Trust is an emotion–a distinctly human feeling. And normally business likes to think it runs on facts, and we think that feelings don’t belong. People who “deliver” regularly–who do everything they promise they are going to do–they are reliable…it doesn’t mean people will trust you. You know…you have a good long term friend who messes …
The Influence of Others
We are wired for connection… Yeah, I know…you’ve read that a time or two on this blog, right? What it means is that we are social creatures, wired to want to belong. We feel better when we have people surrounding us…and it is helpful to split up chores and responsibilities, to band together against the …
Hump Day Nudge: Win or lose, we’re gonna be OK
I have a deep respect for the energetic wisdom of Apollos Hester. I realize this will date me, but as I watched this man, I kept thinking…”Out of the mouths of babes…” He’s hardly a toddler, but his words seem well beyond his years, even as a young adult. He’s clearly excited after a come-from-behind …
Building Capacity: You Can Do It!
I am not a morning person. This might be an understatement. I’m quite certain that all of my college papers were written between the hours of 11:00pm and 1:00am, and that I never really engaged meaningfully in class until after 9am and a few cups of coffee. Many years later, and in spite of parenting …
Hump Day Nudge: You Don’t Have to Walk Alone
I love a cappella music…voices blending together in beautiful harmony just melts me. There’s something about voices giving beauty to each other. When a voice finds its pitch in relationship to others, well…that seems exquisite to me. Voices supporting each other, adding to the others by their own unique contribution. In a cappella music, each …
The privilege of grumbling
When I was a little girl, I couldn’t decide between being a teacher or a nurse or a ballerina when I grew up. But I knew that no matter what, I wanted to be a mother. Being a ballerina was out pretty quickly, as I never actually took ballet. (Apparently having beautiful ballerina pillow cases …
Life Opportunity #4: Have good friends
I recently spoke to a group of young adults (and their teachers/family/friends) at their high school graduation. I’ve written beforeabout Bronnie Ware’s The Top 5 Regrets of the Dying. These themes are also echoed within the walls of our therapy offices at Bergen and Associates every day, and whispered to each other in The Daring Way™ groups that I offer regularly. And I thought …
Juxtaposed Joy and Pain
I listened to Louis Armstrong’s song, “It’s a Wonderful World” the other day. I love that song…however, how I hear it was forever changed many years ago…and my brain plays a music video in my head when I hear this song, no matter where I am or what’s happening when this song plays: I …
The Reward of Kindness–Joy
Apparently, money can buy happiness. Research has proven it. But it means spending money in different ways than you might expect. Research was done where college aged folks were given money ($5 or $20) to spend on themselves. While they appreciated having some funds to purchase a treat, or pay a bill and, at the …
Connection–why we’re here
It’s the connection that heals This is one of my favorite topics in the world…I counsel people in light of it, I teach it in workshops and sermons and university classes, and to the best of my imperfect ability, I live it. I stumbled across Dr. Brene Brown’s work several years ago, and am so …