What if Change is Up to You?

I was recently listening to a lecture and the person leading it shared a crossroad she reached a few years ago. One day, she had a huge argument with her fiancé (who is now her husband) and really believed that he should change. While looking from the outside, we could easily see that she is

The Encouragizers Project – MSA 41

MSA 41: Yesterday was a wonderful day of activities and a startup event at Chicago Booth. I was so fortunate to moderate a fireside chat and be part of the broader networking. At around 7:30 p.m., I realized I hadn’t done the day’s MSA. Not a tragedy, of course, yet I wanted to keep the

Your Courage Can Be Shared

Yesterday, I shared an experience with a group of friends. It required a level of vulnerability that isn’t easy or comfortable for me. I didn’t even realize how vulnerable I was until I read what I had written with a friend who was in Chicago from the Bay Area. She seemed surprised that I was

Why Take Responsibility?!?

Someone recently asked me, “why should I take responsibility for the situation if the other person involved won’t?” This is actually a really good question and yet the answer is usually not what the other person expects (or prefers)! Taking responsibility is a funny thing. If you wait for the other person to act, things

PLEASE Call Me Pollyanna

I think Pollyanna (the hero in a book by the same name) gets a bad rap. Calling someone a Pollyanna is considered to be an insult, but why?!? It’s likely from her “glad game” her father taught her. Whenever she had a negative experience, she looked for the upside, not just for herself, but for

My Mission for Stamps

Some of you know that I have a big interest, passion, and commitment to crafting handwritten notes. I have an MSA (minimum sustainable action) of writing five per week. Depending on the week, I may do more and rarely less. I have been writing cards recently and was low on stamps. The weather hasn’t been

The “Cure” for Inaction

You probably know this by now – so, as a reminder, I can get discouraged and then I tend to slow down to a crawl. I don’t stop completely, but I do not move at my energetic and enthusiastic pace. When I find myself in semi-inaction, I do three things: First, I remind myself why

Regain Your Success Mojo

Do you have goals and aspirations yet aren’t moving ahead on them – at least not at the pace you would like? I was chatting with a friend and he told me that he was feeling he had lost the spark he used to have – and really wanted it back. The question was –

MSAs Stick

Just a quick update. My MSAs are sticking and they are so tiny. That is what makes them work for me. Draft your own MSA and experiment. Warmly, Anita

Are You a Narcissistic Networker?

I think that networking gets a bad rap – and, at times, it is totally justified. I see individuals who want to gain as much as possible as quickly as possible and then leave the other person with a smile at best. Now, I am not saying I have never done this – especially early