Entries by Virginia Kravitz

You Didn’t Have To Do That

Thoughts On Giving and Receiving That was unnecessary. You didn’t have to do that. That’s what we say when presented with a generous gift or someone goes out of their way to do something thoughtful. Saying “thank you” can feel inadequate, and often we are more comfortable giving than receiving. My father’s standard response to anyone […]

The Courageous You

When Was Your Courage Tested? Recently I had the opportunity to hear Maya Angelou speak to an audience at ASU. Now 83 years old, Dr. Angelou was as entertaining and inspirational as I had anticipated. She told stories, recited poetry, sang, and delivered her wisdom with humor. One of the themes she underscored was that courage is the […]

You Have Options

More Than You Think “Being wealthy is not about having money. It’s about having options.” That’s what Chris Rock told Oprah Winfrey in a recent interview. Commenting on his foray into live theatre, Chris framed it as part of his overall desire to try new things. “I should take complete advantage of the buffet that […]

Mark It Complete

Graduation Day I’ve donned a cap and gown four times in my life: graduating from kindergarten, grammar school, high school, and college. Wait a minute… I guess technically it’s three times because for my 8th-grade graduation we wore tiaras, if you can picture that one. And now that I think of it, we didn’t get […]

A Big Move

Moving Day After weeks of preparation, furniture shopping, logistics management, and multiple visits to Target and Bed, Bath & Beyond, I’m happy to report that my parents’ move to their new home went very smoothly yesterday. I’m so grateful to have found a beautiful Independent/Assisted Living Community that suits them perfectly. I must give a […]

There’s No Comparison

This Is Your Life I was 30 years old and sitting in a counselor’s office contemplating the next chapter of my life, having recently decided to get divorced. Elaine (the counselor) commented that she had observed it often took about six years post-divorce to be ready for a serious relationship again. While on one level I was […]

Five-Minute Procrastination Buster

Understanding Procrastination Today’s article offers a simple remedy for procrastination. First, though, it’s helpful to understand what’s behind procrastination. Master Coach Talane Miedaner contends that you can “procrastinate with purpose” if you let it show you the way forward. Here are six reasons you might be procrastinating, as identified by Talane (and paraphrased by me) […]

Striking the Perfect Balance

An Elusive Impossibility? Most people say they’d like to live a balanced life, yet the idea becomes misconstrued when balance appears as an elusive, utopian state to be realized. Toward the end of the movie Eat, Pray, Love, Elizabeth Gilbert (played by Julia Roberts) becomes distressed when she fears that falling in love again will unravel […]

It’s Okay To Want More

Even When You’re 95 Last Monday I placed a birthday call to my Aunt Louise who turned 95. We reminisced about a variety of things including the first time her husband asked her out on a date and the full wardrobe of handmade clothes she made for my Barbie dolls when I was a child […]

Tempted to Back Off Your Big Goal?

We Interrupt This Program It was late afternoon and Norah, a client and Human Resources Manager, stated that she only had about ten minutes to talk, as an urgent issue needed to be addressed before leaving the office. Rather than rescheduling, Norah had gone ahead with our call, so I was confident that something important […]