A few years ago, I wrote a post titled Exploring Negative Space that focused on the negative space in photography and how difficult it was to find a subject that wasn't drowned out by background noise. More recently, in the post Clutter Blocking Your Wellbeing, I...
We hear a lot about strategy in business. The plan. The roadmap. The five-year vision. But what if strategy isn't just about competitive advantage? What if it's a path to personal agency? My Perspective Strategy doesn't give us control over outcomes. It gives us...
I saw something in my email that referenced the meaning matrix from Ben James. The matrix shown is below. He expands to suggest that extroverts like spending time in the upper right. Introverts enjoy the lower right. And neither spend enough time in the bottom right....
I listened to a TED Talk by Chris Fenning and he shared an interesting suggestion for making work conversations better. In the first 60 seconds, use the acronym TIP. TIP – Topic. Intent. Point. Here’s the process. In the first 2 minutes of the conversation do the...
I’ve grown to realize that I need quiet. Time away from others to work, think, and decompress. Time away from the noise. When I have a day full of meetings, I’m drained for time with family & friends. At the end of a busy weekend, I dread Monday meetings. This...
Today, September 22, 2026, is the fall equinox. We have equal amounts of daylight and night as the sun crosses directly over the equator. A day of balance. Even though nothing in our lives is truly in balance, it can feel more, or less, balanced. Today, you could...
We’ve all heard about a “self-fulfilling prophecy”. Yet do we really know what this is? The concept is a circular loop that is difficult to get out of. There are four elements: Our beliefs, behaviors, expectations, and results. The self-fulfilling prophecy can start...
We’re trained early to obey. Follow the rules. Sit still. Raise your hand. School was built for compliance over curiosity. Reward and punishment have become the levers that lead our lives. Gold stars if you follow the rules. Red marks if you don’t. And so, the loop...
We’ve all said this. When someone says, “thank you”, we say, “you’re welcome”. It’s customary. It’s also odd. What does this really mean? The other day, I heard we should say, “you’re welcome” and nothing else when we are thanked. The point they made was that...
When I think about our personal brands, I think about an umbrella. The mission, vision, and summary of who we are. Yesterday, during a search, I saw an article title that intrigued me: “Credit Card: Can you build a personal brand with it?” There were 6 suggestions....
Life is full of opposites and tensions. We are pulled in multiple directions and working through tradeoffs. One tension that often arises is the idea of putting ourselves first. We care about our family. Our friends. Co-workers. Neighbors. The list continues. We want...
I heard a podcast from Self-Improvement Daily that struck a chord. The title of the episode was “Look Before You Jump”. Before volunteering, leaving/taking a job, starting a hobby, and more. The three points Brian made were: Be thoughtful about what you commit to...
As adults, we sometimes forget to play. Life is serious and full of responsibility. However, playing can help all of us find joy and relieve stress. The National Institute for Play has a free, 10-minute quiz to help you discover which of 6 play types you are. The...
Seth Godin had a short post on his blog that succinctly made a point: “It's easy to announce that we don't have time for a new skill or a generous act. But the truth is we probably could find the time. What we don't have is energy or motivation. Find that and you'll...
In 2019, I picked the word joyful for my word of the year. I wanted to remind myself of the people, places, and activities that brought me joy. This was an enlightening year of discovery. Recently, after taking the Values Bridge, a connection was made. The results...
Back in 2008, Sonja Lyubomirsky, wrote The How of Happiness. The book outlined 3 factors that have an impact on our personal happiness: Genetic Makeup: A significant portion of our long-term happiness, around 50% according to the research, is determined by our...
Project managers have a saying: Fast, good, cheap — pick two. It’s a reminder that in any project, you can rarely have all three at once. If you want something fast and good, it won’t be cheap. If you want it good and cheap, it won’t be fast. And so on. Lately, I’ve...
Gallup research indicates that followers need four things from leaders: Trust, Compassion, Stability, and Hope. “When leaders meet these needs, it can lead to less suffering and better wellbeing.” - Gallup They broke the four categories down into these dimensions:...
When I was young, I heard the phrase “bright eyed and bushy tailed” a lot. It was the way my family noted that you were full of energy. Cheerful and ready to go. The origin of the quote is believed to be from the image of a squirrel. With its bright eyes and...
Control is an interesting word. It implies strength and empowerment. And can also imply being overbearing. The definition is “To exercise restraining or directing influence over. To regulate. To reduce the incidence or severity.” My Perspective We all want some level...
Life lessons are the nuggets of wisdom we gather throughout the journey of our lives. An enduring insight gained from our experiences. While these moments can occur anytime, they are often associated with major transitions in life. The moments that are emotional,...