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I’ve always wanted to speak Spanish, so this year I finally took the plunge and started learning it. At first I was using an online application (), and then I started doing two one-hour sessions per week with a teacher. My wife Heidi is also learning the language, but she finds it much easier than I do and is way ahead of me on the learning curve. Whereas Heidi can hear a word once and remember it (I swear she is just shy of having a photographic memory), it can take me 20-30 times of tr...

My wife and I have a handful of restaurants that we regularly enjoy, but there’s one in particular that we go to at least once a month. Over the years, we’ve gotten to know one of the servers very well and consider her a friend �� we even socialize with her outside of the restaurant. We have always really liked this restaurant, partially because of the laid back nature of the place. You can tell it’s not just the clientele that enjoy being there �� we know from our friend that it’s a great place t...

Recently a friend of mine was complaining about her boss’s habit of taking several days, or sometimes a week, to respond to email queries or meeting requests. Like many employees, my friend appreciates her independence and values autonomy, but she sometimes runs into an issue that requires her boss’s input. However, their unresponsiveness makes her feel like her work isn’t being valued. And she often can’t move on with a project until she hears from them, so she’s also less productive as a resul...

After reading former Disneyland CEO Robert Iger’s book, , I was struck by a phrase he references: “Micromanaging is underrated.�� It was often used by his predecessor, Michael Eisner, and Iger describes how Michael had the ability to see things others didn’t. And when he noticed these things, he demanded they be paid attention to. It may surprise you that I agree with this sentiment.

Let me explain: I am a details person. I stress over little things that others sometimes see...

In the late summer and early fall, I found myself travelling to multiple states and provinces within the same month. It was the first time I’d had this type of travel schedule since the pandemic started. In a short period, my senses were being hit with more new sights, sounds, tastes, and experiences than I had become accustomed to. As a result, I found my mind racing with how to integrate what I was seeing and experiencing, both personally and in my work.

The feeling was familiar because prior ...

I was having a conversation with a friend the other week and she expressed frustration that her boss has high standards for her and the other employees, but he repeatedly doesn’t hold himself to the same expectations. He gets upset if someone is late, even if it’s for an emergency, and yet he is regularly late himself; he expects a prompt response to his emails, but some messages sent to him will never be answered; and the list went on.

I asked my friend how this behaviour impacted her and the o...

The following excerpt comes from , which I am a co-author of. The chapter, Shift Attitudes, explores the importance of moving from judgement to curiosity when interacting with others.

While trauma awareness is valuable at a knowledge level, an attitude shift is necessary in order to change how we engage with people. By shifting attitudes, we are able to put our awareness of trauma into action. This shift impacts the questions we ask and creates a min...

My wife and I have spent the better part of the summer going through a major downsizing of our possessions. We moved out of our four-bedroom home to a condominium, and early on it became clear that all of our things would not fit into our much smaller living space. And so, months before our move, we began the process of de-cluttering. Clothing items that had been with me since my college years (like the t-shirt with too many holes but is full of memories) didn’t always make the cut, nor did some...

My son is a culinary student, and as part of the program this summer, he has an internship at the in Kennebunkport, Maine. He’s loving the experience, learning a lot, and having a great time.

In early spring when he began exploring places to do his internship, I knew that finding the right placement would make the difference between this being a good experience or not. It turns out the fit is perfect. Yes, he’s working long hours (longer than me, he likes to remind me),...

Every couple of years my family and I take a trip to Europe. In addition to trying new foods, the thing I like most about traveling in Europe is seeing all the old buildings and bridges. When we visit a new area, we quickly assess and figure out a plan to see as many “old�� things as we can. To see structures with stone foundations that are hundreds, sometimes thousands of years old is truly remarkable. They were built with longevity in mind, from materials and with designs that have withstood th...