Ever been so annoyed with someone that you know you’ll say things you regret if you’re not careful? You feel that chest full of irritation. Your throat is tight and you are having a hard time breathing? It feels awful. How to Handle Anger What can you do? Yell? Rant? Curse? (Cursing’s always a good one for me ‘cause it gets me laughing inside.) But in fact none of those responses are particularly helpful. They just doesn’t lead to constructive steps … [Read more...]
Ubuntu: I Am Because of You
Posted by Leave a Comment
Ubuntu is the African word that means "I am because of you." It captures the idea that we are inextricably bound together. I came across this word in a lovely TED talk by Boyd Varty, a South African whose family knew and housed Nelson Mandela when he was released from prison. By chance, Mr. Varty was scheduled to give his TED talk on the very day of Nelson Mandela's death. This talk expresses our interconnectedness so poignantly through simple stories that I'm happy to … [Read more...]
Six Tips for Writing Better Emails
Posted by Leave a Comment
Have you noticed that you seldom talk on the phone these days? That email and texting have just about replaced voice to voice altogether? For people of every age, that's what's happened. I'm a huge fan of email. I like getting it. I like writing it. I like it's quickness and informality and immediacy. And I love that I can delete an email without reading it and no one will be offended (for contrast, think of the problems caused by hanging up on someone!) Here are … [Read more...]
My Friendship with a Felon
Posted by 1 Comment
Meet Clemetin, my most unlikely friend. Nearly five years ago, I met Clemetin at St Mary's Park in the South Bronx where I exercise most mornings. I had no idea that he had spent most of his nearly 45 years in prison. Gradually, while we walked around the track at the park together morning after morning, I learned his story. But by the time I had learned enough about him to warn me away, we had become friends. Clemetin's story is both sad and uplifting. His life … [Read more...]
Who’s to Blame for Your Success?
Posted by 5 Comments
Everyone wants to be successful. But how many people do you know would elect to be unsuccessful? People Want to Succeed Most of us will jump through hoops to be successful. With success comes pride and appreciation and a sense of accomplishment. Success also brings recognition and sometimes even money and material rewards. Given an option, chances are, you'd choose success over failure. That's true for you. And it's just as true for my friend Clemetin, who has … [Read more...]
Using Inside Information Strategically as a Force for Good
Posted by Leave a Comment
You feel special when you're an insider. Knowing information before it’s made public or being in on a secret makes you feel like you belong to a select group. When you're “in the know” you feel important. But that sense of importance and pride isn't all that being an insider entails. Being Part of a Special Club When a small group of people have privileged information they are all drawn together into a group. Each of them has been selected to be part of the "in … [Read more...]
Leftovers or The Beginning of Something New
Posted by Leave a Comment
The day after Thanksgiving you probably have a refrigerator full of leftovers. But are they leftovers that must be tossed out when they finally go bad? Or are they the beginning of something new and richer and deeper? The Soup of Life I've long been a fan of leftovers. In fact, in my opinion, few things are better than the soup that grows out of the remains of Thanksgiving dinner. It's full of flavor from the past and open to new twists and tastes. Your turkey … [Read more...]
Five TRY THIS Posts that Have Touched Hearts and Minds
Posted by 1 Comment
This is the 52nd post on the TRY THIS blog. With two posts every week, this blog is now exactly 1/2 year old. Happy 1/2 Birthday! TRY THIS is Now 52 Posts Old! Since June 4, 2013, I've posted twice a week. Every Tuesday and Friday there's been a new piece with a practical application. Over these six months, more and more people have signed up to get this blog in their email. (HINT - If you aren't signed up for that yet, you can do it at the bottom of this … [Read more...]
Do You Get Angry or Concerned? You’re Choice Matters
Posted by 2 Comments
The next time you feel irritated with a friend or colleague because he doesn't respond to your emails or show up when you expected him to, stop and think about your options before you act. You might decide to get angry because you think he's irresponsible. That would be a reasonable conclusion and a natural response. Or, you might decide to get curious and ask if something's wrong. These are two perfectly reasonable responses to the same set of circumstances and you … [Read more...]
Best of Luck – Without It, You’ll Fail
Posted by Leave a Comment
Best of luck to you! What message do you get when you read that phrase? That the person wishes you well? Or that you'll need a stroke of luck if you're going to succeed? Years ago, when I graduated from the Leadership Program at the Gestalt Institute, one of the faculty members handed me my diploma and said "Good luck, Andrea." And from that time to this, I've never wished anyone good luck. Because when that faculty member wished me good luck, my mind added a … [Read more...]