It seems impossible that life is going on for so many of us when it has been so brutally disrupted for millions of people who simply happen to be the wrong nationality.
Why am I allowed to be here, safe, typing this in a comfortable, quiet place? It's an unanswerable question.
I am not in a position to do much to help defend Ukraine; in any case, I have responsibilities right where I am.
Read MoreFor years, I resisted advertising for my music school.
I wanted it to be better before I invited new students in. I wanted things to be polished and perfected; I wanted every system to be functioning perfectly and every instructor to do things exactly as I would.
Well, it's been over a decade, friends, and I am still waiting for perfection that will never arrive. In the meantime, we've served hundreds of families who are pleased with what we offer (and sometimes, downright thrilled).
Read MoreTransformation is an experience both magical and unsettling.
Suddenly, the world you thought you knew is remapped. Like a bougie kitchen renovation, what was once familiar is made new, and even what has stayed the same is unrecognizable in its new context. We feel so different that everything around us feels different, too.
In such a situation, we might want to start over, with fresh eyes and a fresh perspective. However, this can be just as deceptive as the illusion we now believe we’ve left behind.
Read MoreWhether I’m coaching someone through a difficult math problem or a new approach to their business, I can quickly see what the problem is when they react negatively to my praise.
“Great progress!” I’ll say, pointing out something specific that they’re doing well.
“Ugh, I was supposed to have done this two years ago,” they might say. Or they’ll roll their eyes and say, “we’ll see.”
Read MoreA friend of mine used to babysit for a six-year-old girl. Lacking a better plan, he plunked her in front of the TV.
Whenever a commercial for a toy would come on, she would say mournfully, “Wish I could have that…”
The tone of her voice went beyond a child’s eager materialism to a deeper, existential sorrow. The implication was, “I can never have that.” Simultaneously hilarious and tragic.
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