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A friend of mine works for a tech startup.  He tells me that whenever the company interviews candidates for their customer service positions, the last question on the list is as follows. Would you rather be friendly or right?  It’s an interesting concept. Especially in the black and white world of tech support, when frustrated and impatient users just want answers.  But I couldn’t help but wonder to myself,…

Consider these two truths of the human experience.  One, there’s potential for anxiety in almost everything around us. Daily life is littered with triggers.  Two, connectedness is the frame in which human beings heal. Change is an interpersonal experience.  And so, when the storm of anxious thoughts moves through, the worst thing we can do is isolate. The worst thing we can do is suffer silently and secretly. The…

I once came across a job application for a marketing position whose headline stated the following: If you’re thirsty for blood and hungry for a chance to prove yourself, you could be the one we’re looking for.  Notice the absence of traditional job application language like talent and experience and multiple references and bachelor’s degree and impeccable attention to detail and must be highly organized and be able to…

All modern vehicles have a check engine light. A malfunction indicator lamp that flashes a of an engine, alerting the driver of serious troubles like low oil pressure, potential overheating, catalytic converter issues, emissions problems or an imminent breakdown.  This light can be a lifesaver. It can help drivers erase a major problem before it becomes one.  Of course, sometimes the light simply means a loose gas cap. Or a…

Cue cards are traditionally held right beside the camera for the performer to read from, while still appearing to look directly into the lens.  But in many television productions, especially sketch shows, cue cards are also positioned off camera, to the left or right of the stage, out of frame, unseen by the viewing audience.  And so, on any given television set, actors might encounter three sets of cue…

You don’t have to manage your time if you master your priorities.  That’s a powerful mantra for taking action and getting things done.  But it assumes a high level of certainty. My question is, what if you don’t know who you are yet? What if you’re still in the early stages of an uncertain endeavor? What if you’re so crazy busy and overwhelmed that you barely have time to…

On any given day of busking, I earn between five and thirty dollars in tips.  Which isn’t a ton of money, but that’s not the point. Because the significance of that currency far exceeds its monetary value.  In fact, a friend of mine once asked me if I did anything special with that money at the end of each performance.  Absolutely. It’s one of my favorite rituals. I roll…

Laziness isn’t real.  It’s just a word for making myself feel guilty about self care. A way to feel superior to the aspects of myself that I judge, reinforcing my high standards and notions of supremacy.  And so, when I throw my morning plans out the window in favor of more sleep, when I ditch my ambitious social agenda in favor of much needed solitude, when I meet half…

Wherever we land in life, we’re greeted with a list of rules.  A social template for what success should look like. A mainstream system we’re expected to inherit.  And the myth is, if we tick these boxes, we will get ahead and be happy. And, because we’re new and naïve and ambitious and filled to the brim with all that hungry youth juice, we think to ourselves, well, I…

Cynicism is wildly seductive.  It’s an easy way to think about the world, a humorous way to perform for an audience, an inexpensive way to interact to coworkers, a strategic way to boost website traffic, a protective measure against disappointment, a free pass from taking responsibility and a simple way to disengage from the intensity of what you’re really feeling.  What’s not to like?  Of course, everyone knows that…