Are you a champion?

I hear bad advice a lot.  The most common I people tell each other is "You should just do 'insert action'." You don't ask your infant to walk when they can't even crawl.   Why do we ask adults to do things that they haven't demonstrated an ability to do?  Just because you know how to walk doesn't mean the person you're trying help does.  Telling them to walk produces one thing.  Frustration.  You're frustrated with them for not listening.  They're frustrated with themselves for being stuck or … [Read more...]

Judge a book by it’s cover.

Peter* said to me, "You're courageous and enthusiastic.  Your energy inspired me.  I've accomplished things I wouldn't have started before."   We were performing an exercise providing others with evidence-based encouragement.  I was humbled.  I was honored.  I was confused. I didn't view myself as courageous and enthusiastic.  I didn't think of myself as inspiringly energetic.  I had hardly any interaction with Peter in our 7 weeks working together.   Yet I had this influence on him. Peter … [Read more...]