It’s Never Too Late
I promise, it wasn’t New Year’s Eve but the New York Times that prompted me to write this post. I’m not about to advocate change because New Year’s Eve is right around the corner and about to pounce on us with entreaties to make resolutions, change our lives and lose weight. No, it was an […]
Fight The Urge to Stereotype
The subtlest and most pervasive of all influences are those which create and maintain the repertory of stereotypes. We are told about the world before we see it. We imagine most things before we experience them. -Walter Lippmann Here’s a quick exercise on stereotyping: what do you think of when you think of a London […]
All You Need Is Love (For Yourself)
Can you remember the feeling of new love? There’s absolutely nothing like the wonder and feelings of fresh new love: the world is bright, energy is buzzing and boundless, productivity abounds, your heart is bursting, all is right with the world. You look to the future with open eyes and expectations. Your emotions are edgy […]
How to Neutralize Negative Energy
“You cannot keep birds from flying over your head but you can keep them from building a nest in your hair” – Martin Luther Remember Debbie Downer from Saturday Night Live? I hated her. I didn’t find her funny or ingratiating. I didn’t want to be her friend. Sometimes I wanted to help her out […]
From Kvetching to Kvelling
Having the privilege to travel all over the world and seeing and being with people who are less fortunate than me, reminded me of important it is to be grateful. In fact, my thoughts returned again and again to just how fortunate I am in my everyday life. Sometimes, when I am at home I […]
How to Receive Feedback – Part Two
A successful person is one who can lay a firm foundation with the bricks that others throw at him or her. -David Brinkley This post is about receiving negative feedback or making receiving criticism a positive experience. For ease of discussion, let’s say there are two types of feedback: positive feedback when you are told […]
How to Receive Feedback – Part One
Winston Churchill recognized the importance of criticism when he said, “Criticism may not be agreeable, but it is necessary. It fulfils the same function as pain in the human body. It calls attention to an unhealthy state of things.” “The trouble with most of us is that we would rather be ruined by praise than […]
Feeling Overwhelmed at Work? Refocus Your Energy and Get Refreshed
There are just so many responsibilities we can take on our shoulders before the burden starts to overwhelm us. What overwhelms you is probably different from what causes me to feel taxed. Some of us can handle more than others. Some of us thrive on having a full plate; for others having too much […]
Gearing Up When You’re Out of Steam
We all have times that we feel stuck. When it’s a writer who gets stuck, the syndrome has a name: “writer’s block.” But certainly that feeling that your brain can’t get started isn’t exclusive to writers. Plenty of executives that I coach run into these blocks frequently. Since it’s a universal feeling from which we […]
Positive Reminders
Whether I’m coaching CEOs, mangers or executives, there are always goals to achieve. One core element that is absolutely critical to any success in achieving goals is commitment. And that’s in fact what a resolution is…a commitment. A few weeks into the year, I decided to reflect on my New Year’s resolution as a reminder […]
