The fallout from 2020 is far from over. However, besides issues pertaining to the pandemic or natural disasters, there’s one area over which you can exert control. Last year saw more attention aimed at the topic of race than we've seen in some time. Some call it a reckoning, but for many, it created some internal confusion. You want to … [Read more...]
7 Ways to Practice Skills That Lead to Better Communication
There is no secret formula for happy relationships or friendships. Such happiness is often a moving target. Yet, we do know that paying attention to ourselves and each other is key. We must remain diligent and open to each other. Sharing and responding to each other is vital for healthy interaction. Thus, there are definitely some key … [Read more...]
Tips for Working from Home and Feeling Better in the Time of COVID-19!
It may feel like life during Coronavirus (COVID-19) is an insurmountable challenge, with demands to work from home, worries about people you love, and a feeling of hopelessness. While I can’t make this all go away (I’d have to be more than an ordinary psychotherapist!), I do have some tips for coping on a daily basis and how to feel … [Read more...]
Competition? Or Ambition!
What’s the difference between competition and ambition? Let’s look at competition... A competition is between you and others. Someone’s going to win, and it better be you! So you compare yourself to others, looking over your shoulder to see who’s gaining on you, looking ahead to see who’s outpacing you. You find yourself hoping that he or she … [Read more...]
Reframing: How to Think Your Way Through Difficulties
If you're struggling with a situation, you may benefit from reframing, that is, changing your attitude toward it. This is especially helpful when you have a resentment. Ever notice how you feed your resentments? Chew them over, and go through the details of exactly how you were wronged by the other person? Reframing is the opposite. It’s … [Read more...]
Passion or Pragmatism: Which Is Most Important in Your Career?
In April 2014 the New York Times published two articles by Nicholas Kristof (here’s one, here’s the other) about the life and untimely death of a remarkable young woman, Marina Keegan, who graduated from Yale and wrote about searching for meaning in life, and the conflict people often experience between passion and pragmatism in plotting their … [Read more...]
The Fear of Being Direct
Writer Aaron Sorkin and HBO have given us “The Newsroom,” a terrific new show with plenty of material to write about, in this case, the fear of being direct. In the first season of “The Newsroom,” anchor Will McAvoy and executive producer MacKenzie McHale work their way from a very contentious professional relationship, due to … [Read more...]
Natural Networking
“I don’t know how to network” “Networking feels so fake” “I’m too shy to network.” Sound familiar? You know your business would improve if you networked, but you’re just too uncomfortable to try. (Read the “Comfort Zone” post to get a perspective on discomfort.) The truth is, anyone can benefit from networking. Natural … [Read more...]