Life from the Top of the Mind artwork

Life from the Top of the Mind

515 episodes - English - Latest episode: 3 months ago - ★★★★ - 21 ratings

This series of video podcasts is based upon a system for success developed by psychologist, Dr. Bill Crawford, (Ph.D.). The basic premise of this philosophy is that the reason we are less than effective is that the problems in our life trigger the release of certain stress-related chemicals that engage the lower 20% of our brain which is incapable of creative thinking. This results in feelings of stress, frustration, and the desire to either lash out or escape. What makes Dr. Crawford's "Top of the Mind" system unique and powerful is that it shows us how to change the chemical make-up of our body and shift to the upper 80% of our brain where we can access the clarity, confidence, and creativity necessary to bring our best to all aspects of life.

Careers Business Kids & Family bill crawford bill crawford stress difficult people leadership communication success management confidence
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Episodes

The Neuroscience of Drama

January 07, 2024 20:32

"Drama doesn't just walk into our life. We either invite it, create it, or keep it alive by associating with it." ~ Adapted from Brooke Hampton (https://www.billcrawfordphd.com/quote-video-blog/)

The Art of Being Centered

December 30, 2023 20:23

"When deciding what to do next, we can always ask: Does this thought, emotion, or behavior bring me closer to or take me further away from my center? ~ Adapted from Stephen Gilligan, Ph.D. (https://www.billcrawfordphd.com/quote-video-blog/)

The Best Gift of All

December 23, 2023 20:16

“Often, the best gift isn’t what we buy, but who we are, and what we say and do with those we love.” ~ Bill Crawford (https://www.billcrawfordphd.com/quote-video-blog/)

Breaking the Cycle of Stress

December 17, 2023 20:08

“In order to break the cycle of stress and frustration we must first be aware of the problem and then turn it into the practice field.” ~ Bill Crawford (https://www.billcrawfordphd.com/quote-video-blog/)

The Science of Falling Back Asleep

December 09, 2023 20:00

“Sleep is simply a chemical change in our brain and body (melatonin) - It’s not a place we go, it is a state of being that we fall into.” ~ Bill Crawford (https://www.billcrawfordphd.com/quote-video-blog/)

The Neuroscience of Belief

November 26, 2023 19:51

"Until we consciously choose the beliefs that affect our thoughts, emotions, and behaviors, we will be driven by the unconscious, fear-based part of the brain." ~ Bill Crawford (https://www.billcrawfordphd.com/quote-video-blog/)

The Underlying Cause of How We Feel, Think, & Act

October 27, 2023 19:57

“To find the true cause of how we think and feel, find the ‘sponsoring thought’ that created the interpretation that influenced our experience of life.” ~ Bill Crawford (https://www.billcrawfordphd.com/quote-video-blog/)

Inspiring Trust

October 21, 2023 19:52

“We all know that trust is the foundation for any meaningful conversation and/or relationship… what we often don’t know is the neuroscience required to make this happen.” ~ Bill Crawford (https://www.billcrawfordphd.com/quote-video-blog/)

The News: Are We Being Informed or Inflamed?

October 07, 2023 19:47

“If we consume simply what we are fed with respect to ‘the news,’ we run the risk of being inflamed versus informed.” ~ Bill Crawford (https://www.billcrawfordphd.com/quote-video-blog/)

The 3 Ps to Happiness and Success

October 03, 2023 18:58

"To achieve anything, we must have three things, a clear purpose, a pathway, and the persistence necessary to see it through." ~ Bill Crawford (https://www.billcrawfordphd.com/quote-video-blog/)

The Neuroscience of Difficult People

September 19, 2023 12:38

"Those who are constantly at war with others are seldom at peace with themselves." ~ William Hazlitt (https://www.billcrawfordphd.com/quote-video-blog/)

What Keeps Us from Being Heard & Understood

August 29, 2023 19:41

"The Key to being heard and understood is to ensure we are engaging their receptive brain versus driving them further into the resistant brain." ~ Bill Crawford (https://www.billcrawfordphd.com/quote-video-blog/)

The Difference between Defending & Being Defensive

August 12, 2023 14:15

"In order to prevent someone from attacking our defense we need to know the difference between defending and being defensive.” ~ Bill Crawford (https://www.billcrawfordphd.com/quote-video-blog/)

Dealing with Intense Anxiety

August 05, 2023 14:11

"Anxiety is a signal that something needs to change…. Suffering is when we don't make the change." ~ Bill Crawford (https://www.billcrawfordphd.com/quote-video-blog/)

The Neuroscience of Exhaustion!

July 30, 2023 14:05

“Until we realize the trust cause of exhaustion, we will be forever trying to change those aspects of life over which we have no control.” ~ Bill Crawford (https://www.billcrawfordphd.com/quote-video-blog/)

How to Keep People From Jerking Your Chain

July 23, 2023 14:01

"Want to know how to keep people from jerking your chain? Don't give your chain to jerks!" ~ Bill Crawford (https://www.billcrawfordphd.com/quote-video-blog/)

Teaching Kids Respect!

July 15, 2023 13:57

"Every time we interact with our children, we are teaching them something. This means that we can't teach respect by being disrespectful." ~ Bill Crawford (https://www.billcrawfordphd.com/quote-video-blog/)

Accessing the Cooperative Brain of Your Child

June 25, 2023 13:52

“We can’t teach our kids self-control when they are upset until they see us practicing self-control when we are upset.” ~ Bill Crawford (https://www.billcrawfordphd.com/quote-video-blog/)

The News: Informing or Inflaming?

June 17, 2023 13:49

“If we consume simply what we are fed with respect to ‘the news,’ we run the risk of being inflamed versus informed.” ~ Bill Crawford (https://www.billcrawfordphd.com/quote-video-blog/)

Why People Resist Change

June 03, 2023 13:46

"Sometimes we stay in Hell a long time because we have learned the names of the streets." ~ Michael Levine (https://www.billcrawfordphd.com/quote-video-blog/)

College Students Review Dr. Crawford's Presentation on Stress and Anxiety

May 20, 2023 13:44

"Dr. Crawford's master class was simply life changing. I feel like I'm already approaching the way I handle stress completely differently, and it hasn't even been a week since the class!". ~ Texas State University Student (https://www.billcrawfordphd.com/quote-video-blog/)

What Is Said About Us When We Leave The Room

May 13, 2023 13:39

"Our 'emotional wake' is how we affect others after we have left the room. Let's make sure we are creating this effect on purpose." ~ Bill Crawford (https://www.billcrawfordphd.com/quote-video-blog/)

Why Self Care Feels Selfish

May 07, 2023 13:29

"When you're not used to being confident, confidence feels like arrogance. When you're used to being passive, assertiveness feels like aggression. When you're not used to getting your needs met, prioritizing yourself feels selfish. Your comfort zone is not a good benchmark." ~ Dr. Vassilia Binensztok (https://www.billcrawfordphd.com/quote-video-blog/)

Living by Choice Versus Chance

April 27, 2023 13:23

“A Life lived by choice is a life of conscious action. A life lived by chance is a life of unconscious reaction.” ~ Neale Walsch (https://www.billcrawfordphd.com/quote-video-blog/)

When Helping Doesn't Help

April 15, 2023 13:15

“Some people won’t change until it becomes too painful not to.” ~ Bill Crawford (https://www.billcrawfordphd.com/quote-video-blog/)

Determining What's Most Important

April 08, 2023 23:31

"Never make the most important thing in your life something that is out of your control." ~ Bill Crawford (https://www.billcrawfordphd.com/quote-video-blog/)

The Problem With Resisting Change

April 03, 2023 18:46

"What we aren't changing, we are choosing" ~ Laurie Buchanan (https://www.billcrawfordphd.com/quote-video-blog/)

Dealing With Bad Drivers

March 20, 2023 14:45

“You will never reach your destination if you stop and throw stones at every dog that barks.” ~ Winston S. Churchill (https://www.billcrawfordphd.com/quote-video-blog/)

Tools For Cutting Through The Crap

March 14, 2023 13:25

“In order to become more influential in our life and the lives of others, we must not only become clear about why we think and feel a certain way, but how to change those thoughts and emotions to ones that are more congruent with the life we want to create.” ~ Bill Crawford (https://www.billcrawfordphd.com/quote-video-blog/)

Why People Disengage

March 07, 2023 14:20

“People generally do not disengage from important discussions because they want to. They do so because there is no process in place to drive engagement and solution-focused conversations.” ~ Bill Crawford (https://www.billcrawfordphd.com/quote-video-blog/)

Why People Reject Our Advice

February 27, 2023 14:13

"Our unsolicited advice often comes across as a lack of confidence in their judgment, knowledge, or ability to learn." ~ Bill Crawford (https://www.billcrawfordphd.com/quote-video-blog/)

Optimism - The Case For & Against

February 12, 2023 14:10

“Healthy optimism simply as the belief that the future will be better than the past, and that I have confidence in my ability to influence the process." ~ Bill Crawford (https://www.billcrawfordphd.com/quote-video-blog/)

What Happens When We Don't Trust Our Judgement

February 07, 2023 14:05

"Action without knowledge can be destructive, but knowledge without action can be demoralizing." ~ Bill Crawford (https://www.billcrawfordphd.com/quote-video-blog/)

The Key to Self-Worth

January 24, 2023 20:55

“Until we learn to take care of ourselves the way we would take care of someone we love, we will forever be at the disadvantage of being taken care of by those who don’t know what we need or what makes us worthy.” ~ Bill Crawford (https://www.billcrawfordphd.com/quote-video-blog/)

You Are So Annoying!

January 15, 2023 20:48

"When we define difficult people and situations in terms of their effect on us (annoying, frustrating, irritating, and depressing) we give them the power to define us." ~ Bill Crawford (https://www.billcrawfordphd.com/quote-video-blog/)

Perfectionism Vs. Healthy Striving

January 07, 2023 20:44

"The difference between perfectionism and healthy striving is the difference between improvement and approval. Healthy striving is an internal process designed to promote growth, while perfectionism is an external focus designed to obtain approval from others and is primarily fueled by the fear of not being enough.” ~ Adapted from Brené Brown (https://www.billcrawfordphd.com/quote-video-blog/)

When Honesty Is NOT The Best Policy

January 01, 2023 20:41

"Honesty isn't the best policy when it is driven by frustration, resentment, hurt, or anger because it is likely to trigger frustration, resentment, hurt, or anger in others." ~ Adapted from Brené Brown (https://www.billcrawfordphd.com/quote-video-blog/)

Are We Willing to be Wrong (So That We Can Trust Being Right)?

December 14, 2022 22:29

"We must be willing to be wrong in order to trust what we believe to be right." ~ Bill Crawford (https://www.billcrawfordphd.com/quote-video-blog/)

Constructive Criticism - An Oxymoron?

December 10, 2022 22:25

"Criticism can be effective when there is something that must be destroyed or dissolved, but it is capable only of harm when there is something to be built." ~ Carl Jung (https://www.billcrawfordphd.com/quote-video-blog/)

The 4 P's of Anxiety & Depression

November 29, 2022 22:17

“Just as we are to avoid the four horsemen of the apocalypse, we should also avoid the four “P’s” of anxiety and depression… the need to please, perform, prove, and perfect.” ~ Bill Crawford (https://www.billcrawfordphd.com/quote-video-blog/)

What Are We Pretending Not to Know?

November 21, 2022 23:13

"Honesty isn't always just saying the truth, sometimes it's about facing the truth. A life of confusion can often be a form of self-delusion. . .What are we pretending not to know?" ~ Ken Frogley (https://www.billcrawfordphd.com/quote-video-blog/)

Good Bad Person

November 15, 2022 23:03

“You can’t make a good deal with a bad person.” ~ Warren Buffett (https://www.billcrawfordphd.com/quote-video-blog/)

Don't Let Them Live Rent Free Inside Your Head

October 31, 2022 21:59

“In order to become more influential in our experience of life, we must become more selective to whom we allow inside our heads.” ~ Bill Crawford (https://www.billcrawfordphd.com/quote-video-blog/)

Empathy & Influence

October 25, 2022 21:47

"Empathy isn't just understanding another's position, it's connecting to the emotions that underpin that experience which is critical if we want to be influential with others." ~ Adapted from Brené Brown (https://www.billcrawfordphd.com/quote-video-blog/)

Behavior Validates Belief - How to Change a Habit

October 18, 2022 21:45

“Any powerful idea is absolutely fascinating and absolutely useless until we choose to use it because behavior validates belief.” ~ Richard Bach (https://www.billcrawfordphd.com/quote-video-blog/)

What We Are Afraid To See Or Say

October 10, 2022 21:36

"What we condone we codify." ~ Bill Crawford (https://www.billcrawfordphd.com/quote-video-blog/)

The Power of the Mind Body Connection

September 27, 2022 21:32

“In order to influence our experience of life, we must have a deeper understanding of how the mind and body affect each other, as well as, a system for influencing this process.” ~ Bill Crawford (https://www.billcrawfordphd.com/quote-video-blog/)

Complainers

September 20, 2022 15:42

"The only thing complaining does is convince other people that you are not in control." ~ Unknown (https://www.billcrawfordphd.com/quote-video-blog/)

Being Heard & Understood!

September 06, 2022 15:26

“Not being understood is a signal that there is much more to understand.” ~ Bill Crawford (https://www.billcrawfordphd.com/quote-video-blog/)

What is True Confidence?

September 02, 2022 15:25

"True confidence is the ability to listen to anyone or anything without losing your temper or your perspective." ~ Bill Crawford (https://www.billcrawfordphd.com/quote-video-blog/)