Would you be surprised to know? 80% of Americans indicate that each time the New Year rolls around their anxiety increases due to high-levels of performance expectations, unfinished project work, and too many re-scheduled meetings.

In my co-authored bestselling book, Back After Burnout, according to a report issued by the American Institute of Stress, one in four employees rank work stress as their number one cause of stress.

AND, the Department of Labor determined that two-thirds of workers site stress as very or somewhat significant. What can be done about it?

While traveling in Lisbon, Portugal a few years ago, I happened to take a quick photo of my wife standing on a cobble-stone street filled with shops. After posting it on Facebook, I received a comment that the photo looked like a postcard.

That got me to thinking about how grateful I am to have a life filled with many blessings to include my faith, family, fitness, finances, and foundation (giving). Oftentimes, people tell me that I have a large personality and an over-engaged optimistic view of life.

I make no apologies for having either and proudly claim both. That will especially be funny to those who know me well.

For me, I live my life like a postcard and the inscription reads: Gratitude is My Attitude.

Throughout my life, some stories stand out for their inspiration. The following story, an excerpt from my book Fanny Rules: A Mother’s Leadership Lessons that Never Grow Old, is one of those stories.

“Sinking was never an option.”

In this week’s Cohesion Corner™ with Dr. Troy blog post, I have another excerpt from my book FANNY RULES: A Mother’s Leadership Lessons that Never Grow Old. Make sure to check out the first FANNY RULES blog post called Remember the Dent (click here to read) for the backstory on my mom, aka FANNY, and the teachable moments she imparted on me.

When people ask me about my leadership journey, I refer back to 1969. At 12 years old, my mom, aka FANNY, was diagnosed with breast cancer. We lived in a small rural town in West Virginia. Our small little town offered limited education, poor economic conditions, and we were 30 to 45 minutes from the nearest hospital or major employer.

Ever wondered what goes on in the brain when you ask a question with “why” in the beginning?

For most of us, we know immediately.

Our brain senses conflict and engages our natural defense system.

“I can do it myself.”

“I don’t need your help.”

“I can do it my way.”

I remember as a child being a little stubborn (I know you’re shocked ) and telling Mom aka FANNY that I could do it on my own.

Motivation and systems play a vital role in achieving personal and professional goal success. Understanding how motivation works and the types of motivation that provides stimuli for me and others that I lead is critical to leadership success.