Life is hard. Or is it easy?

I’ve had a particularly hard life. I grew up in poverty and experienced trauma at an early age. I had to fight, and work hard, and earn for everything I have. I bootstrapped my life and my success. My life story has taught me life is hard, and it’s true, life IS hard. But what if life is easy? What … Read More

When to say yes, when to say no

As a recovering “yes-er”, I have spent a lot of time thinking about how and when to say no. I was determined to master the skill of saying no and I’ve had a lot of practice at it. For many years, I found it much easier to say no in personal situations and much harder to say no in professional situations. … Read More

How to handle personal problems when you have to work

A few years ago, right around Thanksgiving, the relationship I was in ended very abruptly. I discovered a big deal-breaker between us that I was not able to handle, and he reacted very badly to my bringing it up. Physical threats were made, police were called, and the whole thing had to end right then and there. It was a … Read More

What to do when you don’t know what to do

It just happened again to me last week. I caught myself throwing up my hands about a sticky situation regarding a family trip, and just concluding that there was no good answer. “Well, I guess we’ll just have to all be miserable for those 5 days. I don’t know what else to do!” But those words haunted me. “I don’t … Read More

How to deal with the office bully

Every office has one- the office bully. That person who intimidates and manipulates those around him- disrupting work, destroying morale, and making everyone in the office as miserable as he is. I’ve worked with bullies who were my co-workers, my employees, and my boss. It mattered little if I was the manager or the employee- an office bully bullies indiscriminately, … Read More

Do people at work take advantage of you?

For many years at different jobs I was the go-to gal, the most helpful person in the office. You have a problem? I am the problem-solver! I dabbled in office equipment use and repair, IT, Microsoft Excel how-to, insurance, business law- you name it. Need help with a special project? I can do that! Oh, sure, I can stay late. … Read More

How To Set Boundaries At Work

Are your work days generally productive? Do you spend your work time getting done what you really need to get done? Do your customers and co-workers respect you? Do you feel happy at work? If you said no to any of these questions you may need to set boundaries at work. How do I know? Years ago I had few … Read More

Disappointing the Right People

Who are you living your life for? Are you creating a purposeful and thoughtful life, or more often than not stumbling through your life, reacting to people and situations? The best way I know how to live my life is to live it for me. To be thoughtful and intentional in my choices, and loving and grateful in my attitude. … Read More

It’s okay to say no!

Growing up I was taught to be agreeable and that “no” is a bad word. The truth is, all I got out of being overly agreeable and avoiding saying “no” was unhappiness and stress. Since I did not want a life of unhappiness and stress, I learned to stand up for myself, set and follow through on appropriate boundaries, and … Read More

What to do when life is overwhelming you

This week- scratch that- this month has been incredibly busy for me at work and home and I’m finding myself to be a bit overworked and bit overtired. What a great opportunity for me to take a look in my work-life balance toolbox and put those tools to good use! When life gets busy, the most important thing I can … Read More