The Blog

I wrote this quote on a Post It note in the Fall of 2013. I was in an important meeting, trying to listen, but not hearing a damn thing. My mind was saturated. My soul was drowning in the misery I felt, on trying to understand how my body could betray me and become so sick, on the fear that I may no longer be able to work, on wondering if the warning signs I had begun to notice in my husband meant what I feared them to mean.

I wrote this quote to myself and have taped it to computer monitors,...

There are days when we all feel like we are being shot into a pinball machine. Where we feel like we are bouncing around from point to point, with barely a minute to catch our breath, gather our thoughts, or be fully present to all of our obligations and commitments.

There was in fact a time in my life where I took great pride in the pinball machine, where I wore my' busy-ness' like a badge of honor, and wallowed in the sheer frenetic momentum of my full and overbooked days.  I...

It's ironic that I'm even broaching this particular topic, as those who have known me over the years would not necessarily ascribe calm, patient driving to me as a prominent characteristic. For many years I took great pride in zipping across the highway system like a banshee on crack, taking risky passes, and outmaneuvering whoever got in my way. I felt pity for those poor patient souls who allowed others to 'cut' in front of them, or didn't make a move to defend their turf when another...

I have the pleasure of working with The Nature Conservancy, which I lovingly think of as ‘the thinking mans’ conservation organization. They do thoughtful, science-based work through partnerships with pretty much everyone, all in the name of ‘protecting nature and preserving life’. On a recent visit to one of the Conservancy’s gorgeous preserves, I had the chance to see their fire team in action, and to learn about the value of fire in the management of...

In my coaching work, I spend a lot of time with my clients focused on work-related challenges. Many times these challenges relate to things that have changed in their work environment, and have therefore made them feel vulnerable, out of control, angry or frustrated. All very understandable, and very human responses to change. We spend a ton of time at work, in our offices, with our colleagues and our teams, and when things shift without our consent or input, the impacts are huge! All that...