Making Room for Grief this Election Season
It’s a big week for all of us. I haven’t used this platform to talk about the election, but it’s too much on my mind this week to pretend I’m [...]
Life Purpose at Any Age
I recently listened to Julia Louis Dreyfuss interview Jane Goodall. Julia asks Jane how it feels to be 90 and Jane says, “Well, I know what my mission on this [...]
None of us Get Out Alive
My friend Emily recently attended her friend Trudy’s “Last Hurrah” party. Emily and Trudy have known one another for 20 years in the context of chaplaincy work. Trudy is 86, [...]
Last Prayer of Summer
I’m reading Luther Allen’s book of poems, The View from Lummi Island, a poem a day from the San Juan Islands. As fall begins, he says, the days shorten [...]
I Have Edges
Several years ago, a colleague gave me some unforgettable feedback. We had been vetting a potential client together over coffee, listening to this leader’s challenges and building a rapport. Walking [...]
What You See is What You Get
In computing, there’s an acronym called WYSIWYG (wiss-ee-wig), which stands for “What you see is what you get.” It implies a user interface that allows the user to view something [...]
No Emptiness, No Fullness
Yesterday, I really wanted to go to Downtown Sounds (free local concert), but I didn’t want to go by myself. My partner was working, my daughter was gone. I could [...]
Intermittent Recovery
I’m fascinated by this tidbit from an HBR article on energy management: “Without intermittent recovery, we’re not physiologically capable of sustaining highly positive emotions for long periods.” If you’re working [...]
Don’t Clear the Decks
One of the most impactful books I’ve read in the last 5 years is Oliver Burkeman’s Four Thousand Weeks: Time Management for Mortals. You can download some tidbits from it [...]
Lessons from my 50th Birthday
I turned 50 a few days ago, and the event felt like a joyful project. I’ve struggled with my birthday in my adult life—not planning anything, and then regretting it. [...]