Thank goodness we’re not all the same. How refreshing not to laugh at the same jokes. One person’s laughter sounds different than another’s! We love hearing all types of giggles! Last week a sold-out crowd of mostly women enjoyed “Mental Pause” at The DTC Comedy Club. Some of us gathered earlier for Happy Hour and … Read more
Waiting hours on a runway for “de-icing”, standing in three different lines to check odd-sized luggage or sitting squeezed in a middle seat… these are the times we say to ourselves, “It is what it is”. Logistics might go awry. Like Steve Martin in the movie, “Trains, Planes and Automobiles” we end up in … Read more
Already in this New Year, we’re hyper-focused on a project, caught up in a massive “to do” list or just without energy for social situations. Yet opportunities for meaningful conversation are resplendent despite lifestyles. Nothing to talk about? Not true! In our spinning world, there’s so much to learn about one another. Lackluster feelings trap … Read more
As most of us know, when we rush, accidents happen. Hurrying translates into broken bones. Aside from safety, when our daily focus is frenetically tactical, we miss out. When we slow down physically, however, just a bit, awareness expands benefiting our interactions and ourselves. When we’re not moving so quickly we see more, including the … Read more
Mouthing Off! It feels as if firing off a verbal barrage has become socially acceptable, especially among politicians (“He’s a Mexican”, “You’re fired”, “He’s Deplorable”…he did that, she did that…). CBS responded a few weeks back to a “mouthing off” episode by dismissing the errant employee (“I’m actually not even sympathetic (to the Las Vegas … Read more
“I don’t want to talk about this right now.” No other sentence stops conversation like this one. The recipient feels unheard. In response we retort: “I can’t move forward with my day (my project, my work, with going to sleep) without having a conversation NOW”. Are you someone who can wait? Most of us can’t. Perhaps … Read more
When recently travelling to Spain, my husband and I with marginal Spanish abilities and a little effort enjoyed interactions wherever we explored. Sometimes our efforts translated into a bowl of green olives “on the house”! Although starting a conversation required some extra energy, the rewards were worth it, even if just for the smile and … Read more
Comfort food such as mashed potatoes, gravy and meatloaf reminds me of goodness, a dependable meal of solid kindness. Similarly, a conversation can be packed with goodwill reminiscent of homemade apple pie your sweet grandmother likes to serve. Thoughtful conversation ultimately means taking a “heart to heart” exchange to heart! There’s no beauty greater than … Read more
Sometimes we wonder about insensitive behavior during a conversation. We ask ourselves “What Gives”, what cues are we misunderstanding? A more helpful question, instead, is to consider how to change a discussion’s tone and tenor to something more amiable. In a favorite morning meditation by ”happiness expert” Jonathan Lehmann[1], he offers affirmations to “make it … Read more
It’s intimidating to enter a room as the new employee or guest when people already know one another. Conversation is buzzing and you look around wondering how to make a graceful entrance. There doesn’t seem to be a place to sit other than at the end of the table! You don’t want to interrupt. “Breaking … Read more