Why are some relationships harmonious and happy and others seem like a struggle? Why does a personal or professional relationship that seemed good suddenly become difficult? The explanation can be found in the dramatic triangle and in the role played by each of us, according to the theory of Stephen Karpman, a transactional psychologist. Let’s … More The Dramatic Triangle and The Role We Play in It
Before I left for three-hours the other day, I told my three-year-old son that his favorite babysitter was going to come hang out with him. Because he adores her, I was surprised at his answer and the vehemence with which it was said, “This is dumb. I don’t like her. No, you can’t go.” It … More Fear and Courage
One of the guides that I climbed mountains with, Phil, taught the skill of weighing objective risks versus subjective risks. Objective risks in the mountains include avalanche danger, weather forecast, rock fall areas, and navigating around crevasses. It is because of objective risk that we’d often leave for the summit in the middle of the … More Life: Risky Business
After I wrote that post on Vulnerability last week, I had lunch with my friend Doug. He was the person I mentioned in the post as the friend who’d asked about the blog and then not responded when I shared it with him. Turns out that he’d both read and liked the writing very much … More Backpacks
The other day my friend, Doug called when I was working on my post for Pointless Overthinking. When I responded to his question to tell him what I was doing, he said, “Oh, that’s awesome. Send me the link to that blog.” I did and then….<nothing.> Did he not like my latest post? Did he … More Vulnerability
(sighs) Life. Sometimes you win, and sometimes you lose. But there is beauty in the struggle, my friend. My greatest fear in life is to be misunderstood. I know, I know. Kiiind of wishful thinking on my part. Because really: who hasn’t been misunderstood at least once in her life? In fact, who hasn’t experienced … More SnapDragon Speaks: On Being Vulnerable.