Mastering Emotions

Dark Night of the Soul & Taking Responsibility

About nine years ago I wasn’t doing well–in fact I was going through what some have called the “dark night of the soul.” I was burned out, angry, confused and couldn’t see any way things were going to get better. Things did get better, by far. It took work and it took some time. And […]


What’s Holding You Back Isn’t What You Think

When a speaker asks a group, “What is the biggest thing that keeps most people from pursuing their l dreams?” the answer is almost always “Fear.” Fear seems to be behind a lot of things without us even knowing it. The salesperson doesn’t ask for a clear “Yes” or “No” from the prospect because they’re […]


Are You Amazing? Really, What Do You Think?

Rumi was a 13th century Persian mystic poet, someone with mind-blowing insights into life, meaning, spirituality and human potential. Here’s what he wrote about human potential: You were born with potential. You were born with goodness and trust. You were born with ideals and dreams. You were born with greatness. You are not meant for […]


The Courage to Be Unhappy For a Time

Sometimes the reason we’re not happier is because we don’t want to be unahppy for a tiime while we deal with things we want to avoid. It takes courage to be unhappy for a time but it’s the work we can do to create more happiness and fullfillment in life and at work.


How to Feel Invincible, Despite the Critics

Invincible: Too powerful to be defeated or overcome. Synonyms: indestructible, unconquerable, unbeatable, indomitable, unassailable. I just read a story that made me stop and think. The story is just a story, meaning it never happened—however, the point of the tale happens all the time in real life in different ways. I’m going to share the […]


How to Choose How You Feel, No Matter What

What would life be like if you had control over how you feel regardless of what’s going on in your life at the moment? Most people don’t think that’s possible. Let me explain: About twenty years ago I was in a post graduate psychology class with twelve other psychotherapists. We were discussing “depression” and one […]


Why This New Study On Happiness Is Wrong

If you want to be happier, you might want to ignore this new study–or at least see the holes in it. Here’s what it says: “A new study suggests you won’t be as happy as you are now for about another four decades. Australian researchers say happiness follows a predictable trajectory as we age, with […]


Instant Happiness

About a month ago I delivered my two day workshop, “Leader as Coach” for a large organization. Everyone there was very smart and accomplished and wanted to learn how to coach their teams. On the second day, I was ready to have them do an exercise that demonstrates the power of positive feedback and how […]


Your Self-Concept and Success

Everyone wants to be successful, happy and fulfilled in life. We want to succeed in our careers, relationships, health and everywhere else. What does it take to become and achieve our goals and dreams and what gets in the way? Can we really change and grow? Are there limits to what we can do and […]


Outrageously Positive

I have a client who gets up every morning with hope, optimism and and inspiration to live fully. The thing is she has every reason to wake up angry, cynical and even depressed. No one would blame her if she did because she has experienced enough tragedy, heartache and challenge that people are amazed she […]