Daily Bliss

14/04/2026

A great technique to combat imposter syndrome is to catch and contradict any non evidence-based thoughts as they come.

"I'm not qualified enough."

List your qualifications and experience. Challenge yourself to include the things that you may not consider applicable at first.

"No one here likes me."

List the times that people have interacted positively with you: a passing smile; words of encouragement or thanks; buying you a coffee; pausing work to help you. You stop noticing these things when the imposter takes over, but they continue to happen.

Imposter syndrome thrives on a cycle of self-critical thoughts, reflecting only our fears and insecurities. It tries to speak louder than our strengths and overshadows the things we know we are goo…

10/03/2026

The 2 Types of Performance Anxiety

If you ever feel nervous before a presentation, meeting, or your one-on-one, it may be a symptom of performance anxiety. It's completely normal, and most of us experience it to some degree. The thing that many people don't know is this: There are two distinct types of performance anxiety....

If you ever feel nervous before a presentation, meeting, or your one-on-one, it may be a symptom of performance anxiety. It’s completely normal, and most of us experience it to some degree. T…

10/02/2026

Intention vs Resolution

Intentions encourage us to approach our goals with more flexibility. Where a resolution may be a clearly defined behaviour or outcome, an intention could be considered more like a 'first draft;' the first of many steps that will carry us to where we'd like to be....

Intentions encourage us to approach our goals with more flexibility. Where a resolution may be a clearly defined behaviour or outcome, an intention could be considered more like a ‘first draf…

21/12/2025

Different situations in our lives require different approaches. Sometimes, our inner critics or habitual responses push us to try the same approach on repeat, even when it's not working.
For any job, there are different tools designed to complete tasks effectively. When painting a fence, it wouldn't make sense to pick up a hammer, when the paintbrush is sitting there, ready to use.

In the same way, it's ineffective to approach a conflict with avoidance, or an emotional problem with pure rationalisation. We need to train our minds to pick up the right tool for the right situation.

PQ categorises our mental tools into 5 categories. The Sage Powers:
1. Empathise
2. Explore
3. Innovate
4. Navigate
5. Activate

Next time you find yourself problem solving, consider whether your instinctive approach utilises the best tools for the task, or whether a shift in your mindset may be more effective.

Watch this 1 minute video for the rationale behind the toolbox metaphor, explained by PQ's founder, Shirzad Chamine.

facebook.com/watch/?v=449215817480718

17/12/2025

Over the course of this year, Mindset Matters has focused on each of Positive Intelligence's saboteurs: conceptualisations of different habits and thought processes that hold us back. Each one resonates with different individuals to different degrees. As we close out the year, the focus is on identifying what these things mean for you, specifically. Join me in this final edition for 2025, and apply the tools that work for your specific personality and patterns.

The full newsletter is available via LinkedIn.

10/12/2025

There are a million ways we can give definitions and names to our inner voices, thought patterns, and brain functions. They’re all borne of different individuals' desires to conceptualise their intangible inner workings. Some will be incredibly helpful for one person, and meaningless for another. The key is finding the metaphor or framework that works best for us.

In this month's blog, consider how a range of different approaches can be utilised in the same situation, to help rein in negative self-talk.

Read it here: https://dailybliss.com.au/find-your-favourite-framework/

03/12/2025

This year, we've taken a deep-dive into each of Positive Intelligence's Saboteurs: a framework for identifying and understanding the forms of our negative thoughts.

If you haven't already, now is the perfect time to take the Free Saboteur Assessment, and discover which self-critical habits have the strongest hold on you. The assessment is fast and easy, designed to be answered with the first response that comes to mind. At the end, you'll receive a breakdown of how your answers aligned with each of the saboteurs, and more info on their characteristics, strengths and impacts. Take the assessment now: https://www.positiveintelligence.com/saboteurs/

For a brief recap on the saboteurs, read on. Which descriptions do you resonate with from first glance?

Avoider
Focuses on the positive and pleasant in an extreme way, avoiding difficult and unpleasant tasks and conflicts.

Controller
Fuels an anxiety-based need to take charge and control situations and people’s actions. When this is not possible, it causes high anxiety and impatience.

Hyper-Achiever
Depends on constant performance and achievement for self-respect and self-validation. It quickly discounts the latest achievement, always needing more.

Hyper-Rational
Focuses intensely and exclusively on the rational processing of everything, including relationships. It can cause the perception that you are uncaring, unfeeling, or intellectually arrogant.

Hyper-Vigilant
Creates continuous, intense anxiety about all the dangers around you and what could go wrong, causing vigilance that can never rest.

Pleaser
Indirectly tries to gain acceptance and affection by helping, pleasing, rescuing, or flattering others. As a result, you lose sight of your own needs and can become resentful.

Restless
Spurs constant busyness and a search for greater excitement in the next activity. As a result, you rarely feel at peace or content.

Stickler
Thrives on perfectionism and a need for order and organization taken too far. It causes anxiety trying to make too many things perfect.

Victim
Causes you to be emotional and temperamental as a way to gain attention and affection. It creates an extreme focus on internal feelings, particularly painful ones.

Image and saboteur description source: https://www.positiveintelligence.com/blog/discover-your-saboteurs/

26/11/2025

As November comes to a close, grab a cuppa and take a moment to read through the latest edition of Mindset Matters. This month, we're taking a deep-dive into Positive Intelligence's final saboteur: The Hyper-Rational. Those of us who excel at critical thinking are guaranteed to resonate with this one. How are we impacted when we take logic too far? Which situations require more creative or emotion-based responses? Read on to find out. Plus, enjoy one of my favourite Tales of Tails yet... a true testament to why we cannot apply rational thinking to our pets.

The full newsletter is available via LinkedIn.

20/11/2025

Rationalisation occurs after an action or decision. It takes an event that has already occurred, and concocts the reasoning that will define it as rational. It’s a natural process, but can lead us to justifying behaviour that doesn’t align with our values.

We may think we are being self-aware, making discoveries about ourselves. However, the opposite is often occurring. Rationalisation allows us to re-frame our behaviour in a more favourable light, and can be a reason people feel justified doing harmful things.

Our mind wants to justify our behaviour, especially when we don’t feel good about it. That’s why it’s important to regularly check in and ask: “Am I rationalising behaviour that doesn’t align with my beliefs?”

The harder our rational mind pushes to explain a choice that might not have felt right, the more we need to deconstruct the explanations we’re feeding ourselves.

We believe rationalisation is asking ourselves: Why did I do that? In reality, it’s more likely asking: What facts would make that action acceptable?

Next time you find yourself justifying a choice, pause to consider whether you're discovering genuine reasons, or just creating a rational explanation. Then, challenge that explanation. Honestly ask: Why did I do that? And allow the answer to be truly self-reflective.

Read the full blog to learn more about the theories behind rationalisation: https://dailybliss.com.au/rationalisation-or-rational-action/

12/11/2025

Engaging in hyper-rational thinking can often put a strain on our relationships. A key question can help us figure out whether that price is one we're willing to pay: "Would I rather be 'right' or happy?" Sometimes, even if we're right, the choice that will feel better in the long run is to let something go.

Next time you're in a conflict, or notice yourself intellectualising from a stringently rational perspective, pause.

Consider whether 'winning' the interaction will make you happy in the long run, or whether it will just put strain on a relationship.
"Would I rather be 'right' or happy?"

Proceed based on what you decide. Do you let something go, or does the situation require sticking to your guns?

Sometimes, a problem does require an intellectual solution, where we hold our ground. Others, however, may benefit more from switching from 'I told you so,' to 'let's just fix this.' And sometimes, it's neither. Maybe you're out shopping for decorations, and your partner wants to choose something that doesn't match. In the long run, is it more important for the house to be perfectly colour coordinated, or for your partner to add something that brings them joy?

Pause and consider the options. The outcome is up to you.

Curious about other PQ techniques? Visit: https://dailybliss.com.au/pq/

05/11/2025

The Hyper-Rational is a saboteur that strongly aligns itself with the intellectual. It pushes us to focus solely on rational processing; even with things that require more nuanced, emotional approaches (like our relationships). Sometimes, this tendency can make us come off as cold, distant, or intellectually arrogant.

Strengths of people with the Hyper-Rational:
- Excellent debaters
- Capable of deep insight and understanding through objective analysis
- Great observance and perception
- Keen concentration
- Exploration and invention
- Driven towards gaining expertise and knowledge

If you have a strong Hyper-Rational, you may notice an intense and active mind. You may also stick to showing emotion through passion in ideas, and prefer to watch and analyse others from a distance. It's also common to experience losing track of time during periods of intense concentration.

The Hyper-Rational, left unchecked, can lead to a number of unhelpful thoughts and feelings:
- Frustration with others being irrational
- Anxiety about preserving personal time, energy and resources against intrusions or distractions
- Cynicism and scepticism
- Feeling different, alone and not understood
- Self-worth is attached to mastering knowledge and competence
- "The rational mind is the most important thing. It should be separated from messy emotions and needs, so work can get done."

The key limit to the Hyper-Rational is that it can lead to analysing and intellectualising, rather than actually feeling and experiencing. It can also intimidate and alienate less analytically intense people.

The Hyper-Rational may make us smart, but many challenges in life require more than intellect; they require wisdom. To learn about finding the balance between both, start by taking the Free Saboteur Assessment: https://www.positiveintelligence.com/saboteurs/