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Make Someone’s Day!

Ellie — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 08:01:57 +0000

The sweet, hand-printed note above demonstrates that one young man has learned, at a very tender age, how to keep a sibling relationship solid and healthy; his congratulatory note to his big sister reads: Well done to win a cup on the piano Claire I think you are very clever to win a cup! Love from Philip How to Turn a Good Relationship into an Excellent One Although most of the time he’s probably the bratty little brother many of us endured, Philip would certainly have earned a gold star for his response to his sister’s piano recital – from none other than the esteemed, ...Continue reading » Make Someone’s Day!

Happy New Year! – Again

PattiAnn — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 08:01:21 +0000

You are never too old to set another goal or dream a new dream.
— CS Lewis

I’ve decided to start 2012 over again. January was the pits and I had great expectations for 2012, so I’ve decided that as of today, February 1st I’m starting over. It’s the only way I know to get a do-over. January was a sad month. Between friends, family and ...Continue reading » Happy New Year! – Again

The Persimmon Paradox

Ellie — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 08:01:03 +0000

But the Persimmon Paradox isn’t really about persimmons… it’s about freeing yourself from mindsets that are not useful! (Still, if you get a hankering for persimmons because of this post, you might try “[amazon-product text="Just Persimmons" type="text"]B002JLTIP6[/amazon-product]”. Mind you, I haven’t tried them because there’s only one way I like persimmons and that’s in the cookie form!) But I digress… The “Costs Too Much” Mindset Have you ever denied yourself something because it “costs too much?” Or found yourself deciding not to pursue an avenue of effort because it will take too long, be too hard, or take too much energy? If so, then you’ve succumbed to the Persimmon Paradox. Back in 2010 I read a story about a man who LOVED persimmons but almost didn’t buy the first-fruits-of-the-season because a bag of mouthwatering, perfect persimmons ...Continue reading » The Persimmon Paradox

Healing Kindness

PattiAnn — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 08:01:44 +0000

Where I grew up, a good old fashioned Catholic wake was the norm. For those of you who aren’t familiar with the tradition, a wake usually consisted of the presence of the casket in a viewing room; a kneeler in front of the casket so prayers could be said, a short conversation of condolence with family members and a Rosary led by a priest. If the person hadn’t died in an awful accident leaving them unfit to be seen, the casket was open. I’m sure that this tradition probably evolved from the older tradition of ...Continue reading » Healing Kindness

Life Lessons 101: Topple Proofing

Ellie — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 08:01:14 +0000

Sometimes we overdo. Sometimes we have too many plates spinning, too many demands stuffed into too little time and, the next thing we know, we’ve slipped into mindless busyness and something important is on the verge of toppling. Maybe we got into the swing of something, doing and doing until we lapsed into a workaholic-trance. Maybe the abyss of our To-Do-List’s administrivia kept us working, working working. Perhaps deadlines loomed large… Or, perhaps we actually fell under the thrall of an awesome condition known as Flow: Flow is being completely involved in an activity for its own sake. The ego falls away. Time flies. Every action, movement, and thought follows inevitably from the previous one, like playing jazz. — Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi But, regardless of what’s brought us to this brink, we owe it to ourselves to intervene before something important takes a topple! ...Continue reading » Life Lessons 101: Topple Proofing

Persistently Stubborn

PattiAnn — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 08:01:07 +0000

Today is the one year anniversary of my “new job.” I’m amazed at how much this experience has changed me. I have developed and delivered training for about 15 years. Although one can always learn, most projects I’ve been involved with don’t really stretch me. Yes, I have to learn about the topic I’m working on, but because I’m very good at learning new businesses and the software systems that run that specific business, it’s usually a joyful and fun experience. Learning new businesses is something I ...Continue reading » Persistently Stubborn

Dodging Bullets

Ellie — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 08:01:30 +0000

Sometimes it’s really difficult to summon up the gumption to forge ahead with goals which, in morning’s light seemed achievable, but which now, after a frustrating day of stumbling effort, suddenly seem impossible to achieve. That’s when I have to dig deep… and, in the words of Corey Adler Leidersdorff, “Go back to the time when everything was possible… remember when you were bulletproof, when the world was ...Continue reading » Dodging Bullets

Together We Can Do More

PattiAnn — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 08:01:10 +0000

It’s only the middle of January and already it’s been a challenging year. Within my small group of friends and coworkers, there have been three deaths in our families and two major automobile accidents. Today, the Ladies of Literature had their annual meeting to toast the new year and pick our books for 2012. One of our members said that 2012 had to get better from here. Another member predicted that we just might look back on 2011 as a really good year once we saw what ...Continue reading » Together We Can Do More

Escalate Flourishing with a Double Whammy Two-fer

Ellie — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 08:01:41 +0000

Today I’m advocating that you turn your attention, your efforts, your energy toward doing random acts of kindness for others. And already a voice inside your head objects: Wait a minute! It’s the beginning of a new year and I really need to focus on my own goals! But that’s what Dan Rockwell, a.k.a. the Leadership Freak, calls ...Continue reading » Escalate Flourishing with a Double Whammy Two-fer

Making Stress Your Friend

PattiAnn — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 08:01:54 +0000

One of my favorite whines has to do with how I look. Yes, I’m getting older and I’m showing my age (where I can’t help it), but that’s not what I’m referring to. My problem is I’m showing my stress. For all of us who are carrying a little, or a lot, of weight around the middle, there’s good and bad news attached. The good news is that the weight that you’re carrying is less about a lack of discipline or an unwillingness to give up cake/chips/muffins/buttered popcorn, etc. than it is about the amount of stress in your life. The bad news is that if ...Continue reading » Making Stress Your Friend