Regardless of our age, we all need good friends. Good friends allow us to discuss issues in a safe way. But sometimes, we outlive our friends. (Several of my friends/colleagues are dealing with that now.) While we cannot “replace” a person, we can leave ourselves open to finding new people with the potential to be […]
How Often Can You Make New Good Friends You Trust? Read More »
Back when I was in school, my teachers suggested I was capable of much more. I didn’t live up to their expectations. Now, some people tell me my vertigo is the kind of challenge that fits into the category of: “What doesn’t kill us makes us stronger.” Or, they say, “God doesn’t give us more than
Whose Expectations Do You Choose to Satisfy and When? Read More »
It’s that time of year again—resolution time. I have never succeeded with resolutions, so I abandoned them years ago. I like what Daniel does with words for the year. (See his newsletter, Reconcile, for his first word of 2024 and how he adopted this practice.) However, while I write a lot, three words don’t quite
How Do You Choose to Measure Success? Read More »
Professionally, I work in the tech sector. Right now, when tech is making money hand over fist, many companies are laying people off. Not one here and one there, but significant percentages of people. In my experience, companies do need to make rapid-enough decisions about when to lay some people off to save the company
Who Benefits and Who Loses from Other People’s Actions or Decisions? Read More »
I finished a book a couple of weeks ago. Except, it was only close, not completely done. A couple of days later, I thought I nailed it! Again, I was close but not quite done. Another day or so later, this time I really nailed it. Yes, you know the punch line! Almost—but there were
How Many “Once I…” Experiences Do You Need to Be Satisfied? Read More »
I feel as if the world is on fire—or is a half-step away from being on fire. The terrorist attack in Israel, the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, and the subsequent terrorist threats across the world. Then there’s our politics in the US. The less said on that, the better. A dear friend and colleague will
How Can You Succeed When the World Challenges Your Problem Solving and Resilience? Read More »
We have many so-called permanent records in our lives: school report cards, vaccination and health records, and, of course, those terrible performance evaluations at work. I do like having digital health records—they make it easy for my doctor to help me maintain my health. But the report cards? I distinctly remember one school year when
How Satisfied Are You With What’s on Your Permanent Record? Read More »
This morning, my husband Mark, strode into the bedroom while I was getting dressed. “Our dishwasher is broken! It’s not emptying the water!! I had to empty it by hand!!!” “I’m sorry the dishwasher wants to make your life miserable,” I said. “I pushed and nudged you to put everything into the dishwasher and stop
When Do You Reframe Challenges with Humor? Read More »
While I did not attend, my high school reunion was this past week. Luckily, I got to see many of the pictures on Facebook—the old high school pictures and what people look like today. We all had a ridiculous amount of hair back then—and most of us have less now. Maybe for the men, it
Which Best Days Are Behind, Current, or Ahead of You? Read More »
I’ve been taking a ton of fiction writing classes, some in-person and most online. Two weeks ago, I was at a thriller fantasy class (yes, a mashup of two genres). I successfully wrote three stories. Not one of them was a thriller. Not one. (At one point, I said, “Genre, shmenre” in the class.) I
How Can We Make the Chaos of Learning Feel Better? Read More »