lessons
learned

Did you know that your brain has a natural negativity bias?

The alarm seemed to go off earlier and earlier. I’d grab my phone to stop the noise. The one barely opened eye it took to complete the task would manage to see the long list of social media, email and text notifications that poured in while I was sleeping. I’d disconnect the thing from the […]

I teach people about mindfulness, I practice it every day. Naturally every day offers something new to learn, but some days (or in this case, some weeks) offer more of a “back to the drawing board-refresher course” opportunity. If you follow me on social media, you may know that I hosted a live event last […]

…said nobody, ever. Have you ever made a choice or decision hoping things go badly? Of course not. Even in those all too familiar moments of, “I know I shouldn’t, but…” you probably weren’t going for a negative outcome. The fact is, we’re all doing our very best with what we have in that moment. […]

I remember the first time I heard that pain is inevitable, but suffering is an option. I absolutely didn’t buy it. In fact, I was incensed. In my Italian Catholic family, suffering is simply what you do when something horrible happens.  Or even, when something horrible might happen.  We are a family overflowing with empathy. We love […]

It’s the end of April and it finally feels like spring in Connecticut. Truth be told, I’ve never really understood why people around here are so big on spring. To me it’s always seemed grey, wet, and muddy. It’s different this year though. Maybe it’s because of the long/late winter, or the fact that I’ve […]

Ok.  I admit it. I have spent hundreds (maybe thousands) of hours watching completely horrible, ridiculously sophomoric, absolutely inane comedy movies.  It’s not something I’m proud of.  Truth be told, I’ve denied it more than once. I can’t stop myself – I crave the laughter.  So much so that I’ll sit through even the stupidest movie if […]

You know those movies that you’ve seen a million times?  The ones you saw in the theater when they first came out and then again and again because they were in the HBO rotation forever?  If you’re under 40, you’ll have to trust me here. Die Hard is one of those movies for me, and last week, […]

Noise.  Just the word can up-level your stress – yet interestingly, silence can have the same effect.  It’s not what’s happening on the outside of your head that’s creating the problem – it’s the endless swirl of thoughts inside.  The noise, or lack of it, simply complicates your thinking process and adds to your feeling of […]

Mindful Listening Improves Relationships and Boosts Opportunity Have you ever had a conversation with someone who appears to be listening but is really just waiting to deliver their opinion? How about with someone who insists that they are listening even though they’re simultaneously responding to an email? Maybe you’ve had a conversation that went absolutely […]