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Chicken or the Egg

In last Saturday’s job section of the New York Times, there was an article called, “Follow a Career Passion? Let it Follow You,” in which the author, Cal Newport, rebuffs what he calls the “Cult of Passion,” saying that we find our passion by doing a job, not the other way around. It may surprise you …

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Girls Will Be Girls

Yesterday I attended a six-year old “Eloise at the Plaza” birthday with my daughter.  While I wouldn’t want her to think every day is like that, I found it fun, charming, and surprisingly gracious.  Nevertheless, there was one moment when I found myself stifling a very self-conscious belly laugh —  the moment seemed almost surreal.  …

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The Women We Want to Be

Last Monday I was invited to participate in a book club meeting on the book “Cinderella Ate My Daughter,” which talks about the ways in which the Disney marketing machine influences our children. The conversation was rich, and opinions ranged from those who felt that we have more control than the book suggests, to those …

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The Limits of Willpower

This month, December 31st actually, my husband and I started a vegan weight loss diet. We did it for weight loss, for increased energy, and because as older parents, we want to stay healthy for our children as long as we can. THIS DIET IS A LOT OF WORK. Creating the shopping list for the …

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The Forest Beyond the Trees

A friend and former colleague sent me an article about a rose oil distilled in space that smelled different than the same oil distilled on earth. It made me think about context and how much it influences us. Specifically, it made me think about how difficult it can be to see where we are in …

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Making Lemondade

These days it seems easy to talk about what is limiting us. We have been in a tough economy for three years, the employment landscape is constantly shifting, especially if you work in Financial Services. And yet, there are a lot of people still finding jobs and doing well…yes, within the 99% crowd! Last Wednesday …

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The Pace of Change

Last Thursday as I was walking down 66th street, I saw an old and dear friend walking down the block toward me. We were both on cell phones. We saw each other, hesitated as if we might stop, then gave each other a wave and look that said, “Can’t talk…let’s catch up later.” When I …

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Year End Push and Pull

This time of year, I find myself in a push-pull dynamic. The expectation of the new year is pushing me forward, but the intense activity of the three months since “back-to-school” is pulling me towards being passive. What can we do to put things in motion so that the New Year can ease in gently? …

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We’re the Same…but Different

I loved coming across this article titled, “Centered Leadership: How Talented Women Thrive” in the McKinsey Quarterly. The article presents a model for leadership that is specially designed with women in mind, and it reminded me of a story in my own life. Years ago when I was in the market for a road bike, …

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Competence and Incompetence

Have you ever worked really hard at something, only to suddenly feel really disconnected from it? Or, like you suddenly don’t know anything about anything? Let me introduce you to the Four Stages of Competence, a concept widely used in coaching. The idea is that we begin from unconscious incompetence, or we don’t know what …

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