The same problem can be solved in different ways

Cats have nine lives, so they say. I’m not sure how many our two-year-old orange tabby kitties, Oliver and Dodger, have already used. But they were put to the test this past week. While we were watching our friends’ energetic and active silver lab, Raegan, the cats had a challenge to face. Would they let…

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Transitions can generate excitement or stress

direct online installment loan lenders The transition of seasons is a fitting metaphor for the changes in our lives and within each of us. The yellow, orange and curry colors of the leaves looked bland yesterday, yet now are a bold contrast against the dusting of snow that fell last night. Fall is not over,…

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Move outside your comfort zone — at your own pace

“I’ve always believed that the pure of heart can go unharmed where others fear to tread.” That is a quote from a fellow blogger, Sara. She had written it months ago and at the time, I retyped it and taped it next to my monitor so I could read it often and be reminded of…

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Can a person ever change?

“Can I person ever change?” That question was posed several times, stated in a number of various ways, during meetings I held with one of my clients last week. The majority of these 30 managers are seasoned and they all care a lot about their employees. They also take their role very seriously. They have…

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You can be threatening or calming

“You have a choice: you can be threatening or calming.” That’s what I read in an enlightening book entitled “On Talking Terms with Dogs: Calming Signals,” by Turid Rugaas. The author talks about our relationships with dogs, and of course, I also see the applications between manager and employee. Rugaas talks about how frequently we,…

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Pestered into action

Have you ever been pestered enough that you do something that you wouldn’t ordinarily do? That just happened to me. For the last 30 minutes while trying to work, Grace has been whining and pawing at my chair. It’s almost an hour before her normal dinner time. And sometimes she does get antsy when it…

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Otter tales

I can easily find connections between what happens with Grace and what happens in everyday human interactions. But my awareness doesn’t always stop with her. Nature is a wonderland for learning efficient and effective communication skills. Grace and I went for a walk this past Sunday morning. I chose a trail we’ve been on before,…

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Didn’t I already tell you that?

  Does the following statement sound familiar: “I have specifically told him not to do that, but yet he still does it. It drives me crazy.” Or this one: “I know we’ve talked about that. And she said she understood. Yet just this morning, I witnessed her doing the same thing without making the changes…

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