The latest books by New York Times best-selling author J.A. Jance have very powerful themes.  The mystery, Second Watch, is a J.P. Beumont novel in which the main character delves into his days in Viet Nam. Her second book, a re-release, After The Fire, is the author’s memoir in poetry and prose about her years trying to save her alcohol addicted husband.

Many 9/11 family members feel Americans have forgotten how it felt on September 11th, 2001.  Have we forgotten seeing the Towers fall, the Pentagon burning, and United Flight 93 crashing into the ground?  Some family members were interviewed to get their feelings, and to remind us that there are faces behind the victims of that surprise attack that started the War on Terror.  

For most parents, back to school time comes with a bit of anxiety. All of the typical questions arise… Will my child have a teacher who is a good fit? Will he have friends in his class? Will he make new friends? But for me, this is the time of year when I start to think about what a potentially dangerous place school can be for my son. My son, Evan, suffers from life-threatening food allergies. And one accidental nibble of a peanut can send us rushing to the hospital.

Career advice columnists and well-intentioned mentors will always tell you to dress not for the job you have, but for the job you want.  Remember Melanie Griffith in Working Girl?   If we could see beyond the sexist and class-based stereotypes, the movie clearly made the point about the importance of image (clothing, grooming, even speech patterns) in the workplace or, at least, some workplaces.  Granted, I would never want to work somewhere that placed so much emphasis on image, especially if image took precedence over hard work and productivity.  Oh, that

Every week, the content of my blog is based on a real-life scenarios – ones I’ve experienced as a facilitator, executive and personal growth coach, keynote speaker, as well as a manager and leader.

A post in a mom online forum recently caught my attention. A mom had left work a number of times during the first week of school when they called to emotional and health concerns relating to her daughter.

Some of her coworkers were not too happy. They reported her to upper management and stated she needed to keep the personal out of her work life.

I’ve found that running with friends is less expensive than therapy.  Having a whole hour to vent while your friends puffs along beside you nodding because she’s too out of breath to form complete sentences in response to you is a beautiful thing.