-
A Blank Slate
A blank slate… what comes to mind? Do you think of emptiness or perhaps a lot of work, or does a blank slate energize you with opportunity and creativity? We often associate a blank slate with starting over, so perhaps your initial thoughts may be based on whether or not you want a fresh start,…
Read More [icon name="arrow-right-long-to-line" prefix="fal"]
-
There’s a Hole in my Sidewalk
This is one of my favorite poems right now, “There’s a Hole in my Sidewalk“ by Portia Nelson Chapter 1. I walk down the street. There is a deep hole in the sidewalk. I fall in. I am lost… I am helpless. It isn’t my fault. It takes forever to find a way out. Chapter…
Read More [icon name="arrow-right-long-to-line" prefix="fal"]
-
Listening beyond Words
How many times do we assume others can, and should, read our minds? If I say, “The dog needs to go outside” and believe someone will know what I mean by that statement, it could be a half-dozen or so ways to interpret the meaning. Does it mean I’m getting ready to let the dog…
Read More [icon name="arrow-right-long-to-line" prefix="fal"]
-
My Silent Retreat
I’d wanted to take a silent retreat for about a year, and finally found a time and place to experience it. Located about a mile from the Abbey of Gethsemani, Bethany Spring is the Merton Institute Retreat Center. An idyllic setting with several small cottages on a pond, it’s a serene and peaceful place to…
Read More [icon name="arrow-right-long-to-line" prefix="fal"]
-
My Forty-Six Joys
As my 46th birthday arrives tomorrow, I’m pretty amazed at what happens to myself when I really focus on what I am deeply, truly grateful for in my life, and what brings me joy – both big and small. It’s not simply that I was stuck at #32 on the list (with 14 more to…
Read More [icon name="arrow-right-long-to-line" prefix="fal"]
-
WAIT
I suppose leaders (people!) who talk too much top the list for what not to do on the interpersonal skills list. Uggh.! Talk 1/3, listen 2/3….just doesn’t resonate with some people. Maybe that’s why I still like the acronym WAIT – it stands for Why Am I Talking? It asks for some self-awareness around purpose,…
Read More [icon name="arrow-right-long-to-line" prefix="fal"]
-
You Can’t Predict a Breakthrough
Remember the pogo stick? Other than riding a bike without training wheels, it was one of the first activities I remember having to really practice over and over again before I got it. To get just a couple of jumps on this one-legged device before falling off was tough in the beginning! Once a couple…
Read More [icon name="arrow-right-long-to-line" prefix="fal"]
-
FEAR – What does it mean to you?
I was just reminded of the acronym for FEAR: False Evidence Appearing Real. So, what does this mean to you? How many times are we creating our own fear by our thoughts? We imagine things happening which have never occurred. And anxiety and worry causes us to become a prisoner of our own mind. What…
Read More [icon name="arrow-right-long-to-line" prefix="fal"]
-
The Power of Sellouts
In the book Crucial Conversations, I’m reminded of the power of sellouts – you knew what was right but didn’t do it. They are the situations which seem small, almost insignificant, but they have a lot of power. I appreciate the William Shakespeare quote, “Nothing in this world is good or bad, but thinking makes…
Read More [icon name="arrow-right-long-to-line" prefix="fal"]
-
A Path to Productivity
As I sit at my desk preparing for a productivity program to a group of 14 executives next week, I ask myself, what would this group find valuable? What’s not working for them? Where are the opportunities to do something differently and increase productivity? The executives are from a wide variety of industries, and I…
Read More [icon name="arrow-right-long-to-line" prefix="fal"]
