Frustration is an under-appreciated emotion. The emotions that typically demand our attention are the power players, like anger, joy, love, sadness, and fear. We tend to give certain “secondary” emotions like happiness, longing, boredom, and shame significant air time as well, especially when it comes to explaining our behaviors and desires. Those discussions and insights […]
Category Archives: Discernment
I’ve been thinking lately that there are times in our lives when we need to say more ‘yes’ and times in our lives when we need to say more ‘no.’ How do we identify when those times are? What are the signs that we might need to practice more of one or the other? And […]
I have a friend who really wants to take the steps necessary to turn a business dream of hers into a reality. She put a lot of thought into developing a fantastic and detailed plan, complete with all the activities she needed to tackle in order to make it happen. My friend is highly self-aware […]
I lost one of my favorite winter hats yesterday. The one I kept in the pocket of my main coat because it was warm and functional enough for everyday Upstate New York winter use, cute and fun enough to satisfy the outdoorsy rebel in me, yet smart and professional enough to wear to work (unlike […]
In a previous article, Getting Hold of the Thoughts That Hold You Back, I promised to follow up with additional insights on the most profound of the four categories of thought that hold people back: The Inner Critic. What is an inner critic? As you’ll recall from that article, your inner critic is that voice […]
Have you ever felt anxious at the idea of making a mistake? Do you hold yourself to a higher standard than you hold others? Does fear of failure make you avoid trying things you’re not positive you can do (and do well)? Do you worry about what other people might think of you if they […]
Have you ever found yourself looking to “experts” for guidance or asking other people what you should do? Or found other people asking you what they should do? What makes us do this? As a professional life coach, I’ve had occasion to ponder this question many times, especially when clients try to get me to […]
If you think of a person who fully believes in him- or herself, one who is not blocked or limited by their thoughts or beliefs about what’s possible or what they are capable of achieving in the world, you likely picture someone who has a high level of positive energy and engagement in whatever it […]
For the longest time, love was a mystery to me. It was a concept that was so overblown and exalted, I couldn’t even begin to grasp it. I remember long conversations with friends trying to understand what people were talking about in movies and books and television shows, since the gaudy drama I saw played […]
Whether it appears in your work place, home life, or social circles, differences among human beings are inevitable. How we go about responding to these differences determines a good deal about our quality of life. While it might seem like a peaceful idea to surround yourself with like-minded people, diversity has been demonstrated to lead […]