Grow Your Strengths
Spotlight on Creativity
💡 Definition of the Character Strength of Creativity: ”Thinking of novel and productive ways to conceptualize and do things; includes artistic achievement but is not limited to it.” (From the VIA Institute on Character)
Read MoreUse Your Character Strengths to Feel Better
My head feels like a ball of raw meat, aching from a beating, oozing blood from my ears. You wouldn’t know it to look at me, but my brain feels like an open wound. Hyperacusis can be…unpleasant. I haven’t had a high sensory pain day like this for months. There is no convenient day to…
Read MoreDeliberate Sanity – Life in Low Gear
Today it took me a good hour to make a snack. I didn’t get distracted with texting friends, or pause mid-prep to dance to music. A few years back, that would be the only reason a 20 minute activity would have tripled in duration. But today the work was silent, methodical, deliberate. No attempt to…
Read MoreDangerous Reflection (Growth Traps)
Reflection is essential to growth. If we don’t think into our lives, experiences, relationships, choices, and results, we’ll be at the mercy of chaos and entropy. Reflection is the fulcrum for seizing opportunity and influencing the path of our own lives. But there’s a sneaky, counterfeit form of reflection that can kill growth. It’s on…
Read MoreSelf-Dismissive Labeling (Growth Traps)
Sneaky Growth Traps This month I want to cover some of the growth traps that munch us. They’re habits, behaviors, and mindsets that sneak into our lives, and limit or prevent growth. They do this while giving us a false sense of permission, safety, stability, or truth. They’re tricky like that. One Growth Trap that…
Read MoreLiving Gamefully
Living Gamefully One of my best allies lately in my own personal growth journey has been Dr. Jane McGonigal. I was 34 when I suddenly acquired a sensory disorder. Something changed in my brain, and I have battled crippling auditory issues for what seems like no reason. In the 18 months since, I’ve had my…
Read MoreFinding Your Purpose for the Year
Figuring Out Your Purpose for the Year One of my favorite questions to ask friends this time of year is “what do you think next year is for?” To be fair, it’s a tough question to answer, rude of me to ask it. But just because it can feel like an impossible question to…
Read MoreSelecting Your Next Goal
Selecting Next Year’s Goals As December arrives I always start interviewing new habits, goals, and skills to see what I will reach for in the new year. Some years I do it with angst, urgency, and desperation. Usually when that happens, I’m feeling behind, or worried that I’m not really getting anywhere in my life.…
Read MoreDon’t Let Your Year-End Review Get Heavy
I think it’s because reflection is so valuable that we often fail to do it. In our desperate need for fresh insights, new motivation, and a sense of accomplishment, the reflection process looms larger than life. And if asking questions about our recent past begins to feel heavy, we delay doing it until we can…
Read More4 Types of Coaches & When to Work With Them
4 Kinds of Coaches and When to Work With Them There are lots of coaches out there. So how do you know when you’re ready for a coach, and which kind of coach you need? Having been a professional coach for over a decade and having had many coaches over the years, here’s a lens…
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