Showing category "Overcoming Adversity" (Show all posts)
 We all have tons of thoughts running through our minds, at lightning speed. We're so used to this phenomena that most of us have developed - unconsciously - coping mechanisms to manage these thoughts. Some of the most common coping mechanisms? Ignoring the thoughts; tuning into other sources of information - conversation with someone else, reading, or TV. But the more we try to push them away, the more these thoughts persist. And the more they persist, the more we believe them. Most of us have... Continue reading ...
 Have you ever heard the phrase "Perception is Reality"? I first learned its application in the corporate world. Working in a department that was responsible for giving out, rather than bringing in, money, we felt pressured to manage others' perception of our actions. In a down economy, we made sure employees understood that our contributions to the community were made for critical reasons, not for frivolous ones. For example we might choose to invest in a homeless shelter whose numbers had sp... Continue reading ...
 Lately, I've been reading The Presentation Secrets of Steve Jobs: How to Be Insanely Great in Front of Any Audience. It's a great read, and it fell into my lap just as I agreed to lead a training on coaching skills for nonprofit managers. An example of perfect synchronicity. As I go through each chapter, I distill the tips into my presentation. The process has been relatively straightforward so far. Until. Today, I came across Chapter 6, which focuses on engaging one's audience using the classi... Continue reading ...
 Yesterday I saw a great movie - "Up in the Air" starring George Clooney. In the movie, Clooney plays a man whose job is to fire employees who companies are too squeamish to handle the ugly task themselves. As you can imagine, much of what Clooney says to the laid-off is carefully worded due to legal restrictions. His words of consolence come across as trite and incomprehensible to his newly unemployed audience. To paraphrase, Clooney's signature line is: because you've gone through this expe... Continue reading ...
 Members of Generation X, those of us in our 30s to mid 40s, particularly those of us living in major metropolitan areas, are delaying marriage and children later than any generation before us. Why do we put off these milestones, known to prior generations as rites of passage into adulthood? Many of us are focused on establishing ourselves as adults in our own right. Gen X is known for its focus on individuality, expressing ourselves through technology and an ever-younger and more casual tast... Continue reading ...
 In the workplace, as in every other sphere of life, we are often faced with disappointment. Disappointment occurs when our expectations aren't met. For example, a job seeker who has gone through three rounds of interviews and feels she is going to get an offer will likely feel disappointment if the offer doesn't come through. When tracing disappointment to its root cause, we will first encounter a mismatch between expectations and reality. The next step is to examine the source of the expectatio... Continue reading ...
 We all have what Buddhism refers to as the "monkey mind." Like a monkey jumping from tree to tree, our minds jump from thought to thought. Most of the thoughts that we think each day are a repetition of our thoughts from the day before, with some slight variations. More importantly, our thoughts shape our emotions, which shape our actions, which determine our outcomes. Therefore, if we want to change our lives, we can start by changing our thoughts. Easier said than done, right? Maybe not. Let's s... Continue reading ...
 What would your world look like if you ceased to believe in limits? If you believed anything was possible, how would you feel? How would you act? We all carry around baggage, the baggage of believing that the world can only give us so much. Think of someone you know who sees limitations all around them. Someone whose negative beliefs about what is possible shape their lives so strongly that they don't bother to discuss their dreams. "What's the point?" they might say. Now think of someone who ... Continue reading ...
It’s surprising how many of us fear that we are inadequate, assuming the best way to approach our work is “any way but
mine.”
We love to sell ourselves short. This collective practice has emerged in reaction to external
cues – specifically, how we are and aren’t supposed to be, think or act. We internalize these directives and
judge ourselves in relation to standards that have little to do with who we are.
An example? I was
recently told by an entrepreneurial client “I’m no... Continue reading ...
 What is so appealing about Harry Potter? Five weeks after the premiere of the latest movie, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, it's still appearing in local theaters. Not only that, Harry Potter is the highest grossing film series of all time, at over $5 billion. As a fan, I understand why people of all ages and nationalities are in love with Harry Potter. It is because we recognize our untapped capacity for greatness. Harry Potter is a boy who is overlooked in his day-to-day life, somet... Continue reading ...
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Career and Life Coach
| Miriam J. Katz |
| Boston, Ma |
I aim to transform our collective perception of work. With a slight perspective shift, each of us can find and cultivate a deep sense of satisfaction in what we do.
Together we can find authentic meaning in a space that has become known as the grind. Most of us spend more than 2000 hours at work each year. Let's utilize and value that time, rather than dreading it. Together we can put work on our payroll.
Join me for the journey, and share your thoughts and questions!
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