Being here in Italy these past few weeks has been hard. Really, really, really hard. Witnessing this drama unfold real-time all around us, watching shops close and streets empty and people become increasingly fearful has been . . . heartbreaking. But I heard once that hearts break so that they can open. And this [...]
Crazy times. And you definitely don’t need me or anyone else to tell you to wash your hands or to avoid ‘end-of-the-world-anything-goes’ parties (maybe). What it seems we do all need now is to keep in mind that: Tutto passa (this too shall pass). We’ve made it through many “the [...]
The truth is I don't know how you’re going to make it. Or how I’m going to make it. Or even what it means to “make it”. When it comes to the tough stuff, there seems to be little "to do” to speed up the process of growth or to [...]
((This post first appeared in what Forbes calls a "cult favorite" Create & Cultivate 😊)) When I moved to Italy twenty years ago, I did so for love. I had no savings, no lined-up job, and no connections. Skype did not exist and calls home were really expensive. Plus, I [...]
Any time I hear someone say “I think”, I’m tempted to challenge it. Not because I’m wanting a fight (being a total conflict avoider by nature), but simply because most of us don’t know how to think. We don’t even know where thought comes from. And neither of those shortcomings [...]
More and more high-performers (especially women) are realizing that they can’t do it all. And that, surprisingly, trying to ‘do it all’ leads to poorer results. This realization comes, not-so-surprisingly, on the other side of overwhelm and burnout. So, we’re hearing more and more about the “80-20 rule” -- the [...]
On my last trip to London, I picked up a book called, “You will be able to draw by the end of this book.” :) Slowly making my way through the exercises, I ran across this advice on p.29: “Get the overall shape of your subject drawn early, then refine [...]
The other day I asked my daughter to give me an art lesson. She was thrilled to be my teacher. And I learned so much more than how to draw the way she does. The insights here can help you nail your next creative project, inspire others, and sustain high [...]
Lately I've been experimenting with how to turn “hard work” into "play" as a way to accelerate growth (my version of *super learning*) and also as a way to feel better about, well… everything. These experiments came from two insights. One from my daughter: “Mom,” she said, “how come adults [...]
Guest post by: Giulia Traverso Disclaimer: this blog post is not about writing a book on a Monday. This blog is about how to get the hard work done… even on Mondays. And it doesn’t have to be a book that you’re working hard on. This plan-that’s-not-a-plan can be adapted [...]