What Can Wait—and What Cannot

What Can Wait—and What Cannot

“Let me just finish this.” It is a reasonable thing to say. We have work to complete, messages to answer and responsibilities that do not disappear because someone wants our attention. Yet we can say those five words so often that they become the way we...
I’m Not Arguing. I’m Just Explaining Why I’m Right.

I’m Not Arguing. I’m Just Explaining Why I’m Right.

I recently came across a cocktail napkin bearing this wonderfully honest sentence: “I am not arguing. I am just explaining why I am right.” It is funny because most of us recognize the character immediately. It may be a spouse, coworker or that relative...
Waiting for the Next Finish Line

Waiting for the Next Finish Line

Most of us have become remarkably skilled at postponing our lives. We tell ourselves that things will settle down after this week, after the project is finished, after the kids get through this phase, after the house is organized, after the vacation, after retirement,...
Best Effort: One Key to Your Child’s Happiness

Best Effort: One Key to Your Child’s Happiness

Spring is a season of renewal. The days grow longer, energy returns, and many families begin thinking about new activities, sports, and opportunities for their children. It is also a time when an important parenting question quietly appears: Will our children learn to...