"Calm seas do not make for skillful sailors." -African Proverb Most people think calm is a personality trait. You either have it or you don’t. You’re naturally grounded or you’re not. Some people just stay steady. Others fall apart. That story is comforting if you’re already calm. It’s brutal if you’re not. The truth is less glamorous and far more hopeful. Calm is not passive. It’s not a vibe. It’s not the absence of stress. Calm is an active skill  that gets built in moments

Every leader will get it wrong at some point. Not because they’re careless or unqualified, but because they’re human. And yet, most workplaces treat mistakes like they’re radioactive. People scramble to defend themselves, bury the tension, or quietly hope time will smooth everything over. But time doesn’t repair anything. Skill does. In my work with organizations, I see the same pattern again and again: Teams don’t break down because someone made a mistake. They break down be

People talk about joy as if it’s an emotion that strikes out of nowhere like a weather pattern. One minute nothing, the next minute sunshine. But joy, in the way most of us experience it, isn’t an accident. It isn’t even a feeling that arrives fully formed. In the Sheade house, we have a little plaque on our mantel that says "Happiness is something you decide ahead of time." Joy is a spiritual principle that gets built one quiet gratitude at a time. Most of the people I sit w

Most of us grow up learning that being loved means being agreeable. Easy. Low-maintenance. We learn to read the room, soften our edges, and adjust ourselves so other people stay comfortable. At some point, it becomes second nature. We start shaping our lives around not rocking the boat. But there is a cost to shrinking. When you spend your life managing the emotional weather of everyone around you, you lose track of your own climate. You forget what you believe. What you want

Winnie the Pooh has been around long enough to feel like an old friend. A simple bear with a soft heart and a bottomless appetite for honey somehow ended up giving us one of the most quietly brilliant lessons in mental health we’ve ever seen. Look closely at the Hundred Acre Wood and you’ll notice something familiar. Every character carries something. A fear. A wound. A quirk that shapes how they move through the world. And yet no one is trying to fix anyone else. They just w

When I step onto a stage or into a training room, I meet people who want the same thing. They want their teams, their clients, and their relationships to communicate better. They want fewer blowups, less confusion, and more clarity. But communication is almost never the real issue. Underneath the surface, the real challenge is that people are trying to work, lead, and love without a strong enough sense of self. This is where differentiation becomes the game changer. Different

A pattern I see every year around this season: when I ask clients what they feel genuinely grateful for, many freeze. They default to the usual answers. Family. Food. A roof. And of course those matter. But gratitude gets a lot more powerful when we move past the obvious and tap into the parts of life we usually rush past. The quiet stuff. The small wins. The pieces of our daily experience that actually make us feel human. So here is a list drawn from themes I use in my pract

A foundational principle of cognitive behavioral theory and also much of human philosophy is the idea of perspective. Whether it is found in the simple phrase “let go, let God” that many of us know from Christianity or in the ancient philosophy of Marcus Aurelius, who in 124 CE said “The Universe is change, our life is what our thoughts make it,” humans have been discussing the concept of changing perspective for literally millenia. An issue with this incredibly simple conce

I listened to a brilliant talk this past Sunday about forgiveness – and as I listened, it made me think that this concept of forgiveness, both by us (forgiving others) and to us (others forgiving us), is a concept that I consistently see be relevant in the therapy office as well. As the speaker pointed out, the “punishment” of non-forgiveness is normally felt by the person who is not forgiving – not by the person who is not forgiven. It has been said that withholding forgive

Why Mental Health is Critical in the Workplace In today’s fast-paced corporate world, mental health is more important than ever. From high-pressure deadlines to the challenges of work-life balance, employees face stressors that can significantly impact their productivity, well-being, and overall job satisfaction. As a  professional speaker ,  Ryan M. Sheade understands the impact mental health has on organizational success. Through his engaging and insightful presentations, R

Nothing meaningful in life can be had without good, solid boundaries for ourselves.

Key Insights on Mental Health from Professional Speaker Ryan M. Sheade: Mental health affects every individual, regardless of age, gender, or profession. As a  professional speaker  with extensive experience addressing mental health issues, Ryan M. Sheade brings awareness and understanding to audiences, offering practical strategies for managing mental health challenges. His dynamic speaking engagements provide actionable insights for personal growth, wellness, and resilience

Hint: it isn't always what we think it is...

Meaning and purpose...

Why Mental Health Must Be a Priority for Every Business   As a professional speaker,  Ryan M. Sheade  emphasizes the importance of prioritizing mental health in all aspects of life. Whether you’re a leader in a corporate environment, an educator, or someone seeking personal growth, understanding mental health is crucial for fostering resilience and thriving in today’s world. In his engaging talks, Ryan equips audiences with the tools they need to face mental health challenges

Why are we all so irritable? Maybe because we don't have anything else to "take sides" on right now.

The first of a four-part series explaining "why" we feel the way we do - especially in a pandemic.

Why Mental Health Needs to Be a Priority in Schools In the fast-paced, high-pressure environment of today’s schools, mental health has become an essential topic for students, educators, and administrators alike. As a  professional speaker ,  Ryan M. Sheade  is committed to raising awareness about the importance of mental health in the educational field. Through his engaging and solution-oriented presentations, Ryan provides educators and school leaders with the tools they nee