Category Archives: Personal Development

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The Perils of Perfectionism

I confess.  I have very high expectations of myself.  I have been that way ever since I can remember.  I expect to be the best at what I do.  I expect to work hard.  I expect to always say the right thing.  I expect to not make a mistake.  I expect not to hurt anyone.  I expect, I expect, I expect. 

(c) Ingram Publishing/Thinkstock

There is nothing wrong with high expectations.  It is good to work hard, to push yourself beyond where you are now, work towards excellence, or as Michael Hyatt says, “Aim for WOW!”  Low expectations leave us stagnant.  According to Les Brown, “Most people fail in life not because they aim too high and miss, but because they aim too low and hit.” 

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Dealing With Expectations Part Three: Life, continued

In the last post, we saw that prosperity, media, technology, and our world view can affect our expectations.  Unmet expectations can cause distress.  When those expectations are unrealistic, we are bound to be disappointed.

(c) Purestock/Thinkstock

What you think about life matters much more than your circumstances.

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Dealing With Expectations Part Two: Life

What do you expect from life?  Unrealized expectations haunt many of us, particularly when we hit middle age and beyond.  Perhaps you expected to rise to the top of your profession and haven’t.  Or you thought your marriage would be perfect and it isn’t.  Or you thought you would sail through your kids’ teenage years, and then the ship sank.

Most of us have unrealized dreams.  Some may be fulfilled later, and some may never become reality  If we EXPECT life to work the way we dream, we can go down hard when it doesn’t happen. 

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The Work-Life Balance Myth

You know how painful it is on the playground when you are see-sawing with someone and without warning they get off?  You are suddenly slammed to the ground.  It really hurts.  Even though I am long past playground age, I still remember it.  Well that’s how it can feel when you are trying to achieve work-life balance.  It seems to work for a while, and suddenly – SLAM!

(c) warrengoldswain/thinkstock

(c) warrengoldswain/thinkstock

You are on the ground.

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Pricker Bushes and Skunk Cabbage – The Art of Seeing

Spring has come late this year.  The grass has that yellow-green color  and the daffodils starting to bloom.  A few shoots of early perennials are coming up, but not much else.  The trees aren’t budding yet, so the woods look brown.   Early this week after a warm weekend, I was driving to work looking at the forest as I drove the back roads.  Everything was still brown.  All except for…

photo by Kathleen Thompson

photo by Kathleen Thompson

… pricker bushes and skunk cabbage.

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Lessons from the UConn Huskies Basketball Champions

The University of Connecticut men’s and women’s basketball teams won their NCAA basketball championships this year.  The women were undefeated in the regular season, dominating much of their competition.  The men’s team started more slowly, and progressively improved until they peaked right at the time of the tournament.  Despite being in a league with less competition and name recognition, the Huskies prevailed.  The men overcame not only the odds but also most people’s low expectations to win the National Championship.  A truly inspiring story.

(c) Ingram Publishing/Thinkstock

(c) Ingram Publishing/Thinkstock

The teams have been successful for several years.  Including this year’s championships, the men have won  four championships, and the women have won nine.  As a Connecticut resident, I have watched these teams go from obscurity to major success.  I am proud of these men and women, and proud of their coaches.  Here are three things that we can learn from the Huskies continued success.

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The Lion’s Roar – Facing Your Fears

The jungle can be a cruel place.  Animals struggle for survival – finding water, food, and eluding predators.  The smaller, slower, or weaker animals are preyed upon by those larger, stronger, faster, and more cunning.  And one that is feared by almost all in the jungle is the lion.

(c) Redmich/Thinkstock

(c) Redmich/Thinkstock

Lions are called the king of the jungle for good reason.  They are smart, strong, and fast.  They are fierce.  Their roar strikes terror into man and beast alike.  Animals often freeze in fear when they hear that powerful roar.    

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My Comfortable Old Sweatshirt

I have a sweatshirt that I’ve owned for probably 15 years.  It is well broken in, soft, stretched out, and has stains that I can’t get out.  I like to wear it after a long day of work, when I cook, or when I just want my clothes to feel like a warm hug.  I have other newer sweatshirts, but I really like this one.  It’s my favorite.

(c) Kathleen Thompson

(c) Kathleen Thompson

There are times when it is appropriate to wear my sweatshirt.  But what if I wore it to the office?  What if I wore it to my friend’s wedding?

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How Much is Enough?

Bobby gestured toward the candy rack and yelled, “Mom, I want this!”  while they waited at the check-out counter of the local store.  His mother told him that they weren’t buying the candy.  But Bobby wasn’t finished.  “I need the candy; I’m hungry,” he wailed.  He then picked it up, ignoring his mother’s directions.  Mom told Bobby to put the candy back, and Bobby did so, crushed.  He was no longer a happy boy.  He had seen something that he wanted and could not have.

Don’t we do that too?  We want something that we don’t need, or perhaps isn’t even good for us.  And even if we do get it, it isn’t enough.  We want more.  Our houses are packed; our garages don’t fit our cars; we rent storage facilities just to house our stuff.

(c) Ryan McVay/Thinkstock

(c) Ryan McVay/Thinkstock