“One of the greatest necessities in America is to discover
creative solitude.”
Carl Sandburg
________
Reflections
“One of the greatest necessities in America is to discover creative solitude.”
Carl Sandburg
________
Reflections
‘Why’ is the Wrong Question
My mom loved Jackie Kennedy. For one, they were the same age. Jackie was beautiful, graceful, articulate (and thin – a must for my mother). During President Kennedy’s funeral, which I remember vaguely, my mother commented how dignified Jackie was. Of course, like...
Everyone IS a story!
You’ve heard the saying that everyone has a story. I’ve come to believe that everyone is a story. There is a difference. We are a sum total of all our experiences (with a little genetics thrown in). From those experiences, we construct the “story” of our life. Because...
Vacation vs. Trip vs. Adventure
Since the pandemic eased, I have done more travelling, and I’ve come to divide my travel into three categories: vacations, trips, and adventures. Each has its own purpose. I have a second home in the mountains of Colorado and going there is pure vacation. I sit by the...
Quit Attacking Life
Lately, I’ve tried a few new activities: golf, pickleball, and strength training. Each of my respective coaches have told me the same thing: “Relax, you’re attacking the ball (or the band). You’ll be much more successful if you take a slow swing; you’re looking for...
In honor or National Book Lovers Day today…
Two books I’ve read this summer have really stuck with me: The Midnight Library by Matt Haig Amazon blurb: “Somewhere out beyond the edge of the universe there is a library that contains an infinite number of books, each one the story of another reality. One tells the...
Rescuers Aren’t Always Heroes
“Why do you expect less from your employees than you do of yourself?” said my manager to me early in my career. I don’t remember the specific situation, but I was probably providing an excuse (thinking it was a valid reason) why one of my employees wasn’t performing...
Nothing Gold Can Stay
Nothing Gold Can Stay Nature’s first green is gold, Her hardest hue to hold. Her early leaf’s a flower; But only so an hour. Then leaf subsides to leaf. So Eden sank to grief, So dawn goes down to day. Nothing gold can stay. -by Robert Frost I have been reading lots...
Was the Pandemic a “Wrinkle in Time”?
I have found myself in various conversations lately where one person will say that such and such event was two years ago, and then they correct themselves and say it really was four years ago. They forget to factor in the pandemic. It’s as though the two years of...
Nobody wants pity; everyone can use compassion.
Growing up, I received the message quite early and quite often that feeling sorry for myself was not appropriate. I got this message at home and school, and I’m sure I wasn’t alone. When I was in middle school and complaining about something (probably about thinking I...
Leadership focus on “being” versus “doing”
When I was an executive at an insurance company, I read the following: “Leadership is as much about who you are as what you do.” I firmly believed this sentiment, but most of the leadership development I received throughout my corporate career focused on the “doing”...
Losing the Chocolate Dip
I sometimes feel I’ve gone through my life like a chocolate dipped ice cream cone. I have a deceptively solid exterior – nice looking, pleasing and totally hiding what’s underneath. I’m taking a class where we’re asked to identify one big change we’d like to make in...
View from the Balcony
I had several impactful coaching appointments this last week. My coaching approach involves working on clients’ inner and outer game. The outer game focuses on tasks the client would like to get better at: giving feedback, delegating, listening, building relationships...
