Facing Your Giants (2) By Dr. Michael Brooks

Facing Your Giants (2) By Dr. Michael Brooks

This week we will continue my article on Facing Your Giants. First, let’s look at what causes some of the giants we face. So my question for you today is: what are the Giants you’re facing and need help confronting today? You may have one or several Giants that control you; over the next several weeks, we’ll address several of them you may be facing. First, I will share with you one of my biggest Giants: Abandonment. I was raised in a military family, and we moved worldwide. We never stayed in one place very long, and it was rare that you would make any real friends because you’d soon move to another base. My parents were always at officers’ parties in the evening, and my sister and I were dropped off at the babysitters on the base. As soon as my sister and I found out that another night was going to be spent at the babysitter’s, I would beg not to go. I was only six years old and remembered feeling abandoned by my mom and dad. That was a painful childhood memory and stayed with me until I finally dealt with the problem. So, I’ll sit back and reminisce and ask myself, what are the Giants I have stored in the back of my mind and want to get rid of? I knew I needed help and wanted to have a clear conscience. So what are your giants, and what are your next steps to deal with them?

I will cover the ones I know personally and have helped my clients deal with in a one-on-one counseling/coaching session. Let’s talk if you relate to any of these and want to come to some resolution in eliminating them. I have some great idea’s on how to resolve them. Don’t let your Giants hold you back from becoming all you can be or do. Let’s look at these Giants and how to deal with them.

Fear, what are you fearful of? Fear can hold you back in many ways. It can prevent you from moving forward in your family, life, and work. Here is a definition of fear: an unpleasant emotion caused by the belief that someone or something is dangerous, likely to cause pain or a threat. Fear has many names and strikes many of us at all levels. The fear of death is very real for most people, especially people over the age of 60 years old. When I talk to people about death, I ask them what is their biggest fear, believe it or not, dying alone! I am a pretty positive person, and I ask them about family and friends and do they have close people in their lives. Then I ask them about their health, are they exercising and eating right? I give them a talk about how they can improve their health by living a healthy lifestyle. Fear of death can be looked at in a logical way, and solutions can be found if only you focus on finding answers. . Next week we will continue the article facing your giants and see if any of the giants you face are ones others face as well.

Do you need help in overcoming the giants of your past? Do you struggle with memories of broken relationships, illness, self-worth, and confidence? What are the giants that you currently face and need help defeating them? Giants can be debilitating and keep you from enjoying life and successful life. Call Dr. Mike, and he can help you through the process of taking your giants head-on and help you to move forward with your life. Why live in a defeated and hurtful past when you can enjoy a stress-free present and future?

Dr. Michael Brooks is the founder of Applicable Counseling and life coaching Services. It is affordable, accessible, anonymous, and available by appointment from the privacy of your home. To avoid travel time and the comfort of home, many clients prefer to meet with Dr. Mike over the phone or via Zoom (if you want to Zoom with Dr. Mike, send him an email at mbrooks3353@gmail.com to set up an appointment). The convenience of this type of Counseling/Coaching is the most effective means of Life Coaching for those who live outside of Colorado. Give Dr. Mike a call at 303.880.9878! You’ll be glad you did!

Facing Your Giants (1) By Dr. Michael Brooks

Facing Your Giants (1) By Dr. Michael Brooks

As I was walking out of the grocery store to put my grocery cart away, I turned and suddenly stood face to-face with the old town gossip just two feet away. I and many others have been talked about by this woman in our small community. My mind raced as I looked at her and as she stared at me. I froze, I wanted to tell her off, yet my mind prevented me from exposing the town gossip. I would have enjoyed doing this, but I couldn’t bring myself to be like this woman. Why? I had every reason to let loose on her, right? I mean, she had attacked me and lied and gossiped.

I know others have been hurt by her gossip; why not just expose her, and humiliate her at the only grocery store in town? The giant that I faced in this situation was (revenge) what would have happened if I had done such a thing? I would have stooped to her level and probably paid the price for it. I decided to keep the peace and not say a thing. When we face our giants, we must look at them logically and proceed. In this next series of articles, we will look at some of the giants we all face and how to deal with them.

What are the Giants you currently face, and which ones hold you back from enjoying everyday life? We all have those giants staring us in the face every day, and we most likely avoid dealing with them and wish they’d just go away. Many we’ve kept hidden for years only to find that they have robbed us of enjoying life and being happy.

Many of these Giants have been in our heads as far back as we can remember, for many of us, since we were children and some as adults. Think about this for a minute, what are these Giants that you are holding on to and want to let go of today? What are the names of these Giants that grip you and cause you to hide in your emotional closet? There are many Giants we have hidden and tucked away in our minds until we are forced to deal with them. Either we recoil and run away from them or face them and cower in silence and look the other way. Next week we will continue the article facing your giants and see if any of the giants you face are ones others face as well.

Do you need help in overcoming the giants of your past? Do you struggle with memories of broken relationships, illness, self-worth, and confidence? What are the giants that you currently face and need help defeating them? Giants can be debilitating and keep you from enjoying life and successful life. Call Dr. Mike, and he can help you through the process of taking your giants head-on and help you to move forward with your life. Why live in a defeated and hurtful past when you can enjoy a stress-free present and future?

Dr. Michael Brooks is the founder of Applicable Counseling and life coaching Services. It is affordable, accessible, anonymous, and available by appointment from the privacy of your home. To avoid travel time and the comfort of home, many clients prefer to meet with Dr. Mike over the phone or via Zoom (if you want to Zoom with Dr. Mike, send him an email at mbrooks3353@gmail.com to set up an appointment). The convenience of this type of Counseling/Coaching is the most effective means of Life Coaching for those who live outside of Colorado. Give Dr. Mike a call! You’ll be glad you did!

Avoid The Wrong Kind of People (5) By Dr. Michael Brooks

Avoid the Wrong Kind of People (5) By Dr. Michael Brooks

Growing up while in high school, I had a friend who always had the best clothes, watches, and pens. He had a lot of nice stuff. One day he asked me if I wanted a new watch. I said sure. He brought it the next day and handed it to me. I looked at the watch still inside the box with a price tag of $49.00. I asked him where did he get it, and he responded with “a five-finger discount.” I looked at him and said, “you stole it?” Yep, he responded. I handed it back to him and said, no thanks! I made my mind up, right then and there, he wasn’t going to be a friend of mine. My gut feeling told me to avoid this wrong kind of person. That’s the small little voice you often hear warning you about these kinds of people. Avoid, avoid, avoid! That should be what you hear when someone is wrong for you.

How about bad relationships that people get themselves into and know are wrong. This is a big problem for both men and women. I have a friend who is in a very unhealthy relationship. The woman he is dating will not commit to their relationship. When my friend asked her what concerns she had, she expressed all kinds. Her job was demanding, not have enough time for herself, she liked to party alone, and the big one she brought up was his old girlfriends. He never talked about his old girlfriends with her. This was just out of the blue and took him by surprise. There wasn’t any commitment on her part, and he should have said to himself, time to move along and stop being with the wrong person. He still hangs on to see if they can have that relationship he wants with her. I think he will never get that relationship he wants with her.

You can see the pattern of a very unhealthy person and one that you should avoid. Relationships in themselves are great if you have a healthy person in your life. The relationships that are based on alcohol, drugs, and sex are doomed to fail and lead you down the road to destruction. If you’re in a relationship that is full of drama either by you or the person you’re in a relationship with, it’s time to end it. Be done with it, move on and plan ahead. Time and energy should be used to have a great relationship and not one that’s causing you to lose sleepover. Here are the things you need in a healthy committed relationship.

  • Trustworthy
  • Integrity
  • Good listener
  • Good communicator
  • Understanding
  • Slow to anger
  • Spends time with you
  • Affirms you
  • Does things for you

If you’re dealing with an unhealthy relationship, then get some help in making a wise decision to either work on it or move on with your life. You can make any relationship work if both parties are willing to sit down and talk. If the other person isn’t willing to talk with you, then I think you know what you have to do. It’s not difficult my friends. It just takes the guts to make it happen.

Are you afraid to confront the wrong kind of people in your life? Are you involved in the wrong kind of relationship and need help getting out of it? Do you have friends who are involved with drugs, and alcohol and want you to join them, and you can’t say NO? Would you like a plan that can help you eliminate the wrong kind of people in your life? If you answered yes to any of these questions, then contact Dr. Mike for personal help and plan your next steps at 303.880.9878.

Dr. Michael Brooks is the founder of Applicable Life Coaching and Counseling Services. It is affordable, accessible, anonymous, and available by appointment from the privacy of your home. To avoid travel time and the comfort of home, many clients prefer to meet with Dr. Mike over the phone or via Skype. The convenience of this type of Counseling/Coaching is the most effective means of Life Coaching for those who live outside of the Denver metro area. Give Dr. Mike a call! You’ll be glad you did!

Dr. Michael Brooks
Applicable Counseling & Coaching Services
Web: www.applicablecoaching.com
Blog: http://applicablecoaching.com/blog.php
Web: http://idontwantthisdivorce.com/
Blog:http://idontwantthisdivorce.com/blog/
E-mail: mike@applicablecoaching.com
Office: 303.456.0555
Cell: 303.880.9878

Start Your Impossibility Journey (4)

Start Your Impossibility Journey (4)

By Dr. Michael Brooks

Hopefully, this has been a good series on how to make your impossibilities a reality, and it takes hard work to succeed. People who face impossibilities face it with either I will make this happen and give it all they have, or some people will just give up!

I was finding obstacles in places that I didn’t expect; the county building inspectors needed all kinds of building permits. The local and state licenses that were required for my business. I would have to build showers in the men’s and women’s locker rooms. All this was overwhelming to me and, frankly, was very discouraging. I thought maybe those naysayers were right after all. I did have a plan B in place, I would ask an investor friend of mine who had the money to make this happen. I set up a meeting with him and shared all the details, business plans, membership goals, profit, and loss potential; it was a good meeting, so I thought. When we were done, he said that he liked my idea and it looked good to him. We met the following Friday and sat down and talked. He said that he wasn’t interested, honestly, that shot me down pretty hard. I was ready to quit pursuing my impossible dream. I decided to put my entire dream on the back burner.

Four years later I was contacted by a group of men that wanted me to be a partner in the new fitness center they were building from the ground up. I met with these men and shared my ideas. Once I signed on, my impossible dream came to life and became a reality. I say God works in mysterious ways, and this one certainly was of His doing!

The purpose of sharing my story was to let you know that impossible dreams and visions do come true. With a lot of hard work and being honest with yourself, take the necessary steps and work out a plan. Seek help from those who can help you with planning and your next steps. If you need to get an education or find a professional that can help organize your thoughts and ideas, then do it.

If people are telling you, your idea can’t be done because it’s impossible, stop sharing your ideas with negative people and show them after the fact. I know from experience from my aunt dashing my dreams and discouraging me didn’t work against me, it only made me work harder.

Here are some of the negative things people will tell you about your impossible dreams.

  • You have no experience
  • You don’t have the money
  • You’re too young or too old
  • You’re a woman
  • You don’t have an education
  • It’ll never work
  • That’s the dumbest idea I’ve ever heard
  • Someone else has done this already

These are just a few of the things you may hear from those who don’t believe in you. I avoid sharing my ideas with negative people, they have nothing to offer you; find people who will support you and encourage you along your journey. Find people who will get you in to see the right people and ask questions. I looked for people who knew the ropes and how to maneuver around the right people. There are a lot of people who would love to help you on your impossible journey.

I’d love to hear what some of those obstacles are and what your plans are to make them happen, or if some of you have been victorious and made that impossibility a reality, please email me, always looking for successes in your life.

Do you feel like you’ve had people tell you that your dreams are impossible to achieve? Are you overcome by how big the impossibilities are that you face? Do you need help in making your impossibilities a reality? Do you want to know to overcome the fear of facing your impossibilities? Do you want help in managing your goals to make the impossibilities happen? If you answered yes to any of these questions, you need to contact Dr. Mike and set up an appointment. Please call Dr. Mike at 303.880.9878.

Dr. Michael Brooks is the founder of Applicable Counseling and life coaching Services. It is affordable, accessible, anonymous, and available by appointment from the privacy of your home. To avoid travel time and the comfort of home, many clients prefer to meet with Dr. Mike over the phone or via Zoom (if you want to have a Zoom meeting with Dr. Mike, send him an email at mike@applicablecoaching.com to set up an appointment). The convenience of this type of Counseling/Coaching is the most effective means of Life Coaching and counseling for those who live outside of Colorado. Give Dr. Mike a call! You’ll be glad you did!

Don’t Allow Fear to Control You! (3)

Don’t Allow Fear to Control You! (3)

By Dr. Michael Brooks

This week, we will continue on how to deal with your fears so you can understand how to manage them. Fears don’t always have to be hidden and cause embarrassment. Dealing with them will give you freedom.

So, let’s look into some of the reasons what cause our fears and how we deal with them. Most experts say that there isn’t one particular cause for our fears, I’d say there are several good reasons why we have Fear in our lives. Many people cannot pinpoint when their fears began. So, let’s look at some examples and causes of those fears in a nutshell.

Past incidents, fears, and traumas: For example, me jumping off a roof and the Fear of the actual height looking down at the ground when falling, it has had a lasting effect on how I feel about heights to this day. I have a friend whose two daughters were attacked by a neighbor’s dog when they were toddlers. When a dog comes near them and I mean any dog, they lose it, they scream, yell and cry, these kids are 8 and 9 years old. They will never forget the dog attack as long as they live. Maybe when they become adults, they will be able to deal with dogs, but for now, they have a real fear of dogs.

How do you react to fear or panic? You may have had a fear that controlled you growing up, or even as an adult from a situation or object you encountered. Think about how many of us growing up, were told by our parents not to talk to strangers or avoid strangers. Our parents would tell us stories about what could happen if we did. We could get kidnapped, or even worse than we’d never see our families again. Many adults to this day will avoid talking to people they don’t know. They still have that fear of strangers that their parents scared them with. There is nothing wrong with that mindset today, many kids are being abducted and need to know they need to run away from someone approaching them. Fear can be very healthy as long as it’s used to be a learning lesson.

Long-term fear can cause anxiety and cause you to have depression if not dealt with in a proper way. Fear can keep you from enjoying life to its fullest and cause you to avoid events and people. Family gatherings can be difficult to attend for those who fear closeness. I know I struggled with being at our family gatherings because I was extremely shy. I hated going and seeing family at these reunions. I know I was anxious for sure and begged my parents not to take me. I’ve overcome that fear over the years.

As I was researching this article, I found some very interesting tidbits of information, do you know what one of the longest words in the dictionary is? I was amazed by this: What is Hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia?  I find it funny, the meaning of the word and, and in an ironic twist, is the name for a fear of long words. I never imagined that words cause people to fear.

So, how do I overcome my fears you may ask? There are many scientific ways of dealing with your fears. I want to make this easy for you and just give you my Readers Digest version.

Next week, we will continue with “Don’t Allow Fear to Control You.” Learn how to deal with these thoughts on Fear so they don’t control you.

Don’t Allow Fear To Control You! (2)

Don’t Allow Fear to Control You! (2)

By Dr. Michael Brooks

This week, we will continue on how to deal with your fears so you can understand how to manage them. Fears don’t always have to be hidden and cause embarrassment. Dealing with them will give you freedom.

I will tell you, my jump didn’t go as planned, in fact not even close to what the paratroopers looked like when they landed. The umbrella collapsed and my pleasant ride became a nightmare. Unbeknownst to me, my mom was in the kitchen looking out the window when I crash landed. All she saw was my feet, waist, chest, my arms holding on to the umbrella, my head and then I disappeared with a thump. What do you think happened after that? Well, I’m here to tell you, she wasn’t worried about any broken bones, she was mad that I took the umbrella and it broke. She had a wooden spoon, and I was getting spanked for the broken umbrella.

I learned that my fall or jump, scared me with heights from that day on, I don’t like looking out windows on the 10th floor, I don’t like being on any balcony that’s 2 floors up or higher. That experience in Germany put the fear of God into me. I can laugh about it now, but not when I’m near any height. I know several people that cannot fly for many reasons. I initially had that fear too. I got over it when I started doing research on plane crashes…lol

So, what causes many of our fears? For me, it was a learned fear after jumping from a two-and-a-half-story house. My fear responses (like heights) today are caused by my early life as a kid. So, for many of us, past incidents or traumas can cause us to fear even into our adult life today.

Here are some common fears that trigger many people: Spiders, snakes, flying, heights, future events (divorce court, weddings, moving, new job, loss of a job, separation from spouse or children, failure, real or imagined events, and the unknown, darkness, being alone, etc.

Eventually, we have to overcome our fears no matter what they are. If you want to overcome your fears and face them head on, then do it, don’t wait for the perfect time. We all know that life can be hard and yes, at times it seems impossible. I think it’s made harder when we cave into the very fears that control us and cause a loss of opportunity and connection. I know that for most of us, we have no control over many factors in our life, yet we can still learn how to control the fears that control us. You have to be determined to face all your fears if you want to move ahead in life.

Dr. Mike and Rana will resume Zoom classes on August 19th and continue with the “Boundaries in Dating,” By Dr. Henry Cloud and Dr. John Townsend. “If you’re interested in attending this class, mark it on your calendar starting on Thursday August 19th from 5:00 to 6:00 PM. You’ll need to send Mike your email address to get a link for the Zoom class. Send your email address to mike@applicablecoaching.com. You can sit in and listen or be a participant. These classes are free.

If you are interested in any of these classes or have questions, send an email to mike@applicablecoaching.com or call 303.880.9878.

Do you feel like you’re living in fear all the time? Are you overcome and controlled by your fears and don’t know how move forward? Do you need help in trying to figure out and identify what your fears are? Do you want to know more about fears and how they can control us? Do you want help in managing and understanding your fears? If you answered yes to any of these questions, you need to contact Dr. Mike and set up an appointment. Please call Dr. Mike at 303.880.9878.

Dr. Michael Brooks is the founder of Applicable Counseling and life coaching Services. It is affordable, accessible, anonymous, and available by appointment from the privacy of your home. To avoid travel time and the comfort of home, many clients prefer to meet with Dr. Mike over the phone or via Zoom (if you want to have a Zoom meeting with Dr. Mike, send him an email at mike@applicablecoaching.com to set up an appointment). The convenience of this type of Counseling/Coaching is the most effective means of Life Coaching and counseling for those who live outside of Colorado. Give Dr. Mike a call! You’ll be glad you did!

Beware of the Rattlesnakes in Your Life! (3)

Beware of the Rattlesnakes in your life! (3)

By Dr. Michael Brooks

This week, I will wrap up this article on the rattlesnakes in our lives. Hopefully, this helps in dealing with those people who could be a problem for you.

I got back in my truck, drove back home, and felt like a ton of bricks was lifted off my shoulders. So, my question to you is this, who are the rattlesnakes in your life? Are they friends, co-workers, family members, maybe your parents or kids? Can you identify the rattlesnakes immediately or have a suspicion on who they are? If you absolutely know who they are, why are you hanging around them, what purpose do they serve in your relationship with them? Are you fearful of the consequences if you break off the relationship? At some point and time, you need to stop hanging around snakes. They’re not good for you; they mean you harm. A baby rattlesnake is just as dangerous as a big one, and they bite too. How many times do you have to be bitten by a snake to know that maybe, just maybe, you should move on?

I suggest that you hang around good people who care for you and about you. You want people that encourage you to grow in your life. I suggest that when you hear people who are up to no good, that you see the poison in their talk and actions, leave those kinds of friends immediately.

I can recall a friend of mine back in my hometown who seemed to have it all together. He was a family man, a churchgoer, a great job, and well respected in the business community. I always enjoyed our talks and his country boy humor. He was funny and made you laugh. But, behind his eyes, there was something he was hiding, I could sense it; something just wasn’t right. I couldn’t put my finger on it. I was overly cautious in what I said and shared. Then one day, he asked me to do him a favor. I listened to what he wanted and immediately said no way, I was shocked by what he told me. He was a poisonous snake, and I was done with our friendship. Sometimes you have to be quick and end a relationship that has potentially a bad outcome.

In closing, I want to give you a heads up about some people who are outright bad for you and need to be called rattlesnakes. Do you know who they are? If you do, do yourself a favor and end that relationship and move on. There are a lot of good people who would love to be a friend to you.

Dr. Mike has Zoom classes on “Boundaries in Dating,” By Dr. Henry Cloud and Dr. John Townsend, on Thursday’s. “If you’re interested in attending this class, it’s on Thursday from 5:00 to 6:00 PM. You’ll need to send Mike your email address to get a link for the Zoom class. Send your email address to mike@applicablecoaching.com. You can sit in and listen or be a participant. These classes are free.

If you are interested in any of these classes or have questions, send an email to mike@applicablecoaching.com or call 303.880.9878.

Do you feel like you’re living in a rattlesnake relationship and want help in deciding your next steps? Do you need help trying to figure out who you are married to and why they treat you the way they do? Do you want to know more about the motivations of the rattlesnake individual? Do you want help in managing and understanding your ups and downs with an unhealthy partner? If you answered yes to any of these questions, you need to contact Dr. Mike and set up an appointment. Please call Dr. Mike at 303.880.9878.

Dr. Michael Brooks is the founder of Applicable Counseling and life coaching Services. It is affordable, accessible, anonymous, and available by appointment from the privacy of your home. To avoid travel time and the comfort of home, many clients prefer to meet with Dr. Mike over the phone or via Zoom (if you want to have a Zoom meeting with Dr. Mike, send him an email at mike@applicablecoaching.com to set up an appointment). The convenience of this type of Counseling/Coaching is the most effective means of Life Coaching for those who live outside of Colorado. Give Dr. Mike a call! You’ll be glad you did!