I am a thinker. I am a writer. I am unafraid of pondering the tough issues in my life. In fact, I spend most days running through scenarios of what I did, what I could have done, and what I should do next. I think. I think a lot. And it is good. My self-awareness […]
Have you ever had a conversation where you didn’t feel heard or understood? Have you ever become angry at someone else because their words didn’t seem to match their actions? Does it feel like our conversations, maybe more so now, seem to be disconnected? The reason why communication is usually stilted is because we do […]
Learning a second language helps me see the world in a new light. I have known a phrase in Spanish for a while, “no te preocupes,” which means “don’t worry about it.” What blew my mind was learning that it is based on the word “ocupar.” Let’s break it down. “Ocupar” means to take up […]
Moving to Mexico has done a lot to change my assumptions and expectations. Some of what I needed to shift stemmed from my Type-A characteristics. Some of what I had to shift was due to where and how I was raised. I learned that nothing is perfect. I learned that things do not happen in […]
A 2019 valedictorian speech has been making the rounds on social media. Kyle Martin shares how he worked hard and made sacrifices for a year to become valedictorian. Kyle contemplates if it was worth all the time, effort, and broken relationships to receive the fifteen seconds of applause and recognition. One section of the speech […]
I remember a time in the past when friends of mine talked up a restaurant for weeks. When we could finally have dinner together, my friends were enraptured by the atmosphere, service, and food. Before, during, and after the meal their exuberance and praise was over the top. When my critique of the meal was […]
My life is perfect. I am blessed in so many ways. And yet I focus so much and so unnecessarily on the one thing that is not so perfect in my life. My neighbors smoke. A lot. All the time. Constantly. Which is their business, and they have a right to. But every time they […]
A while back I shared what I learned from having a stray cat try to adopt me. I am happy to report the cat has a home now and is being taken care of in the way she deserves, and demands. This January, I adopted a dog, Güera, who is teaching me new lessons. Being […]
I have read Brené Brown’s book, The Gifts of Imperfection, at least twice now and never highlighted the section at the top of page 17 until my friend recently shared it with me. “We live in a blame culture – we want to know whose fault it is and how they’re going to pay. . […]
My day job sent around an interesting TED Talk on our current multi-generational workforce. This is the first time in history five generations – Greatest Generation, Baby Boomers, Gen X, Millennials, Generation Z – are working together. What do you think the talk centered around? How the older generations work harder? How the middle child […]