Life Lessons from a Coffee Cup

When I bought a cup at the airport coffee shop, I expected warm caffeine.  What I got was a list of life tips written on the cup.  It made me smile, and thought I’d share: Thank a Teacher. Listen 1st, talk 2nd Learn to dance a jig Start right now Continue a conversation OFFline Take … Read more

Before Happiness, There is Adversity

I have seen no green in my yard since the snows started in the third week of December.  As the ENORMOUS piles are now melting away, spring is popping up all over.  This little montage captures some of what is emerging in my yard — notice how in two of the shots you can see … Read more

Do You Truly Value Happiness?

Sigh.  I just deleted from my mailbox YET ANOTHER newsletter that promised insights or wisdom about Happiness, yet turned out to be hawking STUFF.  I sometimes feel frustrated that so many marketers — on TV, in print, and on the Internet — hijack the concept of happiness.  Because that’s been happening so much, we’ve gotten … Read more

The Universe Wants You to be Happy

I generally dislike car commercials, if for no other reason that they are so blatantly manipulative, relying heavily on vanity, lust, envy, or sex to sell their product. So I’ve been pleasantly surprised by Ford’s new marketing.  Having been (justifiably) accused of disconnection from the real world, they have responded with elegant simplicity.  One of … Read more

Do you get "typical results" from your life?

As part of my Marketing homework, I’ve been studying online sales sites – you know, those really long web pages that tell you everything possible about a product or service, with a Buy Now button at the bottom of the page. A feature common to most such sites is Testimonials, usually from people who achieved … Read more

Do you want to stop struggling with self acceptance?

Last Sunday was Valentine’s Day, when we turn our thoughts to the important Others in our life, the people we love. Clearly, it’s important to acknowledge the loves in your life, but… what about you? I coach many different people, yet see a very common human concern show up often: a struggle with self-acceptance and … Read more

Do You Keep Happiness "In Place?"

Six weeks ago our youngest son bought us a new chandelier — something that goes better with our remodeled great room.  When we took down the old chandelier, however, we decided it was still in superb condition. So we polished it up, and hung it… in the master bedroom. And ever since then, we’ve been … Read more

39 Rules for a Good Life

I received this in email at the beginning of the year &  loved it.  But I was overwhelmed with other stuff at the time, so I set it aside.  Pulled out the article today and I STILL love it (unable to find an author attribution).  It’s called Handbook 2010, but it’s more like Rules for … Read more

The Point is to Live the Question

At a recent coaching conference, a wise colleague shared a very powerful practice: the 10-Year Question. In coaching, questions are the primary tool: the probe, the lever, the dynamite that can explode a story, the key to unlocking awareness.  What sort of question, I thought, could take ten years to answer?  That would be a … Read more