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24 Apr

Posted at 21:05h in Engagement, positive emotion, Positive Psychology, savoring, Uncategorized by

Who needs meds to be happier when we have SPRING at our fingertips? Take a look and a listen, folks: savor the buds & the birds: in case you haven't noticed they're baaack!. A momentary pause when you hear the tweet-tweet or pass a bud in bloom can add serious deposits into your psychological bank account. The concept in positive psychology is savoring (cheesy, I know), but give it a try. Serious, serious benefits because it helps us be present minded -- you know, in the moment -- there, always where we need to be when we're there. Based on the work...

16 Apr

Posted at 10:12h in Flourishing, Positive Psychology, Social-Emotional Leadership, Uncategorized by

Many of you know I'm working in Cleveland on a city-wide transformation project, a viral well-being initiative teaching people how to think differently and get more of what they want. We do this by inviting folks into SOMO Learning Labs, a place to come learn snippets of applied positive psychology, a "mind gym" if you will. But for many people, when I say I'm working in Cleveland, they groan and ask "why?" I hear the sentiment is the same there in Cleveland, that when someone moves there,  instead of "Welcome" other residents ask, "Why?" And this is exactly why I'm working on...

11 Mar

Posted at 13:00h in Love, My life, Uncategorized by

And I drink sometimes, too. Sometimes, I drink too much -- but that seems to be okay on the Mexican rivera, where I just spent a fantastic week in Sayulita, a beach town built into a mountain. Love having both sand and mountain. A little slice of heaven. "I didn't even know I liked tequila" was one of my favorite lines of the trip. And it's true, I didn't. Wonder what else I think I don't like, which I may actually like? Hm. I like love, this I know. Heck, I got a tattoo to that affect (and to my mom's dismay) last...

03 Nov

Posted at 07:47h in Uncategorized by

It’s “my second favorite organ” [Woody Allen] No two brains are alike. We are all uniquely different and this diversity can be our greatest asset, IF we’re open to thinking about things/life/ [+ diversity, etc., et. al.] in new ways, with fresh eyes. Yes, we can think about how we think. Takes mindfulness, inquiry, and patience [coaching helps too]. Allowing is challenging. We may not be built for it. Resistance seems to be the name of our game as humans. I have spent the past couple of weeks learning about neuroscience - fascinating research on the way the brain works - so...

10 Oct

Posted at 21:35h in Cognitive-behavioral, Love, Thoughts-Action, Uncategorized by

It's all about relationships. All. Perhaps having shared a womb with my twin sister has given me this understanding at a primal, energetic level. Perhaps it's because I lost my brother, Todd, to suicide nearly twenty years ago, a death not unlike Tyler Clemente's at Rutger’s last week. Todd jumped from a building. He was 19; I was 12. What's happening in the world? Bullies and terrorists; they're not much different. Each have a very scarce mindset about the way the world works. That for the bully or terrorist to feel good, we need to feel bad. What does this say about...

17 Sep

Posted at 10:01h in biases, customs, Inspiration, Life Coach, Mindfulness, neuroscience, Positive Psychology, Relationships, Schools, Social-Emotional Leadership, spirituality, Traditions, Uncategorized by

Today is the highest of the Jewish holy days: Yom Kippur (I love saying that with my gentile accent!). My Facebook status and Twit feed read: Am realizing we don't have to be Jewish to seek forgiveness today. Traditions are good, even when we borrow them. Atoning is about clearing psychological and emotional space, a task that I take quite seriously with myself and my clients. Who will you risk having a conversation with to ask for forgiveness? Don’t forget forgiving yourself! We are often our worst critics. Last week, the Jews celebrated Rosh Hashanah symbolizing the start of a new year...

23 Jun

Posted at 18:40h in Cognitive-behavioral, forgiveness, gratitude, Meaning, Mindfulness, Neurobiology, neuroscience, Positive Psychology, Schools, Thoughts-Action, Uncategorized by

[caption id="attachment_283" align="alignleft" width="225" caption="Rocco always has to sniff for just the right spot."][/caption] It’s all about animal instinct. My one-year old dog, Rocco, has been reminding me of this lately. When I hear him bark at a foreign noise in the stairwell – or when he has to pee atop another dog’s urine, as if to signify, “I am here, I am best.” It reminds me of bullies, those who piss on other people. Bullies are animals. Animals are not always bullies (Rocco is sweet, just like his dad). Bullies exist not just on the playgrounds, but in the workplace too....

15 Dec

Posted at 20:33h in Action Research, Hope, Inspiration, Life Coach, Life Coaching, Mindfulness, positive emotion, Positive Psychology, Relationships, resiliency, savoring, Social-Emotional Leadership, Uncategorized by

Last week, our meetup discussed ways to really have a banging holiday season this year.  A mighty group of us talked about how to use Positive Psychology (the science of happiness & success) to make this happen.  We started by asking, "How do we want to be feeling on January 1?" Inspired? Excited? Rested? Hopeful? Some of our ideas for how to ensure this - about how to have a joyful season, included: * Keep a growth mindset (things change, people change) * Appreciate what's already good (what you look forward to each year - dig deep if need be) * Consider 'best' possible...

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