arrange • compose • conduct
When you have a different interpretation from someone else, when do you offer it? It depends on the situation, naturally. If I’m observing my students run a rehearsal or sectional, I’m likely to offer my advice right away. If I’m observing a respected colleague, I’m going to save it for […]
How do you get out of work triage? I have been in triage since August, when I got back from my week visiting with Alice Parker. Too many projects and too little time leads to spending every work moment just trying to “staunch the bleeding” of the most urgent project […]
My sons are out selling door-to-door right now. I have been an outspoken proponent of reducing sales-based fundraisers in favor of straight donation models; I stand by this approach: it takes pressure off of busy parents, and it lets kids focus on kid stuff, rather than being salespeople. But. But. […]
On this week’s Unlocking Us podcast, Dr. Brené Brown interviewed Drs. John and Julie Gottman about their new book The Love Prescription. In it, they described the importance of a “Turning Towards” mindset in relationships. They describe three different possibilities in small interactions: you can turn towards, turn away, or […]
How do you enter the world? In The West Wing’s third season, the episode title “The U.S. Poet Laureate” features Laura Dern as new poet laureate Tabitha Fortis. She says the following near the end of the episode: “You think I think that an artist’s job is to speak the […]
Today, I could take a test in pretty much any high school math class and earn a passing grade. People are almost always surprised that I can still perform trigonometry, algebra, geometry, removed over a quarter century from my last math class. Doing math isn’t the superpower. But being genuinely […]
Sometimes you’re just excited for a weekend to work. I’ve been doing exciting projects on a lot of fronts, with weekends spent away at retreats, leadership training, and so on. My days are packed with the stuff of life, and it’s all really good stuff. As we move toward the […]
Do you produce a seasonal product? I live in a place with lots of season producers. Apple orchards, or Christmas tree farms. It always strikes me as pretty strange to work in an industry where so much of your income comes in a short window. They sell Christmas trees from […]
There is a time before you’re good at anything when you’re trying it for the first time. Here’s a word for the feeling that goes with it. Trying something new – putting yourself out there – is scary and exciting. Our family has adopted the Glennon Doyle portmanteau of scited […]
Last year, psychologist Adam Grant introduced us to the idea of languishing – a feeling he describes as “a sense of emptiness, stagnation and ennui.” He called it “‘the neglected middle child of mental health’ and […] suggested it might be the dominant emotion of our time.” (You can watch his […]