Am I Priming Myself For Positive Or Negative?

On July 24, 2018

Have you ever gone some place anticipating the worst and been totally—pleasantly—surprised? Priming, a function of our brains, plays such a huge role in what we experience. Last week I was in Mexico. The negative rhetoric from the current administration and the news coverage of crime, drugs, poverty, danger had primed me for apprehension and

Is Our Stress Altering The Brain Cells Of Others?

On February 22, 2018

I was standing in line at my favorite coffee shop. The guy in front of me seemed to be having a bad start to his day. It’s not what he said, it’s how he said it. He ordered a coffee and croissant. “Ordered” being the operative word. Louder than necessary. Leaning with wide arms on

The Charlie Brown Approach To New Year’s Resolutions

On January 11, 2018

Peppermint Patty: Have you made a New Year’s resolution, Chuck? Charlie Brown: Remember how I used to dread the whole year? Now I’m only going to dread one day at a time. —from A Charlie Brown Christmas Chuck is onto something. Hint: It’s not the dread. There is value in having big goals, long term goals. While the

The 6 Most Dreaded Words—”Can I Offer You Some Feedback?”

On November 14, 2017

Shauna and David, both consultants, just made a presentation to a client. David gave the strategic overview and Shauna provided the implementation plan. Afterwards, on the way back to the office, David says, “Shauna, can I offer you some feedback?” Shauna’s thought…if I say yes, this can’t be good otherwise you would have just said

Can You Find A Gift In Everything You Do?

On December 19, 2016

We are what we focus on—a necessary reminder during the hectic holiday season. If I expect to find stress and overwhelm, it is right there front and center. Party invitations; gift buying, wrapping, and shipping; decorating; baking; plus the inevitable gotta-get-it -done-before-the-end-of-the-year business stuff. And out of town family arrives when??? I have finally cracked

“Pack Up And Move!” (Your Brain On Change)

On December 7, 2016

Dear Mr./Ms. ____, you are hereby notified that your office space will be reassigned from XXX to YYY on 1 December. Kindly have your office and personal items packed in the provided boxes and labeled clearly with your name and new location no later than Nov 30. This is the note a colleague received last

Three Things I Learned From Drinking Green Tea

On October 11, 2016

I’ve always been a bit resistant to rituals. I prefer experiences that stretch me in some new way or challenge me with new ideas. I viewed rituals as a way to suck the creativity and excitement out of life. Well it turns out I’m wrong. Rituals can actually be quite freeing. I recently participated in

What Is Mine To Do?

On September 13, 2016

I have found a question that really helps me when navigating in difficult situations. It is a question I first came across as part of a very powerful transformation-discernment process developed and facilitated by my friend Jane Lovas. The question is, “What is mine to do?” I have recently been using the question alone as a mindful

Are You Biased? No? Think Again

On August 16, 2016

The news media gaffes on covering women Olympians got me thinking about the inadvertent bias that shows up in how we interpret what we experience. In last week’s blog post I acknowledged my own flawed snap judgment in discounting what I might learn from a beautiful man with physical and mental challenges. On our individual leadership journey, one of

I’ve Got The Whole Brain In My Hands

On July 26, 2016

I held a brain. As I picked it up carefully in my hands, it felt like a piece of firm tofu, fragile yet heavy for its size, the color reminiscent of an old pencil eraser, a pinkish-grey. The brain weighs a bit over 3 lbs. While it is only 2% of our body weight, it

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