Today Rebecca (my daughter) and Chase (my 8-week-old grandson) and I watched Joe Biden and then Barack Obama be sworn in as VP and President of the United States. I cried. I don't even know why exactly. I suspect it's what always gets me – the nobility of the human spirit to rise to the... Learn More

 There we were, five senior trainers gathered around the table during a dinner break at Way of a Warrior. One of the trainers was heatedly focusing on Mary (alias). It was heat that was actually meant for all of us. I thought some of the heat was right on, and some was off the mark.... Learn More

Yes, there is a downside to speaking up, telling the truth, being a whistle blower. Mahatma Gandhi spoke up and was imprisoned. Jesus spoke up and was crucified. Modern day whistle blowers have been terrorized. Saying unpopular things or being the lone voice of reason or pointing out data that bursts the prevailing illusion can... Learn More

Another issue is not speaking up until I know for sure what the issue is and how to explain it clearly. I have thought that I needed to have all the pieces to the puzzle in place, first. Deborah Clark-Birdwell (aka Deborah Zanowiak back in the '80s) disabused me of that notion in a trainer... Learn More

Another one of my 'issues' with speaking up is whether or not what I want trumps what they want or vice-versa. Everything is OK when I want Mexican food at an 8 (out of a 10 count), and someone else wants Italian food at a 4.  Giving it a rating on my personal Richter Scale... Learn More

One of the lessons that has been difficult for me to integrate is to ask for what I want – especially if I feel tender or vulnerable about what I want, or if I am concerned that my want will be ignored. The difficulty with this one was learning to separate the act of 'asking'... Learn More