When I was a kid in elementary school, I would often slur my “r,” “s,” “th,” and “sh” sounds. These sounds require more precise tongue and mouth movements. Many times children haven’t been naturally exposed to these sounds and need to work to build them up. I would get regularly pulled from class to spend … More No “one size fits all” solutions
The Do-It-Yourself home repair guy on the television was connecting two PVC couplings. He cut here, brushed some adhesive there, and voila, it was done in no time. He made it look so simple. To steal a line from Geico, the U.S.-based auto insurance company, it looked “so easy a caveman can do it.” For … More A piece of cake
On Saturday, March 22, Melissa Kirsch, writing for the New York Times wrote: Being new at something isn’t always pleasant, but beyond the discomfort, rewards await. Kirsch’s story was about her adventure in attempting to learn the ins and outs of Mahjong and I immediately thought of my dear friend Kathleen, who, by all accounts … More Pushing Our Boundaries
Close to eleven years ago, I was in a new role. Everything was new and different for me. I’ll just say it — I felt out of my league. Many of my peers had more experience and different backgrounds. They dressed nicer and wore expensive jewelry. They were just different than me. When we chatted … More You don’t have to try
Two years ago, I had to travel from Philadelphia to Atlanta. As I waited to get through airport security, two Transportation Security Administration (TSA) agents stood in front of me. They had just relieved two other agents and were having a deep, animated conversation. It took me a minute, but I figured out easily enough … More A spoonful of honey
Once upon a time, some dozen years ago, an email landed in my inbox at work. Congratulations, it read. If you are reading this, you’re one of the lucky employees selected to give a presentation at our upcoming member symposium in September. I immediately flew into a panic. How could an email that started off so upbeat … More How Sweet the Landing
“Perhaps one did not want to be loved so much as to be understood.”-George Orwell, 1984, Chapter 2, Page 252 A former student – one who’s struggling right now – brought this quote (above) to my attention recently. I’d read “1984” many moons ago but that particular line? I didn’t recall it. The powerlessness that … More As We Sat Together
With a sweet story about helping kids practice for a test, this post is a reflection on what it takes to be a good encourager. Helping others practice without being attached to the outcome. … More Being An Encourager
(I wrote this story in October and have kept pushing it back into a corner. It always seemed like the wrong time to run it. I’m thinking now that the story was trying to tell me something. Maybe, it’s a great story to start the new year.) Legendary U.S. Olympic Swimmer Michael Phelps won an … More Swimming against the current
Katherine pressed out the knots in my muscles, it was painful for a few brief moments coming and going in spasms. And as I tensed up, grimacing against the pain the words came, “Lean into resistance.” It’s a tough thing to allow yourself to flow with the pain, physical or psychological. However, it is there … More Lean into Resistance
The Heart of the Matter 