Talk Takeaway: Self-Improvement
If you feel like your life needs a boost, self-improvement could be a guide to a better life. On that note, Julie Chen and The Talk team turned to author and journalist Leeza Gibbons for advice on positivity.
The Talk: Leeza Gibbons Gratitude Hike
Leeza Gibbons is the author of a new bestselling book, Take 2: Your Guide To Creating Happy Endings and New Beginnings. Julie and Sheryl talked with Leeza about some of the advice from her book.
Leeza suggested going on a gratitude hike with your family, something that she said was inspired by her real life. “You can’t start your life over without connecting with your essence,” she said.
Author and journalist Leeza Gibbons outlined self-help exercises such as the bravery box, sanity sanctuary, and gratitude hike from her new book, Take 2. (Helga Esteb / Shutterstock.com)
She said you can hike or walk anywhere around you. But she suggested making a ritual of writing down what is on your heart. Maybe pair it with a holiday that is meaningful to you. Write down your values and goals before the hike. Then share your writing with friends or family members at the endpoint of your hike.
The Talk: Leeza Gibbons Bravery Box
Her next advice was the Bravery Box. To try this self-improvement exercise, write your fears down. “Minimize it to little strips of paper,” Gibbons suggested. No fear is too big or too small.
Then put your slips of paper in a box and literally close the lid on your fears. Keep the box somewhere in your home, in plain sight so you will be reminded of it each day.
Once a week, Leeza said you should take action on one of your fears, at least once each week. The goal is to eventually empty each of your fears over time.
She said that her key concepts have to do with ritualizing positivity.
The Talk: How To Bury Your Burden
If you are contending with regrets or baggage from the past, write them on a piece of paper. Find a space such as your back yard and bury the paper, to symbolically move on from that burden.
You can also plant something over it that will grow and remind you that there is always new hope out there for everyone.
The Talk: Leeza Gibbons Sanity Sanctuary
She also suggested establishing a sanity sanctuary to help you reconnect with the things that matter most to you, such as a bath, yoga exercises, or a phone call to a friend.
“Don’t undervalue what that means, because that is your spirit,” Gibbons said of your sanity sanctuary.
Sheryl Underwood threatened to make Julie’s house her sanity sanctuary.
The Talk: Leeza Gibbons Mantra
A mantra is something meaningful to you, that can help you center yourself at any time. Leeza explained that when she feels overwhelmed or lacks confidence, she uses the mantra “Breathe, believe, receive.”
That helps her remember to breathe and believe she will be OK, as well as being open to help and care from others. “Show up, do your best. Let go of the rest,” Gibbons said.
Being able to remind yourself that things will be OK is powerful, according to Gibbons. What do you think of Leeza’s advice? Will you try any of her tips?
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