“In the midst of winter, I finally learned that there was in me an invincible summer.” — Albert Camus Frost to Bloom Upon moving from Connecticut to the Valley of the Sun in 2006, I quickly learned during our first winter that just one night of frosty temperatures could seriously harm trees and plants. After a three-night […]
Want Me to Make You a Sandwich? Three years ago on a summer day in August, I was visiting my parents in Somers, NY. It was lunchtime and we were about to take our first spoonfuls of the chicken soup I had made the night before. As I looked across the kitchen table at my […]
“The sooner I fall behind, the more time I have to catch up.” – Unknown Which Kind? “I’m digging out.” That’s what my friend, Tim, said with a definitive sigh when I asked how he was doing back at work after knee surgery. “I’m catching up.” Those were my own words when my friend, Monica, posed […]
They Owned It My last article entitled Own It! addressed what it means to take ownership of your life. Today I bring you perspective from two clients¹ who have both landed on their feet after layoffs and who are extraordinary examples of taking ownership. I’ll use what I identified as the three components of ownership —feelings, energy, and […]
What Is Yours to Own? Taking ownership. Employers expect it from their employees. We expect it from our service providers. Often thought of as going the extra mile, taking ownership is being responsible for what is within your purview and believing you can make a difference. It comes across in everything you do and in the […]
Ready to Make Some Changes When Marcella called me, she introduced herself as a long-time ezine subscriber and stated, “I’m ready to make some changes.” Having gained perspective on a long-term and unhealthy relationship that ended two years ago, Marcella summarized what she learned: “You can’t put your life on hold because someone else isn’t ready […]
It Translates Well Mariana is one of the wonderful companions who took care of my mother the month after my father passed away. Having lived most of her life in Romania, she learned English fairly quickly “on the job” over the last few years. Her distinctive accent punctuates her personality and wraps around you warmly […]
As Humbling As It May Be At my high school, Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker was the dance club’s annual tradition. Soon after the school year began, roles were assigned and months of dedicated practice would follow. There were no tryouts, and as I recall, the two teachers who ran the production determined lead roles over a bottle of […]
Resurfacing It feels great to be writing again and reconnecting with you after a three-month absence. During this time, other than coaching work with active clients, it became necessary to put all other business activities on hold. Since I’ve never had to skip a single issue in seven years of writing this ezine, I found myself […]
Stamp of Approval Marlena had a name for her tendency to defer to her father’s opinion. She called it: running it by the committee. In wanting her father’s approval, she had become accustomed to having him tell her what to do rather than take responsibility for her own decisions.