As part of my Sustainable Speaking initiative, I research the venue where I’ll be speaking prior to the event. I track down what they are doing to reduce waste, limit carbon emissions, conserve water, that sort of thing. What I’m finding is that each place has a story, but those stories are often hidden.

Take, for […]

After long summer days, fall equinox is upon us.  School is back in session.  It’s the Jewish New Year.  It’s the season of warm days and cool nights.  Time to bring in the harvest, to process and preserve.  It’s also when many conferences take place, along with leadership meetings, staff trainings, galas, and other events.  […]

Pick one.  The options, surely, are plentiful.  Pick something that troubles your heart, your mind.  It could be global, national, closer to home, or deeply personal.   Now, hold it out with a little distance between you and this chosen source of distress.  Examine it with just enough reserve to be nearly, but not quite, dispassionate.  […]

We have been taught to glorify speed and efficiency.  As if they were the same thing. As if getting more done faster is the pinnacle, other perspectives, different work styles, creativity, and connection be damned.

This approach leaves no room for reflection, it speeds past the opportunity to collaborate or consider the way things have been […]

Maybe it’s been like this for a very long time, but it feels as if I am running across writing, workshops, podcasts, and all manner of yearning by many of us to feel and believe we are enough.  The surgeon general, Dr. Vivek Murthy, has identified this as a component of the epidemic of loneliness […]

Dogs and smoke detectors do not mix.  Even a little bit.  At least not for Summit. He will chase anything in his yard, brave long walks in 20 below zero conditions, and go most anywhere with me, but smoke detector low battery alerts bring him to his quivering knees.  It must be the pitch combined […]

Unless you live very near the equator, you have surely noticed the lengthening of light and longer days. With equinox upon us, we are near even, in terms of light and darkness. This time of year declares spring is en route, no matter how many feet of snow may yet remain. It’s a time of […]

If you own a business, then you’ll understand my relief and excitement when I tell you that my new website is live.  Having just traveled that well-worn path of trying to express what is unique about what I do and who I really am, it got me thinking about what websites represent, and how all […]

I opted for a cab because of the snow.  Figured I’d go with the old-fashioned tried and true professional cab driver to get me safely home from the airport.  It went awry, though, as he sped past my exit, then tried to make the turn, and plunged into a deep snowbank.  There on the side […]

The gifts of darkness: some are easier to unwrap than others

Oh, the holidays.  They can mean such different things to different people.  Whether you are eager with anticipation or bracing for a range of emotions, let me remind myself and you that this is what Solstice is all about.  It’s about embracing the range, from […]