Posted on

Pack. Unpack. Resettle. Oh My!

I took a short vacation last week. As my friend and I were loading the car to return home, I said: “The part of vacation I don’t care for is the packing, unpacking and resettling.” And she, another life coach, looked at me and repeated:

Pack — Unpack — Resettle

Isn’t that what many of us do on this life journey? We pack in experiences and information. Then, at some point we step back, pause and unpack it. We try to make sense of it all by comparing these new bits to the existing bits in our brains and memory banks. We move some old thoughts aside, revise others, let go of what no longer fits. Ah… Continue reading “Pack. Unpack. Resettle. Oh My!”

Posted on

School buses are running again …

Maybe this doesn’t impact you directly, but I am here today to suggest that, in fact, all of us are impacted by the return of the school bus. First, there is the obvious: traffic is interrupted as the red stop sign arm is extended. Hopefully, everyone is a bit more cautious knowing that there are young people waiting on the side of the road who aren’t necessarily paying attention to cars speeding by. Second, if you do have school age children in your home, everything shifts from wake up time to bed time, to helping with homework and attending extracurricular activities.

Let’s walk beyond all of that and into our future. Continue reading “School buses are running again …”

Posted on

Get Over Yourself!

Grab a piece of paper and draw a line down the middle. Keep it handy, you’ll need it shortly.

What should “I” do?
What will happen to “me”?
Where is “my” career headed?
What if “I” fail?

Just for a moment, call to mind your greatest achievement – something you feel very proud of. This could be something you were openly acknowledged for – or not. Got it?

On your page, in the first column, list all the ways you made this achievement happen. What skills did you employ? What qualities such as courage or tenacity or leadership did you display? Who were you to be able to do this?

Pretty remarkable you are!

Now, step back a bit. Continue reading “Get Over Yourself!”

Posted on

Leadership is a Gift

In The Art of Possibility by Benjamin and Rosamund Stone Zander we find:

Today was exceptional in that I learned leadership is not a responsibility-nobody has to lead. It’s a gift, shining silver, that reminds people huddled nearby why each shimmering moment matters. It’s in the eyes, the voice, this swelling song that warms up from the toes and tingles with endless possibilities. Things change when you care enough to grab whatever you love, and give it everything.

–Amanda Burr, student at the Walnut Hill School

I have been known to think – and write:

Everyone is a leader.

and to think of it as a responsibility to develop in ourselves the traits, talents and strengths of our leadership and to share ourselves with the world: to be the change, to lead.

Yet, this young woman, a high school student at a school for the arts, suggests that: Continue reading “Leadership is a Gift”

Posted on

How do you limit yourself with either/or?

Think about it. How often do you fixate on “the way” or “the right choice”? When you know like this, do you notice that you can quickly list all the reasons why “this” is right and “that” is wrong? This way of thinking can drive a wedge between two people in relationship, each of whom thinks they are right and other is wrong. In business this can show up, for example, in one group focusing solely on quality, regardless of price, and the other insisting on cost control.

How do we move beyond these stuck points?

Continue reading “How do you limit yourself with either/or?”