“I'm stuck.” I hear this in conversations about careers, relationships, leadership, team development, community work, basically wherever we humans are trying to do brave things.. while having nervous systems. Here is what I came to believe: stuckness  often isn’t a lack of options. It’s not even a lack of courage . It’s a devotion to thinking , specifically, the belief that if we think long enough, we’ll eventually earn certainty… and then we’ll move. Except we don’t move. W

The days between Christmas and New Year’s have a way of telling the truth. When the inbox quiets and the calendar loosens, something else gets loud: the quiet dread of going back to work. Not because we dislike effort or contribution, but because a part of us knows we’re returning to a pattern we’ve outgrown. Stuck, bored, helpless, overwhelmed, or an unhelpful cocktail of all four. As humans we often reach inner crossroads long before our calendars admit it. In the winter hu

Leadership today carries a lot of complexity . This one is rarely named out loud. Especially in small organizations, family-business cultures, tight-knit communities, or purpose-driven teams, leaders often face an invisible emotional field, a quiet expectation to become more than a manager. Leaders tell me: “Some people want me to be their parent .” “It feels like they want a therapist, not a leader.” “If I don’t provide constant emotional attunement, I’m accused of not cari

Your brain’s first instinct is to mistrust your strengths . CliftonStrengths matters precisely because it gives that suspicious brain something concrete to work with, so you can move from “What’s wrong with me?” to “What’s available in me?” in a way that’s grounded in research, not wishful thinking . ​ From “what’s wrong?” to “what’s strong?” CliftonStrengths grew out of a deceptively simple but radical move in psychology: instead of only cataloguing problems, Don Clifton sp

A Creative Leadership Meditation on Tenderness, Gentleness, and Relearning Self-Compassion We teach what we most need to learn. And lately, what I’ve needed to relearn, and to teach, is tenderness. Gentleness toward self. Towards the parts of ourselves that are raw, tired, doubting, regretful. The parts that want to perform, impress, produce, solve problems. Same parts that probably just want to rest but don’t know how. When I speak with leaders about the idea of being gentle

Today, the conversation in front of me felt particularly difficult because of the CliftonStrengths dynamics at play. It was, in essence,...

“I found I could say things with color and shapes that I couldn’t say any other way—things I had no words for.” — Georgia O’Keeffe When I say “leadership,” I couldn’t be further from political headlines, hierarchical ladders, or the alpha-performance model that often comes to mind. The kind of leadership I believe in, and coach clients into, is not about titles. It's not about charisma an it is not about control. It’s about creating the world we need , a world rooted in purpo

We live in a culture that’s obsessed with what’s broken. Somehow, criticizing and pointing out flaws is considered a sign of...

We don’t like defiance. Not in teenagers, not in colleagues, not in ourselves. It disrupts. Refuses. Challenges the norm. And yet, defiance might be one of the most essential leadership qualities we never talk about.  Especially when it comes to leading our own lives. Defiance isn’t just rebellion for its own sake. It’s the refusal to shrink into expectations that don’t fit. It’s a boundary line that says: not this . In psychological terms, defiance often emerges as a protec

Is there a difference between healthy striving and perfectionism? Absolutely. One is rooted in growth. The other, in fear . As Anne Lamott puts it, perfectionism “leaves us pretzelized.” It distorts us. Exhausts us. And most of all, it keeps us from starting, or finishing, what really matters. It may also leave us used, omitted, and abandoned, by others, yes, but mostly by ourselves. By others, because who wants to live in constant comparison to something that’s not real,

Have you ever noticed how being constantly available to others ends up hurting you? We say yes out of habit, reply instantly, stay...

"At the center of your being, you have the answer; you know who you are, and you know what you want." - Lao Tzu Deep within us lies a well of wisdom, an intuition that knows what is right, even when fear clouds our vision. Yet, too often, fear takes control, drowning out our inner knowing with alarm bells and doubt . When we learn to tame our fear center, the amygdala, we regain access to our intuition, making decisions from a place of clarity, courage, and trust rather than

How do we reconnect with ourselves and each other? What is the universal language that unites human experience? The ability to name our...

Imposter syndrome is the persistent feeling of self-doubt and inadequacy despite evident success. It convinces us that we are frauds,...

Pay close attention, what I’m about to share could free you from years of unnecessary stress, doubt, and emotional fatigue. In simple...

When did you realize that no one else was to blame? That the voice of doubt, criticism, and sabotage wasn’t coming from the outside, but...

In a world saturated with likes, shares, and applause, the pull of external validation can feel inescapable. Yet when we’re caught in this cycle, the moments between the hits of approval or admiration often feel strangely empty, and that’s the best-case scenario. They can feel much worse. Liberation from this cycle is an act of reclaiming our power . “What’s the greater risk? Letting go of what people think … or letting go of how I feel, what I believe, and who I am?” Brene B

Does this sound familiar? On the way from the car to the office, there’s a bench she’s never noticed. One morning Emma sits down “just for a second.” No phone. The city keeps moving; she doesn’t. In that small pocket of nothing, a simple clarity surfaces: cancel two meetings, make one hard call, apologize for yesterday’s edge. Ten minutes of silence gives her day back. Is this just another article about mindfulness? Silence and mindfulness are related, but not the same. Silen

If I were to begin and end my blogging journey with just one article, it would be this one. Believing in ourselves is the most important...

The holiday season can feel like a test of endurance. There is pressure from so many directions: family expectations, social invitations, cultural or religious assumptions, financial strain, and the endless comparison machine of social media. It all can feel like a sociological experiment in how much pressure a human nervous system can absorb. Surveys consistently show that a majority of people report heightened anxiety, depression, and financial stress at this time of year,