Want a Friend? Pay Attention.

I was speaking to a close colleague (who also happens to do research in human behavior). We were talking about how many people are lonely and feel disconnected from others. I asked her what she saw as a potential solution. She was clear and adamant. “Anita,” she said, “this is quite simple.” “Give the person

The Unlikely Advocates

I really like to build advocates – those who support me and where I can be an advocate to help others achieve their goals and dreams. Both can be super fun.  Yet for a long time, I saw advocates one way – as people who liked me, cared about me, and were my ally in

Are You Closing Off Your Potential?

Are you shutting off your own success and happiness? When you have a goal and want to advance, a challenge can result in complaint and grumbling. If you take this approach and don’t look at yourself first, complaining and grumbling can become a debilitating habit. What happens is that it’s easy to “forget” that the

How Bold is Your Appreciation?

How bold is your appreciation?  There are two definitions of appreciation, gratitude and growth, and I recommend using both Let’s talk about putting appreciation into action to benefit you and others. Here are the four aspects or pillars. 1. Valuing yourself and being able to articulate that value. This demonstrates to the world your worth,

Give Yourself Credit

While there are people who hog credit and even claim it when they have done little to nothing, it’s actually pretty rare from my experience and the data. More times, I see individuals who wait for others to acknowledge them. If they don’t receive third-party recognition, they discount what they did and label it as

At an Impasse? Unstick Your Heart.

 Do you want to get unstuck?  It’s really a matter of a shift in your attitude, focus, and ultimately your core or heart. It may seem like the source of a problem and solution are external. Yet, that is anything but the truth no matter how much you might hope and wish for the other

My Way or What?!?

I see this again and again: people reject all kinds of things because they are different than what they think they want or expect. I’ve fallen into this trap myself and I missed out on some wonderful opportunities.  I’ve seen others do the same. I remember someone who really wanted to make a career pivot.

The Upside of No

I am very good at saying “yes” to requests, meetings, brainstorming sessions – all of it. I have learned it is very important to be engaged, to be supportive and to be contributive. These are all terrific things. I say “yes” a lot – but haven’t learned and what I am learning more is saying