Recently I was guest on the Leadership Hacks Podcast with my esteemed colleague, Jill Windelspecht, a fellow executive coach and organization consultant. Jill invited me to bring my best hack (shortcut/workaround) to the conversation, so I showed up with the most basic tool in my box: Breathing. You’ve heard me say it before: if you … Read more
My top book pick of last year: When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi In my life I’ve read thousands of books. I am typically reading two books in hardcopy, another on my Kindle, and one via Audible in my car. I am generally a one-and-done reader, though I do have handful of books I’ve … Read more
If you want to experience more positive moments in your life, start by checking your beliefs about what it means to live a happy life. You have the right to pursue Happiness, not have it delivered. You are free to define happiness in your own way, without others imposing their definition on you. At the … Read more
Exercise: Raise your hand if you’ve recently engaged in any of the following activities: Called someone a moron, a jerk, or an idiot? Screamed at someone for being stupid? Looked at someone and said, “I can’t stand the sight of you!”? Pushed someone down then kicked them over and over and over? What’s that, you … Read more
A friend of ours, Dr. Mary, is a General Practitioner who has patients of all ages and life stages in her medical practice. Mary recently shared stories about some elderly patients who inspire her, like the 99-year old who still drives to appointments or the 80-something great-grandma who just completed a marathon. These are people who, … Read more
Gratitude (grat-i-tood), noun: the quality of being warmly or deeply appreciative of kindness or benefits received; thankfulness. Gratitude is the most powerful of all the positive emotions, forming a solid foundation for experiencing more happiness, optimism, hope, and joy. Practiced regularly, gratitude shapes your worldview toward noticing abundance versus scarcity, since it focuses on what you Have versus … Read more
So, I’m sitting in a Starbucks working on my computer, surrounded by conversations. I am not a snoop by nature, but when surrounded by Loud Talkers, I can’t help but hear. On my right sit two women coming from a class they take together once a week. “This is the only time we get to … Read more
“What causes Happiness, Jim?” Someone recently posed this question at the end of my presentation on Happiness. Hmm. I paused a moment before I responded. Well, I began… I’m afraid I may disappoint you because my answer to that question is: Nothing. Nothing can ’cause’ happiness to occur for us. Happiness is a response, for sure, but it … Read more
Picture this: I am on vacation in Costa Rica. I sit in the shade on a mountainside patio with a spectacular view of greening hills, the deep blue waters of the Pacific Ocean, and two far-off volcano peaks wreathed in white clouds that lay soft against the crystal blue sky. A gentle breeze whispers through … Read more
My commitment to my profession requires that I participate in ongoing coach training to receive Continuing Education Units. I recently attended a program on affirmations that was clever and well done, but focused exclusively on language as a vehicle for personal change. In my assessment, that is insufficient; for words that are not grounded in … Read more