Brenda Anderson, vice president for global business development at the associate management company SmithBucklin, has written a book that seems to be a non sequitur for a corporate environment: Playing the Quantum Field: How Changing Your Choices Can Change Your Life. The quantum field, Brenda says, is a space of potential—the place where everything happens. She believes that every thought we have and every choice we make impacts our lives—essentially, we create and shape our own good and bad days. Jean talks to Brenda for her advice on how to change your life with simple, everyday choices:

• Know your cure for negative energy. If you feel a bad day coming on, do something that helps clear your mind. Jean says physical activity, such as a walk around the block or a long run, helps her.
• Operate from power, rather than force. Don't try to force people to do things your way; instead, empower them to do things the way that works best for them.
• Keep your goal in mind, but don't attach yourself to a specific idea of how to reach that goal. That way, you allow the space for other solutions to come forward.
• Be aware of opportunities. Get to where you want to be, whether that's head of your company or owner of your own business, by acknowledging your goals and paying attention to the people you come in contact with.