Navigating Difficult Conversations
It is Friday, yes, 5 days past when I usually post the blog. And, I am far from the only person I know this week running hard, weaving through holiday cheer, and trying to reach those elusive end of year…
Risky Business
Tis the season for festivals and holidays as we approach the new year. It is a time of complex interactions some of which are inherently risky. Predictably, stress levels soar at work, impacting communication grace in both professional and personal…
Let’s talk Power
Power, personal power specifically, is often defined as the ability to influence people and events. I don't disagree but the definition lacks a core. Power is not a veneer, it is not a lever or a conduit. What it is,…
Breathing without going Viral
Here in the Northeast COVID is gracing us with two new strains just in time for back to school. As people decide whether to start masking again and whether it even matters, we are all shallow breathing. This isn't a…
Stress and the Breath
On a scale of 1-10, what is your level of stress today? On average people will rate themselves somewhere in the middle without actually considering how they feel. This is because many of us live in a state of chronic…
Holiday Talk: Tis the Season For Breathing
Thanksgiving has past, Hanukkah is upon us, and the holiday season will bubble along until the New Year. All of this bustle can be anxiety-making in a normal year. This is still not a normal year. The pandemic adds a…
Office Space: Load Testing
My kid just started middle school. On their first day, they arrived with a backpack full of binders and required notebooks. They also carried a lunch bag and a water bottle. Then, they were handed a Chromebook. As I watched…
You: Quicksand
It is a grey morning in Boston. Around Boston, businesses are issuing new restrictions and updated masking rules in response to the Delta variant of COVID. My office building is among them. I find it both reassuring and disheartening. In…
You: Hear the Breath
The past two weeks in Boston have been lovely as people have once again flowed out into the world. As we venture forth, one thing I keep hearing is how out of practice we are for social interaction. For some…
Sing: Ritardando
Ritardando is such a lovely direction in music. It is a gradual slowing down. Aside from the dramatic affect, it also can teach us a lot about how to work on our singing. Singers (and speakers actually) are usually more…