Last year it was 35 acts of kindness. This year: 36 letters.

July 09 2020

Getting older isn’t always looked upon favorably, but I’d like to think I’m becoming more confident and more thoughtful each year. On August 6, I turn 36. Leading up to my birthday, my goal is to write 36 letters. The hope is to share gratitude and inspire generosity and love within my friend circles. Consideration […]

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The power of friendship

June 30 2020

“Sometimes I feel that society likes to trick us into thinking that we cannot, or have no interest in, getting along, working together, and standing in support of one another.” Alexandra Elle Relationships are important. Now more than ever before. By encouraging those around us, we can set the bar even higher for ourselves. Examples […]

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Draft your dream team

June 25 2020

As the coach of your life, be sure these players are on your team: The Mentor – This is a person you respect and admire, someone who’s “been there.” You see their life and think “That’s what I want.” These people remind you to look at the big picture. An Advisee – Someone you mentor. They are […]

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Bookmark your dreams

June 14 2020

Many years ago, a coach gave me an assignment that changed my life. Write down 50 – 100 things you’d like to do. My original list contained almost 90 items, goals ranging from learning to tie a necktie to finishing a marathon. I revisit this list from time to time. It has served as a […]

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What keeps you going? (4 ways to spark curiosity)

June 07 2020

I’ve been asked what keeps me motivated. The question echoes when I pick up a book, stop at a piece of art, choose a film, or marvel at a friend’s project. What drives passion and fuels excitement? Curiosity. What keeps you going? I understand when life becomes disenchanting and hard, curiosity isn’t a natural tendency. The ability to […]

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You can teach one thing. What is it?

May 26 2020

This question is a favorite at dinners. My answer is always the same: Empathy. “Empathic connection is an understanding of the heart in which we see the beauty in the other person, the divine energy in the other person, the life that’s alive in them.” —Marshall Rosenberg What is empathy? Now, more than ever, empathy […]

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Take twenty

May 13 2020

Twenty minutes to pause. Twenty minutes to breathe. To be grateful. To write. To read. To consume. To move. To reflect. To listen. To work. To grieve. To focus. To savor. To feel. To love. To connect. To watch. To rest. Twenty minutes can make the unmanageable manageable, the forgotten remembered, and the overwhelming more […]

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Takeaways from two weeks of “Positive Talk”

May 03 2020

14 people from around the world signed up to join me in a small experiment: For two weeks, I would commit to daily discussions focused on Good Things. I spoke with Italians, Brits, folks in the United States, Sweden, and Nepal. On some days I had to talk myself up for the session; other days […]

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Assigning meaning

April 15 2020

Perspective keeps coming up in Positive Talk sessions. From media articles to family conversations, the meanings we assign to situations, reactions, and words can weigh significantly on our perception and interpretation of the world around us. This is important for three reasons. One, we get to choose how we want to interpret a given situation. […]

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2 weeks, 30-minute conversations, good things only

April 08 2020

Every day for the next two weeks I am committing to one thirty-minute conversation focused only on Good Things. Good Things include: Goals, ideas, projects, dreams, successes, accomplishments, moments that bring satisfaction and contentment, creation, acts of kindness. Call it pro-bono coaching, but this is as much for me as it might be for you. […]

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