I was walking along at a pretty good clip, a quarter of the way through my daily walk around the neighborhood when our paths crossed. Almost clear of the driveway, I caught, out of the corner of my eye, a sedan barreling my way. Its pilot blissfully unaware that I existed, her hair the same shade of blue as her car, she backed out onto the street probably thinking of a million things that she needed to accomplish that day……
Just in case you needed to hear this today, it’s okay to be selfish. Women, in particular, are conditioned to be givers, peacemakers, feather-smoothers, and people pleasers. Most, if not all of these expectations are based on the sentiment that it’s not good for women to be selfish, or that being selfish is bad. The messaging is so relentless and pervasive that it’s easy for the distinction between selfish and self care can be difficult to ascertain. Some random thoughts…..
One thing about resilience — and where I’m going with my next book is — owning your choices and actions allows you to change them. It’s a foundational ballast of resilience and happiness. Both occur at this intersection. You can’t bounce back without a firm floor. If you’re not honest about how you failed or you’re not honest about how you arrived at that loss, you’re not going to be able to create a firm foundation upon which to build……
In honor of Random Acts of Kindness Day, today I’ll share a few ways you can show kindness in your every day life. At their essence, manners are the recognition and respect of self in other. When we use good manners, we are actually acknowledging our own worthiness of being treated well and with respect. In so saying, I of course realize that not everyone practices good manners. There are many rude (and psychologically wounded) people walking the planet. Whenever…..
Today is writer Virginia Woolf”s birthday. Born in Kensington (a London residential district) 140 years ago, her writing remains as relevant today as it was when she first committed her thoughts to paper. This quote of hers in particular resonates with me as a writer: “If you do not tell the truth about yourself you cannot tell it about other people.” ― Virginia Woolf Writers are observers, and while some writing can be classified as nonfiction, all writing that has…..
Welcome to the last week of 2021. Making it this far is definitely an achievement and something worth celebrating. New Year’s Day is traditionally a time when people set goals and intentions, designed to shape and change their lives. Like most people I know, including Yours Truly, they prefer to know where they are going. To use a hiking analogy: using a compass keeps us on course; and when visiting a new city, we rely on maps. There is a…..
Do you ever wonder why some people seem to bounce back after misfortune and crises while others don’t? There are a myriad of reasons, some of which are 100% beyond their control (genetic luck, geographic random location), but some things are not only controllable, but can be cultivated. Your happiness set point can be determined by many things, but these four things represent major areas: • Financial cushion • Health — mental, spiritual, physical • Community • Family These are…..
Who occupies the driver’s seat in your life? Are you the pilot? Or are your outcomes determined by ceding power to others? When I consider possible mentors and role models, a cartoon character like the comic strip scamp Calvin seems like an unlikely choice. But should it be? “From now on, I’ll connect the dots my own way.” — Calvin In a rare reference to the number, quantity, interactivity with or any other reference to my social media accounts, faithful…..
Take a look at the people you’ve chosen to surround yourself with—are there people from your childhood who no longer align with your goals or beliefs? Do you spend time with work colleagues who stifle your spirit? Is your circle of friends supportive and encouraging? There’s an extremely effective sorting statement you can apply to your relationships that will begin to shift the energy of the individuals in your orbit: “If someone is not nourishing you, they are draining you.”…..
I wonder how many people reading this watched the original television series MacGyver when it originally aired? Aside from being Selma and Patty Bouvier’s celluloid object of desire and the inspiration for SNL’s Will Forte creation MacGruber, this TV character is that rare proper noun that has been “verbed.” To MacGyver something is to bootstrap and/or apply a life hack that transforms something from nothing to save the day. If you are starting anything from scratch, be it a business,…..