At a recent elementary school open house, my daughter’s third grade teacher said something profound. Well, she said a lot of wise things, because the knowledge of teachers is immense. But one particularly thing about writing and reading that caught my ear. Here it is – that she looks for books for these young readers to be either “windows” or “mirrors.” Windows are the books … Continue reading Writing Windows and Mirrors
Arrogance, the trait of overestimating one’s abilities or importance while underestimating others, is a human characteristic like many others. While it may sometimes be mistaken for self-confidence, arrogance often leads to negative consequences in personal and professional relationships. Let’s see why arrogance has a destructive power and why embracing humility is a far wiser choice. The Destructive Power of Arrogance Arrogance can act as a … Continue reading The Pitfalls of Arrogance: Why Humility Triumphs
What On Earth Are You Thinking? What is External Self-Awareness? Most people think about self-awareness the same way they do sex. They believe they’re great at it when, in reality, no-one knows where on God’s green earth the G spot is (or that there even is one). One of the major components for building self-awareness is understanding what other people honestly think about us (including our ability … Continue reading The Three Areas of Self-Awareness: What On Earth Are You Thinking?
So my kids have started doing this thing. Every evening before bath time – after we take their clothes off before they get into the tub – they run around the apartment like crazed feral wild cats. Screaming and laughing. Pure unadulterated joy. It got me thinking about the clothes we wear, metaphorically speaking. A kid doesn’t question why we walk around with clothes on … Continue reading The Joy of Running Around Naked
On the last morning I saw my beloved dad, he greeted me with a hearty “You look great.” His untimely death a short time later has permanently etched all the details of that breakfast into my treasure box of memories: the yellow walls of the Varsity Restaurant on NE 65th street, the booth in the open section, the jeans and sweater I was wearing, the … Continue reading Writing Last Lines That Count
“Time doesn’t heal emotional pain, you need to learn how to let go.” ― Roy T. Bennett, The Light in the Heart During my adolescence, I was bullied relentlessly for over two years. It was one of the most challenging periods of my life. I was at boarding school at the time. Halfway across the world from my parents. I felt isolated and alone. So, … Continue reading Regaining Lift: A Stall Recovery Guide for Life
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 look at an example. Suppose that you spend the day … Continue reading The Dramatic Triangle and The Role We Play in It
(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 this on a relatively frequent basis? I know I have. … Continue reading SnapDragon Speaks: On Being Vulnerable.
