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 »
Too often, we frame resilience as a way to bounce back from a circumstance, such as an event, hardship, or adversity. But we don’t need bad things to happen to us to need resilience. In fact, most of the time, bad things don’t happen. But something changes, and we notice. That’s when we need to
How Can You Reframe Resilience As Bouncing Forward to the Next Decision? Read More »
I bet you’ve heard this career and retirement advice, “Follow your passion!” (Complete with the exclamation mark!) It’s great advice—but only under certain conditions: You’ve experimented or experienced enough to have and therefore choose a passion. You know what living with this passion as your work would feel like. You are sure you will never
A dear friend received bad health news. He can learn to manage his health challenges, but he will never return to his previous great health. Now that he has a diagnosis, he’s getting both the medication and various therapies to support his journey to becoming okay. However, some members of his family think that “being
What Meaning Do You Make When You Hear “Things Will Be Okay?” Read More »
For years, I’ve delivered talks or written articles for various outlets. I have a simple rule: If the outlet makes money from my speaking or writing, I should make money, too. That rule helps me decide which offers I take and which offers I decline. Recently, many outlets want me to deliver talks or write for
What Traps You Into Letting Others Take Advantage of You? Read More »
In the last decade of her life, my mother-in-law talked a lot about having a purpose. Not so much for herself, but that she wanted her children and grandchildren to all have a sense of purpose. She was convinced that our purpose would guide us to good decisions. I agree with her. But, for me,
How Can We Use Purpose and Meaning to Improve Our Adaptability? Read More »