By Alexandra DeMarco, Guest Writer Storytelling has been an essential part of my life for as long as I can remember. With two journalists for parents, writing and reading were always emphasized as essential. As a child, storytelling manifested itself in my life in many different forms; I wrote songs, poems and short stories throughout […]
How will the outcome of the 2020 election give us a better America that works for everyone?
Many professionals find slowing down and focusing on one thing to be counter-intuitive. They’ve been eating a diet of “mindless frenzies” and “getting more stuff done.” The alternative approach is mindfulness habits. Mindfulness is the practice of becoming more fully aware of, and focused on, what’s taking place within and around you. It’s concentration on steroids.
Stories shape us, stick with us, and often inform–even subconsciously–the decisions we make. Stories we tell ourselves about our strengths, good character, and possibilities shape our orientation toward the day’s work and interpersonal communications. Stories about “how much we suck”…well, they have their own way of shaping things.
No one will give you “permission” to live in the manner that’s optimal for you. It’s up to you to get clear about what optimal looks like, start “practicing” its associated habits, and begin to develop new muscle memory until it has truly become your life.
In advance of Women’s Equality Day on August 26, I’d like to offer three action steps that men can take to become stronger allies to female colleagues in the workplace. The first is to sponsor a women of color at your company or organization. You can do this by deliberately tapping into the influence you […]
One of my top strengths is also one of my core weaknesses. I’ll elaborate in a moment, but consider whether this statement is generally true for you as well, whatever your strengths happen to be. The personal strength I’m referring to is labeled as “Input” by the popular CliftonStrengths assessment, but I was cultivating this […]
During the past few months I’ve devoured several books on the Enneagram, an ancient spiritual road map that helps a person grow lighter and gain clarity once they’ve owned their lingering darkness and confusion. As I’ve read, I’ve captured dozens of pages of insights in my journals, often diagramming how the different Enneagram concepts tie […]
A collective lack of empathy and critical thinking is tearing our country at the seams. We can and must do better. Empathy and critical thinking reinforce and strengthen one another. The lack of either undermines the other as well. Empathy is the ability to recognize the emotions or feelings of another person, even if you […]
Writers are influenced and shaped by the literature of other writers. And while the books of one’s youth and young adulthood are most prominent in this formation process, writers continue to grow and evolve across a lifetime as they discover additional literature. These are the authors who have especially shaped me and continue to do […]