possibility…

Most of us have personally experienced the benefits of talking through a problem with a trusted friend or colleague. Active listening can provide a safe haven for the speaker to articulate perceptions, fears, and potential responses to change. In the same way that writing about an issue can clarify feelings and facts, describing a situation [...]

Speaking of change-ability, change has been keeping me from my blog writing these days. One might think that given my commitment to write about 50 ways to be “change-able,” that I’m keen on change. The reality? Not so much. My preoccupation with ways to experience change with a modicum of grace fuels my daily scanning [...]

Kernel: Life is filled with opposites. If you’re facing darkness (stress/change), what is the opposite now visible as light?
From creativity consultant and author Roger von Oech:
“Heraclitus is saying that we don’t fully appreciate something until we have thought about or experienced its opposite. For example, success is more rewarding if we’ve tasted defeat, life more [...]

Kernel: Visual thinking techniques = instant flood of ideas, options & connections
There is something magical about visual thinking strategies such as Mind Mapping, clustering, concept mapping, or FutureScapes™. Each approach varies somewhat and personally, I like to use Gabrielle Rico’s “clustering” simply because I’ve had the most experience with it. I rarely begin any project [...]

Kernel: Nurturing joy, interest and contentment = strength, resilience and well-being
According to psychologist, Barbara Fredrickson, “Cultivating positive emotions produces an upward spiral that not only counteracts negative emotions but also broadens habitual modes of thinking and acting and builds personal resources for coping.”
Negative emotions narrow a person’s repertoire of thoughts and actions, Fredrickson explains. “This [...]

Change sometimes appears like a landslide that blocks all possible routes. It’s difficult to maintain perspective and often the only options appear to be giving up or working harder at what we always do–status quo. Timothy Butler, a psychologist, psychotherapist, and researcher on career decision making offered some suggestions when interviewed by Martha Lagace about [...]

Photo: Mary R. Vogt
Researchers have found that people who approach stress-filled workplace experiences with a specific mind-set can weather difficult times with improved performance and happiness and even greater enthusiasm for their jobs!
In the early 1980s, a 12-year study by psychologist Salvatore R. Maddi and others at the University of Chigago was already in progress [...]

Photo: L.M. Solonynko
In my opinion, listening is so critical for resilience that it should really be change-ability tip #1. We all spend much of our daily lives listening. If you live with another person, pets, or even a radio, listening starts when you wake up in the morning. However, if you’re concerned about your resilience [...]

Ever thought about why you like to spend time  in one room versus another? Do you avoid shopping in a particular store because you find the (dis)organization or appearance overwhelming? Do you eat the entire bag of corn chips unless you put them out of sight/reach in the cupboard? That our environment affects our behaviour [...]

Knowledge (dare I say wisdom?) is a strange thing. Have you noticed how when in deep conversation with someone about a topic you find really interesting … or when engaged in creative writing … surprises will emerge. Things that I didn’t know I knew will pop out when I’m talking about related topics. I don’t [...]