Why you need to connect more dots to see a more complete picture
Have you been caught up in the adult paint-by-number craze during the Covid-19 pandemic? This DIY craft makes painting as easy as 1-2-3. You get all the supplies delivered to your door, including a visual of the picture you’ll be painting and instruction manual. For...
Why your feel-good thinking pattern may hurt you and how to break it
Two by two worked well for Noah's ark in much simpler times. Today though, thinking about things in twos, either similar or extremes, such as black and white, good vs. bad, heroes vs. villains, etc. can be simplistic. When you use binary framing you focus on two...
Why and how to use your words and voice to escape the emotional wasteland
“Use your words.” That three-word statement reminds children to speak clearly and enunciate, according to the Urban Dictionary. The phrase also encourages children to articulate what’s bothering them rather than cry, scream, pout or do something that shows that...
How do you do and be good in a polarized world?
What a tumultuous 24 months! We’re all having to navigate new ground that continues to shift under our feet. There are more questions than answers, yet it’s important to keep asking questions and continue talking. The issues tend to be complex, emotional, and...
How to optimize getting in the flow to do your best deep work
Working from home during Covid-19 has served as a wake-up call for many of us knowledge workers. This time period opened our eyes to the ways we work, including how we integrate our work and personal life. And considering the length of time we’ve experienced...
How snarky feedback can help you get better, not just older
Do you still remember and hold onto any stinging feedback from the past? I do -- all the way back to my freshman year of college. And this past year during the pandemic, I found an effective way to channel this feedback. I use it as a challenge to myself to keep my...
Why and how to cure tunnel vision with “anthro-vision”
Did you have WEIRD experiences as a college student? Not WEIRD as in strange, but WEIRD as participating in psychology, economics and other social science experiments? If so, you and I are definitely part of the WEIRD – Western, Educated, Industrialized, Rich and...
Want to improve accountability? Insist on 2-way streets
When was the last time you visited Pity City, that imaginary destination where you’re entitled to feel sorry for yourself and your situation? Pity City welcomes visitors and renters yet outlaws home ownership. As one of my former colleagues used to say, “You can visit...
How “high conflict” can be combustible even when you’re dressed for the occasion
One summer six years ago, two individuals from different church groups contacted me several days apart. Both groups said they needed assistance dealing with an escalating conflict around meetings in their congregation. As each individual described their situation, I...
