It’s that time of year again! Most of you are already planning for the upcoming Christmas holiday. Festive wreaths are placed on doors, trees are popping up in people’s houses, and shimmering lights are being placed around town. In the hustle and bustle of the season it is easy to lose track of what’s important. …
Without a doubt, the answer to the above question is different for different people. Happiness is a mysterious, profound, and very personal thing that is manifested in countless ways in different stages of life for every single person on the planet. That said, obviously many people find happiness in the same things. Just take a …
The term extrinsic is defined by dictionary.com as “being outside a thing; outward or external; operating or coming from without.” The term intrinsic is defined as “belonging to a thing by its very nature.” When used in conjunction with the idea of motivation, extrinsic refers to those “carrot” incentives such as salary, benefits, and bonuses …
The highly successful businesswoman Mary Kay Ash, founder of Mary Kay Cosmetics, once gave this sage piece of advice: “Pretend that every single person you meet has a sign around his or her neck that says ‘Make Me Feel Important.’ Not only will you succeed in business, you will succeed in life.” Truer words were …
Last week we reflected on this excellent quote: “You can’t change the ocean or the weather no matter how hard you try, so it’s best to learn how to sail in all conditions.” – unknown The truth is we really have no control over life’s whims, so if we’re going to make it through in …
In the ordinary course of our lives, we all typically experience a lot of ordinary, smooth-sailing days. While nothing remarkable happens, nor does anything particularly difficult. We go about our day as usual, the sun keeps shining, and things go according to plan. On the other hand, we also tend to experience quite a few …
In today’s society, we tend to be impressed by c-suite leaders with large organizations, big offices, and lots of employees. Obviously any business large or small can have a CEO, but there’s just something that seems more impressive about the executive of a large corporation with thousands of employees versus the leader of a small …
We all bring unique talents, skills, expertise, experience, and personalities to the table. We each tend to “click” with some people really well, and with others not as well. And while it may take some of us awhile to discover and identify our unique niche in life, I believe we all have passions and interests …
These days we receive a lot of mixed messages from popular culture. On the one hand we are urged to tread carefully, watch what we say and do, and strive to always be appropriate and politically correct so we don’t offend anyone or step on toes. On the other hand, we are encouraged to be …
Who did you need when you were younger? Maybe in your childhood and youth you needed a more involved and attentive parent, a teacher who challenged and believed in you, or an influential peer who helped steer you in a better direction in high school. Maybe in college you needed an advisor who saw you …
In her recent editorial for American Nurse Today, my longtime friend and colleague Lillee Gelinas shares 5 critical lessons learned from some of the best and brightest in the nursing profession: 8 past presidents of the American Nurses Association (ANA). Lillee writes about a panel discussion she was privileged to moderate earlier this year with …
We all face challenges. We all experience hardships, disappointments, and losses. Everything we go through teaches us something; we discover our strengths, identify our weaknesses, learn what we’re made of, and find out who we can depend on. No matter how we overcome adversity, the act of overcoming it teaches a lesson—a lesson that not …
I may not be as young as I once was, but I still stay very active physically and mentally and try to keep myself fit and healthy. As such, I am a loyal member of my local gym where I regularly exercise and walk for my health. I’m also an avid people watcher who is …
Last week we looked at the excellent wisdom of approaching conflict with logical observation and restraint, rather than having an emotional response to whatever is said. Great advice! But much easier said than done. “True power is restraint.” For most of us, restraint does not come naturally. In the midst of conflict when someone’s words …
The following piece of wisdom has been circulating on social media for a few years now, often attributed to different sources (from Warren Buffett to Bruce Lee to various Twitter users); but no matter who coined this particular advice, the wisdom it contains is excellent: “You will continue to suffer if you have an emotional …
We’ve all been there. We’ve all experienced failure, disappointment, and setbacks. We’ve all felt discouraged, defeated, and embarrassed. In those moments, it’s far too easy to focus on that failure, replaying your mistakes over and over and kicking yourself while you’re down. Stop it. STOP IT! Stop focusing on the failure, and look to the …
If you’ve grown up with the English language, you have likely heard (or even used) the expression “…well, live and learn!” This casual English idiom refers to learning from your personal experience, or—most commonly—your mistakes. Today for a little fun I’d like to expand the simple phrase “live and learn” to encompass a broader concept …
You may have seen the popular quote about living like a river that has been shared online countless times and in various forms. Here’s a version I shared on LinkedIn last week: “Rivers never go reverse. So try to live like a river. Forget your past and focus on your future. Always be positive!” – author unknown As …
Dictionary.com defines junk as “anything that is regarded as worthless, meaningless, or contemptible; trash.” The legendary race car driver Louise Smith once said: We all have “junk.” Some of our junk we are very aware of, but other junk we might not recognize as such. Either way, as Louise Smith wisely noted, our junk often …
I don’t know who to thank for penning this priceless piece of wisdom, but I couldn’t help but share it on LinkedIn this week: What a wonderful piece of advice! But it is so much easier said than done, isn’t it? So what exactly does it look like to not “let success go to your …