Just got a call from KPBS - the public television station in San Diego - to schedule "Snap Out Of It NOW!" for their membership drive on  August 8th at 7pm! I am excited that my family, friends, colleagues and clients will be able to see my 90-minute pledge show, distributed by America Public Television, that we filmed last fall in Reno, Nevada.  Watch my show and discover why your efforts at self-improvement are not working! And, learn to rewire your brain to start working for you, not against you!

Show details:

August 8, 2009

KPBS San Diego, CA: Snap Out of it NOW! with Dr. Adrianne Ahern 90-Minute Pledge Special

Saturday evening  August 8^th at 7:00 pm (Check your local listing!)

Be sure to watch!  Call in and make a pledge to support Public Television in San Diego

Call 619-594-6983 or send an email to members@kpbs.org.

Toll-free: (888) 399-5727
http://www.kpbs.org/

Check out my new office -- click "play" on the image above and it will let you cruise around my office.  You can even zoom in to check out the books I read and the artwork on the wall.  Last week a few members of my web team, Darin and Lisa McClure, came to see my psychology private practice office.  In addition to teaching me a bunch of new tricks with my Twitter and Facebook accounts, they also took a bunch of photos of my new office.  Then using this cool new tool (for me!) called "Microsoft Photosynth" they showed me how to embed the link to all the photos right here into my blog.  So, you can check out my office - all the books, water fountain, my diplomas, etc..., and rather than imagine what it would be like to sit down with me, you can check it out for yourself before even picking up the phone to call for an appointment.

Check it out!


The office is centrally located in Carmel Valley next to the Ruth Chris SteakHouse, right off the 5 freeway and just south of the 56 freeway.  

NEW office address is:
11622 El Camino Real, Suite 100,

San Diego, CA 92130

NEW office telephone: 858-764-2422.

Get Back in Charge!

If you don't define yourself for yourself, you will be squeezed into other people’s reality of you and eaten alive.
—Audre Lorde


Looking over my past few newsletters, I realized that I've been writing a lot about the troubling times we find ourselves in. The faltering economy. The real estate crisis. Record unemployment. All serious problems to be sure. So serious that it would be disingenuous to ignore them.

That said, none of these troubles are reason to put ourselves in a holding pattern or -- even worse -- regress to survival mode. And -- as regular readers know -- the brain is very good at convincing us to tune out hopes and dreams and focus on survival, if that’s what we are telling it to do!


The truth is, we’ve all faced difficult times in the past and we will all face them again. The trick is not to lose ourselves in the chaos of the moment, but to acknowledge the chaos we are experiencing, re-state the facts of our situation—don’t get lost in the story we are prone to tell—be proactive and, as many self-help gurus argue, “create our own reality.” It’s not easy, it does take practice, but those who succeed will reap the rewards of happier, healthier, and more creative lives.

For instance, I am well aware that the U.S. publishing industry is one of the most troubled sectors in business today. Still, I just released my newest book, “Back in Charge!” Sure, I could have shelved it until we saw more prosperous times, but I wanted to move forward in a proactive way.

I’m focusing not on all the reasons I shouldn’t be releasing a book today, but on the many, many reasons that there has never been a better time for this particular work. Case in point, an early chapter of “Back in Charge!” focuses on how anyone can -- like I did -- look beyond the negative and create a positive reality.

The first step is in realizing that we -- as conditioned human beings -- generally see what we expect to see For instance, if you are convinced that your boss is critical of your every move, you may be disturbed when she asks the simple question, “What time did you get in this morning?”
Immediately, your mind races. She’s not pleased with my performance. She thinks I am lazy. She’s always looks for the worst in me. Can I do anything right?

Sound familiar? Now think about the exchange. Your boss didn’t say anything disapproving, but the comment became negative in your mind because of your preconceptions. That’s the way the conditioning of our brains works, and it extends far beyond our perceptions of friends, family and colleagues. If you decide, for instance, that you will fail to achieve a goal or that you’ll fail to find a job that pays as well as the last one whether because of the economy, a lack of confidence, or whatever, be assured that your brain will help you fail.

What’s the solution? For starters, try this exercise from “Back in Charge!”

Make a list of things you desire that have always seemed out of reach. Now, pick the most inspiring one and instead of focusing on the negative, think about some of the reasons you might succeed. For instance, reference someone similar to you who has already achieved what you’re aiming for. You may not immediately convince yourself that the goals are achievable, but the more you focus on the reasons you can succeed, the closer you’ll come to actually doing it.

This is just one short exercise from “Back in Charge!” The 143-page book contains many, many more, each designed to teach you about your brain and the methods you can use to unlock its wonderful potential. Included with the book are two CDs packed with companion experiential exercises, so you can take what you learn and put it into practice in the car, at the gym or wherever you travel.

In these difficult and challenging times, let’s get “Back in Charge!”

Wishing you focus, fitness, & flexibility in mind and body.

Absolute Intimacy

“Every novel is an equal collaboration between the writer and the reader and it is the only place in the world where two strangers can meet on terms of absolute intimacy.”
–Paul Auster

Dear Friends,

Obviously, I’m not a novelist (yet!) so this may seem like a strange way to begin this month’s newsletter. But I’ve been thinking about Valentine’s Day and that it is so much more than a romantic holiday. It can be a time when we remember all the people in our lives who have touched us, loved and appreciated us. Isn’t it wonderful to think of those people and remember special times or gestures? The note sent “just because I’m thinking of you.” The sincere appreciation of a co-worker for something you’ve done. The special smile when you pick your child up from daycare.

The interesting thing about being a “public” person and an author is that I have the privilege of touching people I’ve never met. It’s an “absolute intimacy” between two strangers. And I often receive wonderful, heartfelt notes of appreciation from them. They say “How is it that you know JUST what to write in your newsletters at the time I need those words. . .” or “You have no idea how much you helped me before my spinal fusion” or “I think you’ve got a cool message!” Of course, every time I receive one of these, my DHEA (the Vitality hormone) goes off the charts!

But what about those of us who are not “public?” Do we have any idea how we might have touched strangers around us? We may never receive sweet notes of appreciation (they don’t know where to find us!), but we can (and do) certainly touch those strangers around us: when we compliment the grocery clerk’s hair, or pause and let the car trying to merge into traffic ahead of us, or hold the door open for the guy carrying all the packages. Every time we do one of these small things, especially if it is done with a sincere smile and open heart, we have truly touched someone. It is a moment of “absolute intimacy.”

So here’s what I would like you to do:

Every time you do a small kindness for someone you do not know, imagine receiving a wonderful note of appreciation from them. “Thank you so much for noticing my new tie. I wasn’t sure if I liked it but now it feels great. . .” or “Thanks for pushing the elevator button for me. I’d had a rough day and your kindness made me feel better. . .” or “Thanks for picking up the change that dropped out of my purse. My back has been achy lately so I was very grateful. . .”

I’ll end this month’s newsletter with a quote from one of the special notes I’ve received recently: “. . .In the event that perhaps one day you are overwhelmed with the consequences of whatever you have created (and thus experience), I just want you to know that there is someone you have touched deeply and whose gratitude is immeasurable.”

And that, my friends, is how I feel about you. Happy St. Valentine’s Day!

Adrianne Ahern, Ph.D.
Performance Consultant, Keynote Speaker, and author of Snap Out Of It Now!
P.S. If you find value in this blog and wish to share it with others, please do so!