Sometimes life prompts us to ask: what progress am I making? Am I moving closer to my vision of what’s worthwhile, or am I (even inadvertently) moving farther away? Most of us have a natural tendency to keep score. The question is whether we’re measuring all of the right things. I’m learning to add dimensions
Disappointment: the difference between what we expect and what we get. Events, circumstances and people disappoint us and we disappoint ourselves. To move from disappointment to contentment, we have to process our emotions and surrender our expectations. This Mother’s Day, my wife Kari was supposed to be entering her third trimester. We miscarried that baby
The Greek word for “anxiety” is merimnaō, which means to be divided or distracted. Leaders today face so many external and internal disruptions that anxiety, by the Greek definition, is nearly unavoidable. Anxiety depletes energy and confidence and makes courageous decisions difficult. One way to minimize anxiety is to pursue the opposite of division and
Joy is an uncomplicated word. It’s the feeling of goodness that comes from being fully alive. And it can be present regardless of circumstances – pain or pleasure. Wouldn’t it be cool to create joy all over the place – at home, at work, in the community and in ourselves? One way is through lasting
I want to be comfortable. I like my daily routine and sleeping in my own bed. I want to be around people like me and do things I’m good at doing. But the truth is, I know that comfort is at odds with being fully alive. Last week, we took the kids to Disney World.
I’m on vacation this week with my family so, in lieu of a typical post, this comes from a friend of mine who’s job is to help homeless people to find housing… May the light of your soul guide you. May the light of your soul bless the work that you do with the secret
I have two selves: one wants to drive under the speed limit, the other groans and tails people who drive slowly; one wants to spend the last hour of the day with a hot bath and a good book, the other wants to answer emails until my eyes hurt. Paradoxically, I think I would be
Many leaders, particularly entrepreneurs, become their idea or organization. Their advocacy and effort becomes their identity. Dedication is noble though many leaders become enmeshed or infused to a point where their emotional health is dictated by the success of their work. This past Saturday, I gave the opening talk at the Innove semi-finalist retreat where
We get in our own way. Impulse, laziness, fear and mindlessness often lead us away from what makes us most alive. Structure can save us. Whether it’s a cadence, routine, discipline or policy, we need to build structure into our lives and organizations to protect us from ourselves. At times in my life, I’ve felt
Structure is essential to inspiring creativity and self-expression. Neuroscientists have recently demonstrated that improvisation occurs when the self-monitoring region of our brain turns off through mastery of a foundational structure. Musician Yo-Yo Ma said, “An innovation, to grow organically from within, has to be based on an intact tradition.” I wish I could fully enjoy
Matt Norman is president of Norman & Associates, which offers Dale Carnegie Training in the North Central US. Dale Carnegie Training is a global organization ...READ MORE