Empowering people to make strengthening choices
In my last post I introduced four principles for creating positive relationships: empathy, honesty, responsibility and shared vision. I consider them the four cornerstones of a good healthy relationship, whether it be marriage, parent-child, boss-employee and so on. My goal is to grow in my ability to live these qualities in each of my relationships. […]
In my last post I talked about the relationship between positive relationships and happiness. Unhappiness is not a mental illness caused by something mysterious going on the brain. Generally, it can be linked to what is going on in your relationships. How are you and your boss (or co-workers) getting along? To what extent do […]
Harvard Men’s Study In the late 1930s, researchers at Harvard University conceived of a project to understand happiness and personal success. Known as one of the longest running studies of all time, they began following the lives of 268 men who entered Harvard in the late 1930s up to the present day (most of them […]
Although our “key moments” are difficult to face and handle, they bless our lives because they are the means by which we grow. They give us an opportunity to interrupt old patterns and act from a new set of principles. Here’s an example from The Hero’s Choice. Think about Hal’s interaction with Kathy as he […]
So Much Potential When Carol was a young girl, she exhibited a vivid imagination and proficiency in language skills. She always received “As” in her English and, in high school, excelled in creative writing. She even placed second in a short story contest sponsored by a popular teen magazine. It was exciting to see her […]
A Warm Greeting I call a recent business trip to Puerto Rico. As customary during many of my visits to the beautiful city of San Juan, I was staying at the Beach Club and Waterfront Hotel. Prior to beginning my first workday, I took a seat in the hotel’s small restaurant for a quick breakfast. […]
Hal hated Charlie, everything about him, from his knowing sneer to his rolling swagger. When he saw him enter the restaurant with Keith, he wished fervently he could get away and considered getting up and walking out of the breakfast meeting, without a word to either of his two former partners. But then he garnered his faculties and decided to accept this reality. He would choose how to respond, and his choice would be to be cordial and cooperative. He felt a surge of strength as he realized that handling himself in a dignified manner with both these men would be a bigger personal victory than if he met with Keith alone.
In my last blog I presented the idea of a key moment. Now I’d like to bring the concept alive with an example from the workplace. Remember the definition. A key moment is a situation or event that presents a challenge and demands a response. How we respond to our key moments determines, to a […]
