Illuminating dark alleys

How does the thought of walking through a dark, unknown alley make you feel? Now imagine yourself as someone completely different, walking through that alley. A different age, race, gender, or physical disposition. In all likelihood, the experience would be very...

Not my circus, not my monkeys

“Not my circus, not my monkeys” – the wonderfully apt Polish proverb perfectly captures the art of maintaining emotional boundaries. Frankly, not every problem needs to become our three-ring spectacle. In life’s grand circus, we often find ourselves...

The harsh truth

Our strengths can be our Achilles’ heel. Push them too far, and they lose their magic: Extreme kindness becomes a doormat Determination morphs into tunnel vision A results-driven attitude breeds a lack of empathy Constant contribution drowns out listening skills...

Remove emotion

The seemingly simple becomes complex. We can’t fathom why it’s so difficult. Conversations derail. Communication frustrates rather than solves. The culprit? Emotion. Our passion erupts, clouding the message and transforming the experience. Sound familiar?...

Appropriate response

When we assess, comment on, and provide feedback on an experience, we can easily cloud all the elements in our overall review. The room was tired, the product was not to our liking, and the experience was not as we are accustomed to. It is easy to label everything as...