In preparation for a speaking engagement at the African American Heritage Museum of Southern New Jersey in Atlantic City, NJ, I had the pleasure of a private tour of the current exhibit. It’s called, “The North Side: The Way We Were.” Ralph Hunter, the founder and curator of the museum – and a true Spirit of […]
Read More →Do you ever have those times when you need a quiet place in your head and heart to hear yourself think. Sometimes you need space to do a little soul-searching and sorting in order to solve a complex business problem or get clarity about the next step in your career or life. Or maybe you […]
Read More →Do you apologize for everything? For mistakes others make? For expressing an opinion that might be unpopular? For walking into a room? Do you take the blame for things that have nothing to do with you? Or when something is clearly someone else’s fault? If you over-apologize, you’re not alone. For women, it’s very common […]
Read More →Are you busy – perhaps so busy those looking in would say you’re over-functioning? To nearly any request that comes your way, do you say, “Yes?” Do you take care of others to the point they regularly look to you to do what they really could do themselves? Overwhelmed and stressed, at the end of your […]
Read More →Do you ever feel like you’re not really competent, but everyone else is? Do you sometimes feel like you’re acting as if you belong, but you don’t. Figure that it won’t be long until you’re found out? When others praise your work or compliment you, do you doubt their sincerity or feel like the recognition […]
Read More →Do you have the same mindset as Earvin “Magic” Johnson? He says, “I am a businessman. This is what I do each and every day. I love it. I love coming to work. I never have a bad day.” Do you feel the same way? Do you love your work? Daily, do you get up […]
Read More →In the UK, they dubbed it “Fail Friday.” Friday, January 24th was the day they predicted the Brit’s collective willpower would wain and resolutions would be broken. Only 3 percent, the “Independent” article says, are likely to keep their resolutions for the entire year. In Canada, CTV’s story “Making, Breaking New Year’s Resolutions an Annual […]
Read More →Dear Teressa, My boss is an excellent manager and a very inspirational leader. However, I have a colleague, who I think is a good person, but who seems to very much resent this boss. This colleague is also very good friends with my boss’s boss. The colleague is now making life very difficult and taking […]
Read More →Dear Teressa, With many demanding priorities, it is sometimes difficult to distinguish one’s real purpose from the demands of life. Even with great desire to know and understand my purpose, it feels as though I am desperately seeking the proverbial needle in the haystack. ~Jenny Dear Jenny, The tug of war you captured is so familiar. […]
Read More →Dear Teressa, Could you please provide tips to stay grounded and focused despite being surrounded by people who aren’t? Also how can I cultivate and encourage a friend’s talent without over stepping boundaries? Lilliana Dear Lilliana, Years of experience suggests that being grounded – with balanced physical, mental and emotional energy and attention focused […]
Read More →I voluntarily had myself videotaped twice in the last few weeks. One taping was of a keynote address, the other of a golf lesson. Both were incredibly instructive. I picked up specific behaviors, many of them subtle, that I could only fully understand by watching myself in action. Pictures really speak thousands of words, but […]
Read More →Whether I’m watching Serena Williams, Roger Federer, Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson, Tom Brady, Cole Hamels or Michael Vick, I notice how they do what they do – the mechanical and mental aspects of their performance. An important lesson – one many of us can learn from – is the resilience of those at the top […]
Read More →Every week, the content of my blog is based on a real-life scenarios – ones I’ve experienced as a facilitator, executive and personal growth coach, keynote speaker, as well as a manager and leader. Unresolved challenges at work and in life often get in the way of productivity and personal satisfaction. They cause us to question ourselves and the value of contributions we make. Issues at work also […]
Read More →The relaxed pace of summer is, essentially, behind us. Fall is nearly here. Hard to believe, but true. It’s time to refocus on “work” – whatever your age and stage in life. For the kids, its back to school. If you’re in the responsible adult category, you may feel called to re-engage with the particular […]
Read More →I’ve been searching the web trying to figure out who first said, “Done is better than perfect.” Long before it became synonymously attached to “Lean In” author Sheryl Sandberg, it was a phrase that perfectionists and endless tweakers used to break them of crippling, obsessive behavior. If you know who first said it, please shoot […]
Read More →Recently I heard a quote that got right to the heart of conflict and how to resolve it. I’m paraphrasing, but it was along the lines of “conflict does not rise out of a clash of good and bad, it rises out of a clash of good and good.” In other words, each conflicting party […]
Read More →One of my favorite comic strips is set in a bookstore. In one corner of the store, there is a section with a sign that reads, “Self Help. ” Right next to it, there’s a sign for the “Fixing Others” section. The “Self-Help” section has one person in it while the “Fixing Others” section is […]
Read More →“Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life…Don’t let the noise of others’ opinions drown out your inner voice.” Those were the tried and truthful words of late Apple founder Steve Jobs in his speech to Stanford University’s class of 2005. Through conditioning we blind ourselves to the best of who […]
Read More →What could you do with two to two-and-a-half hours each day? Probably, a lot. That’s how much time the average person loses to interruptions and distractions. If you get distracted easily, things like unplanned telephone calls, responding to the ding of emails, answering text messages, drop-by-visitors, hallway interactions, emergencies and crises can quickly derail your […]
Read More →Sabrina’s Story: In 1988, Sabrina Umstead Smith lost her husband in an apartment fire. She almost died herself. The baby she was carrying at the time was born with underdeveloped lungs and cerebral palsy due to oxygen deprivation. Three years later, her young son, Erick, succumbed to his medical disabilities. As part of her emotional […]
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