Do you have a recurring dream? I do. It’s a style of dream, never the same exact details, but always finding myself in limbo, overwhelmed, trying to get where I need to be. It’s maddening. When I wake up, I can rarely remember what I was so worked up about, but I am mentally exhausted. There is a concept that describes how I feel in that dream. It is called “liminal space”, from the Latin...Continue reading...
My wife told me recently that she almost spit out her tea laughing at something she read…“My favorite childhood memory is my back not hurting.” It’s funny/not funny, isn’t it? I could add to that sarcastic piece of humor my knees, my shoulder, and countless other body parts. Getting old stinks. And it is inevitable. Side note: ageism is very much in our corporate consciousness, as the two likely candidates for president this year are...Continue reading...
In my last newsletter and blog post I suggested that there are five predominant reasons you get out of bed in the morning and go do what you do. Here’s my take on work motives from worst to best: “I’ve got a gun to my head.” “Because I said I would.” “It’s just what I do.” “It’s my duty.” “It’s my calling!” Which of these incentives most informs your work life? Which drives you? Are...Continue reading...
Why do you work? Whether it’s to get paid or to serve as a volunteer, what motivates you to go do your thing? There are a range of reasons we get up and get after it. One end of the work incentive scale feels dark and threatening and the other end feels bright and promising. Some of these motivations preoccupy us and others never generate a second thought. Some cause anxiety and others invoke enthusiasm....Continue reading...
I can’t get out of my mind this notion that there is an elephant in the room that we’re trying to ignore. That is, when it comes to our well-being. We all know and are continually reminded with growing data from research that we are not a happy or content people. No, we’re pretty anxious as a lot and a good number of us are depressed. We know this. But the elephant in the room…the...Continue reading...
I don’t want to wind up having simply visited this world. Mary Oliver, “When Death Comes” I hope that quote was inspiring and not depressing! It certainly stirred me in a good way, maybe because this time of year I think deeper thoughts than normal. I suspect you do, too. To simply visit is to observe…take in…to watch…to note. To visit is to acquire experiences and knowledge and then to move on without leaving much...Continue reading...
On the floor of the airport in Idaho Falls Just me and the tile and the bathroom stalls Silent screams of my fear echoing off the walls Not the place that I thought I’d be losing it all Slowly, surely Night will turn to day Whisper softly You’re gonna be okay For a while, I was dazed like my brain was a maze All the walls once familiar seemed to be rearranged Stuck inside of...Continue reading...
“I lift up my eyes to the hills…where does my help come from?” That wistful cry from the Hebrew Scriptures (Psalm 121:1) has always been so evocative for me. The author is scanning the horizon wondering if someone (God?) will ride down to render aid in their moment of terror or struggle. At this very moment, people all over the world are voicing similar pleas. Victims of monstrous earthquakes in Morocco and Afghanistan, floods in...Continue reading...
Emotionally: I’m done Mentally: I’m drained Spiritually: I’m dead Physically: I smile That’s one concise and painfully honest piece of soul-searching, isn’t it? I’ve been there. That state is indicative of living with an empty bucket. In my last newsletter and blog I asked, “What fills your bucket?” When your bucket is full, life is good, manageable and you have margin. You are effective, productive, kind, patient and just pleasant to be around. But when...Continue reading...
