Being as kind to ourselves as we are to friends and strangers is unnatural. — I was going through a rough patch last fall. A lot of upset, loss, and life changes had me spiraling into a dark place. I don't know if I was depressed, but I was not myself, and others began to notice I was off. I started to withdraw from people…

The evolution of a company and a person — March 3rd marks celebrating precisely thirty-eight years with a market research company. My first day of work there was March 4th, 1985. I was 27. My only real ambition at the time was to escape retail management. I didn’t like working with the public, and it sucked working every weekend…

It goes much deeper than rich sound vocals and equipment — If you see somebody reading a bound paper book, there’s a good chance they also own a digital book reader, like a Kindle, ebook reader or tablet. If you ask this person why they’re opting for print over digital, you’ll likely hear comments like — it’s an authentic experience. I…

Studies show we can thrive by increasing one stress hormone and suppressing another — I learned something about myself this year. It was a rough year — it brought a lot of change and uncertainty. I experienced loss, health challenges, increased anxiety, and stress. We all go through these seasons where it seems more shit is thrown our way than we can catch. I…

It’s a vital skill to master in social, business, and intimate relationships — I went to breakfast yesterday with an old friend I hadn’t seen. We had a lot to catch up on, and we both had plenty to say. The server approached our table multiple times to ask if we were ready to order. We were so engaged in conversation that we…

I challenge you to watch the YouTube video of Wynton Bernard Facetiming his mom without getting emotional — Suppose you’ve made a new year’s resolution to improve yourself, get better at something, quit a bad habit, show up for regular exercise or commit to better nutrition. In that case, the odds are that many of you have already given up. If you did give up on your commitment…

Our efforts to intervene can be doing much more harm than good — I want to think we are good parents. We have thirty and twenty-eight-year-old daughters still under our roof. Is it possible we can be too good at this parenting thing to the point it’s harmful? The older daughter left, lived in Chicago for a year, and then boomeranged back. Did…

A not-so-simple hack to greater mental and physical health — What therapist in their right mind would say, "So, in the future, how about you call me on an as-needed basis." I've never had psychotherapy until recently. There was a stigma attached — if you needed to see a therapist, you were messed up mentally. You can't handle life. …

At my age, the goal was not to fall on my ass or, worse, break bones — "Don't go ice skating, Jimmy." This is what my 89-year-old mom warned me when I told her about my intention to skate with some coworkers during a lunch break. "You could fall and break a hip." She further cautioned." Break a hip? Breaking bones never occurred to me until she…