Showing Up
Woody Allen famously said that “eighty percent of success is showing up.” But sometimes showing up is more than eighty percent – it’s the whole ball game. This past week tragedy struck my husband’s family when his younger cousin James died suddenly, devastating his wife and two children, mother and sister. He was irreplaceable and his absence will be with them forever. Friends and relatives rallied around the grieving family, bringing meals, caring for the kids, and assisting with funeral arrangements. My husband cut his trip to France short so that he could attend...
Read MoreIt’s Not Just For Kids
The very best parenting manuals translate to other aspects of life, as well. In her classic parenting guide, Positive Discipline, Jane Nelson asks, “Where did we ever get the crazy idea that in order to make children do better, first we have to make them feel worse?” It does sound crazy when she puts it like this, doesn’t it? But this belief is at the core of a discipline strategy that depends on punishments, blaming, and shaming to stop undesired behavior rather than trying to address the cause of the behavior. Meanwhile, my own experience tells me that feeling good usually...
Read MoreMy Headset Was in the Fruit Bowl
My timing was flawless. I returned from dropping my son off at school just before my first client of the day. But when the phone rang promptly at 9:30 I couldn’t find my wireless headset (perhaps the most important piece of technology for a coach). It was … well, you read the title. I’d like to blame my kids, but I have to confess that I must have set it in with the bananas and apples myself last night. Boy, do I need help! First, the background: this is Day 10 of 15 Days (FIFTEEN DAYS) that my husband is away at conferences in – get this – France. It’s...
Read MoreFrom Lawyer to Coach (NFL Coach, That Is)
The story of lawyer-turned-football-coach Daron Roberts offers some great lessons on career change. Roberts turned his back on a Harvard Law School education to start from scratch and become an NFL coach. While your transition may be less dramatic, you can learn from his inspiring story. 1. You can change your career. It’s that simple (though not easy). So don’t let your past choices or inertia dictate your future career. Even after investing time and money in law school, Roberts wasn’t bound by his education. He discovered his passion through volunteering at a...
Read MoreMotherhood Runs the Gamut of Emotions
I didn’t know whether to laugh, cry, or cheer when I read a post on ParentHacks suggesting that moms turn their children’s bathtime into “pamper” time by sticking their own feet in a lavender scented kids’ bathtub while reading a glossy magazine, and then donning lotion and socks afterward. Such are the lengths to which a mom will go. The sheer absurdity the rubber-ducky-strewn spa pedicure made me want to laugh. At the same time, the sad truth that many moms have so few moments of peace and self-renewal made me want to cry. And the sheer pluck and...
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