While spending time with my brother, a retired Methodist minister, we started swapping examples of “do’s and don’ts” when trying to make a point. We talked about some that worked, and some that just made you wonder, what on earth were they thinking!...

Psychologist Dr. Martin Seligman, known as the father of Positive Psychology, tells the story of being with his daughter one day when she turned to him and told him he was grouchy. He had never considered that label for himself, but reluctantly admitted that...

I was wondering if this was the universe sending me yet another test I needed to pass. If so, I was failing miserably. Just as I was getting ready to board for a flight to Atlanta and on to Houston, my name was called. Somehow, I had two seats, and I needed to decide...

Have you ever met a five-year-old who apologized for his artwork? A six-year-old who didn’t believe her new song or game were amazing? Children don’t question their creativity or ability, they just accept it as normal and love to share their talents with others. Then...

Carl Jung reminded us that unless we make the unconscious conscious, it will direct our lives and we will call it fate. How often do we hear people proclaim, “It’s just who I am, nothing I can do about it."  Research indicates that 88% of our thinking is...

Never mind New Year’s resolutions, I’ve been attempting to add one small resolution to my schedule for months (probably since last January). I’ve asked advice, tried various strategies and nothing worked! All I wanted to do was find a way to start practicing...

“Have you ever noticed that everyone going slower than you is an idiot and everyone goingfaster than you is a maniac?” George Carlin The late comedian George Carlin’s remarks hit home for me because I’m always carrying on imaginary conversations with the slow drivers...

I have this future, better self I intended to start working on back in January. I would respond altruistically to situations, handle problems with kindness and offer creative strategies to challenges I’m tasked with solving in my speaking and coaching...

As a teenager I can recall being told by certain people in authority to “Watch my language,” probably meaning I wasn’t speaking with enough respect. There’s a broader meaning these days that focuses on how people are sizing up and focusing on a problem.  When...

It had been a really long day and now we’d been waiting for our check at the restaurant for quite a while. Not the waiter’s fault since the place was buzzing and there definitely wasn’t enough wait staff. I was ready to go ask (nicely) for the check, and I was in a...

Some of the most profound and interesting response I’ve gotten in the classes I teach have come from one simple question: Imagine you’re in your 90’s, what advice would you give your younger self on living well? Naturally there were good answers that fell...

After a recent blog I wrote talking about the importance of asking for help (You Are Never Too Smart to Be Confused! Ask for Help) quoting Bill Gates commencement speech, I ended up doing something rather painful to my shoulder. The result is I can’t lift my right arm...

What do you think, does anyone wake up in the morning, look in the mirror while shaving or putting on makeup, and say to themselves “I plan to be difficult today”?  Maybe not, but we tend to have continuous challenges with people who seem to fall into that...

Think about things that are contagious: epidemics, measles, chicken pox and emotions. If your boss comes in Monday morning acting as if she won the lottery, you feel better. If your close friend feels despondent, you start to drag as well. We mirror the emotions of...

Life is not a one-act play. What you do tomorrow or even for the next 10 years may not be what you do with the rest ofyour life. A decision today doesn’t have to be forever. Do you remember how frustrating it was to need to know what to do with the rest of your life...

Bill Gates made his third commencement speech recently, and offered this advice for the new graduates, “You are never too smart to be confused. Ask for help.” How many of us feel we should know or understand something and go out of our way to avoid asking for help?...

Did you ever notice how quickly people become unmotivated? We get excited about a project, vacation or goal and once it’s completed or finished, the anticipation and enthusiasm drain away and it’s easy to feel flat. I noticed this years ago when I was...

For years I’ve been doing this interesting little class exercise, and as I’m teaching a two-day class in Dallas this week I was reminded once again of how telling it is. Here’s what happens. I pair people up and one person turns to face a partner. The partner is...

Did you know, according to the EY Belonging Barometer, 40 percent of employees surveyed reported feeling isolated at work? And, since we spend around one third of our lives at work, it makes sense people want a sense of belonging. A study from the Center for Talent...

While enjoying the boardwalk over a manmade lake where I was working recently, I closed my eyes, stood in the middle of the boardwalk, inhaled the fragrant air, felt the sunshine on my face, and almost had a head-on collision with a runner who didn’t expect...