A friend of mine shared this folk tale: A traveler came upon an old farmer hoeing in his field beside the road. Eager to rest his feet, the wanderer hailed the countryman, who seemed happy enough to straighten his back and talk for a moment. “What sort of people live in the next town?” asked […]
Archive | Fireside Chats
Creating meaningful conversations around work situations. With enough interest, these might turn into community chats at a local coffee shop.
Rules of the Road
Have you ever driven in a place in which no one pays any attention to the rules of the road? Where drivers drift around the roads, completely oblivious to the lanes painted on the surface of the road? Where people turn right, onto side streets, from the left-hand lane? Where yield is an unknown word? […]
Stress Reduction Tip #197
I was listening to a Selected Shorts podcast while driving in the car the other day. I can’t remember what the story was called or who wrote it, but it was a well-written and entertaining story about a woman who was rather bravely living and working by herself in The Big City (the story took […]
Being Lucky
A while ago, I heard a quote that made me stop and think: “Intentionality can change the path of our lives” Richard Boyatzis. Was the universe sending me a message? Maybe, or maybe I was at a stage in my life in which I was ready to hear the message. I had been […]
What to do?
By Agent N1 on September 18, 2013 in Fireside Chats, Riffs & Ideas, Weekly Survival, Work Life Balance
How do you make choices? Some choices are straightforward and easy. You want something. You choose it. You need something. You get it. You ought to do something. You do it. Other times, it isn’t so simple to make a choice. Recently, I found myself in the (lucky) position of struggling with what felt like […]
Superpower
Have you ever noticed how contagious emotions are? That social collective action that happens when strong emotions are expressed? I’m sure you’ve observed that if one person starts complaining, everyone starts complaining. We’re all guilty of it – sitting with a few friends at a coffee shop, and one of us mentions something about the […]
The Joy of Office Ex-Patriotism
I once spent eighteen months away from my home country. That’s not enough time to become a real ex-patriot, but long enough to gain some perspective on my own culture — to see its flaws and appreciate its good side. The same concept holds true for being out of a workplace for a while — […]
What we DON’T do when the going gets tough
I’m busy. Too busy. … and I hate to admit it, but the first* thing that falls off my to-do list when I’m busy is my workout. I started to think about this the other day. Why is that the first thing to go? It’s not that I don’t value it — I value my […]
Being Essential
Have I mentioned How I met your Mother? I suppose it’s easy to refer to that show when it’s a masterpiece, as far as the writing is concerned. I LOVE the dialogue, and yes the characters are endearing. I just (today) realized that Barney, the ficticious character played by Neil Patrick Harris, has a Barney blog […]
The Non-Diet Diet – Minus Sugar
Do you tire of diets and fads and the plethora of apps and services to help you lose weight? It’s like trying to choose cereal in an aisle with hundreds of brands staring you down. Well, I’ve suddenly decided I’m not going to diet before my trip to the sun in 2 weeks. I’m going […]
