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Is that really you in the mirror?
I've learned over the years that we don't always see ourselves very accurately. We think we're being fair, and yet we're being biased. We think we're being kind, and we have a tone to our voice. We think we're being direct, and no one knows what we're saying. It's so...
Just dance.
“Don’t look at your feet to see if you are doing it right. Just dance.” ~Anne Lamott I just finished a powerful course to “perfect” my new keynote, First Most Always, and I’m ready to bring to the world the message of loving ourselves more in order to live and lead as...
Simple steps to move forward powerfully and positively now
I was in my Transformational Coaching course last week, and our instructor reminded us of one of my favorite Martin Luther King, Jr. quotes. “Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.” In this course we are learning the importance of acknowledging – and...
You may think you’re thinking clearly, but…
"A great many people think they are thinking when they are merely rearranging their prejudices." ~William James One of the fallacies of being human is that we think we're objective and clear minded, but we're not. Because we are human, because we've evolved to be this...
No is a complete sentence
Why is "no" such a difficult thing to say? We're great at it when we're two. "No" seems to be our favorite word at that age (at least it was for my kids). But somewhere along the line we forget that ability; we forget the word. Someone asks us to do something that we...
From habit to intention: How to transform your daily life
“Live less out of habit and more out of intent.” ~Amy Rubin Flett Sometimes we go on autopilot. Sometimes this is necessary or helpful, and sometimes it keeps us stuck in old ways. I have realized even more in the last few years, just how precious and wildly wonderful...
How to prepare for an important conversation
It's time to have THAT conversation. In fact, it is probably long overdue. It could be a conversation that you are looking forward to, a job interview perhaps. And it also might be one that you are dreading, like a tough feedback discussion. Whether you are excited,...
Is silence a leadership skill?
“If everybody thought before they spoke, the silence would be deafening.” ~George Barzan I am definitely one of those people who “think out loud.” My business partner and I have an understanding that I can ramble on as we think through a challenge. It’s the way I...
Stick to your guns
How easily are you discouraged from doing something you want to do? How quickly do you bend to pressure? My nephew, Cameron, recently served as a great reminder that sometimes bucking popular opinion is the right way to go. Cameron was enrolled as an arts major at a...
How can you see more beauty?
“Everything has beauty, but not everyone sees it.” ~Confucius I was on the phone with a client the other day, and she was frustrated. At herself. At her team. At the circumstances. She detailed for me what had happened. Long story short, she’d stepped away from work...
What do you plan to do with this one wild and precious year?
There is a quote from the poem, The Summer Day, by Mary Oliver. “What do you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?” Each time I read or hear this quote, it reminds me to pay attention. To value each day. To lean more into Thoughtful Leadership – being more...
The leadership practice of loving life.
"I have found that if you love life, life will love you back." ~Arthur Rubenstein I always cringe a bit when we write about love. It's a four-letter word and especially a four-letter word in the work world. But I think we need more of it anyway, so we write about it...