What makes you feel strong? Strength Challenge Interview #2

Created by Darlene B. Nemeth

This week I am running a series of posts resulting from my strength interview with Darlene B. Nemeth.  About two years ago Darlene embarked on a journey to travel towards inner peace and happiness. Her quest reminded me of my own challenge to become a stronger person in my 50th year.  Curious to learn more I emailed Darlene and requested an interview. Today’s post focuses on what Darlene has learned about strength.

What makes you feel strong?
I don’t have a simple answer for this question. For me to feel strong, I have several needs.

First of all, I need to be well rested. Why? Being sleep deprived makes my brain foggy and I can’t think straight and it affects my memory. I can’t think fast on my feet so I come across brain dead.

Second, I need a full stomach. Not uncomfortably full, just nicely satisfied. I tend to snack throughout the day and never allow my stomach to be empty. Of course snacks do not include sugary foods because you don’t want to spike then crash. I am aiming to keep my glucose leveled out. I like to snack on fresh fruit or vegetables with a bit of cheese or almonds. I need to feed my brain. Why? For the same reason I get my rest.

I’m your starting to think I’m a little cuckoo but I assure I’m not. These tips that I am sharing are genuine. I will continue.

Third, is to keep hydrated whether your drinking water or munching down on raw fruits and vegetables. Why? Once again, it is about keeping your brain happy. I suggest keeping a bottle of water nearby.

Fourth and definitely extremely important is being knowledgeable. I can get excited, boisterous and confident when I am brimming with information. The more I know the better. I am constantly reading articles in my field, self-improvement and just about anything that looks interesting.

 Dressing for success is also on my list of tips on being strong. Yes, I am a firm believer in dressing for success. It makes me feel strong and confident because presentation counts and my clothes are my image. If you want to be taken as a serious professional you must dress the part.

These are my suggestions:

 - Your outfit should be a solid conservative colour

 - Wear a suit or dress pants with a coordinating blouse

- Wear clean shoes. No open toed shoes or spikes.

- Make sure your hair is clean and neat

 - If you are going to wear jewelry or make up, keep it simple

- I would skip the perfume because you never know who may have allergies

What detracts from your strength or what do you see others doing that detract from their strength?
 Negative people really suck the life out of me leaving me weak and tired:

- Their complaints 

- Their negative spin on everything

- Outbursts of anger with or without swearing

 Now I know I cannot completely avoid these people but I do limit my exposure to them. Depending on the situation and my relationship with that person I will try to guide them into a positive state. For example, if my daughter comes home and starts with listing off all the bad in her day, I will ask her to tell me something good.

In addition to her website http://darlenebnemeth.blogspot.ca/, check out Darlene's pins on Pinterest and items for resale at LittleShopTreasures on Etsy.

What makes you feel strong? What detracts from your strength or what do you see others doing that detract from their strength?

Tune in tomorrow to read Darlene's tips in dealing with a bully.

Previous posts in this series:
Strength Challenge Interview #1 - an Introduction


If you enjoyed this post you may also like:
How to dress "strong" at work
Interview with Susan Bulkeley Butler