Lately I have rekindled my interest in haiku. You may be familiar with this form of Japanese poetry. 17 syllables: five, then seven, then five. No more. No less. So simple that it is often taught in elementary school as a first introduction to a poetic form. A morsel of word delight. The other day …
What would you do if you knew that this was your last summer? I’m not trying to be morbid, just wondering. This summer I am working less than I have in decades. And it made me feel a little weird. It feels odd and disquieting to have so much non-work, unstructured time. In North American …
I saw this poem on the TTC heading to the deserted Bessarion station, apparently the least-used stop of the entire network. In the quiet of an empty subway car these words were a bit of delight in my day – and I wanted to share them. Seeing this reminded me that beauty and surprise can …
When a friend or a family member tells you about a problem or is facing a big challenge, how do you respond? Is your first impulse to jump in to help? While your intentions may be good, this may not be the best dynamic for either of you. Ask yourself why you want to fix …
Is it scary to think about what you really want? Are you afraid that you will seem foolish or unrealistic? Unfortunately, we are socialized to think that being mature in years or career means being rational and not reaching too far… and that doesn’t serve us. In fact, it stops us from thinking bigger before …
This International Women’s Day I dedicate my post to my first role model: my late mother Esther. She taught me a lot. She talked to me about women forced into marriage by unwanted pregnancy and those who had to quit their jobs when they got married or had a child. She praised nurses and doctors …
Anyone who has Zoomed with me will see that I like having plants around. To me they are the easiest way to make a room feel alive and create beauty. I am not good with plants, though. I neglect them badly. Sometimes my peace lilies wilt completely. Their forlorn leaves dragging on the table are …
If you really want to do something, write it down. I encourage clients to write their goals to share with me and to send updates between sessions. When they don’t want or choose to do it they may be afraid to define their goals. Or they aren’t sure of their direction. Or there is conflict …
A friend recently told me that watching the big shifts in my career path over the years had inspired her. It was a very kind and flattering thing to say. And it got me thinking of all the people who inspire and show me what it is to have: These people make me optimistic for …
….to work with a coach! Who can use a coach? Well – anyone, really. Since I launched my coaching practice I found that a lot of people think that you have to be in crisis, transition, life disruption, or really messed up to need a coach. Absolutely – working with a coach can be very …