One of my favorite things about summer is the food. It seems that we eat healthier in these months because it's so much easier to get food that is fresh. I vividly remember visiting the farm stands in Ohio, where they grew sweet corn. We'd buy a bushel or two and immediately begin snacking on the way home! That sweet corn was like candy. Yes- food is a vital part of what makes summer special. Summer is also a time of tradition. Whether that is how you spend your summer, where you spend it, ... Read More » about Do recipes make you a better cook?
Possibilities & Perspective
Have you considered the gifts of change?
The value of any disruptive change is whatever we choose it to be. Does it, in fact, matter? How could it be helpful? Does it cause concern? Does it include joy? In other words, are we happy about it? Sad? Angry? Afraid? These are natural and normal responses. The key is recognizing they are also choices. However, the choice is not where our response begins. Our attitude toward change shows up long before the choice is made and, to some degree, dictates the outcome. In his ... Read More » about Have you considered the gifts of change?
Do you have what it takes?
It’s a question that, in some form, we often ask. What will it take to do something, have something, be something? What will it take to have more of something, less of something, or be done with it altogether? What will it take? Do I have it? When I stopped to really consider where I have succeeded in attaining a goal and where it has alluded me, I found that there were five things that have made a significant difference. A few of them surprised me, but as they say, success leaves ... Read More » about Do you have what it takes?
Resiliency: Creating perspective with gratitude
Nothing challenges our beliefs like pain. Whether physical, mental, or emotional, when pain strikes, all bets are off when it comes to what we might have expected in our responses. That is why it’s crucial for us to have a tool to create context and perspective for those moments. That tool is gratitude. You cannot be stressed and genuinely grateful at the same time. You cannot be angry and grateful at the same time. They are counter-intuitive emotions. It can be hard to find ... Read More » about Resiliency: Creating perspective with gratitude
Prioritizing what’s next: Asking the other questions
Recently, I have found my focus shifting more strategically to what is next as I consider plans and priorities. Perhaps you find yourself here as well. A productive practice to consider is integrating what I call the other question into our thought processes. I’m always intrigued by inverse statements and questions. There is always another one there. What we are considering is a fundamental practice for experiencing the full range of possibility thinking. We must be able to consider ... Read More » about Prioritizing what’s next: Asking the other questions
Stop, Pause, or Continue? Get the questions right for the answer.
Has this ever happened to you? You had to take a break from something – fully intending to go back to it – but somehow never did. You did not mean to abandon the project, but in the end, that is what happened. If so, you are not alone. Recently, I had to make some decisions about things in my life and work, and there were some that I was not ready to just stop. But other priorities had to take precedence, so I had to make a choice. Even as I was putting some things on hold, in my heart, I ... Read More » about Stop, Pause, or Continue? Get the questions right for the answer.