Compliments 101

How well do you receive compliments? Do you accept them with a gracious “Thank you?” or do you brush them away? How do you feel when you offer a sincere compliment and it is accepted graciously? How about when it is brushed aside? When someone offers you a compliment,...

Stop the Downward Spiral

These days, I spend a lot of time observing my own thoughts. Sometimes I can see myself thinking a negative thought and see how that plays out in my day, and sometimes it all happens at a more unconscious level. When I see it, sometimes I just keep watching. Sometimes...

My Basic Thought Work

“Don’t believe everything you think.” I say this to all my clients, usually in the first coaching conversation we have. I write it on the white board when I speak in front of groups—doesn’t really matter what the topic is, this quote always applies. Most importantly,...

The 3 B’s

One of the tools Martha Beck taught me many years ago that I’ve used the most is “The 3 ‘B’s.” The 3 B’s are three ways to handle tasks or jobs that don’t really float your boat—things you’d rather not do, if you felt like you had a choice. The 3 B’s: 1. Bag It. Just...

My Happiness Project

I’m reading Gretchen Rubin’s book, The Happiness Project. It’s about one woman’s decision to spend a year trying to become happier. The book’s wonderful and Gretchen does a good job of describing her day-to-day struggles to focus on things that make her happier. One...

Weight Loss Goal

I recently coached someone who was trying to lose weight. Last year she started exercising regularly and eating better. Then, in the fall of the year, she got buried in work and stopped exercising. Over the next six months she gained 15  pounds. Now she is exercising...