Home Archives for Uncategorized

9 Power Principles for Making a Dent in the Universe

Posted by Leave a Comment

I subscribe to Daily Nuggets put out by For Impact and The Suddes Group, a fundraising consulting firm that has an innovative approach to their work. Every day, a Nugget arrives in my in-box. They are written for people in nonprofit fundraising, but they have much broader application to business and life. 9 Nuggets of Wisdom Today's Nugget hit home with me.  So, with thanks to the folks at For Impact, I share with you my adaptation of the For Impact 9 Guiding Principles. … [Read more...]

Categories: Uncategorized Tagged: , ,

Collaborating Effectively: 3 Tips for Extroverts

Posted by 2 Comments

The real sign that you're an extrovert is not that you are super gregarious, but rather that you get your energy from interactions with other people. Introvert or Extrovert? If you're an extrovert, rather than sitting alone and thinking until the ideas become clear, you'll prefer thinking out loud. And only after you’ve voiced your thoughts and gotten feedback from other people will you know what you really think. That’s why extroverts like to work with other people. … [Read more...]

Categories: Uncategorized Tagged: , ,

When Opportunity Strikes, Check Your Internal Compass

Posted by 4 Comments

Making decisions often begin with a YES or a NO. But that's usually just the start of a more complicated process. For many people, the big questions are decided by instinct. You find the answers not with thorough research, but rather by testing the decision against an inner emotional or intuitive response. And that's what I did with an opportunity that came my way. To try to get a sense of whether I wanted to be the "fundraising guru" for an artists' crowdfunding … [Read more...]

Categories: Uncategorized Tagged: , ,

A Facilitator’s Tip: How to Encourage Discussion without Judgment

Posted by Leave a Comment

If you've ever led a discussion or taken questions after a presentation, you've probably used the phrase, "That's a great question," in an effort to give positive feedback to the person who asked the question. It seems like a normal response and facilitators use it again and again. Good (or Bad) Judgment has a Chilling Effect But if someone else in your audience is thinking about asking a question, your "that's a great question" response may actually discourage them from … [Read more...]

Categories: Kindness and Generosity, Uncategorized Tagged: , ,

What to Do When Opportunity Knocks

Posted by Leave a Comment

Sometimes a big opportunity comes your way that you weren't expecting. It's often hard to know what to do. Big Opportunities Have a Price A new, big opportunity is likely to disrupt your life. And because it's new and untested, you're asked to make space in your life, sometimes lots of space, for something that's uncertain. Opportunity is knocking on my door right now. A big opportunity has just knocked on my door and I'm not sure what to do. A large, well-known … [Read more...]

Categories: Getting What You Want, Uncategorized Tagged: ,

Stress: Good or Bad? You Might be Surprised

Posted by 2 Comments

Do you hate stress? What if you could grow to love it? Recent research findings might surprise you. I've always had a sneaking suspicion that the uncomfortable feeling of stress was an important part of the creative process. Think back a bit... Haven't the most important things in life -- your creative triumphs, your most meaningful accomplishments, your proudest moments -- been preceded by stress? You know the signs and symptoms: rapid heart rate, dry … [Read more...]

Categories: Uncategorized Tagged: , , , ,

Feeling Blue? Just Don a Red Foam Nose

Posted by Leave a Comment

You've probably seen a circus clown with a face painted white, exaggerated red lips and a big red nose. But have you ever thought about being a clown yourself? Frolic Your Way to Feeling Great My friend Lynn Levity (pictured above) is a clown. She frolics with friendly people in New York City's Central Park. She does it by donning her red nose -- a widely accepted symbol of fun -- in public and engaging with others. Why does Lynn clown? Lynn's not … [Read more...]

Categories: Uncategorized Tagged: , , ,

Don’t Worry About Self-Discipline: Get into the Flow State

Posted by Leave a Comment

Do you wish you were more disciplined? Do you feel like you have to beat yourself up in order to do your best work? Flow vs. Force For most of us, simply pushing ourselves to be more disciplined just isn't effective. It's not that we're lazy, but driving ourselves with self-discipline just doesn't work that well. If you're like me, you'll much prefer finding the flow rather than forcing the process. Here's the 3-step strategy I often use to get into the flow … [Read more...]

Categories: Uncategorized Tagged: , , ,

If Money Doesn’t Buy Happiness, What Does?

Posted by Leave a Comment

Do you think that having lots of money leads to happiness? Think again! Study after study shows that more money’s not all it’s cracked up to be. Once our finances cover the basics, our happiness doesn't increase with our income. What Does Buy Happiness? According to Michael Norton in his TED talk, How Can I Buy Happiness?, your happiness is linked not to how much money you have, but rather how you choose to spend it. Simply put, when you spend money on someone … [Read more...]

Categories: Getting What You Want, Kindness and Generosity, Uncategorized Tagged: , ,

Saying “Hello” to Strangers: An Unearned Privilege

Posted by 2 Comments

What do you take for granted? If you're white and middle class, you probably don't expect to be hassled as you go about your day. You don't expect a floor walker to follow you around a store to make sure you don't steal something. You don't expect the receptionist at the doctor's office to be rude. You don't expect to be stopped and frisked for doing absolutely nothing wrong. But you DO expect people to be nice to you, because mostly they are. Respect -- Your … [Read more...]

Categories: Increasing Awareness, Uncategorized Tagged: , ,