers right now. People need to have bright things in their future. I am challenging us to dispense hope during this holiday season to others. Let’s be the bright thing in their future. 

How? 

1. What do you hope for? The first step in dispensing hope is to have something for ourselves to hope for. Write down one thing that you hope for? Remember, we can’t give what we don’t have. Once we have that hope, we can nurture it.

The Wright Brothers hoped they could fly. Everyone thought they were crazy. They tried so many times, that it “seemed” like there was no hope at all. They believed they could fly–they believed in their hope. They nurtured that hope and were successful. 

2.  Give our hope to others. Hope is a gift that energizes and motivates people to do more for themselves. AND if they don’t have hope—we can loan them ours…they can borrow ours. Where in your life are you able to loan hope to others?

3. Put hope in the future. We do that by cultivating two mindsets. The first is believing that the future is going to be better. The second is believing that we have the power to make that true. If our future is going to be bright, it’s up to us. We can’t base our hope on outward circumstances and situations, our hope needs to come from within. WE HAVE THAT POWER! We can do it!

4. BE the hope for the future. Hopeful people shine in the midst of difficult situations. Hope gives us the ability to see possibilities and opportunities not only for us, but for others.  Gandhi quotes that we can BE the change we want to see in the world. I believe the same goes for hope.

Who, in your sphere of influence, could use some hope in their lives? Loan them yours. BE their hope. If you are struggling to find hope for yourself,  I’m just an email away.

Dealing in hope,

Jan 

Jan McDonald

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