Travel delays are never fun, but from time to time they are bound to happen. You can’t expect the weather to cooperate every time you fly, and better they should repair those mechanical issues before you fasten your seat belt.
I’ve learned to take a deep breath, chill, remind myself it’s not ... Views: 1327
Your most recent attempt to persuade your boss of how much you deserve that raise/bonus/perk landed in the unfathomable depths of his “No way no how” with barely a ripple. You are depressed, disgusted, and yes - truth be told - massaging your hurt ego with liberal doses of self-pity.
Which ... Views: 1067
Your most recent attempt to persuade your boss of how much you deserve that raise/bonus/perk landed in the unfathomable depths of his “No way no how” with barely a ripple. You are depressed, disgusted, and yes - truth be told - massaging your hurt ego with liberal doses of self-pity.
Which ... Views: 1134
Losing is painful. It doesn’t matter what - a job, a promotion, your health, a lover, a spouse - it’s painful. Sure, the pain is greater, the greater the loss, but whenever we lose something, we feel it deeply.
A friend of mine, a trial lawyer by trade, recently lost a big case. He’s not in ... Views: 1440
You hate your boss, you hate your work, your co-workers drive you crazy, and you’re convinced you’re underpaid even if you weren’t horribly overworked. You’re stressed all the time! Small wonder. . .
You’re tired, achy, rarely get a peaceful night’s sleep, and now you’ve come down with a ... Views: 1380
Ever notice the list of “have-to’s” you’ve got going? As in ‘have-to’ get up and get yourself going, ‘have-to’ get everybody fed-dressed-out-the-door, ‘have-to’ get to work, ‘have-to’ do the work, ‘have-to’ put up with a boss/co-worker/client you can’t stand, ‘have-to’ run the errands, do the ... Views: 1540
You know how you can be going along in a conversation with a friend or a loved one, and it all seems to be good, and suddenly, you say something and the conversation stalls or stops entirely. And you’re thinking “What happened?” You didn’t say anything insulting or mean, you just voiced your ... Views: 1986
Valentine’s Day: a joy if you’re blessed with a wonderful relationship, an annoyance (or worse) if you’re single and unhappy about it, or in a “challenging” (aka miserable) relationship . . .
But what if - splendidly coupled, despairingly single, or somewhere in between - you chose, this ... Views: 1276
You just mopped your kitchen floors. Satisfied, you enjoy the gleam for a moment, then off you go to whatever’s next. You hear the back door slam. The kids are home - great! Until you see the muddy footprints they left all over your just-cleaned floor. You sigh, grab the mop, swab quickly. ... Views: 1181
A friend introduced me recently to the wide wonderful world of Geocaching. For those of you unfamiliar with the concept, Geocaching, according to Wikipedia, is: “…an outdoor recreational activity, in which participants use a Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver or mobile device and other ... Views: 1480
Thanksgiving is almost here - that time of year when “get your gratitude on!” is the game of the day. And indeed, you do have your gratitude well in gear.
You are ready to express your gratefulness for your family, your friends, your job (maybe, could be a stretch), Pilates, football, the ... Views: 1417
With so many bad bosses out there, when you have a fantastic boss, you don't want to take your boss for granted. Most people know when they are fortunate enough to have a truly special boss.
Here are eight signs of an exceptional boss.
A good boss is positive, upbeat and enthusiastic about ... Views: 1332
Despite how it appears on the 24-hour news channels, domestic violence is not likely to be any more prevalent between professional athletes and their partners as in relationships in other segments of society.
Domestic violence can happen to anyone at any time and does not respect age, gender, ... Views: 1390
Recently, I adopted a rescue dog - a one year old German Shepherd - and as is true of most rescue dogs, he was an anxious, insecure puppy. Nonetheless, as I stood in front of him and gently petted his head, I was surprised when he cringed and backed away. Then I remembered that his experience ... Views: 1552
Your spouse says “You’re gonna wear that?!” Your child, in a fit of frustration, yells out “I hate you!” Your boss says “This’ll never fly. Where’s your creativity?”
Whether important or not, life-altering or just annoying, why is it that a single critical comment from your spouse, child or ... Views: 1337
The alarm rings. Too early, much too early. A whole hour early. You know you should get up. You promised yourself you’d start working out. Today’s the day! Huzzah! Yesterday it seemed like such a great idea. You even set out your gym gear, ready to get going first thing.
Groan. Aargh! You ... Views: 1629
Ever have one of those “Yeah, but” conversations? Your friend has lost her job. Being the supportive friend that you are, you say:
“Hey, you’ve got tons of skills. All you need to do is revamp your resume, and you’ll be hired in no time.”
“Yeah, but the economy sucks. It’s gonna take ... Views: 1499
We’re great at giving our very best in the hard moments, the crises. We pull out all the stops to save a loved one’s life, rescue a child from a burning building, salvage our marriages on the brink of divorce. We are truly, then, the shining example of what a human being is capable of.
But ... Views: 1470
You’re planning your next vacation. Well, your only vacation this year, which is a pretty big deal because you and your girlfriend/boyfriend/spouse haven’t had one in, oh, let’s see - quite a while. It should be a delightful discussion, after all, you’re talking about something you both want and ... Views: 1169
One of my dogs, Kobe, has epilepsy. It’s very well controlled with--of all things--Chinese herbs, but when there’s a major stressor, Kobe may be wracked with seizures. In his world, mercifully, there are few major stressors, but one of them is--thunder.
We had a major storm in California last ... Views: 1532
The dog ate the cord to your laptop battery, which fortunately wasn’t plugged in at the time--who knows how many volts run through those things, your dog could have been twitching for hours--but meanwhile, you’re without your computer.
You have an important presentation at work in a couple of ... Views: 1487
What if you made this Valentine’s Day more than a day about hearts and flowers? What if you made this Valentine’s Day about expanding your love, taking it beyond whatever wonderfulness you now experience to something even more amazing?
It’s doable, you know. And all it takes is giving your ... Views: 1957
New Year’s resolutions are easy to make, but hard to keep--as anyone who’s resolved to get in shape, or stop smoking, or vowed to get to work early every day can attest to.
The first few days are a breeze: off you jog to the gym, so proud of yourself. You toss your smokes in the trash, ... Views: 1275
Your spouse wants a big Holiday do--not just the in-laws, grandparents, aunts and uncles, your respective siblings, their mates and assorted children, but also all sixteen cousins with their mates and kids, because after all, you rarely can get the whole family together, and--it’s the ... Views: 1309
You love your extended family, you really do, and the thought of all those aunts and uncles, in-laws and parents, cousins and various spouses and children warms your heart.
Until it’s time for them to descend on your home for Thanksgiving.
Even if it’s just a parent or solitary in-law or ... Views: 1460
You’re positively miserable. Your boss is a walking criticism-machine, never a supportive nod or word of thanks, regardless of how long and hard you slave at your appointed tasks. Heaven forbid anything goes wrong, ever, for even an instant, because he whips out blame with lightning speed, ... Views: 1311
You made up. The argument is long over; life with your sweetheart is back to normal. Except for that little nagging thought that keeps running through your brain, with the determined persistence of a hamster on a treadmill: “How could he/she do that? How could he/she say that about me in front ... Views: 1529
You’re annoyed. You promised yourself you would lose that weight, go to the gym, get in shape to join your friends in a much vaunted walk-a-thon. Yet here you are, six months later, one month away from the walk-a-thon, and you’ve only lost a couple of pounds, your trips to the gym are spotty at ... Views: 1294
If ever there was a miserable day, this is it: your six year old threw a tantrum because her favorite socks have a hole in them, your SO forgot about an early meeting, so you had to take the kids to school rushing all the way, hair still damp from your shower because who had time to dry it, much ... Views: 1458
You’re annoyed with yourself. Very. Downright angry, now that you think about it. You vowed last month you’d stick to your diet and slim down for the summer, and here you are, berating yourself over that double fudge extravaganza you pigged out on last night.
Which wouldn’t be so bad except ... Views: 1261
A car cuts you off in traffic. Worse than that, it zig-zags in and out of lanes, putting innocent folks (you) at risk. You’re irritated, aggravated, you declaim loudly what a fool this driver is. Where’s a cop when you need one?!
When you get home, you tell your spouse, your kids, the dog, ... Views: 1363
You moan, you groan. Your manager has called one of his infamous “team-building” meetings, and it’s only the threat of getting fired that propels your butt out of your chair and into the meeting. What a waste! Sitting around doing departmental Kumbaya when you have piles of work marked “Urgent!” ... Views: 2025
You’re up for that job that could be a career changer--you’re scared! What if you flub the final interview, what if you say something really stupid, what if the CEO hates your hair?
You’re dating a special someone you really like. You can feel yourself falling for him/her, big-time--you’re ... Views: 2524
You’ve been looking forward all week to watching the movie you had delivered magically to your TV, and tonight’s the night! You get comfy in your favorite chair, popcorn and soda at hand, and flick on the remote.
About a third of the way into the movie, you realize it’s awful! You don’t like ... Views: 1285
The holidays are just about over, your decorations are slowly making their way back into storage boxes, the euphoria of gift-giving and receiving has given way to the mundane “Here we go, another year” where you still have to make a living or figure out how to make it through the next month, ... Views: 1422
“Compromise!” Your spouse says. “We’ll compromise! We’ll go to your folks for Christmas Eve, and my folks for Christmas Day. That way everybody will be happy – your family and mine.”
Yeah, you think, everybody except me!
All you want is some peace and quiet with your own husband and ... Views: 1285
Remember the good old days when you actually thought you could get away with “the dog ate my homework?” Or – updated version – “My baby sister deleted my homework with one swipe of her pureed banana fingertips”?
How well did it work then? Uh-huh. So why do you keep running the same refrain ... Views: 1371
Remember the slogan “Practice random acts of kindness”? It’s been around for a long time—all the way back to 1982 or so. More often than not, it was dismissed by most folks as a cute New Age aphorism and has largely been forgotten in the years since. Certainly in our hurried, harried ... Views: 2028
Being angry and frustrated at work is its own special brand of misery. Why? Because you can’t lash out at the co-worker or manager or VP that is driving you nuts without risking the loss of your job. Whereas at home, you can probably get plenty angry at your teenager, your spouse, or your ... Views: 1746
The courtroom is hot. The lawyer drones on and on. The jurors are bored. The judge is bored. His Honor’s gaze strays over to the jurors. One juror seems relatively awake. That’s because said juror is texting one-handed, surreptitiously, down by his knee. But his interested expression gives him ... Views: 2174
Harried, bedraggled, already late for work, you do your best to be patient as your kids scramble out of the car juggling school backpacks and soccer gear, when your youngest pipes up “Where’s my lunch?” Oh, shoot. In the fridge, that’s where his lunch is. You root in your purse, grab some bills ... Views: 1655
It has been a miserable day. You overslept, your hair-dryer died in a brief flash of evil burning smell, you forgot to get gas on your way home last night and had to wait in line at the pump this morning. Your boss has a new favorite (and it’s definitely not you), the team meeting dragged on ... Views: 1331
Your husband wakes up grumpy, stumbles to the bathroom, glances at your reflection next to his in the mirror, and says “What’s wrong with your hair?” You glare: “I slept on it funny. Good morning to you too.”
Strike one against husband: “Why do you have to be so unpleasant first ... Views: 1787
Ack!! Your computer is acting up—again—and despite hitting “escape” and every other “get-me-outta-here” key you can think of, you’re in frozen hell. “I hate this computer!” you mutter. Your co-worker glances over at you, “That’s what you always say. Maybe you should try talking pretty to it.” ... Views: 1389
You know how it goes. You’re huddled around the coffee machine, riveted, listening to a co-worker’s latest rendition of “and then Tom texted Thea saying she was a conniving . ..”
Oh, the fun of office gossip! Oh, the titillation and subversive thrill that comes out of “I know something about ... Views: 1273
You run from store to store looking for that perfect Valentine’s Day gift, the one that will truly express how you feel about your love. And be something she or he will really likes.
Right. That last part’s a bit of a problem. The things your beloved will really like may be way outside your ... Views: 1299
You know your usual litany of New Year’s resolutions: “This year I’m gonna lose 5 – 10 -50 pounds. This year I swear I’ll get to the gym at least twice a week. This year I absolutely positively will not spend past my credit limit. This year I swear I’ll never have another ginger Martini (given ... Views: 1410
You’ve made your list, you’ve checked it twice. Oh, no, not that list – I’m talking about the list you’ve made of the 1022 ½ things you need to get done for the Holidays, everything from the perfect gift for Cousin Henry, to the perfect surprise for your sweetheart, to the perfect outfit for ... Views: 1495
Those who are fortunate enough to have a job in these tough economic times are often working longer hours and carrying the workload normally done by two or more workers. The holiday season is the perfect time for employers to show their employers they appreciate their efforts. Appreciation ... Views: 1593
You stare at the digital read-out on your scale, unbelieving. 10 pounds?! How could you possibly have gained 10 pounds? You eat like a bird! Nothing but fruits and nuts and veggies. Of course there was that pasta dish the other night. And the irresistible danish at work. And the simply sublime ... Views: 798