Blog

ThanksLiving
“Name one thing that you’re thankful for.” Maybe this is a ritual that you observed around your table. Sometimes truly meaningful things were said; sometimes your share was simply your ticket to a helping of turkey. It’s a good ritual. It just needs to be enhanced....

Details matter
A few weeks ago, our parish celebrated a Solemn Requiem Mass for All Souls Day. One of the responsibilities of those of us serving at the Altar was to read the names of the dead to be commemorated that night. Each of the six lists were long, and since many of the...

The New Colossus
Not like the brazen giant of Greek fame, With conquering limbs astride from land to land; Here at our sea-washed, sunset gates shall stand A mighty woman with a torch, whose flame Is the imprisoned lightning, and her name Mother of Exiles. From her beacon-hand Glows...
Take a deep breath
I’m a proponent of “deal with it now” conflict resolution. Why? Because we often assume that “time alone heals all wounds” when in fact it does not. In the realm of disagreements, conversation is the necessary component that many people would rather not engage....
So what?
So what? How rude, right? The phrase “so what?” is usually uttered to dismiss a comment. It’s a conversation ender. Where do you go after “so what?” “My boyfriend didn’t bother to thank me for the gift I gave him.” So what? “I’m not very excited about this project.”...
An Imperfect Messenger for a Perfect Message
“It’s a perfect message. And it’s a particularly perfect message at this point in time.” Those were the words of a business associate whom I respect, sharing his impression of my book, The Power of Promise: How to Win and Keep Customers by Telling the Truth About your...
National Coming Out Day & Workplace Equality
Today is National Coming Out Day. As a gay man, today holds special significance for me, as it reminds me of that day, almost 30 years ago, that I came out to my parents. The anticipation of telling them was more painful than the actual conversation, and in fairly...
I wrote a book and learned who I really am
The Power of Promise: How to Win and Keep Customers by Telling the Truth About Your Brand is available at Amazon. I’ve waited one year and nine months to say that. In January 2017, I joined Self-Publishing School online. Their promise was bold: write and publish a...
Work-Life Balance: we’re using the wrong words
I’ve been seeing a lot of articles lately on the topic of work-life balance. Most of them state that the term is outdated and inaccurate. I agree. For the past decade, I’ve used the term work-life harmony to better describe the interplay between the two. Others talk...
If I hear “crush it” one more time…
I get it. When you’re up against an obstacle it can feel like a battle. Battles have only one winner. You want to win. To crush it. To kill it. Lately, those terms are rubbing me the wrong way. I’m not sure why. Maybe I’m not enjoying the prospect of everything in...