I hope that wherever you are, you're listening to this episode in a cool, calm, and supportive environment. I wish that for you because here in St. Augustine, Florida, we've been dealing with some crazy heat lately. It's not your typical hot Florida sun—it's that humid air that feels dense and almost hard to breathe. Over the past few nights, things have taken it up a notch. I'm dog-sitting for my sister, so my two pups and I moved into her home to watch her dog. When her AC went out, the situation became downright oppressive. As I manage this in various ways, I thought, what better opportunity for you and me to go on a wise walk together? Let's slow down, check our reality, and reflect on how we stay cool, calm, and collected when we're under pressure or feeling the heat. So, the questions on my mind are: When you find yourself in a pressure cooker situation, what ways do you embrace to chill out and feel grounded and centered, even if you can feel the heat coming towards you? What's a situation you've recently experienced where you've noticed different qualities or responses in how you handle heat? And what are some things you want to do to manage it better in the future? In this episode we’ll reflect on stress management strategies and consider how they can improve our reactions in future high-pressure scenarios. We’ll underscore the importance of finding balance, staying centered, and approaching life's pressure cooker moments with a cool, collected demeanor. These wise walk questions can help guide you through reflecting on and improving your responses to high-pressure situations, ensuring you maintain calmness, empathy, and composure. When you find yourself in a pressure cooker situation what ways do you embrace in order to chill out? What's a situation you've recently experienced where you've noticed different responses to how you handle heat? What are things you want to do in order to manage high-pressure situations better? When was the last time you got hot and bothered by a situation in your life? How did you respond? Are you proud of how you handled the situation or are there opportunities to shift your energy? What situation are you grappling with right now that has you triggered? Can you identify the trigger and choose to approach it in a more compassionate and supportive way? When are we making decisions in our life from a hot and bothered standpoint? When are we making decisions from the cool, calm and collected energy? Can we be intentional about how we're moving through our day? Are we realizing that our normal tendency to react may not serve us and instead go into a place of stillness? What are the different ways you find your center? Can you express yourself and create space from the heat? How do you speak your truth and get the results that you want in a kind, cool and compassionate way? Join this inspiring community to uncover a new sense of freedom, and be sure to follow and review the True Stride podcast as we continue to exchange our light and Heart Value with each other. In this episode: [04:54] - Mary Tess talks about how she was able to catch herself and realize she was creating her own stress when seated next to a sick person on a plane. [08:32] - When the breaker went out, Mary Tess tried to find a calm way to solve the problem. [09:51] - One of the ways she was managing the heat was by finding her center and being still. [10:43] - The polar opposites of hot and bothered and cool, calm and collected. [13:31] - Mary Tess talks about being a people pleaser and letting things slide, she now isn't afraid to speak up and correct someone. [16:22] - How do you speak your truth and get the results that you want in a kind cool and compassionate way? Memorable Quotes: “At the end of the day, I always want to try and be kind even when I can feel the heat or the pressure on.” - Mary Tess“We have the ability to help create the environment that our bodies, mind, and heart needs. Even if we're in a pressure cooker situation.” - Mary Tess“I love it when you can approach any tough, hot situation with a cool, calm and collected truth settling response.” - Mary Tess Links and Resources: Mary Tess Rooney Email Facebook | LinkedIn | Twitter | Instagram Heart Value
