A client’s writing inspired this post. When I reach the end of a coaching relationship, I invite the client to reflect on what s/he is taking away from the experience, and what commitments s/he will make going forward to ensure their personal growth continues. Recently a client who is ending a year of coaching sent … Read more
I recently heard my pastor tell the following story: A college professor entered the empty classroom and wrote on the blackboard. As the students arrived and took their places he revealed the board and announced, “These are your exam questions. Please begin. I am going to be writing the exam questions for the next period … Read more
Have you ever felt that there’s just not enough time in the day? Most often, when we run out of time for projects or pursuits, the reason is that we’ve spent a lot of time lost in ambiguity. When you’re supremely clear about where you’re going and what you want to do, there’s no time … Read more
27 years ago we built a large addition to our house, which included a second bathroom for our then-growing family. Life was good. The breakdowns started slowly. At first, it was an ever-so gradual sinking of the floor where the add-on connected to the original house. No big deal. The shower stall leaked. Easily fixed … Read more
Sometimes it seems like nothing works the way it should. If you’re a human being, you have probably experienced that place where work is no fun, relationship is a struggle or you don’t even feel comfortable in your body. At times like these, changing your life can seem overwhelming. There’s so much to do…where do … Read more
Every day, people buy too much stuff, eat too much food, and waste away their hours chasing after happiness…to no avail. They may find excitement or satiation, but TRUE HAPPINESS still eludes them. Fortunately, happiness is really inexpensive and pretty simple to find, but that doesn’t mean that it comes easily. If you’re bold, and … Read more
I am a gardener. My kids got me started years ago with a few tomato and pepper plants in a small strip of ground; we have evolved to large raised beds that generate hundreds of pounds of produce annually. Over time we have battled flooding (thus the raised beds), drought (we now have a watering system), … Read more
One of my mantras is that you — and you alone — are responsible for your own happiness, that it is your decision. And if no one else can “make” you happy, it stands to reason that you cannot make other people happy either. Right? Well, sort of. Just because you can’t make someone … Read more
This video animation offers a great primer on the difference between traditional psychology and Positive Psych. In many ways, it’s taken directly from many of my talks — of course the reality is that I studied with Martin Seligman and Mihaly Czikszentmihaly and apparently learned this explanation directly from the source. The core message: Creating … Read more
How do you feed your soul? Do you grab pre-packaged Pleasure from the freezer, microwave it, and eat on the run; or do you cook up your Joy from scratch using organic, locally-sourced ingredients? Perhaps you have a saucepan of Gratitude constantly simmering on a back burner? Or do you wait for others to invite you … Read more