Author Diana Cole: Getting An Upgrade; How Anyone Can Build Habits For Optimal Wellness, Performance, & Focus
Wake up happy. I teach exercises for this, but you can start now very simply. First thing when you wake up. Stay in bed for a few moments and say thank you. Notice that you are here to live and experience another day and in your thanks, smile. Feel happy. Do not let yourself think about a to-do list or a work project or a task you need to complete. Take 3–5 minutes to feel happy and grateful.
As a part of our series about “How Anyone Can Build Habits For Optimal Wellness, Performance, & Focus”, I had the pleasure of interviewing Diana Cole.
Diana Cole is a spirit translator, thought leader, and author. Passionate about spirit guidance, she is committed to teaching people how to access it for themselves so they may find freedom from pain and limitation and live a life of abundance, fun, and inspiration. Diana offers her empowering tools for spirit guidance in group settings, speaking engagements, live workshops, and through her vibrant Instagram and Facebook communities. She is the author of “Spirit Translator: Seven Truths for Creating Well-Being and Connecting With Spirit” (St. Martin’s Press, August 2020) and coauthor of “Pillars of Success” (August 2020) with Jack Canfield. Diana’s first children’s book, “Alina the Positive Thought Warrior,” is due to be released at the end of 2020.
Thank you so much for joining us in this interview series! Before we dive into the main focus of our interview, our readers would love to “get to know you” a bit better. Can you tell us a bit about your childhood backstory?
I grew up with a father who was leader in the New Age Movement in the San Francisco Bay Area in the in 1960s and 1970s. He was a physician and a spiritual pioneer. I learned a lot from him and his amazing friends. I learned to meditate at 4 years old and learned to talk to my spirit guide shortly after. I was a fly on the wall during countless spiritually progressive discussions and I was learning the teachings of important leaders and authors who we model today. I didn’t realize until I grew up and started hitting my own life snags and road bumps how much I learned and how valuable my early learning was.
What or who inspired you to pursue your career? We’d love to hear the story.
I think that ultimately my father inspired me. He encouraged me my whole life to bring my gifts forward and share them with the world. He used to tell me regularly that all the healers of the world need to come forward. When I tried to argue that others were handling it so I could take a backseat, he argued that even if every healer came forward, we would still need more. He was inspiring and encouraging and he did well to teach me everything he possibly could while he was here. I have always been very private and quiet, so it took a lot — it took him dying — for me to fully step into this work. As his life energy was diminishing, I felt that he was passing the baton to me and now I am the person who will run with it.
None of us can achieve success without some help along the way. Was there a particular person who you feel gave you the most help or encouragement to be who you are today? Can you share a story about that?
I have been very lucky to know so many people who have embraced my work and been supportive of me, but one stands out. A few years ago, I was invited to spend a day with Jack Canfield, the author of “Chicken Soup for the Soul” and many other best-selling books, at his home. We spent the day talking about my work, my gifts (which I was still somewhat private about), and the books I intended to write. He encouraged me to step out as a Spirit Translator as soon as possible. He explained that people needed what I could share, and his support has been illuminating.
Can you share the funniest or most interesting mistake that occurred to you in the course of your career? What lesson or take away did you learn from that?
My greatest mistake was also my greatest lesson. I took a detour in my career that brought me to my lowest low and became the catalyst for what I now teach. I had a back injury in my twenties and after years of research on how to become pain free, I developed an exercise method to heal my pain, so I thought that I could heal others by teaching them my exercise method. I owned exercise studios on both US coasts and taught thousands of people to get strong, guard against injury, and heal their pain. For me, owning exercise businesses proved to be a highly competitive and soul-draining venture. It exhausted my energy and ultimately my well-being. I witnessed how competition and negative chatter can damage us.
When things finally got so tough that I could not continue another day with the life I had created, I turned back to what I learned as a child; I began speaking to spirit and by following the advice and wisdom that came through, my life changed. It was so miraculous that I put it in my first book, “Spirit Translator,” so that I could help others who were stuck, unhappy, and feeling like they are living in a life that is not working.
The road to success is hard and requires tremendous dedication. This question is obviously a big one, but what advice would you give to a young person who aspires to follow in your footsteps and emulate your success?
I would say honor the twists, the turns, and the detours your life takes. Someone once told me that the good news is that everything changes, and the bad news is that everything changes. This is so true, and I think for people who feel that they have a mission to heal others, it is important to realize that the journey is not usually a straight line. There is no missed opportunity; it all unfolds for us magically and somewhat surprisingly.
Is there a particular book that made a significant impact on you? Can you share a story or explain why it resonated with you so much?
I love books because I believe that what others say or have said can have a great influence on us now. I was at a time in my life when I was feeling really low. I asked the universe for some guidance and then I was given this miraculous experience.
I had ordered food from a local restaurant, in my hometown, and was waiting at the counter for my order. A woman was sitting with her young daughter at the counter, close to where I was standing, and she had a book next to her. I glanced at the book but couldn’t see the title. I wondered to myself what she was reading but was too shy to ask. Then miraculously as I waited, the woman says to me, “Excuse me, have you read ‘Rules for a Knight’ by Ethan Hawke?”
I said, “No, I thought Ethan Hawke was an actor. I didn’t know he wrote books.”
And she replied, “You should order it today.”
So I did. This is a beautiful book of fables that on the surface does not look like “self-help,” but it is the perfect quick read of charming fables wrapped in lessons that we all need to learn. It helped bring me back to realizing that what I was experiencing in my own life was something others before me have experienced and had trouble with. It made me feel like I was not alone.
Can you share your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Why does that resonate with you so much?
My favorite quote is in “Rules for a Knight.” In Ethan Hawke’s beautiful little book of fables he said something that really hit me because I felt like I finally understood something profound about myself and about us all.
The quote is: “Anything that gives light must endure burning.”
This, to me, is the best way to sum up that we use our painful experiences to teach and to heal others. I open the second chapter of my book “Spirit Translator” with this quote, because it helped me understand my purpose so profoundly.
What are some of the most interesting or exciting projects you are working on now? How do you think that might help people?
I am currently writing courses that I hope to launch in the next few months. Additionally, I am working to offer weekly group calls on unleashing your full power. I plan to teach tools for building a spiritual practice, meditation, and of course, how to channel messages from spirit.
I truly believe that going within and learning to access inner guidance is the most beneficial thing any of can do. Becoming your own therapist, in a sense, is the best way to navigate the rough waters of your life so that you can more fully enjoy the calm moments and cultivate gratitude for weathering the storms and learning valuable lessons that are life-changing.
I am passionate about helping others speak to their internal wisdom and I am planning to release more ways to learn in 2021.
OK, thank you for all of that. Let’s now shift to the core focus of our interview. This will be intuitive to you but it will be helpful to spell this out directly. Can you help explain a few reasons why it is so important to create good habits? Can you share a story or give some examples?
When you get to a place in your life when you realize you are not living the life you hoped for and you feel stuck, the only thing that brings relief is changing thoughts — really doing the work to alter thought patterns and rehab your self-talk.
I see a lot of people dismissing positive thinking and I know why. It’s not simple. In order to make real changes you need to adopt a practice, which means habits need to be formed and practiced in order to see real changes.
I used to think that reading mantras or listening to a meditation could elevate my mood, but the truth was that it did not last long. When I was guided to create habits around positive thinking, my life changed.
How have habits played a role in your success? Can you share some success habits that have helped you in your journey?
Developing habits around positivity and gratitude is what keeps me on track, meaning I don’t sink into moments of despair when I am focused every day on continuing the habits I have created for myself.
The three easiest and best habits to start right away are pretty simple, but again, it must be practiced every day.
- Wake up happy. I teach exercises for this, but you can start now very simply. First thing when you wake up. Stay in bed for a few moments and say thank you. Notice that you are here to live and experience another day and in your thanks, smile. Feel happy. Do not let yourself think about a to-do list or a work project or a task you need to complete. Take 3–5 minutes to feel happy and grateful.
- Start positive self-talk. The easiest way to begin is to write a list of your positive aspects and post it in your home where you will see it a few times per day. This is a practice that should be started right away. So often we beat ourselves up or harshly judge ourselves throughout the day. This needs to change. Write a list of what you like about yourself and read it out loud at least three times per day. Again, this is a practice that needs to become a habit for real changes to begin.
- Go to sleep in peace and harmony. It does not matter what is happening “out there,” shut off the problems, the sadnesses, the undone task list, and instead take the last few moments before you fall asleep to let your body relax. Talk to your body and let the muscles release. Think about at least three positive things that happened in your day. You can start small.
It can be as simple as:
My dog was happy to see me this morning.
I am on the right track.
I am thankful for this body I reside in.
It is important to fall asleep in positivity.
Speaking in general, what is the best way to develop good habits? Conversely, how can one stop bad habits?
I think the best way to develop good habits is to create your own. I can give you a guide and show you what my habits are, but ultimately I think the habits that people follow through with are the ones they have created or tailored to them. If you are at a place in your life where you cannot tolerate your conditions to continue, you will be more motivated to stop bad habits. Stopping the habits that drive you into despair or hold you away from joy are a must for a happy, joy-filled life.
Let’s talk about creating good habits in three areas, Wellness, Performance, and Focus. Can you share three good habits that can lead to optimum wellness. Please share a story or example for each.
Here are my best three habits for optimal wellness.
Adopt a practice of stillness: take time each day to be still. This does not mean simply being quiet; it means stilling your thoughts, your nervous system, and your environment. Adopting a meditation practice is the most effective way to achieve this, but it is still very effective to dedicate 5–10 mins each day to be still and quiet.
I personally have a meditation practice, but I started to realize that I can reach a meditative state during long walks in nature, sitting outside in the sun, or reading a book. I dedicate at least 10 mins per day to stillness. It is only in the stillness that you can hear your inner guidance.
Develop habits of positive thinking: Make it a habit to think positively. This is a practice that must be repeated, a habit that you incorporate into your everyday schedule.
The easiest way for me to start positive thinking and make it a habit was to write lists of positivity that I read throughout my day. The most effective way to think positively is to start it by reading a list of affirmations you create about your own life.
Develop habits of movement: Move your body every day. This can mean adopting an exercise practice or committing to taking a walk every day. Move your body to get your blood flowing and your energy moving.
I developed a habit of merging positive thinking with movement. I do what I call a positivity plank: I read my positive aspects list while holding a 5–7 minute plank. Alternately, I listen to positive affirmations or chant while rowing or running.
Can you help explain some practices that can be used to develop those habits?
Get into a practice of taking care of yourself, start a meditation practice, adopt an exercise practice, and repeat positive words to yourself.
Can you share three good habits that can lead to optimal performance at work or sport? Please share a story or example for each.
Here are my best three habits for optimal performance.
Focus on you: Only compare yourself to you. Developing habits around not spending time thinking about what others are doing but focusing solely on you and your accomplishments is essential for optimal performance. Focusing on others can create cycles of non-accomplishment because we tend to hold others up and we tend to tear ourselves down in our own minds. These thoughts create a barrier to peak performance.
Erase self-doubt: Self-doubt erases manifestation. If you doubt anything, it can not be. In order to perform at your optimal level, it is essential that you adopt habits that promote knowing. Own what you know, what you are sure of, and eliminate the doubt that seeps in when you are trying to teach a goal.
Notice your gifts: It is important to create habits around honoring your gifts and recognizing your magnificence. So often we see ourselves as lacking or not having the perfect set of skills to outperform others. This way of thinking blocks you from all you can achieve.
Can you help explain some practices that can be used to develop those habits?
I have developed a manifestation wheel exercise that I teach my clients and I practice myself. Draw a large wheel on a sheet of paper and draw spokes on the wheel. In each spoke write a positive aspect about yourself, your gifts, or something you like about yourself. Fill the wheel with as many spokes and as many positive aspects as possible. Start each day reading your wheel of positive aspects. If you need to, post it at work it somewhere you will see it often and each time you see it, read the aspects in each spoke three times.
Can you share three good habits that can lead to optimal focus? Please share a story or example for each.
Here are my best three habits for optimal focus.
Learn from the earth: When you are having trouble focusing, turn your attention to nature. Watch a bird, a flower, the ocean. Watch how everything in nature works as if it is perfectly timed. Flowers bloom regardless of what you think about them, bees visit flowers effortlessly, the ocean ebbs and flows with great power and never apologizes for its majesty.
Sometimes just taking five minutes to watch nature in motion can help you regain internal focus. Develop a habit of walking outside when you need to recalibrate your focus.
Appreciate the beauty around you: Sometimes when we get off focus it can help to sit in a few minutes of gratitude and appreciation. Notice what is beautiful in your life and in your environment. Notice the trees, the wind, your pet. Adopting habits of appreciation is important to bring your focus back to you and what makes you happy.
My favorite habit I adopted around this is to carry a notepad at all times and I keep a journal in my car. I stop and write down the beauty I notice every day. I notice a stranger smiling at me, the leaves falling off the trees, a deer crossing my path. It is so easy to notice what we do not like, but making a habit of noticing what you do like is life-changing.
Develop habits to quiet the noise: This means shut off the TV, don’t look at social media, shut down judgement. Make it a habit to avoid the noise for a large part of your day.
For me it was easiest to schedule times I would be on social media or times that I would watch TV and then avoid it at all other times. It is important to get into the habit of not reading posts that are judgmental and to not watch judgement; this also means not watching certain reality TV shows. Make a habit of noticing noise and judgement and turn away from it quickly.
Can you help explain some practices that can be used to develop those habits?
Create a habit of taking five minutes each day to walk outside and reset. Notice the beauty you live in and avoid entertainment for more than a few hours per day. Create a gratitude journal. Make sure to take note of what you like, the beauty you witness, the effortless magic you witness in nature.
As a leader, you likely experience times when you are in a state of Flow. Flow has been described as a pleasurable mental state that occurs when you do something that you are skilled at, that is challenging, and that is meaningful. Can you share some ideas from your experience about how we can achieve a state of Flow more often in our lives?
Noticing your state of flow, I believe, is the most important thing you can do to create a positive life and improve your well-being. When you are in a state of flow, doing what you love and feeling that burst of excitement in your accomplishment, become aware of the moment. Talk to yourself about it. Stay with it for as long as you can on a visceral level, meaning feel it. And go back to that feeling as often as possible.
In these moments of flow, you are in a state of creation where positive thinking can be multiplied organically. The more you go there in your mind and talk to yourself about how much you love it, the more moments of joy you create in your life. Filling your days up with moments of joy leads to happiness.
Ok, we are nearly done. You are a person of great influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good for the greatest number of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger.
I would start a movement of kindness. One of my favorite chapters of my book “Spirit Translator” is Chapter 9, “Kindness is Your God Power.” I truly believe that if we all practiced kindness we would live in a much better world. Imagine if everyone was kind to themselves and everyone else. How much could we accomplish? How many people would be significantly happier? How would if feel to go out into the world each day?
I believe that kindness is our god power. I believe we can accomplish anything when we live in an energy of kindness. The best part is, we can all start now. You can begin the habits discussed here and you can start talking kindly to yourself today. You can start acknowledging your gifts, you can stop judgment, and you can treat others with kindness. If you start today, your life will improve. I am sure of it.
We are very blessed that some of the biggest names in Business, VC funding, Sports, and Entertainment read this column. Is there a person in the world, or in the US, whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch with, and why? He or she might just see this, especially if we both tag them :-)
I love meeting healers and people who elevate others, but I particularly love meeting women who support women and who are working in their own lives to make a difference for others. I think that if I had to choose today, I would choose Arianna Huffington. I love what she stands for and I love her early books. She is an inspiration to many women and for that I say “Thank you.”
How can our readers further follow your work online?
You can find me at dianacole.com or on Instagram or Facebook @thedianacole.
Thank you for these really excellent insights, and we greatly appreciate the time you spent with this. We wish you continued success.