The Art of Doing Nothing
My daughter explained to me yesterday that she has the “cant’s.” At 26-years-old, she is suddenly stuck in a universe where every thought quickly turns into an internal rebuttal as to why she can’t change her job, start a new business, or go back to school. My easy mom advice was to encourage her to write down what she can do. She laughed and said, “That will only give me a longer list of what I can’t do.” Now that’s [...]
Mood over Matter
Is the quality of your day based on the effect of somebody else’s mood? Do you wake up with your breath caught above your belly to brace yourself for what you might encounter that day? Other people’s moods and emotions can become our toxins. Especially if the emotionally volatile person is our boss. Outbursts from authority figures often feel amplified making the experience even more difficult on our nervous system. If a moody boss is casting a shadow on your day, here [...]
We Are Already Making a Difference
I spent the evening with a friend this week. We had the usual girl talk about work, the kids, significant others and current events. After a long conversation, and a few glasses of wine, she shared that she wanted to make more of a difference. That she didn’t feel as if she was contributing in a “big enough way.” Her comment lingered with me because I hear it often. Women want to do more, yet they rarely acknowledge what they [...]
Flow Versus Expectations
Flow is that wonderful state when we are highly engaged, passionate, and productive. It’s a time of peak performance. Like riding on a strong current, our efforts feel effortless as we attract and take advantage of opportunities that elevate us beyond what we had imagined. Expectations on the other hand are based on what we think life owes us in return for our efforts. It’s often tied to our income, our relationships, and our career path. It can be heard [...]
How to Promote Yourself…and How Not Too
It does not take an advertising budget for people to sing your praise. It takes a good experience. And when we don’t have a good experience, well that’s promotion too. Last week, I flew to New York on United Airways. During the 6-hour flight there was little service and even less food. The stewardesses were short and seemly annoyed by requests and the pilot never addressed the passengers despite several hours of disturbing turbulence. The great irony of all of [...]
3 Ways to Have a Better Conversation
Great things come from good conversations. Yet, most conversations are not partially all that good. We rush through our interactions much like we rush through our day, preoccupied with competing thoughts, multitasking to get things done, and talking to prove a point rather than listening to expand our point of view. If you want to reap the rewards inherent in good discussions, you may want to consider the following. Be present and enter conversations assuming you have something to learn. [...]