The ability to say no is a necessity. Saying it well is an art. Few people possess the skills to do both, and the rest of us need to practice. A friend of mine recently lost her mom, so when she turned my invitation down for an event, I understood. She's said she's been saying no a lot. She also said that if she wasn't engaged in our friendship as much, she was sorry. She was so sincere and thoughtful that it turned out to be one of the nicest no's I'd heard in a while. In contrast, … [Read more...]
On Scoring Critical Wins With Your Inner Critic
I've hated myself over many things. I'd tell you, but why feed the beast? Getting that voice inside our heads to behave, now that's the tricky part. It starts young, this voice, this critic. It's like we were never set up to win. At least not long after we were kids. At some point it hits you, this delicate balance, the fine yet blurry line. This critic crosses over ever so smoothly, from the protective arm across your chest as you hit the brakes to gripping you so hard it bruises your … [Read more...]