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Gain a fresh perspective
Two weeks ago I interviewed a Rabbi in front of a small audience in the chapel at my Methodist church. It was a refreshing and...
2 min read


Align your expectations
'Tis the season! The season to be jolly, hopefully! But for many it's also the season to be stressed, disappointed, exhausted or broke....
2 min read


Say thanks
Who still has a thank you note someone gave you a long time ago? When I ask this question in my positivity talks, most people in the room...
2 min read


Look in the mirror
Don't you just hate when you invite people to an event you created on Facebook and no one RSVPs? Yeah, me too. Do you respond to events...
2 min read


Ask for advice
"Do you have any advice?" Whether you are struggling with a dilemma large or small, it's really helpful to ask that question to people...
2 min read


Stop the judging
In the spring of 2006, I was pregnant with my first child and attending my first Women's Foodservice Forum Leadership Development...
2 min read


Pack your patience
Last month our family took its biggest vacation yet, traveling a total of 1971 miles from our home in Pennsylvania to several stops in...
3 min read


Institute a complaint box
Last fall our family had developed the bad habit of focusing on the one bad thing happening instead of the many good things in our lives....
1 min read


Let go of expectations
Have you had one of these experiences? "What's for dinner?" "I think I'm going to make burgers." So you walk into the house several hours...
2 min read


Give specific compliments
I once asked a boss for some feedback in what was turning out to be the world's shortest performance review. His response? "You're good...
2 min read


Give them grace
"Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle." Have you heard this quote? While its source is in dispute, its power is not....
1 min read


Skip the outrage
"Can you believe he did that?! It's horrible!" "Yes, I can." "Wait... what?" "Well, as I learned from Oprah who learned from Maya...
1 min read


Let your freak flag fly
When I was in middle school in the late '80s, I was so jealous of the girls who got all their clothes from Gap that when I finally got my...
3 min read


Ask for a pep talk
It was two days before I was set to be host of The Right Price. I had a knot in my stomach and pain in my chest. I was working on several...
2 min read


Say no
One of my personal commandments is to say yes. So isn't a Pep Talk on saying no counter-intuitive? Not at all. The only way to be able to...
3 min read


Say yes
What do a game of Battleship, an overpriced notebook, and a Monday night movie have in common? They are all requests from my family I...
2 min read


Do the right thing
I've generally been known as an honest and stand-up person. I learned the importance of integrity from both of my parents, and it's...
2 min read


Embrace
"Everyone is so touchy-feely here." That is how I was quoted at the retreat I attended my freshman year of college, which was full of...
2 min read


Cherish the ordinary
Years ago, I came across a quote (which feels a bit like a prayer) that really touched me. I've had it hanging on a board in my office...
2 min read


Let it go
Do you have a "let go" list? A place to record the slights and frustrations that somehow seem to steal too much of your attention? Think...
2 min read
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