The very moment that I lack clarity and focus, invariably someone asks me for advice or coaching. I want to say, “Not now, please.” Requests for help, though, merit a response—there’s just no way around it. No matter how lost you might feel, it doesn’t release you from the obligation to help those around you. Giving practical help ...

Someone said to me recently that self-serving philosophies spread faster than altruistic ones. A practice that advances a personal agenda is more popular than an action that is primarily for the benefit of others. While I accept my friend's practical observation, I have a hard time with it. Clearly, an ideal scenario would be a self-interested ...

I’m not sure when it became a societal norm; all I know is that it’s now the norm. When you put in a business call, don’t expect it to be returned. When you submit a proposal, don’t expect an answer. When you’ve submitted a query, you will not get a rejection, you will get silence. “Silence ...

From Wikipedia: “Synchronicity is the experience of two or more events that are apparently causally unrelated occurring together in a meaningful manner. To count as synchronicity, the events should be unlikely to occur together by chance.” Many philosophers have weighed in on the subject, but in my experience synchronicity happens in response to a consistent application of effort towards a good purpose. It ...

The stock market is advancing to new highs, the Senate voted to extend unemployment benefits, divorce and infidelity scandals rage on, earthquakes around the world cause massive destruction and loss of life, and thousands are left stranded because of a volcano eruption in Iceland. It’s just another day filled with the contradictions of modern life ...

The quickest route to feeling wonderful is to help someone else. The moment you shift the focus away from yourself and toward another person, you’re back in balance.  No matter how difficult the circumstances in your own life might be, reaching out to a friend will nurture feelings of being valuable and needed—and that simply ...

I’m getting a lot of good coaching from my kickboxing trainer—the wisdom just keeps on coming.  Here’s what she offered today:  “You don’t have to punch hard all the time. The whole point is to set up the killer punch. Try small jabs, hooks, upper cuts until you find the opportunity for the killer punch. ...

I love this saying. I know it’s a phrase used in sobriety and personal development circles, but it’s one we can all learn from. Here’s an example: the day starts badly, my confidence is shaky, I’m tempted to cancel a meeting, I avoid a phone call or a difficult conversation – and what happens? Absolutely nothing. Here’s another ...

We’ve all had that moment. It could be a crisis at work or in a relationship, trouble with kids or finances. Is that the right moment to pick up the phone and ask for coaching? Maybe not. When calamity strikes, it’s important to take a moment to absorb the shock. For some of us, that process ...

What’s the secret to real change?  It’s simple; take a suggestion, a thought or a piece of advice from someone else, and make it your idea. Take ownership and run with it. When I coach friends or am being coached, there is always that one moment of hesitation when advice is given. There is resistance, an ...